KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

ACL Fest

Poolside: “Each Night”

With a solar eclipse behind us and highs in the lower 70s for today, sure does seem like ACL Fest Weekend 2 ushered in the actual start of Fall here in Texas. But that’s no problem, because whatever the weather, Poolside is always in season.

These Los Angeles “daytime disco” godfathers have been keeping us cool for a little over a decade now, thanks to their idiosyncratic slowing of classic dance sounds into a breezy, undeniably modern, oft-emulated blend. As hard as it’ll ever be to top their 2012 breakout Pacific Standard Time, Poolside’s done an impressive job of keeping tides of nu-disco, synthpop, chillwave, and lounge flowing for consistent vibes without letting their creative waters stagnate.

As a matter of fact, Poolside’s been keeping pace with a lap lane of new singles this whole year ahead of their next LP Blame It All On Love, out this Friday. As this Bengal tiger of a banger ten-piece reveals itself, we’ve figured out that Poolside’s still got plenty of tricks in their trunks on top of their well-established formulas. Case in point, instead of a characteristic cruise-ready cannonball, Poolside showed off a bit more of a downbeat breaststroke when they stopped by the KUTX tent last Saturday on Blame It All On Love‘s lead single “Each Night”. For a record all about romance, “Each Night”‘s placement in the record’s third act is a much-appreciated breather to keep things from getting too hot and heavy.

Madison Cunningham: “Subtitles” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

One of the best parts of live concerts? Often you get to hear new tunes before they hit streaming. And one of the best parts of being with KUTX is that sometimes those sneak peaks come in the form of intimate, one-of-a-kind performances. So yeah, even though the gates are open and ACL Fest Weekend Two is officially in full swing, you’d better believe we’re still rolling out our incredible Weekend One repertoire.

And today’s in-tent listen is especially timely. It comes courtesy of Costa Mesa’s Madison Cunningham, a folk-pop Americana rocker whose finally getting some great traction. As the daughter of a pastor, the first leg of Cunningham’s career was spent within the Christian community. But not too long after touring with Andrew Bird and earning a Grammy nomination for her 2019 secular sophomore LP Who Are You Now, Cunningham culled her worship debut Authenticity from streaming. While we can’t attribute that migration towards agnostic thinking to a sense of restrictions being lifted, we do recognize the boundaryless beauty of last year’s Revealer, which scored Cunningham a Grammy for Best Folk Album this February.

Safe to say momentum’s on Madison’s side right now, and fortunately for us, that whirlwind of talent’s still in town. Madison Cunningham plays 10PM tomorrow night at Scoot Inn before returning to ACL Fest 12:45PM this Sunday at the American Express stage – two great opportunities to see this ever-maturing muse in-person before she blows up even more. But if neither are in the cards for you, don’t fret; the pop-up rendition of Cunningham’s latest (whose studio counterpart just appeared on streaming mere hours ago) “Subtitles” is accessible whenever you’re ready. After three-and-a-half minutes you’ll agree that, “good god, the pipes on this woman are something else!”.

Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul: “Making Sense Stop” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

The primal temptation of a basic beat coupled with the hypnotic power of repetition; that’s how electronic music entices all types of listeners. When an instrumental groove grabs you and won’t let go, layers-deep social commentary (whether or not you agree) might not get fully processed…at least while the bass is still bumpin’. We wouldn’t go so far as to call it intentionally deceptive, but we do feel like that dynamic makes dance especially attractive to dissenting poets who could use some pulse appeal and producers on the prowl for honest opinions. People like Belgium’s Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul. They’ve both got their own oblique auras that allowed them to slip into Soulwax’s purview, but once they teamed up they doubled down on the discourse. As heard on their debut LP Topical Dancer, Charlotte & Bolis are actually pretty brilliant when it comes to making poignant observations sound chic and fun. And after bringing that baker’s dozen to ACL Fest and turning the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage into a Topical Dancefloor, Charlotte & Bolis proved that they don’t need a big space to make heads bob. Like Tom Tom Club strutted into a time machine, set course for 2023, and stepped out adorned in avant-pop, Charlotte & Bolis brought the boisterous bass, infectious bleeps and bloops, vocal chops and all to the KUTX tent with “Making Sense Stop”. And thanks to our immaculate multi-media team, you can witness it first-hand in this exclusive NPR Music video.

Chromeo: “Personal Effects” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

We are back from ACL Fest 2023 Weekend One, and boy are we not returning empty-handed. That’s right, KUTX once again collected quite a few exclusive backstage performances that we can’t wait to share with the world…startin’ off strong with electro-funk tour de force Chromeo.

These Montreal multi-instrumentalists have been adding their polish to the genre for two decades now, with an exigent emergence at the start of the millennium that’s made them a household name for a whole generation. And by mingling retro-gold formulas against a modern pop backdrop, Chromeo’s created a flashy, flirty, and carefree character that’s earned them industry-wide collaborations and enormous crossover appeal.

Well, never a pair to be defined by genre terminology, next Valentine’s Day Chromeo boxes up their latest batch of synth-funk drizzled pop chocolate with Adult Contemporary. And as a matter of fact, last Saturday, before taking the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage at ACL, Dave 1 and P-Thugg stopped by the KUTX tent, dressed to impress with AC‘s Prince-meets-Zapp lead single “Personal Effects”.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for May 09, 2023

Central Texas top stories for May 09, 2023. Daniel Perry sentencing hearing. Del Valle ISD pay raises. Search for new Austin Energy GM. Hutto city council runoff. Kyle growth plan option input. ACL lineup announced.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 17, 2022

Central Texas top stories for October 17, 2022. Not summer arrives. Austin City Council candidate forum. AISD electric bus plans. Texas crypto power concerns. Indentifying human remains. Weekly COVID report. Austin FC advances. ACL Fest 2023.

R&B’s Diminishing Dominance

In this episode, Confucius and Fresh break down what happened to R&B as a dominating force before debating whether or not Austin City Limits Music Festival has “gotten better” at showcasing rap in recent years.

On Hip-Hop Facts you’ll hear about Lil Jon’s double distribution of the “Yeah” instrumental, birthday boy Ginuwine’s real name, and the first of many Belly film trivia tidbits.

Fresh’s Unpopular Opinion goes meta when he defends the significance of The Breaks itself for playing local artists.

And no news from Confucius this week; Instead he talks up his headliner comedy gig this Wednesday at The Pershing, hosted by Fresh!

Dehd: “Control” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

Oh boy, after two long weekends out at Zilker Park, we’re betting the vast majority of fest-goers are dead tired after Austin City Limits. Not us though! Our impeccable multimedia team’s been hard at work turning around an exclusive batch of intimate, backstage performances, starting today with Dehd. Six years since their eponymous debut, these Chicago indie rockers dropped their fourteen-track fourth full-length Blue Skies back in late May. Post-Blue Skies, Dehd’s been dominating a tour that extends to Scandinavia and the UK before a three-night New Year’s Eve wrap-up back in their hometown’s Empty Bottle.

That tour included a couple pit stops here in town for our humble festival, and following the first of two Sunday afternoon performances on the T-Mobile stage, Dehd was kind enough to treat us to something a little more stripped down than what the rest of the fest got. Rather than double down on their usual dose of decibels, instead Dehd took a minimalist approach for the arrangement of Blue Skies‘ short-but-sweet anxiety-inspired album opener, “Control“

Las Añez: “Como Si Fuera Yo” (feat. Lido Pimienta)

The gate’s are open and Austin City Limits Music Festival 2022 is a go! And here just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month will be Latin-American music-melter Lido Pimienta. Born in Barranquilla, Colombia and raised in Ontario, this Toronto-based singer-songwriter has spent the past twelve years infusing flavors like Bullerengue and Cumbia with synth-driven art-pop. Pimienta’s 2016 Polaris-winning LP La Papessa catapulted her into international awareness, but just as she was heating up for the Miss Colombia tour in 2020, COVID crushed her plans.

Fortunately for us fest-goers, Lido Pimienta is slated to play ACL 1:30PM tomorrow afternoon on the Barton Springs stage. As a visual artist and curator that just launched her variety web show Lido TV, extravagant outfits are the norm when Pimienta performs, so gorgeous music aside it’s sure to be a festival-defining spectacle. Want a preview? Pimienta’s latest finds her teaming up with Bogota twins Las Añez for a cruise-ready cross-cultural composition, “Como Si Fuera Yo“.

How to Run a Modern Day Taqueria

Learn from two Chingonas making it in the taco world including Lis Mariscal, Veracruz All Natural and Victoria Elizondo, Chef/Owner of Cochinita & co. Moderated by Taco Journalist, Mando Rayo. Recorded live on the podcast stage at Austin City Limits Festival 2021.

Calder Allen: “Bend of the River” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

As the grandson of Lubbock-raised creative polymath Terry Allen, singer-guitarist Calder Allen has been raised with a set of songwriting sensibilities that few have been privy to. But despite that huge leg-up heritage-wise, Allen only made his live band debut just a couple weeks ago with Charlie Sexton during the first Sunday of ACL Fest.

Calder unleashed a batch of previously-unheard Americana originals, leaving the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage thirsty for much more from this poet extraordinaire beyond ACL. So while we all eagerly await to hear Calder Allen again, appreciate the fact that this up-and-comer doesn’t need a backing band to give a great performance, as evidenced by a stripped-down rendition of his earliest compositions, “Bend of the River”!

David Ramirez: “Friends Forever” (ACL Fest Pop-Up)

Since the salad days of KUTX, Austin songwriter David Ramirez has been a major staple of our airwaves. And David’s growth alongside ours over the years makes us feel like we’ve got a special bond between us. So imagine our elation when this six-time Studio 1A veteran visited us backstage at ACL Fest and treated us to a preview of an unreleased track all about his preference for platonic pals, “Friends Forever”!

The Breaks Live at ACL Fest 2021

This week on the Breaks:

  • Confucius and Fresh were out at the Austin City Limits Festival for weekend 2.  You’ll hear their interviews with Austin artists Mike Melinoe and Sheila, recorded live at the ACLfest Bonus Tracks stage.
  • In this week’s installment of Hip-Hop Facts, you’ll hear about the surprising connection between Megan Thee Stallion and Q-tip, how 50 Cent passed on Freddy Gibbs,  Aaliyah’s intro to 4 page letter, how Rick James felt about MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This,” the story of Prince and Michael Jackson’s Bad and more.
  • Confucius and Fresh discuss OG Ron C’s assertion that DJ Screw didn’t actually chop and screw beats.
  • Fresh puts forth the Unpopular Opinion that Texas Hip-Hop deserves more appreciation than it is currently getting and should get its flowers now!
  • In his Confucius Says segment Confucius says that even though he’s been a fan of comedian Dave Chappelle he thinks the comedian needs to shut the hell up.

You can hear the latest full broadcast of The Breaks Saturday night show.

Mike Melinoe: “Vacation” (feat. JaRon Marshall)

Born in Detroit and based right here in Austin, polymath painter-producer-vocalist Mike Melinoe is a must-see for this weekend of ACL Fest. The psychedelic-minded model enjoys an enigmatic aura and incorporates the best bits of pop, rock, and R&B into his genre-inclusive hip-hop style, conquering each new venture with remarkable verbal skills and outstanding flow.

Mike Melinoe performs at Austin City Limits Music Festival a quarter past noon at the Vrbo stage and to transport you right out of that mid-work-week mindset, indulge in “Vacation” featuring co-producer JaRon Marshall!

Riders Against the Storm: “Flowers For The Living” (feat. Clarence James)

Whether you’ve attended those legendary Body Rock ATX dance parties, celebrated the official RAS Day (August 29th), or seen their name pop-up on KUTX’s playlists, chances are you’ve heard of Riders Against the Storm. Since their 2013 eponymous EP, this eclectic hip-hop duo has continued to defy any expectations of the genre by incorporating a variety of worldly sounds, most recently on this year’s feature-stacked full-length Flowers For The Living.

These three-time Studio 1A performers and previous My KUTX hosts take the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage 1:30pm this Friday at Austin City Limits Music Festival, so in this proverbial calm before the storm, you can bloom alongside the boom on Flowers For The Living‘s title track!

Heartless Bastards: “Revolution” (KUTX Pop-Up)

One weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival is already in the bag but those famous flags are still flying high, so we’ve got another week of Austin artist coverage, continuing today with Heartless Bastards. Founded in Cincinnati nearly two full decades ago, this trio has transcended the expectations of traditional rock with flairs of folk, blue, country, and indie, beginning with their 2005 debut Stairs and Elevators and heard most recently on 2021’s A Beautiful Life.

We just revisited frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom’s 2018 My KUTX session ahead of these Studio 1A veterans’ upcoming ACL performance 2:30pm this Friday at the Lady Bird Stage. So we might as well return to a pop-up performance from Wennerstrom recorded right around this same time last year, “Revolution”!

Deezie Brown: “Amplifiers”

Though the bulk of his studio output has been relatively recent, Bastrop-born/Austin-based producer/vocalist Deezie Brown‘s already proven plenty of potential. Following up 2018’s Judith, Brown was a contributor on ATX Gen Next: Adventures in Lockdown and makes up one half of the R&B/hip-hop collaboration Geto Gala.

Deezie Brown’s got some new material in the works, and hopefully he pulls some of that stuff out when he performs 12:15pm on the Miller Lite Stage this Sunday at ACL Fest. Until then, you can tide yourself over with a real measure of Deezie Brown’s multifaceted power on “Amplifiers”!

Jade Bird: “Honeymoon”

Austin City Limits Music Festival is officially upon us, so for the next couple weeks we’ll be shining the spotlight on Austin acts that might not be as well known as some of the major headliners, but deserve just as much attention and praise. First up is Jade Bird, who after growing up in the UK has successfully flocked over to Austin without shedding any of her rebellious rock in the process.

It’s an exciting time for Jade Bird, who appears tonight The Late Late Show with James Corden and has her Austin City Limits episode airing next Saturday on PBS. That same Saturday Jade Bird opens up ACL Fest at 12:05pm at the T-Mobile Stage and today you can toss feathers with “Honeymoon”!

Jade Bird on My KUTX (2021)

Jade Bird on My KUTX (2018)

Jade Bird in Studio 1A (2017)

×