Song of the Day

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January 31, 2024

Leila Sunier: “All I Choose”

By: Jack Anderson

Just like the three wise monkeys, it can be enticing to turn a blind eye rather than than process a harsh reality. So even though switching on tunnel vision is probably your best bet when passing a bad roadside accident, it’s a lot tougher to avert your gaze from a “dumpster fire” at large. Because what you choose to observe directly affects both your wisdom and skepticism.

At least that’s the vibe we get from singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer Leila Sunier, who moved down here from her native New York not too long after dropping her 2020 sophomore Where Everything Is Perfect. A big fan of filled-out arrangements and compressor-contradicting dynamics, Sunier’s indie-pop-folk-alt-rock concoction has caught plenty of attention, including that of At the Drive-In producer Alex Newport and Austin’s own Ghostland Observatory, for whom she opened up last June.

Now that those flavors have ripened within Austin’s “blueberry in the tomato soup”, Leila Sunier’s set to hit high marks for self-reflection and social commentary on Too Big For Right Now, out this July. Ahead of a gig 10:30PM this Friday at Captain Quackenbush’s (with openers Taylor Kron at 8:30 and Howdy Cherry at 9:30), last weekend Leila shared the latest in a panoply of delicate-yet-purposeful folk forays off Too Big For Right Now, “All I Choose”. So if you typically try to cram multiple shows into the start of your weekend, maybe just stick with the obvious choice this time around. For right now, though, feast on the meditative roadside visuals of “All I Choose”, whose minimalist eggshell sonics swell into something much bigger than expected without becoming bombastic. It’s beautiful. It’s brilliant. And it’s a sure sign that Sunier will keep on soaring upward.


Episodes

February 14, 2025

Kowloon: “Heart Begins With You”

L.A.’s Kowloon is truly a one-man operation. Songwriting? Him. Instrumentation? Him. Recording, production? Yep, all Kowloon. Backed by a full library of effects and music gadgets from various eras, Kowloon released a string of singles last year, demonstrating his affinity for the darkwave sounds of the 80s a la the Cure and Bronski Beat. Ahead […]

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February 13, 2025

Tommy Francisco: “Tommy’s Groove”

Even a piping hot bowl of tokontsu ramen can’t fully shake-off today’s bone chill, but maybe the headspace of partying on a yacht in Mallorca can. Austin native Tommy Francisco hit the scene in 2020 with “Fever,” giving him an international audience and proving his ability to blend his Latin and Indigenous backgrounds into a […]

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February 12, 2025

Serebii: “Verrans Corner”

Auckland, New Zealand’s Callum Mower, known as Serebii, has always focused on pushing forward. Forward musically, forward personally, and now, forward into naked vulnerability.   Serebii’s upcoming album Dime finds Mower at his most vulnerable. Historically, Mower has relied on his mastery of instruments and production with others, namely fellow New Zealander Arjuna Oakes, but […]

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February 11, 2025

Slept All Day: “Asteria”

Austin duo Slept All Day may be new on the scene, but don’t sleep on them. Together, the two create moving soundscapes a la Bonobo and Washed Out. And they use their vocals as an element of the scape instead of its driving force. And despite the electronic instrumentation and vocal effects, the music is […]

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February 10, 2025

Middle Satre: “Corrupted (Uncorrupted)”

Welcome! Today’s theme is vision and reimagining. After spending a childhood in Salt Lake City, Hunter Preuger moved to Austin to sow oats with his project Middle Sattre. The project quickly expanded into a six-piece…and then an eight-piece, and a year after the release of their debut album Tendencies, the experimental folk outfit returned to […]

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February 7, 2025

Death Palmz: “IL2H2LU”

I’ve heard your week’s woes, I know it’s been one, so Aunt Tay is here to deliver a little Friday elixir to shift you into weekend mode as you get ready to burn rubber in the parking garage. Austin’s Death Palmz is another project from Exotic Frutica, and if you’re familiar with the punk band, […]

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February 6, 2025

Scott Collins: “Aphophenia”

Austin singer-songwriter Scott Collins has been ever-evolving in both songwriting and sound and now he’s started leaning in more to letting himself define his sound, branching out and seeing what feels right. His 9th EP And All This Happened serves on the title’s promise: it’s all happening. But the early 00’s indie sound is still […]

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February 5, 2025

Small Engine Fire: “Good Old Day”

Who said that energy and introspection can’t co-exist? It wasn’t me. And it certainly wasn’t Small Engine Fire. The new Austin band is made up of members of Lola Tried and Quiet Company, and together they create something a little nostalgic, like taking a ride out to Wilco with your Grandaddy. Small Engine Fire throws […]

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