Austin Music Experience

This Song: Iron and Wine

Sam Beam, aka Iron and Wine, has been testing the boundaries of folk music since the early 2000’s. Hear how Big Star’s “Take Care” helped him to evolve his ideas of what he could do with musical arrangements, and listen as he proposes a theory as to why music moves emotion. Warning: his theory may give you the good chills.

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Check out Iron and Wine’s Tour Dates

Listen to Andrew Bird’s This Song interview

Listen to Songs from Episode 102 of This Song

This Song: Suzanna Choffel

Austin singer-songwriter Suzanna Choffel describes the vibe behind Reggae music and shares how Bob Marley exposed her to the magic of chasing suffering with love. While she grew up hearing hints of this sound from Sublime and The Police, it wasn’t until Bob Marley that the voice and vibe of reggae taught her how to express the jarring truth in a beautiful, poetic, and gentle way. Step out of the world of chaos, and for a moment be reminded by reggae that, while so much is happening, there is also so much space; every little piece has it’s part.

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Listen to Collie Buddz on This Song

Listen to Songs from Episode 101 of This Song

This Song’s 100th Episode! Elizabeth and Lisel McQueen

It’s This Song’s 100th Episode!!!! To celebrate we’ve made it a family affair. Host Elizabeth McQueen gets interviewed by her 8 year old daughter Lisel about how Rebecca Sugar’s “Here Comes a Thought” from Steven Universe expanded her idea of what songs can do. Then Lisel explains to Elizabeth how “Peace and Love on the Planet Earth,” also from Steven Universe, blows her mind and is helping her process big ideas like, Peace, War, Death and Birth and the fact that the earth may explode some day.

And Antonette Masando, creator of the She’s the Boss podcast and former This Song intern, explains how Nicki Minaj’s “Fly” and Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” changed her life.

Photo Credit: Willow McQueen

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Check out the Full Archive of This Song of KUTX.org

Subscribe to She’s the Boss here

Listen to Songs from Episode 100 of This Song

This Song: Ty Segall

Psychedelic garage-rocker Ty Segall tells KUTX host Taylor Wallace how The Band’s “The Weight” inspired the name of his new puppy, how much he loves The Grateful Dead, and how both bands helped him wrap his head around lyrical storytelling.

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Check out Ty Segall’s Tour Dates

Listen to the This Song Episode Featuring Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo here

Listen to Songs from Episode 99 of This Song

This Song: Middle Kids

Hannah Joy, lead singer and songwriter of the Australian trio Middle Kids, talks about how Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac inspires her as a female artist and describes why she decided to transition from a solo piano based artist to a guitar playing leader of a band.

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Check out Middle Kids Tour Dates

Christine McVie is on Tour with Lindsey Buckingham! Check out their Tour Dates

Check out Jen Wasner from Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes “This Song” Episode

Listen to Songs from Episode 98 of This Song

This Song: Collie Buddz

What’s really going on with reggae? In this episode, Collie Buddz gives host Elizabeth McQueen a crash course in Sound Clash, Dubplate, Conscious Reggae, and shares the impact Garnet Silk’s song “Lord Watch Over Our Shoulders” had on his music. Hear how the genre has transformed the songwriting, sampling, beat making and lifestyle of this week’s artist and see some of your favorite classic songs in a whole new light.

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Check out Collie Buddz Tour Dates

Listen to

Listen to Songs from Episode 97 of This Song

This Song: St. Paul and the Broken Bones

There’s no denying that St. Paul and the Broken Bones are full of soul, and in this episode you get a little taste of where it all came from. From a cappella versions of “Amazing Grace”, to Otis Redding and Miles Davis, the Alabama-based bands depth of spirit is influenced by passionate, emotional music. “Being able to draw emotions out of yourself and people is a very powerful thing,” says lead singer Paul Janeway, “It’s what we do for a living, and we love doing it.”

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Check out St. Paul and the Broken Bones tour dates

Check out the This Song Episode featuring My Morning Jacket’s Jim James

Listen to Songs from Episode 93 of This Song

This Song: The Mastersons

Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore spend most of their lives on the road, both as members of Steve Earle’s band, The Dukes, and as the husband and wife duo, The Mastersons. Their discussion with Elizabeth touches on Daniel Lanios’ late night landscapes; the harmonies of Emmylou Harris, The Louvin Brothers and The Jayhawks and how one Johnny Gimble fiddle solo changed their lives and shaped the sound of their latest record “Transient Lullaby.”

Photo: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez/KUTX

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Check out the Mastersons’ Tour Dates

Check out the Masterson’s Studio 1A performance

Listen to Songs from Episode 92 of This Song

This Song: Brett Dennen

Singer-Songwriter Brett Dennen describes the first time he heard Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want,” explains how it revealed the kind of artist he would later strive to be, and describes the process he went through making his new record “Por Favor.” Then listener Joanna Castillo tells us why Kathy Mattea’s song “Where’ve You Been” always makes her want to cry.

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Check out Brett Dennen’s Tour Dates

Listen to Songs from Episode 91 of This Song

This Song: Palo Duro

When a young Michael Winningham (of Palo Duro) got into the back of a Land Rover going to the Gourds show he had no idea the song he was about to hear would change his life. The song, “A Mihna Menina” by Os Mutantes, blew his mind open to a whole world of new influences and showed him that when you’re making music, you can do whatever you want.

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Listen to Benjamin Booker talk about how he’s influenced by William Onyeabor (Thanks Sam Cohen!)

Check out Palo Duro’s Bandcamp Page

Listen to Michael’s My KUTX Guest DJ Set

Listen to Songs from Episode 85 of This Song

This Song: The Strumbellas

The Strumbellas aren’t afraid to make music that pulls from folk, rock, pop and country. Hear singer Simon Ward, guitar player Jon Hembrey and drummer Jeremy Drury explain how a Ryan Adams’ song, an Offspring record and a sped up version of Twisted Sisters’ “Burn in Hell” led to the band’s creation and sound.

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Check out the Strumbella’s Tour Dates

Listen to Songs from Episode 84 of This Song

This Song: The Black Angels

When Alex Maas from The Black Angels heard avant garde electronic pop band Silver Apples’ first record in a bar in Cincinnati he had what he describes as a spiritual experience. Listen as he describes the effect that Silvers Apples had on The Black Angels music and how their new record “Death Song” has been an exercise in trying to understand the world we live in now.

Do you have a song or a record by an obscure band that you want to let the world know about? Give us a call at 512-766-9066, send us an email at ThisSong@kutx.org or tweet us @ThisSongKUTX. We’d love to share your favorite, but maybe not so well known band with the world!

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Check out The Black Angels new record “Death Song”

Check out The Black Angels Tour Dates

Check out Silver Apples Tour Dates

Watch the video of Kayla Harrison winning the Gold Medal in Judo

Listen to Songs from Episode 80 of This Song

This Song: Spoon

Spoon pretty much owned the SXSW Music Festival this year and during that week Britt Daniel and Alex Fischel stopped by and talked with Elizabeth McQueen about from where they drew their inspiration for their new release “Hot Thoughts.” During the conversation they touched on Bruce Springsteen’s elevating sax solos, the guitar energy of The Wipers, Dr. Dre’s synth sounds and how audio — and not necessarily lyrics — can transmit powerful emotions.

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Listen to Songs from Episode 75 of This Song

Team This Song’s SXSW Wrap-Up

Team This Song is still processing SXSW, and we’ve decided to process with you. Listen as the interviewers, editors, audio engineers and interns who make this show happen bring you their favorite sparkly festival moments from artists like Lizzo, Spoon, OJR, Temples, Cool Kids, Otis the Destroyer and 6lack.

Listen to KUTX On Air Host Jody Denberg’s SXSW Wrap Up with Rolling Stone’s David Frick and Robyn Hitchcock

Check out Music and Videos from KUTX Live at the Four Seasons 2017

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Listen to Songs from Episode 74 of This Song

SXSW This Song Artist Spotlight

There are a lot of amazing things about being in the music industry here in Austin, Texas; getting to interview fantastic artists that live here and some that are just passing through is great, but seeing them all in one place for a week of music-making magic (and madness) has got to be one of the best. Here’s a list of our This Song artists that played 2017 SXSW official,so even if you can’t see them, you can hear them talk about music that changed their lives!

Benjamin Booker // SXSW

Big Thief // SXSW

Calliope Musicals // SXSW

Gary Clark Jr. // SXSW

Hard Proof // SXSW

Jane Ellen Bryant // SXSW

Kevin Morby // SXSW

Leopold and His Fiction // SXSW

Lizzo // SXSW

Misimplicity // SXSW

Mobley // SXSW

Molly Burch // SXSW

M. Ward // SXSW

The Octopus Project // SXSW

OSHUN // SXSW

Ringo Deathstarr // SXSW

San Fermin // SXSW

The Shelters // SXSW

White Denim // SXSW

*Wu-Tang Clan // SXSW (*RZA from Wu-Tang clan collaborates with Paul Banks as Banks & Steelz)

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This Song: Hard Proof

Austin’s Hardproof is extra special to us at Team This Song. Their song “Mahout” begins and ends every episode of our podcast so we consider them part of the family. They have just released their new record “Stinger” on Modern Outsider Records and when they came to KUTX to talk with Elizabeth about it, band members Joe Woullard, Stephen Bidwell and Jason Frey described the magic they found in the music Fela Kuti, Bad Brains and saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings.

Listen to Hardproof’s Studio 1A session here.

Listen to Hardproof’s My KUTX

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Listen to Songs from Episode 69 of This Song

This Song: Andrew W.K. // The Star Spangled Banner

Professional Partier Andrew W.K. explores one of the most deeply embedded songs in American culture — The Star Spangled Banner. As he breaks down how this lyrically archaic a technically difficult song works as a stirring National Anthem, you may realize that you have your own connection to the song.

We want to hear YOUR stories about the national anthem! Did you see it, did you sing it, is funny or inspiring? Comment, tweet, message, email, or even leave a voicemail with our excellent intern Kelly Seale for a chance to hear your story on the podcast!

Twitter: @ThisSongKUTX
Email: thissong@kutx.org
Voicemail: (512) 766-906

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Listen to Andrew WK’s MyKUTX Guest DJ Set

Watch Andrew WK sing the National Anthem live and in Concert

Watch Andrew WK sing the National Anthem live and at another concert.

Listen to Songs from Episode 73 of This Song

This Song: Rhett Miller of Old 97s

Rhett Miller, lead singer and songwriter of Old 97’s, explains how seeing a Jewish Lesbian Folk Singer named Phranc sing Bob Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” helped him realize how music connects and saves us all.

Check out Old 97’s new record Graveyard Whistling on iTunes

Watch Old 97’s Studio 1A Performance

Check out Old 97’s Tour Dates

Watch Old 97’s on VuHaus

Check out Phranc’s music on Bandcamp

Subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher to get the new episodes of This Song delivered to you as soon as they come out.

Listen to Songs from Episode 72 of This Song

This Song: Molly Burch

Molly Burch always knew she wanted to sing, but she just needed to find the right song. Hear how Billie Holiday’s “God Bless the Child” has helped her find her way as a singer from the first time she heard it in middle school.

Check out Molly Burch’s Tour Dates.

Listen to Molly Burch’s MyKUTX set

Check out Molly Burch’s Artist of the Month Page

Subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher to get the new episodes of This Song delivered to you as soon as they come out.

Listen to Songs from Episode 71 of This Song

This Song: Local Natives

Local Natives Kelcey Ayer and Nik Ewing have been thinking a lot about how to balance darkness and light, art and activism. Listen as Kelcey describes how Fleetwood Mac’s “Sara” is a “sad song that makes you feel good,” and why he needs those kind of songs in his life. Then Nik Ewing explores why he’s come to appreciate Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” in the past year, and how that song inspires him and others in the band to think expansively about their roles as artists.

Check out Local Natives Tour Dates

Subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher to get the new episodes of This Song delivered to you as soon as they come out.

Listen to Songs from Episode 70 of This Song