Austin360 On the Record: Reckless Kelly, Madam Radar, Reverent Few
Austin360 On the Record is a weekly roundup of new, recent and upcoming releases by local and Austin-associated recording artists.
RECENTLY RELEASED
Reckless Kelly, “American Jackpot” and “American Girls” (Thirty Tigers). An ambitious pair of new albums released together in late May, the latest from brothers Willy and Cody Braun and their bandmates may well be Reckless Kelly’s finest work to date. Recorded at Austin’s Arlyn Studios, the two records aren’t sonically far apart from each other — nor do they diverge from the band’s long-established country-rock sound — but they follow distinctly different lyrical themes. Willy Braun, who produced, wrote some of the songs with Idaho friend Jeff Crosby, including “North American Jackpot,” which gave the first album its name. The song’s sociopolitical perspective — an acknowledgment that being born in a certain place and time instills advantages — signals the nature of the record as a whole. Songs such as “42,” a tribute to color barrier-breaking baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and “Goodbye Colorado,” about a migrant farmworker returning from the southern U.S. to his home south of the border, help to broaden the horizons of Reckless Kelly’s oeuvre. “American Girls” is perhaps closer kin to their past works, focusing more on relationships; but if it’s less lyrically adventurous, it may be the stronger set musically. “Miss Marissa” charges forth with Springsteen-esque riffs and an instantly catchy chorus, while “Lost Inside the Groove” shows the clear Tex-Mex influence of the late Doug Sahm, whose son Shawn Sahm is one of many notable guests on the recordings. “Anyplace That’s Wild” features a poignant duet vocal from country singer Suzy Bogguss; elsewhere, Austin aces Gary Clark Jr., Charlie Sexton, Rosie Flores and Bukka Allen turn up as contributors. A planned release show at the Paramount Theatre is in the process of being rescheduled. Here’s the “American Girls” track “Lonesome on My Own”:
Madam Radar, self-titled. Formerly known as the Texas KGB, this quartet celebrated its first full-length release as Madam Radar in late February with a release show at Scottish Rite Theatre, just before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Winner of a major Black Fret grant in 2019, the group — which features guitarists Kelly Green and Jace Cadle, bassist Violet Lea and drummer Kody Lee — relocated to Austin a few years ago from Georgia and plays melodic blues-based rock & roll. Band of Heathens member Gordy Quist produced the album. Here’s the single “Carolina”:
Reverent Few, “Ain’t No Place to Be.” The duo of Paige DeChausse and Nick James moved to Austin from Chicago in 2013 and released this full-length debut digitally in March (with vinyl out this week) after several EPs and a live set that was recorded at Antone’s. An intriguing supplement to their original material is a cover of Gillian Welch’s “Elvis Presley Blues.” Here’s the opening track, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”:
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COMING SOON
JUNE 19: Monte Warden & the Dangerous Few, self-titled
JUNE 19: Diana Burgess, “You Run”
JUNE 19: Jenny Reynolds, “Any Kind of Angel”
JULY 3: Willie Nelson, “First Rose of Spring” (Legacy)
JULY 10: Ray Wylie Hubbard, “Co-starring” (Big Machine)
JULY 10: Greyhounds, “Primates” (Nine Mile)
JULY 17: David Ramirez, “My Love Is a Hurricane” (Sweetworld/Thirty Tigers)
SEPT. 25: Band of Heathens, “Stranger”
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