Central Texas top stories for July 20, 2023. Abortion hearing and testimony in Texas. Austin looks at SXSW pay for musicians. Hiring practices for Del Valle teachers.
sxsw
Innovation and Creativity (Rebroadcast)
We may think creativity is being able to come up with a new idea no one has ever thought about before, but in reality, so many factors go into what it means to be creative and innovative. In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, we revisit a 2016 SXSW event where Dr. Art Markman, Dr. Bob Duke. and Rebecca McInroy discuss memory, innovation, creativity, and productivity.
Fresh’s SXSW Recap
Fresh walks you through what went down at this year’s SXSW and SXSBreaks.
You’ll learn Hip-Hop Facts about why Rockwilder thinks Bink of Justice League stole his idea from “I Ain’t Mad At Cha,” how Musiq Soulchild feels about his first record, whose life the Fresh Prince of Belaire was based on, and more.
Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that people have been too hard on the TV show “Friends” for its lack of diversity.
Pearl & The Oysters: “Evening Sun” (Live at Scholz Garten)
We’ve got just one more SXSW 2023 recap track for y’all, and it’s a real gem in a clam. It comes courtesy of the Gainesville-cradled jazz-space-pop project Pearl & The Oysters. Multi-instrumentalist-songwriters Juliette Pearl Davis and Joachim Polack are at the core of this classic kitsch-imbued bivalve, who now perform live as a five-piece. The migration of Davis and Polack’s musical mollusk to Los Angeles at the start of the pandemic seems to have introduced an extra breezy element to Pearl & The Oysters’ daytime disco-adjacency, which we’ll hear more of on their upcoming full-length Coast 2 Coast, out April 21st.
That of course means that Pearl & The Oysters are about to shell up and clamp their gear shut for a month-long North American tour, including a gig here in Austin at The Mohawk in late May. For our live broadcast, Pearl & The Oysters perused some of the new stuff off Coast 2 Coast, 2021’s Flowerland, 2018’s Canned Music, and even their 2017 eponymous debut. And despite the fact that their Scholz Garten set last Saturday wasn’t too long after dawn, the midpoint prize from Flowerland, “Evening Sun”, glistened with the morning crowd, sure to shimmer through plenty more memories and horizons.
Obongjayar: “Message in a Hammer” (Live at Scholz Garten)
Somehow six whole years have already slipped by since London rapper Little Simz played as part of our annual SXSW live morning broadcast. Of course, Simz has blown up exponentially since her 2017 Four Seasons performance, to the extent that we probably couldn’t have booked her now even if we wanted to. But in an impressive display of “small world” kismet, KUTX at Scholz Garden showcased another Londoner with direct ties to Nigeria, Obongjayar. On top of that, it happened the same week that Obongjayar and Simz’ “Point and Kill” played as part of IMDb Pro’s music video competition during SXSW film.
When it comes to classifying Obongjayar’s style, there’s not a whole lot of consensus. Best we can say is it’s a politically-and-spiritually-inspired balance between rapping, chanting, and singing over Afrobeat-adjacent electronic soul. But there’s also something surprisingly unobtrusive about Obongjayar’s in-your-face aura that makes his outrageous originals so damn accessible. Which is doubly impressive when he’s got his live five-piece competing for a piece of the crowd’s energy.
Obongjayar was still lucid off his debut full-length Some Nights I Dream of Doors when he obliterated the Scholz Garten scene with high-octane tunes like “Message In A Hammer”. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wake up either.
Girl Ultra: “Llama” (Live at Scholz Garden)
As mentioned on Monday, our Scholz Garten guest Son Rompe Pera did an outstanding job of representing Mexico City’s diverse scene for our live morning broadcast last week. And while SRP made an impression that’ll surely have folks talking til next SXSW, they weren’t the only ones bridging capitals; we were also fortunate enough to have M.C. native Nan de Miguel on deck, better known as Girl Ultra.
Seven years after she first got signed, Girl Ultra’s grip on undulating melodies and bilingual verbal abilities have escalated her into the upper caliber of Latin R&B rockstars like Kali Uchis and Nathy Peluso. By building on an already-rich reputation for adaptability and sonic variety (including an appearance on Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos), last April, Girl Ultra branched out to genres like U.K. two-step, indie pop, alt-rock, and even orchestral Bossa nova on her latest studio release, EL SUR. Well, last week Girl Ultra brought some of EL SUR, Nuevos Aires (2019) and Adiós (2018) north of the border and into our city limits.
On Friday morning Girl Ultra got up onstage at Scholz Garten and gave it her all with hybrid arrangements that beautifully blended backing track samples with live instrumentation. The set certainly attracted a pack of new listeners like everyone’s favorite camelids (sorry, alpacas) thanks to lush renditions that included the album opener from Girl Ultra’s 2018 sophomore EP Adiós, “Llama”.
Geto Gala: “Sumn’ to Say” (Live at Scholz Garten)
After years of supporting Deezie Brown and Jake Lloyd individually, it’s beautiful watching them both earn exponential exposure with this hip-hop/R&B phenomenon that is Geto Gala. The latest phase of a fruitful friendship, Brown and Lloyd had already shared a fair amount of stages together pre-pandemic before capitalizing on their bar-trading chemistry with their eponymous February 2021 studio debut. Alongside its delightfully-southern Chopped and Slowed counterpart, The Geto Gala EP probably played a part in Brown and Lloyd separately scoring their first official ACL Fest sets last October, where informal versions of the full Geto Gala band ended up backing each solo performer.
Between then and now, the Geto Gala gang’s apparently upped their game for a whole gauntlet of live gigs, at least based off the applause they garnered last Thursday morning when they transfigured our Scholz SXSW space into the Geto Garten. With a set that’d make Big Pokey proud, and a crowd that was happy to “fifth wheel” alongside the band, Geto Gala sure as hell had “Sumn’ to Say” at SXSW. We’re just hoping our invitation’s still good for the next Gala.
What’s next as pandemic-era housing assistance winds down
Several bills are aimed at building more homes, but what about Texas renters, many reeling from the end of assistance programs? State lawmakers are being urged to take action on housing affordability, or more precisely, the lack thereof.
What’s an education savings program? Critics say it’s just another spin on school vouchers. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán of the Texas Newsroom previews Senate committee hearings on the measure.
Is there really such a thing as “too low” when it comes to unemployment rates? The Standard’s Sean Saldana explains.
And remembering El Rey de la Cumbia, Fito Olivares.
KUT Morning Newscast for March 20, 2023
Central Texas top stories for March 20, 2023. SXSW Emergency Medical Service report. Williamson County burn box. Indigenous Cultures Center in San Marcos. Austin bats. Longhorns in Sweet 16. Austin FC.
How to testify at the Texas Legislature
After the Texas Education Agency’s announcement that it will take over the Houston Independent School district, we’re taking a look at what previous state takeovers could signal for this one.
“Stand up and be heard” – that’s what we’re often told to do when the Legislature’s in session. But how does one do that, exactly? We’ll hear a step-by-step primer.
Our go-to tech expert Omar Gallaga shares some key takeaways from the tech side of South by Southwest.
Plus, the creators of “The Lady Bird Diaries” join us to talk about the new film.
KUTX Takes SXSW
This week you can catch KUTX shows at Scholz Garten, SXSBreaks, Rock the Shores and the Public Radio Day Stage.
Stop It Melle Mel!
Confucius and Fresh discuss Melle Mel’s comments about Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. Then they debate whether or not best-of lists are an attempt to keep New York hip-hop relevant.
You’ll hear a special “What If?” version of Hip-Hop Facts where they ask what would have happened to Method Man’s debut album if RZA’s basement hadn’t flooded, what if Pimp C hadn’t gone to jail, and more.
Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that Melle Mel was right that Kendrick Lamar being named as one of the greatest rappers of all time is a bit premature.
Confucius talks about how US music retail revenue is up, the House’s investigation of Twitter, Tucker Carlson’s real feelings about Donald Trump, and more in Confucius Reads the News.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 10, 2023
Central Texas top stories for March 10, 2023. Avoiding SXSW. AISD reading levels. Voter roll integrity system. Food for Fines. Austin FC. Texas basketball.
Ideas for combatting the trucking shortage
Five men are handed over in Mexico along with a letter purportedly from the Gulf Cartel apologizing for the “senseless crime” of violently kidnapping four Americans, leaving two of them and one Mexican dead. U.S. officials say the apology seems authentic, though perhaps not sincere.
What’s being done to combat the nation’s shortage of truck drivers.
A sneak peek at the start of SXSW Film as the festival kicks off in Austin.
And the week in politics with the Texas Tribune.
KUT Morning Newscast for March 10, 2023
Central Texas top stories for March 10, 2023. South by Southwest starts today. Austin ISD Superintendent feedback. Leander ISD possible school closures. Williamson County 175th anniversary. SNAP benefits changing. UT Women’s Basketball. Austin FC.
KUT Afternoon Newscast for March 06, 2023
Central Texas top stories for March 06, 2023. Group sues Austin over building height limits. SXSW starts this week. I-35 comment period closing tomorrow. San Marcos looks at speed limit change. Health insurance bill filed. Community college funding change proposal.
SXSW Stories
Confucius and Fresh talk to Jordan Cummings, one of the founders of HennyThing ATX, a festival which will be in Austin on March 18th, 2023. Then Confucius and Fresh tell their favorite SXSWstories from years past.
You learn Hip-Hop Facts about whether Biggie’s “Long Kiss Goodnight” is really a Tupac diss, how old Nicole Wray was when “Make it Hot” became a hit, and why Nas’s had an issue with The Roots and Black Thought, and more!
Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that SXSW is kind of played out.
Confucius talks about how SXSW pays musicians, Amazon’s efforts to change the rules around when you can buy liquor, and Marjorie Greene Taylor on Confucius Reads the News.
SXSBreaks is Back!
The Breaks talk about why Cardi B has stayed relevant, and reveal the lineup for SXSBreaks, the SXSW showcase featuring Austin’s best hip-hop and R&B Acts.
You’ll learn hip-hop facts about how Wu-Tang was the first rap group to do a worldwide tour with a rock band, who was D’Angelo’s “Devil’s Pie” originally belonged to, how good the original version of Dr. Dre’s The Chronic really was, and more.
Fresh states the Unpopular Opinion that Odd Future is the most underrated rap collective in history.
Confucius talked about the Eagles losing the Super Bowl, the recent UFO sightings in the states, and more in Confucius Reads the News.
KUT Morning Newscast for February 17, 2023
Central Texas top stories for February 17, 2023. Two years since the 2021 winter storm. State of the State potluck. SXSW artists pay. Austin Marathon this weekend.
KUT Morning Newscast for January 16, 2023
Central Texas top stories for January 16, 2023. MLK Day in Austin. MLK Day closures. San Marcos reconsidering police contract. South by SouthWest seeks volunteers. ACC virtual nursing program.