Dance pop Archives - KUT & KUTX Studios

Song of the Day has returned from vacation, and I can’t think of a better way to come back than with my favorite dance-pop group this city has to offer. We’ve been following the rise of Jane Leo since its origins, and since the last time we checked in with the duo, they supported indie group Cannons on what was Jane Leo’s first national tour; played a ton of music fests; and their single “Wow” landed in ads for both Google Pixel and Michael Kors.

Over the last year or so, they’ve breadcrumbed a few bangers, many leading to the release of their sophomore album Creature of Destruction, out September 19th. “Goldmine” is our last nugget before the album, and while it may be among the more subdued songs Jane Leo has released, it is still dripping with energy and that funky “Imma dance here in my own little circle, in my own little world” energy. Bouncy, sexy, and more vintage than much of what we’ve heard in the past, “Goldmine” is a cheeky reminder that even if you go to Jane Leo show to dance with one foot in the future, they’ve got plenty of tricks up their sleeve to subvert expectations without losing an ounce of their allure.

Jane Leo is hitting the road with indie duo New Constellations. That tour lands at Empire Control Room on Thursday, November 6th, and Jane Leo will return to Studio 1A on Thursday, September 11th.

Now that COVID-19’s no longer deemed a public health emergency, the fog of the past three years has begun to dissipate, and memories of the “before times” don’t seem so distant now. Like, remember when KUTX named Austin duo Flora & Fawna as our September 2019 Artist of the Month? We made a real airwave darling out of the pair’s debut single “Slow Burn” throughout the fall, but by the time Flora & Fawna was gearing up for their first official SXSW appearance, well, a little global pandemic stole their thunder. In the spirit of their handle, Flora & Fawna kept their creative ecosystem thriving by focusing efforts on a sophomore follow-up to their eponymous debut EP. That essence of growth despite a harsh environment couldn’t have been fostered as well as it has without the help of multi-instrumentalist-producer Misha Hercules, who’s worked with everyone from Kendrick Lamar and Jungle to Maggie Rogers and Steve Lacy. An ongoing work in progress under the veil of quarantine, Flora & Fawna balanced out their studio time with some impressive appearances – hitting some hometown milestones with both ACL and SXSW last year, not to mention supporting slots alongside Son Little, Thievery Corporation’s David Garza, and even Harry Styles. Well, finally, after all on-stage and in-studio flourishing, Flora & Fawna’s next EP is set to see the light of day in 2023. In light of its Halloween-evoking title, the record’s third lead single “Costume Party” just touched down with care-free summer-luvin’ goodness. It encapsulates taboos you only witness at such masquerades, like the one-of-a-kind kismet of catching Dracula swapping spit with Wonder Woman or a Squid Game security guard starting a drunken spat with Ted Lasso. Specifically, “Costume Party” relives a forbidden kiss with a past fling, and in doing so channels the flirty dirtiness of Charli XCX or Carly Rae Jepsen. So whether you use it to make amends with your own missteps, or just want something you can both blast with the top down and dance ’til your pores are drenched, “Costume Party” is ready for your RSVP.