KXT 91.7 : On The Music Blog

Guest DJ Set : John Solis of Homegrown Music & Arts Festival

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:51:33 -0500

Below is John’s Guest DJ set list of songs by artists of Homegrown Music & Arts Festival years past and present. Support the station actually playing these bands and get a wristband to the festival PLUS access to the KXT Lounge at Hotel Indigo. There are only a few of these passes available. You know you’ll enjoy access to an air conditioned space, interviews with artists, live sessions with this festival’s artists PLUS cold water and complimentary snacks.

Black Joe Lewis – Sugarfoot

Ben Kweller – Mean to Me

Eisley – The Valley

Air Review – America’s Son

Robert Ellis – Friends Like Those

Centro-Matic – Against the Line

Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO

Burning Hotels – Beard

The Bird Dogs – Flowers in the Vase

Ume – Captive

School of Seven Bells – LaFaye

Seryn – We Will All Be Changed

About the Dowdy Studio T-Shirt

Tue, 15 May 2012 06:41:56 -0500

Married couple, Dylan and Pamela Dowdy, are the artist duo behind Dowdy Studio and the Dowdy Studio Wagon, Dallas’ first mobile art shop. They also designed the all new KXT Spring Fundraising Campaign T-Shirt below!

Together they design, illustrate and handmake everything in their shop, from quirky screenprinted tees, pillows and bags, to graphic wooden jewelry, art prints, clocks, and more. All their artwork features their own hand-drawn illustrations, like the Lumberjack Mer Man (the unemployed lumberjack of the sea) and Grand Whale (an irregular hybrid of a musical whale and a grand piano). The dynamic duo pop up in their Dowdy Studio Wagon in a variety of restaurants, local venues, festivals and events in the DFW area and beyond. The two artists enjoy meeting great people in great places, sharing their passion for independent art and design with others.

Photo by Shevaun Williams.

Guest DJ Sets in the KXT Spring Fundraising Campaign!

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:34:00 -0500

Here’s the list of awesome Guest DJ’s slated for the KXT Spring Fundraising Campaign! So many juicy songs are in the cue - you won’t want to miss any of their sets. Support KXT 91.7 today.

Tuesday, May 15 - 12PM - John Solis, one of the organizers and talent buyer of the Homegrown Music and Arts Festival will share songs by bands performing this year and previous years.

Wednesday, May 16 - 1PM - Carla Tschosik & Jason Reimer, two of the organizers of the Oak Cliff Film Festival will share music from favorite films, featured films in the fest and bands playing some of the festival parties.

Thursday, May 17 - 4PM - Sharon Lyle, Director of TEDxSMU, will share some of her favorite music. Music that keeps her organizing inspiring events for North Texas.

Saturday, May 19 - 1PM - Denton artist Doug Burr shares a set of songs that inspire him. Love his music? You’ll love his music picks too.

Monday, May 21 - 1PM - National recording artist ZZ Ward shares songs that she loves. We can’t wait either.

Tuesday, May 22 - 2PM - Christopher Mosely, music critic for D Magazine shares a set list of songs by artists so big that critics and fans could never possibly stop debating their merit. Intrigued? Yes you are.

If you find yourself without a plan for Saturday night, Little...

Fri, 11 May 2012 13:01:06 -0500

If you find yourself without a plan for Saturday night, Little D’s very own merry band of Grammy-winning joyful noisemakers Brave Combo invites you to come down to Sons of Hermann in Dallas to celebrate the release of their newest album, Sounds Of The Hollow, available for your pre-ordering happiness here. But if you can’t make it out tomorrow night, mark your calendars for Friday, May 18th at the Abbey Underground in Denton, or Friday, June 8th at the Scat Jazz Lounge in Fort Worth. Until then, enjoy this ditty - “Baby, Baby, Baby, Don’t” - and baby, baby, baby, here’s to your happy Friday.

Gini.

Our very own Sunday night music guru Paul Slavens is featured in...

Fri, 11 May 2012 12:42:00 -0500

Our very own Sunday night music guru Paul Slavens is featured in this amazing mini-documentary by Brown TV. Catch Paul’s eclectic show every Sunday evening from 8-10pm at 91.7 or kxt.org. Enjoy!

Press Release : Updates to Summer Cut!

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:14:45 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 10, 2012

Summer Cut: The Happy Funtime Fest Presented by KXT 91.7 FM

Exciting Updates to the Summer Concert Event

DALLAS/FORT WORTH: KXT 91.7 FM, in partnership with Live Nation, announces exciting additions to KXT’s Summer Cut: The Happy Funtime Fest summer concert event at 5pm on Friday, June 1, 2012, at the GEXA Energy Pavilion. Headlined by the Grammy Award-winning band The Flaming Lips with special guest St. Vincent, KXT’s first summer kick-off concert also features a stellar lineup of national and local artists, including Fitz & The Tantrums, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Telegraph Canyon, Smile Smile, Air Review, Quiet Corral, Walk Off The Earth, DJ Matt Stafford and others.

In addition to the all-star music lineup, The Happy Funtime Fest will also feature a vendor village and popular local food trucks. The Vendor Village presented by Art&Seek and artandseek.org – the arts, music, culture and news service for KERA and KXT – will feature a variety of handmade goods created by local artisans, including EcoArmoire, Dowdy Studio, Banner Theory, MegMorgan, folksie and OneEyeOpen. Food trucks will also be on site to provide concertgoers with a variety of food options during the performance. The gourmet eats will include The Tamale Company, The Dough Boys and La Original Michocanna. More local artisans, vendors and food trucks are being confirmed daily so please visit kxt.org/summercut for frequent updates. While you’re there, check out a map of the festival as well as answers to frequently asked questions about this exciting event.

Summer Cut tickets can be purchased at www.livenation.com. Tickets purchased between Friday, May 11 and Monday, May 14, 2012, will have $5 of the purchase price donated to KXT 91.7 to support public radio in North Texas. Select $15 tickets will also be available this weekend only, so take advantage of this amazing deal before it runs out! The concert is produced by Live Nation. For full talent lineup, a map and FAQ’s about the festival, go to www.kxt.org/summercut.

ABOUT KXT 91.7 FM:

KXT 91.7 FM is one of the public broadcasting stations operated by North Texas Public Broadcasting, a not-for-profit media network that also includes KERA 90.1 FM, KERA TV, KERA WORLD and Art&Seek. KXT began broadcasting in November 2009 and has a Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) music format with a mix of acoustic, alt-country, indie rock, alternative and world music. Listen live to KXT and download the free mobile app at kxt.org.

ABOUT LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT:

Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and eCommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists globally. Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 250 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling over 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.

Beastie Boys - MCA RIP

Fri, 04 May 2012 14:16:47 -0500

From a Capitol email KXT just got:

It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam “MCA” Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys and also of the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself to play bass in high school, forming a band for his 17th birthday party that would later become known the world over as Beastie Boys.

With fellow members Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Adrock” Horovitz, Beastie Boys would go on to sell over 40 million records, release four #1 albums–including the first hip hop album ever to top the Billboard 200, the band’s 1986 debut full length, Licensed To Ill–win three Grammys, and the MTV Video Vanguard Lifetime Achievement award. Last month Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Diamond and Horovitz reading an acceptance speech on behalf of Yauch, who was unable to attend.

In addition to his hand in creating such historic Beastie Boys albums as Paul’s Boutique, Check Your Head, Ill Communication, Hello Nasty and more, Yauch was a founder of the Milarepa Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and activism regarding the injustices perpetrated on native Tibetans by Chinese occupational government and military forces. In 1996, Milarepa produced the first Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, which was attended by 100,000 people, making it the biggest benefit concert on U.S. soil since 1985’s Live Aid. The Tibetan Freedom Concert series would continue to stage some of the most significant benefit shows in the world for nearly a decade following in New York City, Washington DC, Tokyo, Sydney, Amsterdam, Taipei and other cities.

In the wake of September 11, 2001, Milarepa organized New Yorkers Against Violence, a benefit headlined by Beastie Boys at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom, with net proceeds disbursed to the New York Women’s Foundation Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Association for New Americans (NYANA) September 11th Fund for New Americans–each chosen for their efforts on behalf of 9/11 victims least likely to receive help from other sources.

Under the alias of Nathanial Hörnblowér, Yauch directed iconic Beastie Boys videos including ”So Whatcha Want,” ”Intergalactic,” “Body Movin” and “Ch-Check It Out.” Under his own name, Yauch directed last year’s Fight For Your Right Revisited, an extended video for “Make Some Noise” from Beastie Boys’ Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, starring Elijah Wood, Danny McBride and Seth Rogen as the 1986 Beastie Boys, making their way through a half hour of cameo-studded misadventures before squaring off against Jack Black, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as Beastie Boys of the future.

Yauch’s passion and talent for filmmaking led to his founding of Oscilloscope Laboratories, which in 2008 released his directorial film debut, the basketball documentary Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot and has since become a major force in independent video distribution, amassing a catalogue of such acclaimed titles as Kelly Reichardt’s Wendy and Lucy, Oren Moverman’s The Messenger, Banksy’s Exit Through The Gift Shop, Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze’s Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait Of Maurice Sendak, and many more.

Yauch is survived by his wife Dechen and his daughter Tenzin Losel, as well as his parents Frances and Noel Yauch.

More Barefoot pics from the Jessica Lea Mayfield show

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:39:10 -0500

Thank you so much to Blake Butler for sending over these awesome non-camera phone pictures of Jessica Lea Mayfield, Michael Donner and the great crowd at the April 26 concert at the Belmont Hotel. You can follow Blake on Twitter: @theblakebutler

Enjoy!

I was going to climb the KXT tower and hang a bandana with giant...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:12:00 -0500

I was going to climb the KXT tower and hang a bandana with giant braids today in honor of Willie Nelson’s 79th Birthday, but there is a chance of thunderstorms so here’s an inspiring picture instead. Happy Birthday Willie!

-Mark

Barefoot at the Belmont recap : Jessica Lea Mayfield with Michael Donner

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:50:32 -0500

Great headlining set by Jessica Lea Mayfield last night! The evening was perfect with calm weather, a great crowd and the best view of downtown Dallas, hands down.

Michael Donner opened the evening. Everyone loved his set.

Remember our Winter Auction where we put up a pair of passes to the Barefoot series - but you get to watch it from a canoe? It happened and it was AWESOME.

Here’s Charles, the owner of Trinity River Canoes. Been in business 22 years, touring folks on the Trinity. Far out, right?

Speaking of sponsors, thanks so much to all of them: The Belmont Hotel, Smoke, Virgin Mobile, Prekindle, Studio Movie Grill, Free My Music and Spune for their incredible booking services. More pictures soon.

OK, I admit it. I cave into my musical crushes on a daily...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:47:00 -0500

OK, I admit it. I cave into my musical crushes on a daily basis. My latest one hails from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and his album Signs & Signifiers makes me wanna back comb my hair, smack my gum and shake what the good Lord gave me. Close your eyes and for a moment you might think you’re hearing one of the soundtracks to an early John Waters film (Mondo Trasho totally comes to mind) or the lost son of Link Wray, but no, he’s from the here and now and he’ll capture your heart for all eternity. Ladies and gentlemen, J.D. McPherson…

Gini.

Prepare to have your mind blown by some old school Deep Ellum...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:12:06 -0500

Prepare to have your mind blown by some old school Deep Ellum news coverage about the music scene in 1988 via Fox 4. Look for Paul Slavens (with hair!), Jeff Liles working a baby face, Edie Brickell in her early heyday, Reverend Horton Heat and more. Thank you to our own Sunday evening host Paul Slavens for loading this outstanding gem into youtube.

KXT 91.7 nominated for BEST RADIO STATION!

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:23:00 -0500

Ok friends, here’s the scoop - KXT 91.7 was nominated as BEST RADIO STATION by D Magazine! Voting runs April 23 - May 4 and you can vote once per day - we’re on page 5 of the ballot. PLEEEEEASE, vote for us and tell your friends! Now start voting!

Thanks for visiting us at Earth Day Dallas!

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:16:30 -0500

Thank you everyone for coming by the KXT Tent and saying hello during the Earth Day Dallas festivities! Lookie who one of our Street Teamers - Doug Hicks - caught perusing Summer Cut tickets… Tiger Darrow!

KXT Presents : Leo Kottke at The Wyly Theater!

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:21:00 -0500

Save the date everyone! May 12 - Leo Kottke live in concert. Ticket info here.

Bio below courtesy ATT Performing Arts Center:

Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11.

After adding a love for the country-blues of Mississippi John Hurt to the music of John Phillip Sousa and Preston Epps, Kottke joined the Navy underage, to be underwater, and eventually lost some hearing shooting at lightbulbs in the Atlantic while serving on the USS Halfbeak, a diesel submarine.

Kottke had previously entered college at the U of Missouri, dropping out after a year to hitchhike across the country to South Carolina, then to New London and into the Navy, with his twelve string. “The trip was not something I enjoyed,” he has said, “I was broke and met too many interesting people.”

Discharged in 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis’ Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar’s tiny Oblivion label. (The label released one other LP by The Langston Hughes Memorial Eclectic Jazz Band.)

After sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey’s Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.

Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut, “Mudlark,” positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, despite arguments with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972’s “Greenhouse” and 1973’s live “My Feet Are Smiling” and “Ice Water” found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique.

With 1975’s Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 30 for the second time; he also gained an international following thanks to his continuing tours in Europe and Australia.

His collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, “Clone,” caught audiences’ attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called “Sixty Six Steps,” produced by Leo’s old friend and Prince producer David Z.

Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations; a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the U of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College.

KXT Presents : Nick Lowe at the Granada Theater!

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:11:24 -0500

And so it goes, of *course* KXT is presenting this show! Come on out on May 9, 2012 to the Granada Theater in Dallas. Get your tickets now, you know this show will be off the charts. Look for the KXT Street Team who will passing out free Summer Cut 2012 stickers.

EARTH DAY DALLAS: MUSIC SERIES : THE BAND SHELL AT FAIR PARK, APRIL 21-22

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:34:06 -0500

The annual Earth Day Dallas (EarthDayDallas.org) festival in Fair Park is hosting two days of free music, featuring an impressive lineup of local and national groups. See below for a full lineup, followed by a summary of each act. For more information on the music series, visit http://www.earthdaydallas.org/category/event-type/live-music.

Saturday, April 21

10:45-11:15 a.m. ReVeal (Gospel)

11:30 a.m.-Noon Jessie Frye (Glam / Pop / Rock)

12:15-12:45 p.m. Calhoun (Indie / Pop / Rock)

1-1:30 p.m. Tumbleweed Wanderers (Indie / Folk)

1:45-2:15 p.m. The Honey Brothers* (Folk Rock / Indie / Melodramatic Popular Song)

*Five-member band including Adrian Grenier (founder of online environmental media platform SHFT, an event sponsor), Andrew Vladeck, DS Posner, Ari Gold and Daniel Green

2:45-3:15 p.m. Diego Garcia (Folk / Latin / Psychedelic)

3:30-4 p.m. Ponderosa (Psychedelic / Soul / Southern Rock)

4:30-6 p.m. Amos Lee (Blues / Folk / Soul)

Sunday, April 22

12:15-12:45 p.m. Dallas School of Rock (Rock)

1:45-2:15 p.m. Tiger Darrow (Alternative / Folk Rock / Indie)

2:30-3 p.m. Emily Elbert (Folk / Pop / Soul)

3:15-3:45 p.m. Datahowler (Electronic)

4:15-4:45 p.m. Air Review (Folk / Folk Rock / Indie)

5-6 p.m. Ishi (Electro / Folk / Other)

Here’s Gini’s interview with Stewart Copeland. What a...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:15:03 -0500

Here’s Gini’s interview with Stewart Copeland. What a super-interesting upbringing and insight into music. And his voice - magnificent. Enjoy!

Bonnie Raitt’s first music video in fourteen years has a...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:29:53 -0500

Bonnie Raitt’s first music video in fourteen years has a decidedly retro feel. That’s because the clip is for a cover of Gerry Rafferty’s “Right Down the Line.”

The video is simple in nature, not that you’d expect anything less from the no-frills Raitt. Shots of happy couples and families are interspersed with Raitt and her bandmates performing the song on at San Francisco’s abandoned Mission Theatre.

Released in 1978 as part of Rafferty’s City to City album, “Right Down the Line” reached the No. 12 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and was the number one single on the easy-listening chart for four non-consecutive weeks. Best known for that hit, as well as “Baker Street” and the Steeler’s Wheel song “Stuck in the Middle with You,” Rafferty passed away in January of 2011.

Raitt’s cover of “Right Down the Line” is off her new album, Slipstream, which arrives in stores on Tuesday. It’s her first album in seven years.

Look for Raitt to perform on “Ellen,” “Late Night With David Letterman,” “The Colbert Report” and “GMA” over the next ten days. Watch “Right Down the Line” above. Via.

Willie's still the man

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:02:58 -0500

Not that we needed any further proof, but a little reminder every once in a while doesn’t hurt. Check out his cover of Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe,” and go merrily into your holiday weekend. Happy Friday, y’all.

Gini.