Song of the Day

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June 27, 2022

AZXO: “Idle Mind”

By: Jack Anderson

It’s been really endearing to watch projects evolve over the course of COVID, especially when it’s a post-social-distancing expansion of membership. One of those is Austin indie pop-rock outfit AZXO, the brainchild (and amalgamation of initials) of Chinese singer-songwriter Zhipeng Xing and L.A. multi-instrumentalist/producer Alex O’Masta. AZXO first got together at the start of the pandemic as a necessary vehicle for isolation-defying creative expression, and by the end of 2020 they’d released their eponymous debut as a duo. Since last summer AZXO’s unfolded into a five-person affair and begun to incorporate stylistic elements of EDM, blues, and punk into their arrangements, earning the quintet more and more fans with each new gig under their collective belt. As an LGBTQ+ group, AZXO’s latest live performance was last Wednesday’s edition of the Far Out & Proud showcase at Far Out Lounge. AZXO’s also been working on their sophomore full-length (their first together as a full group), tentatively set for release this September. Needless to say, we’re excited to hear how AZXO’s progressed over the past two years. And in the same way O’Masta and Xing started AZXO to keep their intellects stimulated, the band’s given us something extra dreamy to counter the upcoming restlessness that only comes with the dog days of summer, “Idle Mind”.

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April 17, 2024

Rhythm&Truth and Sakari: “Bring It All Back”

We won’t say that successful collaborations should mandate a solo artist’s trajectory. But if something built together leaves people wanting more, it’s not a bad idea to get back together and sate those desires, right? Because what’s unachievable on the individual level often just needs to get catalyzed by some good collabo chemistry. So let’s […]

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April 17, 2024

Myia Thornton: “Never Good 4 Me”

Unlike the legendary machines of Stax and Motown who relied on a ton of well oiled cogs to make any R&B singer into a star, these days the new blood has to do everything themselves, talent agent or not. And while not everyone can be Prince or D’Angelo in terms of multi-instrumental discipline, bringing something […]

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April 15, 2024

Felt Out: “Crash Inside It”

When we last geeked out over Austin’s Felt Out, we broke down their foundation as that of auto-tune innovators on the cutting edge of alt-pop. And following the first anniversary of their second full-length Until I’m Light, that’s clearly still the case for these multi-instrumentalist-producers. They still sound like a next generation Imogen Heap. Their […]

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April 15, 2024

Tone Royal: “Alone” (feat. Daddy NAT)

When rappers claim to be “the best on the mic”, they’re talking about verbal skills, not their technical prowess with any specific equipment. Clearly that’s the case, since you’ll see those same people spend a whole set cupping the SM58 ’cause it turns out their mic technique actually sucks. But in terms of intimate familiarity […]

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April 12, 2024

Tagua Tagua: “4AM (Acústico)”

Feliz sexta! Today we’re talking about Tagua Tagua, the passion project of São Paulo songwriter-producer Felipe Puperi. Now, Brazil is an enormous country, full of fervent creators; it takes a ton of traction to get towards the top. But in the seven years since Puperi launched off, Tagua Tagua’s become one of the nation’s most […]

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April 10, 2024

Faaris: “Taken Not Given”

As our ever-evolving hip-hop scene steadily expands, so does the representation of nations, cultures, and identities from its contributors. And for some truly refreshing cross-cultural flavors that have made their way into the ATX hip-hop melting pot, look no further than Faaris. Brought up in a Pakistani household right here in Austin, Faaris brings a […]

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April 9, 2024

Adam Sultan: “The Great Divide”

They say, “write what you know”. And in music, if you know something well enough to perfect its performance, that usually means you’ve absorbed the material enough to build upon it and make it your own. So let’s talk about Austin’s Adam Sultan. Sultan started off a singer-guitarist in the ’90s with Poi Dog Pondering […]

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April 5, 2024

Flicker Vertigo: “Midnight Fantasies Upon Prospect Hill”

As an unabashed Pink Floyd fan, I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to firing up the Atmos mix of Animals on my home theater setup when the BluRay drops next month. Sure, the full record’s been etched in my memory forever now, but through the lens of the latest mix an full […]

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