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October 22, 2019

Acid Arab: “Malek Ya Zahri” (feat. Cheikha Hadjla)

By: Jack Anderson

Though the group calls Paris their home, you may guess based on the name alone that electronic crew Acid Arab takes quite a few cues from the world of Eastern music alongside the retro tones of early acid house. Ever determined to carve a niche for Arab culture in the modern electronic realm, Acid Arab refuses to simply slap oriental cues on top of techno-inspired beats or haphazardly toss a drum break behind Eastern melodies, and instead finds a fluid middle ground that effuses the best of both styles simultaneously and organically.

In the shot time since the release of their 2016 debut, Acid Arab has already brought the dance party to nearly fifty countries, and drawing from the Arabic word for “new”, they just released the eleven-track LP Jdid last Friday. Even for those already familiar with Acid Arab’s style, the nine separate features on Jdid show off just how inclusive they continue to be. Take for example, Jdid‘s final track, inspired by the sounds of the ’80s Algerian scene and featuring singer Cheikha Hadjla, “Malek Ya Zahri”!


Order Jdid


Episodes

December 1, 2025

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Every December, we celebrate the year’s class of 11 Artists of the Month by filling your airwaves, throwing back to Studio 1A’s and My KUTX DJ sets, and giving the year a proper Austin music sendoff. We’ll also be revisiting some of the Studio 1A songs here on Song of the Day, which means you […]

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f you’ve been in Austin for any amount of time, and especially if you’ve called Austin home for a decade or few, you’re no doubt familiar with the #9 Orchestra, a group of musicians from a myriad of backgrounds who come together at least once a year to perform the songs of the Beatles and […]

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Judy Blank: “Cosmic Kids” (ft. SUSTO)

Growing up in the Netherlands, Judy Blank fostered an early love for classic American cinema. She’s married that love with her stamp of DIY-indie eclecticism, sometimes leaning more Americana (something she honed during her brief time as a Nashvillian) and sometimes dreamy indie-pop, but always poetic, seemingly effortless, and marked with that signature Dutch wit and brutal […]

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November 19, 2025

Matthew Payne: “Down In the Valley”

Singer-songwriter Matthew Payne‘s poetic Americana is salt of the Earth, evocative of both his Dripping Springs upbringing and nearly two decades as an English and creative writing teacher here in Austin. And with a stage roster that includes Hole In the Wall, Saxon Pub, and the Cactus Cafe, he truly is Austin Americana timelessness personified. […]

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November 18, 2025

Sweet Limb: “Who’s This”

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November 17, 2025

The Goods: “April Fools”

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Tess Clare: “Anemoia”

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November 13, 2025

Moody Joody: “OOPS!”

Nashville shimmer pop trio Moody Joody are ushering in a new era of music for themselves and heeding he neverending call of “WE WANT MORE ANTHEMS!!” Or…dancethems if you wanna be cute. Lead vocalists Kaitie Forbes and Kayla Hall along with producer Andrew Pacheco have been working with Grammy-winning Scott Harris (Shawn Mendes, Dua Lipa, […]

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