Song of the Day

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July 19, 2024

arya: “USE ME”

By: Jack Anderson

It’s a twofer this Friday! We’ve got a brand new release alongside a weekend show recommendation. And both arrive on behalf of arya.

arya’s not just another dime a dozen bedroom pop Billie Eilish wannabe. No, this Belgrade-born bae is almost overqualified for saturated world of pop-hip-hop-R&B; after a decade in Serbia playing classical piano she received a formal jazz degree here in Austin. Still, even in this decidedly contemporary endeavor, arya retains her status as a one woman show – having scored her first ACL Fest appearance and official ACL Late Night Show last Fall.

And speaking of last Fall, following up last October’s “LOVE ME”, today arya shares the second installment from her upcoming EP Insides – a six-song visual album and narrative set for release later this year. In the immediate forecast, arya’s got a free performance midnight tomorrow night at Empire Control Room as part of Hot Summer Nights, where she’ll certainly perform her latest pop-R&B banger, “USE ME”. We wouldn’t be surprised if we heard a sped up/nightcore version of this new one pop up on TikTok, but for us personally, we love the tune’s relaxed tempo. Because it gives plenty of space to breathe between richly textured drums, fat-as-hell synth bass, and arya’s incredible vocals that could end up making Ariana Grande sound more like GoT series finale Arya Stark in comparison.


Episodes

January 21, 2025

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January 17, 2025

Next of Kin: “Mean Streak”

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January 16, 2025

Parker Woodland: “The Reckoning (Last Sunset Remix)”

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January 15, 2025

Sweet Limb: “Good For You”

Hip-hop, like any genre, can serve many purposes: not only can it grip your soul with stories of regular people trying to make a living in their country that’s been institutionally designed to work against them, but it can also grip your soul in a soft way, with a mantra: a meditation on a promise. […]

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January 14, 2025

Orca Dork: “Sleepy Pilot”

Time to dust off the ol’ Audiosurf game from your college days and get ready for your newest beat-driven meditation. Brother’s Franklin and Graham Pittman are Orca Dork, an Austin-based experimental instrumental duo who have spent the last ten years working on their debut, hip-hop inspired album Experiments With Found Objects. And yes, it can […]

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January 13, 2025

DAYEATER: “Between the Otherside” [PREMIERE]

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January 10, 2025

Ley Line: “Agua Do Mar”

The ladies of Ley Line are back, baby, and they’re looking forward to bringing us a string of reunion shows this April. To get us excited, they’ve announced their Live at the Pershing EP (out later this month) and gifted us “Agua Do Mar,” their take on the Brazilian folk song “Memorias do Mar,” an […]

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