KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

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New year, new do’s – and don’ts – of tacos

Taco journalist Mando Rayo shares how he feels diners can be more intentional with how they engage with the cuisine we all love.

The interview in this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas was originally aired on the Texas Standard in January, 2026.

Tacos of Texas is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.

Lamb Barbacoa at El Grandpa’s Mexican BBQ

Get in on the barbacoa craze that hit Grandpa’s Barbacoa. Find out how that slow cooked lamb barbacoa hits differently in an outdoor, above-ground Pozo.

If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!

BLK ODYSSY: Connected To the Frequency

BLK ODYSSY talks about the darkness and reshaping the light, and offers his insight on connecting to the best frequency.

This is a live podcast taping recorded at the Vortex on October 16th, 2025.

(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

Streaming Sucks: The good, the bad and the future of music platforms

We examine what streaming looks like now and what it could look like in the future. Walker Lukens explains how Song Confessional has found success with streaming. And Lauren Bruno talks about a possible alternative to streaming that she wants to build called Prosper XO.

Learn more about the Living Wage for Musicians Act.

Check out Prosper XO’s surveys

Let us know what you think about the future of streaming.

Pause/Play is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.


You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

Navy destroyer headed to the southern border region

A U.S. Navy destroyer armed with tomahawk missiles enroute to the gulf waters off the coast of Texas. What’s this all about?


Investigative reporter Lauren McGaughy of The Texas Newsroom with word that the Texas government appears to be maintaining a list of people asking for information about changing the sex on their driver’s licenses. Who’s compiling this list and what is it being used for?


Five years after the declaration of a pandemic, what’s happened with vaccination rates?


And an AI service used by millions for free is about to go behind a paywall.
Plus, why Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor is busy making his list and checking it twice.

Richard J. Reddick


In this episode of Black Austin Matters, Lisa sits down with her co-host, Richard J. Reddick, to discuss his upbringing as an Air Force brat, his undergraduate experience at Harvard University, his journey as an educator, and the insights behind his book, Restorative Resistance in Higher Education: Leading in an Era of Racial Awakening and Reckoning.

Is a Jay-Z feature still worth it?

On this episode Fresh and Confucius discuss the difference between podcasting and radio and if a Jay-Z feature is still worth it to artists.

Trailer: (SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen

In (SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen host Laurie Gallardo simply asks one question of her guests: What is the darkness to you? Or, what is dark to you?
The season launches on Thursday, September 12th.

Don’t Austin My Lockhart: How Austin musicians seeking affordability are impacting surrounding towns

We’re looking at what happens to small towns like Lockhart when a bunch of Austin musicians seeking affordable places to live move there.

You’ll hear from musician Emily Gimble, musician and co-owner of Fiddler’s Green Jenn Miori Hodges, co-founders Courthouse Nights and Rach and Rhodes presents Rachel Lingvai and Will Rhodes, musician Pierson Saxon and founders of Duett’s in Martindale, Texas Ryan and Katie Grametbaur.

Artist Interview: Golden Dawn Arkestra — “Orgy”

REET REET PETITE!!! Part 2 of our episode featuring Texas’s finest purveyors of world funk sex beat, Golden Dawn Arkestra,  is here! In this interview with lead groove despot, Zapot, you’ll hear how he found enlightenment, five dollars, and a new lease on life by moving to Austin, Texas all those years ago.

We highly recommend listening to part one before diving into this interview.

Big thanks to Long Center for allowing us to gather this scandalous confession at our permanent booth.

Got a story you want to confess and maybe have it turned into a song? Join the Song Confessional mailing list to stay up to date on all of our latest episode, news, and the whereabouts of our confessional booth: https://songconfessional.com/connect.

Pause/Play is taking a quick break

There should be a new episode of Pause/Play this week. But, we got hit by a mix of travel, COVID, and unforeseen circumstances. So there’s no episode right now. But there will be in two weeks!

In the next episode, you’ll hear about the history of SXSW, and how it’s changed over the years.

And in the episode after that, you’ll hear about what happens when people leave Austin and start music scenes in towns around Austin.

We want to hear from you — do you live in a town close to Austin with a new thriving music scene or have you been to a show where you least expected to see live music? We’d love it if you would send us a voice memo about your experience!

You can leave a message at kutkutx.studio/contactpauseplay, email us at pauseplay@kut.org or you can leave us a message on Instagram — our handle is @pauseplaypod

‘Texas, Being’ poetry collection takes reader on a Texas tour

Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued to block a guaranteed income program in Harris County, calling it “plainly unconstitutional.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz insists his podcast is a volunteer gig and not about the money. But a new complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission says the arrangement violates campaign finance laws.
Houston’s mayor claims the city is broke. What’s the backstory, and just how bad is it?
A new book of poetry called “Texas, Being: A State of Poems” doesn’t attempt to sum up all things Texan, but it does take the reader on a journey. We’ll hear from Jenny Browne, who put the collection together.

Challenged on the right, progressive Corpus Christi DA seeks higher office

Gov. Greg Abbott has been ordered to remove a controversial buoy barrier from the middle of the Rio Grande.

Among the new laws now taking effect in Texas are new penalties aimed at cracking down on illegal voting. But just how much of a departure from the past is it? The Standard’s Sean Saldana has more.

Facing a trial to force his removal, Mark Gonzalez, a progressive DA in Nueces County, has resigned and announced a challenge to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

And we’ll hear from Pedro Martín, the author and illustrator of “Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir,” a graphic novel about a road trip to Mexico already being called an instant classic.

Brittney Martin (Ep. 35, 2023)

On this editi0n of In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Brittney Martin, co-host and Executive Producer of Sugar Land, and eight-episode podcast that explores how the discovery of an old cemetery forced a city to confront the truth of its history of a convict-leasing program with roots in slavery.

Brittney sits down with Kai Wright of Notes from America

Kai Wright of the public radio show Notes from America recently sat down with Sugar Land host Brittney Martin to talk about the history of convict leasing and why she never learned about it in school. Notes from America is a show about the unfinished business of our history and its grip on our future. This episode of Notes from America originally included part one of our podcast, Sugar Land. We’ve edited this to be only the interview segments.

Cormac McCarthy’s deep Texas ties

A tornado tore through the Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, leaving three dead, scores injured and many without homes – and forecasts say there’s more severe weather on the way.

Native American tribes are celebrating a big win before the Supreme Court in an adoption law case brought by a white foster couple from Texas.

What an expo in El Paso says about an aspect of border security that’s seldom talked about.

Remembering a giant of American novelists, Cormac McCarthy, and his ties to Texas.

And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.

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