music

This Song: KT Tunstall

We got a chance to catch up with Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall shortly after she released, Wax, the second album in a trilogy focused on the soul, body, and mind. On this episode, she tells us how seeing Beck’s Loser on MTV as a kid pushed her to pursue her own music and how his willingness to experiment with styles and genres continues to inspire her.

📸 Piper Ferguson

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Listen to KT Tunstall’s new record “Wax”

Check out KT Tunstall’s Tour Dates

Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

This Song: Hrishikesh Hirway // Thao Nguyen

For the last episode of 2018, This Song decided to celebrate some exciting changes at one of our favorite music podcasts. Starting in 2019, Song Exploder host, creator, and producer Hrisikesh Hirway will hand over hosting duties to Thao Nguyen of Thao and the Getdown Staydown.

Listen as Hrishikesh Hirway tells us how listening to Asha Bhosle’s “Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera” as a young child helped open up a well of emotion that continues to inspire him to this day. Then we hear how Lucinda Williams helped Thao Nguyen understand the power of “the good hurt.”

Have a Happy New Year!

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This Song: Parquet Courts

Andrew Savage from Parquet Courts loves karaoke. Hear from whence that love springs, how that love led him to Roxy Music and why he love that band’s song “Re-Make / Re-Model.” Then listen as he explores the ways the Parquet Courts deals with the current chaotic moment we all find ourselves in on their latest record “Wide Awake!”

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Buy Parquet Courts New Record “Wide Awake!”

Check out Parquet Courts Live in Studio 1A

Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

This Song: Brownout

Greg Gonzalez, bass player for Austin’s premiere Latin funk outfit Brownout describes how Anthrax’s version of “Bring the Noise” introduced him to Public Enemy, which in turn introduced him to the music of James Brown and ignited a lifelong love affair with funk music.

Brownout just released an album of Public Enemy interpretations called “Fear of a Brown Planet.”

📸 Julia Reihs/KUTX

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Check out Brownout’s Tour Dates

Check out Brownout’s MyKUTX Guest DJ Set

Listen to Adrian Quesada’s This Song episode

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This Song: Vickie Howell

Vickie Howell has been bringing knitting to the people since the early days of the internet. Hear how her roots in the DIY SoCal punk scene watching bands like Pennywise, Social Distortion and Bad Religion influenced her work with Austin Craft Mafia and continues to inspire her as she embarks on her new project — “The Knit Show with Vickie Howell.”

Check out the Kickstarter Campaign for “The Knit Show With Vickie Howell.”

Check out Vickie Howell’s Sweater Themed Playlist!

Listen to Songs from Episode 76 of This Song

This Song: Eric Earley & Brian Koch of Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Early (pictured holding the chicken) was raised in a small, Oregon community watching no MTV and learning to play and listen to music from his father. His musical trajectory was permanently altered by R.E.M. and their breakout album “Out Of Time.” In this episode he tell Elizabeth about how Michael Stipe’s poetic lyrical approach spoke to his own circumstances and inspired his craft. Then bandmate/drummer/actor Brian Koch (pictured holding the dog) tells a tale of his family who did very little to encourage his music and how he was inspired by hidden radios, friends with guitars and a young singer-songwriter with whom he now shares a stage. It’s the most direct line of influence and inspiration of any This Song yet.

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Watch Blitzen Trapper perform “Love Grow Cold” live in Studio 1A on VuHaus

Listen to Blitzen Trapper’s Studio 1A performance

Listen to the songs featured in Episode 57 of This Song

This Song: BØRNS // Calliope Musicals

It’s ELO Mania on This Song!

First is BØRNS who first discovered ELO as a kid and returned to the group’s not-so-simple chord changes as an adult. He talks to Elizabeth about “Turn To Stone,” Jeff Lynn’s writing style, guilty pleasures and how he approaches the songwriting process.

Next up is Carrie Fussell and Josh Bickley from Austin’s own Calliope Musicals. Carrie picks “Tightrope” as her song but quickly gushes about the entire ELO album “A New World Record” and how it guided her through her tough times and helped develop a new artistic direction for the band. Then the band’s co-founder and drummer Josh Bickley explains how the lyrics of a very non drum centric Blind Melon song won over his very drum centric heart.

Watch Børns perform Live in Studio 1A on VuHaus

Listen to the full Børns session from Studio 1A

Watch the Børns session on Facebook Live (scroll down to June 7th!)

Watch Calliope Musicals reform Live from Studio 1A on Vuhaus

Watch Calliope Musicals perform an acoustic version of “Dreams” backstage at ACLfest on VuHaus

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Listen to Songs from Episode 44 of This Song