Why You Should Be Listening to Heartless Bastards
431 Morris Avenue
Our dysfunctional, corrupt body politic? Yeah, that fits. The billionaire class selling out our country? Absolutely. But that’s not who I’m talking about here.
No, I’m talking about Heartless Bastards—the Austin-based rock band that’s been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) delivering bruised, bluesy rock anthems for nearly two decades. Led by powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Erika Wennerstrom, who’s been the band’s lone constant, Heartless Bastards are less about stability and more about evolution. And with their 2021 release A Beautiful Life, they may have put out their most expansive, soul-searching album yet.
The lineup on this record is something to behold, pulling in musicians with DNA from Okkervil River, Mercury Rev, and My Morning Jacket. You can feel the pedigree in the playing—loose but locked in, expressive without veering into excess. These are songs that stretch out and breathe, rich with vintage tones and a kind of spiritual weariness that feels earned.
Wennerstrom’s voice remains the band’s anchor—gritty, aching, and full of grace. She doesn’t just sing; she testifies. There’s a timelessness here, somewhere between the rust-belt rock of the ’70s and the indie Americana renaissance of the 2000s.
If you dig the psych-soul haze of My Morning Jacket, the road-worn poetry of Lucinda Williams, the swampy swagger of Alabama Shakes, or the dirty blues grooves of the Black Keys—Heartless Bastards might just be your next favorite band. I saw them live a couple of years ago in a bowling alley, which somehow seems fitting.
Where to Begin
A Beautiful Life (Album - A Beautiful Life)
Hi-Line (Album - Restless Ones)
Parted Ways (Album - Arrow)
Extraordinary Love (Erika Wennerstrom solo album - Sweet Unknown)
Totally Random Awesome Song of the Week
Hello Bonjour - Michael Franti & Spearhead
But Wait, There’s More…
I’ve always been fascinated by band names. Lately, I’ve noticed a trend that’s hard to ignore: band names that riff on family roles, gendered titles, or twisted domestic references. There’s something both intimate and subversive about it—like they’re reclaiming or reframing these archetypes in their own sonic language.
Here’s a short list of bands that fall into that space and, more importantly, are making some seriously great music right now. No links (sorry, too many), but they’re all just a search away on whatever streaming service you call home:
Adult Mom / BoyGenius / Girl in Red / Girlhouse / Girls / Grandaddy / Great Grandpa
Mall Girl / Momma / New Dad / Soccer Mommy / Sorry Girls / Trophy Mom / TV Girl
Velocity Girl / West Indian Girl / Work Wife
Music Quote of the Week
“Music fills the infinite between two souls.” Rabindranath Tagore, Indian polymath
Stay tuned for more music recs. Hope you find something you love.
Dave
For Paul and Jimmy
Love the blues rock, she appealed to me as does Lucinda Williams