Song of the Day

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February 15, 2023

Space Tan: “I Don’t Wanna Die”

By: Jack Anderson

Maybe it’s this never-ending relay race of global pandemics, the collective cabin fever many of us endured during the recent ice storm, or just a gentle mist of malaise. Whatever the affliction, if the Milky Way’s main attraction is shining when you’re feeling imprisoned indoors, it’s always worth taking a couple of minutes to soak up some rays if you can. So with brighter days and clearer skies approaching with spring, perhaps it’s best to follow cues from our climate and embrace a sense of clarity.

Well, in the Austin rock realm, few indie-pop acts have managed to keep things as “clear” as Space Tan. Spearheaded by chief songwriter Gianni Sarmiento, Space Tan maintains transparency across both sonics and lyrics, leaving their melodies and messages ripe for in-ear radiance and emotional reflection. And on Friday, following up 2020’s Don’t Worry About Me and 2021’s Inti Raymi, Space Tan champions the obliteration of internal barriers on Prison Planet.

Prison Planet doesn’t want you to rot in a cell of your own inhibitions or deflective tendencies. Instead it incarcerates you in an energetic five-inmate gen pop of unconventionally inspirational indie rock, guaranteed to leave you re-evaluating any reservations you have for the coming year. Space Tan celebrates Prison Planet on March 3rd at Swan Dive for a joint release show with Domestic Tallboys alongside AMA and our January 2023 Artist of the Month je’Texas. And today, like an adorably deadpan indirect response to Youth Brigade’s 1983 call, Space Tan’s handed us a Strokes-esque testament to the value of life, “I Don’t Wanna Die”.


Episodes

April 24, 2026

Mean Jolene: “Private Plane”

The new single from Ausitn power-pop outfit Mean Jolene has it all: beautifully harmonized gang vocals with a 1960’s shimmer, 90’s female rock guitar hooks and grit, and an earnest look at the double-edged sword of escapism: a necessity for self-preservation pocked with a compulsion towards innocent complacency. And there’s something about the energy of […]

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April 21, 2026

Reyna Tropical & Xiuhtezcatl: “Camino”

Cumbia meets Afro-indigenous rhythms in this one-off from Mexican-American artist and activist Xiuhtezcatl and duo Reyna Tropical. Debuted last month at Vive Latino, one of Latin America’s biggest music festivals, the song “bridges the worlds of Indigenous wisdom, diaspora, community, Queer Love and Afro Mexico and the unity and pathways that these bridges are establishing […]

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April 17, 2026

Club Coma: “You Can Take My Spirit”

Austin’s Club Coma are back, this time with more tricks in their bag and an added touch of fuzzy sweetness, adding Lani Thomison AKA Street Peach to their club mix. The new, absolute banger “You Can Take My Spirit” sees the quartet extending the fazers into experimental territory, adding a little crunch to the beat, […]

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April 16, 2026

Billie Marten: “Feeling” [Live In Studio 1A]

Billie Marten is an English singer-songwriter known for her delicate folk sound, warm finger-picked guitar, and quietly powerful songwriting. In 2025 she released her fifth studio album, Dog Eared, on Fiction Records, expanding her signature folk style with richer arrangements. Marten’s music blends elements of folk, indie, and jazz-tinged pop, creating an intimate and timeless […]

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April 14, 2026

I’MMORTAL: “Floor Siren”

Have you ever needed a dance break in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon? Today’s Song of the Day, “Floor Siren,” transports listeners to the dance floor no matter what day or time it is. New York-based artist I’MMORTAL builds an experimental, deconstructed club sound – similar to contemporaries such as COBRAH and Shygirl – […]

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April 13, 2026

Eyelid Kid: “What Happened”

Born and raised in Austin and now based in L.A. (after a stint in Brooklyn), Eyelid Kid is back with more of that smooth, bedroom pop bop action. Produced by Flora and Fawna’s Mason Ables, “What Happened” is cozy and laid back with a midtempo pulse of drum machine momentum and affixed with lots of […]

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