Join KIOS this Christmas for great stories and holiday music!
Monday, December 24th
Reclaiming the Holidays – 9 am to 10 am
This special profiles people from different backgrounds who seek to get past the consumer frenzy of the December holidays, and to focus more on authentic family connection and giving charity in the spirit of the season. We hear from Annie Leonard, whose environmental film 'The Story of Stuff' attracted over 10 million online viewers, and examine the movement to carve out family downtime from our digital devices.
‘Tis the Season – 10 am to 11 am
Whether it’s a traditional hymn or a rock n' roll Christmas song, many people say Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the music that marks this season. The sense of joy, comfort, or spiritual uplift comes in classical, popular, jazz, and even world music. A poet, an ethnomusicologist, a conductor, and a vocalist share their favorite songs and why the music resonates with them this time of year.
Cool Yule – 11 am to 12 pm
Host Rita Houston talks with Bette Midler, Sarah McLachlan and Aimee Mann about holiday music and traditions, featuring exclusive live performances and new additions to the Christmas catalog.
Juke in the Back: R&B Christmas – 12pm to 1 pm
The entire "Juke In The Back" is loaded with the greatest R&B Christmas records from the late 1940s and 1950s. It's the yuletide soul that came before rock n' roll. From the all-time classics by Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters and The Orioles to some rarer Christmas plattahs from Amos Milburn, JB Summers and The Five Keys. So grab some 'nog and get groovin'.
Austin Music Unlimited Holiday Special – 6 pm to 7 pm
Willie Nelson, Kelly Willis, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Asleep at the Wheel, Ruthie Foster, the Rev. Horton Heat and many more are among the featured artists in this hour-long seasonal music showcase. There are inventive reworkings of some holiday classics, surprising originals, and exclusive live music recorded in KUT's legendary 'Studio 1A'. Hosted by David Brown of KUT's Texas Music Matters.
A Cool Christmas Mix with Paul Ingels – 7 pm to 8 pm
Music History Producer Paul Ingles gently hosts an hour of pop, rock and soul holiday music. Paul Simon, Otis Redding, Charles Brown, Pretenders, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Kinks, Shawn Colvin, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Beatles, and more.
A Swinging Holiday Jazz Party with Wynton Marsalis – 8pm to 9pm
Wynton Marsalis hosts an hour of holiday jazz favorites by Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Gregory Porter, René Marie, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Tuesday, December 25th
Humankind: The Christmas Truce – 9 am to 10 am
Fraternizing with the enemy was an offense for which a soldier could be court-martialed. Yet on the frozen battlefield of Flanders, Belgium in the bitter first Christmas of WW1, troops on all sides broke the trance of war a century ago and — for a fleeting few hours — became friends.
Previously shooting at each other from the miserable trenches, they now sang Christmas carols in different languages. They exchanged boxes of candy and cigarettes and even played a match of soccer in No Man's Land. Until of course, the deadly mission of war resumed.
You'll hear folksinger John McCutcheon, whose Grammy-nominated song, Christmas in the Trenches, movingly tells the story. And distinguished historian Stanley Weintraub, who searched through century-old diaries and news articles for his book, Silent Night. The second half of this documentary examines the history of U.S. conscientious objectors in WW1, some of whom were brutalized for their opposition to the Great War, includes rare WW1 archival audio.
Hep to the Holidays – 10 am to 11 am
Night Lights' annual holiday tribute celebrates the season with plenty of cool-Yule jazz, including Shorty Rogers' take on "The Nutcracker," pianist Bill Evans having some vocal fun with "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (as well as the backstory on how the song came to be written), guitarist Emily Remler offering up a luminous version of "Snowfall," and poet Sascha Feinstein reading his poem about the legendary Miles Davis-Thelonious Monk Christmas Eve 1954 recording session.
A Very Crooner Christmas – 11 am to 12 pm
Happy Holidays, all you Great American Songbook fans out there. We have a special collection this hour of some favorite songs for Christmas by some of the best known crooners from the Great American Songbook, including Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Frank Sinatra, and more. We’ll also hear the story behind some now ubiquitous Christmas songs, like “White Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” and “I Heard The Bells On Christmas” Day.” Hosted by Mark Chilla.
Moth Radio Hour Holiday Special: Monkeys, Megachurches, and First Elves – 12 pm to 1pm
A special holiday edition of The Moth Radio Hour: Simon Doonan encounters challenges when called on to decorate the White House for Christmas, a man is hesitant to work with a ‘Hollywood’ style church in his neighborhood, a Jewish girl meets Santa, and a boy thinks his dreams have finally come true when he gets an exotic pet. This hour is hosted by The Moth’s Artistic Director, Catherine Burns. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Angel Hair and Tinsel: Another Baby Boomer’s Christmas – 6pm to 8 pm
Angel Hair & Tinsel: Another Baby Boomer's Christmas combines pop, rock and soul Christmas favorites that span that generation's life. Born from 1946-1964 Baby Boomers arguably have had the greatest impact on shaping American poular music, and that includes Christmas music. From country artists like Gene Autry, Alabama, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, to rock megastars like The Beach Boys, The Eagles, John Lennoin, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes and the Phil Spector's groups, to pop icons like Bing Crosby, Bette Midler and Glen Campbell, their Christmas recordings live on year after, generation after generation. So gather your friends, trim a tree, pour something refreshing, and enjoy a White Christmas or Christmas in Dixie. Feliz Navid!