Song of the Day

Song of the Day > All Episodes

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

November 6, 2025

Jane Leo: “Goldmine” [Live In Studio 1A]

After a year or so of releasing individual dance-pop candies, Austin’s Jane Leo released their sophomore album Creature of Destruction in September. One of the tracks on the album is “Goldmine,” a slightly more subdued song from the art-pop duo, but still dripping with energy and that funky “Imma dance here in my own little […]

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November 3, 2025

Her Mana: “Suena”

Perfect for the chilling temperatures is the latest from Austin world-folk duo Her Mana. Emilie Basez and Kate Robberson return with their latest single “Suena,” a slow, tender tune made for slow dances with long, locked gazes. Produced by Jim Eno and featuring the Ibiza String Ensemble to brighten the thoughtfully equipped negative space in […]

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October 31, 2025

Teethe: “Holy Water” [Live In Studio 1A]

It’s the last day of October, so it’s time for one final spooky toast to our October Artist of the Month. Teethe was formed up in the DIY music enclave of Denton, all students of the University of North Texas. Now, with streaming numbers on their side, a move to Austin, and a European and […]

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October 30, 2025

Skateland: “Wednesday, Baby!”

For years now, we’ve been in a bit of a cuffing season with former KUTX Artist of the Month Skateland‘s synth-driven dream pop that’s as delectable and ethereal as the roller rink of his stage name origins. It’s cozy, groovy, and hypnotic all at the same time. After years of breadcrumbing us singles, he’s releasing […]

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October 29, 2025

Michael Arizmendi: “Dependence”

Born and raised in Brownsville, TX, new Austinite Michael Arizmendi recently graduated from the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston. Principally a trumpeter, Arizmendi studied music production and songwriting, and he blends those skills with a passion for exploring and synthesizing different genres. His debut single “Dependence” blends sultry jazz and hip-hop showcasing both […]

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October 24, 2025

The John-Pauls: “Eep Eep”

Yesterday, I watched a video of a guy unsuccessfully attempting to get a beached dolphin back into the ocean, and as luck would have it, today I get to write about a song from a dolphin’s POV. And a louche little devil they are. “Eep Eep” is the appropriately named title and single from the […]

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October 22, 2025

Moonkill: “Full Stop”

I’m not sure there’s a better way to say you’re basically a space punk band than to name yourselves MoonKill, and, hey, that’s exactly what this Austin quartet has done. But it’s not like floating-in-space post punk; it’s more like if the Thunderdome had a Tatooine location. They’ve been busy back in the studio working […]

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October 20, 2025

Spill Tab: “Hold Me” [Backstage at ACL Fest]

ACL Fest may be but a flicker in your rearview mirror at this point, but our ACL Fest content is still poppin’ fresh. LA’s Claire Chicha is Spill Tab, a lo-fi alt pop project focused on incorporating rhythms from across time and the globe and nestling them warmly in her dulcet, mezzo soprano jazz vocals. […]

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