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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May 19, 2026

BOO85: “Funny Story”

Many horror stories become our favorite laughbale memories thanks to the gift of time, and Austin alt-rock pop group BOO85 (boo-eighty-five) articulate this well in their new single “Funny Story,” where the mantra is “sit with it, laugh at it, relinquish it.” Emphasized with layered, catchy pop-rock hooks, Go-Go’s -like vocals and harmonies and enough […]

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May 15, 2026

Her Mana: “Starlight”

Picture this: you’re crusing around Barton Springs listening to your favorite radio station wink wink, and the fuzzy pulse and twinkly synth sparkles of Muse’s “Starlight” flood your car. Suddenly, inspiration strikes. So goes the story for Emilie Basez, one-half of Austin world-folk duo Her Mana. Like a long-term relationship response to the original’s falling […]

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May 12, 2026

Street Peach: “Cloud 12”

Austin-based Lani Thomison, aka Street Peach, is fresh off an Ari Lennox after-show at Stubbs and returning to Song of the Day with her latest single, Cloud 12. Produced by Chris Beale of Magna Carta, this song muses on the soaring highs of a romantic relationship in her unique alt-R&B style. With a warm guitar […]

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May 11, 2026

Danny Malone: “Leaves”

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Danny Malone. Following a bit of a hibernation period, the Austin-based singer-songwriter (and former Sonic Guild grant recipient) had a prolific songwriting year in 2025, penning over 60 songs. As he puts it, his inspiration was “a long battle between my ego and my spirit, and the […]

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May 8, 2026

Lola Bates: “Madonna Gold”

Dark, broody, and effusing forest witch energy, LA’s Lola Bates lays it all out on the table in her debut album Love and Power. A deeply intricate and intimate exploration of keeping the scales of being and sharing yourself in balance, Bates strikes piano keys like plucking heart strings, emphasized by her lush vocal harmonies […]

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May 4, 2026

Son Rompe Pera: “Reptilo”

Mexico City’s Son Rompe Pera, widely considered to be part of the impetus behind the cumbia-punk movement, have spread that gospel across 20 countries since 2019 (including a set at our SXSW Scholz Garten show in 2023 and a stop by Studio 1A last year). The group is currently on tour (their show last weekend […]

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April 29, 2026

Gran Moreno: “Aztlán” [Live In Studio 1A]

KUTX’s Artist of the Month Program is powered by Austin FC Raised in Mexico and newly transplanted to Austin, brothers Ricardo and Christian Rodríguez craft songs that feel like sonic mirages—equal parts groove, grit, and atmosphere. Their music lives at the intersection of distortion and introspection, where hypnotic riffs, heavy rhythms, and emotionally charged melodies […]

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