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Archives for July 2019

Mineral Empire

Amidst waves of exhaustion, enthusiasm and a mixup on my part, your Austin Music Minute host would like to apologize for erroneously referring to Delicate Boys‘ debut LP as Physical Culture, which is actually the title of their 2017 EP release. But that EP serves as a great introduction to the mad swirl of influences that Delicate Boys immerses itself in, which is also clearly the case with their brilliantly disorienting new album, Mineral Empire.

Expect no timidity from the gang with “Delicate” in their name. Their latest recording keeps it rowdy and fuzzed up with power pop, demented noise, down and dirty psych, just a smidge of random twang in there, and an all-around feast for the discerning ear hole that appreciates the shifts in style.

Don’t be boring, Celebrate Delicate Boys’ album release at their show tonight at Hotel Vegas, 1501 E. 6th St., along with Food Group, 2069 and Marijuana Sweet Tooth. Things get rolling after 9 p.m. The new album’s official release date is Friday. Recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

Texas Standard: July 24, 2019

Have you been living in the U.S. for at least 2 years? Can you prove it on demand? We’ll look at what new rules on expedited deportation could mean for Texas. Also, as Washington focuses on the Mueller report, many in Texas talking about the 18 year old Dallas born U.S. citizen, detained by border agents for three weeks without explanation. What’s making news in your part of the Lone Star State? Tweet us @TexasStandard. Plus, a change in federal rules that could take away food stamps for more than 300 thousand Texans, we’ll have details. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Gunsmoke & Texas

By W. F. Strong

Ever heard of the Gunsmoke Rule?

It was created several years ago by TV ratings guru Bill Gorman. He noticed that sports cable channel shows like ESPN’s “First Take” were being beaten by Gunsmoke reruns. In fact, Newsday found in a sample a few years ago that all but seven of the 276 sports programs on cable television one day were being beaten by Gunsmoke reruns, even though the show went off the air more than 40 years ago. So the message to sports show programmers was, “If you’re not beating Gunsmoke, you’ve got little to crow about.”

And that’s just Gunsmoke reruns.

When Gunsmoke was actually on the air in prime-time during its 20 year run, it was often the number one show on television. It was enormously popular in Texas. As a kid I remember it being the last show I could watch Saturday night before being rushed off to bed. I always felt deeply connected to the culture of the show and I recently learned why.

Not long ago I was I visiting with an old friend and colleague, Dr. Jack Stanley who wrote his dissertation on “Gunsmoke.” We were discussing the show and he said to me, “Did you know that Matt Dillon was a Texan?”

“No,” I said, “I didn’t.”

Dillon is the central character of Gunsmoke — the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas. In the series, he often goes to Texas to bring back a bad guy. I didn’t know, though, that Matt Dillon was from Texas.

It’s true. Jack told me that in the last made-for-TV Gunsmoke movie, which aired in 1994, “One Man’s Justice,” it was revealed that Matt was born in San Antonio.

His father was, in fact, a Texas Ranger and was killed in the line of duty. But Matt didn’t move immediately in the direction of becoming a law man. The movie reveals he spent some years in the Texas Panhandle where he sowed his wild oats and crossed paths with outlaws who tried to corrupt him. He resisted and moved on to Kansas where he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a U.S. Marshal, the iron-handed law man of Dodge City.

Another thing you might not know is that, originally, the show was on the radio. It opened with this line from the narrator:

“Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there’s only one way to handle the killers and spoilers … with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of gunsmoke.”

William Conrad played Matt Dillon on radio, but when the show moved to TV, another Texas favorite, John Wayne, was supposed to play Matt Dillon. He decided against it, though, and convinced James Arness, a man who was often his double in movies, to take the role.

On TV, the show opened in its early seasons with no narration. It showed a quick-draw gunfight between Matt and an outlaw, which Matt won, of course.

There is a close-up of Matt’s post-fight grimace that seems to say, “Business as usual. Bad guys making bad choices.”

Gunsmoke still has enormous viewership, almost half a century since it quit putting out new episodes. It’s on TV-Land these days and based on my own survey of Texans, including my brother Redneck Dave and his crowd of six retirees, it’s on several hours a day in their households. I myself subscribe to the Western Channel just so I can watch Gunsmoke. And now that I know that Matt was a Texan, which I always suspected, I will enjoy all the more.

Tourist: “Bunny”

To say that William Phillips is no stranger to electronic production would be a bit of an understatement. For nearly a decade, the Londoner has been sating his musical wanderlust under the name Tourist, averaging at at least one EP per year. And although Tourist has already shared the 10-song LP Everyday, Phillips isn’t planning on phoning it in for the rest of 2019.

Instead Tourist keeps the momentum rolling on two freshly issued singles, both of which appear on the upcoming album Wild, due out later this fall. For now dig into this composer-producer’s burrow of a discography and hop to it with one of the latest, “Bunny”!

Signal

This is all the cloudy shimmer your magical brain thirsts for. The featured track on today’s Austin Music Minute is Daphne Tunes‘ “Signal,” a thing of beauty recorded and mixed by Daniel McNeill and released by the band earlier this year.

Chances are pretty good you’ll get to hear it tonight at Cheer Up Charlie’s, 901 Red River, where Daphne Tunes shares a bill with NYC jangle pop quartet Holy Tunics and Austin-based songwriter Dorio.

Doors open at 9 p.m. Daphne Tunes front man Santiago RD and his crew anticipate your presence. Very recommended.

Texas Standard: July 23, 2019

It’s not just protesters in Puerto Rico. From Killeen to El Paso and beyond, Texans with ties to the territory join a push to get its governor to resign. We’ll have the latest. Also: El Chapo, the drug lord convicted in a U.S. court last week, ordered to forfeit a multibillion dollar fortune. But not so fast, says Mexico’s president. We’ll hear more. And a vital vein running from Midland across the great plains is running dry. What does it mean for farms and towns across west Texas and beyond? All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:

Delbert McClinton: “Let’s Get Down Like We Used To”

With more than six decades of experience under his belt, it’s no easy task to sum up Delbert McClinton‘s accomplishments. The three-time Grammy winner has toured with The Beatles, supported Howlin’ Wolf and Bo Diddley, has had his tunes covered by Garth Brooks, Waylon Jennings, Bonnie Raitt, and Buddy Guy and has continued to earn well-deserved praise, everywhere from Rolling Stone to Lyle Lovett.

This inherently Texan songwriter and so-called “Godfather of Americana” had a ball writing and recording the newest album alongside his backing band Self-Made Men + Dana, who provide an essential backdrop of horns, fiddle, accordion, and everything else you’d want behind McClinton’s raspy vocals. Tall, Dark, & Handsome is a huge achievement in Texas blues and roots music, and before you catch Delbert on the road, enjoy the first single out of these fourteen new tunes, “Let’s Get Down Like We Used To”!

Me Mer Mo Awesome

If you haven’t done so already, look into the Me-Mer-Mo Monday music series at The Volstead. It’s a consistently impressive array of experimental sonic artistry, not to mention an abundance of musical discovery to add to your palette.

This week’s featured performances include R. Lee Dockery, Adam Fangsrud (Flatliner, featured on today’s AMM), adventures in unique instrumentation thanks to Delptronics, San Antonio-based ambient noise artist Mt. Borracho, and an opening solo percussion set by Neutril at 7 p.m.

Can you say Adventure Time? Things get started at 6:30 p.m.with DJ Malligator, with sets by DJ Recspec starting later at 9:30 p.m., and outdoor visuals by Eyeon. So recommended.

-Photo of Adam Fangsrud by Aaron Wharton.

Texas Standard: July 22, 2017

Known for taking a stand on abortion rights and a gubernatorial race that won her national attention, Wendy Davis gets back in the game. In an announcement early Monday, former state Senator Wendy Davis made it official, announcing a challenge to a republican congressman, we’ll have details. Also, where the Texas GOP might be the most vulnerable? The answer might surprise you. Plus a prominent Texas university opens its doors to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Hayes Peebles: “Riding High”

At the moment his discography is limited to just under a dozen originals, but the passion and sincerity behind Brooklyn’s Hayes Peebles is nothing to overlook. As mature as his songwriting is, it’s still very much the beginning for this youngster, with lyrics that evoke Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and sonics akin to Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle.

You can expect more from this Americana genre-fuser in the near future, who just shared a bold addition to his steadily growing catalogue. Last Friday Hayes Peebles unleashed this road-inspired tune about overcoming the little things to experience the world’s true beauty, “Riding High”!

Best of “Higher Ed:” How Much Is Too Much On A College Application?

This episode was originally published on Sept. 23, 2018.

High school seniors have something extra added to their workload in the fall semester. Those who are going on to college have to navigate the college application process. In this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed,” Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT’s Jennifer Stayton dissect that annual dash to compile transcripts, test scores, essays and teacher recommendations.

In an effort to set themselves apart from other applicants, students may be tempted to show breadth and depth in everything they have tackled in high school.

“I think if you’re just vomiting out a long list of activities and successes and awards and things, I think that then gets blurred over,” says Ed. ” I think the thing that an individual should be doing here is telling a story. They should be telling a story about their recent history – the highs and the lows and how they see themselves as having changed through their education up to that point.”

Ed says he believes that story should also include students’ assertions about why they think they are a good fit for the schools where they apply. He encourages specificity about what has attracted a student to a particular institution ( think “the soft serve ice cream in the dining hall”!) rather than generic platitudes about a school.

Listen to the full episode for more suggestions about navigating the college application process (are interviews still recommended or not?) as well as the new puzzler. Lefties unite! This puzzler is all about the digits on our left hand.

This episode was recorded on Aug. 9, 2018.

Joel G. Baker (Ep. 33, 2019)

On this week’s In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Austin, Texas Fire Chief Joel G. Baker, Austin’s first African American Fire Department Chief, whose career includes more than 30 years in Atlanta, including 3 years as fire chief there

With You

Dude. Have you heard? CAPYAC is…the opposite of laundry day. Maybe that would explain the impetuous elation as the beats keep coming…

CAPYAC got its start in Austin, but L.A. is where they’ve been refining their beat-fueled chaos as of late. Delwin Campbell and Eric Peana write, direct and star in this interstellar adventure time. Yet their collective reach extends beyond dance music into a theatrical dream realm – brilliant with color, smooth vocals to melt you, and a pulsating, addictive electro-funk style that won’t quit.

Leave it to CAPYAC to curate a massive party, Miracle From the Sky, happening tonight at the Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th St. It’s a reinvented version of the band, complete with strings and horns, and a performance of several unreleased tracks. The bill also features sets by Being Dead and Curved Light.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Zaza is the future. Recommended.

-Photography by Richie Loria for KUTX.

Joseph: “Fighter”

Portland alt-pop sister trio Joseph make their return to the spotlight with a fresh release from their upcoming album Good Luck, Kid, a road movie in album form, out September 13th. The first song since their 2016 breakthrough illuminates the fact that they almost called it quits, with their three-year hiatus being plagued by the prospect of a breakup.

The pounding bass and signature layered vocals, on “Fighter” mark a new era for Joseph in both meaning and sound, with their dreamy folk expanding into something a little bit grittier. Highlighting both their own struggles as a family band and offering an antidote for the trying times we’re living in, “Fighter” is an anthem you won’t want to get out of your head.

-Claire Hardwick, KUTX Intern

KUT Weekend – July 19, 2019

Austin gets its first triple digit heat of the summer. Plus, how new city rules on panhandling may benefit buskers. And why does the top of Austin’s tallest building look ‘unfinished’? Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Eight-Track Magic

Daisy O’Connor had a wonderful time making her new album, MIXTAPE II – on an 8-track cassette recorder.

Now, if you’re at all familiar with the radiant voice and spirit of the Austin-based songwriter, it’s not odd or a big surprise, but such a task might make the more digitally-inclined cringe with worry. What about any mistakes? Or extra takes? The choices?? For O’Connor, it was a much-desired commitment to the immediacy and the magic of each moment within each song. And it rid her of the hassle of literally having too many options that can make any production overwhelming and ultimately, less satisfying. It’s a dynamic and poetic return to musical roots, directly from the source.

Don’t miss Daisy O’Connor at her album release show tonight at the Cactus Cafe, 2247 Guadalupe in the Texas Union at UT. Special guest Aubrey Hays starts out the night. Doors open at 8 p.m. Recommended.

-Photography by Gabriel C. Pérez.

Wanda Felicia: “Until You’re Mine”

At this point, we all know Daptone Records. But do you know about their Scandinavian counterpart, Timmion? For the past decade and a half this Helsinki-based label has put out some of the most invigorating soul and funk the music industry has to offer, and Daptone has kept a close watch.

Today the two release Bad Education Vol. 1: The Soul Hits of Timmion Records, a compilation that covers only the finest that’s been recorded in Finland over the past couple years. It wasn’t easy narrowing this list down to just ten singles, mainly due to how phenomenal Timmion’s track record is, and today we receive the full-bodied debut single from Brooklyn’s Wanda Felicia. Felicia’s been a singer-songwriter since the ’90s but with the help of Timmion’s house band, Cold Diamond and Mink, this previously unreleased track is certainly the start of something new. Check out “Until You’re Mine”!

Texas Standard: July 19, 2019

From what was once the furthest frontier of the west, a mission to the furthest frontier of humankind. On July 20th 1969, the world held its breath as astronauts from the United States did something nearly unimaginable. But the pathway to the first moon landing ran through Texas, and the marks of that journey have left deep and lasting impressions on the lunar surface, and on the Lone Star State. And they might serve as waymarks for our future, too. The Texas Standard special, Highway to the Moon: How Texas Paved the Way for Apollo:

Return of the Chief

Your Austin Music Minute maven relishes the crazy good times in a garage/punk rock frenzy with powerhouse trio The Blind Pets. Songwriter Joshua Logan was at the helm on vocals and guitar, drivin’ it hard with bassist Dustin Hannah and drummer Michael Anthony Gibson ’til your heart ached and your eardrums exploded.

Those days with the Pets are now in the past tense, but the passion is not. Logan’s current journey has him navigating stormy pop-rock waters as Chief White Lightning. The former Austinite makes his home in Long Beach, CA for now, but some badass Austin connections inspired a new musical life. Logan collaborated with producers Jonas Wilson and Matt Drenik to create the Chief’s self-titled debut LP, offering a bit of rock ‘n’ roll insight lined with quirky observations, delivered by Logan with devious finesse. No need for gimmickry or fancy tricks. The Chief simply invites you along for the trippiest trip.

Chief White Lightning is in town for a show tonight at a new-ish spot in the ATX, Nicolaza’s, 8504 S. Congress Ave. The bill also includes a set by special guest Booher. The music starts at 8 p.m. Swoon with the croons. Recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

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