Archives for February 2019

Beautiful Thing

Hayes Carll is one of the nicest fellows around. And, as your Austin Music Minute maven often raves on various occasions, Carll is one of the best/funniest damn storytellers ever to bring your attention to any stage he graces. It’s a special bonus you get whenever he performs. Makes sense. A songwriter of his caliber thoughtfully weaves the yarns that compel you, give you pause, paint the clearest pictures opening the memory floodgates. It all comes alive.

So, the coolest thing happened recently. Carll made his official debut at the Grand Ole Opry. It was a mind-blowing and overwhelming experience, to put it mildly. And obviously, an excellent choice on the part of the Grand Ole Opry.

In the spirit of #LoveAustinMusicMonth, we’re selfishly pleased that this Grammy-nominated artist and outstanding storyteller calls Austin his home, and he loves to play here, too. Speaking of which, Carll has a (now sold out) show tonight at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave. And fellow songwriter Ben Dickey opens the show at 9:45 p.m. Barfield closes out the night after midnight.

Some major badasses in the house, ya’ll. Tip ‘o the hat from the AMM. Very recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

Texas Standard: February 21, 2019

Two top Republicans in the House put their names behind a bill that could change how Texas handles capital crimes. That story coming up on the Texas Standard.

9 to nothing: rare unanimity in the US Supreme Court on a issue that some call policing for profit. We’ll hear what it might – or might not mean for Texas.

Lawmakers pledging property tax relief – but let’s face it: how many folks really know how property tax is calculated in the first place? A primer from the Texas Tribune.

And, the Texas researcher who plans to launch a new space project: a clean up project.

Murray A. Lightburn: “I Give Up”

Once referred to as “the Black Morrissey”, Montreal vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Murray A. Lightburn has come a long way since co-founding the indie chamber rock outfit The Dears. And when this Canadian crooner’s not recording and touring with his wife, Lightburn can’t help but keep writing just for himself.

Decidedly different from his 2013 solo debut and concept album MASS:LIGHT, Lightburn’s upcoming sophomore effort, Hear Me Out, drapes Lightburn’s already silky style over ’50s and ’60s soul snippets. The collision of vintage R&B sounds and modern production on Hear Me Out will definitely leave you moanin’ for more and thankfully you can see Murray A. Lightburn during SXSW. Hear Me Out drops tomorrow, so listen up to this crawling gospel groove, “I Give Up”!

Love at the Cactus

Austin songwriter and longtime Austin Music Minute fave David Ramirez gets the #LoveAustinMusicMonth spotlight on today’s AMM, and with good reason. Some busy music-filled nights are ahead for Ramirez at the Cactus Café, 2247 Guadalupe in the Texas Union building. Check this out: Ramirez will perform his entire catalog of work, each song off every record and EP he’s recorded, over the next four nights at the Cactus, beginning tonight. Dang!

For you hardcore fans, here’s the schedule Ramirez recently posted to his Facebook page:

–American Soil and Strangetown tonight, with Carson McHone (fresh from her London tour, hello?!) opening the show.

–Apologies and The Rooster tomorrow night, with Thomas Csorba opening.

–FABLES on Friday night, with Matt McCloskey opening.

–We’re Not Going Anywhere on Saturday night, with Jason Robert Blum opening.

Doors at 8 p.m., and music at 8:30 p.m. each night. Soak it all in, and raise a glass to Ramirez. Very recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

Texas Standard: February 20, 2019

Lawsuits mounting over the Texas Secretary of State’s efforts to purge voter rolls of suspected non-citizens, we’ll have the latest. Also, lawmakers promised a focus on education and now, a big push for an across the board pay raise of 5 thousand dollars. So why the muted applause from public school educators? We’ll find out. And Southwest Airlines declares an operational emergency planes, with nearly 200 flights cancelled and little love lost between company chiefs and its mechanics union, we’ll look at details. All those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

The Luckiest Letter in Texas

This is the story of what was luckiest letter ever mailed in Texas. It took about six months to reach its destination, which was Louisiana. But to say it was mailed is a bit of a stretch. It was handed to some people to be given to others and it bounced around a while, sat idle for months at a time and then miraculously moved on. Texas was, at the time, under Spanish rule, but the letter was written in French. It was a Hail Mary mailing. Truly an act of desperation. The fact that it arrived at all was a miracle within a miracle, and it saved the sender’s life.

François Simars de Bellisle was just 24 when he left France to come to America in 1719. He was headed for Louisiana on a small ship. As was often the case in those days, his captain overshot their destination. He missed Louisiana entirely and ended up near present-day Galveston where the ship ran aground off Bolivar Peninsula. But the captain thought they were relatively close to Ship Island near New Orleans, a little error of 300 miles. What Google Earth could have done for these early travelers!

Bellisle and four other French officers took meager supplies — biscuits, guns, minimal ammunition, swords — and went ashore to determine their location and seek help to guide their ship to port. They slept well that first night and when they got up the next morning their ship was gone. They had been abandoned.

They walked east and made it to what was likely the mouth of the Sabine River where they could go no further because of deep mud. They headed back the way they had come. Though they had some success finding oysters and killing small birds — they even killed a deer — they began, one by one, to succumb to starvation. Within two months, Bellisle had buried all of his friends. He was alone and hungry in this new land and, naturally, desperately depressed.

Bellisle believed he was living his last days. He was on the west side of Galveston Bay, out of bullets and reduced to eating boiled grass and worms out of driftwood. Then, one clear morning he saw the first Native Americans he had seen since being stranded. They were Akokisa and his only hope for survival. The Akokisas greeted him by taking all of his goods and stripping him of his clothes, leaving him naked – a state he would remain in for over a year. The only good thing that happened that day is that they fed him. But he was enslaved, ordered about mercilessly, beaten regularly and used as a beast of burden. How ironic that his name Bellisle meant “beautiful island,” but that is not what he found that day.

They took him west with them toward the Brazos River to hunt buffalo. He had to walk, naked and barefoot, carrying their supplies. But he did record later that, despite his wretched condition, he couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful prairies they passed through for over 150 miles. He wrote, “This is the most beautiful country in the world. The earth is black. Grass grows there to a prodigal height, and in abundance, which is a certain sign that the earth is good.”

Upon returning to the bay, he realized that his situation was dire. He would die if he stayed. So he retrieved one of the few pieces of paper he had in his belongings and wrote a letter. He asked his hosts give it to the white chief they told him was rumored to live to the east.

He had nothing to write with so he carved a crude pen out of wood and made ink out of charcoal and water. He wrote a letter begging for rescue from anyone who would might receive it. A couple of his tribe took the message east but never attempted to find the rumored white chief. They just passed along this strange artifact to other tribes as a curiosity. It went from tribe to tribe, perhaps traded for one thing or another, but all the while moved northeast. Then the miracle occurred. Members of the Hasinai Native Americans, which had close ties to the French, happened to see the letter and knew that it was something the French would like to see. So they took it to the commander of the French garrison at Natchitoches, Louisiana, a week’s journey away. The commander, Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, wrote a letter in return, and ordered the Hasinais to bring the castaway back, whether dead or alive.

When Bellisle’s rescuers reached the Akokisa camp, they gave Bellisle the letter that informed him that the Hasinais would escort him to Natchitoches. His captors didn’t want to let him go, but they feared the Hasinais and so they relented. Bellisle said the final night in camp waiting to leave the next morning was the longest of his life. It still took him months to get to Natchitoches, but at least he was free. He had sent what was the land version of a message in a bottle, and it had caught the best currents and washed up on the perfect shore. His literacy, and luck, saved him.

The source of this story comes mostly from Bellisle’s memoirs, published in part by Henri Folmer in The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 2 (Oct. 1940), pp. 204-231.

This Song: Bayonne (rerun)

The Beach Boys song “God Only Knows” isn’t just one of Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, it’s one of the most heartfelt expressions of loss and grief ever recorded. For Bayonne, the song taught him the power of vulnerability and openness and how to embrace it in his own music. As Bayonne says, it allows the listener to get a “crystal clear understanding of things” and while this moment is “fleeting”, it is worthwhile. Bayonne is KUTX’s Artist of the Month for February.

Listen to this episode of This Song

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 Bayonne’s new record Drastic Measures

Check out Bayonne’s Tour Dates

Check out Bayonne’s performance in Studio 1A

Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

Jocelyn & Chris Arndt: “The Weatherman”

Siblings. Best friends. Bandmates. Call ’em what you want, but at the end of the day Jocelyn & Chris Arndt make for a great pair. They may be young but between Chris’s guitar and Jocelyn’s vocals, this New York duo has an amazingly mature sound. And it’s no surprise, since these Harvard grads have been playing bars together beginning in the 7th grade.

The diversity and strength of Jocelyn & Chris Arndt’s songwriting is readily apparent on their upcoming third full-length, The Fun in the Fight. They’re already touring in support of The Fun in the Fight and although there aren’t any Austin appearances, you can still enjoy the full record everywhere this Friday.

For now check out the album closer, a signpost between bossa nova and soft rock that evokes the sounds of the ’70s while still serving up a timeless dose of musical meteorology, “The Weatherman”!

Photo: Kiki Vassilakis

White Buffalo

The #LoveAustinMusicMonth celebrations continue on KUTX 98.9 with the AMM spotlight on Austin-based artist Joseph Mach.

Austin is where Mach makes his home these days, but he previously fronted two bands in Los Angeles, Hotspur and The Static, while collaborating as a co-writer with other artists. However, following the end of a relationship and what Mach describes as “a period of spiritual awakening,” it was time for major change. This included a move away from a pop-rock comfort zone toward more folk/Americana/country and blues styles on his solo debut, White Buffalo, produced by Daniel Watters (The Watters), as well as a deeper exploration of vulnerability and survival in his songwriting.

Tonight, Joseph Mach and The Lighthearts celebrate today’s release of White Buffalo with a show at One-2-One Bar, 1509 S. Lamar Blvd. Sedona Skies start out the evening. Doors open at 8 p.m.

-Photography by Evan Louis Anderson.

Texas Standard: February 19, 2019

Two dead and five police officers wounded after a botched drug bust. Now the police chief in the state’s biggest city wants to end no knock raids, we’ll have the latest. Also, drug money and corruption rampant in Mexico, but also bad on this side of the border. We’ll talk to a reporter from the New York Times about how drug money’s greasing the wheels in the Rio Grande Valley. And a struggling elementary school in Odessa and a calculated risk to keep it from getting closed down. Plus The University of Texas tries to recend a PhD and a Texas judge says not so fast. We’ll get schooled on the matter. All those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Kim Lenz: “Pine Me”

Once an exalted member of high rockabilly royalty, L.A. songwriter Kim Lenz has spent the past two decades digging for the roots of her most heralded genre. Her 1998 debut came in the form of Kim Lenz And The Jaguars, hurdling Lenz to the forefront of the rockabilly revival movement.

While the momentum’s high, Lenz has popped the clutch on her musical career once again with her upcoming fifth album, Slowly Speeding. On these ten new tracks Lenz combined ideal tones from her record collection and threw together the stylistic ingredients behind rock n roll for a growling re-definition of her sound. Slowly Speeding is out Friday and Lenz is set to embark on a month-long tour of Spain shortly afterwards. For a coniferous kickstart to Slowly Speeding, let this aural auteur grow on you with “Pine Me”!

The Magic Circle

The #LoveAustinMusicMonth celebrations continue at KUTX 98.9, with our friends at the City of Austin Music & Entertainment Division and the Austin Music Foundation, as we proudly show the love for Austin-based music artists. Today’s Austin Music Minute feature is about something quite magical, indeed, a wonderful gathering of like minds and new fans to bear witness to a crackling electricity like no other.

The torch was passed from Flipnotics to Radio Coffee and Beer, 4204 Manchaca Rd., to keep a lovely tradition alive and well. Monday Night Bluegrass Night, recent Austin Music Industry Award Winner for Best Musical Residency, is a gathering of world-class string musicians performing old bluegrass standards.

There’s a rotating cast each Monday night, and tonight includes the talents of Sophia Johnson, Katy Rose Cox, Trevor Smith and Dom Fisher (Wood and Wire), and Noah Jeffries. The music starts at 8 p.m. Very recommended.

-Photography by Reagan Hackleman.

-Special thanks to Tony Kamel of Wood and Wire for his recommendation of “Molly and Tenbrooks” for today’s AMM.

Texas Standard: February 18, 2019

A construction on what at the border? As the wall gets the lion’s share of attention, a new facility for asylum seekers is going up. We’ll have details. Also, we often bemoan the growing political divide. But is it possible we were just born this way? A new book by a San Antonio based researcher makes claims about a biological basis for our political inclinations. And a Dallas sports legend who’s done more from globalizing basketball. Plus a presidential pop quiz for Texans. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Mozes and the Firstborn: “Blow Up”

Dutch four-piece Mozes & The Firstborn has a kind of quirky energy that’d blow your garage door off. The band began nearly a decade ago, with their accurately titled 2011 EP I Got Skills showing off what makes Mozes & The Firstborn great. Since then the group has toured alongside The Growlers and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, finding comparable popularity in the United States, their native Netherlands and beyond.

Their recently released third full-length Dadcore is a blend of Mozes and the Firstborn’s favorite genres and styles, resulting in a muddied middle ground between pop and grunge. Mozes and the Firstborn continues their international tour this Saturday at Hotel Vegas and to tide you over, here’s “Blow Up”!

Higher Ed: Have We Entered A Geological “Age Of Humans?”

Earth’s millions of years of existence are divided into different time periods that chronicle its geological development. You may remember studying those in school (Cenozoic era, anyone?). But what is impacting earth right now? In this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed,” Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT’s Jennifer Stayton discuss the call for an “Age of Humans” designation to acknowledge the impact of people – and how to study that.

Southwestern University is getting ready to host its biannual Brown Symposium later in February. The topic this time around is “The Anthropocene.”

Huh?

The idea is to discuss the profound changes the Earth is undergoing right now at, for the first time say some scientists and historians, the hands of humans. Because of that, there is a push to call our current times the “Age of Humans” (a.k.a the Anthropocene).

Ed says the main idea of the symposium is to look at the impacts humans are having on the planet and to take an interdisciplinary approach to exploring questions and looking at solutions. Some of the disciplines represented in the symposium include Environmental Studies, Religion and Art.

Does the very word “symposium” bring about a wave of yawns?

Ed encourages people to resist that antiquated thought about academic gatherings. He says they are a time to congregate, share ideas and learn about points of view different from our own.

Listen to the entire episode for more on an interdisciplinary approach to studying the “Age of Humans” and the impacts on learning when people gather to share thoughts and ideas outside the classroom.

This episode was recorded on Jan. 25, 2019.

Dr. Imani Perry, pt. 1 (Ep. 11, 2019)

On this week’s In Black America, John L. Hanson, Jr. begins a conversation with Dr. Imani Perry, the Hughes-Rogers professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and author of Looking For Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry.

I Got Your Medicine

The Austin Music Minute is turning things up a notch with today’s #LoveAustinMusicMonth feature. Surely you’ve heard the music of Shinyribs on KUTX, loud and proud, but have you had the profound pleasure of seeing the mighty Kevin Russell and his band perform live? Because if you haven’t, you need to take advantage of tonight’s dazzling soirée.

Shinyribs is taking over the room tonight at a classic – some would even say, iconic – South Austin joint, Sam’s Town Point, 2115 Allred Dr. We are talking about a grand group that can, and has, filled a space like The Paramount Theatre, so you know this is a huge event. The music kicks off at 8:30 p.m. with special guest, Houston artist Oliver Penn.

Your AMM host recommends getting there early, because this show will sell out. Period. This one comes highly recommended.

-Photography by Gabriel C. Pérez for KUTX.

Balkan Taksim: “Zalina”

Balkan Taksim is something you could only describe as entrancing. Originating from Romanian folk, Balkan Taksim lies heavily within Balkanian formed psychedelia, while putting a sagacious twist to its traditional style. Swaying synths are paired with a non-stopping pattering goblet shaped doumbek (or drum), which create an almost disorienting aural space for the listener. It is within this disorientation though, that Balkan Taksim starts to make you move, and tap your feet almost in sync to the rhythm. Soon, that tapping becomes fully fleshed out dance steps, and quickly after that you begin to lose yourself in the nearly too inviting embrace of the Balkan Groove.

For a taste of Carpathian soul in your day, check out Balkan Taksim’s latest and greatest offering “Zalina” out now!

-Felix Kimbrell

Lock It Down!

Your Austin Music Minute maven was not exaggerating when describing tonight’s show as “the party of parties.” As part of #LoveAustinMusicMonth, KUTX’s The Breaks presents Love Lockdown, a showcase highlighting some of the best local artists in the realms of hip-hop, R&B and pop.

Dynamic duo Confucious Jones and Fresh play host to an excellent line-up at Empire Control Room, 606 E. 7th St., featuring Alesia Lani, Harry Edo-Houkwa, Lesly Reynaga (“All American Girl” from Dual Passport is featured on today’s AMM), PARALLELEPHANTS, and Malik, with JOAQU.N as your DJ at the helm. Doors open at 9 p.m.

This is mad love. Recommended.

-Photo of Lesly Reynaga in Studio 1A courtesy of the artist.

KUT Weekend – February 15, 2019

Why there’s no easy way for Texas to vet its list of alleged noncitizen voters. Plus, how Texas lawmakers plan to address rising property taxes. And could an effort to renew the Longhorns-Aggies games pass the goal line? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org