Song of the Day

If you stop to think about it, there are really only two typical climate observations from astute Austinites. 1: It’s too hot and the sun is literally cooking us alive. 2: It’s too cold and the sun needs to come back ASAP. Yeah, we’re a special kind of simple southerners in our own way. But with folks eager to fill up next week with Thanksgiving and the biological “winter coat” that always follows, there’s no better time to bring up Swimming With Bears.

Unless you were hoping for interspecies extracurricular activities, Swimming With Bears will not disappoint. Yeah, the Austin indie rock quartet’s got a pretty good thing going for ’em; just check out some of Swimming With Bears’ streaming numbers over the last decade. And although those studio recordings do provide that infectious, upbeat-and-soulful early-mid-2000s energy, Swimming With Bears is best enjoyed in person.

Haven’t done it yet? Catch a gig headlined by Swimming With Bears that kicks off 8PM tonight at Far Out Lounge alongside Noho and Ruthie Craft. Want to stay in and hibernate instead? Well you can get the experience of being the sole audience member of a private SWB performance with “Patient Disguise” – the band’s only single from 2024. So get your gloves off and your hands on the music video below, whether or not the weather’s got you gearing up to get Far Out or just huddling at home by the hearth embracing your inner Ursidae.

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Ever get stuck in between states of sleep? Ya know, that Inception-type trip where R.E.M. feels more like reality than when you actually rise? If so…far out, man. Us too. If not, we’ve got just the thing to try and replicate it: Cloud Companion.

Now, the term “collective” gets thrown around a little too often these days. But this Austin outfit embodies the spirit of an art collective in a true sense of the word; by curating multi-media magic complete with bubbles, puppets, and altars…not to mention the mascot-of-sorts, Bardo, a towering solar sorcerer that helps the band cast eerily-cheery spells onto their live audiences. That said, it’s not just a theatrical gimmick. Aside from practicing the ancient art of celestial ceremonies, this solo bedroom pop project turned stage-spanning act sonically fulfills that day dream sensation of finding your mind caught up in the clouds. And that’s earned Cloud Companion the opportunity to share stages with former KUTX Artists of the Month Big Bill, Grandmaster, and Pelvis Wrestley.

After the sun-kissed sounds of last September’s Ordinary Time (and this September’s ExtraOrdinary Time deluxe edition), Cloud Companion continues the sequence with their new EP Waking Up / Falling Asleep – out tomorrow and followed by a gig December 4th at Empire Control Room alongside Holy Wire. While shock rockers aim to churn out nightmare fuel, this Cloud Companion release more like a refinery of dream diesel. WU/FA aspires to explore a cascade of consciousness and a stirring of spirits. It adopts the Pink Floyd approach of bookended album closer/openers – perfect for repeat listens on either side of your sleep cycle. It embraces a twilight aesthetic for a lucid listening experience that soothing, stimulating, and anything but a bedtime bore. And whether intentional or not, this record definitely falls in line with the early evenings we’ve had as of late.

Lastly, we gotta give credit to Cloud Companion for CC’ing us on the EP’s last lead single a day early. Because “Who Took The Night Away” chimes its charm even before the first downbeat and steals your senses in a four-minute, oddly-meditative mantra that evokes that ’80s/’90s transition era of moody and surreal R&B. In other words, “Who Took the Night Away” isn’t restricted to mere earworm status; it may just evolve into a nocturnal thief that echoes through your subconscious delights.

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A lot of self-proclaimed go-getters take full responsibility for their actions and efficacy. The motivation and blueprints to make changes in their lives is always at hand. For others though? They’ve got no opposition to looking up at the sky, acknowledging that the universe’s inner workings are beyond control, and just hoping for help from any sort of higher power, be it the stars themselves, alien life, or what have you. But really with the latter option, we can’t even fault folks for allowing the chance of outside intervention to get unstuck from a bad rut.

All that said, things seem to be shaping up nicely for SKLOSS – the husband-and-wife duo of Austin singer-percussionist Karen Skloss and Glasgow singer-guitarist Sandy Carson. Between their backgrounds with Moving Panoramas and Iglomat, respectively, Skloss and Carson created this collaboration in woodside isolation in the midst of COVID. And as heard on their 2022 debut EP Voices Travel Through This, SKLOSS excels with White Stripes-type drum-and-guitar arrangements and overall some serious kickass energy with a huge sense of volume (both in terms of space and decibels).

This morning, SKLOSS opened up shop on their upcoming full-length The Pattern Speaks, due out next March. For this Charles Godfrey-produced eight-track, SKLOSS indulges in substantial psychedelia, post-metal drones, rhythms ripe for introspection, and that uncomplicated sense of rawness that brought us to SKLOSS in the first place. The announcement coincides with the LP’s lead single, title track, and music video plus a single release show 9PM tomorrow night for the And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead afterparty at 13th Floor alongside soundcult. And yeah, the cosmic SOS that is “The Pattern Speaks” is a heavy as hell banger of a sneak peek at what’s to come, just review the CCTV footage below.

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We end up saying this pretty much every pass around the sun, but it ends up proving true every time: 2024’s been a big year for Austin music. Lots of project premieres and lots of studio recordings debuting on streaming. And that includes acts that have only popped up in the past couple months.

A top-tier example: Rojenka – the recent team up of Nairobi singer-songwriter Lin Njoroge and Austin writer-producer Geoff Bradford. Between Bradford’s diverse, multi-national musical upbringing and Njoroge’s intrinsic understanding of Afrobeat and Afrohouse, Rojenka’s been a welcome world music addition to the local landscape. And with a release rate of one single per month, Rojenka’s already demonstrated a respectable drive and a strong sonic brand.

Well, following up the soulful rock of September’s “Fairy Tales” and the steamy reggaeton of October’s “Thanks For Asking”, Rojenka just ripped into their penultimate tune of the year and most Afrobeat-evocative original to date. Sporting all of our favorite Afrobeat accoutrements (a hypnotic rhythm section, Fela Kuti-style sax, and humanity-hopeful lyrics) on top of an impassioned vocal performance and ample electric guitar to give it that Texas rock twist, “Dang Girlfriend” is an extremely diggable delight – one that has us hooked for whatever Rojenka has to offer moving forward.

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Whether you’re an amateur astronomer, unapologetic astrologer, wannabe werewolf, or just love gazing at that big airborne pizza pie every once in a while, pretty much everyone can agree that there’s a certain magic to witnessing a full moon. And depending on how tethered you feel to Earth’s nightlight, as it cycles through phases, you might feel like you’re adopting new attitudes here and there as well.

At least that’s the case for Austin duo Warm Sound. Former romantic partners who’ve since preserved their relationship of creative collaboration as co-producers, Warm Sound has historically relished in a synth-saturated psychedelic style going back to their 2022 debut EP Terminus. But even on last June’s strictly instrumental sophomore record Empty Streets, Warm Sound’s shown a heavy predilection for downtempo drones.

On the appearance of last Friday’s supermoon, however, Warm Sound welcomed harmonized vocals back into the mix and upped the BPM for something with a little more chin-up character than we’re used to. Fittingly titled “Moons”, this tune is all about durability against hardship and taking time for yourself to properly get through trauma. Sonically? It hurdles through the cosmos with subtle arpeggios, spacey pads, highly-driven drum programming, and one hell of a ritardando that puts this glowing beauty to bed on the other side of the horizon.

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Everyone’s capable of “seeing the light”, whether it’s through newfound sobriety, bringing up the “bright side” post-crucifixion, or just waking up a little earlier in your daily routine. But of course, the lead up to those optimistic rays can take some serious time.

Take for instance Collin Mullins and his inspiring personal journey. A staple of the Austin live scene for over a decade now, this multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter/producer’s 2010s bragging rights include touring with Black Joe Lewis, tracking with Danny Reisch, landing on streaming platforms as a solo act, and securing an official SXSW showcase with his own outfit. As sweet as all that sounds, the real springboard for his solo career came during COVID, when Collin began mullin’ around the idea of putting his live performance and recording routines on hold to get clean and replace those problematic habits with writing and producing.

Fast forward to this year, where Mullins’ recovery is still going strong and the the music is flowing faster than it ever has before. In fact, with his self-produced debut full-length Sun City on the horizon, Collin Mullins has been enjoying a waterfall-style release regimen with Sun City‘s lead singles, a whopping seven of SC‘s dozen. Altogether they’ve shone light on Collin’s sonic diversity, ranging from turn-of-the-millennium alternative and modern indie pop to jazz, funk, and dad rock.

And even though the record finally drops next Friday, Collins was kind enough to give us one more early glimpse at Sun City with “Sunny Side”. A radiant joy from its first downbeat pairing of guitar and vocals all the way through minimalist drum grooves, cheery chord progressions, and deeply expressive, climactic electric solo, it’s tough to stifle a smile and not feel inspired while spinning “Sunny Side”. Not to mention, with a style that almost marries Mac DeMarco’s downtempo lackadaisical charm with Dayglow’s upbeat and heavily-processed polish, “Sunny Side” and its equally impressive counterparts have us scrambling to the Sun City album release in just one week.

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We’re just two weeks away from Thanksgiving and wouldn’t you know it, it’s finally starting to feel like Fall down here. You’d be hard pressed to find a Texan who doesn’t appreciate the drop in temps, but then again, the spirit of summertime is simply a year-round celebration for some folks. Folks like Austin’s Angela Greco.

When Greco’s not getting down and dirty as a professional gardener and garden designer, this certified green thumb’s got her hands full with the creative harvest that is Days of Summer, a folk-rock cornucopia whose sprouts first surfaced on streaming in May 2022. But the music’s not the garden variety of either folk or rock; though Greco does assume the traditional role of fronting guitarist-singer-songwriter, Days of Summer shines with the addition of flute, bass, and percussion in well-tended acoustic-electric crop patterns and cozy curations best categorized as “woodsy”.

Lately? Greco and co. have been in the weeds for Days of Summer’s sophomore album So Low, out next Valentine’s Day. And on the third of these new cultivations, “Need to Escape”, the Days of Summer crew are joined by Little Mazarn cellist Lindsey Verrill and Denton Audio Works guitarist Joey Cerda for a harmony-enhanced orchestral triumph. So even though the dog days far are behind us and the sun is setting earlier and earlier, you can get a dose of Days of Summer 8PM tomorrow night at Lockhart Arts & Craft alongside Tom’s Parents and Batty Jr.. Or if you just need a five-minute respite from the claustrophobia of cubicle life, sociopolitical distress, or just run-of-the-mill monotony, take a triple meter retreat of string noise, round-style vocals and elegant interval leaps with this slice of the extra soft ’70s that stands on the shoulders of Joni Mitchell and Sandy Denny.

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Itchin’ for a sentimental dish of Southern soul ahead of Thanksgiving? You’re in luck! We’ve got a member of Nashville country royalty gracing us with her presence in just a couple days.

Yes, we’re laying out a path of petals ahead of an upcoming appearance from Maggie Rose. It’s been a decade and a half since the Potomac-born singer-songwriter-guitarist first emerged as Maggie Durante and just shy of a dozen years since the debut LP that introduced her current handle. In that time, Rose has blossomed into one of Nashville’s finest, but her sound certainly isn’t restricted to country; Rose flourishes with pretty much any genre she touches, be it pop, R&B, funk, rock, folk, and beyond – a talent that’s earned her prominent placement on bills with Kelly Clarkson, Joan Jett, and Heart.

For her latest innovation (which has already scored a Grammy nomination for “Best Americana Album”), Maggie Rose commands a crossroad of soul and country, evoking the iconic ’70s-era Laurel Canyon sound on this April’s No One Gets Out Alive. In support of the LP, Maggie’s back on the road and touring these dozen new tunes across the US. So if you want to give Rose her flowers in person, stop by ACL Live at 3Ten 8PM this Friday to catch Maggie alongside opener India Ramey. And if you’re not familiar with the new record yet, go ahead and get started with the eponymous album opener. Because at a room-and-heart-filling five-and-a-half minutes that blooms with a wide dynamic range and an enormous orchestral arrangement, we’re betting “No One Gets Out Alive” from the full-length’s introduction without falling for what may be Maggie’s magnum opus.

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North Carolina’s been in the news a lot lately, and our hearts go out to everyone in Asheville who are rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. Anecdotally, we also know some folks who sought sanctuary in nearby Raleigh, and we’ve learned that Raleigh’s also a refuge for one couple’s killer electronic collaboration.

We’re talking about Waking April, the classically-trained high school romance-turned-savant synth-pop pair. The duo’s been dropping tunes as Waking April for nearly a full decade now, but it wasn’t until the pandemic era that they really proved their firm footing in the Phantogram/CHVRCHES/Sylvan Esso corner of things, negating pretty much everything we’ve presumed around the “stereotypical” Raleigh sound. And that’s a legacy that’s only grown fuller with the release of Waking April’s debut full-length Fear of Failure that came out at the top of the month.

Mastered by Beyoncé/Olivia Rodrigo engineer Levi Seitz and flourishing with all kinds of exciting sounds (both live and synthesized), Fear of Failure spells nothing but mainstream success in our minds for the future of Waking April. The entire record’s an enthralling new chapter for the two-piece that covers plenty of moody, alternative dreamscapes, so if you want to dive headfirst into it, check out the workout-ready drum-and-synth-driven aggression on the second of FoF‘s eleven: “Rules”.

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It’s finally starting to get chilly ’round these parts…at least at night. You know what that means: cuffing season is upon us. So if your slow jams playlist is starting to feel a bit stale, we’ve got great news for you.

Austin soul-funk nine-piece Honey Made just unfurled a sensual five-minute inferno – “Pass Me By”. Is it a departure from their historically uptempo sound? Undeniably. But does it also echo the hot-and-heavy energy of golden age quiet storm, not too far from Between the Sheets-era Isley Brothers? Absolutely.

Even if your evening plans don’t include staying in bed with your boo, you’re in luck too. Honey Made plays a free show 8PM tonight at Drinks Backyard. Either way, for those feeling like their world’s quickly spinning out of control, slow things down a notch or two on your way out of the workweek with this expertly crafted, violin spiced reminder to always love the one you’re with, something that’s sure to wrap you up like a warm, snug blanket throughout the upcoming winter.

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