Local Texas Bands Releasing New Music, Bands From Out of Town Coming to Your City on Tour – We Have It All for You in This Month’s Texas Tunes 

#1 The Ivy

Dreamy synth-pop band, The Ivy, is heading to Austin on Oct. 10 at Spiderhouse Ballroom as a part of their fall headline tour. 

With the duo’s knack for writing inviting pop hooks with enticing melodies that teeter on California rock, it’s no wonder the band are taking the indie-scene by storm. The Ivy burst onto the scene in 2017 when their songs “Gold” and “Have You Ever Been in Love” went viral, climbing the Spotify charts & receiving millions of streams, winning over critics and drawing comparisons to The 1975. Pulling influence from emo/punk bands like Green Day and Blink-182 as well as R&B and the blues, The Ivy has crafted their own unique sound mixing lofi-bedroom sounds with rock guitars or R&B inspired instrumentals.

#2 GUM

Multi-instrumentalist GUM (aka Jay Watson of Pond and Tame Impala), is embarking on a US tour this fall with a stop in Austin on Oct. 12 at Parish.

Jay is touring on his forthcoming full length album Saturnia, out Sept. 15 via Spinning Top Records. Over five albums fronting GUM, not to mention the nine he’s made as co-leader of psych cosmonauts Pond, Watson’s restless imagination has treated us to some of the most sonically diverse explorations of the past decade. The glue that holds Saturnia together, and what anchors it, is that bedrock of real-life playing and organic sounds that Watson was aiming for. But as the record evolved and grew, it proved to be the launchpad for something far wider, adventurous and musically nourishing.

#3 Noah Vonne

Noah Vonne is performing and co-headline with Bluphoria at 8 p.m. (doors @ 7p.m.) on Oct. 12 at Sam’s Burger Joint in San Antonio. Tickets are $15-$19.

Texas-born Vonne, now based in West Hollywood, California, fits right alongside powder-keg female rock singers Janis Joplin, Pat Benatar, Melissa Etheridge, and Alanis Morrissette. In fact, one listen to her debut album, 2022’s We Weren’t Sober, which she recorded with multi-platinum musician, writer, and producer Jimmy Messer, and you will immediately sink your teeth into the intoxicating blend of scratchy guitars and slithering bass and drums that surround her gritty, potent pipes. 

#4 Nick Cave

Nick Cave is embarking on a rare solo tour this fall, performing songs from his extensive catalog accompanied by Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood on bass guitar. He’ll be performing at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin on Oct. 23. Beloved around the world, this tour is a rare chance to see him perform his incredible catalog (now spanning 40+ years) at the piano.

#5 Shinedown

Shinedown is coming to San Antonio on Monday, Oct. 9 at Freeman Coliseum on the fall leg of The Revolutions Live Tour. The band is bringing their world-class rock show to 26 cities this fall with openers Papa Roach and Spiritbox, following a sold-out U.S. arena tour earlier this year.

Shinedown’s current mainstream radio single “A Symptom of Being Human” recently hit Top 15 at Hot AC radio (and was also #1 on SiriusXM’s The Pulse) and is now impacting Alternative radio. It’s rare for even the biggest of rock bands to break into pop these days (Shinedown is the biggest rock radio band in history with the most Billboard mainstream rock #1s ever), but it speaks to the power of this song and the band’s belief that music is universal – it doesn’t have to be put in a genre box, especially when a song has a message that can uplift people. 

#6 Levitation Fest

For over a decade, LEVITATION has delivered lineups that span psych, dream pop, punk, indie, metal, darkwave and electronic music – helping carry the spirit of 1960’s sonic experimentation into modern times. It’s a beloved record collection manifested into a four-day weekend, with lineups that span continents and generations: a heady amalgamation of vintage gear, immersive light shows and visuals, buzzing amps, moody synths, leather jackets, and good times in Austin.

In 2023, LEVITATION expands the sonic spectrum and scope of the event with an eclectic lineup and the addition of two of Austin’s newest independent venues: electronic music destination The Concourse Project, and South Austin’s outdoor, multi-stage event center The Far Out Lounge, where Austin Psych Fest was held in April. These new locations are in addition to LEVITATION’s traditional Red River and East Side venues, including the festival’s downtown main stage Stubb’s, and Red River and Eastside staples Mohawk, Empire, Hotel Vegas, Elysium, Parish, Antone’s and 13th Floor.

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Cover Photo courtesy Danny Howe, Unsplash

Gracie Watt is a regular contributor to Texas Lifestyle Magazine and a graduate of St. Edward’s University in Austin, with a degree in Journalism. Watt is also a Lifestyle Producer at NBC-affiliate KXAN’s Studio 512. When she’s not writing, Watt enjoys singing, playing the guitar and doing volunteer work.