KXT 91.7 : On The Music Blog

Are you as confused as I am why Lana Del Rey is being attacked...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:59:00 -0600

Are you as confused as I am why Lana Del Rey is being attacked by the same critics who were praising her last summer? Well this piece of animation from Taiwan will sum it up in about 1 minute. This proves once again that it’s generally a good idea to get an outside perspective.

-Mark

Francophiles and sci-fi freaks, this one’s for you. ...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:55:00 -0600

Francophiles and sci-fi freaks, this one’s for you. French electro-duo Air was commissioned to come up with the soundtrack for the newly-restored and colorized ‘Le Voyage dans la Lune’, the 1902 classic from ‘cinemagician’ Georges Méliès. Check out NPR’s interview with Nicolas and Jean- Benoit and the history of the restoration project via the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Gini.

Lana Del Ray.... A new album and a babysitter?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:53:20 -0600

The record “Born To Die” is out today. And yep, she still babysits.

Fatty Fatty Fat-Fat. (That episode of the Simpsons still makes...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:00:00 -0600

Fatty Fatty Fat-Fat.

(That episode of the Simpsons still makes me laugh.)

Seriously cool Denton band with a giggle-inducing name—Fatty Lumpkin—plays Friday night, January 27th at 2826 Arnetic, downtown Dallas. It’s the release of the trio’s new EP called Let It Play, and you’re going to experience a very cool show. You’re going to see Kelyn Crapp, who is an outstanding guitarist, along with bassist and vocalist Seth Myers (not Meyers; that Seth is on SNL) and drummer/percussionist Matt Dixon.

And it’s also the Dallas stop of this year’s Waka Winter Classic. You will ensure Fatty wins a spot at Wakarusa (the SXSW of the Ozarks) when you scream and yell and throw undergarments onstage. By the way, Kelyn is the guitarist for early KXT first-week-ever-on-the-air local music alum Andrew Tinker, whom you can see March 22nd at the Kessler.

—Joe K

“

Adele, By The Numbers

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:59:00 -0600

The staggering success of Adele’s “21”, which came out a year ago this week, still continues to unfold (it did top KXT’s Best of 2011 Listener Poll, after all).

Here are a few stats for those of you who like that sort of thing (courtesy of Q Magazine and Entertainment Weekly):

- The album has topped the UK album charts for 20 weeks, equaling records set by Oasis and Queen. It may soon equal that time atop the US album chart, where it has reigned for 17 weeks and just passed the “Titanic” soundtrack.

- Her new single “Set Fire To The Rain” is now #1 on the US Hot 100 singles chart; she is now the only artist in history to have three US #1 songs from the same album WHILE that album is #1 in the album chart.

- The official video for “Rolling In The Deep” has garnered more than 219 million views (and counting) on YouTube.

- “Someone Like You” has generated 9,329 covers (and counting) on YouTube.

- Apparently around 450 tweets per hour mention Adele.

- Currently, 18 copies of “21” are sold every minute in the UK.

We’re proud to say KXT 91.7 was among the first stations in the country to play “Rolling In The Deep”, over a month before the album was released - when many folks hadn’t even heard of Adele. We’ll do our best to keep that musical-discovery thing going for you!

What’s sweeter than a dozen Gold of Kinbalu orchids or a...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:28:01 -0600

What’s sweeter than a dozen Gold of Kinbalu orchids or a special delivery from Dude, Sweet Chocolate or Coco Andre? Dallas duo Smile Smile’s “Tempo Bledsoe” getting some national attention in the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Valentine’s Day commercial, that’s what. Go, Ryan and Jencey!

Gini.

From Joe K. This is my boy Tony. He just turned four. He has...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:24:42 -0600

From Joe K.

This is my boy Tony. He just turned four. He has his mommy’s beautiful blue eyes.

He’s going to be a doctor; I have pre-determined his future and he will have nothing to do with radio or music.

Just kidding. He’s such a funny kid; he makes us laugh like crazy. This picture was taken at the Arboretum here in Dallas.

—Joe

KXT 91.7 Presents : They Might Be Giants!

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:08:47 -0600

Don’t miss They Might Be Giants at the Granada Theater on February 2! Get tickets in advance here. You can also sign up for the KXT Insider and be on alert for any ticket giveaways.

Here’s a little gem to get you in the mood. For reals, thank us later after your dance party this afternoon.

See ya at the show!

Blitzen Trapper’s “Taking It Easy Too Long,” off their sixth...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:05:31 -0600

Blitzen Trapper’s “Taking It Easy Too Long,” off their sixth studio album. Via.

The Ridglea is coming back...

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:10:30 -0600

The now under-construction Ridglea Theater in Fort Worth will be awesome once complete. Kudos to owner Jerry Shults for taking on a historic venue and check out where WFAA reports on his securing a spot on the National Register of Historic Places!

From Joe K. I guess my claim to fame, if you want to call it...

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:56:00 -0600

From Joe K.

I guess my claim to fame, if you want to call it that, was that I worked on the very first Beavis and Butthead cartoon. Yeah, I did. I was a cel painter (we weren’t using computers in those days, Sonny).

Don’t tell Mike Judge this, but I painted the cels he gave me to paint at work on my break. I was a server (we called ‘em “waiters” back then, Sonny). I sat at a table in the dining room trying not to get spaghetti sauce on what I thought was the worst thing I’d ever seen drawn in my entire life.

…until I saw him on David Letterman a very short time thereafter.

Scroll ahead to the most important part (ha ha): my credit, at 2:40.

'Live From The Artists Den' on PBS!

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:46:53 -0600

The great thing about being the building with a TV station is that we know when cool stuff is going to air. Season 4 of Live From The Artists Den starts in February! From their about page:

“The Artists Den presents extraordinary artists in extraordinary settings. Since its launch on U.S. public television in 2009, “Live from the Artists Den” has become a three-time NY Emmy-nominated series and has expanded to air across the globe.

Previous artists include Ben Harper, Regina Spektor, Ringo Starr, Ani DiFranco, Raphael Saadiq, Aimee Mann, David Gray, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Black Crowes, Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, and Elvis Costello.

Past Artists Den venues include the first art museum in America, a Masonic temple, a former Archdiocese cathedral, a 1930s silent movie theater, the worlds oldest merchant sailing vessel, The New York Public Library, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 2012 Artists Den Entertainment will launch the fourth season of its television series “Live from the Artists Den.” Supporting our belief that great music deserves a great audience, the series allows an unlimited number of guests admittance to our intimate, once-in-a-lifetime shows.”

Here’s the schedule for airing in North Texas on Channel 13:

Feb 8 at 10pm - Adele

Feb 15 at 10pm - The Fray

Feb 22 at 10pm - Death Cab for Cutie

Feb 29 at 10pm - Kid Rock

March 21 at 10pm - Amos Lee

March 28 at 10pm - Iron and Wine

We all saw the tweet with the 2012 Coachella lineup...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:47:00 -0600

We all saw the tweet with the 2012 Coachella lineup yesterday. It will no doubt be amazing. Which bands will KXT 91.7 listeners recognize? Here’s a list of the 2012 Coachella bands that you might hear on our airwaves (or the app, or online):

Black Keys, Arctic Monkey, Mazzy Star, Madness, Jimmy Cliff, M. Ward, Givers, Other Lives, Band of Skulls, Radiohead, Boni Iver, The Shins, Miike Snow, Andrew Bird, Feist, St. Vincent, Squeeze, Buzzcocks, Kaiser Chiefs, The Head and the Heart, Grace Potter, Grouplove, Gary Clark Jr., Florence and the Machine, Beirut, Santigold, Gotye, Fitz and the Tantrums, Lissie.

Sa-weet! Tickets go on sale on Friday. Have fun kids.

Runners up in the Best of 2011 Listener Poll

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:26:00 -0600

The Best of 2011 Listener Poll was fun. It was like having an online chalkboard for folks to list their favorite albums and songs. KXT didn’t give choice in the matter: it was all listener generated.

It’s no lie the Adele fans are out there ready to vote and make sure their girl is on top! Go Team Adele. Aside from that, it’s so heartening to see local bands represent in a big way with KXT 91.7 listeners, what with Air Review, Seryn and St. Vincent landing in the top ten songs list. Go local y’all.

But what about all the OTHER bands that didn’t make the Top 10? After excluding non-2011 releases & obvious bogus entries, here are the runners up in the Best of 2011 Listener Poll.

Album runners up: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues, Florence and the Machine - Ceremonials, Fitz and the Tantrums - Pickin’ Up The Pieces, The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow, The Orbans - When We Were Wild, Old 97s - Grand Theatre Vol. 2, Feist - Metals, Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys, Beirut - The Rip Tide, Radiohead - The King of Limbs, Ryan Adams - Ashes and Fire, TV On The Radio - Nine Types of Light, M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost, My Morning Jacket - Circuital, Givers - In The Light, THe Head And THe Heart - The HEad And The HEart, Sarah Jaffe - The Way Sound Leaves a Room, Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes, Calhoun - Heavy Sugar, Real Estate - Days, Jessie Frye - Fireworks Child, REM - Collapse Into Now, Foo Fighters - Wasting Light, tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L, Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What

Songs runners up: M83 - Midnight City, Decemberists - Calamity Song, Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues, Adele - Rumour Has It, Ryan Adams - Lucky Now, Death Cab For Cutie - You Are A Tourist, Lana del Rey - Video Games, Mumford and Sons - The Cave, The Orbans - New Dress, Fitz & The Tantrums - Don’t Gotta Work It Out, Foster The People - Helena Beat, Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Wilco - I Might, Head And The Heart - Down In The Valley, Civil Wars - Poison And Wine, Givers - Saw You First, Old 97s - Perfume, Beirut - Santa Fe, Givers - Up Up Up, Dawes - Time Spent in Los Angeles, Jessie Frye - Like A Light, The Orbans - Like a Liar

Triple Play is Friday, January 13 at The Kessler Theater. ...

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:43:54 -0600

Triple Play is Friday, January 13 at The Kessler Theater. It’s a monthly event showcasing local talent from Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton. This video is a taste of what to expect from Dallas’ own 18 year old guitar prodigy Hunter Hendrickson. Other bands include Exit 380 from Fort Worth and Spooky Folk out of Denton.

See ya there!

Happy New Year Friends!

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:40:00 -0600

We at KXT hope your holidays were lovely. Welcome to a new year. Picture via.

Little Black Dress From Joe K. First of all, have a very Merry...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:24:00 -0600

Little Black Dress

From Joe K.

First of all, have a very Merry Whatever It Is That You Celebrate. (Mine’s Christmas!)

And here is my present to you… a song that I really, really like, from a band I really, really like. Song is called “To Do With You,” and it’s brand spankin’ new; from a band called Little Black Dress. Now you’ve heard them on KXT, and if you flip on over to the Live Sessions page, you can see Toby Pipes and Nolan Theis playing here in the studio.

I love these guys, I really like their music, and I love this track. It’s the flip side to a really great cover of the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby.”

I saw Toby playing guitar in a band I went to see years ago, and had no idea who they were. I really liked this band because from a rhythmic standpoint, they did something I’d never seen before: instead of being married to the bass player (Toby’s brother Todd), the drums seemed to be patterned after the attack of the acoustic guitar; their rhythm. No matter how fast the acoustic guitar could be chunked and slammed and strummed, the drummer (John Kirtland) nailed every little nuance, and it was a blast to watch.

That band was Deep Blue Something, and it wasn’t the hit song (that made the preppy kids bob up and down during the chorus of) Breakfast At Tiffany’s that I liked; it was the other songs they played from the Home album…Red Light, Josey, Kadinsky Prince, Song To Make Love To, and Done. At that time, I played drums in a band, and decided I would “marry” our acoustic guitar player from then on.

Okay, so there you go. To Do With You, by Little Black Dress; new stuff from Nolan and Toby.

Have a wonderful Holiday-Christmas-Hannukah-Kwanzaa-Shi Gi Go San-Dia De Santa Lucia.

Joe Kozera

KXT 91.7 Presents : Thurston Moore!

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:35:00 -0600

Don’t miss Thurston Moore at the Texas Theater on February 10! Get tickets in advance here. You can also sign up for the KXT Insider and be on alert for any ticket giveaways. See ya at the show!

Check out Dallas artist Manya Repnikova

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:16:00 -0600

From Joe Kozera-

I apologize to my superiors. But I am going long this week.

You’re rarely going to see a true, full-fledged endorsement from me. There are very few artists that I’ve ever been crazy about.

But it’s the voice of Dallas artist Manya Repnikova that’s bewitched my ears and head. I love this video. I love this song Move Along. I’ve been talking to anyone who will listen about Manya. There’s a comment below this video on Y’tube that says, “Why isn’t she famous yet?”

When we first when on the air two years ago, one of the first local bands we ever played was Morning Elephant. This band is comprised of very talented Dallas musicians, including Clay Pendergrass, Iris Leu…and Manya. Gini and I would quietly giggle to ourselves after every back announce, “That was Morning Elephant, by Morning Elephant, on the album Morning Elephant.”

That is, until I asked Manya, “What’s that song about?” She said, ” It’s actually about the dads that leave their family to go to work to pay the bills. It’s sort of a tribute to fathers because it’s not easy to leave your kids to spend the majority of the week working …. The way many fathers turn into goofy fun characters (taking his little one on his back saying “put your halo on my head…let’s go down and see the morning elephants.” The love/bond between father and child. But also the extreme love he feels for his wife; “They’re the stars revolving ‘round a golden pearl balloon” (imagine a mama with a new baby in tummy).

It’s that line alone that made me fall in love with her songs. But it’s her voice that makes me stand still.

Manya and AM Elephant stronghold Clay Pendergrass will be playing at La Grange December 28th.

—Joe

KXT 91.7 Presents : Old 97's

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:43:00 -0600

Yep, KXT 91.7 Presents two nights of the Old 97’s at the Granada Theater! Save the dates: December 28 & 29, baby! Be sure to enter to win a pair of tickets (by noon on 12/20) if you so desire or get just tickets here the old fashioned way.