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By Ashley Morris
Wrongbird’s EP Who is Wrongbird? debuted towards the end of 2018 and the eclectic band just now released their music video for “Leap Year Birthday” a sunny rock tune on the album.“Leap Year Birthday”’s piano driven track is amplified by energetic percussion and guitar set in opposition with Eric Baker’s nonchalant, unassuming vocals and ambiguous, riddle-like lyrics. “Leap Year Birthday” is a goofy satire complete with temper tantrums and a cake fight to finish. The video’s setting is a sunny park during a child’s birthday party, but the children are all adults, featuring members of the band. The cinematography is simplistic with a home video feel to it, adding a DIY touch. But the video itself is anything but simplistic, with multiple things going on: the “parents” watching the birthday party drinking near the presents, various “children” playing on the playground, and the birthday girl playing tag with frontman Eric Baker. The interesting idea of portraying children as adults adds an endearing, awkward whimsy to the composition. The video depicts a zest for life, both its pitfalls and its high times, through the lens of childhood scrapes on a playground and making fun out of things going wrong. The idea that “life is strange, but it’s fun” drives Leap Year Birthday. The chorus “I’m standing here, up to my knees in the milky way/ thanking God for when he said “breathe in breathe out breathe in let’s call that life what do you say?”/ And all his people said okay/ you can’t stop me” reflects a punchy optimism mixed with childlike wonder of the music video. Goofy and endearing, Wrongbird’s new video for “Leap Year Birthday” will make you smile with its optimism and silly cast of characters. A reminder never to take life for granted, but also, don’t take it too seriously.
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 Photo Courtesy of Alison Narro In front of a tightly packed house, a spectacle of talent graced the stage last night at the Austin Music Awards, all coming to a head with Austin legend Alejandro Escovedo's duel performance with Jakob Dylan and a heartwarming tribute to MC Overlord.
Hosts Laurie Gallardo and Rick McNulty announced the winners of the highly contested local music poll. This year, the competition was stiff, but unlike previous years, the roundup of winners seemed more deserving than in the times past. 2019 AUSTIN MUSIC AWARD WINNERS BY CATEGORY: BEST MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR -- Shakey Graves BEST AUSTIN BAND -- Shinyribs BEST NEW AUSTIN BAND -- Black Pumas BEST SONG OF THE YEAR -- Black Pumas, “Black Moon Rising” BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR -- Bob Schneider, Blood and Bones (Shockorama) BEST NONE-OF-THE-ABOVE -- Bob Schneider & The Moonlight Orchestra BEST ROCK -- Bob Schneider BEST MALE VOCALIST -- Bob Schneider BEST SONGWRITER -- Bob Schneider BEST AVANT GARDE/EXPERIMENTAL -- The Octopus Project BEST BLUES/SOUL/FUNK -- Guy Forsyth BEST MISCELLANEOUS INSTRUMENT -- Guy Forsyth (Harmonica) BEST COUNTRY -- Willie Nelson BEST ELECTRONIC -- Ghostland Observatory BEST FOLK/BLUEGRASS -- Wood & Wire BEST HIP-HOP/RAP -- Magna Carda BEST JAZZ -- White Ghost Shivers BEST LATIN -- Gina Chavez BEST FEMALE VOCALIST -- Gina Chavez BEST METAL -- Black Heart Saints BEST PUNK -- Sailor Poon BEST WORLD MUSIC -- Grupo Massa BEST BASS -- Roscoe Beck BEST DRUMS/PERCUSSION -- Brannen Temple BEST GUITAR -- Jackie Venson BEST HORNS -- Grupo Horns BEST KEYBOARDS -- Emily Gimble BEST STRINGS -- Carrie Rodriguez BEST RADIO STATION -- KUTX AUSTIN MUSIC HALL OF FAME -- Ruthie Foster TOWNES VAN ZANDT SONGWRITING AWARD -- Alejandro Escovedo MARGARET MOSER WOMEN IN MUSIC AWARD -- Dianne Scott
By Ashley Morris
“Keep Austin Weird” is the local trademark of this city. Austin locals take pride in being different, and its music scene is no exception. But what makes Austin’s music atmosphere different from all the others? In the press release announcing the 2019 Austin Music Awards, co-founder of SXSW, The Austin Chronicle Louis Black said: "What has always truly and uniquely defined the Austin music scene is the work those in it put in. More than critics, industry honchos, scene makers, or even music fans, so many musicians work so hard in this extraordinary community to impress the audience they regard as the most important — other musicians,” acknowledging the special drive and creative energy that makes Austin’s music scene incredible.  Photo courtesy of Eric Voake
By Nathalie Phan
Austin's prince of cool pop and one man wonder Mobley has released an alternate version of his standout song "Swoon," titled "Swoon:Stagger" off of his Fresh Lies Vol. 1 album released earlier this year. “When I’m writing a song, I explore countless variations while crafting its arrangement. ‘Swoon’ went through multiple incarnations," says Mobley. "I thought it'd be fun to let people in on some of the parallel universes I explore when I’m working on a record.” What eventually resulted from the artist's masterful reiterations of his own song was the first of three remixes to be released.  Image courtesy of BMI
By Nathalie Phan
Today, the Texas Music Office and BMI announced that BMI will open an office in Austin by March of 2019, just in time for SXSW. This development is big news for the Austin's musicians and music industry professionals as BMI will be the first major performing rights organization to organize an official office in the city. The creation of music publishing infrastructure gives musicians a chance to develop their relationships with professionals in the licensing and songwriting space, strengthens the naively ignored income stream of music licensing, and will attract publishing and licensing companies to the city.
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February 2022
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