Far Out! Khruangbin’s Cross-Cultural New Album Includes Space-Themed Piece by Tierney Malone

Far Out! Khruangbin’s Cross-Cultural New Album Includes Space-Themed Piece by Tierney Malone

A man wakes up one morning to find his partner has disappeared, leaving only a mysterious note: "Sorry. Leaving Earth." Distraught but determined, he borrows a spaceship from Saturn-born avant-jazz musician Sun Ra, and sets a course for Jupiter, figuring that's where his estranged lover is headed.

This hapless spaceman's story, titled "Transmission for Jehn," is relayed by Houston artist Tierney Malone on LateNightTales, a cross-cultural mix of vibey music from around the globe, curated by acclaimed Houston groove ambassadors Khruangbin. Comprised of guitarist Mark Speer, bassist Laura Lee Ochoa and drummer Donald "DJ" Johnson, the psych-rock group released its third album Mordechai in June to critical acclaim. And as Khruangbin's star continues to rise, the trio is redirecting the spotlight to shine on Houston's creative community, tapping several local multidisciplinary artists as contributors on the new compilation album.


On LateNightTales, Malone delivers "Transmission for Jehn," accompanied by Erik Satie's haunting Gnossienne No. 1, played on banjo by Geoffrey Muller. His poem references several classic, space-themed songs, including Heatwave's "Star of the Story" and Sun Ra's "Love in Outer Space."

"My wife Jehnifer is a huge fan of the planet Jupiter," explains Malone. "So much so that one of our dogs is named after its moon Io." He recorded the poem in a studio located by a train track, listening and reacting to Muller's performance on headphones. "Luckily, no trains passed by while we were working," Malone laughs.

"The Little Girl in the Lion's Den" by Tierney Malone

As a visual artist, Malone explores the intersections of music, American history and activism. His latest work, titled "The Little Girl in the Lion's Den" and currently on-view in the windows of Lawndale Art Center through Jan. 16, depicts a young Ruby Bridges surrounded by flames and two roaring lions. It's the first in a series of works curated by Malone for his multi-year Sankofa project, which will explore the history of racial oppression of Black Americans. "My interest in this project is to use art as a means to investigate aspects of this history," says Malone. "We really can't deal with the issues that we are struggling with now if we don't understand how we got here." Houston artists Robert Hodge and Rabéa Ballin will also contribute to the project.

In this moment in human history, the multi-talented Malone continues to engage and enlighten audiences across space and time and speak to a potential new age of tolerance, racial justice, and creativity without borders.

LateNightTales, which also features Houston-based guitarist Kelly Doyle and vocalist David Marez, drops Dec. 4 in vinyl, CD and streaming formats.

Art + Entertainment
Consistent Focus on the Patient Is What Sets Montrose Med Spa Apart

Owner Maricela Olivo and Montrose Med Spa

WHAT MAKES MONTROSE Med Spa stand apart from the competition? We set ourselves apart from the competition by being consistently focused on one thing: the patient. With that focus, we will succeed in a successful and healthy experience and loyalty to Montrose Med Spa. Staying true to our message of intentional wellness is a point of difference where I see other spas being unclear and distracted in their direction. By listening to our patients, we ensure we meet and exceed their expectations. We continually stay on top of the market by offering the best innovative body sculpting and skin treatments that invigorate and energize and are specifically designed to restore balance and strength and renew youth to the body. We also utilize a number of marketing programs to stay on the minds of our guests, including radio, TV, direct mail, email blasts, and unique invitations for exclusive treatments. One element that helps to establish the bar and sets us apart from our competition is our emphasis on providing a complete medical gym experience—from the varied treatments with Emsculpt Neo to a personalized health and wellness and skin evaluation for each individual by our certified staff. We also provide a noninvasive, pain-free, and needle-free facelift through EMFace in addition to offering monthly beauty memberships that create a commitment to the overall wellbeing of the patient.

Keep Reading Show less

Composer Lera Auerbach (photo by Raniero Tazzi)

IN A RECENT televised interview with late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert, Australian singer/songwriter Nick Cave eloquently described music as “one of the last legitimate opportunities we have to experience transcendence.” It was a surprisingly deep statement for a network comedy show, but anyone who has attended a loud, sweaty rock concert, or ballet performance with a live orchestra, knows what Cave is talking about.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

'Is that how you treat your house guest'

ARTIST KAIMA MARIE’S solo exhibit For the record (which opens today at Art Is Bond) invites the viewer into a multiverse of beloved Houston landmarks, presented in dizzying Cubist perspectives. There are ornate interior spaces filled with paintings, books and records — all stuff we use to document and preserve personal, family and collective histories; and human figures, including members of Marie’s family, whose presence adds yet another quizzical layer to these already densely packed works. This isn’t art you look at for 15-30 seconds before moving on to the next piece; there’s a real pleasure in being pulled into these large-scale photo collages, which Marie describes as “puzzles without a reference image.”

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment