Song of the Day

Song of the Day > All Episodes

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

September 24, 2024

The Midnight Stroll: “It Ain’t Worth a Dream”

When in Austin, you’re bound to run into some cross pollination among bands. For Austin-based duo, The Midnight Stroll, this is nothing short of the truth. Featuring the frontman of Ghostland Observatory, Aaron Behrens, and musical jack-of-all-trades, Jonas Wilson (Heartless Bastards, Urban Heat, Black Angels, and more), their latest and 3rd, upcoming single, “It Ain’t […]

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September 23, 2024

Kolumbo: “Spin the Bottle”

For a lot of people with contemporary tastes, exotica only equates to easy listening. Understandably so, since in the modern era it may strike first time listeners as muzak, elevator vapidity…jazz sans soul. But when you strip those biases and revisit the movement that began with the likes of Martin Denny and Les Baxter, you […]

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September 20, 2024

When Saints Go Machine: “Chainsaw”

There’s probably a big chunk of Texas choosing not to think about the word “saints” after last weekend. But even Cowboys fans can agree that a quality chainsaw is a great way to start carving into the weekend. I mean, chainsaws have been a state pride since 1974, right? So if you’re overdue for some […]

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September 19, 2024

The Jaws of Brooklyn: “Litebringer”

We don’t really put stock in the idea of “talent by association”. Sure, we’ve witnessed plenty of attempts to pivot from a successful group into a profitable solo offshoot. But if they didn’t have the spark to start with, they won’t have much to bargain with on their own. And on the ongoing collaborative level, […]

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September 18, 2024

Gypsy Mitchell: “Drive By”

We’ve been gabbin’ a lot about the retro soul renaissance lately…so much so that y’all must be getting pretty sick of reading about it. But what comes after soul? That’s right. Funk. And boy oh boy do we gotta have that funk here in Central Texas. So with our scopes still set on the Lone […]

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September 17, 2024

Inesse: “On My Way”

Outside of theater, choir’s typically stereotyped as the vehicle for churning out stars of the next generation. Which makes sense, since it gives you all the essentials to become a singing sensation: allowing harmony to become a natural instinct, blending your voice convincingly alongside others (even in chorus), and most importantly for future potential, maximizing […]

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September 16, 2024

Female Gallery: “Simon Says”

Scrolling through social media, watching ten-second clips of people’s little circus acts in the comfort of their own natural habitats…it can sometimes feel like a human zoo. So while we’ll never fully encourage those vapid grasps at short-term stardom, anything that detracts from the oversaturated landscape of bland masculinity in the entertainment sector’s worth the […]

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September 13, 2024

Allisen & The Wy’s Guys: “Tell Me (Like A Man)”

If you’ve seen Big Wy’s Brass Band, then you’re already hip to the spark that is multi-instrumentalist Wyatt Corder. Furthermore, you’re probably familiar with the fact that Wy’s got high standards for the folks he plays with; if he hand picks you as a performer, it’s a real privilege…especially when it comes to pulling off […]

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