Song of the Day

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January 16, 2024

Ethan Azarian: “Hawaii”

By: Jack Anderson

Us Austinites love to brag about living in the “Live Music Capital of the World”. But that moniker’s not just a matter of venue multiplicity; no, there’s something about our city limits that not only creates a gravitational pull, but also dips newcomers right into a fast-acting melting pot.Case in point? Ethan Azarian, a Vermont-raised singer-songwriter-painter who moved down here in the late ’80s shortly before founding a quickly-beloved local institution, The Orange Mothers. Well, outside of the Mothers, Azarian’s also an accomplished solo folk/pop artist, and on top of raising Blue Cow Studios from the ground up and more recently spearheading the Songwriter’s Happy Hour at Hole in the Wall, two decades after the release of his solo introduction Captain of the Town, Ethan’s still going strong.As a matter of fact, just in time for this big freeze, Ethan Azarian’s offering up a much-welcomed change of scenery with his latest full-length Hawaii. Featuring not just the album artwork of Ethan’s son Francis but some really tasteful piano and organ as well, Hawaii is a gorgeous, sans-percussion folk family affair. And you can see the father-son chemistry live at a free show 7PM this Saturday at the Cactus Cafe with fellow Hawaii contributors Lindsey Verrill, Jeff Johnston, and special guest Amy Annelle. By then we’ll have warmed up just enough to want to get out, thanks in no small part to Hawaii‘s title track. Despite its beautifully-barren, wintry arrangement, the lyrics that carry “Hawaii” paint a transportive tropical portrait of volcanos, green waters, and enveloping island voices.


Episodes

December 5, 2024

rrunnerrss: “Get Me Out Of Here”

In a lot of ways, Texas is a top tier U.S. state. There’s great food. H-E-B. Beautiful parks with a variety of landscapes and wildlife. H-E-B again. That distinct Southern hospitality you don’t notice until you’re gone. But even if someone’s lived in the Lone Star State their whole life, being a Texas resident in […]

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December 4, 2024

Souls Extolled: “Gold”

That early-’00s indie punk rock sound shaped by heavyweights like Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes is still pretty dang popular. Just listen to some of the most-streamed rock artists these days and you can clearly hear the reverence. That said, it’s not too often that those newer acts actually invite nuance into their originals; it’s […]

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December 2, 2024

The Grapes & Friends: “Christmas With My Baby”

Thanksgiving and Black Friday are behind us and Cyber Monday is here. And in terms of the latter two, most of the shopping does happen online these days. But if you did pop into a store or two since last Thursday, you’ll agree: if it wasn’t already by the moment Halloween ended, Christmas music is […]

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December 2, 2024

dan levine: “a-frame”

It’s #GivingTuesday and pretty much anyone who’s a non-profit is crawling out of the woodwork and trying to stir up some financial love. And of course as a community supported public radio, we could always use a bit of help. That said, the nice thing about tossing KUTX a couple bucks is that you’re also […]

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November 29, 2024

What Elephant?: “Made Up Words”

Thanksgiving’s behind us and Christmas is on the way, so ’tis the season for white elephant gift exchanges, right? And depending on you or your family’s level of southern drawl, if someone’s ever suggested “white elephant?” as the next activity, they may have inadvertently uttered today’s feature. Because unless it’s a drift-caught quip to “don’t […]

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November 27, 2024

The Delines: “Left Hook Like Frazier”

You know what they say: you can take the woman out of Texas but you can never take Texas out of the woman. It’s a bit of a moot point, considering the Lone Star State sure ain’t a shining beacon of women’s rights, and that sets natives up to become ex-pats. Still, it’s a sentiment […]

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November 26, 2024

Isak Thomas and The Stoop Boys: “Miss Strut”

It’s T-minus 48 hours until prep for the big feast and other Thanksgiving festivities. And even though some always end up just getting some takeout, the Turkey Day hunger is munching on most Americans’ minds right about now. But if you’ve got your meal all planned out and are still in need of some soul […]

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November 25, 2024

Muzeke: “New Man”

Like it or not, we are in the home stretch for 2024. So don’t be too surprised when you start hearing everyone talk about their lofty New Year’s resolutions in the coming weeks. But if you yourself need some extra solidarity to help turn a new leaf and hit the ground running in 2025, we’ve […]

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