Song of the Day

Song of the Day > All Episodes

January 12, 2023

Why Bonnie: “Apple Tree”

By: Jack Anderson

After enough time in a live music hub such as ours, one of the most satisfying things to see is when local acts join forces, hit the road together, and take the nation by storm. Want to bear witness yourself this weekend? You’re in luck! As part of our 10th Birthday Concert Series, this Sunday KUTX presents a dual tour kickoff featuring two of Austin’s finest indie-adjacent outfits. I’m talking about our March 2021 Artist of the Month Sun June alongside our September 2020 Artist of the Month (and today’s spotlight) Why Bonnie. Founded by Houstonian Blair Howerton a half decade back, Why Bonnie began evolving into the “shoegaze-icana” phenomenon we’ve grown to adore over the course of three EPs: 2018’s In Water and Nightgown followed by 2020’s Voice Box. Last August, Why Bonnie rounded out their lineup as a quintet and blew us away with their debut full-length 90 in November, a ten-track half-hour human piece of imperfect heaven. Why Bonnie and Sun June are set to be West buds as they co-headline a six-stop week-long West Coast tour, prefaced by an 18+ show along with Redbud 8PM this Sunday at Antone’s. The opportunity to catch two KUTX Artists of the Month for the price of one (post-Free Week) seems like a great value. But if you’re not ready to brave the downtown crowds, you can certainly still appreciate the autumnal trot of “Apple Tree”, the soothing seed of a 90 in November B-Side just unearthed on Tuesday.

Episodes

March 17, 2023

The Bright Light Social Hour: “Not New”

Typically around the tail end of SXSW music week, there’s a lot of local magic. It could be Bill Murray hopping behind a dive bar and serving up whatever he wants, or a relatively undiscovered up-and-comer getting an unexpected big break. But today we’re talking about the Austin representation, something that can get easily eclipsed […]

Listen

March 16, 2023

CIVIC: “Born in the Heat”

We’ve gotten drenched by several “South By Soaking Wet”s in the past, but rest assured, despite gloomy weather, there’s a lot going on. And any precipitation aside, CIVIC sure as hell is in that mix. Founded in 2017, this Melbourne quintet has continued to follow old school punk rock’s first rules: 1) Don’t overthink it, […]

Listen

March 15, 2023

Yazmin Lacey: “Bad Company”

SXSW provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy international artists right here in our own city limits. Yet for some, the city-wide wanderlust can get overlapped by a desire to discover acts from specific regions. Well, fortunately for those folks, there are a ton of origin-curated SXSW showcases scheduled for this week, both officially and unofficially. […]

Listen

March 14, 2023

Buenos Diaz: “The Name of The Game”

Artist multiplicity is a big part of what draws people to Austin, and definitely not just during SXSW. But especially in the midst of SX, it also behooves many to diversify their performances and mix up their on-stage exposure. And for Buenos Diaz singer-guitarist Nick Diaz, that’s “The Name of The Game”. This week Nick’s […]

Listen

March 13, 2023

SUSU: “Mine”

SXSW Music is the talk of town all this week, and of course we’ve got a handful of live performances for your consideration. Starting off today with another set of four all-caps letters, SUSU. Since the mid-2010’s, jiggish Gemini singers Liza Colby and Kia Warren have guided SUSU through New York City’s steamy indie rock-and-soul […]

Listen

March 10, 2023

Alison Brown: “Sun and Water (Here Comes the Sun/Waters of March)”

Concerning instruments with gorgeous tones and rich cultural histories, the banjo is often overlooked. And it makes sense to some extent; outside the roots world, banjo is rarely front and center. But when an innovator like Béla Fleck or Alison Brown comes along, it’s a refreshing reminder of banjo’s intrinsic magic. Brown has bred an […]

Listen

March 9, 2023

Hot Mustard: “The End of Time”

We’ve been talking a lot about our upcoming SXSW Showcase next week at Scholz Garden, with a lineup that’s already got mouths watering. And on top of that, if you’re like me, perusing Scholz’ gasthaus-style menu is guaranteed to put mustard on the mind. But today we’re not talking about Dijon, Bavarian, or the plain […]

Listen

March 8, 2023

Passiflora: “SOMS”

Next week is South By South West, which means it’s been three whole years since SXSW 2020’s abrupt cancellation marked the beginning of our ongoing COVID climate. Of course, we now recognize several silver linings, mainly the sudden abundance of free time to follow through with unrealized creative projects, some of which haven’t been heard […]

Listen