Song of the Day

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October 20, 2023

Caramelo Haze: “Una Mañana” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

By: Jack Anderson

We may already be knee deep in Levitation Fest, but that’s not stopping us from sharing just a couple more pieces of backstage magic from ACL Fest. And that cavalcade of unique performances continues today with Caramelo Haze.

This Grupo Fantasma/Brownout offshoot made a bold entrance last June with their debut full-length Noestasaqui, whose lead single “Window Seat” quickly became a KUTX airwave heavyweight. Based on the band’s membership, a baseline of Latin neo-soul is to be expected. But what separates Caramelo Haze from its predecessors is a stronger emphasis on synth sonics, rather than more traditional conjunto arrangements.

Noestasaqui not only scored the quartet an official SXSW spot (plus an appearance during our Scholz Garden live broadcast), but also a big break on that ambitious BMI Stage this past Sunday at ACL Fest. So after enjoying some elbow room atop BMI, the live five-piece managed to cram into KUTX’s pop-up space for a bit more personal of a performance; Caramelo Haze gave us a glimpse of a prettier tomorrow with their rendition of a José José 1969 classic, “Una Mañana”, which at the time, had barely been on streaming for a full day. Beauty may be in the ear of the beholder, but if you don’t like this one, frankly, you’re wrong.


Episodes

November 29, 2023

Olivia Nowadays: “Damn This Is Real Bad”

In the era of the phonograph, when sound quality was essentially nonexistent, whatever got cut to the cylinder is whatever crackled out. Nowadays, there’s a huge divide in listener tastes when it comes to fidelity. On one side of the spectrum you’ve got audiophiles who demand nothing less than ultra-refined digital masters that make it […]

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November 28, 2023

Parker Woodland: “True Love Will Find You In The End”

First thing’s first. Parker Woodland isn’t a person; it’s a band. More accurately, it’s an Austin-based indie rock collective captained by activist/singer-songwriter Erin Walter. And although Walter, guitarist Andrew Solin, and drummer Keri Cinquina comprise the group’s core trio, Parker Woodland always welcomes a revolving cast of contributors both in-studio and on-stage for inclusive arrangements […]

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November 27, 2023

Kirk Smith: “This Debt”

For some creatives, dropping new tune is their sole bread and butter. For others, it’s just one more “could do” option within an already-busy schedule. But speaking to the latter, those folks who juggle a handful of demanding passions surely do deserve some leniency when it comes to big breaks between formal music releases. Take […]

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November 24, 2023

Impasto Gardens: “Glass Dose”

Now that we’ve had ample time to metabolize our holiday meal, might as well move back to the normal programming with the final New Music Friday of November. And today we’re listening to Austin singer-guitarist-producer Joseph McCaffrey, who you might recognize as the cofounder of mid-aughts indie pop outfit Nightmare of You. It’s been a […]

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November 22, 2023

The VYB Project & Tobias Lund: “Gradient”

SXSW, and by extension, the year-round Austin Music Experience as a whole, draws tons of international acts, eager to gain traction, to our fair city limits. And outside the live scene, our academic institutions also attract a ton of talent, and not just UT. No, it seems like ACC, in particular its Music Business program, […]

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November 21, 2023

Autogramm: “WannaBe”

Forty years after its original run, it truly feels like a piece of the ’80s is back with an attitude. And no…not just in terms of inflation, world conflicts, or a war on drugs; it’s the music too. Sure, there’ve been countless contemporaries who’ve incorporated a retro aesthetic into their modern sound, but we’re talking […]

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November 20, 2023

Karima Santi: “Space”

No matter how immense a musical talent is intrinsically, sometimes resetting your surroundings can be the biggest catalyst to moving on up. Like, look at singer-guitarist Karima Santi, who cut her teeth in jazz, folk, and punk groups on the other side of the decade up in the Raleigh-Durham area. Sure, those bands kept Karima […]

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November 17, 2023

Avara: “BABY BLUE BEAMER”

It’s Native American Heritage month, but hopefully we’re all hip to the fact that an “American Indian” is not the same thing as an Indian-American. That’s important because today we’re shining the spotlight on Avara Ellorie, best known by her mononym Avara. Born in New York City and raised in Atlanta, Avara’s pilgrimage from one […]

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