Song of the Day

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down: “We The Common (For Valerie Bolden)”

January 24, 2013 5:00 am by: Art Levy

For over a year, Thao Nguyen took a much-needed break from touring and recording. Since 2005, she's been steadily winning over fans by getting her name out everywhere, through her band the Get Down Stay Down and by collaborating with the likes of Laura Veirs and Andrew Bird. In 2011, Nguyen worked with folk artist Mirah for Thao + Mirah, a critically-acclaimed album of originals that was produced by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. Though she obviously feeds off this collaborative spirit, Nguyen is a singular talent in her own right. She's the star of We Brave Bee Stings And All, the album she debuted with in 2008 with the Get Down Stay Down. While the band mixes folk, pop, and even a little punk, Nguyen does cartwheels with her unique voice. Know Better Learn Faster, released the following year, distilled her sound even better and caught the...
» read more

Song of the Day

Mother Falcon: “Airbag”

Mother Falcon tends to inject a certain innocence to whatever song--original or cover--they approach....
» read more

Song of the Day

Monarchs: “Business Casual”

Celeste Griffin put together Monarchs in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. When she relocated to Austin in 2008 (to study Community and Regional Planning at UT), she continued to perform under the same moniker...
» read more

Song of the Day

Jonny Burke: “Cracka Jack”

Jonny Burke considers himself a bit of a road warrior. His last tour took him up the East Coast and then back through Montana in the stretch of about 6 weeks - all of this in a mini-van with a bunch of dudes, mind you. Burke says he's apt to go a little crazy if he's not moving around, so the...
» read more

Song of the Day

Gold Beach: “Everyone I Know”

The name Gold Beach might conjure up the sounds of waves, seagulls, and surfing, but the Austin band digs deeper than any literal meaning. Their songs are complex constructions, rewarding repeat listens and closer scrutiny. The group is...
» read more

Song of the Day

Other Lives: “Dust Bowl III”

Jesse Tabish and his band started out trying to create a balance between classical and folk music. Their first project, which hit the scene in 2004, was an instrumental band called Kunek. Record industry stalwart, Phil Costello, heard...
» read more

Song of the Day

The Krayolas: “The Working People”

If you work a grinding 9-to-5 all week, the Krayolas share your plight. The members of the band still have their day jobs, but on their latest album, Tipsy Topsy Turvy, they let their hair down and tap into their youthful...
» read more

Song of the Day

Matt the Electrician – “All I Need”

Matt the Electrician isn't an electrician anymore. He began his career wiring houses in Austin during the day and playing his songs in bars at night. He was just Matt Sever back then, but when he was forced to explain his...
» read more

Song of the Day

Bahamas: “Be My Witness”

Afie Jurvanen claims that his Finnish mother made up his first name out of thin air. He's toured around the globe (with Feist and Broken Social Scene) and says that he's never run across...
» read more

Song of the Day

Lyle Lovett: “Private Conversation”

Lyle Lovett grew up in Klein, Texas - just outside of Houston. He eventually ended up at Texas A&M, majoring in German and Journalism. And it was in College Station that Lovett began...
» read more

Song of the Day

The Bewitched Hands: “Happy With You”

Originally called The Bewitched Hands On The Top Of Our Heads, this French group thankfully shortened its name to The Bewitched Hands. But even with the smaller name, the group still thinks big, as evidenced by...
» read more

Matt Bauer (w/ Dana Falconberry): “Waiting For Your Shadow”

Song of the Day

Matt Bauer (w/ Dana Falconberry): R...

After listening to the dark, earthy tone of Matt Bauer’s recordings, you get a picture of where he got his start. Bauer grew up in Kentucky, and he relies heavily on the folk and bluegrass influences of the region. There is, however, an indie-tinge to his work that makes it sound contemporary...
» read more

Song of the Day

James Cotton: “Going Down Main Street”

Today just so happens to be legendary harmonica player James Cotton's 76th birthday. He grew up with a harmonica in his hand (he got one as a Christmas present as a kid; it cost his father 15 cents), listening to radio shows like King...
» read more

Song of the Day

Sleep Good: “Strange Vacations”

For Austin's Sleep Good, it's all about the method. Featuring former members of Sound Team, the quintet records straight to an analog tape machine, often using vintage guitars...
» read more

Song of the Day

The Antlers: “I Don’t Want Love”

The Antlers started as a solo project created by vocalist and guitarist Peter Silberman, but quickly grew to a core trio. Silberman wrote all the songs for the first two Antlers LPs as well as the band's breakout 2009 album, Hospice, and says that the process was emotionally draining. For the...
» read more

Song of the Day

Oh No Oh My: “Brains”

Austin's Oh No Oh My rose through the ranks at an astonishing pace. In 2005, on the strength of demos and a lot of digital word-of-mouth, the quartet played Chicago's famed Lollapalooza. The festival gig was only the...
» read more