Song of the Day

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June 16, 2023

ROXY ROCA: “The Nomad”

By: Jack Anderson

Here in the Live Music Capital of the World, we’re blessed to have an abundance of different genres, but truth be told, at the end of the day, rock is God in Austin, Texas. And while Austin does attract a vast rolodex of rockers, the city limits can also surprisingly shape previously non-rock sounds. Like, look at ROXY ROCA. When ROXY ROCA first got started a little over a decade back, they placed themselves predominantly in the funk-soul-R&B box. But by the time they teamed up with Chris “Frenchie” Smith to produce their sophomore LP A Better Way, the quartet not only acquiesced but fully embraced a harder-rocking repertoire. In any event, these rough riffers have continued to put on one hell of a show, even in the thralls of COVID. Well, this Fall, ROXY ROCA returns with their third full-length Greasy. On this record ROXY ROCA’s steady wheels of change are slicked with both the straight-up rock of 2018’s A Better Way and the retro-soul of 2015’s Ain’t Nothin’ Fancy. By blending classic rock with roots R&B, ROXY ROCA creates an oily middle ground that oozes over generations of different styles. Today, following up this April’s “Yazoo Queen”, the four-piece unfurls Greasy‘s sophomore lead single, “The Nomad”. Lathered up in blues rock testosterone with guttural vocals, rugged guitar, piercing percussion and bottom-dwelling bass work that keeps the whole thing together, “The Nomad” will keep meanderin’ around your mind well after your first listen.

Episodes

April 30, 2024

Grandmaster: “Castle Door”

Watch out, Golden Dawn Arkestra…there’s a new costumed collective in town, and they’re hunting for for fresh converts! But instead of frenetic Afro-inspired dance grooves, these fanatics have so far stuck to the slower side of ’70s-style jazz funk rock; think War whisked together with Steely Dan. Not that you’d be able to tell from […]

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April 29, 2024

Trip Cigs: “Comeback Kid”

When a seasoned musician wades out of their genre comfort zone, you love to hear it. Because the technical expertise, jam stamina, and songwriting skills are already in place, but opening the gate to different inspirations and influences is always a welcome breath of fresh air. So let’s talk Rod Gator, who – as you […]

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April 24, 2024

Viben: “Pablo Picasso”

Lyrics are a fickle field. You can be wordy as hell, hoping that at least one line sticks in listener’s minds. Or, you could just loop the hell out of some barebones sentences – guaranteed to have a lot more hypnotic staying power through sheer repetition, especially in the realm of dance music. Now let’s […]

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April 24, 2024

Rett Smith: “Sunsets”

In terms of musical association, at least outside the world of film soundtracks, U.S. southwestern scenery often gets associated with country. But there’s a certain psychedelic quality to our regional deserts that we just love to see artists embrace. Folks like Rett Smith, based here in Austin, but bred out of West Texas, so you […]

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April 23, 2024

Ruel Thomas: “I Am Today”

Any profession requires quotas…whether that’s how many tickets you write or how many kids pass your class. And when music is your source of income, the obvious metric to measure by is quantity of shows played. But as with any creative endeavor, there’s an opportunity to move the needle in many directions, which makes “success” […]

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April 22, 2024

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors: “Suffering”

The very nature of Americana is rooted in traditional music. But it also lies at the crossroads between folk, country, and rock. So if an Americana act decides to veer into new lanes, the choices are limited and somewhat predictable. And yet it’s still such a joy to hear an artist explore new sonic territory, […]

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April 19, 2024

Melotheory: “Breathe”

When you have roommates, at least good ones you get along with, group activities naturally arise around the house. For most folks, it’s watching TV, recreational smoking and drinking, or maybe the occasional board game. For musicians, however, having a practice space within eyeshot of your bedroom door is too good of a scenario to […]

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April 17, 2024

Rhythm&Truth and Sakari: “Bring It All Back”

We won’t say that successful collaborations should mandate a solo artist’s trajectory. But if something built together leaves people wanting more, it’s not a bad idea to get back together and sate those desires, right? Because what’s unachievable on the individual level often just needs to get catalyzed by some good collabo chemistry. So let’s […]

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