by Ken Lieck
Whither
radio? Or should
that be "withered" radio? In a town with an overall level of good local
programming that's head and shoulders over most of the rest of the country (even if sometimes it all still seems like it sucks), a
surprising number of stations are making or considering the move to automatic
and syndicated programming. One simple reason is that such programming tends to
be cheaper, and whether or not the new rock station 101X is a deadly threat to
other similarly programmed stations, it's at least another bite out of a
shrinking pie. Z-102 and K-NACK have recently introduced syndicated programming
to various extents, such as the latter's addition of the popular Love
Phones program on Monday through Thursdays at 10pm-midnight. The latest
stunner comes from non-commercial KUT where, according to a source at the
station, a decision is in the works to replace the low-rated, overnight
(midnight-5am), locally originated shows, which are largely free-form programs
taking calls and playing lots of local music, with a less expensive feed from
the BBC. Automation equipment has already been purchased but the actual
decision to can the overnight folks has yet to be made. Some sources at KUT who
object to the change say that the savings wouldn't be that significant, and
urge fans of the overnight shows to voice their feelings during the station's
pledge drive, which starts this weekend.
Compilations
(Hemp and Otherwise)
Both of those comps featuring
Ian Moore (
Hempilation and the
National Lampoon's Senior Trip soundtrack) are out now. The former
features all your favorite spliff-smoking faves interpreted by today's top
talents (hey, I should try for a job with K-Tel), and the latter includes
Moore's take on the
Who's "Magic Bus." The
Gearhead magazine
compilation album
500 Miles to Glory features a track from Austin's
lo-fi
Lord High Fixers as well as other bands you like including
Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver and the
Supersuckers. As far as
full-length albums go, a pair of new discs have hit the office this week from
DejaDisc. Deja offers up trad from
Wayne Hancock and mad from the
Wannabes (a lyric sheet for Wayne and not for the 'bes, Deja? I can
understand Wayne...), with the latter group doing a Waterloo Records
in-store at 5pm Friday and an Electric Lounge gig Saturday with the visiting
Magnolias (who know a thing or two about the City-Wide Garage Sale,
believe me). Freedom Records' latest is from
Schwaggert, a supergroup
comprised of three
Toadliquors (those guys really get around),
Chris
Miller and
Steve Watson. Freedom also warns that
Rick
Broussard's next album,
Shadow Man, is should appear in mid-November.
Driving in the Dark
If you were looking to meet
Bruce Springsteen at
Joe Ely's
ultra-private post-video shoot Continental Club show last Tuesday, you were out
of luck. Not only was there no Boss in sight, the shoot ran hopelessly late due
to a spate of injurious and expensive accidents, though Joe himself managed to
make it through unscathed (for a change). Thing is, Brooose
was in town,
he just didn't know where "All Just to Get to You" was being shot for French
MTV. After his attempts to determine the top-secret location (the Austin Music
Hall) were scuttled, Springsteen headed out to
Willie Nelson's
Pedernales studio. Willie Nelson - now
there's someone who should have
been on
Hempilation...
Mixed Notes
The latest batch of music-related links has been added to the
Chronicle
Web page / (E-mail more to me at:
[email protected])... Drum whiz
Terry Bozzio's first year here in
Austin has been a "whirlwind," according to his wife
Ev. She just got
back from L.A., and the
Missing Person himself will be arriving soon as
well, as the skinbeater for
Jeff Beck, who'll be at the Erwin Center
this Friday with
Santana. The team has been touring since the beginning
of August, with busy Bozzio also performing solo gigs when time has permitted.
After the tour ends in mid-October, drumming students may want to start looking
for the former
Frank Zappa bandmate around the UT area, where he's
looking into some guest appearances as a Dean of Drumsticks... The big Lone
Star Women's Music Festival is next weekend, with loads of acts from
Velvet
Hammer to
Meg Hentges to
Odetta. Call BookWoman for
information - they won't tell
me where it's at... More Norway news came
in this week: Top Norwegian singer
Steinar Albrigtsen is coming to
Austin with another big Norse draw,
Linni Treekrem, to rehearse an
Austin-based band for a big festival in North Dakota. Picked for the band are
Erik Moll, Mitch Watkins, Wally Doggett, and
Steve Carter.
Carter's band
Stop the Truck just got a Scandinavian record contract,
and you just might meet Steinar at that band's show Tuesday at Babes...
Another record store in town? Yep. Thirty Three Degrees, a joint
venture between
ND magazine and Over and Out Records, is having a grand
opening this Friday, 28th and San Jacinto, with an acoustic in-store by
Houston's
Voice of Eye, the
Motards playing on the roof, and
more. That all starts at 8pm. Yet another new/used/import record store just
opened: Stashus Mule Records at 3701 Guadalupe... You know the Blue Flamingo is
closing, and owner
Laura is promising a "show to end all shows" on the
final day, starting at 4pm Saturday and featuring a who's who of Austin's
loudest and ugliest bands, from the Motards to the
Fuck Emos and
Gomez. You can get the full lineup by looking in our club listings -
well, almost the full lineup. More bands are expected to be added by showtime.
And of course, the same goes for the final Austin Outhouse show that same
night. There you'll get
Herman the German and
Aunt Beanie's First
Prize Beets among others... On happier club notes, the new La Zona Rosa
opens next Hump Day, and this weekend is the Flamingo Cantina's fourth
anniversary. Again, see the listings for more info... The week's celebrity
spottings:
Brad Pitt at Hang Town Grill? Hey, that's even classier than
David Bowie's last visit to the Showplace Lanes. You can start peeling
your eyes for
Meg Ryan and
Denzel Washington on the streets soon,
too. They'll be shooting a movie here beginning in mid-October...
Elvin
Bishop and
B.B. King's drummer showed up at Antone's for the Monday
Night jam...
Noodle has broken up, giving the reason that "we all hate
each other now." The band has committed to playing the Emo's reunion show in 10
years, however...
Soulhat may be gone, but not forgotten. Their song
"Good to Be Gone" was heard on
Road Rules, MTV's new cross between
Real World and
Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World... Final Word: The
authors of
Apathy Drugs and Driving (Back to School issue out now) will
be pleased to know that I have shaved and gotten a (slight) haircut...n
