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

Archives for April 2019

Higher Ed: Ethics, Authenticity and Education – Takeaways From The College Admissions Scandal

Allegations of cheating and bribery in connection with college admissions have brought renewed scrutiny to just how that process works. In this episode of the KUT podcast “Higher Ed,” KUT’s Jennifer Stayton talks with Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger to get his response to the story and his take on maintaining integrity in the process.

Ed says the accusations made in connection with alleged cheating at some universities in the United States raise several concerns for him.

“First, there’s just an ethical question,” says Ed, “about boy, what are we teaching young people today about doing the right thing and living good lives?”

Ed says secondly, the situation sends a disturbing message about using shortcuts to get ahead.

“There’s an issue about the value of hard work,” Ed adds, “and setting goals and realizing those goals when that’s possible. And when it’s not possible, to learn from that and realize other goals.”

Ed also has a very visceral response to the allegations from the point of view of an educator.

“My emotional reaction is one of offense,” says Ed. “It’s because, how do these families who are accused of these things, of this behavior – how do they define what formal education means? By their alleged actions, they’re defining formal education as a piece of paper.”

Ed strongly believes what formal education delivers to students does not depend on the “name” of the school.

“Education should be an individualized experience,” Ed says. “Even when you look at some of these generic rankings, they have certain metrics but they’re not measuring for an individual human being. And that’s why there are so many schools out there and that’s why there are so many people at those variety of schools. It’s important to pick the best fit.”

Listen to the full episode for more on how students can discern that best fit. Also, the puzzler is back after an extended Spring Break. Who is our guest puzzle provider for the next few episodes? Listen on to find out!

This episode was recorded on April 2, 2019.

Dr. Garth Graham (Ep. 18, 2019)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Dr. Garth Graham, cardiologist, former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.s. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of Minority Health, and Vice President of Community Health for Aetna, Inc.

KUT Weekend – April 5, 2019

A battle over renewable energy takes shape at the Texas Capitol. Plus, how a wave of tech expansion could further strain affordability in Austin. And who is the crossing guard who waves to everyone near Mendez Middle School? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Something Rare

The heart wants what it wants, thought your Austin Music Minute maven most selfishly. So, rather than selecting “Young God (gotta lotta feeling)” from Twain‘s New Miami Sound EP as today’s featured AMM track, which seemed to be a go-to fave amongst some reviewers, the AMM went for “Death (or S.F.),” the first track on the EP.

Achingly lovely. And the tale unfolds with songwriter Mt. Davidson‘s quiet vocal embrace: “You’re guaranteed to have a real good time/If you go to San Francisco when the weather’s fine/Something rare happens in the air/I was walking through the park/Getting stoned with local losers/Dreaming of my girl/But knowing that I’d lose her/My mind turned to dreaming of the world…” Then, hitting all the wistful notes, that piano drifts in to further turn the screws on that aching longing. There’s a glimpse into death as that unknown neverwhere. Perhaps death will wind up being your best friend…?

This evening, experience this magnificence live. Twain returns to Austin for a performance tonight at Radio Coffee & Beer, 4204 Manchaca Rd. Making this event even more spectacular is the entire line-up, featuring Julia Lucille, Jordan Moser, and Little Mazarn. The music starts at 8 p.m.

Don’t miss any of it. Very recommended.

-Image courtesy of Twain.

 

Texas Standard: April 5, 2019

As the president travels to the border, a democratic presidential candidate from Texas makes headlines with his pushback, we’ll have details. Also, is climate change accelerating the issue at our southern border? We’ll get the view from Guatemala. And what’s called the achievement gap in educational testing, and the attempt to close that gap for Texas kids. And a UT campus shuts down greek life altogether. Part of a trend? Also, Texas farmers hoping to cash in over the buzz surrounding CBD sales. Plus the week in texas politics and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

STAAR Testing (Again)

Students across Texas are prepping for the statewide standardized test known as the STAAR. That was the inspiration for this poem.

Jake Lloyd: “Daily Interlude” (prod. DSII)

Even if you’ve never tuned into The Breaks (which…shame on you if that’s the case), you’ll likely recognize the name Jake Lloyd. This hungry, young genre mixologist is constantly pushing himself out of his R&B comfort zone with influences ranging from rock, soul, funk and hip hop. Lloyd’s wolf-like energy channels through his growling-yet-smooth vocal chords, and across his regular live performances and studio recordings, he’s got an undeniable sense of braggadocio and showmanship.

Last Monday Jake Lloyd premiered his new music video exclusively through KUTX in advance of his upcoming album, MoonLit Mornings. Jake Lloyd plays next Wednesday at Hotel Vegas and you can kick off your weekend right now with Lloyd’s latest single, produced by fellow Austin artist DSII, “Daily Interlude”!

Daydreaming

It feels effortless because it’s genuine. Austin-based folk-pop artist Marshall Anderson radiates an irresistible warmth on his 2018 full-length release Beautiful Infinite Wonderful, as well as his single release, the wistful sunlit/moonlit memories of “Monday Night.”

Don’t miss Anderson at his performance tonight at Hard Luck Lounge, 3526 E. 7th St. Joining him on the bill are melodic garage-rockers Tan Mala. The music starts at 9 p.m., and the weather’s perfect for it. Very recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

Texas Standard: April 4, 2019

Texas house lawmakers give the green light to a 9 billion dollar school funding bill plus a teacher pay raise. But what happens next will be critical. Also, after a slap on the wrist from the nation’s high court, a major change coming to Texas’ execution chamber. We’ll have the what and why. Also, the pay gap for women in tech. And what could be rare bipartisan action in congress, this time to deal with what some call a retirement savings crisis. Plus your weekend trip tip and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Rod Melancon: “Rehabilitation”

Singer Rod Melancon‘s upbringing in the Louisiana swampland has always been integral to his voice, one that wanders between spoken-word, growlin’ and croonin’. Melancon’s inherently Southern style and Cormac McCarthy-esque lyrics are already well-established on his first three records, but never as boldly as on the cinematic and concept-driven, Pinkville. Recorded by Adrian Quesada, Pinkville is set about a half century back with echoes of the Vietnam War and character-defining truths steering this sultry album amongst guitar-heavy Americana, Louisiana soul, Texas blues, country rock and beyond.

Pinkville is available everywhere tomorrow but a copy of the album comes with each ticket for the release show, 10PM tonight at the Saxon Pub! For your fix of Melancon ahead of the show, enjoy a free download of Pinkville‘s lead single, “Rehabilitation”!

Wednesday Dream Time

One solid line-up tonight at Cheer Up Charlie’s on Red River will do you good, music fiend. Take heed:

–Robby is Robert Williams‘ musical project, including the talents of Daniel Coborn and Lolita Lynne. The track featured on today’s Austin Music Minute is “Om,” off their self-titled release.

-The dreams are real, the haze is gorgeous. Longtime AMM faves All In the Golden Afternoon elevates shoegaze beyond the clouds. Adrift in trippy, resplendent rays…

–“Let the color seep from you…” Exhale and release with dynamic duo Emme. The hues on the horizon await your arrival…

-This is fluid pop on an ambient, atmospheric path, carrying all the magic you need. Gliding onward toward bliss with San Marcos band Typical Girls.

The music starts at 9 p.m. And a tip o’ the hat to The Nothing Song for always curating such exquisite selections. This one comes very recommended.

-Photo of Robby by Mike Manewitz.

Texas Standard: April 3, 2019

Just two weeks after the petrochemical disaster in Deer Park, another chemical fire at a plant outside of Houston: this one deadly. We’ll have the latest. Plus: 9 dead, 20 injured, nearly 200 arrested and 4 years later, all cases dismissed yesterday without a single conviction. What happened after the Waco biker shootout? And what are the lessons? Plus, a warning about a quarter of Texas’ dams, we’ll take a look. And they call it the Rio Grande Valley, but where are the mountains? Our commentator W.F. Strong on an etymological mystery and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

This Song: Patty Griffin on “Secret World” by Peter Gabriel

Patty Griffin’s latest record “Patty Griffin” is a gorgeous acoustic exercise in vulnerability.  The album was borne out of a period in her life where she stepped back from music to undergo treatment for breast cancer.

Listen as she explores all the ways that Peter Gabriel’s  “Secret World,” from his epic breakup record up US, impacted her life and her songwriting. Griffin also explores how her friendship with George Reif inspired the song “Luminous Places,” and how important it is for her to allow herself to be vulnerable in her work.

“That’s what I would always like to try to arrive at. Something that’s deeply true and that I learn from. Then I’ve really got something to give”

Listen to this episode of This Song

Hear Patty Griffin’s new self-titled record “Patty Griffin”

Check out Patty Griffin’s Tour Dates

Check out Patty Griffin’s performance at KUTX Live at the Four Seasons

Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

What’s In A Name – The Rio Grande Valley

When some people first arrive in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas they often ask, “Where are the mountains?” It’s natural. Generally a valley is between mountains or at least hills. But the Rio Grande Valley is most accurately a delta region, as level as Lubbock. The highest roadway point is the 80-foot summit of the causeway bridge that goes to South Padre Island.

So how did a delta become the Valley? Marketing. Back in the early 1900s when developers were selling beautiful orchard acreage to northerners in New York and Chicago, they found that naming the area the Rio Grande Valley was a powerful selling strategy. It was also marketed as “the Magic Valley” – and I have no problem with the magic part. After all, there are dozens of varieties of exotic birds and butterflies that migrate through here each year. Some species winter here, too.  The vibrantly colored birds and butterflies do make it a magical. And there are the crops, too. Early on, visitors saw that sugar cane and cotton and citrus orchards, irrigated with plentiful Rio Grande water, grew like magic in the Magic Valley.

The strategy worked. Hundreds of thousands of people came to the RGV from northern states last century for the subtropical climate and relaxed living. Some came just for the mild winters they were called “Winter Texans” (and still are). “Winter Texan” was another successful PR term that seemed much more warm and personable than the slightly pejorative, “Snowbird.” From the point of view of a Texan, there could be no greater compliment than to crown visitors a “Texan” for the time they are here.

The Rio Grande Valley is comprised of many small and medium-sized cities.  Many have interesting name origins. South Padre Island translates to “Father Island.” It was named for a catholic priest – Padre José Nicolás Ballí. He inherited the island from his grandfather who received it as a land grant from King Charles III of Spain in 1759.

Brownsville could have been called Texasville if the original fort built there had kept its first name, which was Fort Texas. The makeshift fort was quickly constructed in 1846 to lay claim to the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas.  The Mexican army bombarded the fort and Major Jacob Brown, originally of Boston, was killed. He was the first casualty of the Mexican-American war. So the fort was renamed Fort Brown in his honor and the town that grew up around the fort was named Brownsville.

Harlingen was named for the town of Harlingen in the Netherlands. Its founder, Lon C. Hill, thought the town’s river, the Arroyo Colorado, could be a commercial waterway to the sea, and Harlingen a city of canals, similar to its namesake in Holland. It’s pronounced differently. The Harlingen in Holland has a different “g” – Harlingen.

Weslaco is almost an acronym. It was founded by W.E. Stewart, owner of the W.E. Stewart Land Company, which was a real estate development company. So you take Stewart’s initials and the first letters of “land” and “company” and you get “Weslaco.”

Edinburg was named for Edinburgh, Scotland. Well, technically named in honor of John Young, a businessman from Edinburgh, Scotland. Both are university towns, but are spelled differently and pronounced differently, too. The Edinburgh in Scotland has somewhat of a silent g and h at the end. The one in Texas has no ‘h” but does pronounce the “g.” Edinburg. Don’t know the reason for spelling and saying it differently, but this is Texas – it’s what we do. We take the names and make them our own.

Peter Bjorn and John: “Saying Goodbye” [Music Video Premiere]

In the two decades since their inception, Peter Bjorn and John have become a household name for indie rock, with their 2006 hit “Young Folks” heard daily on radio, TV and ringtones across the globe. The Swedish trio dropped their eighth full-length Darker Days late last year to critical acclaim and followed it up this February with their three-song EP EPBJ, the former considered a return to form for the group’s signature sound and the latter, a bold addition to band’s increasingly dynamic catalogue.

Peter Bjorn and John keep the momentum rolling with a sold out show at ACL Live at the Moody Theater on Friday, April 26th. And while the concert’s still a few weeks out, today we have a new treat from these folksy Swedes! Peter Bjorn and John gave KUTX an exclusive first look at their brand new music video, one that accompanies the dark, acoustic, reverb-laden final track from EPBJ. So without further ado, say hello to the brand new PB&J music video, “Saying Goodbye”!

Brainiac

Dude. This is a trip.

No, really. It is. Horti (in another universe, Jeff Hortillosa of demented trash-grass hell-billies Whiskey Shivers) draws you into a journey of the mind – his mind – on his album Corpus Callosum. It’s a tour of “the weird and wily brain” of Horti, led by your cheerful tour guides, the left brain and the right. And in no time at all, the tour is interrupted by a reptilian alien complaining because he’s offended. But many a strange character has been encountered in this particular encephalon, from mind goblins who partied too hard the night before, to grandmothers of perception, assorted tumbling jumbled memories, and a ravenous ego constantly requiring sustenance. Welcome to the jungle, baby…

The multi-talented Austin-based songwriter runs the gamut on Corpus Callosum with a beautifully bizarre mix of jazz, grungy folk, and twang, ranging from light and quirky to downright nihilistic. All this being said, you’re in for a treat when Horti performs tonight at The Volstead, 1500 E. 6th St. The Oysters and Alex Riegelman & Friends join him on the bill. Riegelman starts the evening at 8 p.m. So recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

Held Back: Why Austin’s Schools Aren’t Working For Students Of Color

Graham Elementary in Northeast Austin looks like many schools in the district: Its students are mostly Latino or black, more than half are learning English, and almost all of them come from low-income families. These are some of the major factors that contribute to an achievement gap. Like students in schools with similar demographics, Graham students were not doing well on those state tests before 2007. That changed after Blaine Helwig became principal. Listen to what they tried at Graham Elementary to help their students in this special report by Claire McInerny.

Texas Standard: April 2, 2019

The price of a would-be border shutdown? We’ll do the numbers and talk with the mayor of one of Texas’ biggest border cities, Laredo. Plus, 2020: it’s not just about counting votes, but counting heads, too. We’ll look at what’s at stake for Texas in the upcoming census. Also, after previous fits and starts, prospects get real for for full day pre-k covered by the state, we’ll have the latest. And San Antonio goes all in on a plan to let outside organizations run their schools. Also, a fiddle playing son pays tribute to his father and his role in shaping Texas music. All of those stories and then some today on the Texas Standard:

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