Song of the Day

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September 10, 2021

Lola Tried: “Make It Better”

By: Jack Anderson

Going back to the genre’s mid-’80s heyday with Big Boys and Dicks, punk rock has been a major part of Austin’s musical character. And though there are a number of groups that continue the Austin punk legacy into the 2020s, few can package their sound with the same accessibility of Lola Tried. Fronting vocalist-guitarist Lauren Burton first treated us to her four-piece’s pop-punk sweets on 2017’s Popsicle Queen and made Lola Tried’s eponymous, full-album debut the following year.

After yanking out the proverbial tooth on Lola Tried, these two-time Studio 1A veterans have cleared out any unwanted abscesses of the band’s infantile days and put their evolved formulas on display with Lola Tried’s just-released sophomore EP, Renvers. On average these songs are a little slower, a little longer with more intricate structures, and on the whole more mature sounding than their predecessors, though they still pack the same punch as those early energizers and continue to carry the emotional weight that’s always made us love this quartet. Lola Tried celebrates the release of Renvers tonight at Native Hostel along with A. Sinclair, Warm Sugar, and The Gospel Truth and whether or not you can make it out, you can certainly improve the quality of your weekend right now with “Make It Better”!


Episodes

April 1, 2026

Jess Helios and the Crew: “Flight”

“Flight” by Jess Helios and The Crew began as a song about revolution, but grew into something more personal, tapping into inner truth and rising to a higher state of mind. It offers a glimpse into their unreleased album Apollo 95, a cinematic, genre-blending journey through grief, love, and the full spectrum of human emotion, where […]

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March 30, 2026

Valley Flower: “Mountain Don’t Care”

After spending 2025 rising from humble five-piece to a staple of the Central Texas bluegrass scene, Austin’s Valley Flower are back with the new single “Mountain Don’t Care,” a song true to their special blend of folk, bluegrass, and country. A bit more traditional than last year’s, “Run Buddy,” “Mountain Don’t Care,” a brooding track […]

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March 27, 2026

Bananner Man: “Banana Lands”

Bannaner Man was born in the Cavendish Islands in the rarely explored Citric Sea. After splitting for Corpus Christi, he found himself in Austin, busking on 6th Street before playing bass for Austin notables Magna Carda and Los Coast. After becoming a Dad, Bananner Man took pity on put-upon parents forced to listen to emetic, […]

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March 26, 2026

Lene: “I Wanna Be Your Lover”

Pianist and singer Lene moved to Austin back in 2023, already having seen musical success in Europe: having been a contestant on X Factor: Italia and performing at festivals in Italy and Portugal. She left Italy for love, but a move across the world leads to a shift in identity, and her lush song “I […]

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March 24, 2026

Dorio: “Plastic Heart” [Live In Studio 1A]

There’s something about every song by Austin’s Dorio that’s just sweet, sticky, and timeless. It simultaneously takes me to a certain sunny side of the 90’s; my old, cozy, West Campus apartment; and some of the best new music I’ve been listening to all year. It’s also something none of us around here can stop listening […]

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March 23, 2026

Maria Taylor: “Never Thought I’d Feel New”

The feeling of being perpetually confined by your own thoughts is ugly and burdensome. When we root for ourselves and finally find ourselves on the other side of the chrysalis, life is colorful once again, and the feeling of mentally reentering and contributing to the world in a meaningful way is unparalled. This sentiment echoes […]

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March 19, 2026

Cure for Paranoia: [Live At Scholz Garten]

The story behind Dallas hip-hop trio Cure for Paranoia is a tender one. Born during a “doomsday roadtrip” following a mental health diagnosis by frontman Cameron McCloud that later found more fuel following the death of McCloud’s mother, grief has been turned into motivation, one McCloud used to rap every day and put it on […]

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March 18, 2026

Adult Leisure: “Borderline” [Live At Scholz Garten]

The quick rise of UK alt-indie rockers Adult Leisure have garnered them attention in a myriad of magazines, support from BBC Radio 6, two songs featuring John Waugh of the 1975, and a tour across the UK and Europe, New York, and, finally, more than a half dozen shows at this year’s SXSW. That last […]

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