Song of the Day

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February 23, 2024

Silver Skylarks: “Power Moves” (feat. Adrian Quesada & US!)

By: Jack Anderson

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: we’ve been loving the recent ride of this retro soul-funk renaissance, especially with so much dynamite coming right out of the central state area. And today a new name emerges within that ongoing saga of nostalgia: Silver Skylarks.

Fly like the birds, and slick like the cars, Silver Skylarks is the DFW duo comprised of songwriter Danny Balis and producer Jeff “Skin” Wade, born from early pandemic demos. Taking cues from the ’70s vinyl rarities that crate diggers crave, Balis and Wade have been steadily elevating those ten demos into Silver Skylarks’ debut LP The Number One Set and Sound – out May 3rd.

But the pair didn’t go it alone. Instead they called up some of the best session players they’ve met, plus a few superstars to really spice things up. On top of the mix that includes Large Professor, Robert Ellis, and The D.O.C., Silver Skylarks also tapped into some outstanding Austin talent; Uncle Roy & Spice, the Austin vocalists better known as US!, lends their pipes to the record’s Side A closer “Power Moves”, while Adrian Quesada commandeers the six-string. The result is a progressive groove that’d quickly catch Roy Ayers’ ear, complete with horn swells, Coffy-esque vocals, and an intoxicating breakbeat-indulging bridge, that all just scream to be played over some sassy vigilante’s intro credits.


Episodes

August 10, 2026

Modiste: “Breaking My Own Heart”

The past is coming up from behind on the debut single from Louisville, Kentucky synth trio Modiste. The 80’s-inspired group employs exclusively analog and digital vintage instruments and toys to invoke a true pastiche of your favorite smokey 80’s underground music with just a whisper of the modern age. Think Jane Leo meets Kate Bush […]

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August 7, 2026

Paige Plaisance: “Waiting”

Paige Plaisance is carving out her own lane with a sound she coins “Swampytonkin’.” Raised on a farm near the muddy banks of the Mississippi River, the Austin-based singer-songwriter and pianist is back with her highly anticipated second full-length album, Swampwater. Recorded at Austin’s famed Finishing School and produced by Jonathan Tyler, Swampwater further establishes Plaisance as a masterful, […]

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August 6, 2026

BLUUM: “Tough Break, Kid”

Coming from the Los Angeles Music scene, the LA duo “BLUUM” (with two Us) is blossoming with some quality 90s inspired alternative music. This track wants to bring it back to when rock ruled the world. The pair produced this song alongside their debut self titled album from their LA apartments. Who knows? Maybe this […]

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August 5, 2026

Magic Rockers of Texas: “Where Did My Life Go” [Live In Studio 1A]

Looking to fill your Thursdays this August? Austin sardonic power-pop group Magic Rockers of Texas are holding down this month’s residency spot at one of our favorite venues: the Hole In the Wall. They’re kicking it off tonight with guests Slomo Drags and Quinn Decker and the LLC. We’re throwing it back to their latest […]

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August 4, 2026

Ruben Ramos + Carrie Rodriguez : “Ay Me Duele” [Live In Studio 1A]

Ruben Ramos, known to many as “El Gato Negro,” was not born in Austin, but his work over the last seven decades has earned him a sculpture in the city among other greats like Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. His work with Los Super Seven, a group featuring Freddy Fender, Joe Ely, Flaco Jimenez, […]

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August 3, 2026

Jesse Malin: “Hollywood Forever”

2026 has been a big year for New York’s Jesse Malin. The East Village icon released his memoir  Almost Grown: A New York Memoir in April, and the run of his autobiographical concert-theatre production Silver Manhattan was extended this spring at New York’s Bowery Palace. The production partially discusses his relationship with friend and D […]

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July 31, 2026

David Quinn: “Long Time Gone”

Nourishing, gritty, wood-smoked, and road-worn are all words that have been appropriately (and lovingly) used to describe the Americana songwriting of Illinois’s David Quinn. The upcoming album Down & Dirty was written purely for the joy of the game, and boy does it show. Quinn sticks to his compelling and illustrative storytelling with licks and […]

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July 31, 2026

Next of Kin: “Dimestore Jesus”

Austin alt-country sweetheart’s Next of Kin are back with their first new song (and dare I say, bona fide bop) since the release of last year’s Homemaker EP. “Dimestore Jesus” starts fully blossomed with their signature harmonies for a “beautifully honest track about carrying the burden of the savior complex: the tendency to pour everything […]

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