Song of the Day

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August 31, 2023

Mamahawk: “Fighter Jet”

By: Jack Anderson

As a war wages in Ukraine, aspects of the military industrial complex are front and center in the news; with each international donation to the effort, headlines interject model names right into casual lexicon, so presumably the layperson now knows the difference between a Leopard 2 and an F-16. And while the four members of Mamahawk haven’t necessarily shown off that knowledge of hardware specifics, when it comes to combatting crappy music, they’re a major aggressor. After a modest immobilization with their 2015 self-titled debut, Mamahawk really brought the offensive to a brink on “Brain Invaderz!” an operation that earned them the rank of KUTX’s August 2018 Artist of the Month. Their sophomore six-track of the same name came in hot the following February, and this past April Mamahawk showed that they’re still on the wing with “Walk in the Fire”. Well the spacey rock squadron might as well’ve teamed up with Skunk Works, because their latest doesn’t just buzz the tower; it throttles up to the stratosphere for aural superiority. On “Fighter Jet”, Mamahawk cuts the afterburners and coasts at a slower tempo than we’ve heard from them recently. That said, “Fighter Jet” delivers an massive payload in just four minutes, thanks to a Tomahawk missile’s-worth of jazz-prog key chords, laser-accurate delayed-out electric guitar slides, long bass tones that capture that high-altitude hum, plus a canopy of crisp drums and clean vocals. Catch the full sortie midnight tomorrow night at Sagebrush along with openers Aubrey Hays at 11PM and Sammy G at 10. Til then, quit the habitual bitchin’, strap in, and set course for a relaxing Labor Day weekend.

Episodes

December 10, 2024

Erin Ivey: “I’m in Awe”

A lot of intergenerational discourse about age and beauty got brought up because of The Substance this year. Ya know, out with the old and in with the new by rule of sex appeal. And the way some of these fresh-faced artists skyrocket to half a billion streams seemingly overnight based on Tik Tok clout…it’s […]

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December 9, 2024

Paper Sister: “Brain Drain”

Post-punk and shoegaze are both sure things when it comes to instant moodmakers. But when paired with chilly weather, overcast skies, and everyone in long sleeve fashion better fit for Portland or Seattle…yeah it definitely hits differently. And if you’re itching for that brisk mix of nippy napes, visible breath and a feast of fuzz […]

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December 6, 2024

Barb: “beside you (so boring!)”

Everyone’s unfurling their year in review and from what we’ve seen so far, the past twelve months have been pretty productive across the Live Music Capital! Case in point: Austin’s Barbara Klavin, AKA Barb. We’ve brought up Barb a couple times already, so you might already know the lowdown. But since it’s been a bit […]

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December 5, 2024

rrunnerrss: “Get Me Out Of Here”

In a lot of ways, Texas is a top tier U.S. state. There’s great food. H-E-B. Beautiful parks with a variety of landscapes and wildlife. H-E-B again. That distinct Southern hospitality you don’t notice until you’re gone. But even if someone’s lived in the Lone Star State their whole life, being a Texas resident in […]

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December 4, 2024

Souls Extolled: “Gold”

That early-’00s indie punk rock sound shaped by heavyweights like Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes is still pretty dang popular. Just listen to some of the most-streamed rock artists these days and you can clearly hear the reverence. That said, it’s not too often that those newer acts actually invite nuance into their originals; it’s […]

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December 2, 2024

The Grapes & Friends: “Christmas With My Baby”

Thanksgiving and Black Friday are behind us and Cyber Monday is here. And in terms of the latter two, most of the shopping does happen online these days. But if you did pop into a store or two since last Thursday, you’ll agree: if it wasn’t already by the moment Halloween ended, Christmas music is […]

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December 2, 2024

dan levine: “a-frame”

It’s #GivingTuesday and pretty much anyone who’s a non-profit is crawling out of the woodwork and trying to stir up some financial love. And of course as a community supported public radio, we could always use a bit of help. That said, the nice thing about tossing KUTX a couple bucks is that you’re also […]

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November 29, 2024

What Elephant?: “Made Up Words”

Thanksgiving’s behind us and Christmas is on the way, so ’tis the season for white elephant gift exchanges, right? And depending on you or your family’s level of southern drawl, if someone’s ever suggested “white elephant?” as the next activity, they may have inadvertently uttered today’s feature. Because unless it’s a drift-caught quip to “don’t […]

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