Song of the Day

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March 28, 2023

Andy Aylward: “No Surrender”

By: Jack Anderson

Whether its a stubborn molecule of toxic masculinity, a frank reflection on the fragility of life, or just a brash rock ‘n’ roll stereotype, “getting soft with age” is an oft-repeated adage, especially in the world of music. In the decade-long natural maturation of tastes between one’s preteens and post-grad explorations, there can be an almost parodic adrenaline-and-amp-addicted attitude that prefers to “die young” instead of “grow up”. And while claiming a traditional genre like folk is “hard” in contrast to say…punk rock sounds a bit silly, of course it’s all in the ear of the beholder. For London-born, Washington, D.C.-raised, and Austin-based songwriter Andy Aylward? A steady progression into soft-folk-rock hasn’t curbed any of the observational petulance of his adolescent punk days nor the nihilism of his post-college psychedelic experiences. Now whisked in the relative wisdom of his thirties, Aylward does make a conscious effort to eschew overt pessimism from his originals. But as heard on Andy Aylward’s 2019 solo debut Sometimes Rain, neither interjections of hope nor gallows humor mask the beautifully bleak honesty of his folksy poetry. Riding off a historically wayward relationship with cheap wine, bygone breakups, and the cross-country moves that eventually brought Aylward to Texas, Remember Me Like Birds On The Wind doesn’t relent an inch away from Andy’s intrinsic earnestness. These eight introspective, sparse arrangements were mixed by Fruit Bats/Kevin Morby producer D. James Goodwin for a minimalist affair that features The Cairo Gang’s Emmett Kelly, Stephen “Sweet Baboo” Black, and Captain Beefheart’s J.T. Thomas. Last Friday, ahead of Remember Me‘s April 25th release date, Aylward unleashed the album’s lead single that syncs up J.T. Thomas with trumpet-for-hire Paul Brandenburg for a jaunty jangler that just doesn’t give up, “No Surrender”.

Episodes

November 8, 2024

Honey Made: “Pass Me By”

It’s finally starting to get chilly ’round these parts…at least at night. You know what that means: cuffing season is upon us. So if your slow jams playlist is starting to feel a bit stale, we’ve got great news for you. Austin soul-funk nine-piece Honey Made just unfurled a sensual five-minute inferno – “Pass Me […]

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November 7, 2024

Burgess Meredith: “Nowhere”

We’re getting to a point in time where, save for hardcore fans of the Rocky franchise, the general population remembers a certain name under only one context. And that was as one of Austin’s premiere ’60s-fied garage pop rock outfits. Ya know…Burgess Meredith. Still though, it’s a name we haven’t heard in quite some time. […]

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November 6, 2024

Midnight Navy: “Solo Tú” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

ACL Fest 2024 already feels like a distant memory. But there’s one more pop-up nugget that we absolutely need to share in the name of Austin music. And that’s on behalf of Midnight Navy, the project of singer-songwriter/saxophonist/producer Francisco Jose Rosales. Though Rosales first landed on streaming in 2018 with three standalone singles, Midnight Navy […]

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November 5, 2024

Futon Blonde: “Drawing Again”

It’s Election Day. If you haven’t voted yet, please try and make some time in your schedule to go do so; it’s your civic duty…and it’s kinda cool. At least feeling like you have some semblance of efficacy, that your voice can make a difference. In other words, if you still haven’t cast your ballot, […]

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November 4, 2024

Deer Fellow: “Shock Value”

Demanding attention. Acting erratically. Stirring the pot just to start some shit. We’ve seen plenty of all that int the lead up to this election, but truth be told, for some people, that’s just part of their hardwired human nature. At least that’s the inspiration for the latest single from Deer Fellow. This Austin duo’s […]

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November 1, 2024

Cilantro Boombox: “Best Shoes” (feat. Jake Lloyd)

It’s a new month. It’s new music Friday. And there’s a fresh collaboration out that’ll really spice up your playlists. One that marks the welcome return of Cilantro Boombox. See, the genre-bonding octet formally entered the Austin scene a dozen years back with their eponymous debut and followed it up a half decade later with […]

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October 31, 2024

Hans Gruber and the Die Hards: “Trepanation”

Happy Halloween! We’re hittin’ this hallow-day with…Hans Gruber and the Die Hards?! Wait a minute, haven’t we already decreed that the iconic Bruce Willis/Alan Rickman action comedy is a Christmas staple? Well…whatever. What we do know for sure is that this Austin five-piece has spent the past decade funneling their passions into all things punk, […]

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October 30, 2024

Social Dissonance: “Nightstalker”

For a ton of creatives, Halloween is little more than an autumnal gimmick, an excuse to break from the regular programming and indulge in the creepy, macabre, or unnerving. For others though, the elements of Spooky Season might as well be part of the daily routine three hundred and sixty five days straight. And you […]

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