Archives for July 2018

Texas Standard: July 31, 2018

The devastation was enormous: billions in damage, tens of thousands displaced. But will the anger over Hurricane Harvey impact the mid-terms? We’ll explore. Also, Texas families with children with special needs are finding it harder to access healthcare. It has to do with how and whether providers are getting paid. We’ll explain. And a state park in the Rio Grande Valley beloved by birdwatchers could close if a border wall goes up. What Texas Parks and Wildlife is doing about it. Plus those who tout ideas of racial purity often point back to a time when Europe was white, but a Texas researcher says that just wasn’t the case. And fossils aren’t just old bones. We’ll tell you all about ’em and where you can find ’em in the Lone Star State, today on the Texas Standard:

Scott Collins Project: “Something Different Here”

Already a veteran of the bands Suicide Pistols and Southbound Drive, local singer-songwriter Scott Collins has been pushing through whatever life throws at him by way of the Scott Collins Project. There’s no debating Collins’ right as a frontman, but he’s recently returned to his roots as a solo artist.

Collins teamed up with his old pal (and legendary producer) Chris “Frenchie” Smith to produce Roadmaps, a five-song EP recorded at Collins’ own Chicken Run Studios. Roadmaps is filled to the brim with poignant emotions, deeply personal storytelling and honest-to-God wisdom (not to mention some amazing vocal and instrumental performances). Collins will be hittin’ the road for a West Coast tour but not before the Roadmaps release show this Friday at Saxon Pub.

Let’s begin the journey on Roadmaps with a premiere of the album opener – an appropriately-titled alternative rock number  “Something Different Here”.

-Jack Anderson

Texas Standard: July 30, 2018

Retired Texas teachers say they feel let down by a vote that could mean lower pension checks. We’ll explore the impact and the next steps. Also a multi-million dollar settlement involving a Houston-area refinery accused of doing too much polluting. We’ll look at the legal moves that made it happen. Plus, the story of a small town principal jailed for murder and the questionable evidence that put him there. And when wildfires pop up across Texas it’s often volunteer firefighters that are there first to put out the flames. We’ll look at why many volunteer departments are struggling. And keep an eye on your cacti. The insects that could destroy your xeriscape, yuck up your yucca and obliterate your agave. All of that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Slomo Drags: “Guns! (Baby)”

Austin quartet Slomo Drags has been pushing the boundaries of pop music, beginning in 2016 with the release of their self-titled EP. You may not be too familiar with their work, but hey they’re only two and their discography is still limited. That said, this week Slomo Drags takes things at their own speed with their full-length debut (that visually and verbally evokes the work of Steely Dan) Deacon Bruise.

If you haven’t had a chance to catch ’em live, you’ve got two killer opportunities in the next few days! A taped Studio 1A session with Slomo Drags airs 9pm tomorrow night before the Deacon Bruise release show this Friday at the Mohawk! To prime you for the new Slomo, give a listen to one of the most upbeat songs you’ve ever heard about firearms and look down the sights toward this weekend with “Guns! (Baby)”

Best Of “Higher Ed:” What ‘Like’ Means In Education

This episode was originally posted on Jan. 21, 2018.

We know what it means to “like” something. But does that word carry extra meaning in education and learning? What does it mean when students say they “like” a class or fear a teacher doesn’t “like” them? In this episode of KUT’s podcast Higher Ed, KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger explore perceptions and realities of “likes” in education.

Whether or not students and teachers like a class or each other is actually a pretty complicated topic.  Students may “like” a class because they did well, but is that the best criteria for judging a class? What about teachers who bring in donuts on course evaluation day; should their goal be for students to “like” them and write a positive evaluation? In this era of “likes” on social media, Ed and Jennifer discuss what it really means to “like” something in the realm of education and learning. Check out the full episode to see if you like the latest puzzler about a “random walk.”

This episode was recorded Nov. 7, 2017.

John S. Chase (Ep. 34, 2018)

In Black America producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. presents a 1998 interview with the late John S. Chase, about his experiences as a pioneering architecture student at the University of Texas and the first licensed African American architect in the state of Texas.

Work Coffee

There aren’t a lot of things in this world that are free — except, sometimes, work coffee. But is it really free? That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

KUT Weekend – July 27, 2018

How this week’s ground-level pollution could damage your lungs. Plus, a reporter goes looking for the Marfa lights. And one of Austin’s oldest restaurants shuts down after 65 years. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Third Root: “Born to Rhyme” featuring Black Pumas

Try and take your mind off the triple digit heat and cool off with some summer hip-hop high-scorers! KUTX fans are already well-versed in the music of Third Root, the San Antonio-Austin trio that’s been no stranger to our local airwaves and stages over the years. With each performance, the politically charged and societally conscious rhymes of Easy Lee and Mex Step never fails to complement the production and turntable work of DJ Chicken George (and behind the scenes contributions from Adrian Quesada).

Third Root’s been doing pretty well since the release of Libertad back in 2016 and now they’ve got something even bigger on the horizon. Introducing Trill Pedagogy – a four EP series that correspond with the academic calendar (fitting for a group of educators). You can expect Fall Semester, Winter Flex and Spring Semester combined into one vinyl full-length sometime next year after those respective releases and you can treat yourself right with the first installment released a week ago – Trill Pedagogy: Summer Semester. Class is definitely in session from the get-go; track one features fellow KUTX favorites Black Pumas and cements Third Root in Texas hip-hop history – “Born to Rhyme”.

-Jack Anderson

Texas Standard: July 27, 2018

After fears yesterday of a broader downturn following Facebook’s steep stock drop, a stunning new number on the state of the economy. 4.1%: that’s how fast the economy grew in the second quarter. We’ll look at what the numbers add up to in this time of tariffs and talk of trade wars. Also, Nicaragua reported to be in a state of siege, the people at the mercy of paramilitaries. We’ll take a look at what’s happening there and could it mean a new wave of asylum seekers. Plus, the hype around 5G: why all eyes are on Houston for what could be a disrupter for the cable industry. Plus the week that was in Texas politics and much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: July 26, 2018

Deadline day on the Texas Mexico border: a federal judge orders immigrant family reunifications completed by today. Will it happen? We’ll have the latest. Also, Texas has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the U.S., but a decision in the most liberal district in the US is taking gun rights much further, finding a constitutional right to openly carry firearms. We’ll explore the implications. And what is the fastest growing segment of the workforce? If you’re thinking millennials, think again. The rush for jobs among people 75 and older. Plus the centuries old book about an expedition to Florida that may be the most important book about early Texas: now, a new chapter for 21st century readers. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Chief White Lightning: “City’s Alive”

If you’ve been a local live music junkie for the past decade, you’ve probably seen Joshua Logan belting it out with The Blind Pets. Nowadays Logan still romps around with The Pets, but he’s also adopted a new nickname in light of his latest project.

Chief White Lightning (or simply Chief when referring to the titular frontman) electrifies listeners with a stew of punk, psych, country and good ol’ fashioned rock. If that’s not enough for you, the chiefdom of their recent nine-song self-titled album was filled out with production from Battleme’s Matt Drenik and contributions from former Elliot Smith drummer Paul Pulvirenti and multi-instrumentalist Jonas Wilson.

It’s been an exciting past month for the Chief who released that debut album only a couple weeks back and returns from a national tour this Saturday night at the Mohawk as part of Hot Summer Nights!

Let’s pump some blood into the veins of this live music capital right now with “City’s Alive”!

This Song: Night Glitter

On this edition of This Song, we talk to LouLou Ghelichkhani and John Michael Schoepf of Austin’s dreamy synth-pop band Night Glitter about a couple of classic songs that taught them a little bit about themselves. For LouLou, listening to Neil Young’s “Old Man” as a teenager helped her come to terms with some of the difficult feelings surrounding her parent’s divorce. And John Michael says Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” not only set him on the musician’s path it taught him what it really means to have fun.

Listen to this episode on Stitcher

 

Night Glitter is KUTX’s Artist of the Month for July

Check out Night Glitter’s new EP “Hangin’ on a Dream.”

Listen to Night Glitter’s MyKUTX Guest DJ set

Check out Night Glitter’s Studio 1A set

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 this episode of This Song

 

Texas Standard: July 25, 2018

12 billion dollars for farmers: the Trump administration trying to offset losses in a trade war smart policy or a band aid on a self-inflicted wound? We’ll have the latest. Also, another effect of zero tolerance: no place for local prisoners to go. We’ll talk with the sheriff of Hidalgo county facing a space crisis. And a prescription for a rural doctor shortage. That’s how a Texas university is pitching its plan for a new medical school. But with around a dozen already, does Texas really need another one? And has Beto O’ Rourke narrowed the gap with ted cruz to just two points? A Politifact check and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Phantastic Ferniture: “Gap Year”

Vocalist-guitarist Julia Jacklin has been enjoying a fruitful solo career for years, but joining forces with her two best friends, she now fronts Sydney trio Phantastic Ferniture. It’s a band name that sounds like it belongs on the marquee of an off-kilter money laundering front, but one listen sheds light on the enthusiasm that makes every track truly phantastic. They’re still building up an audience but really, who needs validation when you just want to pour your soul into your passion project?

Phantastic Ferniture has been infecting listeners with their energy by way of a couple of music videos, and this week you can finally hear their first record. We’re only halfway to Friday (when you can check out Phantastic Ferniture’s self-titled debut) but right now take a moment to step out of the work mindset and loosen up with “Gap Year”.

Texas Standard: July 24, 2018

How Rockdale went from mining very tangible coal to the intangible bitcoin, we’ll have the story. Also, Trump’s regulatory roll back plan: critics say it would be his biggest roll back yet, but it still has to go through. And from Victoria: the house of worship that was burnt down and what came out of the ashes. Plus they call it the kissing bug, but beware of it’s smooch. And some high schools getting ready for kids playing video games as a sports? All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Prateek Kuhad: “with you/for you”

Think about one of the most populated countries in the world. Okay, now consider the honor of “one of the country’s leading singer-songwriters”. Put those two together and you have Indian guitarist-vocalist Prateek Kuhad.

Kuhad’s exposure to Western influences was limited until he enrolled at NYU, where he discovered the music of Elliott Smith. The stylings of Smith sent Kuhad down a rabbit hole of other acoustic composers who inspired him to reinforce his own guitar abilities. Fast forward past two EPs (one in Hindi, the other in English), a full-length, and countless internationally-acclaimed live performances, and we arrive at Kuhad’s latest and most emotionally complex album to date, cold/mess.

Written in India and recorded in Nashville, the six songs on cold/mess create a lush landscape that toes the line between orchestral folk and slow, poignant pop. Here in Texas we’re up to our armpits in summer sweat, so let’s welcome cold/mess with the album’s opener “with you/for you”!

Photo: Bikramjit Bose

Texas Standard: July 23, 2018

The endangered species act, now on the endangered list? Activists and environmentalist sound alarms, we’ll learn more. And as we fast approach the anniversary of Harvey and plunge further into hurricane season, rescue efforts underway for the National Flood Insurance program. We’ll hear what’s happening, and why they’re underwater. Also, ranchers balk at a plan to brand lab-grown protein “clean meat”…what’s in a name? Some say a multi-billion dollar industry. And journalists abandoning social media does it matter? All this and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Mountain Lions: “In the Valley”

Big cats, stand up! After half a decade of solo storytelling and songwriting, North Carolina’s Steven Diaz is ready to re-emerge with his new musical mane, Mountain Lions.

Up til now Diaz has mainly been known as one of the Cleveland indie rockers behind The Lighthouse and the Whaler but 2018 has witnessed Diaz doubling down with his pride of Americana production. Nearly a full year since Mountain Lions’ debut EP, Diaz returns from the cave with a man eater of a record, centering on themes of nature, technology and emotions. The masterfully-crafted ten-song full-length We Are comes out at the tail end of this week when listeners can expect some flourishing indie folk that’s anything but tame. You don’t have to wait all the way until Friday, unleash the beast and enter the den with a track premiering today – “In The Valley”.

-Jack Anderson

Photo Credit: Steven Diaz