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September 5, 2022

The Beaches: “Orpheus”

By: Jack Anderson

Like the Jan Brady of national holidays, Labor Day is an oft-overlooked middle child between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. So, quick bit of “birthday” trivia; although it’s American-manufactured, some historians believe Labor Day may have been inspired by Toronto’s worker-centric parades held in 1882. Which means we ought to recognize our neighbors to the North and celebrate with some continental solidarity. However, if you got screwed out of the long weekend for whatever reason, you can find a instant escape with The Beaches.

Their namesake canonically pays tribute to a shared neighborhood, but it also evokes the quartet’s willingness to bury college plans in the sand and fully invest themselves in their music. Nowadays, in light of more than 50 million stream on Spotify alone, three JUNO Awards, and fanship from Elton John, it’s damn near impossible to cast doubt on that decade-old decision. Lately, however, inspired by the likes of Austin’s own Dayglow, The Beaches have seemed to heed changing tides and begun testing deeper waters of indie pop after years in the rock sandbar. This questionable shift comes right after the full-length merge of The Beaches last two EPs and a U.S. tour kicking off next month, but as we’ve learned before, it’s best to trust The Beaches’ intuition. Considering the pulsing, Phoenix-esque, indie pop masterpiece “Orpheus” that just came out? Give ’em all the resources in the world for them to do whatever the hell they want.


Episodes

December 2, 2025

Next of Kin: “Jekyll & Hyde” [Live in Studio 1A]

To say Next of Kin have had a successful year would be an understatement. After almost two years of anticipation, our April Artist of the Month released their debut Ep Homemaker in May, punctuated by two sold-out shows at the Continental Club. Since then, they’ve made their ACL Fest debut, modeled for Austin FC’s Live […]

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December 1, 2025

Gus Baldwin & The Sketch: “Itch” (Live in Studio 1A)

Every December, we celebrate the year’s class of 11 Artists of the Month by filling your airwaves, throwing back to Studio 1A’s and My KUTX DJ sets, and giving the year a proper Austin music sendoff. We’ll also be revisiting some of the Studio 1A songs here on Song of the Day, which means you […]

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November 26, 2025

Stephen Doster w/ the #9 Orchestra: “Goodness”

f you’ve been in Austin for any amount of time, and especially if you’ve called Austin home for a decade or few, you’re no doubt familiar with the #9 Orchestra, a group of musicians from a myriad of backgrounds who come together at least once a year to perform the songs of the Beatles and […]

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November 20, 2025

Judy Blank: “Cosmic Kids” (ft. SUSTO)

Growing up in the Netherlands, Judy Blank fostered an early love for classic American cinema. She’s married that love with her stamp of DIY-indie eclecticism, sometimes leaning more Americana (something she honed during her brief time as a Nashvillian) and sometimes dreamy indie-pop, but always poetic, seemingly effortless, and marked with that signature Dutch wit and brutal […]

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November 19, 2025

Matthew Payne: “Down In the Valley”

Singer-songwriter Matthew Payne‘s poetic Americana is salt of the Earth, evocative of both his Dripping Springs upbringing and nearly two decades as an English and creative writing teacher here in Austin. And with a stage roster that includes Hole In the Wall, Saxon Pub, and the Cactus Cafe, he truly is Austin Americana timelessness personified. […]

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November 18, 2025

Sweet Limb: “Who’s This”

While one taste may be in the name, the latest from Austin’s Sweet Limb is savory and brimming with umami. Historically, Sweet Limb founder Chris Robinson has performed with a band, but his new EP The Pastel Noise is all him, venturing into more experimental sounds and introspective lyrics, making the new direction more than […]

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November 17, 2025

The Goods: “April Fools”

Oakland underground music veteran Rob Good has been hard at work with his jangly, power pop trio The Goods, blending shimmery British Invasion-style energy with a bit of 90’s indie pop flair to create something simultaneously nostalgic and new. The follow-up to their 2023 debut EP is the full album Don’t Spoil the Fun. The […]

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November 14, 2025

Tess Clare: “Anemoia”

Last time we checked in with L.A.’s Tess Clare, we were talking about wanting more and the restlessness of sitting still for too long. Now, we’re reveling in anemoia, a feeling of nostalgia for a time or place we’ve never experienced ourselves. Like elder Gen Z-ers yearning for that night in 1991 when Nickelodeon premiered […]

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