Song of the Day

Song of the Day > All Episodes

November 22, 2019

Hikes: “Been Thinkin'”

By: Jack Anderson

Now wrapping up their first decade of intensive collaboration, Austin quartet Hikes has ventured into the realm of near undefinable. While “felt rock” was a placeholder label in the early years, dynamic elements of math rock, indie, folk, punk, pop, metal, shoegaze, and experimental are all on the table for these performance perfectionists, who are never fully comfortable with any tempo, rhythm, key, or time signature. In short, Hikes fittingly makes music that moves, and when you’re in a crowd of 100+ longtime fans, it really moves.

Hikes hasn’t been without their own personal hardships though, and a shared sense of compassion earned over past couple years of internal turmoil has fueled their latest LP, Mahal Kita. Featuring the return of Mother Falcon co-founder Claire Puckett to the original lineup and taking its name from the Tagalog translation of “I love you”, the nine tracks on Mahal Kita will make you fall for Hikes all over again. They’ll be playing tonight at the Barracuda alongside Mary Bryce and Black Belt Eagle Scout, but be sure to listen through Mahal Kita, starting off with the Puckett-penned album opener, “Been Thinkin'”!

Hikes celebrate the release of their new album with a party and show at Barracuda on January 17th with Christelle Bofale and The Kraken Quartet!


Episodes

May 7, 2024

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If you’re a fan of that synth pop section of indie electronica in the ilk of Goldfrapp, Grimes, and CHVRCHES…there’s a relatively recent artist right here in town that’ll absolutely scratch that itch. And that’s Steel Gemini, the Austin-based project of singer-songwriter-producer Joy Baldwin. Ever since her December 2022 debut, Baldwin’s been a real joy […]

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In an environment as dense and competitive as Americana, a unique set of lens can really help you stand out. But if that habitat appears even remotely unnatural to others, every little bit of local color improves your odds of surviving in the long run. Meet Jana Mila. Mila’s Amsterdam upbringing was spent in the […]

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In most situations, if you got it, flaunt it. But in an industry that demands infinitely more from your ears than from your eyes, if the hottest person on the planet doesn’t have the pipes to match their looks, they probably don’t have a shot at succeeding as a singer. So let’s talk newcomer Mikky […]

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May 2, 2024

Henry the Archer: “ViolinT”

If this late Spring’s got your spirits shook up and you’re looking for some renewed motivation to tend to your garden (be it literal or figurative), we’ve got a DFW act that’ll make you go hard in the yard. And that’s on behalf of singer-guitarist-keyboardist R. Hennessy, AKA “Henry O”, who’s been hitting the mark […]

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May 1, 2024

Emily Shirley: “Morning Light”

It’s the classic end to an encounter. You meet someone new. Sparks seemingly fly. You have fun for a night. But when you wake up ready to tell your new boo you’d like to see ’em again…they’re long gone. Hell, and in the modern era, that might all happen on just on an app alone. […]

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April 30, 2024

Grandmaster: “Castle Door”

Watch out, Golden Dawn Arkestra…there’s a new costumed collective in town, and they’re hunting for for fresh converts! But instead of frenetic Afro-inspired dance grooves, these fanatics have so far stuck to the slower side of ’70s-style jazz funk rock; think War whisked together with Steely Dan. Not that you’d be able to tell from […]

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April 29, 2024

Trip Cigs: “Comeback Kid”

When a seasoned musician wades out of their genre comfort zone, you love to hear it. Because the technical expertise, jam stamina, and songwriting skills are already in place, but opening the gate to different inspirations and influences is always a welcome breath of fresh air. So let’s talk Rod Gator, who – as you […]

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April 24, 2024

Viben: “Pablo Picasso”

Lyrics are a fickle field. You can be wordy as hell, hoping that at least one line sticks in listener’s minds. Or, you could just loop the hell out of some barebones sentences – guaranteed to have a lot more hypnotic staying power through sheer repetition, especially in the realm of dance music. Now let’s […]

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