The Point

The Point. sound like somebody dumped an Austin record collection onto the floor and decided every album belonged in the same band. Texas blues, psychedelic rock, cumbia, Ethiopian jazz, Saharan guitar, dub and funk all get stirred into a loose, seriously groovy mix.

Austin natives Jack Montesinos and Joe Roddy started playing together as kids after meeting in middle-school jazz band, cutting their teeth in local clubs before they were old enough to order anything at the bar. Drummer Nico Leophonte later completed the trio, bringing another dose of African and international rhythm into the equation.

The result isn't easy to label—and that's the point. Their album Maldito Animal stretches Austin psych into much stranger territory, with swirling organ, dusty guitar and rhythms built to move a room. After graduating from hometown clubs to European and U.S. tours and an ACL Fest appearance, The Point. are becoming one of the more interesting young bands to come out of Austin's genre-bending underground.