Archives for November 2020

Kalu & The Electric Joint: “Nov. 16th” [Social Distancing Pop-Up]

At the start of the past decade, songwriter Kalu James began making a name for himself with stripped down performances at intimate Austin venues like the Cactus Café. Fast forward to this time three years back, where his new psych-rock-meets-R&B outfit Kalu & The Electric Joint landed a spot as our November 2017 Artist of the Month, thanks in no small part to James’ soufully impassioned vocals and revealing lyrics.

The Studio 1A veteran and My KUTX coordinators linked up with our multi-media team this past spring to revisit James’ earlier acoustic sound, and with its calendar-centric title (written on this day last year and appearing on the next Electric Joint record), “Nov. 16th” truly is the “Song of the Day”.

–Jack Anderson

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Perception and Affordance

When we see something, like a chair, we are not only seeing the chair but our brains are also making calculations as to what that chair can afford us; give us a place to sit perhaps.

It turns out that we are making those types of calculations all the time. In fact, the relationships change as we learn new skills, develop keen insights, or just grow up.

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about perception and affordance

After All

After All: Episode One is the album by Austin-based songwriter Mélat. Love is the story she has to tell, and particularly now, the subject matter hits close to home when it comes to things taken for granted – gathering, socializing, human contact, something as simple as a hug. Even recently, Mélat posited the question: “If we had known in December how different our lives would look today, would we have done anything different?”

Mélat shared her thoughts following the premiere of the video for “No Promises,” the video itself a labor of love which involved friends coming together to create. “Reality takes no prisoners,” Mélat wrote, “The least we can do is seize the moment and realize the good times when they happen and honor those times with love, forgiveness, and respect.”

Mélat is the next featured artist at Lambert’s Dinner and A Show. Doors open at 7 p.m. tonight, Saturday November 14, at Lamberts, 401 W. 2nd St., in Downtown Austin. Guests are asked to arrive early for the socially-distanced show, and masks are required. Ticket info can be found on the Lamberts website.

-Photo courtesy of the artist.

KUT Weekend – November 13, 2020

Coronavirus numbers going the wrong way in Travis County. Plus, why the Democrats’ attempt to flip the Texas House failed. And KUT’s efforts to improve its diversity and inclusion. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend!

Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Soundcheck

We’ve been featuring catchiest pop ‘n’ soul track “James Crow” by Mobley on KUTX, but today’s Austin Music Minute opts for another top AMM groove, “Nobody’s Favourite.” All right – so both are catchy as hell, and while you’re at it, treat thine eyes to the magnificent production of the videos for each track. Holy hell. Say it with me: INTRIGUE!!!

Now it’s time for more. Six Square, Austin’s Black Cultural District, continues its music series Sound Check Virtual Concert with the fourth installment, featuring the one and only Mobley. Catch the livestream performance at 7 p.m. (Central) tonight, Friday November 13, streamed by Austin Design Week as part of their virtual wrap party.

-Action shot of Mobley by Julia Reihs for KUTX.

Texas Standard: November 13, 2020

As COVID-19 continues to tear through El Paso, an appellate judge lifts shutdown orders and more Texans pin their hopes on news about a vaccine. With hopes building around word of a covid vaccine said to be 90 percent effective, what’s next? A closer look at next steps and a realistic timetable. Also, not Biden his time: concession or no, the president elect must move forward with assembling a new administration and cabinet. Any Lone Stars set to make the short list? And in a season like no other, can the homecoming mum, and the many businesses built up around the tradition survive 2020? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

What To Do, What To Do

Coronavirus cases are on the rise in almost every part of the country. And even as holidays approach and pandemic fatigue wears on, experts caution it’s best to stay at home as much as possible. So what to do? That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.

Ley Line: “Tous Que Je Vois”

Known for their multi-lingual lyricism and awe-inspiring acoustic arrangements, Ley Line is one of Austin’s finest folk fusion creators. These disciplined Studio 1A veterans first linked up after an auspicious meeting of duos at the 2013 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and before long they had earned their keep as our October 2019 Artist of the Month.

This folk-fusion four-piece just announced their upcoming album We Saw Blue with the premiere of Ley Line’s debut French-language original. “Tous Que Je Vois” will fit right in on We Saw Blue‘s second stripped down side and while you’ll have to wait ’til December 4th to explore the record’s percussion-heavy opening half, this new single will keep you humming through the weekend.

–Jack Anderson

–Photo: Letitia Smith

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Texas Standard: November 12, 2020

Texas crosses a critical 1 million mark in COVID-19 cases, and the governor sends help to Lubbock as hospitals reach capacity, we’ll have the latest. Other stories we are tracking: a post-election push to update voting machines in Texas’ biggest county. What’s wrong with the old ones? We’ll follow the paper trail, or lack thereof. Also the top vote getter in Texas history and what it says about the intersection of politics and how top judges get picked in Texas. Plus he was a Texas sharecroppers son in a Jim Crow Navy. Now a super carrier will bear his name. 8 decades after his heroics at Pearl Harbor, Dorie Miller gets his due. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Thaba: “Throw It All Away”

Given the conditions of quarantine, remote collaborations have decidedly become the “new normal”. But going back to the music days of Myspace, South African singer Khusi Seremane and Brooklyn producer Gabriel Cyr had been exchanging remote recordings under the handle Thaba (taken from the Free State town Thaba ‘Nchu), connected by a mutual love of ’80s R&B and traditional African styles.

Since 2016 Thaba had been working on their debut full-length Eyes Rest Their Feet, bending the rules of their foundational genres to create a retro-leaning yet inherently modern electronic sound. Sadly just this July though, Seremane passed away at the age of 41. That said the ten tracks were completed on Eyes Rest Their Feet, which was finally released as Thaba’s sole album last Friday. It’s a bittersweet release given the circumstances, but it’s a record you can’t afford to overlook. And with all that in mind, unwind on this work week and reflect on the fleeting things in life with “Throw It All Away”.

Texas Standard: November 11, 2020

It is perhaps fittingly called the case of California versus Texas. At issue: whether the Affordable Care Act will survive. We’ll take a closer look at likely outcomes. At stake in a closely watched case heard yesterday by the U.S. Supreme Court: something much bigger than politics, namely health insurance for more than 20 million Americans, protections from denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions and more. How convincing was Texas’ legal case against it? And a woman in Houston set to make space history with the next moonshot. Plus are you ready for some football? Texas voters seem to be having second thoughts. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Music For the Mind

The SIMS Foundation and Arlyn Studios are behind one of the biggest livestream productions this year, Music For the Mind, a virtual benefit in support of mental health awareness. Musician, producer and mental health advocate Joe Barksdale hosts the event of musical performances captured live at Arlyn, a behind-the-scenes look at the work SIMS does for the Austin music community, and personal stories shared by local artists.

This is one hell of a line-up: 5D, Trail of Dead, Blackillac, Bright Light Social Hour, Brownout, Gina Chavez, La Energía Norteña, Ley Line, Mélat, Riders Against the Storm, and The Sideshow Tragedy. Music For the Mind kicks off at 6 p.m. Central tomorrow night, Thursday November 12. Tickets are available through the SIMS Foundation website.

-Photo of Bright Light Social Hour at Arlyn Studios by Merrick Ales Photography.

Satalights: “Aura Lee”

Post-punk is one of those few genres that doesn’t seem to be oversaturated in the music world…at least not at the moment. And when it comes to Austin’s own post-punk outfit, few groups parallel the bold sound transmitted by Satalights.

Three years after the aptly-titled Post-Bedroom Rock, the trio has returned with Little Star, a twelve-track reflection on both loss and joy that serves as Satalight’s sophomore offering. Little Star shot out last Friday and the fuzzy passion heard on its one-third mark, “Aura Lee”, is plenty to get you through hump day.

–Jack Anderson

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Texas Standard: November 10, 2020

He is a major political figure who has yet to publicly recognize Joe Biden’s victory in the general election. But he’s not a republican hold out, either. Texas democrats upset that the president of Mexico, a country often seen as maligned by President Trump, is reluctant to accept the outcome of the U.S. general elections. We’ll explore why not. Also, this is the season for the Texas legislature: packages calling for voting reform and more land at the capitol in the run up to the next session. And NASA says to a company in Midland with big plans for space. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

From Texas to the World

Quentin Arispe is on the path. No mincing of words when the Austin-based artist from Corpus Christi explains that they’ve set their sights on achieving the success of fellow Texans known worldwide for their musical contributions. The vision is clear: Artists like Selena and Beyonce have paved the way, and Arispe aspires to become a part of that legacy.

Arispe’s hip-hop/pop-infused EP Fruit is a musical embodiment of empowerment, a reinvention of their style without overthinking the details. Just do the damn thing, and allow it take form.

You have the opportunity to see Quentin Arispe at a show tomorrow night, Wednesday November 11, at The Sahara Lounge, 1413 Webberville Rd. Jake and The All Nighters start out the night at 8 p.m., followed by Kmet at 9 p.m. Arispe performs at 10 p.m.

-Photography by Levi Guzman.

Tele Novella: “Words That Stay” [PREMIERE]

Perpetually enthralled by a vintage aesthetic, Lockhart-breaker-turned-Austinite duo Tele Novella keep the kitsch close at hand. But that’s not to say that retro collectors Natalie Ribbons and Jason Chronis don’t make sincere compositions for contemporary listeners; instead their hive mind produces a timeless, stripped-down style of Western-leaning lo-fi psych-folk pop.

Tele Novella’s surreal meets rustic style returns after the static of 2020 with the upcoming Merlynn Belle LP, due out next February. And for all those medieval lovers out there, you definitely won’t want to miss the sophomore record’s new single and corresponding music video, “Words That Stay”!

–Jack Anderson

–Photo: Julian Neel

KUTX supports Austin music; your support makes KUTX possible. Donate today.

Before We Knew…

This episode was recorded on Thursday, November 5th, 2020, before the results of the Presidential election had been announced.

Confucius and Fresh talk about all the drama of election week.
Both hosts discussed Lil Wayne’s decision to endorse Donald Trump.
Confucius and Fresh introduce a new segment — “Random Hip-Hop Facts.”
In his Unpopular Opinion, Fresh asks apolitical people to take a step back.
Confucius gives a shout to all the People of Color who engaged in the political process during this election in his Confucius Says segment.

Listen to this episode of The Breaks

BONUS: The Big Flop

So Democrats in Texas didn’t get what they were hoping for in the 2020 election. Why not?

Texas Standard: November 9, 2020

And we have a winner. What changes for Texas in a Biden- Harris administration, and how quickly? With the presidential contest now called, attention turns to fixing what’s broken and moving forward. We’ll have some projections from a veteran politics watcher and professor. Also, the states top law enforcement official facing a mushrooming scandal and new questions about how much longer he can hang on as Attorney General. And digging a little deeper into the Latina turnout in so-called battleground states. Plus, not your parents biodiesel: as oil prices fall, attention, turns to renewable diesels. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Rainbows and Ridges

For some new (or younger) fans, their introduction to Blaze Foley may have been the 2018 film Blaze, with actor/musician Ben Dickey portraying the enigmatic songwriter. For others, Sybil Rosen‘s incredible memoir/biography, Living in the Woods in a Tree, offering a candid look at their time together, might have given more insight into who the songwriter was and how he developed his craft.

Ultimately, there’s no denying it’s the music. And, though not widely-known when he passed away more than thirty years ago, Foley became a Texas legend with a far-reaching influence that carries on to this day.

This evening, local music artists will pay homage to the poet and master finger-picker with A Tribute To Blaze Foley: The Duct Tape Messiah. Jacob Jaeger, Jimmie Dreams, Austin duo Warm Sugar and others will perform some of their favorite Foley songs, starting at 7 p.m. tonight, Monday Nov. 9, at The Far Out Lounge, 8504 S. Congress Ave.

-Poster art courtesy of The Far Out Lounge.