“Paper Cuts” features new songs and music videos from Austin artists. Listen to our playlist on the @austinchronicle Spotify.
The American Analog Set, “Camp Don’t Count”
I’m not sure what’s more surprising: The American Analog Set releasing their first new album in close to two decades seemingly out of nowhere late last month or just how heavy the opening track “Camp Don’t Count” hits. For Forever reunites the lineup behind 2005 sendoff Set Free – frontman Andrew Kenny, drummer Mark Smith, bassist Lee Gillespie, keyboardist Tom Hoff, and percussionist Sean Ripple – but the mood has darkened considerably. Starting mid-riff, “Camp Don’t Count” encircles the listener in a deep groove, as Kenny’s typically hushed vocals take an almost menacing turn. It’s a bit unsettling at first, like watching Steve Carell as a villain in Foxcatcher, but it leaves quite the impression. – Austin Powell
The Pinky Rings, “Big Fang”
Riding the high of a mosh-filled year that included opening for visceral punk pros Surfbort, DIY hellraisers the Pinky Rings continue to bare their canines on the sludge-heavy “Big Fang.” The ferocious garage punk quartet’s first offering since last year’s self-titled debut album, the Halloween release keeps tempos and volumes sky-high while tackling dark sensations of feeling trapped and mistreated. Refusing to let a parabolic captor underestimate their strength, vocalist Bella Borbon shoulders into a lupine growl for the track’s hard-hitting choral couplet: “I took his teeth so I could bite/ I wasn’t hungry, it was out of spite.” – Genevieve Wood
BOSH, “Mercy”
Crust punk with a slam death metal snare? Even before the opening track to BOSH’s new EP Against God truly began, I had already spit out of my coffee. It’s not every day you hear that gnarly trash-can-lid drum sound busting out old-school D-beat rhythms. “Mercy” has many more surprises from there, even for listeners who’ve never heard of Nineties acts His Hero Is Gone or Filth of Mankind. In under three minutes, we get both a doomy, slow-tempo, wailing-in-the-pit-of-hell section and a sludgy, slow-tempo, feedback-apocalypse section. Progressive songwriting! – Julian Towers
Pelvis Wrestley, “Holy Host”
Religiosity can be a sore subject for many queer Texans, but the ever-delightful Pelvis Wrestley manages to wrestle joy out of biblical symbolism with the playfully divine “Holy Host.” The baroque pop dance-along’s new video sees bandleader Benjamin Violet channel the dual role of guardian angel/news anchor, donning a saintly halo, shoulder pads of ruffled wings, and powder blue eyeshadow. To a heaven-reaching chorus of cello and violin, a pair of marionette devils dance to Violet’s cheeky innuendos: “I saw a flame over your head/ We kissed and then went where the spirit led.” – Genevieve Wood
NOOK Turner, “Texas Baby”
There’s a different ambience within city limits on Saturdays: University of Texas football fans support a team with a realistic (but tough) route to their first-ever College Football Playoff berth. Passionate Austinite NOOK Turner turns that burnt orange fervor into a family-friendly anthem celebrating the Longhorns. BigXthaPlug’s homage to the Lone Star State (“Texas”) comes to mind, but the Eastside rapper has an established knack for hometown-centric hype tracks (“The A”). A whirring note complements an earworm befit for when a sportscaster excitedly takes viewers to commercial break: “You know I throw the horns up while yellin’ hook ’em, hook ’em, hook ’em!” – Derek Udensi
Mike & the Moonpies, “Country Music’s Dead”
“I don’t care if country music’s dead, I’m just trying to make it ’til tomorrow” punches Mike Harmeier on Mike & the Moonpies’ second live LP, Live From the Devil’s Backbone. The Moonpies’ hard-charging country roars in defiance of the track’s proclamation (originally released as a 2017 single featuring John Baumann), kicking up dirt at the legendary Hill Country tavern and capturing the road-dogging quintet at their most potent. Wringing classic Waylon outlaw vibes, the song rips tongue-in-cheek against country music trends in favor of the heads-down grinding that has been the Moonpies’ forte for more than a decade. – Doug Freeman
The Teeta & Dankhead Corleone, “Get Up”
Don’t let the Teeta’s relaxed demeanor and unhurried flow deceive you. The Northeast Austin rapper has put in well over a decade into his craft, so on “Get Up,” he refuses to accept any excuses from others regarding their lack of career advancement. His verse on the collaboration with New Orleans native Dankhead Corleone expounds on finally understanding music publishing, sketchy dealings after performances, and the need to take risks. – Derek Udensi
Terrence Léon, Caleb Lemons, TT on the Keys, “She Don’t”
For his second single of 2023, singer-songwriter Terrence Léon links with fellow Austinites – the electronic producer TT on the Keys and genre-bending artist Caleb Lemons. With a sound that bridges the generational gap between Nineties slow jams and upbeat, early-Aughts courtship bangers, “She Don’t” continues to carve Léon’s niche in the city’s R&B scene. Ultra smooth, melt-in-your-ears vocals and brooding, in-your-feelings lyrics (“Say that you want connection but you hate that, so I leave it alone”) make this track both endearingly moody – and hyper addictive. – Elizabeth Braaten
Correction, November 2: An earlier version of this story misidentified the current American Analog Set keyboardist as Craig McCaffrey. Keyboardist Tom Hoff played on the new album.
Paper Cuts: The American Analog Set’s Heavy Return and Seven More Songs From Austin Artists
A version of this article appeared in print on Nov 3, 2023 with the headline: Paper Cuts: The American Analog Set’s Heavy Return and Seven More Songs From Austin Artists
This article appears in Best of Austin: Restaurants 2023.
