Mar 4, 2013 | ktru, local show
From Houston by way of Utah, Whitney Mower fronts Deseret, who dropped by the studio this week to show off some lyrical/musical chops. Dig the slide guitar, subtle phrasing, and the roaring solo in the third track - they have a windy, thoughtful sound. We're giving you four because they came out so well.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96172493" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96172491" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96172490" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96172492" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Jan 26, 2013 | ktru, local show
The Handshake are a really rad power trio from town who played the show last summer - they're one of those bands who you hear a second of as you're walking past, become immediately hooked, and before you know it you're late for the thing you had to be at, or that's what happened to me at least. Last I heard they were in the studio for a full length, but to hold you over until then here are two excellent tracks they cut up at KTRU. Photo Credit: Dave Idmoto.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/13739003" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118434313" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Jan 13, 2013 | ktru, local show
Khruangbin (the name is Thai for 'airplane', or more literally 'engine fly') plays an instrumental style heavily influenced by Thai Pop - making them an original Western interpretation of an original Eastern style heavily influenced by a collection of Western styles which were themselves derived from other even older Western styles (got all that?). With this in mind it maybe makes a lot of sense that they often perform in costume.
These recordings came out really well so we're going to upload a few more than usual. Dig these:
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96182072" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96182074" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96182073" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96182071" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96182075" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Nov 28, 2012 | ktru, local show
Bang Bangz are no strangers to the studio - Mario's been by in a group called Tax The Wolf - but this time they brought a brand new sound to the show. Electronic, ethereal, and danceable, I picked these two tracks from the session to best represent their style. Dig the vocals, and I think the drums are a little more prominent than you'll get from them live.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118434059" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118433995" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Nov 19, 2012 | ktru, local show
One of the unexpected benefits of our cramped studio is that it sometimes convinces bands to strip things down a bit and give us an acoustic performance - Featherface delivered just such a set at this session. Typically a four-piece, these songs performed on acoustic guitar and the occasional keyboard deliver uncommon insight into their raw songwriting talents.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/100417458" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/100417459" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Nov 13, 2012 | ktru, local show
Say Girl Say are a wholly unique band in Houston right now - dual ukeleles, great harmonies, and a wild percussion variety all sort of combine into an almost tribal sounding set that's almost as much performance art as it is a show. Bands like this with minimal instrumentation and really articulate vocals are some of my favorite to record, I think this set came out exceptionally well. Right here we've got two tracks, Tundra and Sun Flower, listen to these but catch them live for the total experience.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96179868" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96179867" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Nov 11, 2012 | ktru, local show
New York City Queens are a fairly young band - I'm told their name came from a random patch on an old jacket they found (after a brief stint as Ponyboy). They play a pretty charismatic indie pop (they're pretty charismatic themselves) and won huge points for designing their own poster for the show as well as being able to recite almost a dozen upcoming dates entirely from memory. I hope you enjoy these two tracks as much as I did mixing them, pay special attention to the backup vocals in Roman Candles.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96179356" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96179355" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Nov 10, 2012 | ktru, local show
A Sea Es (pronounced "A-C-S") is a project by local badass Austin Smith and co. Usually backed by a full band, Austin brought his solo rig up to the studio and showed us how he does things (with a lot of loops recorded on the spot). What we have here are two of my favorites from the session, complete with all the auxiliary bleeps and bloops as he builds the song up from nothing.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118436624" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118436547" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
Nov 10, 2012 | ktru, local show
I was really excited to have these guys on the show. Hamamatsu Tom and the Whoevers is a rotating group of local musicians, fronted by the Handsome Hamamatsu Tom Triplett. Most nights their lineup is fairly different (as is their name - rumor is that whoever books the show gets to name the band for that night, but I didn't name them The Drink Tickets*), but when they stopped by the studio the band consisted of Hamamatsu Tom, K.G. Beasley, Quincy Adams, and Mannie Schevitz. They played a fairly epic twenty minute version of Wild Thing that we can't post here, but what we can give you are these two excellent tracks, creatively titled "Untitled" and "Boogie Faust." Don't forget to always look over your shoulder, kids!
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96180658" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96180657" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
*They've been Hamamatsu Tom and the Bareback Hell Stallions, Hamamatsu Tom and the Montrose Kroger Sushi Counter, Hamamatsu Tom and the Notorious Heights Arsonists, just to name a few.
Jul 1, 2012 | ktru, local show
Wicked Poseur has been one of my favorite live acts in Houston for awhile now. Fronted by Arthur Bates (also of The Energy), Wicked Poseur has gone through a few other guitar players but for this recording we get to hear Cley from Young Mammals. For pure riffage nothing beats Wicked Poseur. Be sure to listen all the way to the end of Slaves for a really extraordinary solo.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96173469" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/96173468" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
