KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Archives for June 2015

John Flansburgh and John Linnell of They Might Be Giants

This week guest interviewer Bill Childs, host of Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child,  sits down with John Flansburgh and John Linnell from They Might Be Giants to hear about the impact of the Batman theme and a evolving charm of a song from a record inspired by the Pogo cartoon. Along the way they also chat about kid record  collections and the power of riffs and lyrics.

Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child airs Sunday nights at 6pm on KUTX.

And here is the They Might Be Giants performance from May 14th, 2015 in Studio 1A.

For those you who want to hear the original Pussywillows version of Hillbilly Drummer Girl, here it is!

And here is the TMBG video of their version of “Whence that Wince.”

Subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher to get the new episodes of  “This Song” delivered to you as soon as they come out.

 

June 17, 2017

Big Bad Bill? Not so much, but as hurricane season gets underway, there’s a new warning about the trillion dollar price tag. Texas leads the nation in prison sexual assault. But of the hundreds of reported cases of prison workers preying on inmates…only 9 have been sentenced to serve time. Also, the story of one man who becomes the de facto father for scores of homeless students. Plus the egg shortage…taking a toll on the national breakfast of Texas. Taco bout a crisis.

Kari Anne Roy

K.A. Holt loves middle grade novels and poetry and has a gift for both.

Her novel Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel won praise from middle grade readers all over the nation. Her poetry shines in her collection Haiku Mama: Because 17 Syllables is All You Have Time to Read, written under the name Kari Anne Roy, is a collection of haikus hilariously bemoaning the struggles and joys of parenting.

In 2010 Holt combined the two genres and started writing middle grade novels in verse. Her first, Brains for Lunch (A Zombie Novel in Haiku?!), followed the misadventures of a preteen zombie dealing with all the romantic challenges of middle school while also being one of the living dead.

Rhyme Schemer follows a middle school bully with a secret passion for poetry. In her forth coming novel in verse, House Arrest, a young boy journals about his struggles through a year of probation and his younger brother’s health crisis.

Holt’s anti-heroes pop with life (even the undead ones). She depicts the emotional and social pre-teen challenges of her young characters with pitch perfect humor and riveting authenticity. She manages to avoid ever condescending to her readers or artificially endowing her middle grade characters with adult takes on the world. She nails the wildly turbulent thoughts and feelings of a 7th grader – and does it in verse.

Holt has a knack for bringing poetry to surprising places. In 2013 Holt and fellow Austinites Jodi Egerton, Sean Petrie and David Fruchter took a love of vintage typewrites and public poetry and formed Typewriter Rodeo. The group can be found at music concerts, museum openings, and SXSW parties banging out spontaneous poems on old school typewriters.

Holt, again writing as Kari Anne Roy, is also a celebrated blogger known for fearlessly diving into difficult issues ranging from abortion legislation to CPS investigations. Her insights are supported by relentless honesty and a wry wit. More than one entry on her blog www.haikuoftheday.com has gone viral and emerged on the national scene.

It’s a true pleasure to get to sit down with Holt on The Write Up and discuss her craft and career and how she balances daily life, deadlines, and being a mother of three. Join us as we chat about the attraction of writing for a younger audience, her love for underdogs and preteen ne’er-do-wells, and the allure of poetry.

 

June 16, 2015

Disaster recovery teams are activated and millions brace for more rain and Bill takes aim on Texas. We’re on top of the big story today as a tropical storm makes landfall…sparking concerns of flooding from Corpus to Houston, Austin and Northeast Texas… Also The Supreme Court decides not to second guess a North Carolina abortion law…and why some think that could affect abortion laws in Texas. And, Is the cycle of boom and bust —busted? Why oil and gas may no longer be a distinguishing factor in the story of the Texas economy.

Tonight at Noon (6.7.15)

Tonight at Noon is an album by jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus, released on the Atlantic label in 1965. The record includes tunes that are melodic and easy, and yet tinged with a dark sentiment that makes you feel as if you are enjoying a beautiful sunset, whilst sitting atop a volcano.

The title Mingus chose for the album almost outlives the music, in subsequent movie titles and book titles about his life. In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe talks about what the album, and it’s title evoke in us.

There is a mystery in the night that Mingus is urging us to see as normal, perhaps in an effort to demystify the jazz conversation, by saying “noon” is not something to be afraid of. “Noon” is happening right here at night and it’s just as acceptable and respectable as anything that happens during the day. In essence, he is taking the darkness out of the night.

Wes Montgomery (6.14.15)

Wes Montgomery was born “John Leslie Montgomery” in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1923. From humble beginnings in the Midwest, he went on to become one of the all time leading jazz guitar players, taking after luminaries like Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian.

In this edition of Liner Notes, Rabbi and jazz historian Neil Blumofe, talks about how the unassuming nature of Montgomery allows us to see that revolution and innovation are all around us each day. In the ordinariness of his playing, Montgomery was dangerous. Threatening to the status quo of, not only the everyday, but the avant-garde as well.

Texas Standard: June 15, 2015

The seventh largest city in the country elects its first African American mayor–what the outcome says about our political future today. Also, the faces of Texas death row…a new digital window both humanizes the condemned, and raises the hackles of some defense attorneys. Also, ever had trouble scoring those must have tickets? You might have better luck if you were a bot. What sellers could do about the problem—and why they won’t. And John Lennon’s guitar–lost in 63, resurfaces in Texas at a Presidential Library…all those stories and much more today today’s edition of the Texas Standard:

Higher Ed: Summer Break for the Brain

Once school is over for the summer, many students are tempted to put it as far out of their minds as possible and take a break from the rigors of the academic year.  And they certainly aren’t thinking about the school year ahead. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger talk about striking a healthy balance between letting your brain take a summer vacation and keeping it busy enough to be fresh for the fall. Ed and Jennifer discuss ways students can prepare themselves over the summer for the school year ahead, especially if they are heading to college for the first time. Listen to hear Ed’s one word key to a successful summer.  And find out if you came up with the right solution to the refreshing summer math puzzler involving mango juice.

Ylanda Gault Caviness, pt. 1 (Ep. 27, 2015)

In Black America host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Ylonda Gault Caviness, parenting journalist and editor, mother of three, and author of “Child, Please: How Mama’s Old-School Lessons Helped Me Check Myself Before I Wrecked Myself.”

KUT Weekend – June 12, 2015

Fixing Austin’s sidewalks…a look at is Rick Perry’s potential path to victory in Iowa…and how to make money buying and selling mobile home parks. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Texas Standard: June 12, 2015

Within days, the Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision on same sex marriage—here at home are officials ready —or not? PTSD, not just for veterans- the officer at the center of the McKinney pool party tape says he too was suffering from the trauma of doing his job. Iconoclastic musician, typical Texan? Notes from the late Ornette Coleman’s roots. Also, watching our steps with high tech, sizing up the measuring of our every move.
The children’s storytelling capitol of the world…and why it’s in west Texas.

Summer Blockbusters

Summer is here, and that means escaping the Texas heat by cooling off inside a movie theatre. This summer, as many before it, promises big blockbusters with towering dinosaurs and caped superheroes. That’s the inspiration for Typewriter Rodeo’s David Fruchter this week.

June 11, 2015

Motorcyclists from all over Texas descend on the state capitol for an annual rally…but in the wake of Waco, the tone could turn political. Also, a hearing which could limit oil and gas activity in an area where where there’s been a whole lotta shakin goin on. Plus, the airline boarding process –are flyers getting taken for a ride? Water water—it was everywhere…now, watch out for the mold.

July 10, 2015

We gave them 140 days to make a difference in the lives of Texans. What got done, what didn’t and what it means for you on this special edition of the Texas Standard.
This hour, we’re teaming up with the Texas Tribune to take on a story that affects nearly 27 million of us who’ll have to live with the decisions of the 181 people who represent us. On the table before the 84th Texas legislature: schools.The Environment Energy. Health care. and much more…But as lawmakers leave Austin, what are we left with? Guns, Grass, Oil and Gas, deconstructing the 84th legislative session, a collaboration with the Texas Tribune today on the Texas Standard.

June 9, 2015

To protect and to serve. And to fear? What the videos from McKinney Texas may tell us about 21st century police training. Plus more from the most infamous breakup of a teenage pool party in US history, as protests grow and internet hackers get in on the action. Property tax savings- experts warn don’t spend it all in one place…in fact, you may not want to spend it at all… we’ll hear why. Also, reimagining America: what viral maps really tell us about ourselves…and what they don’t.

June 8, 2015

Police and Race…Texas in the international spotlight as a pair of videos go viral. The EPA says there’s no connection between fracking and pollution of drinking water…end of discussion? Not so much, we’ll explore. Also, a medical breakthrough at a Houston hospital: the first ever skull cap transplant. And a tax that affects only women? Stay with us

Higher Ed: Extreme Learning Makeover

A new haircut. Maybe some new clothes. What about gutting a house and rebuilding the whole thing? Those sound like pretty extreme makeovers. What about an extreme learning makeover? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss ways to transform how we teach and learn. Listen on as Ed and Jennifer talk about the ways that education can change lives for the better and help people become their best selves. And be ready for the next math puzzler – and you might want to grab a measuring cup and ladle for this one.

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil (Ep. 26, 2015)

In Black America presents a conversation with Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, Senior Vice President of U.S. Strategic Alliances and Consumer Engagement for The Nielson company, a leading global information and measurement company.

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