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Archives for September 2019

Of Seasons

David Longoria is no stranger to the local scene, and he’s an outstanding presence outside of Austin, in terms of music. Your Austin Music Minute host got to know Longoria’s work through his band The Black, and through his playing with And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, and with songwriter and longtime AMM favorite Bill Baird. So, to say that Longoria’s solo work has been long-anticipated is something of an understatement.

Longoria presents his debut under the moniker Longriver with Of Seasons, released through Hullabaloo Records. Longoria has referred to it as the album of his dreams. Indeed, it’s a strong connection to an intimate, soul-searching, cosmic-American style, examining society’s ineptitude in dealing with pain within the human experience. Beautiful writing encapsulated by beautiful folk-rooted performances.

Don’t miss Longriver’s album release show tonight at Hole In the Wall, 2538 Guadalupe, featuring special guest Cactus Lee opening the show at 7 p.m. Very recommended.

-Photo courtesy of Tiger Bomb.

Texas Standard: September 18, 2019

The news media has called it a tipping point in the national conversation over gun violence. But, it means so much more here in West Texas. Live from Midland, this is the Texas Standard.

After mass shootings in El Paso and here in the Permian Basin, politicians on the left and the right are talking about beefing up background checks and more. But something else that may be shifting: Texans relationship to firearms. Also, Texas Representative Brooks Landgraf helps us explore the growing political footprint of this region. It’s West Texas untapped.
As we come to you live from the Petroleum Museum in Midland.

What Elvis Presley Owed West Texas

By W.F. Strong

It is my belief that Texas was largely responsible for launching Elvis Presley’s phenomenal career. Texas, perhaps as much as Tennessee, gave him a vital push onto the national stage and empowered his rise to the eventual undisputed title of “The king of rock and roll.”

Now, I’m not claiming that he became the timeless icon of popular culture that he became, solely because of Texas. Given his super-charged charisma, even if he’d first toured in Northern Siberia, he still would have melted teenage hearts and attracted a massive following. Fame would have found him anyway. But that’s not how it happened. Elvis himself once said, “I owe a lot to Texas; they’re the ones who put me over the top. I’ve covered a lot of territory; mostly in West Texas. That’s where my records are hottest: down in San Angelo, Lubbock, Midland and Amarillo.”

In fact, when Elvis began touring in the mid-1950s, 86 of his first 200 concerts were in Texas. These were not all in the big cities, either. To be sure, he hit Houston and Dallas and San Antonio, but he mostly traveled to smaller towns. He went to Gladewater in East Texas and Sweetwater in West Texas. He played Paris – Texas that is – and out west he played Odessa. Most of his concert dates were in West Texas: El Paso, Lubbock, Amarillo, Alpine, Midland, Abilene, Wichita Falls, Brekenridge, San Angelo, Stephenville and Big Spring. These were not one-time stops either. He played in Midland and Odessa and Lubbock several times in his first years of stardom.

And it was touring in West Texas that introduced Elvis to some of the greatest musicians of his age. Buddy Holly opened for Elvis in Lubbock in 1955. Buddy was a high school senior. Elvis was 20. They bonded in mutual admiration of their outsized talents. Buddy would open for Elvis two more times that year. When Buddy died tragically just four years later, Elvis couldn’t attend his funeral because he was in the Army, stationed in Germany. But he did send a huge wreath of yellow roses in a loving tribute to the great Texan.

Elvis played in Odessa and Midland several times in 1955 and 1956. Once in Midland, at a show featuring Johnny Cash, Elvis and Johnny met a slightly younger, 19-year-old, Roy Orbison and advised him on launching his singing career. Cash was the old man of the group, at 23. Wouldn’t you have loved to have been backstage in Midland seeing those three future legends huddled together? Later in life someone asked Cash why he played a guitar so hard. And he said that he didn’t play all that hard, but Elvis sure did.

One thing that Elvis achieved that neither of the other two did was to create a fanbase of screaming, unruly girls. He sometimes begged them to settle down so people could hear the music.

His biographer, Bobbie Ann Mason, said, “He was brimming with sexual energy and the stage allowed him to give that energy free, exuberant play.”

Yes, the girls adored Elvis, but the boyfriends they climbed over to reach him were not great fans. They did not understand how this man driving a pink Cadillac and wearing the bright colors of a peacock could whip their girlfriends into such a lustful frenzy. To add to the insult, their girlfriends rushed to buy the Elvis lipsticks that were for sale at the concerts; Tender Pink and Cruel Red. Elvis was dismayed that so many of the boys didn’t like him, because he considered himself “just one of the guys.”

After 1956, Elvis moved slowly away from Texas, drifting toward Las Vegas where audiences came to him instead of him driving all night in a pink Cadillac to make his next show. Hollywood, too, came knocking. So he would never again return to Texas with anywhere near the frequency he did in the early years of his growing fame. The year he died, he held his last Texas concerts: one in Abilene and the final one in Austin on March 28, 1977.

Two books that were helpful in researching this story are “Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley” by Peter Guralnick, and “Elvis Presley: A Life (A Penguin Life)” by Bobbie Ann Mason.

Flora & Fawna: “Tempted by the Timing” (Live in Studio 1A)

Frequenters on our airwaves already know local duo Flora & Fawna, whose balance of classic folk and soul seeps from a modern electronic surface. Their rising talent earned them the title of our September 2019 KUTX Artist of the Month ahead of their self-titled debut release show, next Thursday at Cheer Up Charlie’s.

We’ve been getting snippets of their new material over the past few weeks, and got a live sneak preview when they joined us yesterday in Studio 1A…enjoy the lush harmonies and sweeping sounds of “Tempted by the Timing”!

Photo: Gabriel C. Pérez

Squeeze’s 45th Anniversary

Just a heads up: There’s a BBC documentary in the works about Squeeze. Oh, the stories… And, as if that wasn’t enough for fans, founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook are at work on another album.

Another album. Hell yes, another album. Bring it.

Dive into that prolific catalogue of theirs, from the beginning essentials like Cool For Cats or Argybargy, or even Difford and Tilbrook’s admittedly least favorite recording Domino, and you should get an idea why the band left such a tremendous mark upon music, even beyond New Wave. It’s a 45-year history with an incredible discography, and a longtime creative partnership that still stands out, decades later, as something quite original.

Tonight is a special night. Squeeze’s anniversary tour includes a performance at The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave. Joining them on the bill is very special guest band, X.

-As of this writing, this show is sold out.

-Photography by Rob O’Connor.

Texas Standard: September 17, 2019

OK. I’ll tell you what we’ll do – we’ll spring board from Texas into the rest of the world on this Tuesday edition of the Texas Standard.
I’m Joy Diaz in for David Brown
Why Dallas revamped its Holocaust museum for the modern world
Still in Dallas, the murder trial that’s sure to attract the nation’s attention. You may remember of the off duty police officer who is white and killed a young black man in his own apartment.
Cities in the Lone Star State and the 2020 Census
Plus, the world from Mexico to the UK – the news that connects with you.

Black Heart Saints: “Lines”

You don’t have to be a musical geologist to know which bits of rock hold the most weight for you. Even so, you won’t get wedged into any one sub-genre when you listen to Austin’s own Black Heart Saints.

The quartet has been cranking up their amps for the last five years on sediments of hard rock, classic rock, alternative, grunge, and more, with arena-ready vocals and soulful guitar riffs that demand repeated listens. Recently it’s been getting real heavy for Black Heart Saints, who canonize their latest efforts onto the upcoming four-song EP, Misery. Try and catch Black Heart Saints tonight at Empire Control Room, but even if you’re not willing to rock out on a school night, you can still get down with the Texas-travel-inspired music video and Misery‘s lead single, “Lines”!

Lowdown Ways

It’s like the Daddy Long Legs guys said to your Austin Music Minute host in Studio 1A this afternoon: Rock ‘n’ roll ain’t dead. You just gotta dig deeper, sometimes. You’ll see that fire’s alive and burning.

If you don’t know them by now, you need to. All the way from New York, Daddy Long Legs elevates rock to a whole other level with their legendary live performances. You get served heavy doses of lo-fi rock, blues and…something absolutely jarring from the dark recesses of the soul. Rejuvenate yourself by spinning their latest release, Lowdown Ways, and see what the hype’s all about.

Fair warning: It’s gonna get explosive with Daddy Long Legs tonight at Empire Control Room, 606 E. 7th St. And it’s one hell of a bill with fellow legendary band, Austin cowpunk outfit Hickoids, and mighty rock/soul/glam band The Reputations. Doors open at 7 p.m. You cannot miss a single one of these bands. Got it?

This one comes so recommended, it hurts.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

Texas Standard: September 16, 2019

It’s a drone attack half a world away, and one that’s likely to be felt deep in the Heart of Texas. We’ll have the latest. Other stories we’re tracking on this Monday: a deadly attack on a Houston elementary school 60 years ago, there were no efforts to help kids overcome the trauma. Now a survivor, only seven years old at the time of the attack, pieces together the memories. Also, putting the brakes on draining the lakes? A court battle pits property values against concerns over aging floodgates. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

The Academic: “Aftertaste”

When the first record tops a country’s charts, the band’s gotta be good. There’s no exception with Irish indie rock outfit The Academic, who entered at #1 with last year’s Tales From The Backseat.

The Academic’s aversion to indie stereotypes has made them an international standout, whose highly-anticipated sophomore album drops early next year. The wait will be long but there’s no need for a chaser with the retro-influenced lead single, “Aftertaste”!

Claudette A. Robinson (Ep. 41, 2019)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Claudette A. Robinson, a founding member of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and a recent participant in The Summit On Race In America, at the LBJ Presidential Library at the University of Texas at Austin.

Higher Ed: For Some Teachers “It’s Not A Matter Of Being Nice But Setting Great Expectations”

Just about everybody can recall an influential teacher who nurtured and inspired them. But not all great teachers are “warm and fuzzy.” In this episode of KUT’s podcast “Higher Ed,” Southwestern University President Dr. Ed Burger and KUT’s Jennifer Stayton explore dealing with fantastic teachers who have challenging personalities.

Ed recalls a wonderful Philosophy teacher he had in college whose lectures Ed describes as “utterly fascinating” but whose personality he says was kind of “off-putting.”

But that naturally raises the question: Can a good teacher have, well, a bad personality?

Ed encourages students to steer clear of that simple dichotomy and instead examine potential reasons for behavior that may appear less than nurturing.

“He had incredibly high standards so that might have been kind of like the not-friendly part,” recalls Ed. “It’s not a matter of being nice, but it’s a matter of setting great expectations.”

Ed says society now desperately needs people to treat each with kindness, politeness and respect, especially when they disagree. But he believes sometimes teachers need to use different tools to motivate a group of students.

“There is something to be said for that kind of tough love, so it’s not meanness but it’s tough love,” Ed believes. “You want the person to be more independent. You want that person to reach further than they thought they could.”

Listen to the entire episode to hear why Ed also believes that, at least sometimes, that teacher “tough love” might be more of an act than the teacher’s true personality. Also listen on for the solution to last week’s Roman numerals puzzler (don’t worry – no tough love if you didn’t get it!).

This episode was recorded on Aug. 7, 2019.

After this episode was recorded, Dr. Ed Burger announced that he is leaving Southwestern University in Jan. 2020 to become President and Chief Executive Officer of St. David’s Foundation.

Coisa Mágica

Why yes, this does happen to be something magical. Your Austin Music Minute host’s eyes are already aglow with thoughts of the awesome line-up for Levitation 2019, November 7-10.  Counting down the days ’til Chrome blows minds at Elysium; A Place To Bury Strangers takes over Barracuda; and OH, by the way, did you know Chelsea Wolfe has a second show added?!

Before the geekery gets out of control (too late), there’s a bit extra happening tonight that Levitation and Barracuda put together for you. Don’t miss out on Brazilian psych rockers Boogarins (featured on today’s AMM); Tuareg songwriter and musician Mdou Moctar (the artist behind the brilliant reimagining of Prince’s Purple Rain); and Austin-based desert psych outfit Lord Buffalo.

I mean, seriously. 611 E. 7th St. Doors at 9 p.m. Ridiculously great. Recommended.

-Photo of Boogarins by Pedro Margherito.

KUT Weekend – September 13, 2019

Austin police are still citing people for small amounts of marijuana as county prosecutors continue to reject cases. Plus, have ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft reduced drunk driving arrests in Austin? And the world says goodbye to Austin music icon Daniel Johnston. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Dream Merchants

The entire show has a misty gloss to it… It’s a winning bill, and perfect for Blushing‘s album release party.

The band hasn’t even had a moment to pause, with all the buzz around the release of their new self-titled LP on psych/shoegaze/garage label Wallflower Records, and an incredible experience at the 13th annual Kalamashoegazer Festival in Michigan late last month, where fest attendees were singing Blushing’s praises – and hopefully snagging their own copies of the now sold-out gorgeous blue vinyl edition of the new album.

Blushing celebrates with a release show tonight at Barracuda, sharing the bill with fellow trippy dream-pop and psyched-out fuzz-sters Holy Wave, Wurve and Glaze.

A show and a half. Doors at 8 p.m.

-Photography by Michael Soto.

Texas Standard: September 13, 2019

Democratic Presidential contenders duke it out in Houston. Who fared well and who didn’t? We’ll take a closer look. Other stories we’re tracking: whether recent mass shootings in El Paso and Odessa could mark a turning point for Texas. Also 20 years after a Texas church shooting, a remarkable story of healing. Plus Ken Burns rosins up the bow for a major public TV documentary, this time on country music. And the week in Texas politics and more today on the Texas Standard:

Outdoor Summer Weddings

Did you get married outdoors in the Texas heat? Have you attended an outdoor wedding in the Texas summer months? This Typewriter Rodeo poem is for you.

The Canvas People: “King of Fresh Starts”

Half a decade into their foray together, local four-piece The Canvas People has become one of the most endearing alt-indie-rock outfits the Live Music Capital has to offer. On top of being a bunch of really cool, kind dudes, The Canvas People paint with a palette of subdued synths, guitar riffs that alternate between driving and dreamy, and dynamic three-part vocal harmonies (my personal favorite).

Musicianship aside, the abstract process of cultivation is central to The Canvas People’s latest LP, Garden Party, and you can see the band’s release show tonight at The Mohawk. Garden Party is available now and to secure a clean slate for this weekend, court the “King of Fresh Starts”!

Center of the City Lights

It’s time for a journey to the Center of The City Lights.

Making their official debut this week is Austin-based dream-rock/shoegaze outfit Silver Bars. Your Austin Music Minute host says “official” because technically, Silver Bars has been trying out new material, premiered a few pieces during SXSW and other shows around town, and pulling together the tracks that would become their new LP for a handful of years prior. The atmospheric, cinematic dreamscape Center of the City Lights is out this Friday.

True, the band itself is new, but there are familiar faces in the talented line-up, including songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Paul J. Smith, who was already kickin’ butt and taking names with her previous band, Midori Umi, in the early aughts here in Austin.

Exciting to see many raves already coming in for the new music, including the track “Lost You To L.A.,” recently featured as the KUTX Song of the Day, and played on today’s AMM. Catch Silver Bars at their release show tonight at the Mohawk, 912 Red River, on the inside stage. Joining them on the bill – Vet Trip, longtime AMM fave She Sir, and Dottie. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the music kicks off at 9 p.m. Very recommended.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

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