Wild Child
End of the World, the new album from acclaimed Austin songwriting duo Wild Child (Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins) wasn’t supposed to happen. In 2018, Wilson joined the singer-songwriter super group Glorietta, and debuted her critically acclaimed genre-bending, Motown-influenced solo project Sir Woman. Meanwhile, Beggins unveiled his musical alter-ego, CoCo Zandi, with the release of his first solo album, As Simple as a Dream. Then in 2019, after more than a decade of non-stop touring, the indie band, which was unexpectedly conceived in the back seat of someone else’s tour van, stopped booking or playing shows altogether.Exploring different sonic directions, Wilson and Beggins didn’t know if they would ever make another Wild Child record, until, well, what felt like the “end of the world” hit Austin, and brought them back together. Pandemic lockdowns closed stages and drained bank accounts. In Austin, the ‘Live Music Capital of the World,’ local bands took their shows online. Wild Child was no different. With an unexpected abundance of free time on their hands, Wilson and Beggins got together to practice for a series of online performances for devout fans. Within 30 minutes of rejoining forces, they’d written the first single for what would accidentally become Wild Child’s fifth album.”Photographs” is a soulful, brass-filled outing that “offers something familiar for Wild Child fans who have stuck with them over the years,” Wilson says. “‘Photographs’ was inspired by a picture of my dad, Buddy Wilson, who passed away in February. And in a way, it’s a tribute to old Wild Child songs. A bittersweet story, a ukulele and both of us singing. It’s a special gift to Wild Child fans.” Beggins adds, “It felt like our very first record, when the two of us wrote a bunch of songs while on tour for someone else. There wasn’t any aim to do anything with those songs at the beginning. For the first time since then, that’s how we started writing these songs. We didn’t know if we would make another record. It just came together.”And it couldn’t have happened at a more difficult time. Take Day 3 of the 2021 Texas Big Freeze for instance, when 13 displaced Austin pals had taken refuge at Wilson’s house. There was no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and no end in sight. When Wilson couldn’t possibly take it anymore, one of the fateful 13, singer-songwriter John Calvin Abney, ripped a 90s-alternative riff on an acoustic guitar that would eventually turn into the album’s title track. “I just started singing about things that were freaking me out. Wearing a mask for a year. Global warming. There’s no heat, no water,” explains Wilson. “It was like a dirge to begin with. But by the end we were all screaming and laughing that, yes, this might be the end of the world, but we’re all together right now, making music in my living room by candlelight. It’s all okay.”The next morning during a lull in the storm, the Wild Child caravan — complete with drummer and guitarist Tom Meyers, guitarist Cody Ackors, and bassist and piano player Taylor Craft (Sir Woman) — braved icy roads to recording engineer Matt Pence’s The Echo Lab studios outside Denton, Texas. They didn’t even stop to shower before recording an unwashed rendition of “End of the World,” flush with in-the-moment angst. “There’s no ukulele. I’m singing differently than I ever have before. You can hear my voice crack, and all the energy behind everyone playing,” Wilson said.Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
The Menzingers
At this point, the Menzingers are an absolute institution. The Philadelphia punk legends’ multi-decade reputation as road warriors with an unbeatable catalog is cemented as hard truth—and their seventh album, Some Of It Was True, stands as their most immediate-sounding and energetic record to date. The follow-up to 2019’s sensational Hello Exile accomplishes the daunting task of capturing the Menzingers’ distinctive live energy in the confines of the studio, resulting in a sound that’s both rich, raw, and complementary to the group’s increasingly prismatic songwriting approach. More than 15 years in, the Menzingers are still holding their listeners square in the immediate present, and Some Of It Was True documents that power in thrilling fashion. Some Of It Was True comes after the longest gap between Menzingers records to date—a gestational period brought on by the Hello Exile-era tour schedule’s delays due to the COVID-19 tour industry shutdown. “We weren’t really writing new music yet,” Greg Barnett explains. “We were talking about it, but we were honestly just happy to be out and touring again.” The acoustic reworks of 2020’s From Exile followed, as well as Barnett’s solo record Don’t Go Throwing Roses at My Grave from last year, which was when Some Of It Was True started to come together. “We turned down any offers at that point because we needed the time to write,” Tom May explains while discussing the writing and recording process, which technically started while on the road and continued in intensive fashion while the boys were back home. “We’d go out on tour, come home, and be in the practice space writing our asses off five days a week,” Barnett says. We had to learn to trust our instincts, which is the hardest thing to do when you’ve been in a band like this for so long. You get caught in your ways! It took a while to trust ourselves, but when we did, it was an amazing feeling.” Making the process easier: Grammy-nominated producer Brad Cook (Bon Iver, the War on Drugs, Waxahatchee), who joined the Menzingers in El Paso’s legendary Sonic Ranch studios and lent his incredible ear for raw, immediate sound to help the band achieve Some Of It Was True’s in-the-room live feel. “The Menzingers are as real as it gets,” Cook says on his time in the studio with the band. I had an absolute blast working with these guys and was moved to tears many times. They are truly dedicated to artistic growth, and to each other, in ways I found both refreshing and beautiful. I am now a lifer.” “Brad massively changed the way we were approaching the record,” May says. “We were able to bust out a ton of songs during the last part of the recording process as a result. We’d talk about music and develop a vocabulary about how to work together, and that made us embrace chasing the feeling instead worrying about locking in things immediately.” “We wanted to make a fun record and write songs that we wanted to play live, and that’s exactly what we did,” Barnett adds. “We’ve always said that we want every album to sound live, but we never recorded an album live before. This was the first time we committed to that idea. We wanted to sound like how our band sounds onstage.” Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Mates of State
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Jen Curtis, violin and Niloufar Shiri, kamancheh
An exploration of the migration of music from North Africa through Eastern Europe into Spain and Germany… from Arabic scales to Appalachian reels … and of course a little JS Bach. Jennifer Curtis, violin, Niloufar Shiri, Kamancheh, Naji Halil, Oud, David Meyer, cello and percussionists Will Ridenour and Jason Lentz. The New York Times described violinist Jennifer Curtis’s second solo concert in Carnegie Hall as “one of the gutsiest and most individual recital programs.” She was celebrated as “an artist of keen intelligence and taste, well worth watching out for.” Curtis navigates with personality and truth in every piece she performs. Jennifer is a long-time member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and founder of the group Tres Americas Ensemble. She has appeared as a soloist with the Simon Bolivar Orchestra in Venezuela and the Knights Chamber Orchestra; performed in Romania in honor of George Enescu; given world premieres at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York; collaborated with composer John Adams at the Library of Congress; and appeared at El Festival de las Artes Esénias in Peru and festivals worldwide. An educator with a focus on music as humanitarian aid, Jennifer has also collaborated with musical shaman of the Andes, improvised for live radio from the interior of the Amazon jungle, and taught and collaborated with Kurdish refugees in Turkey. Jennifer currently teaches part-time violin at Duke University. She plays on a 1777 Vincenzo Panormo.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Kamancheh player and composer Niloufar Shiri began her musical journey at the Tehran Music Conservatory in Iran. She later immigrated to the USA and pursued her studies in composition at the University of California, San Diego, and Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) at the University of California, Irvine. Niloufar’s musical world lies at the intersection of classical Iranian music, contemporary music, and improvisation. Her focus revolves around exploring the concept of displacement in relation to familiar and distant environments. Her music closely examines textural and timbral spaces, drawing inspiration from staggered pitch relations found in the Radif, as well as bird sounds, noise, and feedback. Her unique and radical approach to kamancheh performance significantly expands the sonic capabilities of the instrument and places her at the forefront of its practice.Website | Instagram | Facebook | Soundcloud
AZUL
AZUL AZUL’s sound is as multicultural as her background. Her music is enriched by her Argentinian roots, travel, and global studies degree, while influenced by jazz, broadway, soul, gospel, blues, disco, Latin folk and Latin rock. She is emotional, empathetic, and empowered. She is driven to amplify opportunities for femme/queer/poc individuals in her band and on stage. AZUL sings (in Spanish, English, and French), dances, and plays trumpet. She’s as serious as she is silly, and she wants *you* to connect with that energy while she’s on stage. AZUL has opened for nationally touring groups like Delta Rae and Esme Patterson and has played at venues like the Ritz, Fillmore, and Cats Cradle. Maia Kamil Singer-songwriter Maia Kamil is at home in the world. Maia has spent years refining a musical style that weaves eclectic influences, vocal dexterity, and complex lyrics to create tiny worlds in which the listener can get lost. In 2020, Maia relocated to North Carolina where she worked with guitarist and producer Charlie Hunter, who helped hone her craft. She became known as the local Norah Jones for her warm vocals, spiritual center, and ease with stepping into a variety of genres from Hip Hop to Neo-soul and folk. Much like her writing, Maia’s performances are an invitation to form community and create deep human connection. Her simple melodies act as launch pads for her graceful vocal runs, creating a new sound with a global soul. Her music offers transport to worlds away—the woods she’s walked in, the Dead Sea she’s floated in, the words of her ancestors, the lullabies she sang to her three younger siblings—while simultaneously bringing the listener back to a campfire with friends, singing melodies they feel they’ve always known. Links and Videos here
Tyson Brothers
Since 2016, the Tyson Brothers have been building a reputation as great songwriters and musicians, set apart by their high energy live performances. Starting out creating music and playing gigs in Raleigh North Carolina, the Tyson Brothers have quickly built a devoted following. The Tyson Brothers are releasing their newest album, New.wav, this summer with the first single, Whatever Happens, being released in March 2023. Get in touch to learn more about the band and upcoming gigs.Website | Instagram | Facebook | SpotifyThe Modern Age InstagramHigh June Website
mc chris
mc chris is most widely known for his reoccurring character MC P Pants on Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force where he was also an animator and writer. He’s been featured in the Aqua Teen movie, the video game and most recently on a series of You Tube videos called Aqua Donk Side Pieces. He’s also starred on several Adult Swim series including The Brak Show and Sealab 2021. When he’s not voicing some of his iconic late-night characters, he’s a full-time touring rapper. A pioneer of the hip hop subgenre Nerdcore, mc chris has worked with the likes of Talib Kweli, Andrew WK, and Donald Glover. His fans include the likes of Gerard Way, Post Malone and T-Pain and was even sampled by Run the Jewels for the latest Aqua Teen movie Plantasm. He’s toured with Reggie and Full Effect, Ninja Sex Party, Warped Tour, appeared on a GWAR album, performed at the gathering of the Juggalos and even had his own Honda commercial. His music has been featured on several Adult Swim Shows and commercials, Broad City and America’s Funniest Home Videos. mc chris is the widely accepted soundtrack to nerd culture. Not only does he rhyme about what nerds love most, but he was one of the first performers to encourage nerds to take pride in themselves and what they care about. He’s a full-time single father to his son, Tony, and lives in Los Angeles.Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Setting
Setting is Nathan Bowles (solo/trio, Pelt, Black Twig Pickers) on strings, keys, and percussion; Jaime Fennelly (Mind Over Mirrors, Peeesseye) on harmoniums, synthesizers, and piano zither; and Joe Westerlund (solo, Califone, Sylvan Esso, Jake Xerxes Fussell) on drums, percussion, and metallophones. Their debut album “Shone a Rainbow Light On” on Paradise of Bachelors traverses textural, phosphorescent topography with a certified organic folk-engine. Fueled by a vibratory hybrid of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, the four stately longform pieces sound like a UFO slowly sinking into a peat bog. Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Label Artist Page
Grace Cummings
A “soon-to-be-iconic voice” (Rolling Stone), Grace Cummings is a contemporary folk musician from Melbourne, Australia. Her songwriting is influenced by 20th century poets and luminaries, from Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan to Brett Whitely and Van Gogh, reflecting a strong connection to the Australian landscape. She has appearance at globally renowned music festivals including Womad, SXSW, The Great Escape, End of the Road and Transmusicales and supported a host of venerated artists including Weyes Blood, Gareth Liddiard, J Mascis, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Ezra Furman.Grace won fans around the world with the release of her critically acclaimed 2022 sophomore album, Storm Queen (ATO/Virgin Music Australia) which was acclaimed in industry-leading publications including MOJO (Lead review, 4/5), Uncut (8/10), Reader’s Digest (Album of the Month), American Songwriter (‘Artists to Watch in 2022’) and NME (“beautiful, soaring with an unholy majesty… breathtaking”). Her highly anticipated third album, produced by Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Angel Olsen) will be released in 2024.Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Destroy Boys
Punk rock might have been the force that brought Destroy Boys together, but it’s far from the only touchstone for their music. From their first record through the beginnings of their fourth, they have continued to write and sing about what they know. School drama and elitist cliques encountered in their teens have given way to the pain of relationships and the inherent feelings of misunderstanding and isolation that is all too common for young people navigating a hybrid of physical and digital worlds. Started in Sacramento in 2015 by Alexia Roditis and Violet Mayugba while they were still in high-school, initially the band released acoustic demos on Bandcamp. Destroy Boys first proper record, Sorry, Mom remains a classic for the band’s fans, having spawned the underground hit I Threw Glass At My Friend’s Eyes and Now I’m On Probation. The follow up record, Make Room, recorded by Martin Cooke (Death Cab for Cutie, Of Monsters and Men) was tracked in just 4 days and yielded favorites such as Crybaby and Duck Eat Duck World (later featured on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtrack.) Adding drummer Narsai Malik to the fold in 2018, Destroy Boys began to tour in earnest, venturing as far as the UK, opening for numerous up-and-coming indie bands. As their own songs took off on Spotify and TikTok they signed with Los Angeles label Hopeless Records in 2020. Working with Philadelphia producer Will Yip (Turnstile, Circa Survive) their first Hopeless release was the snarling, one minute ripper, Muzzle. The eventual LP Open Mouth, Open Heart, released in late 2021 chronicled a band dealing with familiar pandemic-frustration and the rise of online gossip and bullying – and they dealt with these head on with songs ranging from Escape to Locker Room Bully. Despite that year-long setback, the band returned to touring in summer 2021, suffering the obligatory headache of Covid-cancelled shows, re-booking and re-reroutings. But their fanbase, which had been locked up as the band grew sevenfold online came out in droves. Headlining for the first time brought a succession of sold out shows and the reassurance that their connection with their audience was never stronger. Rolling into 2022, the band toured the UK with Alkaline Trio and Taking Back Sunday before crisscrossing the US several times as they continued to support the LP. With lauded performances at Riot Fest, Dia De Los Deftones, and more, they have since begun work on their fourth album. Working with Carlos De La Garza (Bad Religion, Paramore, The Linda Lindas) the recordings dig further back to embrace everything from garage punk to 90’s college indie rock. 2023 holds yet bigger experiences for Destroy Boys. Following appearances at Coachella they return to the UK and Ireland for Slam Dunk Fest, several headline shows and then multiple runs in Europe, taking in notable festivals including Roskilde, SBAM! And Sziget. Along the way fans can expect new music in advance of their as yet untitled fourth record.Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
