Listen back as KUT’s Rebecca McInroy talks with Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke about the psychology behind how to interview for a job, manage tensions with peers, lead companies, and much more.
Archives for July 2019
Texas Standard: July 18, 2019
Fear and uncertainty south of the border as asylum seekers waiting in Ciudad Juarez wonder what a U.S. rule change means for them, we’ll have the latest. Also, the Lone Star State now at the center of an effort to end the spread of HIV. We’ll hear why Texas, and what could change under a new federally directed plan. Plus, how video games could be a game changer for some wounded veterans. And the week that was in Texas politics with Emily Ramshaw of the Texas Tribune and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Apollo 11 (50th Anniversary)
July of 2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of man’s first steps on the moon. It’s an accomplishment many still can’t fully comprehend. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Tuxedo: “The Tuxedo Way”
If you want to talk about trendsetters, look no further than disco-funk duo Tuxedo. Jake One (producer behind De La Soul, Drake, The Weeknd and more) first teamed up with accomplished solo singer Mayer Hawthorne for their eponymous 2015 debut, setting a major landmark in modern production for their now-oft-replicated ’70s and ’80s-inspired sound. On 2017’s Tuxedo II the duo explored a more ’90s G-Funk-influenced style, but strayed from the genre norm of gritty lyrics in favor of promoting positivity and inclusiveness.
Tomorrow the soul pop saga continues with Tuxedo III, a full-length that combines Hawthorne and One’s shared eight-Grammy-nominated knowledge and skills for some ideal head-bobbin’ and summer cruisin’ music. Tuxedo join us in Studio 1A Tuesday after next, the same night they play at Empire Control Room, and to ensure that you’re not faking the funk before the weekend, start grooving to this retro-future-funk anthem, “The Tuxedo Way”!
Sudden Opera
Pony Bradshaw is the musical project of James Bradshaw, a songwriter who’s lived in many places throughout his life, but has spent the last 10 years calling North Georgia his home. And very much like his life, Bradshaw’s debut LP Sudden Opera is illuminated with a nomadic spirit, drifting through haunted spaces and driven by a brooding restlessness. The imagery creeps up on you, sometimes surreal, sometimes stark – a Southern Gothic path taken in search of redemption.
Pony Bradshaw is in Austin for a show tonight at Stubb’s indoor venue, 801 Red River. Austin-based hazy dark-folk outfit and AMM fave Marijuana Sweet Tooth is the perfect opener for the show. Doors at 8 p.m. Recommended.
-Image courtesy of the artist.
Texas Standard: July 17, 2019
A Texas democrat in the race for president faces disappointing numbers and new calls to reconsider his political objective. That story coming up today on the Texas Standard. Disorder in the court? A commission set to reconsider whether Texas judges should have to run for office or whether partisan races undermine the independence of the Texas bench. Also amid boom times for oil, a warning of a petrochemical bust just five years away, and why Texas needs to take that into account right now. All that and a whole lot more on the national news show of Texas:
kellen: “that time”
Even if you know all three members individually, there’s still a good chance you’ve never heard of kellen. For starters, Mother Falcon co-founder Claire Puckett joins fellow Hikes bandmate (and Monté auteur) Nay Wilkins alongside solo performer Dwight Smith for a tranquil take on the math-folk genre. Puckett’s breezy vocals take the lead with existential insights and an immaculate sense of humility, while Wilkins and Smith provide a well-rounded rhythm section that’s all-too-comfortable with non-traditional time signatures and chord progressions.
kellen’s cathartic indie jangle has already been heard on their self-recorded 2018 debut record lowercase god, and tomorrow night they celebrate their official release show at Hole in the Wall. It’s an intimate live experience that you won’t want to miss, but in case you can’t squeeze it into your schedule, at least enjoy the final track off lowercase god, “that time”!
Texas Standard: July 16, 2019
Not another presidential tweet or campaign jab, but a change in the federal register that could lead to a profound change at the southern border. The new rules could effectively stop asylum claims at the border with Mexico, and it is certain to get a challenge in court. We’ll take a closer look. Also, teachers were promised pay raises. But who gets what, and why? Some disappointed by the calculus are promising political payback. And a slowdown in oil country, layoffs coming? Quite the opposite. Those stories and then some today on the Texas Standard:
Con Fuego
¿Puedes subir el volumen de la música? ¡Me encanta esta canción! The track featured on today’s Austin Music Minute, “Miradas,” is from the fiery feast Infiernes by Mexico City powerhouse ska outfit Panteón Rococó. The group has been performing since 1995, bringing their distinctive brand of ska to massive crowds with an ever-growing fan base expanding beyond Mexico into Europe, where they’ve toured countless times. They blend all manner of rock, punk, salsa, cumbia and mariachi into their ska and reggae blasts for an all-out mad energetic frenzy.
They’ve made the rounds in Austin before with SXSW gigs, but now Panteón Rococó is back for a show tonight at Emo’s, 2015 E. Riverside Dr. Austin punk/ska/reggae band Los Kurados opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m. Recommended.
-Image courtesy of the artist.
Daniel Ellsworth + The Great Lakes: “Way You Are” (feat. Ruby Amanfu)
For Daniel Ellsworth + The Great Lakes, three really is a magic number. They’re currently performing as a trio who splits time between Columbus, Los Angeles and Nashville, and their latest record was released in three separate parts. These triple junctions make a great frontier for The Great Lakes’ brand of synth-driven indie rock, electro-pop and funk topped off with a boyish charm that hasn’t let up since their formation in 2010.
Daniel Ellsworth + The Great Lakes are eager to submerse their listeners into the band’s newest chapter, which arrived last Friday as a brand new single featuring vocals from Jack White collaborator Ruby Amanfu. Dive into this latest offering from The Great Lakes and cool off with “Way You Are”!
Trailblazer
Maybe you’ve been a longtime fan. Or, perhaps your introduction to the 13th Floor Elevators was through High Fidelity. It’s the distinctive track crackling away at the beginning as the vinyl spins, moments before John Cusack‘s character utters the immortal question, “What came first? Music, or the misery?”, while gazing long faced in your general direction with headphones on.
“You’re gonna wake up one mornin’/as the sun greets the dawn…” Admittedly, some of us were mystified by a certain unique instrumentation in “You’re Gonna Miss Me” – Tommy Hall‘s quiver-shiver “electric jug,” giving it that unmistakable shudder-like signature down the spine. Hell yeah. This is the band you can trace it all back to. This was the start of what gave psychedelia its very identity. Of course, the songwriting of Roky Erickson was at the core of it all.
A multitude of Austin musicians are gathering this evening to honor Erickson, one of the most influential artists not only of our city, but one whose influence reached far beyond Texas into several music scenes embracing psych sounds.
Roky Erickson’s Birthday Tribute and Ice Cream Social happens tonight at Barracuda, 611 E. 7th St. And it’s one gargantuan line-up: Christian Bland and The Revelators, Crypt Trip, Nolan Potter, The Bad Lovers, Moving Panoramas, The Ugly Beats, Teenage Cavegirl, The Zoltars, Magic Rockers of Texas, Hong Kong Wigs, and many more, including a set by Garbled Head (featuring Billie Buck, Mike Buck, Eve Monsees and Mariah Stevens-Ross).
Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. Recommended.
-Photography by Eddie Gaspar for KUTX.
Texas Standard: July 15, 2019
Threatened immigration raids in Houston and elsewhere fizzle. Lots of political sound and fury, ultimately signifying what? We’ll take a closer look. Also, after outrage over conditions at border patrol detention centers, the Vice President comes to Texas. What did he see that democrats didn’t, or vice versa? And the Texas city that bet big on cryptocurrency loses its wager. How much was the loss, and what might it say about cities chasing growth? Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:
Daisy O’Connor: “Cookies N Weed”
Although she’s only been putting out studio cuts for the past couple years, genre-bending singer-songwriter Daisy O’Connor has already made a sizable mark on the Live Music Capital. Aside from her reputation for sincere but lighthearted live shows, O’Connor’s EP Ether blew us away at the start of 2019 and this week she returns to analog roots with Mixtape II.
Inspired by auteurs like Daniel Johnston and Sufjan Stevens, the handful of covers and originals on Mixtape II were recorded straight to 8-track, giving O’Connor’s performances some extra organic weight. Daisy O’Connor joins us in Studio 1A 1:30pm this Wednesday and the Mixtape II release show is this Friday at the Cactus Cafe. So while we here at KUTX certainly don’t endorse any sort of illegal activity, we can’t help but appreciate the lackadaisical charm of this O’Connor original, “Cookies N Weed”!
Higher Ed: Yes, Extra Credit Can Enhance Learning – But Don’t Overestimate Its Value
Academia is divided over the wisdom of offering students extra credit on tests or projects. In this episode of the KUT podcast “Higher Ed,” KUT’s Jennifer Stayton and Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger discuss the utility and merit of offering extra points for extra effort.
Ed says for the most part he supports extra credit and has used it in his own teaching as long as it provides a meaningful learning experience.
“I have been guilty of offering extra credit for all sorts of things, ” admits Ed, “including bribing students to go to lectures or to events that I think would enhance their own education or would amplify the work they are doing in the class, all the way down to just giving questions.”
Ed believes extra credit allows for the exploration and assessment of deeper levels of learning.
“There’s always more. You never understand everything. You never understand it at 100 percent,” says Ed. “So the truth is, there is always a deeper level. So why not offer a window into that deeper level?”
Some critics say offering extra credit places more emphasis on the grade rather than on that learning experience. Ed believes that emphasis already exists with or without extra credit.
“We do that as a culture and a nation and a society and this is just a reality,” says Ed. “Extra credit is not doing that.”
Listen to the full episode (sorry, no extra credit for making it to the end) to hear how extra credit in school relates to extra credit in life outside the classroom. But you will be rewarded with the solution to last episode’s puzzler about the man who switched off a light and caused a catastrophe.
This episode was recorded on April 23, 2019.
Selena Sage (Ep. 32, 2019)
On this week’s program, In Black America producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Selena Sage, inspirational speaker, owner of Zen Tao Books and author of Get Free: Seven Simple Steps to Free Your Mind and Live Your Dreams.
Celestial Vibe
Take a deep breath, and send this one out to the stars…
There are few experiences more profound than an incredible live music performance beneath a breathtaking night sky. Both Alex Maas (The Black Angels, MIEN) and Devin James Fry (Name Sayers) understand and deeply appreciate such extraordinary, multi-sensory magic. It’s what inspired them to collaborate on a live music event happening tonight at the J. Lorraine Ghost Town, 14219 Litting Rd., in Manor, TX.
The evening starts at 7 p.m. with an exploration of the ghost town itself, followed by stargazing led by the awesome educators of Starry Sky Austin. Then, prepare yourself for a mind-blowing set by Name Sayers at 9 p.m., and a performance by Alex Maas at 10:15 p.m., featuring stunning visuals by Mesmerize.
You’ll quickly understand why this music and the celestial skies above are a perfect match. So recommended.
-Photo of Name Sayers by Dylan O’Connor.
Ignited
Stop overthinking.
You should know better with Amyl and The Sniffers. Ready your earholes for some Melbourne-rooted bare-bones punk doused with diesel – and triggered by a trusty blow torch. Leave the wingeing and moaning at the door. No time for stalling or subtleties. Vocalist Amy Taylor takes you by the scruff of your neck and proceeds to show you that charisma is an understatement. The band may call it “pub punk,” but the sound and fury of it would rattle a stadium-sized crowd to bits.
This is what your AMM host gleefully refers to as an instant Austin Music Minute favorite. Don’t miss Amyl and The Sniffers tonight at Barracuda, 611 E. 7th St. Austin rabble-rousers Mujeres Podridas and Hotmom round out the bill perfectly. Doors at 9 p.m. Very recommended.
-Photography by Jamie Wdziekonski.
Why Does The Top Of Austin’s Tallest Building Look ‘Unfinished’?
Everyone’s an architecture critic. But why does the crown on “The Independent” look the way it does?
Texas Standard: July 12, 2019
As ICE raids are planned for the weekend, a so-called “Sanctuary Cities” lawsuit targeting San Antonio loses some steam. We’ll explain. Also, when we talk about Texas politics we always talk red and blue. But what about green? Purple? An effort to get more options on the ballot. And Texas is becoming just the second state to require high school seniors to fill out the form for federal student aid. But the path to accomplishing that is unclear, we’ll look at why. Plus, when most Texans hear the word cricket they think insect, not sports. That might be changing. And it’s Friday: that means the Typewriter Rodeo and a wrap of the week in Texas politics. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
The Mysteries Of Space
Do you ever see a headline about a new discovery in space? It seems so exciting — so extraordinary — but is your mind even capable of really understanding? That’s the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.