KUTX

Music News for May 21, 2013

Tyler Pratt — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:21:35 +0000

Greezy Wheels fiddler in cancer fight; The return of Explosions in the Sky; Stones’ sax man gets his own documentary.
This is your SoundCheck.

Crooks at KUTX 5.21.13 - Crooks at KUTX 5.21.13

Reid O'Conor — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:26:26 +0000

Country band Crooks have been an Austin favorite for a while now, playing their whiskey-soaked brand of country that’s reminiscent of 70s outlaw country. Many critics have marked Crooks as the “next big thing” to come out of Austin, and it’s easy to see why. Their music is old without sounding tired and new without sounding gimmicky – a very fine line to walk – creating something fresh and traditional at the same time. Their debut album, The Rain Will Come, was released last year to very high praise.

On Friday, Crooks will play a show with the Turnpike Troubadours and Slaid Cleaves at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater. Today, they’ll stop by KUTX to record a live session in Studio 1a. The results of that session will be posted here later today, be sure to check it out!

Over Land and Sea - Lauren Mann and The Fairly Odd Folk at the Mohawk

Laurie Gallardo — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:40:16 +0000

Songwriter Lauren Mann got her start performing in her hometown of Calgary, and surrounding areas, in 2008. The networking from these gigs led to collaborations with other local musicians, and that became the start of what would soon be known as Lauren Mann and The Fairly Odd Folk. And, though it may be obvious: Well played on the duality of “Odd Folk, a tip o’ the hat to the eclectic, multi-talented group of musicians in Mann’s collective, as well as their diverse and playful folk-pop.

In 2010, Mann decided music would be her full-time occupation, and she soon set out on a tour across Canada. These days, she brings her unique melodies to cities all throughout North America, most recently in support of her latest album Over Land and Sea, released just last month. Her current tour includes a stop here in Austin for a show tonight at the Mohawk, 912 Red River, on the indoor stage. Local folk trio The Villettes and songwriter Jess Williamson share the bill. Doors open at 9 p.m. Check them all out. Recommended.

The Parish Festival: “Palomino”

Paul Carrubba — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:39 +0000

When you think Iowa, you probably don’t necessarily think pop music. But a folk-and-jazz-tinged quintet called The Parish Festival are here to change that for you.

The core of the group–guitarist, banjoist and singer Jamey Cummins, singer Sarah Ulloa and bassist Andy Rappel–hails from Davenport, Iowa, and that’s where the first version of The Parish Festival formed back in 2005. In 2007, one of their tunes, “Well I Never,” ended up on the MTV show “Skins.” They gigged all over the Midwest, but a recent move to our little musical Mecca on the Colorado saw the band add some local talent to the mix. Joining Cummins, Ulloa and Rappel are Austin music vets Jim Foster (guitars, banjo and vocals) and Kurt Lammers (drums).

On May 28 The Parish Festival release a brand new EP, and one of the record’s stand-outs is “Palomino.” It’s an interesting tune. It begins life as a nice, earnest neo-folk number, but somewhere along the way, the song shifts. It’s still heartfelt to be sure, but they twist genres from neo-folk into something more akin to speakeasy jazz. The switch itself is really subtle, and it’s a testament to their chops as musicians that they can turn a song on its head so well without disturbing its natural anima. When they shift back, it’s just as dextrous. The Parish Festival may be part-transplants to Austin, but they’re a welcome addition to our musical fold.

If you want to see The Parish Festival live, they’re celebrating the release of their new EP Sunday, June 2 at the Spider House Ballroom.

Music News for May 20, 2013

Tyler Pratt — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:59:47 +0000

Grim Prognosis for Pogues Guitarist; Kat Edmonson Reveals DIY Secrets; Beatles’ Guitar Goes for Nearly Half-Million.
This is your SoundCheck.

Austin Piano Festival at KUTX 5.20.13 - Austin Piano Festival at KUTX 5.20.13

Reid O'Conor — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:20:00 +0000

The Austin Piano Festival is a local celebration of classical music, dedicated to bringing the best piano artists to Austin audiences. Having just started last year, the Festival is new, but looking to become a local tradition. This year, the Austin Piano Festival brought renowned artists Christopher Guzman, Michael Schneider, Johan Botes, Matthew McLaughlin, Kris Pineda and Spencer Myer, some of whom have never played in Austin before.

The Austin Piano Festival has events and recitals going on all week, leading up to a Closing Gala on Sunday. Today, Kris Pineda, Johan Botes and Matthew McLaughlin all played in Studio 1a. Give their session a listen below!

Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett at KUTX 5.22.13 @ 2pm - Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett at KUTX 5.22.13 @ 2pm

Reid O'Conor — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:35:57 +0000

This week, we’ve got two Texas legends coming in to Studio 1a for one fantastic live session. Singer-songwriters Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett are both prolific songwriters and performers, and have had their work covered by countless artists. But their relationship goes back to their time together in college, at Texas A&M University. The two musicians were neighbors, and would frequently get together and jam on the porch of the house that Keen was renting at the time. They then wrote and recorded a song together, “The Front Porch Song.”

Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett will play two shows at the Paramount Theatre, Tuesday and Wednesday night this week. On Wednesday at 2pm, the legendary duo will play live on KUTX from Studio 1a. Don’t miss this!

Portrait of A Honky-Tonk - Dale Watson at The Continental Club

Laurie Gallardo — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:40:18 +0000

It won’t take you long to figure out that Dale Watson‘s album El Rancho Azul is keeping it real. Sit right down, pop a top off a Lone Star and give it a listen, or simply peruse the song titles to get an initial idea: “I Lie When I Drink,” “Quick Quick Slow Slow,” “Cowboy Boots”…”I Hate To Drink Alone.” For crying out loud, if you know anything about nightlife, it’s clear that these tunes are true tales from the country-western dance halls.

El Rancho Azul brings to life every kind of interesting character you can imagine out on the dance floor or hunched over by the bar down at the local honky-tonk. These are portraits of all the rogues, rebels, broken hearts and babbling fools Watson has encountered at gigs he’s done throughout the years. He likes writing about these real-life situations. It truly is the best way to capture the two-steppin’, beer-drenched honky-tonk spirit.

No doubt you’ll get to hear some of these gems at Dale Watson’s show tonight at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave. The music starts at 10 p.m. Worth staying up late for. Dale is the best. Recommended.

Mickey Newbury - Mickey Newbury

Haley Howle — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:51 +0000

This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll learn about the first-and-only four-way-hit songwriter.

Mickey Newbury was born on May 19, 1940, in Houston. He began his musical career while working on shrimp boats along the Gulf coast. In the early 1960s, Newbury moved to Nashville and joined a new generation of young Texas songwriters that included Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. In 1968, Newbury became the first and only songwriter to have Number One hits in four different musical genres at the same time. Dozens of artists have recorded Mickey Newbury’s songs, including Andy Williams, Eddy Arnold, Solomon Burke, and the First Edition, featuring a young vocalist from Houston named Kenny Rogers.

Mickey Newbury moved to Oregon in the mid-1970s, where he continued to write songs until his death in 2002. In 2008, he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.

Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll meet a true visionary who helped redefine Texas-Mexican music.

The Blank Tapes: “Don’t Ever Get Old”

Art Levy — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:18 +0000

Matt Adams is a man out of time and place. Under the moniker the Blank Tapes, he marches to the beat of his own ’60s indebted drum, channeling the flower power of that decade with a sound as sunny as his California home. He’s something of a do-it-himself savant. Adams plays almost all the instruments on his recordings, and his album art hints to his past work as a Mad Magazine designer. Even the band name is impeccably crafted: Adams claims he has nearly four hundred original songs rattling around in his head, so his blank canvas ends up being more of a blank tape.

Even though he’s so single-minded about his musical pursuit, he never could have imagined having a hit, let alone in a foreign country. Somehow, his 2010 album Home Away From Home made its way to Brazil, and the positive buzz prompted Adams to take his show on the road. With help from several San Francisco musicians, Adams turned the Blank Tapes into a bonafide band and toured South America. Soon after, the group accompanied fellow Bay Area psych-poppers Thee Oh Sees to Europe, and they can also cross Japan of their touring itinerary.

All this traveling is something new for a home-recording enthusiast like Adams, but it’s starting to seep into his music. Last week, the Blank Tapes released Vacation and to celebrate, the band is undertaking a “Coast To Coast” summer jaunt. The outfit stopped by Studio 1A recently, and they’ll also be back in Austin at the Mohawk on June 9. The Blank Tapes kicked off their 1A live session with a song that perfectly sums up Adams’ youthful fervor: “Don’t Ever Get Old.”