Photo by Julia Reihs/KUTX
The producer/musician Brian Eno once coined the term “scenius” to describe how good art is almost never made in a vacuum. Instead, it’s made in a healthy ecosystem where a bunch of interdependent people and ideas flow freely. Five decades ago, Inner Sanctum Records served as a crucial hub in Austin’s musical ecosystem. Started in 1970 by Joe Bryson, Inner Sanctum was one of the first independent record stores in Texas. It stocked the progressive country records that fueled the Armadillo World Headquarters’ hippie/redneck aesthetic. In the late ’70s, the store did the same for Austin’s burgeoning punk and New Wave scenes. While Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and ZZ Top grab the spotlight, community spaces like these are also integral to Austin history.
Coinciding with Record Store Day around the country, Inner Sanctum’s Joe Bryson is our guest DJ this week on My KUTX. He relives his own record store days with an hour of Inner Sanctum memories, from first blasting Pink Floyd in the store’s West Campus neighborhood to supporting up-and-coming world-conquerors like the Go-Gos. Hear Joe Bryson’s My KUTX on Saturday, April 13 at 6 p.m. or listen anytime at the bottom of the page.
–Art Levy // producer, My KUTX
Playlist:
1. Pink Floyd – “Grantchester Meadows”
2. Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks – “Where’s The Money?”
3. Roxy Music – “Virginia Plain”
4. Michael Murphey – “Alleys Of Austin”
5. ZZ Top – “Thunderbird” (Live)
6. Average White Band – “Cut The Cake”
7. Toots & The Maytals – “Reggae Got Soul”
8. The Clash – “Janie Jones”
9. Warren Zevon – “Lawyers, Guns, & Money”
10. The B-52’s – “Planet Claire”
11. Robert Palmer – “Johnny & Mary”
12. Go-Go’s – “Our Lips Are Sealed”
13. Buggles – “Video Killed The Radio Star”
14. 13th Floor Elevators – “You’re Gonna Miss Me”
