Song of the Day

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July 2, 2024

deCasa: “INSTIGATOR”

By: Jack Anderson

Remember that expression “in the house” that was used to show enthusiasm about someone or something’s presence in close proximity? Yeah, you don’t really hear that one much anymore in the 2020s… But if you do want something that’s retro without sounding too dated, deCasa is sheer delight.

Since 2019, deCasa’s Ricky Santiago-Cruz has incorporated his Puerto Rican upbringing into this Austin solo project with effusive flavors of funk, soul, hip-hop, and reggae for a breezy, inner-city-meets-remote-island vibe. On top of that, this Caribbean Cowboy’s the head honcho of his very own label, the emerging Rock Bottom Cartel. And with the added experience of playing alongside KUTX favorites Mobley and The Bright Light Social Hour, Santiago-Cruz has mastered the art of moving the crowd as deCasa.

Speaking of which, ahead of an open invite free house party on Saturday, July 20th (DM Ricky on Instagram for all the deets), last week deCasa rolled out a soulful, synth-y piece of daytime disco. So if you wanna start shit on the dance floor without breaking too much of a sweat, “INSTIGATOR” is short, sweet, and begging for rhythmic feet with a relaxed uptempo energy that doesn’t sacrifice the accessibility of its slick, Jamiroquai-esque grooves.


Episodes

June 2, 2025

Next of Kin: “Jekyll & Hyde” [Live in Studio 1A]

Our April 2025 Artist of the Month was Next of Kin, the country trio, made up of Lili Hickman, Madison Baker, and Caelin bring a breath of fresh country energy to the Austin music scene they’ve been part of individually for years. In that time, the three fell in love with each other’s music, and […]

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May 30, 2025

JR JR: “Back to the Land”

Like the sun finally coming out from the clouds after five days of relentless summer thunderstorms, comes the new album from Detroit indie pop duo JR JR. On Back to the Land, it’s all in the name. After spending time letting their bubbly, direct indie hooks take side stage for some more experimental endeavors, here, […]

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May 28, 2025

Steel Gemini: “Sound and the Fury”

Today we feature duality. Duality in name, sound, and time. Austin’s Joy Baldwin has been releasing music under the name Steel Gemini for the past several years, an electropop project that grabs your ear with punchy, tinny drumbeats shimmery synths, and pulls you in with Baldwin’s powerful, yet unexpected, jazz-meets-country vocals. On her upcoming debut […]

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May 23, 2025

Jamie Ospina: “The Vessel”

When you’re an Austinite, words like Brownout and Superfónicos paint a very clear, distinct picture. Not only in sound, but in community and philosophy. A distillation of this comes from Superfónicos co-founder Jamie Ospina’s debut solo album The Vessel, a collection of songs of resilience, community, and storytelling blending sonic influences from Africa and Latin […]

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May 22, 2025

Tanika Charles: “Talk to Me Nice”

On Tanika Charles’s new album Reasons To Stay, pain becomes soulful beauty and vulnerability takes center stage. More than five years after her album The Gumption, the Toronto soul singer returns with her most intimate album to date. On Reasons To Stay, she goes deep on her family history in terms of the stages of […]

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May 21, 2025

Murry Hammond: “Take This Heart And Lock It Up”

Old 97’s bassist Murry Hammond grew-up in Boyd, TX, a rural town outside of Ft. Worth whose population reached a staggering 1,400 residents in 2020. Growing up surrounded by wide open spaces is a metaphor for Hammond’s intrepid curiosity of the world, not only geographically, but for the people who populate it. These themes have […]

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May 20, 2025

Eric Hilton- “Beautiful Moment”

For three decades, Eric Hilton and his groundbreaking electronic duo Thievery Corporation have been household names considered required listening for new electronic fans and general music enthusiasts alike. Their signature downtempo blend of dub, bossa nova, lounge, and club music finds its way in Hilton’s solo work as well. On his new compilation-like album Midnight […]

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May 19, 2025

Sydney Raneé: “Main Girl”

L.A. native Sydney Raneé is a tour de force. In the decade she’s been releasing music, her songs have been heard in several Lifetime movies and TV shows, including Tyler Perry’s Sistas, the Dynasty reboot, and MTV’s the Real World. She’s performed at the Daytime Emmys and has even garnered regular airplay in the UK. […]

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