KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

austin music

Indoor Creature: “American Dream” [PREMIERE]

Almost a full year after COVID-19 shut us all into quarantine, we’ve all become somewhat of adjusted to a largely-interior lifestyle. But if there’s one Austin group that’s sure to stave off cabin fever (even in the name alone), it’s Indoor Creature. What started off as a duo in 2015 has evolved into a slick six-piece, whose jazz-inspired indie-pop sound has continued to expand with each passing season.

Indoor Creature is set to share their third full-length, Living in Darkness, in May, and after a long first month of hefty politics, the band’s re-aligning their prospects for 2021 with the album’s infectiously chill lead single, “American Dream”!

The Watters: “Déjà Vu”

Partners in marriage, parenthood, and music, Daniel and Jenna Watters’ shared energy seems to keep pushing the quality of their songwriting higher and higher. With each new release, The Watters submerge themselves deeper into the soul sound, and you can definitely hear that over the two short years between their 2016 debut LP Great Unknown and their 2018 eponymous full-length. But as we all know, good things come in threes…

After adjusting to their newfound life as parents, The Watters recruited some top notch players including a four-piece horn section for their latest album, recorded back in 2019. Intuition drops this weekend and The Watters perform 8:30pm Saturday night at Far Out Lounge along with Curtis Lee. That prospect of leaving your home to go see live music might bring some memories flooding back, which is actually fairly appropriate given the title of today’s feature (on Jenna’s birthday, no less), “Déjà Vu”!

Erin Ivey: “Where Have You Been All My Life” [PREMIERE]

Longtime listeners of KUTX aren’t likely to gloss over certain Austin songwriters based on remarkable talent, perhaps most notably six-time Studio 1A veteran Erin Ivey. Whether she’s teamed up with Tosca String Quartet, The Finest Kind, David Ramirez, or just going solo acoustic, Ivey’s made countless jaws drop and eyes water with her luminous vocal presence and impressive range dating back to her 2007 debut.

But with seven years having passed since her last studio album, Whisper of the Moon, Ivey’s fans have been in dire need of an update. And they’re in luck! Next Friday Erin Ivey shares her ten-track full-length Solace in the Wild, leaning on her classic indie folk sound with sprinkles of Americana and psychedelia and other powerful nuances throughout. And though another premiere of sorts may understandably be taking up most of the spotlight today, take your mind off the news and enter Solace in the Wild with its lead single, “Where Have You Been All My Life”!

Daisy O’Connor: “Evergreen”

For those already familiar with Austin singer Daisy O’Connor, the mere mention of her name alone should be enough to put a smile on your face. And for those not in the know, that first sentence should tip you off that Daisy’s got a real knack for finding the silver lining in life, straying away from the saccharine in favor of prudent optimism.

O’Connor’s comprehensive, genre-sprawling style has captivated listeners for years, and her talents as a songwriter seem to grow with each new release. So you can probably see where this is going…Daisy O’Connor just graced us with a tune that’s old-for-her, new-for-us. Written and recorded at Public Hi-Fi well before the confines of quarantine, the pastoral tempo of “Evergreen” paints an idyllic landscape for O’Connor to reflect on solitude, caution before connection, and a shared experience of loneliness that’s all too relatable nowadays.

Jeff Dazey: “Song for Atatiana” (feat. Greyhounds, Jay Moeller, Tameca Jones & Lee Merritt)

Happy MLK Day! In the spirit of Dr. King, we’re handing the microphone over to Fort Worth’s Jeff Dazey, who, after honing his skills in Leon Bridges’ horn section, has supplied some unforgettable sax elements for Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, not to mention some standout features.

Thoroughly shaken by the October 2019 shooting of Atatiana Jefferson in his hometown, Dazey enlisted an eclectic assortment of Austin talent to help realize the tribute he had in mind, including local duo Greyhounds, one half of the Moeller Brothers on drums, and the always-incandescent vocals of Tameca Jones. “Song for Atatiana” was rounded out by Buds’ engineer/producer Sam Patlove and hits its most poignant moments when watching the music video of the same name.

Click Music: “Surprises”

Though he’s originally from Chicago, multi-instrumentalist David Click has decidedly snapped into place here in Austin. As a publisher, producer, engineer, and of course, singer-songwriter, Click founded his recording studio The Oven not too long ago and has fittingly recorded his material as Click Music there.

Yesterday Click Music commenced his 2021 with a bittersweet title, Cheated on Me, a three-song EP that expands out from the sound of Click’s typical discography to incorporate trip-hop, UK two-step, and pop-R&B. It seems like no matter what genre you throw at him, Click continues to navigate his affectionate arrangements with ease and incite ecstasy in listeners, statements that at this point shouldn’t come too much as, “Surprises”.

Mental Health During the Pandemic

Hear from mental healthcare providers and people in the Austin Music Ecosystem about mental health during the pandemic.

You’ll hear from Kalu James from Kalu and the Electric Joint , Vanessa Burden of Los Alcos, Austen Bailey former Talent Buyer for Mohawk, Patty Bouressa from The SIMS Foundation, Brandee Smith MS, LPC, LCDC, Austin Mental Health Care Resources, The Sims Foundation

Austin Texas Mental Health Resources

Pause/Play: Episode 8

Other Information:

National Independent Venue Association
Save Our Stages

Music By:

Kalu and The Electric Joint
Los Alcos

Check out Downfall —  the latest song from Kalu and the Electric Joint.

King Air: “Last of a Breed”

As the city continues to change, a comparatively few amount of veterans from the old school scene have stuck around to release new stuff in 2021. But for four talented musicians that’ve performed in Austin since the ’90s, they’ve merely adopted a new handle and begun to share fresh material at this turn of a decade.

Channeling the likes of alternative pioneers Velvet Underground and R.E.M., King Air cast forth their debut EP Tracks Made in Dust on Christmas Day, staking their claim of atmospheric royalty with just as many songs as members and rounding out the record with a real trance-inducer, “Last of a Breed”!

Luke and the Lonely: “My Baby Loves Heavy Metal”

What with quarantine, cabin fever, and yesterday’s surprise amount of snow in the Lone Star State, you might’ve developed a need for company over the weekend. That’s why we’re easing you back into the workweek with Austin four-piece Luke and the Lonely. First sparked in 2017 and finalized in the summer of 2018, this indie pop rock quartet dropped their debut EP The Age of Enlightenment just under two years ago, but’ve decided to hit 2021 running with one of several Chris “Frenchie” Smith-produced singles.

Their first-of-the-year “My Baby Loves Heavy Metal” came out on Friday, giving us all the refined but aggressive strength to help us coast through to see another weekend.

The Los Sundowns: “Al Final de La Tarde” (feat. Alex Chavez)

For more than two decades, Grammy-winning guitarist and producer Beto Martinez has imprinted Austin with his Latin-leaning outputs: Grupo Fantasma, Money Chicha, and Brownout. And though psychedelia’s always been a major factor in Martinez’s formulas, with some conceptualizing on behalf of Dos Santos drummer Daniel Villarreal, the two have dawned on a new Latin psych-soul project, The Los Sundowns.

In a little over a month The Los Sundowns will release their debut self-titled EP, stacked with a roster of talented collaborators from Villarreal and Martinez’s combined rolodex and issued through Beto’s new label Lechehouse Music. And while we all anticipate auspiciousness from The Los Sundowns when drops on February 12th, the group’s tided us over with their lead single, featuring fellow Dos Santos veteran Alex Chavez, “Al Final de La Tarde”!

Lost Cat Magnet & Joshua Thomson: “Moon Man”

When you find an ideal musical partner but touring schedules keep you apart, sometimes a lockdown can be a blessing in disguise. At least that’s how it’s gone for Californian-turned-Austinite Lost Cat Magnet and former Michigander Joshua Thomson, two star-crossed collaborators who’ve finally had a chance to create something new and extraordinary between themselves.

Between LCM’s beat-making finesse, Thomson’s expansive ability to improvise and interpret melodies on sax, and a shared universe of influences and tastes dating back a half century, these two built their Low Orbit EP from the ground up, only using a computer to touch up analog recordings. Co-produced by Brazilian music aficionado Tiago da Silva and releasing tomrorow, Low Orbit is sure to keep you gravitated into its field with exotic electro-jazz and funk-house inspired grooves, even on tracks that can’t be identified under any one genre, like “Moon Man”!

The Consequentialists: “Puzzle”

When it comes to philosophy in punk music, raw always wins the luck of the draw. Take, for example, Austin outfit The Consequentialists, who knocked out the pre-production for their debut EP under the primitive restrictions of an iPhone’s built in microphone and the entry-level limits of Garage Band, over-dubbing only what they needed to pack a punch after the fact.

The resulting self-titled record is an unfettered offering of aggressive energy, putting The Consequentialists high up on our list of artists we can’t wait to see live. And with The Consequentialists finishing at a compact fifteen minutes, you definitely have the time to pilfer through its five tracks, starting with the album opener, “Puzzle”!

Cosmic Convoy: “Up For Grabs”

You’re no doubt looking for some new music to complement the new year, but without trying to get nostalgic over 2020 (how could you?) we’re actually going to spend the next couple days looking back at some stuff you might’ve missed. Enter Cosmic Convoy, an Austin-based quartet founded over a mutual love of vintage genres, whether it be it outlaw country, ’60s R&B-soul, or classic rock. The four began playing covers back in 2017 but have finally passed the limen and progressed into writing and performing their own tunes.

In November of last year Cosmic Convoy saddled up with their debut EP, Together Again for the First Time, channeling the likes of Townes Van Zandt, Son Volt, and Gram Parsons across six songs. We’re hoping that this is just the first entry into these fellas’ discography, so climb aboard the Cosmic Convoy with one of Together Again‘s boldest, “Up For Grabs”!

Was it Worth it Wayne?

In this episode of The Breaks:
  • Hosts Confucius and Fresh talk about Lil Wayne’s recent legal troubles and wonder if the rapper regrets endorsing Donald Trump.
  • Both hosts talk about the upcoming Verzuz battle between E-40 and Too $hort.
  • In this weeks edition of “Random Hip-Hop facts,” Confucius and Fresh focus on Biz Markie and Lupe Fiasco, Twista and Spice 1.
  • Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that the recent focus on white representation in hip-hop journalism actually discounts the many contributions of Black journalists.
  • In his Confucius Says segment, Confucius encourages people to give The Breaks the credit they deserve for elevating Austin’s hip-hop scene.

The Breaks are on every Saturday 10pm-1am on KUTX 98.9.You can hear the latest full broadcast of The Breaks Saturday night show.

The Return of Live Music Part 1

Live Music has returned to Austin, even as COVID cases continue to surge in Texas. Hear about three live music experiences from the perspective of a fan, three musicians and a promoter.

Listen to this episode of Pause/Play

In this episode you’ll hear from:
host Elizabeth McQueen stepping into the role of a fan
Greg Gonzalez, bass player for Money Chicha & Grupo Fantasma
Tomar Williams from Tomar and the FC’s
Geoff Earle from Stiletto Feels
Walker Lukens from Walker Lukens and the Sidearms. He’s also the co-host of the Song Confessional Podcast

Love and Lightstream
Antones
Central Machine Works 

Pause-Play: Episode 5

Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, Spotify

Listen to Songs from this Episode

Jackie Venson Artist Feature

For the first 50 days of quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic, Austin musician Jackie Venson live-streamed hours of musical performances from her home. She awoke at the end of the meditative marathon to a new normal for Austin musicians: no touring, no in-person shows, and no idea of what would come next. But in her calmed state of mind, Venson focused on her practice and her music, and used her platform to stand for Black musicians and Black lives. Last month, she received the honor of playing her first ACL Live performance – a culmination of her patience and perseverance in this uncertain year.

Video by Julia Reihs.

The Venues

In this episode, you’ll hear from the owners two Austin venues. Brodie Elkins tells the story of Scratchouse which closed due to the pandemic. Then Maggie Lea and Tamara Hoover talk about how they’ve kept their venue, Cheer Up Charlies, afloat and explain what it’s been like to get ready to reopen.

Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, Spotify

Follow Cheer Up Charlies: Instagram and Twitter

Resources:

Music Venue Alliance Austin

Red River Cultural District

National Independent Venue Alliance

Amplified Sound Coalition

Austin Texas Musicians

Pause/Play: Episode 3

Other articles:

‘We Deserve To Be Saved’: Austin Music Venues Rally For City-Backed Relief Fund”

by Andrew Weber

“In Live Music Capital of the World, venues feel let down by Austin”

by Deborah Sengupta Stith”

Prepared for the Worst: Being a Musician During COVID-19

From finances to healthcare access, being a musician during a pandemic isn’t easy – even in the Live Music Capital of the World. In episode two of Pause//Play, the new podcast from KUT/KUTX Studios, Austin musicians Mobley and TEDDYTHELEGACY tell their stories of survival and creativity. Video by Julia Riehs

×