Hello Dentonites, and happy summer! For adults with real jobs, things probably don't feel that different; for college students, the semester is out, and either you've stuck around in the ghost town that is summer Denton, or have traversed back to your hometowns. Either way, music is still alive and well in the 940 - and this week, we've brought you a few select tracks from Austin and San Marcos. Usually our focus is on DFW, but these tracks are fresh releases on bandcamp.com that sounded particularly bangin'. Sit back and take a listen!

"Piece of Mind" - Cashless Generation | Denton, TX

The class of 2018 may still have a few weeks of classes, but they're putting out music irregardless; the punk rock quartet Cashless Generation put out their first demo back in April, and it's still some of the most promising music from young musicians in the Denton scene. Frontwoman Anna Baylock's vocals are crystal clear, and the lyrical content of each of the four tracks on the demo is earnest without being trite. "Piece of Mind" is an upbeat, explosive track about distancing oneself from a seemingly lost significant other - the driving guitar lines and perfectly controlled drums make it impossible not to tap your foot. Definitely check out their full demo, and keep an eye out on any future shows this group may be playing at. 

"People I've Met" - Bob Schnieder | Austin, TX

Though originally hailing from Austin, storyteller and musician is kind enough to have recently released live recordings of his shows on bandcamp - this last one is from a show at Dan's SilverLeaf back in September of 2017. This bombastic track, the first of many on the live recording, is a fictional detailing of different people that Bob Schieder may or may have not met at a party - including but not limited to: a faceless man, the cast of Pitch Perfect, and Lionel Richie. The album is a fun romp alone, but it's so entertaining to hear the enthusiastic crowd at Dan's in the background. Schneider is currently touring around Texas, with his next show in Houston on the 19th. His newest single, "Sing About Love" will be out May 18th.

"Beat is Trash" - William Austin Clay | Denton, TX

The self-proclaimed "non-idiomatic" artist has a new album, slated for release on June 8th. "Beat is Trash" is the titular track on the album, and the only one currently available for streaming - it's a laidback, self-aware bop, just disjointed enough to get your attention, but Clay is not fool. Any intimation of him being "off-beat" is intentional. The beat may be trash (it's not) but Clay is a talented producer and artist. Warning: it's impossible to get this bassline out of your head.

"Chase" - Samantha Flowers | San Marcos, TX

Bedroom pop is having a moment, to say the least. Samantha Flowers' self-titled four-track album is a lighthearted, summery release. The lyrics aren't written by Flowers, but everyone who has had a hand in creating this release should be given a round of applause. It takes a village, and from Oesch's stellar lyrics, the wonderful producing, and Flowers' ethereal voice, San Marcos has the process on lock. We can only hope they tour through Denton some time soon.

"Wizard of the Wind" - Nolan Potter | Austin, TX

Linked below is the first track on Nolan Potter's album Strange and Secret Peoples, but make no mistake: the album is intended to be consumed as a whole, one fantastical track after another. Every instrument, from sleigh bells to flute, is played by Potter, and wonderfully at that. In its entirety, the album is like an 80's DnD fever dream, melding Christmas music with psych rock, jazz with pop; as much as it is "experimental," it's something new entirely.

Header image courtesy of Tim Marshall via Unsplash
Header image design courtesy of Mallory Frenza