rules

Waking April: “Rules”

North Carolina’s been in the news a lot lately, and our hearts go out to everyone in Asheville who are rebuilding after Hurricane Helene. Anecdotally, we also know some folks who sought sanctuary in nearby Raleigh, and we’ve learned that Raleigh’s also a refuge for one couple’s killer electronic collaboration.

We’re talking about Waking April, the classically-trained high school romance-turned-savant synth-pop pair. The duo’s been dropping tunes as Waking April for nearly a full decade now, but it wasn’t until the pandemic era that they really proved their firm footing in the Phantogram/CHVRCHES/Sylvan Esso corner of things, negating pretty much everything we’ve presumed around the “stereotypical” Raleigh sound. And that’s a legacy that’s only grown fuller with the release of Waking April’s debut full-length Fear of Failure that came out at the top of the month.

Mastered by Beyoncé/Olivia Rodrigo engineer Levi Seitz and flourishing with all kinds of exciting sounds (both live and synthesized), Fear of Failure spells nothing but mainstream success in our minds for the future of Waking April. The entire record’s an enthralling new chapter for the two-piece that covers plenty of moody, alternative dreamscapes, so if you want to dive headfirst into it, check out the workout-ready drum-and-synth-driven aggression on the second of FoF‘s eleven: “Rules”.

Texas Standard: January 15, 2021

The November elections suggested it wouldn’t be business as usual at the state house, unless of course, lawmakers changed the rules, we’ll have details. Also, when republicans lost a key seat in the Texas senate, they lost their supermajority… a tool they’ve used to keep democrats from blocking their priorities. We’ll hear what a new rule change means for the status quo ante. And snow in Texas. Fun for kids, but farmers hope a harbinger of wetter and better days as they struggle with drought conditions. And the Latino voices of the pandemic in Texas. Those stories and more today on the Texas Standard:

Playing and Losing By The Rules

It can be hard to lose, and at times, to play by the rules, but as Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about in this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, politics is more than just a game.

Texas Standard: March 31, 2017

He said he would blow up NAFTA. But maybe not so much? Border leaders react to a surprise softening of the US position: details today. Plus two countries, one community, and a wall. In south Texas, protestors stake out positions on a bridge. Also changing the rules of engagement: for us forces fighting the war on terror, will it make a difference? A former white house security chief weighs in on a shift in when to pull the trigger. And after the fail on repeal and replace, states find a new health care opening under Obamacare. Will Texas be text to give it a go? Plus the week in Texas politics and a whole lot more, its Texas Standard time:

Texas Standard: March 27, 2017

Who’s in charge here? With the president giving more latitude to the military, rising civilian casualty counts in Syria trigger growing concerns. Plus reading, writing and reboot. Texas public school students hunker down for assessment tests statewide, but the score that may wind up mattering most: the one for the test makers. We’ll hear why. Also, fancy a trip to the moon? As commercial space tourism becomes big business concerns about who’s in charge of safety and who’s writing the rules for the future of private space travel. And the would-be laws you haven’t heard about. We’ll check out the so called sleeper bills. Those stories and lots more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: March 16, 2017

A tweak to a plan to ban sanctuary cities statewide: one that could make a big difference at the side of the road, we’ll explore. Also jammed 911 lines blamed for two deaths in Dallas: is a cellphone glitch gumming up the whole emergency system? And a regulation aimed at preventing another west, suddenly headed south. What this means for efforts to safeguard chemical plants and the people who live near them. Also a crime problem so bad the city’s police chief says you can’t arrest your way out of this one. We’ll hear the backstory. And the latest effort to curb fake news: is that a robot editing your Facebook feed? All of that and lots more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 2, 2017

America First: the rallying cry for the new administration ,and a focus of protests. But are we ready for what might happen beyond our borders? Plus: make new friends and meet new people. What was once the promise of the global coffee house has devolved into name calling and much worse. Is there a way to fix our online conversations? Also a chat with the first openly transgender mayor of Texas. And are you ready for some football? What about on a shorter field? with no kickoffs? And other rule changes? With concussion concerns on the rise, now comes a hail Mary to keep kids in the game. All that and then some today on the Texas Standard:

Why We Make Rules

We might take rules for granted. For example, we all know that 55 mph means 62 mph, and that crosswalks are for leisure time–just kidding. But, seriously, do we ever wonder why we make rules in the first place?

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, talk about why we make rules, and why it’s important to talk about it.

Rule Breakers

“Why do some people think that the rules don’t apply to them?” That is a question one listener tweeted us a few weeks ago. It turns out that the idea of rules and rule breaking opens up a Pandora’s Box of complexities that it’s gonna take more than one show to unpack.

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke take on a few of the psychological issues around rules.