KUT's On the Record

Series produced by KUT

Caption: PRX default Series image
PRX default Series image 

Individual artists offer unnarrarated first person accounts of an album that changed their life.

One of the most common questions in music journalism is, `Who are your influences.` And too often it`s the same answer: Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones.
But if you tweak the question slightly, and ask what album most inspired their craft, you get some interesting answers. That is what KUT`s Texas Music Matters noticed when they sat down with the likes of Frank Black of the Pixies, Shawn Colvin, ZZ Top`s Billy Gibbons, Joan Osborne, and many more.

In this ongoing series from Austin`s acclaimed Texas Music Matters unit, individual artists offer unnarrarated first person accounts of an album that changed their life. These segments are rich with storytelling and sound and run under five minutes.

None of these segments need an intro, but they set up terrific music programming segues.


22 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Piece image
Craig Finn of The Hold Steady discusses the album that meant the most to him growing up: The Replacements' 'Let It Be.'

  • Added: Aug 06, 2009
  • Length: 07:30
Piece image
Conrad Keeley of Austin indie rockers ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail Of Dead talks about the album that means the most to him: 'Hounds of Lov...

  • Added: Aug 06, 2009
  • Length: 08:47
Piece image
Dallas' Rhett Miller, solo artist and the frontman for alt-country stalwarts the Old 97's, gives an interesting choice for the album that changed h...

  • Added: Aug 06, 2009
  • Length: 07:49
Piece image
Austin blues musician Carolyn Wonderland talks about an album that changed her life: ZZ Top's 'Tres Hombres.'

  • Added: Aug 05, 2009
  • Length: 05:28
Piece image
Lead singer of the L.A. pop group The Broken West talks about an album that had a big impact on his life: 'Being There' from Wilco.

  • Added: Oct 19, 2007
  • Length: 08:53
Piece image
Jonathan Meiburg of the Austin band Shearwater talks about an album that had a big impact on his life: Talk Talk 'Laughing Stock'

  • Added: Oct 05, 2007
  • Length: 11:22
Piece image
Kim Wilson leads the legendary blues-rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. He talks about an album that had a big impact on his music: Little Walter...

  • Added: Oct 05, 2007
  • Length: 06:55
Piece image
Rockabilly powerhouse Jim Heath also known as The Reverend Horton Heat talks about an album that changed his life: Sonny Boy Williamson 'One Way Out'

  • Added: Oct 05, 2007
  • Length: 08:04
Piece image
Colin Meloy leads the orchestral pop outfit The Decemberists. He talks about an album that had a big impact on his music: Fleetwood Mac 'Tusk'

  • Added: Oct 05, 2007
  • Length: 07:26
Piece image
Texas honky tonk legend James Hand talks about an artist that had a big impact on his life: Dean Martin

  • Added: Oct 05, 2007
  • Length: 07:25
Piece image
Austinite Ruthie Foster is one part folk songwriter, one part soulful gospel singer. She talks about an album that truly changed her life: Stevie ...

  • Added: Jul 02, 2007
  • Length: 10:18
Piece image
Joan Osborne scored big with a hit single in the mid-nineties and has since made a career of soulful, smart recordings. But she had already embark...

  • Added: Jun 05, 2007
  • Length: 06:05
Piece image
Austin producer and musical jack-of-all-trades, Gurf Morlix, talks about the artist that completely changed his life: Hank Williams.

Bought by Marfa Public Radio


  • Added: May 22, 2007
  • Length: 07:43
  • Purchases: 1
Piece image
Singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile talks about the LP she checked out of her local library...and never gave back: Elton John's "Tumbleweed Connection."

  • Added: May 16, 2007
  • Length: 11:00
Piece image
Ryan Kattner, better known as Honus Honus, front man for the strangely irresistible rock outfit, Man Man, talks about an album that changed his per...

  • Added: May 11, 2007
  • Length: 10:15
Piece image
Tunde Adebimpe, arty lead singer from TV on the Radio, talks about the album he found in High School that changed his life: Sonic Youth's Daydream ...

  • Added: May 01, 2007
  • Length: 08:10
Piece image
Will Sheff, passionate and political songwriter from Okkervil River, talks about a kooky album that changed his whole approach to music: The Incred...

  • Added: Apr 11, 2007
  • Length: 09:51
Piece image
Singer/songwriter Trish Murphy talks about an album that changed her life: Emmylou Harris' "Blue Kentucky Girl."

  • Added: Mar 29, 2007
  • Length: 05:32
Piece image
Jimmie Dale Gilmore talks about an album that changed his life - at the same time it was changing music as we now know it: `The Sun Sessions of Elv...

  • Added: Mar 07, 2007
  • Length: 03:35
Caption: PRX default Piece image
Frank Black, legendary front man of the Pixies, talks about the album that had the biggest impact on him - Iggy Pop's 1977 release "Lust for Life."

  • Added: Feb 27, 2007
  • Length: 06:14