Song of the Day KUT & KUTX Studios

In most situations, if you got it, flaunt it. But in an industry that demands infinitely more from your ears than from your eyes, if the hottest person on the planet doesn’t have the pipes to match their looks, they probably don’t have a shot at succeeding as a singer.







So let’s talk newcomer Mikky Rib and her Austin outfit Mikky & The Doom. A quick stroll through the band’s Instagram instantly tips you off that sex appeal is core to their brand. But with a proven ability to parrot the timbres of Amy Winehouse, Stevie Nicks, Gwen Stefani, and Lana Del Rey (all of which influence her own unique sound) in an uncanny way, their eponymous frontwoman can’t be written off as just eye candy.







This year Mikky & The Doom have been following a roadmap to their debut studio EP Garbage, USA. Produced entirely by our April 2018 Artist of the Month Mobley, this introduction explores low-light garage rock, hook-driven indie, and sex-positive electro-pop while lyrically relishing in all kinds of societal litter. There’ll be a few stops on the way before the album’s May 17th release date, including two more lead singles, a show 8PM next Thursday at The 13th Floor Alongside Jeremiah Jackson and Scotty B and The Hive, and an appearance at Hot Luck Fest on May 24th. Given that growing population for Garbage, USA, you’re just three drum stick clicks away from the record’s title track, because it’s anything but trash. An anarchistic, pyromaniac anthem, the catchy-as-hell “Garbage, USA” sounds like The Strokes woke up with a little extra dissonance in their system, heavily-processed instrumentation, pop-informed production, radio-ready brevity and all.

It’s the classic end to an encounter. You meet someone new. Sparks seemingly fly. You have fun for a night. But when you wake up ready to tell your new boo you’d like to see ’em again…they’re long gone. Hell, and in the modern era, that might all happen on just on an app alone. That’s all to say that in the dating world, whether intentions are casual or not, the one who cares the least holds the most power.







A sad truth for sure, but not exactly news to seasoned songwriters like Emily Shirley. On top of membership in both The Belle Sounds and Sister Golden Hair, Shirley’s solo discography dates back to 2010. Her vocal delivery may seem nonchalant, but between expert breath control (seriously, listen to some of those long tones), pitch perfect pipes, and learned lyricism, there’s obviously a ton of passion imbued in this Austinite. And with passion comes pursuit, right?







Well, it turns out Emily Shirley’s no stranger to the ol’ post-connection cease-and-desist in interaction either. Because you don’t need to be a paranormal investigator to have questions arise over the ghosts in our lives, be it self-doubt or just wanting a sense of closure. And that’s all reflected in Shirley’s brand new bittersweet single “Morning Light”, an amorous phantom of multi-tracked vocal harmonies, spectral electric lead guitar, and an almost-incorporeal arrangement. So before you decide to block contact with your latest fling, really get a handle on how the other side feels with “Morning Light”. And for all those who’ve been on the receiving end, this tune’s a perfect approach to taking heartbreak like a champ.







And don’t forget, Emily Shirley graces the airwaves in a solo set with our buds over at KOOP 91.7FM 3PM this Saturday on The Singer & The Song.

Watch out, Golden Dawn Arkestra…there’s a new costumed collective in town, and they’re hunting for for fresh converts! But instead of frenetic Afro-inspired dance grooves, these fanatics have so far stuck to the slower side of ’70s-style jazz funk rock; think War whisked together with Steely Dan.







Not that you’d be able to tell from your first look at ’em. Yeah…between their cloaked, crowned, and ember-eyed namesake leader (ceremonial thurible and staff ever at the ready) and ten black-suited, red-hatted, and white-gloved Zealots (eyes always redacted by clever lenses), Grandmaster is an great example of “appearances can be deceiving”. Creepy cult getups aside, in the sole year since their first performance, this eleven-piece has already indoctrinated an impressive sect of followers. And based on the caliber of those live stage-filling rituals, they won’t need much proselytizing to add a digit or two to their current numbers. Probably just a bigger place of worship.







Well right after winning an American Songwriter contest that re-united The Grandmaster with Bootsy Collins during SXSW, the cosmos smile once again ahead of Grandmaster’s Nolan Potter-produced self-titled debut. By that we mean they’ll be celebrating an album release show at The Paramount’s State Theatre 7PM this Saturday for The Grandmaster’s Gala, alongside openers Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band and Dodo. With proceeds benefitting the SIMS Foundation, and a sophomore follow-up already foretold in The Grandmaster’s prophecies, this Gala’s a good opportunity to catch the band before their concerts demand venues with larger capacities.







To any who still resist temptation, we point to Grandmaster‘s second incantation “Castle Door”. Because with a goblet-sloshing groove, a palace-spanning chord progression, and a truly regal arrangement, “Castle Door” lowers the yacht rock drawbridge and raises the prog-funk portcullis to one hell of a good time.

When a seasoned musician wades out of their genre comfort zone, you love to hear it. Because the technical expertise, jam stamina, and songwriting skills are already in place, but opening the gate to different inspirations and influences is always a welcome breath of fresh air.







So let’s talk Rod Gator, who – as you might’ve guessed from his stage surname – leans on his steamy Louisiana bayou upbringing for a swamp-swept sound. Gator’s kept us sated with his own stuff as recently as last September with the release of his LP Conqueror. Interestingly enough, that was also ’round about the same time Gator linked up with fellow Sagebrush door staffer Leo Lydon (lead guitarist/vocalist of Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol) for a songwriting session. Sparks flew, heaviness ensued, and with the addition of Nico and Willie Jansen, the southern metal endeavor Trip Cigs was born.







Fast forward to a couple weeks back, when the quartet opened up the stable for Trip Cigs’ debut EP Hoss. Heavy without being excessively brutal, swampy without getting bogged down in sludge, this record’s got an incredibly thick consistency to it. And since it maintains that session energy so effectively, its best recommended to set aside fifteen minutes to appreciate the EP in full. Definitely take a deep breath before saddling up and dig into whatever stirrups you may have on hand, ’cause with minimal space between songs, and a bucking start to each of its six tracks right out the gate, this thing is a steed who needs no speed. If you’ve only got time for one quick ride, get a feel for Hoss with Trip Cigs’ very first foal, “Comeback Kid”.

In terms of musical association, at least outside the world of film soundtracks, U.S. southwestern scenery often gets associated with country. But there’s a certain psychedelic quality to our regional deserts that we just love to see artists embrace.







Folks like Rett Smith, based here in Austin, but bred out of West Texas, so you know he appreciates all kinds of sandy, desolate miscellanea. Historically, Rett’s smithing has involved all things Americana blues. And while that’s certainly still his skillset, for his upcoming album A Weighted Remorse (out September 13th), Smith finds himself trudging through the dunes of shoegaze.







And the result is heavy as hell, almost bordering on sludge thanks to its subterranean six-string tone and massive drums. Alongside its music video, “Sunsets” feels less like hiking the Fort Davis trails and more like watching The Holy Mountain if it was shot on Super 8, ’70s abstract psychedelia and all. We’re getting major Black Angels vibes from this one, and we have a feeling that when Rett returns from his Western European tour, he’s gonna translate his travels into something else equally arid-inspired and aurally exciting.

Lyrics are a fickle field. You can be wordy as hell, hoping that at least one line sticks in listener’s minds. Or, you could just loop the hell out of some barebones sentences – guaranteed to have a lot more hypnotic staying power through sheer repetition, especially in the realm of dance music.







Now let’s talk about Ben Fish, who operates here in Austin under a few different avenues: as a DJ, as frontman of his full band Viben & The Submersibles, and as the mononymous solo act Viben. Viben categorizes his stuff as “Scuba Funk”, a label that totally mirrors his liquid grooves, but doesn’t necessarily require a lot of deep diving in terms of lyrical accessibility. So while Viben’s sophisticated soundscapes have earned him a place on our local sonar since his start in 2018, his latest release proves that a more basic approach can be just as good.







Which reminds us of the great Pablo Picasso, who once said, “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” And that quote really resonates with the vibrant simplicity of Viben’s latest, “Pablo Picasso”. This super trendy, Euro-friendly piece of house chic translates Picasso’s genius brushstrokes into brilliantly swung drums, synth, rhythm guitar, and bass, while Viben’s vocals pine for an artistic ascent towards the tune’s namesake legendary status.







Will Viben one day become a celebrated painter? We don’t know. But will “Pablo Picasso” be remembered as an uncomplicated piece of genuine expression in Austin’s electronic oeuvre? No doubt.