Song of the Day

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October 22, 2024

Hayden Butler: “Old News”

By: Jack Anderson

Feeling comfortable can quickly devolve into a dangerous game. One weekend you decide to kick back and relax with a six pack, then the next thing you know you’re stuck in a daily routine of gettin’ smashed and trashing your home. Yeah, substance abuse and addictive tendencies aside, that “recliner decline” is a slippery slope towards self-destruction that we all risk at some point or another.

And it’s not like it only happens to the chronically lazy. Naw, take Hayden Butler, who on top of singing and songwriting, keeps busy as a bookmaker, painter, photographer, and professional copywriter. The native Austinite’s portfolio paints the picture of a highly-driven individual who’s got the gumption to go places, and the release of Butler’s debut LP Hand of God this July only reinforces that sentiment.

Still though, Hayden’s only human, and the appeal of Lone Star-assisted hedonism can easily overcome any period of productivity. And that’s masterfully reflected in Hand of God‘s midpoint (and music video) “Old News”. So before getting off your ass to see Hayden Butler at The White Horse 10PM tomorrow night alongside Taylor Graves at 8PM and The Shiglers ’round midnight or next Thursday at 10 between Gilded Lows at 8 and Jonathan Terrell at 12, indulge in this double-wide southern rocker that treats Hayden like a Texas twist on The Wall or Citizen Kane. And if you can’t watch the wanton meltdown til the closing bell, might as well crank up “Old News” and let Butler’s simple-yet-sophisticated country twang struggle inspire you to maybe make a much-needed change in what could be problematic monotony.


Episodes

August 27, 2026

Whereabouts: “Flashback”

Whereabouts, an Austin-based alternative indie-rock band that debuted earlier this year, is back with “Flashback,” one of their three single releases from their upcoming EP. This upbeat, energetic single touches on nostalgia and regret – a difficult balance for many artists, but Whereabouts brings them together like desert sun and sand. Lyrically, “Flashback” speaks of […]

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August 25, 2026

Jade Bird: “Lottery” [The Hole Story]

The Hole Story is powered by Austin Beerworks British singer-songwriter Jade Bird broke through in the U.S. in 2018 with “Lottery.” In this episode, she looks back at that song with a very different perspective, talks about the relationships and experiences behind her writing, and performs songs including music from her album, Who Wants to Talk […]

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August 24, 2026

Wynonna: “Am I Missing Out”

Country music legend Wynonna Judd is back with her first album in over a decade. On The Hard Truth, she collaborates with artists like Iron & Wine, the War & Treaty, and Patterson Hood. And despite her music never shying away from darker, personal themes, Judd says this new album may be her most honest. […]

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August 20, 2026

Oreaganomics: “I used to call Mary”

Hi you have reached Song of the day please hit one to hear the rest of this feature… Just kidding, but this next song discusses the frustration of making a call only to find a robot on the other side. While Oreaganomics is neither a spice nor an economic policy from the 80’s, they do […]

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August 19, 2026

BS: “f1”

Austin’s BS comes in hot with “f1,” a fast-moving track that lives up to its name. Built on propulsive drums and sharp, forward-leaning production, the song feels like it’s constantly accelerating, carrying a restless energy from start to finish. It’s a short, sharp burst of momentum that doesn’t waste much time getting where it’s going. […]

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August 18, 2026

Ramesh Srivastava: “The Times” [The Hole Story]

mid-2000s, as music blogs and MP3s were changing how people found new music, Austin’s Voxtrot became one of the most talked about indie bands with a wave of attention that reached far beyond Austin, all before the band released its first full-length. After Voxtrot broke-up in 2010, frontman and songwriter Ramesh Srivastava went on to […]

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August 17, 2026

Elka: “Husk”

The latest installment in Jim Eno’s Project Traction mentorship program (whose mission is to create a more gender inclusive audio production and engineering industry), comes from Fort Collins, Colorado. Songwriter Elka gives us “Husk”: a deeply intimate and reflective indie-pop track rooted in grief and dressed in effortless elegance courtesy of Project Traction member (and […]

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August 14, 2026

A Band Called Ma: “SALT”

Releasing their self-titled debut album today, Austin’s A Band Called Ma is giving us our daily dose of nostalgia through the 90s-inspired rhythm guitar and abstract lyricism featured in their single “SALT.” This track was the last single released for the album, acting as the final taste of what’s to come from their self-produced and […]

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