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Archives for April 2018

Higher Ed: Helping Students Flourish In Careers Of The Future

One of higher education’s biggest challenges in the coming years may be to prepare students to flourish in a world with many careers and positions that don’t now exist. In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss how higher education can be ready for this new reality. Ed  wrote the following in his 2017 President’s Report:

…in the decades to come, higher education faces some serious challenges, not the least of which is remaining relevant to the intellectual and creative needs of students who will graduate into a world in which over 65% will eventually holds careers in positions that have yet to be created.

In this episode, Ed and Jennifer discuss the ways that education already prepares students for a broad range of careers and some ways it may need to pivot as the work world continues to evolve. Listen to this whole episode for a glimpse into the future and to get the solution to a retro puzzler about old-fashioned cash registers.

This episode was recorded Feb. 28, 2018.

KUT Weekend – April 6, 2018

Dockless electric scooters pop up on Austin streets without city authorization. Plus, why one historian says the radical legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. has been glossed over. And if the MoPac toll lanes are going too slow, do you get a refund?

Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Texas Standard: April 6, 2018

There aren’t enough people willing to work, so say’s Texas shrimpers. Now the Texas agriculture commission is asking the Feds for help. We’ll hear what he’s hoping for. Also: a year ago, nearly 250 people were laid off from a factory in Ft. Worth. Now they’re being asked to come back and the factories on the rebound. A locomotive company rediscovers it mojo and what it means. Plus the week in Texas politicism, and so much more, today on the Texas Standard:

Break Room Etiquette

You can see the box of pizza or donuts in the break room. The scent draws you to it and you open it with anticipation — only to find crumbs and a dirty butter knife. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Michael Rault: “I’ll Be There”

Montreal’s Michael Rault is celebrating a dreamy new chapter in his up-and-coming career! This Daptone-affiliated singer-songwriter first emerged three years ago with his debut full-length Living Daylight but following a period of touring, Rault decided to re-tool his recording process. Emulating the minimalist techniques used by power pop and folk rock groups of the ’70s, Rault’s new album is ten tracks of retro pop rock reverie. Rault joined us not too long ago for SXSW and his sophomore album It’s A New Day Tonight comes out May 18th. Rault released the music video for his lead single last month and you can enjoy a free download today of “I’ll Be There”.

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

Endangered Words

We have many endangered species in the world. Among the better-known at-risk animals are snow leopards, Asian elephants and orangutans. In Texas, we have the gray wolf and ocelot as endangered animals, among others. Endangered reptiles here include the Texas indigo snake and the horned lizard.

But that’s not my focus today. That’s just a segue to talk about something else that’s on my mind, and that’s endangered words. They are words that, through lack of use, or through use seemingly restricted to the more senior of us Texans, run the risk of dying out when we do. Now “y’all” and “fixin’ to” and the like are safe. They have vast popularity. They have even been observed migrating up north. My endangered list is comprised of words that are becoming scarce and may disappear altogether, only to be seen caged up in old dictionaries in the future.

I want to make sure to clarify that I’m not claiming the following words are endangered for everyone. Many Texans still use them daily. I’m just claiming that they are becoming far less common than they once were.

Mosey is one such word. It used to be quite popular and still is used often among octogenarians. But you never see it or hear it venturing out among those under 40. Often when you do hear it from someone under 40, it is used in caricature.

Reckon is another word I reckon is headed for true scarcity in the next few decades. That would be a shame because it does have a wonderful place in the linguistic ecosystem. It fills a niche and is not easily replaced. One can say “I guess,” or “I suppose,” but neither have the beautiful contemplative nature of “I reckon,” when said with eyebrows raised and tipping your hat back. It is the pronouncement of agreement reluctantly concluded.

Supper. This used to be the dominant word for the evening meal. Dinner was at noon. But as we’ve become more urban, supper has been pushed out by dinner.

Ice house and ice box. Ice house used to be a common expression for running to the convenience store or making a beer run: “Gonna run over to the ice house a minute.” Ice box is a synonym for the fridge: “Martha, we got any Blue Bell in the ice box?”

Yonder. “It seems that yonder is most popular out yonder in the country.”

To make sure I was on the right track, I conducted a survey on the net and found a few more words folks agreed seemed to be endangered:

Britches refers to pants, of course: “Get your work britches on and let’s get goin’” Britches is still used among those over 60, but not so popular among the under 30 crowd.

Cattywampus for catty-cornered. Cattywampus is one word and catty-cornered is hyphenated. Both are spelled with two t’s and neither has anything to do with cats: “The flower shop is cattywampus to the Exxon station.”

Cotton pickin.’ “Just a cotton pickin’ minute!” There could be lots of reasons for this. Many Texans over 50 or so, have memories of pickin’ cotton. Even though combines mostly took over decades ago, the expression remains. “In high cotton,” too, hangs on. It means “having it easy.”

Dreckly – sometimes said “di-rectly” – has nothing to do with direction or going straight to something. It is about time and in Texas, has the meaning of manana in Spanish. “Yeah, I’ll be gettin’ to mowin’ that lawn dreckly,” which may well mean in a few hours when I “finish watchin’ the Astros play.”

Sam Hill. “What the Sam Hill is going on here?!” My father said it so often I thought Sam Hill was a relative I’d never met, but I hoped to. Seemed that he lived an exciting life. But it was just a euphemism for “hell.” It’s used in place of “What the hell is goin’ on here?!” and since I can now say hell on the radio, you can see why Sam Hill is endangered.

Fair to middlin’ is interesting. It’s fading away as a common expression but perhaps finding a second wind by means of its malaprop. Some Texans have taken to saying “fair to Midland,” which makes sense if you are driving from El Paso, or maybe from Abilene. Fair to Midland, rain in Odessa.

And some words that many people said they believed were dying out – and sadly so – were these:

Please and thank you.

I hope not. I’ll do what I can right now to help. Thank you for listening. Please stay tuned to The Texas Standard.

Texas Standard: April 5, 2018

President Trump orders troops to the border. Governor abbot says he welcomes the move, but what about residents on the front lines? We’ll explore. Also, the clock is ticking on a new NAFTA deal: with just days to go, where do things stand? We’ll find out. Plus farmers and ranchers get a reprieve from EPA rules. But not everyone’s breathing easier, notably environmental groups concerned about air quality. And despite huge advances in high tech, why is it no one’s come up with a cure for the common conference call? The digital savant checks in. Plus our weekend trip trip, and planning a family camping trip at one of Texas’ military bases? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

CAPYAC: “Fade Out” (Live In Studio 1A)

If “spontaneous dance party” was a genre, Austin’s CAPYAC would be the God-tier poster child. Invigorating the hips and grooves of audiences for years, these party-time enigmas brew a blend dance, hip-hop, jazz, funk, and some other spices in their cauldron and use buttery-smooth incantations of Eric Peana (AKA Ducky Limón) to create a sonic landscape as textured and conspicuous as their outfits and stage presence. Their latest album has the group “taken over” by the mad genius Donny Flamingo (keys player Delwin Campbell) who’s brought on the high-yet-chilled energy of saxophonist Papa Mongoose and the talent of one of the cities best MC’s RuDi Devino to fill-out CAPYAC’s stacked line-up. Every show they put on is sensationally unforgettable and today’s Song of the Day gives you a taste of their intoxicating energy and original sound. Give yourself some room.

The studio version of “Fade Out” appears on Who Is Donny Flamingo?, out now. Check out the rest of their latest Studio 1A here.

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

Texas Standard: April 4, 2018

April 4th 1968: a date that changed America. 50 years on, how do texans remember the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.? Two weeks before, a choir from Prairie View A&M performed before Martin Luther King at the Lorraine Motel where King was assassinated. 50 years later, we talk with the leader of that choir and his brother who led a reenactment of the event in Memphis. Also, the only African American owned bank in all of Texas expands to Atlanta. We’ll hear about the history of the bank and why they’re moving beyond Texas borders. And a ruling in a challenge to Texas motor voter laws. Those stories and so much more today at the Texas Standard:

This Song: Mobley (rerun)

Austin songwriter, producer and one and band Mobley has a new project coming out on April 27th called Fresh Lies Vol. 1.  In it he explores his relationship, as a black man, with the United States through the metaphor of a romantic relationship. This is the first volume in a career spanning song cycle.

Listen as he describes how Kanye West’s “808’s & Heartbreak” showed him how powerful and freeing vulnerability could be and why he felt compelled to explore his relationship with America in his work.

Check out Mobley’s Tour Dates

Learn More about “Fresh Lies.”

Pre Order Fresh Lies Vol. 1

Check out Mobley’s Artist of the Month Page

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.

 

Listen to Songs from Episode 125 of This Song

 

Joan As Police Woman: “Tell Me”

Joan Wasser is Joan As Police Woman, a talented force in her own right and a veteran collaborator with some of music’s biggest names including Lou Reed, John Cale, Rufus Wainwright, RZA, and Sufjan Stevens (the last two just being since the release of her latest album). Her 6th album Damned Devotion is a sonic benchmark in her discography. On this effort, she strips back her usual dense, polyphonic soundscape to reveal a more accessible, bare-bones sound and sharpens focus on beautifully harmonized lyrics that can be deeply personal and reflective or boldly declarative and inspiring, emoting on issues in her own life and those we face as a population at large. “Tell Me” leans on the former, though it’s theme is one any of us can relate to, summed-up with the song’s repeated (and brightly harmonized) phrase “Tell me, tell me, tell me…what do you need/want.”

“Tell Me” appears on Damned Devotion, out now via PIAS.

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

 

Texas Standard: April 3, 2018

It’s being described as an eye popping boost for Beto O’Rourke’s bottom line: a game changer in his race against Ted Cruz for senate? We’ll explore. Also, there’s more teacher walkouts over pay, now in Oklahoma and Kentucky. Should Texas teachers be taking a cue? We’ll explore. Also, tariffs hit home. How china’s reaction to U.S. trade policies are making a mark on the Texas economy. And clinical trials of new alzheimer’s treatments haven’t been going well. Now researchers in San Antonio may have discovered the reason. Plus, will you get your next car by subscription? Why some automakers are disrupting their own sales model. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Fastball: “Just Another Dream” (Live in Studio 1A)

Fastball fanatics across Texas have another opportunity to see some of their two-decade-old rock favorites played live! KUTX listeners and Austin music aficionados are quick to peg Fastball as somewhat of a cornerstone of the local music scene, with six studio albums recorded and released since their debut all the way back in 1996. Fastball intermittently emerges for a quick series of shows between releases and because eight years has passed between the last two albums, the need to see them when they do perform live is all too real.

Fortunately for fans old and new, Fastball plays tomorrow night at 3Ten along with fellow ’90s rock genre-benders Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers before kicking off a quick regional tour across their native Lone Star State with stops in The Colony, Houston and New Braunfels. Can’t make it to one of their shows? No trouble – Fastball came by KUTX’s Studio 1A last April for a live broadcast session and now almost exactly one year later you can enjoy a free download of some of their most recent live material from the latest album Step Into Light – “Just Another Dream”.

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

Texas Standard: April 2, 2018

Familiar words you may have forgotten: DACA, tweets and border wall. We’ll hash them out today. The president says DACA is dead, but what do lawmakers have to say? We’ll explore. And the mysterious death of Rogelio Martinez and the sheriff who claimed there was no crime. And if the country is soon to be divided by EPA standards, which camp will Texas be in? Also, it’s small, non-descriptive and endangered. The captivating story of the Texas Hornshell Mussel. Plus the state’s favorite dog and so much more, today on the Texas Standard:

Poly Action: “Defeated Red Bells”

Poly Action powers through the next phase of their career this week with a new release and a tour! While performing in another local quartet, Lola Tried (of which he is still a prominent member), guitarist and vocalist Ray Garza began Poly Action as a venue for his own songwriting only relatively recently. Just last year Poly Action rocked their way through their debut album, the aptly titled ten-song Baby’s First Rock N’ Roll, had been playing frequent local sets well before then and have ever since. Though the group is still young, 2018 is certifiably no longer baby’s first rodeo; now Poly Action is set to embark on a national tour in the next week with stops in Nashville, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Arlington.

Poly Action touts their tour kickoff 9PM this Wednesday at Hotel Vegas with supporting acts (and fellow Studio 1A veterans) PR Newman and Mean Jolene. Poly Action also enjoyed their sophomore release today with the unfurling of Defeated Red Bells, two B-sides from their debut album recording session that are still A-sides in our hearts. Don’t be defeated by all the April Fool’s ruses you fell for yesterday – Defeated Red Bells is a free download (no foolin’)!

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

The Activist Athlete (Ep. 17, 2018)

This week, In Black America producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a discussion of race relations and sports with Jocelyn Benson, Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality CEO, New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown, ESPN reporter Jim Trotter, and NFL Executive Troy Vincent.

Carmen Giménez Smith

Poet Carmen Giménez Smith, shares her sublime poem “Migraine Code Switch” with Carrie Fountain. They discusses its origins at Conto Mundo and much more. Her poem appears in her book Cruel Futures, out now from CityLightsBooks.

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