Song of the Day

Unknown Mortal Orchestra: “So Good At Being In Trouble”

January 28, 2013 5:00 am by: Art Levy

It can be hard for any person to retain anonymity nowadays, let alone a musical artist, but that's exactly how Unknown Mortal Orchestra introduced itself. In 2010, UMO's song "Ffunny Ffrends" popped up online, going viral in a matter of months. Bloggers and fans scrambled to find out who the creators were, to no avail. Finally, a musician named Ruban Nielson unmasked himself and claimed he was the man responsible. Unknown Mortal Orchestra's self-titled debut came in 2011, and even the music itself is somewhat mysterious. Positioned somewhere between psychedelia, funk, and glam, the LP is a world in itself. Nielson, who hails from New Zealand, recorded the album with two other musicians in his Portland, Oregon home studio. Even with this unassuming background, Unknown Mortal Orchestra caught on,...
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Portugal. The Man: “So American”

Song of the Day

Portugal. The Man: “So American”

Even growing up in relative isolation in Alaska, the members of Portugal. The Man fell in love with the psychedelic music of the Beatles and Pink Floyd. On their new album, In The Mountain In The Cloud, the quartet continues to...
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Leatherbag: “Sincerity”

Song of the Day

Leatherbag: “Sincerity”

Randy Reynolds wouldn't object to being called student of rock and roll. He might object to being called a rock and roll nerd. Both descriptors fit. Reynolds arrived Austin after Hurricane Rita drove him out of his native Houston and he's been writing and recording straight-ahead...
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Fruit Bats: “You’re Too Weird”

Song of the Day

Fruit Bats: “You’re Too Weird”

Eric D. Johnson started the Fruit Bats out of his Chicago bedroom in 1997, recording simple folk songs on a four-track recorder. While over the past few years the Fruit Bats have turned into a full-band effort, Johnson's new album,...
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T-Bird & the Breaks: “Your Nasty Love”

Song of the Day

T-Bird & the Breaks: “Your N...

Two distinctly different soul bands have emerged on the Austin music scene over the past few years. On the one hand, you have the blues-based, fire-and-brimstone blast of Black Joe Lewis railing against life's many trials. Then there's » read more
Givers: “Atlantic”

Song of the Day

Givers: “Atlantic”

Coming into SXSW this year, we spoke with a handful of music nerds that kept mentioning a five-piece out of Lafayette, Louisiana that they were excited about checking out at the conference. The band was Givers, and, sure enough, they landed on » read more
The Sour Notes: “Particularly Shrill”

Song of the Day

The Sour Notes: “Particularly Shrill”

"Sparkly, vibrant pop from the South" is how the Sour Notes describe themselves. The Austin quintet certainly fills all those descriptors: their latest album, Last Looks, is dreamy in all the right places but with a sly edge that's refreshing to...
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Robert Ellis: “Westbound Train”

Song of the Day

Robert Ellis: “Westbound Train”

In a recent Texas Monthly article, Robert Ellis admitted that his new LP, Photographs (which came out last week), doesn't fit nicely into a particular genre. "I...
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Erin Ivey: “Lost Highway”

Song of the Day

Erin Ivey: “Lost Highway”

Erin Ivey organized the Musical Kaleidoscope Project in 2009, bringing together visual artists and musicians to create art together at The Long Center. And thinking about what she wanted to...
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Raphael Saadiq: “Day Dreams”

Song of the Day

Raphael Saadiq: “Day Dreams”

Apparently the name Charles Ray Wiggins isn't appropriate for a rock star. Raphael Saadiq (née Wiggins), picked up the bass at age six and decided to change his name to Raphael at eighteen after trying out for » read more
The Wooden Birds: “Criminals Win”

Song of the Day

The Wooden Birds: “Criminals Win”

Andrew Kenny hit the Austin music scene running in 1995, fronting underground indie darlings The American Analog Set. The quartet released six studio albums over the course of a decade and was known for its dreamy, percussive sound augmented by...
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Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside: “Danger”

Song of the Day

Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside: &...

Borrowing from your parents' record collection is a rite of passage for any passionate music lover, but Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside sound like they were more interested in music from a couple of generations ago. On the Portland quartet's debut...
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Will Johnson: “Little Raider”

Song of the Day

Will Johnson: “Little Raider”

Will Johnson doesn't really like to talk about himself. He typically averts his eyes, slumps his shoulders and deflects the attention elsewhere. But there's a lot for Johnson to talk about. He's the frontman for at least a...
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Wheeler Brothers: “Portraits”

Song of the Day

Wheeler Brothers: “Portraits”

These days it's hard to know when band names are trying to be sincere or ironic (lately you can bet on the latter). A lot of times, family-band names are for show alone. But that's not the case with the Wheeler Brothers....
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Veronica Falls: “Come On Over”

Song of the Day

Veronica Falls: “Come On Over”

Since 1989, D.C.'s Slumberland Records has established itself as the go-to label for ear-opening indie pop. Old acts like Stereolab have been lionized for decades, and new ones like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are quickly moving up the food...
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