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 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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