Song of the Day

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August 23, 2023

Jane Leo: “Wow”

By: Jack Anderson

A lot of rising acts have made their way into the Austin pop culture lexicon since the pandemic started wrapping up. But one of the most memorable new names actually comes from two familiar favorites joining forces. We’re talking about our March 2023 Artist of the Month Jane Jane Leo, formed by Jane Ellen Bryant and Daniel Leopold using the Sofi Tukker approach to their band handle.

This power pair popped up in the summer of 2021 with their single “Tell Me (I’m on your Mind)”, making a compelling first impression with what’s still their most-spun track to date. After coming out of the gate big and bold, these art rock wonder twins compiled their introductory batch of originals into an eponymous debut full-length this past February. Since then we’ve basically been begging for more from this power duo, and boy did they deliver last week.

On Friday Jane Leo issued us to the kickass opening chapter for their next album with “Wow”. Packing wonky, high-octane energy into two-and-a-half minutes, “Wow” could easily become a companion piece to the chart-topping tunes of Post Malone and Tiesto bearing the same title and near-identical durations. Tomorrow Jane Leo jumps onto their inaugural national tour alongside Cannons, one that”ll swing by Austin on September 20th at Stubb’s and October 6th at ACL Fest. But today the big news is the amazing music video for “Wow” that flew in this morning.

In it Bryant and Leopold heed the call of a conspicuous red hotline, snap on the spandex, and transform into unconventional-yet-competent caped crusaders that give the Justice League a run for their initials. So behold JL’s superhuman abilities of pedestrian protection, fire extinguishing, and…vacuuming? It’s a vibrant divergence from their typical high contrast black-and-white “neon noir” visual brand that’s as playful as it is punchy. On top of that, every shot in this convivial sprint is so much of a treat that you can easily find a friend or five that’ll love it. Who knows? You might just end up recruiting your own set of aural Avengers that uses “Wow” as their anthem to assemble.


Episodes

February 27, 2025

Marlei Dismuke: “Fantasy”

Born in Houston, partially raised in Plano, and now an Austin resident, Marlei Dismuke has been writing and performing music since she started piano lessons at age five. Writing songs for her brothers turned into composing music for family musicals complete with choreography, and eventually truly honing her craft in high school and college, performing […]

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February 24, 2025

Donnel McLohon: “Serenata”

Austin’s Donnel McLohon, founder of the storytelling blog the Austin Bluebonnet, has it down when it comes to great singer-songwriter tunes knotched-up with soft, catchy hooks, but on his debut EP You Were Adored, he held some space to push his boundaries, write on pure instinct, and let the music flow. That track is “Serenata,” […]

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February 24, 2025

Jane Ellen Bryant: “My Corner of the World”

When I think of Jane Ellen Bryant, the first thing that comes to mind is her vocal tool box. She’s not just a great singer; the control she has over her voice and the tricks she’s able to do with it are show stopping. She’s shows off this mastery in both the dance pop duo […]

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February 24, 2025

Craig Finn: “People of Substance”

Since the early 90’s, years before the Hold Steady was a twinkle in his eye, Craig Finn has been laying down his legacy. Now over 20 albums deep into his discography, he’s set to release his 6th solo album Always Been this April. Finn calls Always Been his most narrative album to date, dropping into […]

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February 20, 2025

Persona 749: “Stereo Girl”

From the hockey rink of the University of Utah to the mean streets of New York City comes Persona 749. After being inspired through music heard at college parties, Landon Langenbrunner and Che Landikusic started writing music, but without real direction, they were making music from a place of fun, playing around in the sandbox […]

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February 19, 2025

Maddy Kirgo: “Spare”

New Orleans’s Maddy Kirgo writes music not only akin to the eclectic, all-embracing attitude of the Big Easy, but also to the sounds currently pouring out of its venues, or in her case, the buskers on the corner. To that end, her sounds simultaneously evokes the California country rock sounds of the nudie suit era […]

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