Song of the Day

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March 25, 2025

Julian Neel: “Mermaid of the Rodeo”

By: Taylor Wallace

Austin’s Julian Neel grew-up in Lubbock surrounded at home by the music of artists like Joe Ely and the Flatlanders. Then he spent the last half of the 2010’s on the road with Molly Burch touring the US and Europe. All the while, he was fronting his own band, and he released his debut album Call the Mountain in 2020.

After years of getting his music thirst quenched, Neel filled his cup with the vines of entrepreneurship co-managing the popular Austin wine bar Lolo. But, two cups can be filled at the same time, and Neel has never stopped writing. What musician can?

Neel is back with the heavyweight-studded EP Gallery Show. Members of Chaparelle, Voxtrot and Tele Novella along with members of Weyes Blood, Devandra Banhart, and Tim Heidecker’s bands fill out the record. Neel at the lead takes us through a series of vignettes spanning a motely cast of characters and situations in a small, non-descript Texas town. Each story is given its due time as the EP maintains a leisurely pace, not dallying, but appreciating and exploring.

The characters exist somewhere between the Lynchian and Tarantino spheres, illustrating a place and time that seemingly only perfectly exists within itself, and we’re being treated to a peek inside.


Episodes

February 12, 2026

Redbud: “Soul Work” [Recorded Live In Studio 1A]

Charming noodling with bright hooks, introspective lyrics, and joyful energy exude from Ausitn’s Redbud, Fronted by Katie Claghorn, the indie pop group has been around since Claghorn picked-up a guitar during the pandemic, and they’ve played on nearly every Austin stage since they hit the ground running: touring the country and being one more than […]

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February 11, 2026

Jobi Riccio: “Buzzkill”

Jobi Riccio is a Nashville indie Americana artist, but with her new single “Buzzkill,” she leans into a more punk style, rock-forward sound. This shift mirrors her angsty, introspective lyrics, which capture what it’s like to navigate your twenties and the emotional phases that define those years. As someone in my mid-twenties, I find this […]

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February 10, 2026

Grace Sorenson: “Cologne” (The Hole Story)

he Hole Story is a new series from KUTX. Taped live on the little front stage of Hole in the Wall – we’ve invited artists to not just perform, but also share the inspiration, meaning, or backstory behind each one.  Opened in 1974, Hole in the Wall is one of Austin’s most legendary dive bars. […]

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February 2, 2026

J’cuuzi: “Advance/Decline”

Our July 2025 Artist of the Month J’cuuzi hit the ground running with their frenetic debut EP Big Machine. Refusing to rest on their laurels, the duo is pushing the envelope with their new single “Advance/Decline,” sonically detailing the perseverance we sometimes struggle to manifest, but we do anyway, somehow, because we, especially women, have […]

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January 29, 2026

Annabelle Chairlegs: “Shoo Fly” [Live In Studio 1A]

As January closes, we’re shining the spotlight once more on our Artist of the Month Annabelle Chairlegs. Fronted by Linsday Mackin, the band returns after a brief hiatus with new members Nolan Potter, Simone Maresh, and Nick Coretti. And the new album Waking Up is produced by psych rock powerhouse Ty Segall. As gritty and […]

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January 21, 2026

Katherion: “Bad for Me”

Austin artist Katherion is proving she has what it takes to stand out with “Bad for Me,” a track from her debut album EROS. This softly haunting indie-pop song explores the tension of being in a relationship you know isn’t good for you. By focusing on feeling rather than specificity, the lyrics invite listeners to […]

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January 20, 2026

Almost Heaven: “oscillation”

Support for KUTX’s Love Austin Music Month coverage comes from Eldorado Cafe, embracing a community of folks who believe sharing food and music feeds the soul. Austin-based indie dance, post-punk duo Almost Heaven is having a strong start to 2026. After a C3-produced Free Week performance at Stubb’s, the pair recently released “oscillation,” ahead of […]

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January 13, 2026

Marlei: “2009”

Support for KUTX’s Love Austin Music Month coverage comes from Eldorado Cafe, embracing a community of folks who believe sharing food and music feeds the soul. It’s not difficult to compare the economic turbulence of 2026 to 2009 – and Marlei, a Houston-born, Austin-based pop/R&B artist, thinks of that time often. In 2009, Marlei was […]

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