Song of the Day

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September 4, 2024

The Belle Sounds: “Oh Humanity”

By: Jack Anderson

For a lot of people, when you think of synth pop, you think “inorganic”. You think “artifice”. Which, to be fair, “synthesizer”, “synthetic”…we get it. But despite the constructed character of those modern mood makers, there’s plenty of potential for passion and authenticity in the synth pop sector.

So let’s get into the The Belle Sounds. This morning the five-piece indie-folk-rock family affair unfurled their fourth EP Oh Humanity – a six-song stretch of anthemic hooks, in-the-pocket vocal harmonies, and retro-inspired textures that tastefully recycle the best elements of ’80s pop. And if you want to rock out to the Blondie-esque bops in person, catch The Belle Sounds at a double release show 8PM this Saturday at 3Ten ACL Live alongside Ray Prim and Suzanna Choffel.

Still not sold on the heart of this synth pop art? Let the EP opener and title track “Oh Humanity” convince you of otherwise. Because despite its lyrically bleak outlook, its a brief, upbeat piece of pop perfection (anchored by riling arpeggios, killer chords, and pleasant pads) that’ll make for an banging addition to your retro pop playlist.


Episodes

January 15, 2025

Sweet Limb: “Good For You”

Hip-hop, like any genre, can serve many purposes: not only can it grip your soul with stories of regular people trying to make a living in their country that’s been institutionally designed to work against them, but it can also grip your soul in a soft way, with a mantra: a meditation on a promise. […]

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January 14, 2025

Orca Dork: “Sleepy Pilot”

Time to dust off the ol’ Audiosurf game from your college days and get ready for your newest beat-driven meditation. Brother’s Franklin and Graham Pittman are Orca Dork, an Austin-based experimental instrumental duo who have spent the last ten years working on their debut, hip-hop inspired album Experiments With Found Objects. And yes, it can […]

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January 13, 2025

DAYEATER: “Between the Otherside” [PREMIERE]

Who says psych-rock can’t come with badass near rock-opera harmonies? Austin’s DAYEATER certainly doesn’t. And throw in some power pop? Honey we are off to the stratosphere courtesy of an 80s He-Man cartoon-style music video. Jesse Lee fronts the trio, pulling off riffs that give two handed-players a run for their money. Lee’s power on […]

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January 10, 2025

Ley Line: “Agua Do Mar”

The ladies of Ley Line are back, baby, and they’re looking forward to bringing us a string of reunion shows this April. To get us excited, they’ve announced their Live at the Pershing EP (out later this month) and gifted us “Agua Do Mar,” their take on the Brazilian folk song “Memorias do Mar,” an […]

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January 9, 2025

Nilsa No One: “Lucid Dream”

Austin-bred songwriter and guitarist Nilsa grew-up in the throws of the local punk and metal scenes, but Nilsa, like the rest of us, contains multitudes, so she’s brought in rhythm section Jesse Maciack and JJ Pereira to become Nilsa No One, blending the rawness from her nurturing with her haunting vocals and emotive contemplations that […]

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January 8, 2025

Schmiddy: “Nebula” (ft. Andyah)

Austin beatmaker Blake Schmidt has released a string of instrumental mixtapes under the moniker Schmiddy for the last three years, all the while working towards something more comprehensive. Schmiddy’s background in composing for short films in college for grades to composing hip-hop tracks for fun has led him to last Friday: the release of Schmiddy’s debut album Lightning […]

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January 7, 2025

Okonski: “October” [PREMIERE]

Okonski is another beautiful project born from the Durand Jones & Indications house with pianist Steve Okonski at the helm with support from fellow Indications Aaron Frazer and Michael Montgomery on drums and bass. Together the trio takes all of the jazz elements of Durand Jones & the Indications and puts them front and center, […]

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December 20, 2024

Kid_Wy: “See About Me”

Well, well, well…we’ve arrived at the last Song of the Day before our brief winter break. But it’s not just the final feature of 2024; it’s also a poignant conclusion to my regular tenure. Yep, after seven long years and 1,725 of these, it’s time for me to step down from Song of the Day […]

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