Radio Without Borders #83 May 23, 2007 The Invincible Czars, Keren Ann, Carrie Rodriguez, The Dhurks & Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

The Invicible Czars “Aelita; Queen of Mars”

Truth be told, the musical compositions by Austin group The Invincible Czars do have a unique otherworldly quality to them in any circumstance. They’re known for songs and instrumentals that seem more like symphony pieces, fusing together an interesting blend of styles, riffs and melodies that you’d never guess would combine so well. You can hear classical influences, heavy metal, lounge sounds, country, polka, punk rock and jazz. It’s a feast – and an adventure – for the ears.

Keren Ann “Where No Endings End”

Keren Ann, who divides her time between New York City, Paris, and her home country, Israel, writes her music in both English and French, depending on what the story dictates in a particular song. She says with French, you can be more dramatic, while English is much more straightforward and raw. But, no matter which language she uses, there is the undeniable emotion that comes through. Keren Ann visited KUT during South By Southwest in 2007 and performed a track from her self-titled album. Here is Keren Ann with “Where No Endings End.”

Carrie Rodriguez “Seven Angels On a Bicycle”

Believe it or not, Carrie Rodriguez was well on her way to becoming a classical musician. She became interested in playing the violin after seeing virtuoso Itzak Perlman in concert. She was even accepted at the prestigious Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Ohio. Then, of course, fate stepped in when a family friend, some fellow by the name of Lyle Lovett, invited Carrie to play in his band for a show he was doing in Cleveland. Carrie eventually transferred to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where Lyle once again asked her to perform at another show. That was when she finally knew where her heart was, musically.

The Duhrks “Dover, Delaware”

The Duhks specialize in acoustic sounds with a rock ‘n’ roll flair. They have influences that are, literally, all over the map: Brazilian samba, Irish dance, Zydeco beats, soul and gospel, and country twang, all woven together into a unified contemporary sound. The Duhks cover quite a bit of material from other artists, but their original arrangements give these cover songs as much energy and uniqueness as their own work.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club “Shuffle Your Feet”

The founding members of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, bassist Robert Levon Been and guitarist Peter Hays, first began writing and playing music together in 1998, taking the band name from the motorcycle gang led by leather-clad Marlon Brando in the 1953 film The Wild One. The band’s psychedelic and space rock style carries rather strong blues and folk influences. In their visit to Studio 1A back in 2006, they took a more acoustic approach in their performance, in lieu of their trademark guitar distortion and feedback, and did a piece from their third album, Howl.

— Laurie Gallardo