For January:
Step into the world of pioneering roots musician Ralph White. Watch to see what dogs, yuppies, love, and Charles Whitman have in common with White and his friends.

Ring in the New Year with great music on KLRU Q. First, we feature a documentary about one man’s quest to reunite the Kinks. Next is a mini-marathon of Hardly Sound complete with a countdown at midnight!

8:55pm – Do It Again
Geoff Edgers, a Boston Globe reporter dreading the approach of his 40th birthday, is on an unlikely quest: to reunite the surviving members of the Kinks, the long dormant British Invasion group of the 1960s who rose to the top of the rock world with hits such as “You Really Got Me,” “Lola” and “Come Dancing.” There are just two small problems: Edgars has absolutely no connection to the Kinks, aside from a passionate love for their music, and there is a long-standing feud between band members and brothers Ray and Dave Davies, who haven’t spoken to each other in years. DO IT AGAIN follows Edgers from Boston to California, and from Las Vegas to New York City. By the time he reaches London, he’s ready to confront his heroes. But are they ready for him?

9:59pm – Hardly Sound: The Bye and Bye
Follow Austin, Texas twang wave band, The Bye and Bye in their quest to understand their future through the telling of their past.

10:25pm – Hardly Sound: Bad Lovers
Dive into the world of the Austin, Texas garage rock scene with “The Bad Lovers” and all their rock ‘n’ roll cohorts as they talk about their adventurous past, hopeful future, and the sometimes tenuous friendships that they’ve formed over the years.

10:51pm – Hardly Sound: Royal Forest
Take to the skies with psychedelic rock band Royal Forest as they lead the Hardly Sound team on an epic adventure through the desert, in a submarine, and up in the air. It all culminates with the band recording a song in a tiny Cessna flying over north Austin. Royal Forest will inspire you with their spirit of adventure.

11:20pm – Hardly Sound: Emcee Eats
Join Vincent Martinez – one of the most stunningly original artists in Austin – as he lives his self-proclaimed “Jazz Life.” Then marvel at his undeniable hooks and poetic, personal lyrics as he steps into the studio as Emcee Eats.

just before Midnight —Hardly Sound producers countdown to the new year

Hardly Sound
Airs at 10:30 pm Tuesdays on KLRU starting Jan 1, 2013;
Airs first Monday of the month on KLRU Q music block at 11 pm
or watch online anytime at klru.org

Here in Austin, music is everywhere: in our airport, in our restaurants, behind grocery stores, and even on the 6th floor of office buildings. Given the sheer supply of choices, one would imagine it to be a daunting task to really penetrate the local musical territory and make it big. However the thriving bond between creativity and music keeps people going at it here, which in itself is the essence of why Austin continually rules.

When local filmmakers Chris Kim and Randy Reynolds set out to find bands whose passion and creativity distinguish them within the overarching Texas music scene, their task evolved into an all-out adventure revealing some great insights behind this creative community. They’ve condensed their journeys into half-hour long segments for a new documentary series called Hardly Sound.

The show profiles one artist per episode and conveys their respective stories through conversation and performance, detailed in footage spanning the full month they spent with each artist. What I enjoy most about this program is that rather than simply offering a dry profile of the band, the filmmakers establish an emotional connection between the audience and their subject through the intimate dialogue about their creative process. This stands closely to the filmmakers’ mission to create “a creative series about creative people for creative people”.

Topics of past experiences, personal triumphs, emotional hardships and overcoming adversity make you feel what the musicians feel and give a true sense of what shaped their path towards adopting their creative lifestyles. Bands like twang-wave act The Bye and Bye detail important life lessons like “expect the unexpected”, “don’t wear shorts”, and “bask in the unlikelihood of life” while taking the filmmakers on a “birding” trip. Meanwhile, garage rockers The Bad Lovers express their sentiments for the community of outcasts who welcomed their eagerness to play rock n’ roll in sweaty basements and damp clubs. Through their POVs, these musicians come off as hopeful, devoted and relatable, as their rehearsals and reflections become transparent windows into their souls.

For anybody who’d enjoy an intimate look at bands trying to “carve out their own space in the crowded scene” (and we all know, its CROWDED), this is that plus more.

About the Reviewer: Kaitlyn Roche is a fourth-year student at the University of Texas at Austin and currently works in the Marketing department of KLRU. She has contributed to online and print publications such as A.V. Club, San Antonio Express-News and Verbicide Magazine.

For December
Join Vincent Martinez – one of the most stunningly original artists in Austin – as he lives his self-proclaimed “Jazz Life.” Then marvel at his undeniable hooks and poetic, personal lyrics as he steps into the studio as Emcee Eats.

The first Monday of the month KLRU Q’s 11pm music block features Hardly Sound. The documentary series focuses on Texas underground music and artists but goes beyond the recording studio to tell the story of the band members with insight into the creative process.

For November … Take to the skies with psychedelic rock band Royal Forest as they lead the Hardly Sound team on an epic adventure through the desert, in a submarine, and up in the air. It all culminates with the band recording a song in a tiny Cessna flying over north Austin. Royal Forest will inspire you with their spirit of adventure.

The first Monday of the month KLRU Q’s 11pm music block features Hardly Sound. The documentary series focuses on Texas underground music and artists but goes beyond the recording studio to tell the story of the band members with insight into the creative process.

This month … Dive into the world of the Austin, Texas garage rock scene with The Bad Lovers and all their rock ‘n’ roll cohorts as they talk about their adventurous past, hopeful future, and the sometimes tenuous friendships that they’ve formed over the years. Hardly Sound airs the first Monday of the month at 11 pm on KLRU-Q. The Bad Lovers episode airs October 1.

Meet the Creators from Hardly Sound on Vimeo.

In episode one, follow Austin twang wave band, The Bye & Bye in their quest to understand their future through the telling of their past. Future episodes will feature The Bad Lovers, Royal Forest, Emcee Eats, and Ralph White

New episodes air the first Monday of the month at 11pm on KLRU-Q, beginning with the Bye & Bye airing this Monday. To keep up with Hardly Sound visit http://hardlysound.tumblr.com/.