KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

Archives for April 2018

Scenery: “Lady Bird”

Apropos to their name, Austin indie synthpop quintet Scenery has comfortably spaced out their live shows and studio releases since the premiere of their debut single “Radio Beach” back in 2015. While guitarist and vocalist Richard Kentopp takes charge of the lyrics, his four fellow bandmates share plenty of responsibility in composing, recording and mixing Scenery’s unique tones. Following the release of the eleven-song LP Two Stares at the beginning of last year, Scenery has scaled it down for intimate brand new material in the form of a four-track cassette tape.

Scenery puts a mark on your musical map with said cassette tape, entitled Lady Bird, this Friday night at the Mohawk along with Black Books, Kay Odyssey, and Ramesh. Scenery last joined us in Studio 1A back in 2016 and this afternoon’s taped Studio 1A session airs tonight at 9pm. No need to wait several hours to hear some of the new stuff; enjoy the title track from Lady Bird right now and its lyrical ode to finding and losing love in the 1990s Austin music scene.

–Jack Anderson (Host, Monday-Wednesday 8-11pm, Saturday 6-10am)

Dr. Brittney Cooper, pt. 1 (Ep. 19, 2018)

On this week’s program, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. begins a conversation about black feminism with Dr. Brittney Cooper, assistant professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University, and author of Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower.

Higher Ed: Asking For Help In Education

Asking for help can be difficult or embarrassing sometimes, and for a variety reasons we don’t always do it when we should. But the truth is, everyone needs help sometimes, including students  – who can occasionally use a hand with a tricky subject. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss the most effective ways to ask for and use help in education. Ed argues that in education, students need to seek the most effective help for them and then take that assistance to heart. Listen to the full episode to hear Ed and Jennifer discuss effective help; the danger of just getting the answers without understanding what they mean; and the out-of-the-box way Ed helps his students during office hours.

It is also time for a new puzzler. This one – about a mysterious collection of clues – may require some assistance to solve.

This episode was recorded Feb. 28, 2018.

KUT Weekend – April 13, 2018

An Austin soldier killed in Syria is remembered as a ‘superhero’ to friends and family. Plus, a solar farm experiment in East Austin. And why are there so many self-storage businesses in Austin? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Distracting Springtime Roads

In Texas, it’s that time of year when everything is blooming and it’s pretty hard to drive right by without stopping. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Makeness: “Who Am I to Follow Love”

Scottish producer and vocalist Kyle Molleson AKA Makeness has blurred the lines between avant garde experimental songwriting and plain old four-to-the-floor dance music. Following the release of a couple humble EPs, Makeness just introduced the world to his biggest undertaking yet, the eleven-track full-length Loud Patterns. True to the album’s name, most of the compositions hearken back to the Detroit and Chicago techno and house scenes by incorporating elements from a wide array of genres ranging from acid house to minimalist to noise. In support of the Loud Patterns release last Friday, Makeness kicks off an international tour beginning in the United States next week performing over a dozen dates alongside like-minded synth masters Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

Some of the more mellow selections from Loud Patterns showcase Molleson’s vocals at the forefront, including the lead single that features London-based Babeheaven singer Nancy Andersen – “Who Am I to Follow Love”.

–Jack Anderson (Host, Monday-Wednesday 8-11pm, Saturday 6-10am)

Texas Standard: April 13, 2018

Though you may have heard about James Comey’s book, have you heard how the president may be planning to fire back? The scoop on Scooter today on the Texas Standard.

Long before President Trump claimed to be the target of a witch hunt, the ally of a powerful Texan complained he too was the target of one. Why Dick Cheney’s onetime teammate Scooter Libby is making headlines.

Also, you’ve heard of the calm before the storm, what about the storm that follows the storm? Why Texas lawmakers are worried about economic blowback post-Harvey.

And one of the best known actors in Hollywood keeps his heart and his home in Texas. Matthew McConaughey talks about Wooderson, guns and the samurai way.

Texas Standard: April 12, 2018

California and Texas may be miles apart philosophically but when it comes to troops at the border, there may be more in common that you think. The story today on the Standard

A New York Times reporter, embedded with Texas forces at the border, tells us what he’s seeing about military operations. And how this show of force is staying largely invisble to residents.

Women working as reporters tell their own stories to Texas researchers, and the findings point to physical dangers and an impact on the news. We’ll hear how and why.

And what if they threw a party, and it changed an iconic Texas city? It happened 50 years ago- and its ripples are still felt today. Those stories and much more, we’re just getting started.

Laura Veirs: “Watch Fire” (ft. Sufjan Stevens)

Photo by Jason Quigley

After nearly two decades of releases and unyieldingly inspiring songwriting, Laura Veirs prepares for the release of her 10th solo album, The Lookout, a fitting title for an album about protectors. Its themes and influences hit chords on every scope, concrete and abstract, personal and universal. For her, it addresses the turbulence of being a parent and a woman working through the personal challenges and opportunities for growth presented by the throes of midlife juxtaposed with post-election America and its disdainful and heartwrenching racial divides.

The album is the result of implementing years of lessons and experiences in songwriting, collaborating, and re-songwriting, sometimes writing five versions of one song, something Viers said never occurred to her two decades ago when she was writing punk music in college. Written over the course of a year, The Lookout invokes many of the songwriting tricks Veirs has collected in her toolbox over the last ten albums, working with long-time collaborator and producer Tucker Martine to create another album of beautifully melodic and intricate folk-pop, releasing not only another benchmark in her discography but in the genre as a whole.

“Watch Fire” appears on The Lookout, out tomorrow via Raven Marching Band Records.

-Taylor Wallace // Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

This Song: Kelley Deal of the Breeders

In this episode, The Breeders’ guitar player and singer Kelley Deal describes how watching Jimmy Page play guitar in Led Zeppelin’s concert film The Song Remains the Same exploded her mind and gave her a template for the kind of sonically adventurous musician she would later become.

The Breeders have a new record out called All Nerve.

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

 

 Check out the new Breeders record All Nerve

Check out the Breeders Tour Dates

Listen to Vickie Howell’s episode of This Song

Listen to Songs from Episode 126 of This Song

 

Texas Standard: April 11, 2018

Texan Kevin Brady may not be a household name in the rest of the US, but after a surprise announcement on Capitol Hill that could quickly change.

What House Speaker Paul Ryan’s unexpected decision to retire from congress may mean for Texas. Kevin Diaz of the Houston Chronicle joins us.

Also, with the Facebook CEO set for more congressional questions, why the interrogation from a Texas senator yesterday is being called one of the more interesting moments.

You Tube Kids-just how safe for youngsters?

And what a massive new study tells us about the implications of holding schoolkids back a grade, come counterintuitive conclusions.

Tom Misch: “It Runs Through Me” (ft. De La Soul)

At just 22 years old, London’s Tom Misch releases his largely self-produced debut album, showcasing his suave jazz guitar grooves and lyrics that slip from his delicate, buttery-smooth vocal chords, creating a sound that strikes a perfect balance between danceable energy and subdued chill. Citing J Dilla and Madvillain as early chief influences, Misch was a true-to-the-trope millennial bedroom producer releasing downtempo beats on SoundCloud, but shifted to his current jazz-infused R&B sound after learning his fans like him on the mic too. A bedroom producer no more, Misch’s debut album features a handful of industry notables and icons, including this four-minute treat with De La Soul.

“It Runs Through Me” appears on Geography, out now via Beyond the Groove.

-Taylor Wallace // Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli

 

Texas Standard: April 10, 2018

A case of clerical error? A peer reviewed journal questions conventional wisdom on the record setting number of maternal deaths in Texas. Details today on the Standard.

Are military cuts causing more US military flyers to lose their lives? A first of its kind investigation connects the dots between cutbacks and crashes.

Lubbock drawing national attention post-Parkland- for what may be a revolutionary way to spotlight mental health needs among students.

And the “decade of malaise” they called it, what’s it got to do with Donald Trump? A presidential scholar says more than we might think. Grab your platform shoes and crank up that Hi-fi….because it’s time for the national news show of you know where.

Arthur Yoria: “I Just Want To Sit Here”

Bilingual singer-songwriter Arthur Yoria quickly established himself as one of Houston’s most tantalizing acts seventeen years ago with the release of his self-titled EP. Nearly a generation and several albums later, Yoria still pleases crowds with his masterful use of harmonica, drum loops and keyboards on top of his essential guitar and vocals to form a unique new wave indie Americana ambiance. Yoria’s latest offering is the full-length After You, nine tracks that cover a whole spectrum of sounds as well as Yoria’s seemingly effortless multi-instrumental and lyrical talent. Yoria’s causin’ a ruckus this Friday night at the Cactus Cafe for the physical release of After You, and you can enjoy his rustic yet spacey sound right now with “I Just Want To Sit Here”.

–Jack Anderson (Host Monday-Wednesday 8-11pm, Saturday 6-10am)

Texas Standard: April 9, 2018

A congressman leaves Washington well ahead of schedule. What are the options for a short term replacement to represent his Harvey hit part of Texas? The story on the Standard.

After a scandal involving a teacher convicted of domestic abuse, the University of Texas orders employees to report all future arrests –and the dispositions of their cases. Does it strike the right balance between safety and worker privacy?

Also, why state parks are going dark this week.

TXDOT issues a warning for roadside picture takers during bluebonnet season. But wait- who put those bluebonnets there in the first place? We’ll find out…and a whole lot more.

Shy Beast: “For Now” (Live in Studio 1A)

For three years, vocalist/keyboardist Marieclaire Glaeser (AKA MC) earned fans both locally and nationally with her quintet MCG but something wasn’t quite right. It was only last year that Glaeser adopted the new project name Shy Beast – signifying a musical maturation and a sonic shift towards dreampop. Glaeser’s impressive-to-say-the-least vocal range and carefully-crafted compositions guided Shy Beast through their debut self-titled EP and live performances ever since. Shy Beast is set to premiere their new single “My Stride” next month but you can catch them this Friday night at Geraldine’s. Shy Beast shied out of their corner just after their transformation last November with a Studio 1A performance that captured the beast in its new form track after track – not the least of which is “For Now”.

–Jack Anderson (Host Monday-Wednesday 8-11pm, Saturday 6-10am)

Chris Montana (Ep. 18, 2018)

This week, In Black America producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Chris Montana, owner and head distiller of Nu Nord Craft Spirits in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the only African American- owned distillery (out of more than 1300), in the United States.

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