KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

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

R&B

Tanika Charles: “Talk to Me Nice”

On Tanika Charles’s new album Reasons To Stay, pain becomes soulful beauty and vulnerability takes center stage. More than five years after her album The Gumption, the Toronto soul singer returns with her most intimate album to date. On Reasons To Stay, she goes deep on her family history in terms of the stages of grief, exhuming skeletons representing the people who were supposed to love and protect, but failed her instead and exercising her own demons preventing Charles from reaching self-love and and accepting that she, as herself, is enough.

These harrowing themes and dark roots are explored through Charles’s bright, distinctive, harmony-stacked soul music that has earned her Juno Award nominations and a longlist nod on the Polaris Prize List. On “Talk to Me Nice,” Tanika ruminates on the human need for unconditional kindness, closeness, and acceptance from certain figures in your life in a way that translates “talk to me nice” to simply “please love me.”

Reasons to Stay is out now Record Kicks.

ACL 2025?!

On this week’s episode we discuss the 2025 ACL line up and why Austin needs a great R&B nightclub/venue. Hip-hop facts about Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri, Sisqo and more. Unpopular opinion from Fresh takes aim at DJs in Austin possibly doing more.

DUCKWRTH: “Toxic Romantic”

L.A.’s DUCKWRTH has an adept knack for genre-bending around hip-hop, indie, and electronic music, massaging whatever effect he wants to achieve into his mold. His hip, danceable midtempo grooves have landed him the opening spot on two Billie Eilish tours, his music has been in shows like Insecure and Bel Air, and his song “Start A Riot” with Shaboozey was featured on the widely revered Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack.

DUCKWRTH’s third studio album American F**k Boy is a thoughtfully plotted story that unfolds like a book. Broken down into literal chapters, the voices of notable actors like LaKeith Stanfield give interstitial narration throughout DUCKWRTH’s bear-all odyssey juggling multiple romantic interests, generational trauma, his own self-inflicted patterns leading to toxic relationships. Towards the end, DUCKWRTH describes his ego death necessary to grow, reflect, and move on with a promise to do better.

“Toxic Romantic” kicks off the album with a brilliant display of DUCKWRTH’s groovy midtempo, multi-hyphenate style, punctuating the chaos we’ve been dropped into with a garbled guitar riff and DUCKWRTH calling his pathetic self out with a distorted delivery of the cliché “It’s not you, it’s me. I promise.”

American F*cK Boy is out now on Them Hellas/The Blind Youth.

Ralph McDaniels (Ep. 18, 2025)

This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with pioneering music video director, DJ and VJ Ralph McDaniels, who in 1983 created Studio 31 Dance Party, a television program presenting recordings of music performances that evolved into the long-running music video program Video Music Box.

Marlei Dismuke: “Fantasy”

Born in Houston, partially raised in Plano, and now an Austin resident, Marlei Dismuke has been writing and performing music since she started piano lessons at age five. Writing songs for her brothers turned into composing music for family musicals complete with choreography, and eventually truly honing her craft in high school and college, performing everything from jazz to pop to opera.

Dismuke’s myriad of musical interests pour through her songs that sometimes leans a little pop and others a little R&B, but there’s little bits of all of her talent baked in. “Fantasy” is a sultry bi-curious anthem, celebrating the female figure while being caught-up in that all-too-relatable moment of, “what do I do with these feelings?”.

“Fantasy” is out now.

Anastasia Hera: “Ambitions” (Live in Studio 1A)

Austin’s Anastasia Hera has been blending her brand of rap and R&B for almost fifteen years. In addition to releasing her own solo work, leading her group Anastasia and the Heroes, and putting her mark on various other projects, she’s also the founder of CAKE (Creativity, Abundance, Knowledge, Education), a non-profit empowering and educating women pursuing music careers.

Her deft lyrics, sultry vocals, and smooth, earwormy beats have led her to becoming our February Artist of the Month. And, just announced today, she’s part of our line-up for KUTX Live at Scholz Garten during SXSW next month.  

As our Artist of the Month, she recently stopped by our Studio 1A to share songs from her latest album Way Outside. And now, you get a taste of what’s to come on the stage at Scholz.

“Ambitions” is on Way Outside, out now.

Tommy Francisco: “Tommy’s Groove”

Even a piping hot bowl of tokontsu ramen can’t fully shake-off today’s bone chill, but maybe the headspace of partying on a yacht in Mallorca can.

Austin native Tommy Francisco hit the scene in 2020 with “Fever,” giving him an international audience and proving his ability to blend his Latin and Indigenous backgrounds into a brand of R&B and pop that speaks to the general human experience.

After charting at #2 on the R&B iTunes charts in 2024 with this EP In My Feelings, he’s back with V.I.P., and he’s put us on this list.

“Tommy’s Groove,” is a smooth, lively romp of yacht R&B. Like a collab between Chromeo and Michael McDonald. But don’t worry, Tommy’s Groove is lactose intolerant: no cheese, all linen-suit boogie.

“Tommy’s Groove” is from V.I.P., out now.

Schmiddy: “Nebula” (ft. Andyah)

Austin beatmaker Blake Schmidt has released a string of instrumental mixtapes under the moniker Schmiddy for the last three years, all the while working towards something more comprehensive. Schmiddy’s background in composing for short films in college for grades to composing hip-hop tracks for fun has led him to last Friday: the release of Schmiddy’s debut album Lightning In A Bottle. The album is not only a showcase of Schmiddy’s brand of beatmaking and production, but of his talent for sourcing and matching the right vocal talent for each track and creating something true to his background: cinematic.

“Nebula” features Nairobi-based artist Andyah as vocalist and co-writer. Her vocals are light but rich, working in tandem to the movement of Schmiddy’s groove. Think of a camera slowly panning down a bolt of layered red velvet with an intoxicating fire burning in the background. And it’s that right kind of spicy that makes you want to sensually slow dance, even if just to yourself in the mirror.

2024 Year-in-Review

Don’t worry, it’s not a clip show! Confucius and Fresh recap moments from The Breaks that made this year one for the books.

Is Drake going to be okay?

Confucius and Fresh talk about the implications of Drake’s latest lawsuit, what to expect from Austin hip-hop and R&B going into 2025, and an Unpopular Opinion on the status of regional hip-hop.

Muzeke: “New Man”

Like it or not, we are in the home stretch for 2024. So don’t be too surprised when you start hearing everyone talk about their lofty New Year’s resolutions in the coming weeks. But if you yourself need some extra solidarity to help turn a new leaf and hit the ground running in 2025, we’ve got just the thing for you.

We’re talking about Austin’s Muzeke – the La Fayette-born-and-boiled singer-songwriter (and former Uncommon People frontman) that’s full of R&B, soul, rap, and alternative flavors. Beginning on a couple of collaborations with MILD Inconveniencé and continuing with another two pairs of solo tracks across last year and 2024, Muzeke’s mashup of melodic vocal lines and confessional lyrics always makes for a smooth (albeit, often poignant) listen.

So, while Muzeke will most likely spend part of this Thanksgiving week showing his usual gratitude to music as an expressive platform (duh; it’s right there in the moniker), we may bear witness to a slightly altered, more matured person on Muzeke’s debut EP next Spring. How do we know? Well, last Friday Muzeke shared his second single of the year (and the lead off the EP), “New Man”. Chronicling a recent big shift and closing a chapter of past romances, “New Man” also marks the introduction of a more determined individual whose unafraid to get a little aggressive. Not to mention, this Caribbean-inspired instant cuffing season classic might be the hottest ménage à trois of riddim, sensual electric guitar, and vocal seduction this side of the holiday season.

Do celebrities respect Austin?

Inspired by a recent visit from T.I., Confucius and Fresh talk about how celebrities treat Austin before moving onto the role of Black celebrities in politics and an Unpopular Opinion on 50 Cent.

Honey Made: “Pass Me By”

It’s finally starting to get chilly ’round these parts…at least at night. You know what that means: cuffing season is upon us. So if your slow jams playlist is starting to feel a bit stale, we’ve got great news for you.

Austin soul-funk nine-piece Honey Made just unfurled a sensual five-minute inferno – “Pass Me By”. Is it a departure from their historically uptempo sound? Undeniably. But does it also echo the hot-and-heavy energy of golden age quiet storm, not too far from Between the Sheets-era Isley Brothers? Absolutely.

Even if your evening plans don’t include staying in bed with your boo, you’re in luck too. Honey Made plays a free show 8PM tonight at Drinks Backyard. Either way, for those feeling like their world’s quickly spinning out of control, slow things down a notch or two on your way out of the workweek with this expertly crafted, violin spiced reminder to always love the one you’re with, something that’s sure to wrap you up like a warm, snug blanket throughout the upcoming winter.

Been There 3 Interview

Confucius and Fresh are joined by DAWA/Riders Against the Storm’s Chaka and Been There cofounder Aaron Brown to discuss Been There 3: A Party to Support Our Unhoused Neighbors happening November 2nd at Radio East to benefit The Other Ones Foundation. Hear that, a chat on the relationship between hip-hop and Halloween, and an Unpopular Opinion on Kendrick Lamar’s recent choice of media outlets.

The Gumbo SmackDown!

Confucius and Fresh cover both sides of the upcoming Gumbo SmackDown on October 26th through interviews with WWE Hall-of-Famer Mark Henry and Whip My Soul co-founders Antonio & Tia Echols. Hear that and an Unpopular Opinion on BET Hip-Hop Awards choice of venue in this episode.

Does Hip-Hop beget violence?

Confucius and Fresh follow up their Rap Beef series with discussions on hip-hop and violence, Jaguar Wright’s allegations against Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and Logic’s intrinsic objective merits as a lyricist.

Suzanna Choffel: “Get Out”

Austin-based singer-songwriter Suzanna Choffel brings relateable emotion and vibrant energy to her latest single, “Get Out,” off her upcoming album Bird By Bird. Known for her genre-blending sound and raw lyricism, Choffel uses this track to dive into the pressures of her modern life—parenthood, relationships, and career struggles—all while trying to maintain a sense of self.

But, “Get Out” doesn’t stray away from what Suzanna Choffel has always aimed to emulate. In fact, like any insightfully charged musician, her journey as an artist has always been tied to her personal life. Since her last album, Hello Goodbye, recorded while she was pregnant with her first daughter, Choffel’s experiences now as a mother of two have reshaped her perspective on songwriting. Balancing family, a music career, and hosting her own radio show on Sun Radio in Austin, she brings a matured yet still playful sound to Bird By Bird.

And often with big changes like these, sometimes a break from routine is needed. Knowing this, Choffel reached out to longtime collaborator Davíd Garza to help produce the record, who recruited a dynamic rhythm section featuring drummer Amy Wood and bassist Sebastian Steinberg, known for his work on Fiona Apple’s GRAMMY award-winning album, Fetch the Bolt Cutters.  Not to mention, the album also features a dash of Austin with guest performances from local friends Adrian Quesada, Carrie Rodriguez, and Elias Haslanger.

The collaboration brings a driving, percussive intensity to “Get Out” while somehow still maintaining a graceful balance with her folksy highs and lows. To bring more of a personal touch to the album, Garza, who’s also a new father, suggested turning the song’s final chorus into more of a celebratory moment capturing the cathartic release that “Get Out” represents.

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