Photo by Arius Holifield. Mitch Fischels (second from left) and Andy Tenberg (right) are the guest DJs on My KUTX.

Before they met Tomar Williams, the FCs played Stax Records covers, which turned out to be good training. The group turned into a soul powerhouse with Tomar at the helm, picking up where Stax left off. The Austin band (and KUTX Artist of the Month alumni) comes full circle on February 1. They’re releasing Rise Above with a show at Antone’s that also doubles as a Stax Records tribute, featuring songs from the new album alongside special guests and more.

This week on My KUTX, guitarist Andy Tenberg and bassist Mitch Fischels are the guest DJs, digging into influences that range from Gang Starr and J.J. Cale to Bobby Womack and Booker T. & The M.G.’s. Listen to My KUTX on Saturday, January 18 at 6 p.m. or any time below.

–Art Levy // producer, My KUTX

Playlist:

1. G Love & Special Sauce – “Cold Beverage”

2. Gang Starr – “Above The Clouds” (feat. Inspectah Deck)

3. J.J. Cale – “After Midnight”

4. The Weakerthans – “A New Name For Everything”

5. Jimmy Reed – “Baby What You Want Me To Do”

6. The Western Front – “Greenville”

7. Taj Mahal – “The Cuckoo”

8. Jackson 5 – “Darling Dear”

9. Irma Thomas – “Ruler Of My Heart”

10. Sade – “Kiss Of Life”

11. Lee Dorsey – “Get Out My Life Woman”

12. Bobby Womack – “Woman’s Gotta Have It”

13. Booker T. & The M.G.’s – “Time Is Tight”

14. Tomar & The FCs – “Rise Above”

Photo by Viktor Skot

For twenty-five years, Austin’s …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead has crafted punk rock with epic proportions. X: The Godless Void And Other Stories–the band’s tenth album, out January 17 with an Austin release show at the Far Out Lounge on January 14–shows off the group’s love of concept albums and cohesive statements, married to a visceral, surging sound. Founding members Conrad Keely and Jason Reece are also the guest DJs this week on My KUTX. Mixing Sonic Youth’s roar and Kate Bush’s art-pop with newer inspirations like Lower Dens and Protomartyr, their playlist is a perfect encapsulation of Trail Of Dead’s unique aesthetic. Hear Trail Of Dead’s My KUTX on Saturday, January 11 at 6 p.m. or listen at any time below.

–Art Levy // producer, My KUTX

Playlist:

1. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead: “Don’t Look Down”

2. Warsaw Village Band – “In The Forest”

3. Killing Joke – “Requiem”

4. Lower Dens – “Brains”

5. Cymande – “Bra”

6. The Middle East – “The Darkest Side”

7. The Who – “Armenia City In The Sky”

8. Protomartyr – “Maidenhead”

9. Sonic Youth – “Starpower”

10. Linda Ronstadt – “El Toro Relajo (The Troublesome Bull)”

11. Kate Bush – “The Big Sky”

Photo by Gabriel C. Pérez/KUTX

Strand Of Oaks started out as a quiet folk project for Philadelphia songwriter Tim Showalter, but on 2014’s HEAL, he cranked the electric guitar and emerged as one of the great rock singers of his generation. On his latest album, Eraserland, Showalter teamed up with members of My Morning Jacket for a cathartic and consuming record that blends his folk roots with psychedelic rock and synth-pop. He’s also a newly-transplanted Austinite, so this week on My KUTX, we’re handing the keys to Showalter for an hour of boozy country, indie rock classics, disco, and more. Hear Strand Of Oaks’ My KUTX on Saturday, January 4 at 6 p.m. or listen at any time in the player below.

–Art Levy // producer, My KUTX

Playlist:
1. Ramsay Midwood – “Spinnin’ On This Rock”

2. Lucinda Williams – “Metal Firecracker”

3. Frankie Lee – “Buffalo”

4. Laura Stevenson – “Value Inn”

5. Jack Rose – “Kensington Blues”

6. Tyler Ramsey – “Firewood”

7. Joanna Newsom – “Leaving The City”

8. R.E.M. – “Maps & Legends”

9. Deerhunter – “Death In Midsummer”

10. Donny Benét – “Love Online”

11. The Blue Nile – “Tinseltown In The Rain”

My KUTX’s 2019 slate featured a wide range of guest DJs: a chef; a David Bowie and Iggy Pop collaborator; New York Times-bestselling authors and poets; and of course, plenty of extraordinary musicians from Austin and beyond.

We’re incredibly grateful for these guest DJ sets. They turn us on to so much interesting music…and they also allow us to take a day off! While we spend New Year’s Day recovering–cue the bloody marys and breakfast tacos–we’re letting some of our favorite musicians and music fans take over the station for a My KUTX marathon. Each hour, a different guest DJ will spin a hand-picked set of some of their favorite songs.  See the schedule below and thank you for listening!

–Art Levy // producer, My KUTX

6 a.m. // Shy Beast  (January 2019 Artist of the Month) // playlist

7 a.m. // Hovvdy (November 2019 Artist of the Month) // playlist

8 a.m. // The Infinites (Austin indie pop band) // playlist

9 a.m. // Rod Melancon (Austin singer-songwriter) // playlist

10 a.m. // Austin Kleon (author of Keep Going) // playlist

11 a.m. // Caroline Rose (Austin indie pop artist) // playlist

12 p.m. // KUTX’s Favorite Songs Of 2019 // playlist

1 p.m. // Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar, solo artist) // playlist

2 p.m. // Hanif Abdurraqib (poet, author of Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest) // playlist

3 p.m. // Bayonne (February 2019 Artist of the Month) // playlist

4 p.m. // Rick Lopez (executive chef at Austin’s La Condesa) // playlist

5 p.m. // Queue Queue (Austin punk band) // playlist

6 p.m. // Abhi The Nomad (Austin rapper) // playlist

7 p.m. // Hunt Sales (former David Bowie and Iggy Pop drummer, Hunt Sales Memorial) // playlist

8 p.m. // Vivien Goldman (London post-punk artist, author of Revenge Of The She-Punks) // playlist

9 p.m. // El Dusty (Corpus Christi electro-cumbia artist) // playlist

10 p.m. // KUTX’s Favorite Songs Of 2019 // playlist

Illustration by Jacquie Fuller

Here at KUTX, we listen to a ton of music in a given year (duh). So this week on My KUTX, we’re stealing the station keys back from our usual guest DJs and spinning our favorite songs of 2019. Grab your ears and tune in on Saturday, December 28 at 6 p.m., or listen at any time below.

— Art Levy // producer, My KUTX

Playlist:

1. Chance The Rapper – “Do You Remember” (feat. Death Cab For Cutie)

(John Aielli, host of Eklektikos // Mon-Thu, 6-9 a.m.)

2. Golden Dawn Arkestra – “Mama Se”

(Jay Trachtenberg // Mon-Thu, 12-2 p.m. // Sunday Morning Jazz, 7-10 a.m.)

3. Lizzo – “Juice”

(Elizabeth McQueen // Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.)

4. Dhani Harrison – “Motorways (Erase It)”

(Rick McNulty, Music Director // Left of the Dial, Friday 7-11 p.m. // Uptown Saturday Night, 7-10 p.m.)

5. Sudan Archives – “Confessions”

(Soundfounder // Saturday, 1 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

6. Fontaines D.C. – “Boys In The Better Land”

(Paul Carrubba // Sunday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m.)

7. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Galleon Ship”

(Jody Denberg // Mon-Thu, 5-8 p.m. // Friday, 12-4 p.m.)

8. Los Coast – “Monsters”

(Jeff McCord // Friday, 6-9 a.m.)

9. Toro y Moi – “Freelance”

(Deidre Gott // Live music booker)

10. Jay Som – “Superbike”

(Taylor Wallace // Mon-Thu, 8-11 p.m.)

11. Little Simz – “Selfish” (feat. Cleo Sol)

(Jack Anderson // producer, Song of the Day

12. Sharon Van Etten – “Seventeen”

(Susan Castle // Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.)

13. The Infinites – “Jimmy Smith”

(Art Levy, My KUTX producer // Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.)