Song of the Day KUT & KUTX Studios

Ever since we first caught sight of them in 2022, we’ve continued to make room for Grandma Mousey in our wheelhouse, even after their initial nest expanded from three members to five. Yeah, Granny M’s grown on us so much over the past couple of years, that we don’t mind ratting on their talent again at all.







Because between endeavorous concert stage props, Apollo program-era influences spanning from psych and classic rock to jazz, a humble refusal to take themselves too seriously, and an ongoing obsession with grasshoppers in their song titles (see the previous point), this Austin indie rock lab experiment feels like an anthropomorphic version of Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey, spacey tastes included. And coming off their third studio installment Couch Surfing from last October, they’ve stirred local show rodents into a modest following…at least enough to keep the Orkin man from shuttin’ ’em down.







Now, a half decade out of their hole, Grandma Mousey’s stickin’ their not-so-elderly indie rock whiskers into something that’s a little less Mothers of Inventions and a little more your grandma’s speed – Motown-inspired modern rock. And that’s on behalf of “When I’m Not There”, the lead single from Grandma Mousey’s upcoming EP Slime Community – out this Summer. Where Vanilla Fudge famously put a decelerated, painfully melodramatic twist on The Supremes, Grandma Mousey maintains the powerhouse harmonies, infectious hand claps, upbeat tempo, and major chord progressions of soul’s golden era, albeit into strange places of softly sweet, paradisal psychedelia thanks to some choice synth swells, liquid bass lines, and far out lead guitar.







In terms of Grandma Mousey’s gig next Friday at Anderson Mill Pub? We hope you’ll be there. To Grandmother’s mouse we go!

No matter how much success a young artist finds down the line, there’ll always be opportunities to pay respects to their predecessors and contemporaries. Whether it’s an early choice (Nick Cave & The Bad Seed’s Kicking Against the Pricks), a mid-career reset (Souxsie and the Banshees’ Through the Looking Glass), a later vocation salute (Bruce Springsteen’s We Shall Overcome), or the final chapter of a band’s studio discography (RATM’s Renegades), a collection of covers can make for a real triumph within a musician’s catalogue.







Among the Austinites with bright futures, bygone muses, and a legitimate respect for their musical elders? Our October 2016 KUTX Artist of the Month, Carson McHone ranks high. A decade removed from her debut Goodluck Man, collective millions of streams accrued for her originals, and current headquarters in Southern Ontario, Carson’s certainly manifested a fast track to international recognition. But despite that familiarity in the Folk-Americana-Country forum, McHone will still take prudent humility over precocious hubris any day, as made clear on her upcoming EP ODES, out July 19th.







Just like the title implies, ODES holds a handful of homages to some of McHone’s biggest influences from the ’60s and ’70s – including Conway Twitty, MC5, and Margo Guryan. And the EP announcement arrived this morning alongside the third of ODES‘ four covers and the EP’s lead single – Carson’s take on a Arthur Russell posthumous fan favorite with an already-rich history of cover versions from the likes of Glen Hansard and The Avett Brothers, and inherently feminine renditions on behalf of Jessie Baylin and Elizabeth Moen. But where Baylin approached “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face” entrenched in folkadelia and Moen with eggshell delicacy, Carson’s evokes her trademark warmth and Southern confidence by swapping out the original organ for a pretty straightforward acoustic-electric-guitar-and-piano pairing, all while maintaining the original’s tasteful breakdowns and painful farewells. And after watching the accompanying music video, we just can’t wait to watch Carson McHone perform this one in person…honestly with a little eye contact and face time preferred.

Although we’re bound to find a silver lining eventually, when we take the time to really look at the world we live in – gross injustices, grievous atrocities, shared struggles and all – it can make staying inside super appealing. And for sonic creators, as long as the bleakness doesn’t make the music meek, the weight of societal commentary can say a lot about an artist’s maturation.







So let’s talk Austin Indoor Creature, who you may remember as our June 2021 Artist of the Month. Initially born from a stripped-down duo between singer-songwriter Caleb Fleischer and drummer-guitarist Travis Kitchen in the mid-2010s, Indoor Creature’s since evolved into one beast of a six-piece that breathes new life into their retro collection of influences. For any project who made it to this side of the pandemic, the outlook’s gotta be more optimistic. But as we mentioned before, harsh realities don’t just get hushed when the juices start flowing.







Marking their second standalone installation since 2021 full-length Living in Darkness, last Friday Indoor Creature embraced iniquity once again on “Cross The Line”. With a robust pop backbone and Fleischer’s vocals that evoke Thomas Mars, “Cross The Line” reminds us of the tragedy-spurred background behind Phoenix’s Ti Amo. But instead of gating the heck out their instrumentation and keeping the BPM far north of 90 (both straight out of Phoenix’s radio-friendly playbook), “Cross The Line” relishes in a spacious, stereo-spanning mix and a truly introspective tempo. And for an act that call themselves “Indoor Creature”, they’re sounding awfully human on “Cross The Line”, thanks to its jazzy dynamic range, soulful chord progressions, extended jammy outro, and of course, the socially-conscious lyrics.

Save for those with seemingly disposable resources, often nonprofits get stuck in their original stomping grounds. So when a local endeavor expands enough to inspire, incorporate, and impact folks far beyond their initial reach, it’s cause for celebration.







That brings us back to Project Traction, spearheaded by our personal favorite philogynist audiophile – Spoon drummer/Public Hi Fi producer-engineer Jim Eno. Through Project Traction, female and gender-fluid musicians pair up, put fresh perspectives in the producer’s chair and find middle ground with all-women artists. And sure, Eno is present to provide technical expertise and a keen editorial ear during these sessions, but really, it’s the women who turn Project Traction into such magic. Sadly though, the depressing lack of women-on-women productions isn’t just limited to the creators of Central Texas.







Thankfully though, Project Traction’s already gained enough ground to grow past Austin’s city limits and all the way up to Colorado. And the forthcoming Project Traction: Volume Two kicks off today with a pairing of Producer Briana Harris (alto saxophonist of Greeley soul nonet The Burroughs) with Denver indie rock trio Barbara. Together alongside Eno, Briana and Baraba have mind melded the masterfully-mixed, super moody “For Good Measure”. It starts off as a pretty simple, straightforward indie rocker, but just past the halfway point, the dynamics shift, the arrangement gets more abstract, and the overall artistry goes off the wall all the way to its beautifully abrupt final chord. Well done, ladies. Well done.

For us uncultured Americans, we tend to invent a caricature when we hear about a “French songstress”. Yes, we let our assumptions automatically paint a picture of a smoky nightclub against a traumatic war torn backdrop, a slender figure in haute couture wardrobe, cigarette in one hand, microphone in the other, and lyrics toutes en français. The reality, of course, is much more of a mixed bag; I mean c’mon…we’re talking about a massive nation with a century-plus of cross cultural influences here.







Enter: Stephanie Rodd. The Parisian-Londoner up-and-comer pardons herself past the stereotypical chanson midcentury chic of Edith Piaf or Juliette Gréco and instead slides towards the more contemporary energy of acts like Adele, Estelle, and the late Amy Winehouse. Based on what little we’ve heard so far, there’s no doubt that Rodd’s time in England has helped her find the right R&B-soul-pop soundscapes for her singing style that’s reminiscent of Jorja Smith.







And in 2024, as part of a rapid trajectory, Stephanie Rodd’s shooting for the moon with the release of her debut EP next month. Following her mid-February introduction “Worth It”, Rodd’s sophomore single “Stronger Than Ever” finds Stephanie sounding…well…just like the song title. It’s an intriguing, minimalist arrangement filled with passionate chord pads, seductive synth squeaks, carnal guitar, trap-type drums, and soul-warming subs – all anchoring a bold vocal mix of triplet rhythms and unconventional melodies.

Back in the day, if you were to walk around downtown, you’d hear one predominant sound spilling out of at least every other 6th Street venue: blues rock. But as the landscape of the “Live Music Capital of the World” has evolved and diversified, frankly, so has the state of blues rock itself. And if we’re talking local aural ornithology, there’s a fine specimen that just chirped out something bold.







And that’s Wild Wren. Having only released their debut LP Love Deluge in March 2022, this quartet is still in their fledgling phase, no doubt. But through that nine-tune torrent, Wild Wren’s proven that they’re not just pigeonholed to the the traditional twelve-bar bore. Instead, those straight up jams soar across hard alternative textures and indie-inspired licks, essentially capturing a piece from that turn-of-the-millennium commercial radio backdrop and making it their own in a contemporary context.







And if there’s any producer here in Austin that understands the harder side of that indie-alternative spectrum, it’s Chris “Frenchie” Smith, whose ever-growing brag sheet includes work with Jet and The Darkness. Wild Wren recently linked up with Frenchie for their latest single, and surprise to know one, the result finds the four-piece’s already-fuzzy style fluttering to new, expertly-engineered heights. At a feather under four-and-a-half minutes, “I’M A BIRD” instantly reminds us of a time when acts like Audioslave and Foo Fighters dominated the airwaves, with slower and soulful blues-infused chord changes defining the verses while heavily-melodic motivation overtakes the hooks, including a masterful dynamic range reset midway through.







Ready to get on the wing with Wild Wren? Catch ’em live WTF Icehouse 8PM next Wednesday and again in a few weeks, 10:45PM on Friday, June 7th at Saxon Pub, ’cause those shows definitely aren’t just for the birds.