Song of the Day

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August 15, 2022

Phil Hurley: “Failing Heart”

By: Jack Anderson

In the state of contemporary recording, session EPs are a pretty refreshing concept. By limiting yourself to one space and removing any access to punch-ins, session records evoke the “one-take” magic of century-old methods, back when capturing an authentic live performance was the industry standard. Phil Hurley‘s experienced the best of both, having tracked with the likes of Fountains of Wayne and Lisa Loeb in Seattle before moving down here to Austin, where he’s had no hurdles acclimating to the “Live Music Capital”, thanks to the past dozen years of gigs with South Austin Moonlighters, Stonehoney, Gigolo Aunts, and Jimmy LaFave.

But as Hurley discovered, the one flaw with live recordings is that if you lose one element, you lose everything. His latest EP was nearly unrecoverable after a hard drive crash, and only dubbed The Firebird Sessions after a couple of music miracles brought it back out of the aether. The five-track came out in the dog days of mid-July, just in time to kickstart our country spirits back into action. And if you need to get the blood flowing diving back into the workweek, check out “Failing Heart”; it recalls the arena-ready pop-rock of ’80s-era Yes or Blue Öyster Cult, albeit with the distinctive Southern flair of Hurley’s Herculean pipes.


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April 29, 2025

M. Ross Perkins: “Spiritual Kick”

Dayton, Ohio’s M. Ross Perkins has an affinity for blending 60’s British Invasion music with the sounds of American pop standards with just enough of a contemporary veneer to let you know the sound is an homage to the time, not a hint to its release date. His third album What’s the Matter, M Ross? […]

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April 28, 2025

Kelly Finnigan: “Keep Me In Mind” (ft. Renaldo Domino)

Last year, Monophonics bandleader Kelly Finnigan released his second solo album A Lover Was Born, a stellar study in psychedelic soul extending cleanly from the classic Monophonics sound. A song that didn’t make it onto the album was “Keep Me In Mind,” a smooth soul bop featuring Chicago soul legend Renaldo Domino. While most of […]

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April 25, 2025

Queen Serene: “In A Rut (I’m Stuck)”

Austin psych-rock group Queen Serene was conceived during COVID when former Naked Tungs guitarist Sarah Ronen began writing her own music following the band’s dissolution, but soon realized she preferred creating in a group. Now the group is filled out with Charlie Cassells, Dave Pohly, and co-songwriter Galceran. Queen Serene’s sophomore album 2 feels out […]

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April 24, 2025

The Bug Club: “Better Than Good” [Live In Studio 1A]

Welch trio The Bug Club have been continuing the traditions of garage rock since 2016. Short, punchy songs with humorous lyrics and catchy hooks bulk out the group’s discography, and under the freewheeling rollicking is an understated seriousness to their musicianship. Aside from the wild wall of sound that makes the trio sound like a […]

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April 23, 2025

Roaring Sun: “View So Blue”

Austin’s Larry Llodra has fronted a couple of Austin groups including noise rock band UVH. Llodra’s new project Roaring Sun is a hard turn from the hard, fuzzy songs of UVH, opting for a bristly, folk rock sound. The debut album Turn and Wave is melancholic and tender, raw and unflinching. The project was born […]

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April 22, 2025

David Ramirez: “I Got People” [Live In Studio 1A]

After over fifteen years of making and releasing music, Austin’s David Ramirez considered hanging up his music career, but he rescinded that notion following the outcry from his fans and a prolonged tenure of soul searching. After all, when raw emotion and critical self-reflection are consistent tenants of your music, sometimes that process can feel […]

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April 21, 2025

Taylor Rae: “Cologne”

Austin singer-songwriter Taylor Rae released her debut album Mad Twenties in 2021, a release that led to a 30-week stint on the Americana radio charts and opportunities to hit the road opening for bands like the Head and the Heart and Band of Heathens. After a stretch of playing an average of 200 gigs a […]

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April 18, 2025

Kirk Smith: “Julian” [New Moon Remix]

Earlier this year, Austin’s Kirk Smith released “Julian,” a song about a perpetual miscreant making every bad decision and burning every bridge he crosses. While that version sported a bossa nova shuffle perfect for a dark lounge, he’s now paired with local producer Lars Goransson to remix “Julian” for a new crowd. The remix takes […]

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