Song of the Day

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July 19, 2023

Jefferson Clay: “Freaking Out Is Fine”

By: Jack Anderson

The gift and curse of modern artist multiplicity is so immense that it’s nearly unfathomable. For listeners, it opens a Pandora’s box of choices to the point that we almost have to rely on streaming algorithms and pre-made playlists to find new sounds. And while artists themselves can still easily find musical role models to emulate, where do you even start in terms of identifying your contemporaries and narrowing down your competition? Well, especially for a solo act here in the already-flooded Live Music Capital, it not only depends on talent, but indeed, a calculated release schedule to keep all those easily-disinterested listeners engaged. Just check out Austin singer-guitarist Jefferson Clay‘s single discography, which now totals at a dozen, including the Fall 2021 breakout/playlist darling “Sun-Glo”. Clay wisely kicked off his streaming presence within the first two weeks of the global shutdown, back when everyone was begging for any kind of variety to help stave off cabin fever. But Clay kept the momentum going with three more singles for 2020, and a pair both for 2021 and 2022, all of which maintain a well-branded minimalist aesthetic in terms of visual art. And as opposed to a fad-chaser desperate for metrics, fortunately Clay has the wisdom to recognize the artistic wholeness of a debut full-length, Elsewhere. Somehow. Somewhere., which drops…sometime soon. Continuing the journey from his salad days of underage 6th street shows to co-headlining 40 Acres Fest at his alma mater, appearing on American Idol and opening for REO Speedwagon, Elsewhere…is an indie-pop alt-rock R&B tumbler of Clay’s ever-maturing talents wrapped up in one easily-accessible package. Ahead of the “Too Damn Hot” showcase 8PM this Friday at Burleson Yard Beer Garden in San Antonio Jefferson recently unfurled a twofer that evokes Max Frost, which isn’t a huge surprise since they were produced by Max/BLK ODYSSY collaborator Victor Gaspar. So funnel the earworm that is “Freaking Out Is Fine” straight into your cranium and try not to incorporate it into your daily wakeup routine.

Episodes

September 3, 2024

Sonny Gullage: “Go Be Free”

Blues is an almost stereotypical staple of the “old Austin” Sixth Street sound. But if you wanna break out of the city limits, let loose, feel unleashed and all that good stuff? Of all the notable places to split from the whole program and make the best of the blues, New Orleans always stands tall […]

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September 2, 2024

Parker Woodland: “Ladder At Your Window”

You ever notice a name pop up more and more in a music scene, almost nearing non-stop status, and wonder to yourself, “sure just one person can’t squeeze in the time and energy for all this”…only to find out it’s not a sole person after all, nor even the namesake of one of its members? […]

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August 30, 2024

David Rosenblad: “Like a Sagittarian Archer”

We don’t want to alarm anybody…but today is the last day to submit considerations for the 2025 Grammy Awards. Congrats to everyone who made the deadline, good luck to those still watching the clock and waiting on the latest batch of masters, and condolences to anyone who plain spaced on the date. Those in that […]

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August 29, 2024

Locuust x YoursTruuly: “Acupuncture”

Feeling comfortable just in your own skin is a luxury we often take for granted. Sure, adjusting to a problematic puberty is a fairly common experience, as are life-altering eating habits even later on. But where a good chunk of population at least reaps the benefits of a cis-heteronormative construct, the trans community faces struggles […]

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August 28, 2024

Ne’er-do-well: “I Want It All”

As the birthplace of industry heavyweights like Spoon, indie rock is perhaps the most outspoken apex of the Austin soundscape. But depending on who you ask, indie is undoubtedly one of the safest, most inoffensive sonics rock has to offer, at least in the grand scheme of that genre’s mega-spectrum. But if you want something […]

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August 27, 2024

Daniel Nunnelee: “Do You?”

We’ll level with y’all. Between Song of the Day and Austin Music Minute, we here at KUTX try our very best to get everybody caught up on new releases and local shows. But, the human beings in a bustling musical metropolis that we are, stuff does slip through the cracks. And especially for our out-of-state […]

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August 26, 2024

Anna May: “The Show”

As much as we admire an intricate arrangement and a progressive song structure, not every tune needs to tout itself as a pocket symphony. I mean, we’ve already got one “Bohemian Rhapsody”, right? So while house and hip-hop may spring to mind when thinking about repetition, there’s an intrinsic simplicity to other styles of songwriting […]

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August 23, 2024

Madison Baker: “WANNABE”

It’s New Music Friday. It’s time to pump some fresh life into your playlists so let’s get straight to it; there’s new stuff from an awesome Austinite and a Howdy Gals-presented release show this weekend to boot. Both of which you might’ve already caught wind of through yesterday’s Austin Music Minute. Yep, it’s Madison Baker, […]

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