DJ Jester the Filipino Fist’s NONSTOP

Probably the first artisan to utilize both the VeggieTales theme and a child YouTuber rapping “Ms. Jackson” – hip-hop-led innocence/insanity reigns on DJ Jester the Filipino Fist’s DJ JESTER IS FOR THE CHILDREN, inspired by playing KUTX’s kid-friendly Rock the Park. The Austinite writes on Bandcamp that the tape “essentially is a children’s mix. But like the new Barbie movie it’s not really for kids.” After flying through Harry Nilsson and Kid Pix commercials, he also launches a new monthly party, NONSTOP, referencing his job as a flight attendant between DJ gigs like NYC’s Asteroid City premiere last month. “It feels like I’m just going NONSTOP all the time,” he emails. “Shangri-La is such a cool destination bar and gateway to the Eastside. It always feels like I’m on vacation when I’m there anyway!”  – Rachel Rascoe

Latino Sounds w/ Onda Stereo

As Messi mania blazes at a fever pitch matching global warming this summer everywhere, Flamingo Cantina fans the flames both ways – cool down and burn down. As openers Alex Cósmico, Colombian native Alex Mendoza and Zach Kursman lit a Latin fire in “Rozal10,” a Rosalía-inspired tribute to the Argentine fútbol GOAT that throbs, bobs, beats, and … bleats. Headliners Chico Selfie, for their part, announced plans to take Austinites to the University of Argentina, the local trio jamming on Messi chants also. Sandwiched like a goalkeeper staring down Leo himself, tributers Onda Stereo revive the Eighties pop en Español of Bueno Aires’ biggest band, Soda Stereo. Jersey wear optional.  – Raoul Hernandez

Food Group Album Release

Since 2017 album Here Today, Austin act Food Group has maintained live with ambient-minded, often sorrowful plays in precision-textured rock. The instrumentation stays squeaky-clean and teeming with organic life on latest “Sunny Day,” which previews incoming LP Thee Fantastic under bandleader Eric Lyday, keyboardist Wiley Greene, bassist Luis Rangel, and drummer Jeffrey Olson. Steadfast synth-pop group Pelvis Wrestley and Chase Weinacht of Marmalakes’ new project, Feeling Small, kick off.  – Rachel Rascoe

On Being an Angel, Stab, Clear Acid

Texasgaze night at Mohawk covers all ends of the pedalboard spectrum, stuffing heavy riffs (locals Stab, celebrating debut Quarter Life Crisis) alongside throat-tearing vocals (PaleFade.), electronic beats (Fort Worth’s Clear Acid), and noise-pop (Houston’s Nothing After Death). One-time tourmates of the Lemonheads and Juliana Hatfield, headliners On Being an Angel skew more melodic, offering circa-1992 power-pop deliverance served with a healthy dose of distortion. “You Say” is deceptively cheery and “Britt Boy” slows into a wistful dirge, but when Nick Flitton’s guitar soars above Paige Applin’s monotone in “Favorite Doll,” the band locks in for five minutes of guitar bliss.  – Carys Anderson

Night Drive EP Release

New Order crushed South by Southwest in March, while German synth pioneers Tangerine Dream packed this same venue four nights later. Someone should have snuck local trio Night Drive onto both bills. Rodney Connell, Nick Dudek, and Brandon Duhon identify as a filmic, “post-punk blend of synth-pop” via new extended play Position II. A banging drive to “Vultures” and “White Lights,” cinematic in tempo – quick cuts and car chases – and heavy emotional resonance, evinces the three-dimensional steeliness of the former genre and the lush vocals of the latter. Slicker than preceding 2013 beat ball-peen Position I, Night Drive’s latest matches their eponymous 2017 full-length and hails Survive-like ear-phoria.  – Raoul Hernandez

Horsegirl, Lifeguard

Amalgamating the auditory aesthetics of shoegaze and lo-fi indie rock, Horsegirl opted for a more capacious approach to the alternative genre on their Matador Records debut, Versions of Modern Performance. The Windy City collective creates timeless music, with Versions ranging from the Sixties experimental musings of the Velvet Underground to the punk-derived sonic texture of Pavement – both of which member Penelope Lowenstein cites as inspirations. With high-intensity, high-energy punk labelmates Lifeguard’s youthful approach to noise, the night will be a time capsule for indie enthusiasts everywhere.  – Adam Cherian

USA/Mexico

Really, you shouldn’t have. Birthday hubbubs for club vampires – hardly necessary. Postponing this free show, though, that seriously helped as my family tramped around Scotland in our tartans and umbrellas. Might need the latter when Craig Clouse, Nate Cross, and King Coffey rain down a sonic tear in space and time onto Eastside asteroid site the Lost Well. The super trio’s third LP, pandemic quench Del Rio, stretched the boundaries of music … “beyond the walls of measure and genre to a Lone Star sound hole where neither light nor recognizable audio escapes,” we opined. Raise a pint to Coffey’s Butthole Surfers drum cohort Teresa Taylor.  – Raoul Hernandez

Music Notes

JERRYFEST

Local Grateful Dead tribute band Deadeye throws its 13th annual celebration of the late Jerry Garcia.

Thomas Rhett

Country singer raised in Hendersonville, Tennessee, whose 2019 single “Look What God Gave Her” still induces fuzzy warmth.

Festival on the Lake

Rappers DeeBaby and Webbie (“Independent”) headline Jump on It Week’s marquee event. Beaumont’s Big Jade also performs while Pkilla and LHF Lil Ke represent Austin.

Update: The previously recommended Cat Burns show at 3ten ACL Live has been cancelled.

This article appears in August 4 • 2023.