New Music From Luke McGlathery, Vandoliers, BNQT, Band Nerds, TX Connect, Post Malone, Cure For Paranoia, Roy Robertson, The Warden, Bryker, Dalton Domino, Felt & Fur and Lizzie Boredom.

Welcome to Songs of the Week, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By putting them all together here in one place, our hope is that you can spend less time searching for relevant new releases and more time giving each one of these jams the proper shine they so deserve. OK? OK.

Luke McGlathery — Good Mornin’.
RIYL: Cookin’ something up for me.
What else you should know: Picking right back off where his 2016 debut left off, Fort Worth’s Luke McGlathery is back with another collection of convincingly old-timey country numbers. Even more noteworthy than the thin-but-bassy, pseudo-Hank Sr. twang in his voice is the incredible backing musicians he’s finagled to join him once again. Lindsey Martin on fiddle, Abel Casillas (a personal favorite musician of mine) on accordion, Burton Lee on pedal steel and Gary Grammer’s convincing Mickey Raphael chops on harmonica really make this one to be contended with. — Cory Graves

Vandoliers – “Rolling Out.”
RIYL: Road trips!
What else you should know: Fans of the Vandoliers’ brand of punkish country have heard this song in live settings for a while now, but the rest of the world got their first taste of “Rolling Out” late last week via a premiere over at this sonic realm’s forever torchbearer, No Depression. The first single off the band’s upcoming The Native LP that’s due out May 26 on State Fair Records, the song kicks off with an almost literal bang thanks to a rousing gang vocal that sets the tone for this touring musician’s anthem. This group’s on the come-up, for sure. There’s a reason why nary a twang-centric music fest in town passes without the Vandos getting booked on it. And, in the coming months, they’ll be bringing that action to everywhere esle too as they set out to tour damn near every corner of These United States. — Pete Freedman

BNQT – “Real Love”
RIYL: 
Not bringing me down, groos.
What else you should know: OK, opening drumbeats aside, this third single from the new project from the new Midlake-heavy supergroup is the only song off the its upcoming Volume I LP (due out April 28) to feature contributions from all five of the group’s part-time frontmen — Band Of Horses’ Ben Bridwell, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, Travis’ Fran Healy, Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle and Midlake’s own Eric Pulido. It’s all kinds of lush and the horns are on point. This album is sounding like it could be at least as good as the best Midlake album, and maybe even better than that.  — PF

Band Nerds — “Whore (Mend My Soul)”
RIYL: 
The late ’90s.
What else you should know: I think that, at least on some levels, you’ve got to give it up for a band like this one, which embraces its nu-metal influences rather than runs from them. It’s not all Korn here, though; I hear some Nine Inch Nails and maybe a little Odd Future inspiration in this track. — PF

TX Connect — “Express House”
RIYL: THE FUTURE.
What else you should know: Something about this song from former Florene member and TRU label head Gavin Guthrie — it’s got to do with the synths, obviously — makes me think so vividly about using public transportation to get to some sort of futuristic airport where I’m running late for my shuttle to Venus or maybe Europa, I’m not sure. But, as the song progresses and becomes increasingly unhinged, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that I’m probably going to miss my flight and that shit stresses me out, which I think means I really like it. — PF

Post Malone – “Candy Paint”
RIYL: Living your life a quarter-mile at a time.
What else you should know: I think even Grapevine’s Own Yung Posty would agree that, if one Dallas-sprung hip-hop song really belonged on a Fast & Furious soundtrack, it’s probably Dorrough’s “Ice Cream Paint Job”. But, no, it’s Austin Post who takes the checkered flag in that race with this pleasant, if surprisingly laid-back new joint. That’s a pretty neat accomplishment, too. Especially when you consider that the film franchise keeps getting better and better somehow. — PF

Cure for Paranoia – “Rental Records.”
RIYL: Driving songs.
What else you should know: Alright, fuck everybody else that can’t find the time to record new stuff, everybody that claims they can’t afford studio time and everybody who waits four years to put out new albums. These guys just put you on blast. This track, they say, was finished up inside a rental car while driving down a show in Austin. And it’s not just a phoned-in, let’s-just-do-it-to-say-we-did-it kind of thing, either. Even in a car, these dudes spit hot fire. It’s called multitasking, motherfuckers! — CG

Roy Robertson – “14.”
RIYL: Not calling it a comeback.
What else you should know: Pageantry might have recently called it a day, but let’s not forget that its members were making excellent bedroom indie-rock before that project even came together. That seems to be the purpose of this little, wordless, sub-two-minute exercise from ex-Pageantry frontman Roy Robertson. He’s back! — CG

The Warden – L-I-V-I-N.
RIYL: Not taking anything too seriously.
What else you should know: For an act that doesn’t really seem to take itself all too seriously and is almost facepalm-inducingly goofy in some parts, there’s something quite likable about The Warden that I just can’t shake. Maybe it’s the honestly hiding in the lyrics. Perhaps its the stellar cast of players assembled to join former Boys Named Sue member Ward Richmond on this disc. Or maybe it’s what they say in this review: “If you asked me what Texas sounds like, I’d say it sounds like The Warden. He’s honky tonks and spritely fiddles, he’s boozy nights and rough hangovers, he’s bluebonnets and beer. L-I-V-I-N is Texas, East Dallas specifically, and it’s one hell of a place to be.” Yeah, that must be it. — PF

Bryker — s/t.
RIYL: Headbanging down Rainbow Road.
What else you should know: Dalllas’ Bryce Butler and Parker Bracken have crafted a prog-metal EP that sometimes sounds brutal in the conventional metal sense, and sometimes sounds like the score of an old N64 game. But it really shines when it’s doing both at once. — CG

Dalton Domino – “Mine Again (I’d Be a Fool).”
RIYL: Soft rock.
What else you should know: The once Lubbock-based singer-songwriter will release his second album, Corners on April 28 via Lightning Rod Records, which also put out the most recent Paul Cauthen and Quaker City Night Hawks records. Its first single, “July” was his first Top 10 song on the Texas Country Radio Chart. And this second single offers up more proof he’s shying away from that scene quite a bit. — CG

Felt & Fur — “The Drug Years”
RIYL: Keeping Denton weird.
What else you should know: This Denton three-piece is celebrating the release of its new AFTERTOUCH EP tonight up at the forever underratedly named Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair tonight, and is being very serious about that — or so we imagine is the reason why it’s not yet posted online yet. In the meantime, let’s jam this the EP’s already-released lead single, “The Drug Years.” It’s a song that feels ripped right out of the early ’10s Denton electronic scene, and that’s a good thing. There’s also something about frontwoman Alizsha Pennington’s vocals that recall a bit of Karen O to me, and that’s too is a good thing. Basically, everything about this group is good, and we’re stoked to be hearing more from them. — PF

Lizzie Boredeom – “Dead Men Can’t Cat Call.”
RIYL: Consent.
What else you should know: Called “Dead Men Can’t Cat Call,” the song leaves no doubt about the band’s thoughts on misogyny. It’s also an impossibly strong and tough-sounding track that affirms our belief that this is one of the most promising acts in town — and one we were stoked to host on the bill for our five-year anniversary part this past weekend. Furthermore, we were thrilled earlier this week to give you the very first taste of “Dead Men Can’t Cat Call.” Give the song a listen, and do yourself a favor: Get on board with this band ASAP. Also, uh, don’t ever cat call them, OK? For one thing because it’s 2017, but also because they very well might kill you if you do. — PF

Cover image via the single art for The Vandoliers’ “Rolling Out.”
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