Blowing up his profile among NPR programmers with mod falsetto soul on 2013’s “So Good at Being in Trouble,” New Zealander-turned-Oregonian Ruban Nielson doubles down on this vein to distraction. Top-loaded with mildly engaging songs drawn out past the point of intrigue, Multi-Love sorely misses the psychedelic fancy that informed its predecessors. “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone” cloyingly aims for the cheap seats with a push-button bhangra and walking disco bass. Bright spot “Necessary Evil” refreshes a hypnotic Bill Withers via interplay between Nielson’s guitar and his father’s trumpet. (5:30pm, Austin Ventures stage)

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This article appears in October 2 • 2015.

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Greg Beets was born in Lubbock on the day Richard Nixon was elected president. He has covered music for the Chronicle since 1992, writing about everyone from Roky Erickson to Yanni. Beets has also written for Billboard,Uncut, Blurt, Elmore, and Pop Culture Press. Before his digestive tract cried uncle, he co-published Hey! Hey! Buffet!, an award-winning fanzine about all-you-can-eat buffets.