Song of the Day

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July 17, 2023

Sami Stevens: “Tonight”

By: Jack Anderson

When a songwriter relocates to a metropolitan music hub, they often do so with the hope that that their new surroundings will inspire a higher level of artistry, that the scene will spark something not yet uncovered. But the reality is that, with some rare exceptions, the passion, perspective, and potential that separate the best from the rest all arrived long before relocation. So sure, keyboardist-singer Sami Stevens resides in Brooklyn, but her adolescent exposure to bucolic depression in rural Maine and subsequent attempt to understand that morbid underbelly within an otherwise majestic landscape arguably outweighs anything else in terms of personal outlook. Those nuanced viewpoints complement a love of complex jazz, soul, and folk characters like Carole King, Sarah Vaughan, Minnie Riperton, Donny Hathaway, Joni Mitchell for a bittersweet blend of ’60s/’70s sounds. And on top of those foundations, Stevens has an incredible set of pipes, which’ve made her stand out even in BK’s bustling performance culture. And yet outside of some turn-of-the-’20s collaborations with saxophonist Kazemde George, Sami hasn’t really shared any solo material offstage…until now. Sami Stevens’ solo studio career dawns next Friday with her debut full-length Morning an eleven-piece portrait of life as Stevens sees it. Conceptually informed by a degree in Psychology and sonically enhanced by its counterpart in Jazz Performance, the once-sparse arrangements on Morning crest over the horizon anew with vibrant orchestral flourishes that match Stevens’ idiosyncratic reflections. On the LP’s latest offering “Tonight”, Sami seats you right in the swing set and nudges you through a three-and-a-half minute cycle of delicate instrumentation, perfectly-subtle percussion, progressive chord structures and Stevens’ one-of-a-kind featherweight falsetto.

Episodes

February 17, 2025

MIEN: “Evil People” (Live In Studio 1A)

We all know that when an artist is featured on a song, it’s likely that they recorded it remote and sent the track to the main artist. But how does it work when you’re a quartet and only 2 of y’all live in the same place? To ask the members of Austin experimental psych band […]

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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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