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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

January 2, 2024

Psychic Seatbelt: “Double Dare”

Happy New Year! We’re back from a break and eager for a full 2024’s worth of new tunes and recommendations. But if you’re still easing out of 2023 and aren’t quite ready to squeeze Free Week into your post-work schedule, there’s a low-key live gig that may interest you. It comes on behalf of Psychic […]

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December 21, 2023

Joseph Salazar: “The Main Sequence”

Here we are, y’all. It’s the final Song of the Day for 2023. We’ll be off starting tomorrow through New Year’s Day but picking up with some promising new music on Tuesday, January 2nd. With that piece of business out of the way, today we’re wrapping up the year with just one more premiere. It […]

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December 20, 2023

Night Drive: “Summerwaves (Winter Version)”

Even before the days of Vivaldi and Stravinsky, the seasons have settled into their own sets of characteristic sounds. And while Spring was the belle of the ball in the classical era, modern installments ranging like “Autumn Leaves” and War’s “Summer” have since helped to level the temporal playing field. Of course, with the help […]

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December 19, 2023

Graham Reynolds & Marta Del Grandi: “Linger In Silence”

With each new innovative installation of SXSW, it’s easy to think the tech character of Austin is eclipsing that of “the Live Music Capital of the World”. But have faith! Aside from those international conferences and meet-and-greet mingles, South By’s still an essential institution for creatives on the prowl for new collaborators outside the local […]

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December 18, 2023

J Halp: “Alone Again”

All kinds of projects experience peaks and valleys when it comes to periods of prominence. But for one percussionist in particular, the passion for putting his sticks in the mix has never gotten tied down by any one group’s momentum. And no, we’re actually not talking about John Speice IV. Instead we’re taking this Monday […]

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December 15, 2023

Leti Garza: “Mi Amor (Español)

As far as Song of the Day is concerned, it’s the final New Music Friday of 2023. We’re taking an eight-day break beginning next Friday and’ll be hitting the ground running strong in 2024 for Free Week. With that said, this New Music Friday packs in both an Austin artist and an album announcement. We’re […]

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December 14, 2023

Kam Franklin: “Byrd And Shepard”

Admirers of modern Texas soul-funk-R&B ought to already be well acquainted with Houston outfit The Suffers. And if you’re hip to that group, you’re also aware that part of what makes them so special is frontwoman Kam Franklin. This powerhouse can make just about any subject matter sound groovy as hell, so as a performance […]

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December 13, 2023

ISTA: “Do What Feels Right”

Down here in the South we like to brag that “everything’s bigger in Texas”. And while that’s true for a lot of things, up in NYC they consistently keep their collectives nice and large.So it’s worth bringing up Brooklyn’s ISTA, who solidified their lineup as a seven-piece in early 2020 and have since sewn together […]

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