For the better part of two decades, Austin's KGSR has been producing the Broadcasts CD series - a one-off run of highlights from the station's in-studio and on-air performances that is pressed each November as a souvenir of the year in music for Austin-area fans. The catch with the series is that it isn't for profit - all proceeds are donated to the SIMS Foundation, which provides mental heath services to the Austin musician community and their families. The discs started as a limited edition of just a few thousand, but have now grown in popularity to the point that 22,000 2-disc sets were produced this fall. We recently spoke to KGSR's Andy Langer, part of the team producing and curating this year's Broadcasts project, to discuss the changes, challenges, and highlights of this year's edition.

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Andy Langer is Austin's nearly ubiquitous multimedia music journalist. In the past, he's worked for both The Austin Chronicle and KUT. He now hosts music news segments on News 8 Austin, writes a column for Esquire magazine, and appears on both KSGR and KROX radio on Thursday mornings. Now, after twelve years of (also) hosting 101X's Sunday new music program The Next Big Thing, Langer is migrating to a prime weekday evening spot at KGSR. His show will air Monday-Friday from 6 to 10pm, immediately following Jody Denberg's drive-time broadcast. Though KSGR's format is pretty flexible for AAA, it's a big change for the guy who's been playing lots of loud indie, Britrock, electronica, and lo-fi material at KROX. We spoke with Langer yesterday about the changes to his radio job, and he had a lot to tell us more ›

Photo by Nash Cook Care Stereo (Wars) and Strut Boutique present The Strut Christmas PartyFriday, December 7The Mohawk (912 Red River)$8, doors at 9 pm[info] What do you get when you mix together Austin’s next big band, next sizzling DJ and next hot boutique? Tonight’s wicked Christmas party unwittingly plucked from Andy Langer’s dreams. Join Strut Boutique and Car Stereo (Wars) for Mohawk merriment with White Denim, the Corto Maltese and the Carrots. Headliner White... more ›

Image from MySpace Homegrown LiveWednesday, November 7The Mohawk (912 Red River)$5, Doors at 9 p.m.[info] This Wednesday at the Mohawk, catch some local talent on the rise as part of 101X’s Homegrown Live concert series. Featuring Peel, Corto Maltese, Yellow Fever and DJ:/Rubix, it’s an excellent opportunity to see some of Austin’s best young acts. Peel have already established themselves as one of Austin’s most promising bands, both with last year’s self-titled release on Peek-A-Boo... more ›

SXSW 2007's music portion kicks off three weeks from today. We hope you are keeping hydrated, getting extra sleep, and listening to every MP3 you can find in order to plan your schedules. In an effort to help you, the festival goer, here are some great recent developments in the SX world: - Saturday brought the reveal of the SXSW showcase schedule and band bio pages. After a delayed start with the band list,... more ›

Yes, the holidays are here. Not only does this mean Christmas-themed beers and colder weather, but it also heralds the ubiquitous radio station holiday concert. Tonight, it's 101X's turn, as they bring a triple bill of artists to the intimate room at Antone's. Headlining is New Jersey's Pete Yorn, a guy who obviously listens to lots of earnest stuff like Bruce Springsteen. Luckily for Pete, Bruce is this year's band to emulate, so songs... more ›

Austinist was walking down the street on Friday evening on our way for a few pints at Lovejoys -- ah, delicious, freshly brewed beer! -- with our pal Neal Pollack when we bumped into Andy Langer, host of The Next Big Thing, and contributor to every form of media known to man. We had a nice chat, standing there on the sidewalk, during which Andy mentioned that he had sent Neal's recent piece about... more ›