Austin: Are You Prepared To Rock? Spare the Rock Joins KUTX!

Mar 13

As some of you know, I’ve had a monumentally rough week, saying goodbye to a friend who I’ve known since the 10th grade, and with whom I lived for a little over four years.  So I am utterly delighted to have some good news:

As we approach our tenth anniversary (this August!) and our 500th show (April 4), I am beyond thrilled to announce that we have a new flagship station, 98.9 KUTX – The Austin Music Experience.  We’ll launch on Mothers Day, May 10, and will air Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m.

KUTX is a relatively new station, having launched just over two years ago, but its seeds were planted as far back as 1925, when the first station with the call letters KUT launched in Austin.  (The station disappeared from 1927 to 1958, when it relaunched.)  KUT is Austin’s home for National Public Radio and had eclectic music programming for decades.

When the 98.9 frequency became available a few years ago, KUT acquired it and KUTX waKUTX_FM_LUs born at the start of 2013.

The new station has what, if you were prone to understatement, you’d call a pretty big signal, as you can see on the map.  Basically, it blankets Austin and much of the surrounding areas.  The station’s playlist is eclectic and diverse, and there just couldn’t be a better fit for us.  It sounds like Austin.

What will change?  Not much.  We’ll identify KUTX as our flagship station during the show.  It’ll still be made available, for free, to any stations that want to air it.  We’ll record it in our same little studio, though we’ll also get to do in-studios at KUTX’s Studio 1A when schedules permit.  (And they get some amazing acts there that we hope to “borrow.”)  Hopefully we’ll get some musical ideas from the hosts there.

We’ve had some initial discussions about doing events with the station, and I definitely have big hopes to do some amazing stuff for the families of Austin beyond what we’re already doing.

But that’ll all come.  For now, I’m obsessing about what to play for those first few shows, as we introduce ourselves to Austin.

I’m just so excited.  I hope you are too.

Read More

Show 496: 2015-03-07 Playlist & Stream

Mar 04

1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
ID
They Might Be Giants – Triops Has Three Eyes
Suz Slezak – Leather Winged Bat (new)
ID
Salim Nourallah – Be Here Now
Lori Henriques – Free Ride Everyday (new)
ID
Miles Davis – Venus de Milo
[WJFF/KCMJ: The Short Films – Bird and Butterfly]

2nd set
Poco Drom – Mrs. Spider (new)
ID/prep to Rock
TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock!
ID
The Not-Its! – Great to be a Kid
Rhythm Child – Everybody is the One
Love & Rockets – No New Tale to Tell
Joe McDermott – Everybody Plays Air Guitar
ID

3rd set
Ben Tatar & the Tatar-Tots – The Grape Jam
Chicago – Wake Up Sunshine
ID
The Bunny Clogs – Jumpy the Spider (new)
Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips – My My My
ID
Flans Dial-A-Song ID
They Might Be Giants – Particle Man (live in Australia)
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

Read More

Show 495: 2015-02-28 Playlist & Stream

Feb 26

1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
ID
They Might Be Giants – Older
Lori Henriques – It’s Hard to Wait for your Birthday
ID
The Nields – Dave Hayes the Weather Guy (new)
Mose Fan Fan – Hello Hello
ID
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer – Howdy Little Newlycome (premiere)
[WJFF, KCMJ: Mates of State – Starman]

2nd set
Sweet Honey in the Rock – Counting in Swahili
ID/prep to Rock
TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock!
Jonathan Richman – Roadrunner
Cat Doorman – All the Pretty Horses (new)
Justin ID
Justin Roberts – It’s Your Birthday
The Not-Its! – Let’s Birthday
ID

3rd set
Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly – Coniferous Trees (new)
Koo Koo Kanga Roo – Cat Party
Tim Burgess – Say Yes
ID
The Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name
Ralph’s World – The Name Song
ID
They Might Be Giants – My Name is Kingof Socks
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

Read More

Spare the Rock in the LBJ/LASA Liberator

Feb 21

One of Ella’s classmates wrote a great article about the show for the school newspaper.  It includes some history, a recollection of the start of the vaunted Ella History Quiz, and more:

You can check it out here:

LBJ Liberator 2005-02

Read More

Show 494: 2015-02-21 Playlist & Stream

Feb 19

1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
ID
They Might Be Giants – Boat of Car
Kira Willey guest DJ set

2nd set
vogelJoy – 100 Ways For Me To Get To You (new)
ID/prep to Rock
TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock!
Apples in Stereo – Energy
Bari Koral – Kick Drum Heart
CandyBand – Down By The Bay
Jellydots ID
Jellydots – Race Cars Go
The Not-Its! – Mosquito Eater
ID

3rd set
Misha Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips – The Way We Gets Down (new)
ID
Apple Brains – Water the Loveliest Beverage
Artichoke – Iguana
ID
Jazzy Ash – Salmon Song
The Deedle Deedle Dees – Ah Ahisma
ID
Flans Dial-A-Song
They Might Be Giants – Got Getting Up So Down
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

Read More

Live Music, from Austin to Northampton

Feb 09

Ah, March is coming up, which means a boatload of stuff, music-wise — most notably our Austin events during South by Southwest, and the sixth (I think) year of the River’s Family Music Meltdown and Book Bash!

A quick rundown:

  • Wednesday, March 18 • 3-7:30 • Pan Am Park, 2100 E. 3rd Street, Austin • Family Music Meltdown • Free!
    • Big Don
    • The Que Pastas
    • Gina Chavez
    • Koo Koo Kanga Roo
    • The Not-Its!
    • The Jellydots
    • Ralph’s World
    • Fun stuff!
  • Saturday, March 21 • 3-7:30 • Domain Amphitheater, Austin • Rock Chalk (website coming soon) • Free!
    • Elizabeth McQueen
    • Ralph’s World
    • Koo Koo Kanga Roo
    • Groundwork Music Orchestra
    • The Jellydots
    • Ralph’s World
    • Joe McDermott
    • Chalk art competition!
  • Saturday, March 28 • 10:00-4:00 • Smith Voke High School, Northampton, MA • The River’s Family Music Meltdown and Book Bash • Free!
    • Performers
      • The Deedle Deedle Dees
      • Mister G
      • Stacey Peasley Band
      • The Pop Ups
      • The Nields
      • In the Nick of Time
      • JJ Farnham
      • Shiprock & Anchordog
      • Story Laurie
      • The Whirlygigs
      • Vanessa Trien
      • Tom Knight Puppets
      • Talking Hands Theatre
    • Authors
      • Mike Curato
      • Grace Lin
      • Jarrett J. Krosoczka
      • Erica Perl
      • Nick Bruel
    • Other Stuff
      • Smith Voke Petting Zoo
      • River’s Get Down Dance Party
      • Bounce Houses
      • Circus Demonstrations
      • Acrobatics Demonstrations
      • Awesome Local Food
Read More

2015-02-14 Playlist & Stream

Feb 08

Super excited to have Jacqueline Schimmel of Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players guest host the whole darn show this week!

1st set
They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock
ID
They Might Be Giants – James K. Polk
Jackie ID
Sweet – Little Willy
ID
Beatles – And Your Bird Can Sing
Aimee Mann – Fifty Years After the Fair
Elvis Costello – Accidents Will Happen
XTC – Earn Enough for Us
Jackie ID
[WJFF: Sippy Cups – I Am a Robot]

2nd set
Bill ID
Jackie ID
Justin Roberts – There’s Always Me and You
Split Single – Fragmented World
David Bowie – Red Sails
Puffy AmiYumi – Puffy’s Rule/Puffy No Rule
Jackie ID

3rd set
Bill ID
Jackie ID
Ron Sexsmith – Michael and his Dad
New Pornographers – Graceland
The Rutles – I Must Be In Love
The Kinks – People Take Pictures of Each Other
Jackie ID
John Linnell – South Carolina
They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

Read More