Song of the Day

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February 19, 2024

Golden Hornet: “Army Ants”

By: Jack Anderson

Bugs…they’re super weird! They’re everywhere, they’re ancient, their appearance is alien and for every beautiful-looking specimen there’s an equal and opposite that makes us feel icky. And if there’s anyone up to the massive task of adapting…bugs to an aural experience, it’s Golden Hornet, and not just because they have a bug in their name.

No, this Austin-based string-heavy endeavor spearheaded by Artistic Director Graham Reynolds has never really been bound by the rules of conventional composition; instead Golden Hornet stings with unbridled variety and adventurous arrangements, no matter what genres they’re crossbreeding with. And the latest from Golden Hornet finds Reynolds uniting with ex-Kronos Quartet cellist Jeffrey Zeigler and renowned percussionist Susie Ibarra to create INSECTUM, a nine-song collection as eclectic as the specimens they interpret.

INSECTUM is avant-garde down to a microscopic level, and far from the most accessible thing you’ll hear all year. So if you’ve been bit by the bizarre music bug, support our classical-curating colleagues and march on over to the Draylen Mason Music Studio 7PM this Thursday for KMFA’s Offbeat series. We guarantee it’ll be a life changing concert, and not in a nightmarish Kafka-esque way. Just crank up the volume, zone out, and lose your mind to INSECTUM‘s penultimate offering “Army Ants” and you’ll hear exactly what we mean.


Episodes

April 15, 2025

Brian D’Addario: “Till the Morning”

Brian D’Addario and his brother Michael came onto our radar back in 2016 as the duo the Lemon Twigs and their debut album Do Hollywood, a throwback splash of 60’s and 70’s rock and pop akin to the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Now after five Lemon Twigs albums, Brian D’Addario has released his debut […]

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April 11, 2025

Jeremiah Jackson: “I Believe In You” [PREMIERE]

 Austin’s Jeremiah Jackson has been shaking-up the traditional sounds of the Austin music scene for the last several years with his self-signed “Glam Daddy Blues.” Donned in one of his signature capes of many lengths and many textiles typically matched with street clothes underneath, before the band strikes a chord, you already know you’re in […]

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April 10, 2025

Night Beats: “Behind the Green Door”

Danny Lee Blackwell has been performing under the moniker Night Beats since 2009, but there’s an argument that he could just as well be called “The Distiller.” Night Beats has a reputation for concocting. Blackwell can make a country song sound like a trip through the desert with Hunter S. Thompson. He can turn a […]

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April 9, 2025

Mobley: “Yesterday’s Another Day” [PREMIERE]

Mobley’s career has been a fun, transformative one over the last decade. You heard that right, we’ve been talking about and championing Mobley for almost ten years. What started as writing smart R&B pop bops has grown into full concept albums revolving around racism, technology, and our future, composing cautionary tales warning of a regressing society […]

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April 7, 2025

Ley Line: “Flores” [PREMIERE]

Austin’s Ley Line has been celebrated for their beautiful songs that encapsulate the Earth and its connection to the musical traditions of blues and folk as well as Brazil, West Africa, and Latin America. Songs that celebrate older, more traditional genres with a delicate soul that always feels grounded in nature. Whether it’s the song’s […]

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April 4, 2025

Half Dream: “Fly” [PREMIERE]

Austin’s Paige Renee Berry has had music at the center of their life since before they could talk. The Knoxville, Tennessee native began writing their own music in college, and when they moved to Austin in 2015, Berry co-founded the folk duo The Rosaries. In 2018 Berry started taking their own solo music head-on but […]

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April 3, 2025

Chaparelle: “Playing Diamonds, Cashing Checks”

Texas band Chaparelle harkens back to a golden era of country with modern lyrics. What started as a mind-meld between Zella Day and Jesse Woods in 2023 not only evolved into a match on its way towards matrimony, but also into a trio, originally working with Beau Bedford in a producer role before he became […]

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April 2, 2025

CDSM: “Not Another Bleeder”

They say the SXSW trifecta is free food and drinks, seeing one of your favorite bands (current or past) and discovering your next beloved band. I hit that trifecta this year, and it is my absolute pleasure to bring you my new obsession. Atlanta’s CDSM (short for Celebrity Death Slot Machine) are a rag tag […]

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