Spotlight

Music for all tastes in this week’s lineup

Monday, Jan. 25, 2010

KET offers an array of music programming this week, featuring bluegrass, hip hop, world music, folk and rock.

First, Sound Tracks: Music Without Borders, (left) a new magazine series about the intersection of music with life, politics, and culture around the world, premieres Monday, Jan. 25 at 10/9 p.m. on KET2 and Thursday, Jan. 28 at 9:00 p.m. on KET. Dedicated to reporting unheard stories that reveal how music is transforming politics and culture around the globe, the one-hour pilot crosses three continents and serves up a diverse menu of Russian pop, afrobeat, Portuguese fado, and symphonic work.

Then, Independent Lens takes an in-depth look at machismo in rap music and hip-hop culture — where creative genius, poetic beauty, and mad beats collide with misogyny, violence, and homophobia. “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” airs Tuesday at 10/9 p.m. CT on KET2.

On Wednesday, KET’s own Jubilee features the Lonesome River Band, a hard-driving, traditional bluegrass band. The program airs at 8/7 p.m. CT on KET.

Then, Soundstage packs a punch with an emotion-filled performance from The Fray, airing Thursday at 10/9 p.m. CT on KET. The set features songs from 2005’s How to Save a Life and their eponymous 2009 album. Singer Isaac Slade connects with the audience as he belts out hits, including “Never Say Never,” “How to Save a Life,” “You Found Me,” and “Cable Car.”

Finally, on Saturday at 11/10 p.m. CT on KET, Austin City Limits brings it home with music legends Steve Earle and Kris Kristofferson (right). Earle pays tribute to his mentor, Texas troubadour Townes Van Zandt, and Kristofferson follows with tunes from his latest album.