Song of the Day

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March 27, 2023

Evergreen: “Step”

By: Jack Anderson

Since our late great radio icon John Aielli passed away, KUTX’s airwaves have largely veered away from classical music. But some of the best things about classical music are its timeless universality, its enduring ability to be adapted, and its ripe potential for renewed relevance post-re-interpolation. That’s also is a big part of what drives Austin multi-instrumentalist/instructor Evergreen, whose traditional cello upbringing and intrinsic understanding of the classical “language” had earned her spots onstage alongside Father John Misty and The Eagles by her mid-twenties.

As with the third stream movement of the 1950s, Evergreen especially seems to enjoy taking a revisionist approach to classic compositions, ditching strict tempo instructions in favor of moment-to-moment nuance, and letting centuries-old leitmotifs bask in new contexts. For her upcoming debut, Delicious Vignettes of Recent American Kind, Evergreen dissembles Antonin Dvořák’s “American String Quartet No. 12” and splits its bits across five infectious neo-classical sketches. That, on top of an ample cast of collaborators, an indie folk original, and a Joni Mitchell cover closing out the album, Delicious Vignettes is pretty much the exact level of classical-inspired eclecticism that Aielli so adored.

Today, before Delicious Vignettes drops on Friday, we took a “Step” closer to the LP with a stripped-down duet between nylon guitarist Chris Melas and percussionist Charles Godfrey. A delightful dance of flamenco rhythms and Latin jazz, “Step” feels like a great way to start Spring.


Episodes

February 6, 2025

Scott Collins: “Aphophenia”

Austin singer-songwriter Scott Collins has been ever-evolving in both songwriting and sound and now he’s started leaning in more to letting himself define his sound, branching out and seeing what feels right. His 9th EP And All This Happened serves on the title’s promise: it’s all happening. But the early 00’s indie sound is still […]

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February 4, 2025

Her Mana: “Oh This Moment” (ft. Sarita and Gene Evaro Jr.)

We love a side project, don’t we? Especially when ace collaborations are involved. For a couple of years, Ley Line’s Emilie Basez and Kate Robberson have been creating music as a Her Mana, honing an even earthier and more ethereal sound with the same incredible complex guitar noodling, harmonies, and wide range of world instruments […]

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February 3, 2025

Gus Baldwin & the Sketch: “(She’s Gone) Arigato”

After many years of winning the hearts and ears of Austin music lovers both as a solo artist and as a member of the psych outfit Acid Carousel, Gus Baldwin’s name has been in the mouths of bookers and promoters for years, and more recently, he formed Gus Baldwin & the Sketch. And while it […]

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January 31, 2025

Glassreel: “Myself Included” [PREMIERE]

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January 30, 2025

Lola Tried: “Degrader”

If Mama tried to steer you right, Lola Tried is here to steer you wrong. So very, very wrong. Known for masterfully blending the emo hooks of teenage Millennial yore with garage and power-pop sensibilities, the group has always been like the adult charcuterie board to pop-punk’s Lunchable. After nearly a decade under those influences, […]

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January 29, 2025

Valley Flower: “Run Buddy”

Rolling into Austin like a quiet, yet alluring fog from the Midwest and Appalachia is Valley Flower, a groovy bluegrass quintet that brilliantly weaves in those regional influences to offer something a little different to the stalwart, homegrown scene here in Austin. And 2024 was very fertile for Valley Flower. They opened for several national […]

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January 28, 2025

Yahtzee Brown: “Take It Back”

I know you’re already fantasizing about your first road trip of 2025, so here’s a new add for that tried and true playlist. Austin’s Yahtzee Brown takes a myriad of inspirations to create his own brand and generation of country-psych, or what I prefer to call Cosmic Country. And while the songs of Townes Van […]

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