Listen to the entire radio show right here.
Free podcast to download is at the bottom of the page or on iTunes.

Liner Notes

• The Del-Lords Elvis Club “Me & The Lord Blues,” “You Can Make A Mistake,” “Southern Pacific” (The last one is a Neil Young song from Re-ac-tor. I think this is the first time I have ever played a cover from a featured band, but I’ll also admit another thing: I’ve never really “gotten” Neil Young, other than “Needle and the Damage Done” and “Cinnamon Girl.” I know I should, but it’s just never grabbed me. The Del-Lords take on this song, though, speaks to me. Honestly, I think it’s Young’s vocals that are polarizing for me. –SS)
• Eric AmbelRoscoe’s Solo Work
• Jimbo Mathus White Buffalo ”Satellite”
• Ellen Foley “Torchlight” Spirit Of St. Louis (With Bonus Tracks) You can really hear the guys from the Clash on this song! I almost chose “Car Jamming” from the Clash Combat Rock because Foley’s background vocals are notable in that oddball song. Supposedly, “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” is about her relationship with Mick Jones. Ambel will be producing her new album winter 2014.
• Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Bad Reputation
• Steve Earle covering Nick Lowe (with Ambel on guitar) “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, & Understanding?” Just an American Boy (disc 2)

Podcast

Listen to the Complete Radio Program Here
(Podcast to download is at the bottom of the page.)

Liner Notes

Kenny Roby Memories & Birds
“Memories & Birds,” “Tired of Being in Love,” “The Monster” Roby was also the founder of 6 String Drag, a band signed to Steve Earle’s label, E Squared, in the 1990′s. They recorded 3 or 4 albums, depending on who you ask, 2 of which were released. Roby also collaborated with previously featured songwriter, Neal Casal.

The V-Roys Sooner or Later Sooner Or Later “Cry” This is another band with many branches that have touched this program, including Scott Miller (and the Commonwealth, not the guy from Big Star who passed away this April), John Paul Keith (now of the One Four Fives), & Mike/Mic Harrison (and the High Scores).

Two Dollar Pistols Here Tomorrow Gone Today
“Here Tomorrow, Gone Today” We’ve played several songs from the guys who were in this band at various times on this program. They’ve backed Tift Merritt, as well. John Howie still fronts a band, The Rosewood Revue, and the original drummer also played for the Squirrel Nut Zippers. I think those are all the branches of the family tree that touch this band that have been on this program!

6 String Drag “She’s a Hurricane” on 6 String Drag 6 String DragHigh Hat High Hat & 6 String Drag are not currently available on mp3, so these are CD links. There’s a long-standing rumor that some deluxe re-issues of these 2 albums and some other bootleg material might get released. My fingers are crossed! Rob Keller of the band has a great bluegrass band, The Welfare Liners, who we will feature soon on the program.High On A Hilltop

Tim Easton Beat the Band “Nobody Plays Piano in Athens, GA” Roby will be on the road with Easton later this year.

Liner Notes

• The Delta Saints Death Letter Jubilee
• John Lee Hooker “Boom Boom” John Lee Hooker – Boom Boom 80 Essential Tracks
• The Black Cadillacs All Them Witches
• My Morning Jacket For A Decade Of Sin
• Dirty Guv’nahs “New Years Day” Demo from the Cabin Sessions EP, available from the band Here’s their latest album, Somewhere Beneath These Southern Skies

Podcast

Buy Hymn For Her Presents Lucy & Wayne’s Smokin’ Flames HERE on Amazon and HERE on iTunes.

Liner Notes
Hymn For Her Lucy & Wayne’s Smokin Flames [Explicit]
Lucy & Wayne’s Smokin’ Flames Hot Sauce is currently available from them at shows.
Johnny Lowebow is the cigarbox guitar maker from Memphis who gave them their first (cursed?) cigarbox guitar. He is also an underground legend in the handmade instrument world. Homeward Bound: A Loving Tribute to John-Alex Mason
The White Stripes AutoRip (Vinyl with automatic mp3 download) The White Stripes
Alias Punch, the band of the hot sauce guys, only in the online version of this program A New Shade Of Blue
MPE Band The previous folk trio with whom Lucy & Wayne toured for many years Gold

Please scroll down below the video to find the podcast, which you may download for free, or subscribe to it on iTunes.

Podcast

Buy Sky Blue DeVille HERE on Amazon and HERE on iTunes.

Liner Notes

• Adam Klein & The Wild Fires “Sky Blue DeVille,” “Goodnight Nobody,” “Where Our Love Is” Sky Blue DeVille
• You should definitely check out Adam Klein’s previous album from Mali, that was only in limited release, Dugu Wolo.  I absolutely love this album.
• Randall Bramblett “Roll” His new album, Bright Spots, will be released on May 14, 2014. Here is the CD pre-order for Bright Spots or here for Bright Spots on vinyl Bright Spots.
• Drivin N Cryin “Scarred But Smarter” One of the best rock songs ever written. Scarred But Smarter
• Kenney Blackmon String Band “Yew Piney” The Singing Tree Blackmon is most known for his fiddle contributions for Jerry Reed, Widespread Panic, and R.E.M. The KBSB album is really interesting–his wife, Noel Blackmon, culled lost songs from field recording sheet music and books, several of which are believed to be the first modern recordings of these songs (explanation adapted from album notes). They are dynamic live. After breaking his neck in a freak frisbee accident, it’s pretty incredible to see him jam.
• Deer Tick “Main Street” available on AutoRip Vinyl here Divine Providence. (AutoRip means you get an automatic mp3 album download and the vinyl is shipped to you right away.) Deer Tick is headlining the Twilight Americana Festival in Athens this month.

Podcast

Buy Howl from The Howlin’ Brothers digitally HERE on Amazon or HERE on iTunes.

Listen to the entire radio program right here. The free podcast can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Liner Notes

Brendan Benson “What I’m Looking For” The Alternative to Love Benson’s label, Readymade Records, wisely signed the band.

Joshua Black Wilkins “Woman Like This” Wilkins has taken the photographs for several of our recent album covers, including Sarah Gayle Meech.

Old Crow Medicine Show Carry Me Back “Steppin’ Out”

Willie Dixon “Chicago Allstars Boogie”

Young Hines Give Me My Change “Just Say No”

Wood & Wire “Mexico”

Willy Mason “Restless Fugitive”

Tony Rice Muleskinner Blues “Muleskinner Blues”

Podcast

Buy One Good Thing from Sarah Gayle Meech HERE ON AMAZON or HERE ON iTUNES. You can download the free podcast at the bottom of this page.

Please note that this is the unedited version of the show, so some of the lyrics may not be appropriate for all audiences.

Liner Notes

• Sarah Gayle Meech One Good Thing ”One Good Thing,” “No Angel,” “Sad and Lonely”
• The .357 String Band Lightning From The North “Lightning from the North” Compadre band.
• Bob Wayne Till the Wheels Fall Off “All My Friends” The lyrics reference cocaine, heroin & lsd use. I left the lyrics intact to contrast the traditional country music in this song with the surprisingly straightforward lyrics about hard drug use. People love or hate Bob Wayne, but he seems to be pretty honest about the lives a lot of people live, without judging them. I don’t know if it’s a persona or character or real, but this song works.
• Buck Owens The Instrumental Hits “Buckaroo”  Meech plays regularly at Layla’s Bluegrass Inn and Robert’s Western World on Broadway, mixing her original tunes with Buck Owens and Loretta Lynn covers.
• Hank III Rebel Within “Gettin’ Drunk and Falling Down” I’ve always avoided listening to any of Hank III’s music because he can’t seem to let the rebel flag go away. I’m a lifelong Southerner, and I don’t care about the “Heritage Not Hate” argument because it DOES represent hate. Move on, Shelton. Your music is sometimes really great. Quit being your own caricature. Get rid of the stupid stars and bars.  That said, his long-time player and producer, Andy Gibson, is the thread connecting many of these bands.
• Bobby Bare 16 Biggest Hits “Numbers”  Grant Johnson is currently on tour as Bare’s lead guitar player.  He has also been heard on this radio show in the Derek Hoke program.
• Scott Chism and the Better Half Long Haul Steady “Jet N Dewdrop’s Farm”  I chose this one because of the Chris Scruggs connection.
• Matt Woods (Country Fried Rock alum) The Matt Woods Manifesto “Beating Down My Door” One of the best songwriters I know.  Woods was one of the other bands on the lineup in Illinois in 2013.
• Hillbilly Casino Tennessee Stomp [Explicit] “The Ballad of Psycho Steve” (ft Dale Watson) On Watson’s upcoming EP, Hillbilly Casino is his backing abnd and Meech does backing vocals and a duet. I chose this song for the connection to the rest of this album, and the BR 549 Chris Scruggs connections, and Geoff Firebaugh, who co-wrote this tune.
• The G-ddamn Gallows Seven Devils [Explicit] “7 Devils” Another compadre band.

Podcast

Click HERE to listen and buy this record, or here to buy on iTunes.

Radio Show

Liner Notes

• Bex Marshall House of Mercy House of Mercy is not just the title track and album, it’s also the name of the house where Bex and Barry live, their record label and recording studio, radio station and more.  Marshall lives a life of music.
• I was not able to find a legal mp3 to purchase of Bex’s “Uncle David’s” band, The Marauders’ minor hit, “That’s What I Want.” I also was not able to confirm whether “Uncle David” is known as “Charlie Harper” of the UK Subs or not. If you have more information, please clarify! I think this is a video for the correct band. I did find a song on a garage rock compilation by a band of the same name, but I cannot confirm if it’s the same people or not. It’s a pretty cool tune, though, and a fantastic compilation. Storm in the Garage on Amazon
• Brigitte de Meyer Rose Of Jericho on Amazon
• Joan Armatrading Greatest Hits on Amazon One of the best British blues vocalists around. I used to listen to “Drop the Pilot” on WRAS Album 88 all the time.
• Hayseed Dixie Nicotine and Alcohol on Amazon Hayseed Dixie are not just the beloved bluegrass covers of AC/DC tunes or tributes to hillbilly love, they are also noted players and the sons of Don Reno, of Reno and Smiley.
• Stevie Ray Vaughn live The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble on Amazon doing “Superstition.”  A great example of amazing blues working well with other styles of music.
• Israel Nash Gripka Barn Doors and Concrete Floors on Amazon

Podcast

Liner Notes

• Samantha Harlow Amazon: Love Letters Harlow’s debut record follows up two independent EP’s.  Co-produced with Kenny Vaughn, and backing vocals from Country Fried Rock alum, Derek Hoke.   iTunes: Love Letters
• Gillian Welch Amazon: Revival One of Harlow’s “dream tours” to support or collaborate.  iTunes: Revival
• Roger Miller Amazon: All Time Greatest Hits An inspiration to many songwriters!  iTunes: All Time Greatest Hits
• Julie Lee Amazon: East Nashville Christmas Harlow would like to tour with her friend, Julie Lee.  I chose this tune with Mike Farris because it was a nice blend of their voices on a traditional tune I happen to like.   iTunes: An East Nashville Christmas
• Booker T. and the MG’s Amazon: Green Onions and Other Hits  Harlow has a great story about interviewing the Stax Records house band bass player, who played on this specific recording of this song.  iTunes: The Best of Booker T. and the MGs (Remastered)
• Joe Fletcher and the Wrong Reasons Amazon: White Lighter Harlow has been on the road with Fletcher in the past.  iTunes: White Lighter
• Dale Watson Amazon: One More Once More – Dale Watson’s Honky Tonk Swing Album Great dream line-up to open or sing with him! iTunes: Carryin’ On

Podcast

Liner Notes

• Sam Doores + Riley Downing and the Tumbleweeds Holy Cross Blues   ON ITUNES Holy Cross Blues – Sam Doores, Riley Downing & The Tumbleweeds  This record is an interesting collaboration between the two songwriters, like a recorded song swap.
• Hurray for the Riff Raff Look Out Mama  ON ITUNES Look Out Mama – Hurray for the Riff Raff  Doores often opens for and/or plays with HFTRR, another fantastic New Orleans band.
• The Pogues If I Should Fall From Grace With God [Expanded] (US Version)  ON ITUNES The Pogues  Doores tells a funny story about playing a weekly four-hour gig in an Irish pub just off Bourbon Street in New Orleans–and his year spent in Ireland.
• Hayes Carll Kmag Yoyo (& Other American Stories) [+Digital Booklet]  ON ITUNES Hayes Carll  One of Doores’ favorite persons with whom to tour.
• Alabama Shakes Boys & Girls  ON ITUNES Alabama Shakes  Doores has been on the road with the Alabama Shakes, as well as recorded at the Bomb Shelter.
• Morgan O’Kane Pendulum   ON ITUNES Morgan O’Kane  Label-mate and friend, and good co-touring partner.
• Spirit Family Reunion I Want to Be Relieved   ON ITUNES Spirit Family Reunion  A band you should try to catch live.
• Andrew Combs Worried Man  ON ITUNES Andrew Combs  Another friend and tour partner.

Podcast

Listen to the Entire Radio Program

Liner Notes

• Rachel Brooke A Killer’s Dream
• Lonesome Wyatt A Bitter Harvest
• Bessie SmithThe Complete Recordings
• Pokey LaFarge Riverboat Soul<
• Fats DominoWalking To New Orleans
• The Dad Horse Experience Dead Dog On A Highway
• Possessed by Paul JamesPossessed By Paul James
• Jerry Lee Lewis Mean Old Man [Deluxe Edition]
• Viva Le Vox Wayward Ones

Podcast

Relocating inspires Chicago Farmer to write, hence his frequent moving as he developed his songwriting and performing. After a decade as a folk musician playing the upper Mid-West circuit, his new album is the one that he hopes will bring his songs to wider audiences. With lyrics that play well to a barroom singalong, yet have a depth of reflection on the regular life of hard-working people that can easily be overlooked, Chicago Farmer’s music focuses on accessible folk songs.

With influences ranging from Hank Williams to Great American Taxi, Chicago Farmer has logged thousands of miles and hours honing his songs. For Backenforth, IL, he gathered his Hired Hands band, and recorded in affordable sessions, one or two songs at a time, then he would hit the road to earn some money, return and record another song or two, and repeat until the album was finished. For the first decade as a musician, Chicago Farmer was a full DIY solo venture, but he has recently added both management and a booking agent, freeing him up to play and write. One of the biggest advantages to finding management for him, was knowing that someone else with knowledge of the business always “has his back.”

Free song download here.

Liner Notes

• Chicago Farmer Backenforth, Il
• Cory Chisel Old Believers
• Great American Taxi Reckless Habits
• Justin Townes Earle Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now
• Devil Makes 3 Do Wrong Right
• Hank Williams Gospel Keepsakes
• John Prine Bruised Orange
• Backyard Tire Fire Good To Be

Podcast

Making a live record, though, is likely not Gauthier’s bravest deed. That moment is probably reserved for the time she finished her first song, because until then Gauthier hid behind substance abuse and addiction in the kitchens of her restaurants, not even facing her admiring patrons at their tables. When she finally emerged from her own darkness–in a very public arrest for drunk driving on the opening night of her second restaurant location–Gauthier found the courage to complete a song, face the audiences, and cram those emotions into lyrics that kick you in the gut.

Gauthier’s lyrics and depth in songwriting contrast with her personable, accessible, yet still “cool kid” demeanor. In conversation, she is more like the insider who tells you not to grab coffee at ABC because it’s better down the street at XYZ–then goes with you for a cup and to make sure you find the right place. By channeling the angst and pain that she freely discusses into songs that reach their raw emotion, Gauthier maintains “regular person” status and brings people along with her into her music instead of some lofty, superior air.

Liner Notes

• Mary Gauthier Live At Blue Rock  Gauthier covers several of Fred Eaglesmith’s songs in this set.  We chose a few for which she is known that she wrote or co-wrote.
• Steve Earle Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture Dead Man Walking “Ellis Unit One”  From our conversation about Earle’s activism against the death penalty.  I could have chosen Gauthier’s song, “Karla Faye” as well, but I did not want the program to be too depressing.
• Fred Eaglesmith 6 Volts  I chose Eaglesmith’s version of one of his songs that Gauthier covers, “Cigarette Machine.”
• Woody Guthrie Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection “The Jolly Banker” Specifically because of our conversation about the role of the songwriter in commenting about society.  This collection just won a Grammy in 2013.

Podcast

Despite obscure literary references, Tender is the Night, is solidly present.  Although F. Scott Fitzgerald or even Jackson Browne may come to mind, Luedecke has never read that book nor has he heard to catchy tune of the same name–although his mandolin player sings it to him often.  (Luedecke says he is referencing Melville’s Billy Budd who is referencing Keats and a reflection on Thomas Payne’s “Rights of Man.”)  Despite the heavy influences, the music is simple and accessible–producer, Tim O’Brien, gently decorated Luedecke’s songs.

While much more folk-y than most of the music we cover, the connection to the history of folk music and a modern reflection of it, tie  these songs to the rest of the catalog.  Luedecke’s use of humor and the absurd, Biblical topics and modern life, demonstrate how traditional lyrical subjects continue to engage listeners.

Liner Notes

• Old Man Luedecke Tender Is The Night
• Tim O’Brien
• Del Barber Headwaters
• Ramblin’ Jack Elliott Sowing The Seeds – The 10th Anniversary “Don’t Look Twice”
• Sam Cooke One Night Stand – Sam Cooke Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963 Luedecke tells a great tale of buying a Carter Family album on the same day as this one–and realizing that he could more easily imitate the Carters than Cooke.
• Barbary Ghosts The Ghost of the William Grey
• Roger Miller
• Townes van Zandt
• Red Clay Ramblers Classic Old-Time Music from Smithsonian Folkways

Podcast

Mahan’s own musical journey began with a middle school talent show, leading him to play guitar with bands ranging from jamband to Texas rock, and find a way to be in the music field in some way at all times.  The deconstruction of smaller imprints of major labels sent him from Los Angeles to Nashville, where Mahan found other creative communities forging their own DIY path apart from the current music mold.

This independent trajectory, and intense pool of exemplary players and persons in the music industry, made Mahan’s album possible.  From the analog recording and mixing choices, to the top-notch musicians who joined the project, Blame Bobby Bare represents not just where Mahan is now, but how his history has led him to this day–fun, slightly inappropriate, but something most people can relate to and enjoy–even if your mother never found…you know…in your room!

Liner Notes

• Rich Mahan Blame Bobby Bare [Explicit]  From his days of contributing songs to Dr. Demento to now, Mahan’s songs are fun, embracing some of life’s bad decisions with gusto.  Please note that there are drug references in many of these songs.
• Shurman Still Waiting For The Sunset  A record from the Country Fried Rock alums, now out of Texas.  When they were all in Los Angeles, Rich Mahan was part of the band and contributed to several songs even when he was no longer in the band.
• Rainbow The Best Of Rainbow  Great big rock and roll.
• Bobby Bare Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends And Lies (And More) ”Dropkick Me Jesus” This was a tough decision, as I really wanted to select one of the songs written by Shel Silverstein, “Qualudes Again,” but there wasn’t enough time.
• The Standells The Very Best Of The Standells ”Dirty Water” I chose the original album version instead of the spruced up version you occasionally hear on classic rock radio.
• The Who Quadrophenia [Explicit]  “The Real Me” The most serious song in this week’s radio show, but the emotion contrasts nicely with all the silly, fun, party music of the rest of the show.
• Boo Ray Bad News Travels Fast  This is a record from a Country Fried Rock alum, one that really should be part of a roots music collection.

NOTE:  There are references to drug use in the 1960′s and 1970′s  in this conversation and some of these songs, specifically, a bit about Jimi Hendrix using drugs before the Monterey Pop Festival and by the musicians in The Last Waltz.  Some of the song lyrics also reference drugs, as evidenced by their titles.

Podcast

Henry Wagons’ band, Wagons, reached Australian success, and roots music first-adopters may have heard either Wagons’ tune “Willie Nelson” or “I Blew It.” His album of duets with a variety of beautiful voices, Expecting Company, is his first with a wide-scale American release. Sonicly, this record maintains the over-the-top vibe of much of his songwriting, but the contrast with gorgeous singing from Jenn Grant, Sophia Brous, and Alison Mosshart (among others) brings this record to a new plane.

Wagons’ theatrics on stage and expansive recordings mirror his personality, as well. He is quite entertaining to interview, regaling tales of his cooking skills, his vision for music videos (some of which are extremely conceptual), and his love for ELO, the Electric Light Orchestra. While some people might tell these tales on themselves for the amusement alone, Wagons manages to share his genuine passion for these over-the-top antics, reflecting his love for them, not sarcasm, snark, nor superiority. Henry Wagons repeatedly mentions how thankful and grateful he is for the success he has had, in spite of his drive to fulfill his “egomaniacal vision.” Just another self-deprecating line from Wagons himself!

Liner Notes

• Henry Wagons “Expecting Company?” “I’m In Love with Mary Magdalene,” “Give Things a Chance,” “Marylou Two”
• Van Halen Diver Down “Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)”
• Elvis Presley Elvis: The ’68 Comeback Special (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition) “Hurt”
• Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood Nancy & Lee 3 “Barricades and Brickwalls”
• Wagons Rumble, Shake And Tumble “I Blew It”
• The Beatles Please Please Me “Love Me Do”
• Those Darlins Screws Get Loose “Screws Get Loose”
• Justin Townes Earle The Good Life “The Good Life”

Video

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Check out some live video of Henry Wagons as a trio in Atlanta recently, as captured by Atlanta Music Examiner:

Podcast

Fauss’s singing voice is gravelly and reminiscent of punk rock crooners, so I was surprised by his soft-spoken voice on the telephone.  He is a deliberate person, answering questions carefully and completely.  He is not winging it.  This measured, precise approach to our conversation reflects his method of getting his music out to listeners; he looks at what can be reasonably accomplished, how to make it fun, and plans specifically to achieve his modest goals.

For I Am the Man You Know I’m Not, Fauss brought some other layers to his project, including both PR and radio promotions partners.  These teammates helped bring his music to the attention of key radio programmers, bloggers, and music writers who might not otherwise have known of his music.  With the sheer volume of recorded music today, most media outlets–even small “new media” portals–rely on their trusted gatekeepers to help them filter the content.  For Fauss, this expansion team from his former all-DIY plan made a huge difference in the attention his album garnered.

Liner Notes

• Ronnie Fauss I Am The Man You Know I’m Not  “I Don’t See You,” “Pistols in the Air,” “The Last” 
• Slobberbone Straight Outta Boone County “Dark As A Dungeon” 
• Lilly Hiatt Let Down “Championship Fighter” 
• Gram Parsons The Complete Reprise Sessions  “Sin City” 
• Todd Snider East Nashville Skyline “Nashville” 
• The Wayward Sons “Gaslight“
• Guy Clark Old No. 1 “Rita Ballou”
• Willie Nelson Heroes “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me” (with Snoop Dogg and Kris Kristofferson)

Podcast

Making music work right now requires more than just being “all in” with the art; it also necessitates the leanest live interpretation of a band’s music possible, without compromising the ethos.  Financially, many songwriters have opted for stripped down touring with the lofty goal of just breaking even while on the road.  Whitehorse holed up in a cottage on a lake and crafted a live performance with just the two of them–yet still nearly replicating the layered sounds of their studio album.

By seamlessly integrating technology–particularly a brilliant use of a looping pedal–and alternative gear like an old-fashioned telephone receiver as a microphone, Whitehorse crafted a dynamic and fascinating live show full of instrumentation and sound.  Their set is not a note-for-note replication of their album, but a creative extension of the vibe of their songwriting.  The performance mesmerizes audiences.  Whitehorse is poised to dominate late-night television, and engage fans in a variety of genres.  Our prediction?  By the end of 2013, the duo will dominate critics’ picks lists and people who see them live will win over their own friends to being fans of Whitehorse.  The Fate of the World Depends on this Kiss is sleek, but Whitehorse’s show is spell-binding.

Liner Notes:

• Whitehorse The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss  I was familiar with both Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet’s prior work, then I had the honor of emceeing their showcase at the Americana Music Festival 2012 at the High Watt, Nashville.  Their set was mesmerizing.  Of all the 2012 AMA showcases, this was one of the best.  If you get the chance, you really must see them live.
• k.d. lang Absolute Torch and Twang “Big, Big Love”
• Sarah McLachlan Rarities ”Blackbird” She has a beautiful voice, and I just really like this Beatles tune.
• Sloan One Chord to Another “Good in Everyone” (the bevy of drummers on Whitehorse’s album) 
• The Weakerthans Reconstruction Site (more from the bevy of drummers) 
• Lee DorseyFreedom For The Funk ”Wonder Woman”  The title of Whitehorse’s album comes from a vintage Wonder Woman comic, but I have always loved Dorsey’s soul and funk, and this fits lyrically more than the campy TV theme.  Besides, in case you did not grow up knowing his music, this album is a great place to start. 
• Trampled By Turtles Stars And Satellites  “Midnight on the Interstate”  Chosen because TBT was also on the Festy bill in 2012, but also because of the discussion about life on the road and avoiding the cliche of road songs, while still acknowledging that is one’s actual life.  

Podcast

Bloodkin’s 25th anniversary box set, One Long Hustle, is everything a retrospective should be, yet it is completely new, too. The booklet of the band’s history reminisced and revealed by Daniel Hutchens, the collection of previously unreleased tracks, and the stories they tell are as much about Athens, Georgia’s musical spiderweb as they are of the band itself. Despite collaboration with legends like Moe Tucker and Sterling Morrison of the Velvet Underground and Southern stalwarts like Gov’t Mule, Bloodkin might be the band that was always there for every amazing show– that you have never heard of before…but you have probably heard their music.

Friends and conspirators with the guys in Widespread Panic from the beginning, many of Hutchens’ and Eric Carter’s songs gained notoriety when played by the jam band, like “Can’t Get High,” “True to My Nature,” and “Henry Parsons Died.”  One Long Hustle is like being transported to the nights you might have missed at their famed High Hat residency “way back when.”  Bloodkin’s songs sound like them, but definitely do not sound the same.  They travel through their different sounds in a natural flow, bringing their own history, the sounds of their friends who play on various tracks, and their latest muse with them.

What appeals most about One Long Hustle is the breadth of the recordings:  living room tapes on a 4-track Tascam, cleaned up in the studio by David Barbe, but wisely not sanitized into a shiny version apart from the original, studio outtakes from a variety of formal and informal sessions throughout the Southeast,and alternate takes that did not make an album playlist for one reason or another.  Bloodkin’s 25th anniversary is not just about history; it’s also about where they are headed.  They recorded a few new tunes for the release, too.  Listening to all 88 songs carries me through the 25 years of Georgia music that formed me, too, from the Athens, Georgia Inside Out days (which was around or just before when Hutchens and Carter arrived from West Virginia) to the current success of The Whigs or Drive-By Truckers.

Author’s Note:  Bloodkin generously donated “Henry Parsons Died” for a worldwide debut for Country Fried Rock’s Compilation Vol. 1 to Benefit Nuci’s Space in Athens, GA, available for free download here.  Please consider a generous donation to Nuci’s Space in return for the download.  They prevent musician suicide by removing barriers to mental health care and a lot more. 100% of the money in the compilation’s “tip jar” goes directly to Nuci’s. I personally covered all the expenses of the album. SS

Liner Notes

• Bloodkin You should buy the One Long Hustle box set from the band just for the amazing liner notes.  The music is, of course, worth every penny.  
• Widespread Panic Hugely supportive of Bloodkin’s music, recording and playing several tunes from Hutchens and Carter over the last 25 years. 
• Vic Chesnutt Athens’ songwriter (anti-)hero, who passed away a few years ago. At least 2 documentaries  about him are floating around. 
• The Rolling Stones Some Girls (Deluxe Version)
• Bob Dylan Street-Legal
• Brute (Originally, a collaboration between Vic Chesnutt and some of the members of Widespread Panic.  On the second album, I believe the whole band joined Chesnutt.  WP still plays “Blight,” and other Chesnutt songs, like “Aunt Avis,” regularly.)  Nine High A Pallet
• Sugar: Copper Blue (Deluxe Remaster) Engineer and producer to the stars, songwriter, singer, player, leader of the Quick Hooks, David Barbe also played bass in Sugar.  Bob Mould (formerly of Husker Du) still plays these songs regularly. 
• The Heap: Deluxe The Heap horns. So fabulous that they are going to be the bed music for the 2013 Country Fried Rock radio shows.
• Betsy Franck Franck was featured in 2011 on Country Fried Rock. She is a fixture of Athens’ current music scene, singing on hundreds of bands’ albums, in addition to her own music. 
• Taxi Driver (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition), the Robert de Niro movie, from which the character Travis Bickle’s line forms the title for this box set.

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Most Americana fans know Rodney Crowell for his songwriting and performing, but to Peters and Walsh, he was also their marriage officiant, with a certificate straight off the Internet.  Despite their familiarity with each other, Peters was a bit intimidated to work with Crowell on this record, and especially on the song that turned into their duet.  Even noted songwriters like Peters can have professional idols and a little bit of fangirl-dom, too!

Country Fried Rock probably would not have been tapped into Peters’ album if she had not stopped by  Couch By CouchWest 2012, a virtual music festival held each March.  In this event, songwriters send exclusive videos of themselves performing from a couch–or elevator, sofabed, recliner–and music fans all over Twitter join in.  This year, #CXCW went crazy when noted writers Ray Wylie Hubbard and Gretchen Peters, respectively, sent in videos.  Thanks to a fun time on the Internet, we rediscovered a writer we may have overlooked.

Liner Notes:  Gretchen Peters has extensive liner notes for Hello Cruel World on her website.
Gretchen Peters Hello Cruel World [Explicit]
Kim Richey Wreck Your Wheels
Daddy (Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack) For A Second Time
Mickey Newbury An American Trilogy
Bob Dylan and The Band The Basement Tapes

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As a songwriter, Cullison crafts his tunes with others’ voices in mind from the beginning, so listening to this album and hearing his own songs sung by others was not odd—it was by design. For listeners unfamiliar with songwriters’ concept albums, one could imagine this as a tribute album in which the writer is the collaborator and even instigator. The Barstool Monologues is a very sensuous collection (if you remember the grocery store grammar lesson in Animal House) appealing to the senses musically, and filling the stories with smoke and scenery. It is as if a short film is running for each song, which is very much intended.

For the CD release show, Cullision created the entire scene of the Roadhouse, with him as narrator and the players rolling in and out. As a premise, this could easily be picked up into a TV series, playing on the success of Nashville, but more purposely focused on the grittier side of music. The idea would play well on stage, too, or even in a genius viral video campaign for the right product. All of this supports the songs, which are exactly what a straight-up country song should be, no pretense.

Thanks for buying the music in this radio show! A small percentage of your purchase supports this program, at no additional cost to you. Amazon links are in the text and iTunes links are small buttons.

• Mike Cullison
• Mark Robinson: Produced this album and several of those of The Regulars. He also has a great record of his own, the autobiographical, Quit Your Job, Play Guitar.
• Hank Williams: From Cullison’s early music influences
• Dobie Gray: “Love Is on the Line” was co-written by Don Goodman (Cullison’s early mentor), Waylon Jennings, and Troy Seals
• Brian Langlinais: One of The Regulars
• Delbert McClinton: Cullison’s music has been described as a cross between McClinton and Hank Williams
• John Mellencamp: “Crazy Ones” was co-written with Randy Handley, one of The Regulars
• Tommy Womack: Daniel Seymour is one of The Regulars, and frequently plays bass with Womack, including on his most recent album
• Jon Byrd: One of The Regulars

These battery operated warm white lights work like a charm on merch tables and you don’t have to worry about another extension cord. Help your fans find you!

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When Malone decided to record her most recent album, Day 2, she called upon her long-time friend, Shawn Mullins, to produce. Mullins and Malone collaborated to include their friends in the project, including Gerry Hansen (as co-producer), Phil Skipper, Tom Ryan, Trish Land, Chuck Leavell, Marty Kearns, Glen Matullo, and Randall Bramblett. Pretty much everyone who has ever been in the Atlanta roots scene has played with one or more of these stellar musicians. Malone knew her songs and vision were in excellent hands, and sought out their ideas and guidance in the recording process.

Currently, Day 2 is available in limited release directly from Malone’s website. She has released music within the spectrum of independent to labels and back again, finding the “new normal” DIY allows the artist to retain creative control. Michelle Malone plays regularly, both solo and with her band. If you get a chance to see her, you should try to catch a show in each setting, as the songs adapt to the venue, and bring fresh sounds with each format–more Southern than bluesy this time around. Malone is a player and songwriter that should be as recognizable to roots music fans as Bonnie Raitt is to blues rock fans.

Please support the musicians by purchasing their music through these Amazon and iTunes links. A small portion of your purchase also supports this radio show, at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

• Michelle Malone Day 2 currently only available for purchase via her website. National release expected mid-2013.
• Indigo Girls ”I Don’t Wanna Know” selected from Strange Fire because it is co-written with Michelle.
• Shawn Mullins produced Malone’s current album.
• Callaghan also on Cayamo 2013, as well as another album produced by Mullins.
• Drivin N Cryin ”Honeysuckle Blue” from Mystery Road chosen because Malone’s vocals are distinctly essential in this song.
• Sea Level chosen because of Chuck Leavell, the keyboard player most known for his stint in the early 1970′s with the Allman Brothers Band, who also played on Malone’s album.  Sea Level, from C. Leavell, was his mid-late 1970′s band that garnered Southern recognition, but not national attention.
• Linda Ronstadt was Malone’s gateway to the music of Little Feat, Hank Williams, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Neil Young, and more.
• Little Feat quintessential Southern fusion band, defying genre and beloved to many.

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In the process of recording the album, the group of players revealed themselves to be a band.  Although they did not start out that way, by the time the album was finished, Humming House had forged a musical path together.  As they have taken the album on the road over the past year, they have matured as a group, yielding clearer musical voices for each of the players and a more collaborative approach to the new songs they have written.  Humming House is already tossing around ideas for their next album, which will highlight Kristen Rogers soulful vocals more like their live shows than their first record indicates.

Humming House plays regularly, keeping their performances lively and throwing in unexpected covers, like Whitney Houston, Bill Withers, and the Beastie Boys–even the Ghostbusters Theme for Halloween.  They have become a band and putting the cart before the horse did not send them down the wrong path.  They started with their dream team, and have lived up to it as they have grown.

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Thanks for helping these musicians keep making great albums! Buy their music here on Amazon our iTunes:

• Humming House “Gypsy Django,” “Stop Me Still,” “Young Enough to Try”
• Angel Snow “Lie Awake”
• Andrew Combs “Worried Man”
• Beastie Boys “Intergalactic”
• The Dirt Daubers “Wake Up Sinners”
• Kristen Rogers “Don’t Let Me Win” (Could not find a link.)
• The Raconteurs “The Switch and the Spur”
• Carolina Story “Carry Me Home”

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HGTR built their fanbase over their first five years with regular regional dates, playing nearly 200 nights a year and expanded with some key festivals, like Shakori Hills.  Following their band’s membership shuffle, though, they felt like they were starting over.  Defeated and unsure of their future as a band, their confidence expanded when they joined Langhorne Slim for a key set of dates, boosting them enough to commit to recording their latest album, Sweat Like the Old Days, and relocating their groove.

Recording actually gave HGTR new purpose, allowing them to commit to their new sound.  While their presence is still regional, now that they are back on solid footing as a band, they are ready to return to heavy touring and reaching better audiences.  No matter what the venue, though, bring your dancing shoes to a Holy Ghost Tent Revival show.

Please support the bands in this radio program by buying music at the Amazon or iTunes links below:

• Holy Ghost Tent Revival
• Leftover Salmon
• Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
• Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands
• Hoots & Hellmouth
• Dr. Dog
• Langhorne Slim

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The Whispering Pines are not a “throw back” band, though, as their creative partners and good friends from the band Everest helped with ideas along the way, bringing the recordings from three different studios together into one cohesive album.  Their self-titled second record should be hear in its entirety, like most records of the 1970′s.  Its beauty is not in any one single, but in the songs together as a vibe and mood–West Coast easy, without getting too heady.

Their next record is already in the works, and given the growth of the band between these two releases, it should prove to be an even clearer reflection of The Whispering Pines and what they want from their records.  As they develop their live performances and take their show to new audiences outside Southern California, their sound will emerge as one with a gentle groove that attracts fans.

If you like what you hear in this radio show, please support the bands by buying their music here (Amazon or iTunes):

• The Whispering Pines
• Everest Into the Grey
• Allah-Las
• The Who The Ultimate Collection
• Jonathan Wilson Gentle Spirit
• Cowboy Reach For The Sky

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We apologize for the audio quality in this program.

The Sheepdogs are not musically stuck in a decade that happened before they were even born, though.  Their appreciation of the Black Keys merged with a fantastic opportunity to work with Pat Carney of the band as their producer for their most recent album.  That influence is most obvious in the effects on “Feeling Good.”  (Tell me that you hear a bit of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” in that song, too?)  For a band that did not have a massive grassroots following in Canada, their fortunes were exponentially improved when they won a Rolling Stone contest, catapulting them into relentless international touring and the chance to make a major label album with one of their heroes.

While the logistics of such an insane tour schedule have not always been ideal–like flying to Australia for two days–the Sheepdogs decided that they were going to take every opportunity presented to them and make the most of it.  This intentional decision to make these chances work for them have led to a successful US tour that saw packed clubs and appreciative crowds, even in notoriously tough music towns, like Chicago.  As the Sheepdogs return to Canada for the next bit of their tour, they also return to familiar territory with a renewed appreciation for the fans who knew them “back when.”

Songs in this radio show include: The Sheepdogs Humble Pie Black Keys Charles Bradley Yukon Blonde Buffalo Killers The Allman Brothers

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Steep Canyon Rangers forged their way in the traditional music scene from their home state of North Carolina through regular forays into the Rockies and back at their base in the Western North Carolina mountains, putting in over 20,000 hours of hard work along the way.  (Even Bob Lefsetz might approve of their drive.)  Over the years, they have made their own mark within the tight-knit scene, but it was not until they were selected to be Steve Martin’s backing band that their name-recognition expanded beyond Americana, bluegrass, and old time fans.  Add in a whirlwind few years of selected shows in Martin’s support and some hefty awards and honors, and the stringband from Carolina was suddenly time-warped from headliner to sell-out headliner.

Along the way, Steep Canyon Rangers took Martin’s advice and emphasized their strengths.  His encouragement and seeing their ability to “hold their own” in such esteemed company yielded their most clearly defined album.   Highlighting the “Steep Canyon Rangers’ sound” allows them to stand out in a bluegrass or traditional music festival, but also to captivate an audience when sharing the stage with other genres; in fact, that contrast of sounds often produces a better show for both bands.  As a thank you gift for supporting his performances, Martin facilitated a graphic design partnership for Steep Canyon Rangers’ record, Nobody Knows You, for which they just won an International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award for packaging design.

Despite their international recognition and recent success, Steep Canyon Rangers continue to support their region of North Carolina. Their festival, Mountain Song, held in Brevard, NC, has raised over $300,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County.  The band is taking their knowledge of hosting a great traditional and acoustic music event to another stage this winter, launching the inaugural Mountain Song at Sea cruise (NOTE:  not for the benefit of the charity) in February 2013.  With much the same line-up as their festivals on land, this themed cruise should be quite fun.  (NOTE:  Country Fried Rock is in no way affiliated with the cruise, the band, nor the promotion company behind the cruise.  We receive no advertising, sponsorship, or trade from any of these entities.)

Thanks for Shopping in the Record Shop for This Radio Show:
Steep Canyon Rangers

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

JD Crowe

The Gibson Brothers

Hot Rize

New Grass Revival

Del McCoury

Steeldrivers

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With a loyal regional following, The Corduroy Road regularly pack small clubs and local music festivals. Even when in a lineup with bands like The Steel Wheels, Hoots & Hellmouth, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, or Joy Kills Sorrow, they are one of the bands people remember and love, and return to see again. Drew Carman and his band are on the edge of stepping up to larger festivals and supporting national touring acts. The Corduroy Road brings their own crowd, but they also keep the audiences who have not yet heard of them engaged and ultimately, win them over with their set.

Two Step Silhouette, their latest record, reflects the band’s recent circumstances of doing it all themselves. The Corduroy Road was one of those rare bands whose first album was picked up before it was released and re-recorded with a legendary producer (John Keane), and having to revert to a full DIY model was overwhelming for the guys at first. Thus yielded their productive and creatively essential hiatus, from which they have emerged. They are still one of those bands whose energy is best transmitted live, and who is best appreciated from the dance floor or a lawn chair at a festival, but only because you are too tired from dancing to their first set!

The Record Shop for this radio show:

• The Corduroy Road
• Mark Cunningham
• Easter Island
• Shovels and Rope
• Holy Ghost Tent Revival
• Steep Canyon Rangers
• The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

Thanks for buying music here on Amazon or iTunes. Your support helps the bands and this radio show. We appreciate you.

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Essentially, the album was recorded twice. Chris James (also formerly of Sons of Roswell), Daniel Stoddard (who also plays with Dylan LeBlanc), Matt Green (also with Belle Adair), Ben Tanner (also with the Alabama Shakes), and Reed Watson round out the current lineup for the Pollies, demonstrating the interwoven, mutually supportive music community of the Shoals. Mutual friends’ support for the demos and internet leaks of songs via YouTube ultimately led Burgess to bring focus to the Pollies project and make it a real band with a real focus on making a record. As it all came together, the visual presentation of the album helped define its title and ultimately, the theme: Where the Lies Begin.

Chris James had the idea for a bird’s nest and reverse side of an album cover with smashed eggs in a nest for a long time, but it was in discussing the songs on this record with Burgess that the complete concept revealed itself. In what others have described as “Southern Gothic rock and roll,” sometimes the adult realization that the stories your family tells about itself are not accurate. The deeper story that lies beneath is darker, more uncomfortable, and less simplistic than the tales we repeat trying to make them be true. A favorite uncle might also beat his wife. Your granddad might have spent his life abusing your grandmother. What happened behind closed doors does not go away by ignoring it. Such are the stories that lead to where these lies began.

Thank you for purchasing the songs in this radio show! Your purchase supports the musicians and this program. We appreciate you.

• The Pollies Where the Lies Begin “Good for Nothing,” “Something New,” “Little Birdie” (Direct from their label) 
• Ramones “Commando”
• Doc Dailey “Picture Frames” from the upcoming release (International debut of this song!)
• Belle Adair “No Reply”
• Sons of Roswell “In the Moonlight” (not available on Amazon or iTunes)
• Alabama Shakes (from their original EP when they were still a four-piece called The Shakes, before Ben was regularly part of the touring band) “On Your Way”
• Jason Isbell “In a Razor Town” (chosen because the lyrics reference a female character with abuse in her past, as part of the conversation about truth revelaing itself in our personal stories)
• Centro-Matic “Twenty Four”
• Neutral Milk Hotel “Holland, 1945″

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For modern bluegrass players who did not grow up with an Appalachian music heritage, pickers are usually brought into the style in two major ways: either they played punk rock and found the traditional instrumentation appealing, or they were jamband fans, who followed the path from The Grateful Dead through Jerry Garcia to Old and in the Way to David Grisman, Tony Rice, and pretty soon, they were playing Flatt and Scruggs tunes. While the traditional and progressive bluegrass camps may not always agree about “bluegrass,” the latter methods have brought more young musicians under the tent. In about five minutes of listening, fans can easily tell which influences formed the band.

Anders Beck joined Greensky Bluegrass after an earlier run with the Wayword (sic) Sons.  As it became apparent that the Wayword Sons were not going to be a full-time touring band, Beck decided to examine the bands who were making music he liked who were also on the road constantly  and determine which ones could benefit from the addition of a dobro.  After a tour to test each other out, Beck became part of the band nearly five years ago.  Since then, his instrumentals and hooks have added to the main songwriting of Greensky’s mandolin player, Paul Hoffman (who, interestingly, writes songs on acoustic guitar).  To find out Beck’s connection to Metallica, though, you’ll have to listen to the radio show.

Songs in this week’s radio show:
Thank you for buying the music from the bands in this week’s radio show. Your purchase shows your support for them and for this program. We appreciate you. Amazon links are in the phrase and iTunes links follow.

• Greensky Bluegrass (limited edition vinyl available directly from the band HERE) Handguns [Explicit] “Don’t Lie,” “All Four,” “I’d Probably Kill You”
• The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band “Fixing a Hole”
• Todd Snider Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables “New York Banker”
• Railroad Earth “Long Walk Home”
• The Best Of The Staple Singers “Unlock Your Mind”
• Infamous Stringdusters Silver Sky  ”Fire”

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Comprised of two real-life brothers and their three buddies, The Brothers Comatose share stages at festivals and music halls with a variety of fellow band-friends. They intentionally join and create bills with bands who keep the same energy, but musically vary from their style. They partner with neo-soul and roots rock friends, to keep the evening diverse and interesting, but still upbeat and dance-able. Rarely–even at the mellowest festival–will you see people sitting down at a Brothers Comatose show.

Creatively, The Brothers Comatose develop the roots of their songs individually, then expand the instrumentation together. On their last record, they used actual “live takes,” but the odd part of recording music is that a “live” sound is not captured through “live” methods. On Respect the Van, they continued to strive to capture the live sound, this time using the quirks of the recording process to create a sound that feels more live. Got that?

Buy music from The Brothers Comatose! Support the band and this radio show using these links (Amazon in the phrase and iTunes in parenthesis):

• The Brothers Comatose Respect the Van “Modern Day Sinners,” “Feels Like the Devil,” “Blackbirds” (The Brothers Comatose on iTunes)
• Weezer Weezer (Rarities Edition) “Jamie” (Live and Acoustic) (Rarities Edition: Weezer on iTunes)
• California Honeydrops Soul Tub! “Soul Tub” (Soul Tub! The California Honeydrops on iTunes)
• Justin Townes Earle Nothing’s Going to Change The Way You Feel About Me Now “Memphis in the Rain” (Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now – Justin Townes Earle on iTunes)
• The Kinks RCA Years “Slum Kids” (take 1)(The Kinks: RCA Years (Box Set) on iTunes)
• Lake Street Dive Lake Street Dive “Got Me Fooled” (Lake Street Dive – Lake Street Dive on iTunes)
• Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers I Can’t Go For That (Van Sessions) is a free download on their website. Buy their current album here:Driftwood (Driftwood – Nicki Bluhm on iTunes)
• The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit The Ghost of Good Manners “Classy” (The Ghost of Good Manners – The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit on iTunes)

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Gordon has an advantage over many songwriters, in that he earned his Masters degree in Poetry while studying in Iowa–but the leverage is less in writing and more in his extensive reading and weekends on the road touring the upper Midwest with his friend Bo Ramsey after escaping The Compound.  Those miles tracing the routes of Chess Records’ legends helped Gordon hone his tour skills, refining how to perform as a solo act, make money on the road, and get his music to people.  Eventually, Gordon realized that music, and not poetry, was his muse, and he needed to relocated to a music town–East Nashville.

The music industry makes Nashville a natural place for many musicians, but it’s the music community of East Nashville where the real creativity happens.  Songwriters and players from many genres, particularly the Big Tent of roots music, live and work in this funky part of town.  With constant interaction with other creative minds, and neighbors who face similar work-life challenges, the vibe of East Nashville keeps writers like Gordon active and moving forward with his craft.  It’s not just “hit makers” here, but artists.

Songs in this radio show include:

• Kevin Gordon Gloryland “Gloryland,” “Bus to Shreveport, “Don’t Stop Me This Time”
• X Under The Big Black Sun “Under the Big Black Sun”
• Marshall Crenshaw Definitive Pop (Mcup) “Cynical Girl” (Loose association on this selection–Garry Tallent, mentioned in the conversation, produced Crenshaw’s version of the Buddy Holly tune, “Crying, Waiting, Hoping,” on this same compilation, but with the discussion of Gordon’s teenager and a pop sound, rather than choose a Ron Sexsmith tune, the lyrics to this song appealed to me for some reason–a bit random, but a wayward branch on the musical family tree.)
• Eddie Cochran Live & Dangerous “Milk Cow Blues”
• Ray Charles Lonely Avenue Hits “What’d I Say, Parts 1 and 2″
• Mike Farris Salvation in Lights “Streets of Galilee” (Joe McMahan plays guitar on this album, and I wanted to bring in the blues-rock fusion that Gordon perfects in a more secular form)

While individuals like Don Reno, Doc Watson, and Earl Scruggs who hailed from the regions made names for themselves, the proliferation of bluegrass jams has spawned many newer players and bands. Steep Canyon Rangers have made international headlines since 2009 when they joined Steve Martin as his “official back-up band,” but many other old-time and bluegrass peers, like Town Mountain, Red June, Balsam Range, and Dehlia Low, bring fresh ideas to the saturated Western North Carolina sounds. Jesse Langlais of Town Mountain sought out this rich musical haven, to hone his skills and make music his life.

With their most recent studio record, Leave the Bottle, Town Mountain keeps their recordings close to their live sound, while incorporating the process as part of the art. For them, this yields an “80% live” album. The band share writing responsibilities, not as a group, but as individuals who then bring some of their songs to the Town Mountain project. By allowing for the freedom to pursue solo projects and other permutations, Town Mountain never gets stale for its members, rather, it’s a refreshing return to a product that is more than the sum of its parts. townmountain.netYour purchase of these songs supports the musicians and this radio show:

• Town Mountain Leave The Bottle “Lawdog,” “Four Miles,” “You Weighed Heavy on My Mind”
• Steep Canyon Rangers Nobody Knows You [+Digital Booklet] “Knob Creek” (good excuse to include one of their current tunes)
• Steep Canyon Rangers One Dime At A Time “Ghost of Norma Jean” (also produced by Mike Bub, upon SCR’s recommendation, Town Mountain chose to work w/ Bub)
• Old and in the Way Breakdown “Jerry’s Breakdown” (yes, That Jerry Garcia)
• Flatt and Scruggs 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of Flatt & Scruggs “Bending the Strings”
• The Deadly Gentlemen Carry Me to Home “Sober Cure” (Sam Grisman is in this band, and another of Greg Liszt’s bands)
• Tim O’Brien Chicken & Egg “Sinner” (chosen because Mike Bub plays bass on this album, and Tim O’Brien is awesome)
• Crooked Still “New Railroad” Putumayo Presents Bluegrass (the compilation that includes Town Mountain, as well

Barham’s professionalism and singular focus forging American Aquarium into his lifelong career, and not just a hobby, have yielded natural and sometimes painful changes along the way. From the early days of a rotating cast of friends and players for occasional local gigs, through statewide and then regional touring, to constantly living on the road with a band that’s been “all in” for the last four years, Barham’s vision does not allow slackers. The beauty of bringing on management, a tour manager, and press is that Barham is free to be part of the band–grumbling about wake-up calls with the guys, instead of being the band mother and father keeping everyone on the path.

One of the intentional sonic choices of American Aquarium that intrigues us is their choice to work with different producers for each record. All of Barham’s songs begin as folk songs on acoustic guitar. As the band line-up has solidified in the last few years, the method in which a song develops has naturally changed, too. At first, songs were fleshed out with Barham’s supervision, and now they blossom from their origins with more trust and input from the band members themselves. Choosing different producers brings a different shine to each record. From legendary Southern musician, Chris Stamey (Alex Chilton, Mitch Easter, The dB’s, Scott Litt–we’re all about the six degrees of R.E.M.), producing Dances for the Lonely (calling upon backing vocals from Caitlin Cary of Whiskeytown again), to stretching their comfort zone by writing all the songs in the studio, writing in the morning, recording in the afternoon, mixing in the evening and never looking back on Small Town Hymns, to ultimately determining that they were a band who needs to let songs find themselves on the road first, and record them in a comfortable setting with friends.

The latter is how American Aquarium ended up working with Jason Isbell to produce Burn. Flicker. Die. Recorded by Jimmy Nutt at the Nutthouse in Sheffield, Alabama, the Muscle Shoals influence and critical ear of legends who happen to be friends, made this studio process the most comfortable and creative thus far. When hanging out playing pool a couple years ago, Isbell goaded Barham, “When are you gonna let me produce one of your records?” and Barham jokingly replied, “You got the next one!” Once the guys were ready to record, the band mates did not believe Isbell had really offered to produce with them. Barham called him up, and within two days had the studio and dates lined up. Working with peers whom they trust and respect brings American Aquarium’s music to new levels with each release.

AmericanAquarium.net

Songs in this radio show include:

• American Aquarium Burn. Flicker. Die. “Cape Fear River,” “Savannah Almost Killed Me,” “Saturday Nights”
• Ryan Adams Heartbreaker [Explicit] “To Be Young” (NOTE: This song is not explicit.)
• J Roddy Walston and the Business J Roddy Walston And The Business “Pigs & Pearls”
• The Hold Steady Separation Sunday “Stevie Nix”
• The Lumineers The Lumineers “Flapper Girl” (partial song at the end of the episode) NOTE: We chose the Lost Attic Tapes version, currently available legally, for free on Noisetrade, but we do not know how long it will remain available there.
• Corb Lund Cabin Fever “Bible on the Dash” (featuring Hayes Carll) NOTE: We purchased the original version of this record, and only recently learned of the Deluxe Edition. You should buy the Cabin Fever (Limited Deluxe Edition). Even more awesomeness.

NOTE: Burn. Flicker. Die. will not be released until Tuesday, when we will add those songs to the Spotify player.

90 Acre Farm released an EP in 2002 that reflected a strong vision but ultimately not the sound intended by the band, so their decade interim allowed them to reclaim their identity and record what they knew was their music for their first full-length release. 90 Acre Farm’s songs resemble 1960′s country folk music, with lots of instrumentation in a simple presentation, and light harmonies. Their live performance resembles the record, by design. The recording method was as close to what they actually create as possible, and the tempo and fills were worked out well ahead during years of demo-ing at home. By the time they were ready to record at Full Moon Studio in Watkinsville, Georgia, 90 Acre Farm had worked up their tracks, making it an easy process.

Day jobs and other commitments keep 90 Acre Farm on “weekend warrior” status right now, but their intent is to use this album as a springboard to spread their name further, but most especially, to share the songs. White would love to have others record his songs as they see fit, and do with them what they feel moved to interpret. 90 Acre Farm plays regularly around Georgia, but selectively in their home town of Athens, so as not to wear out their welcome with local audiences. They are an excellent fit for the annual Gram Parsons Guitar Pull in his former hometown of Waycross, Georgia. The next year should bring them to many more audiences regionally.

Songs in this week’s radio show include:

• 90 Acre Farm Always Somethin’ “Better Than Gone,” “Helplessly In Love With You,” “Pick It Up Train”
• John Hiatt Walk On “Walk On”
• Gram Parsons The Complete Reprise Sessions (US Release) “A Song For You”
• Widespread Panic Space Wrangler The Take Out (discussion of David Blackmon’s fiddle playing–this is the first song I knew featuring his fiddling, and Panic are also from Athens, GA)
• Eric Andersen Blue River “Pearl’s Goodtime Blues” (I am genuinely unsure if I’ve selected the correct version of Andersen’s album.  I chose the one recorded in Nashville in the 60′s, but there is also a live version that is more recent.)
• Tom Russell Love and Fear “Stealing Electricity” (beginning of the discussion about Texas music)
• Ray Wylie Hubbard The Grifter’s Hymnal “Lazarus” (extended discussion about Rick Richards, Ray’s drummer)
• The Welfare Liners High On A Hilltop “Who Killed TK” (fiddler Adam Poulin is discussed, and he also plays in this bluegrass band)

After a homemade EP, Midnight Salvage Co. knew that their first “real” record needed a studio and the guidance of a trusted producer. They chose Conrad Uno, known for his work with Young Fresh Fellows, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, and Too Slim and the Taildraggers. Uno guided their sound into a more pointed and selective use of their instrumentation, rather than just having every sound cranked to its fullest. By pulling out different sounds to be featured and letting others be subtly moved to the background, the songs themselves were much more itneresting than the band had originally been able to do on their own. The guys in Midnight Salvage Co. trusted Uno’s expertise to improve what they had already created, without changing their sound or who they are. This partnership led to them tweaking their live shows, for more intertesting ins and outs with solos instead of a cacophony of sound.

While Mignight Salvage Co.’s record is still fresh, the band feels that they grew immensely this year, with some lineup changes and waht they learned in recording. Alexander and crew are already thinking about their next record, having written approximately half of the songs already, and thinking about how to feature instrumentation in a more strategic manner to create a fuller sound, not just din. With an increasing number of dates in the Pacific Northwest, Midnight Salvage Co. is not ready to break out of regional band status, but they are commited to becoming one of the noted bands in their part of the country.

Songs in this radio show include:

• Midnight Salvage Co. What You Hope For “Bottom Fell Out,” “Rock & Roll Baby,” “Dull Knife”
• Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers No More Beautiful World “Contraband”
• The Hold Steady Separation Sunday “Cattle and the Creeping Things”
• Simon and Garfunkel Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme “A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert Mcnmara’d Into Submission)”
• Bruce Springsteen The River “Hungry Heart”
• Too Slim and the Taildraggers Shiver “Inside of Me” (also produced by Conrad Uno)
• No Ghost “Unwelcome Feeling” (co-bill of local bands)
• Young Fresh Fellows The Men Who Loved Music “Theme Update” (also produced by Conrad Uno)

www.MidnightSalvageCo.com

Lucero’s path has resembled this game, pulling in elements that alone are not revolutionary, but when incorporated into the Lucero sound, create something altogether new for the band as a whole. With the addition of the horns, this series of nips and tucks has led to a new Lucero, with the same foundation, but spruced up and enhanced to such a degree that some people do not recognize it, yet the band still feels like themselves on the inside.

That said, Lucero has grown in ways that they might never have imagined just ten years ago. From headliners of smaller venues doing it on their own for years, to becoming the support act for large-scale tours with high-profile acts, then back to headlining mid-sized venues, Lucero has seen the benefits and balance of trading profit for profile and back again, although the process was probably humbling (author’s assessment, not their statement). Their most recent album, Women and Work, has brought many new fans to their music, while leaving some long-term followers wishing for the old days. As creative people driven by what is new for them, the members of Lucero will continue to evolve and hopefully bring along their existing fans to their new sounds as well as bring new listeners to their music. They are not going to make “another Tennessee eight more times.”

Songs in this radio show include:

• Lucero Women & Work “Women and Work,” “Who You Waiting On?” “Like Lightning”
• David Bowie Let’s Dance “Modern Love”
• The Mar-Keys The Last Night! (US Release)“Last Night”
• John Paul Keith The Man That Time Forgot“Afraid to Look”
• Deep Purple Machine Head“Space Truckin”
• Glossary Feral Fire “Bend with the Breeze”
• U2 Boy“Out of Control”
• Hearts of Palm (live) “Farewell Valentine”

When you buy the songs via these links, you are helping to support the bands and this radio show.

Adult language content warning in this video, but it’s so genuine and sweet.

Derek Hoke honed this natural skill to such a degree that he hosts a weekly curated evening at the local bar, encouraging emerging and known writers to try their newest material out for their fellow songwriters rather than play familiar songs from their touring set lists. Hoke himself is not afraid to test all-new material on a larger scale, either. He played a popular live-music event called Music City Roots prior to releasing Waiting All Night, yet played five brand new tunes to a packed house who had never heard these songs before, a gamble that had the audience enamored.

Whether introducing the country side project of a psychedelic rock band, or letting Jason Isbell or Peter Buck slide on stage unannounced to play a few songs, Derek Hoke holds court quietly and with a little smile. Waiting All Night shares the same pleasant, comfortable, easy demeanor, with changes so subtle you may have to ask yourself afterwards if they happened the way you thought they did after all! Hoke’s songs will likely make you want to dance, although this time it’s not just two-stepping.

Songs in this radio show include:

• Derek Hoke Waiting All Night “Gone, Gone, Gone,” “Sweetheart Letter,” “So Quiet”
• R.E.M. “Sitting Still”
• Chris Isaak “Trying to Get to You”
• Cory Chisel “I’ve Been Accused”
• Patrick Sweany “Leave Ohio”
• Collective Soul “Better Now” (produced by Dexter Green as well)
• Justin Townes Earle “Harlem River Blues” (selected because Jason Isbell plays guitar on this album, too, staying graciously in the sideman role and letting the songwriter shine)
• Scott Chism and the Better Half “Hand Me Down Blues” (also features playing by Chris Scruggs)
• Sam Cooke “Another Saturday Night”
• Radiohead “These Are My Twisted Words”
• Caitlin Rose “Shanghai Cigarettes” (acoustic)

As an in-demand sideman on both bass and cello, Bonnie Whitmore created deep personal and professional friendships with noted players and songwriters. Recently, Whitmore has been most recognized for her time playing with Hayes Carll. Even her immediate family remains connected to music, with a side project called The Pretty Pennies with her sister Eleanor and friend, Leslie Mendelson, and Eleanor’s main project, The Mastersons, with husband, Chris (formerly of Son Volt). Chris Masterson produced Embers to Ashes, bringing in their support team of George Reiff, Falcon Valdez, her sister Eleanor, and the only overdubs of pedal steel with Rich Hinman–a stellar lineup of friends and family making the whirlwind two-day recording sessions happen.

Bonnie Whitmore’s songwriting comes from her personal life, albeit embellished. Given her propensity for creative ways to murder an ex–metaphorically, of course–her former beaus are treading in dangerous waters. Some of the sweet-sounding songs are the most dark lyrically. Whitmore and her friend, Amanda Shires, co-wrote several songs, some of which are on her latest album. Organic songwriting partnerships work for her, but the forced ones have gone nowhere. Similarly, Whitmore herself has recently relocated to her home state of Texas–again–from Nashville. Embers to Ashes has resolution in its concept, but is also open to a sequel, as her next album (to be recorded late winter) will likely be.

www.BonnieWhitmore.com

Songs in this radio show include:

• Bonnie Whitmore Embers to Ashes “Embers to Ashes,” “GTO,” “Tin Man”
• The Mastersons Birds Fly South “You Don’t Know”
• Hayes Carll KMAG YOYO “Lovin’ Cup”
• Muddy Waters “Baby Please Don’t Go”
• Centro-Matic “Fidgeting Wildly”
• The Happen-Ins The Happen-Ins “Be Yer Fool”

When you buy these songs, you support these musicians.  There are several instances of words that have been bleeped in this conversation. We have already bleeped Hayes Carll’s tune, as well. This entire program is FCC-safe.

Mathus is one of those guys who absorbs everything artistic that is around him, lets it ferment for decades, then pours it forth in projects of his own and those he envisions with others. Most known for his work with the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Elvis Costello, and Buddy Guy–while notable–those are just blips along his path of fascination with art and music. Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition are prolific, and he has released several projects in the last five years, including playing as part of the South Memphis String Band, the TSC, and a solo EP available only on translucent blue vinyl, Blue Light.

For the last decade, much of Jimbo Mathus’s creative energy has gone into producing for other musicians, allowing him to “join” hundreds of bands and help them realize their visions. Earlier this year, he closed his studio and focused on collaborations across the Mississippi hill country. With a brand new EP, and a full-length album set for fall release, Mathus has plenty on tap for the next several months. Whatever engages him next will be magnetic.

www.JimboMathus.com

Lakota Nation links about the sacred white buffalo that was later murdered, including a link directly to the reward fund: http://lightningmedicinecloud.com/index.html. Please consider donating.

Songs in this radio show include:

• Jimbo Mathus Blue Light “Shackles and Chains,” “Blue Light,” “Ain’t Feelin’ It”
• Robin Woywitka The Impossible Address “Rock Dust”
• Fred McDowell When I Lay My Burden Down “John Henry”
• Flat Duo Jets Red Tango “Southern Drums”
• Buddy Guy Sweet Tea “Who’s Been Fooling You”

Support these artists. Buy their music.

NOTE: There is one instance of the word “cr@p” that has already been bleeped.

The District Attorneys live across north Georgia, ranging from Atlanta to Athens, managing to bridge the musical divide of these very different cities–one that is much wider than the lanes of I-85.  With two homemade EP’s (which you can download for free from the band) and their first full-length record on This Is American Music, The District Attorneys have already refined their sound, bringing bare bones indie-pop together with twangy Georgia roots, as if they are the new representatives of Southern jangle pop.  Slowburner solidly places this band in with the list of best debut albums in roots music this year.  (So, I am biased. I love this record.)

Chief songwriter, Drew Beskin, gets stuck on a song the way that we get stuck on albums:  he’ll listen to the same tune for an eight-hour road trip when he likes something about it.  From Rilo Kiley to Keith Richards, Johnny Marr and Morrissey to Burt Bacharach, Beskin obsessively studies the nuances of great songwriting, hoping to absorb something that will improve his own writing.  He is highly critical of his own skill, and constantly seeks to better his own understanding of the craft, while still being open to the fun of playing live music.  From a solid summer tour supporting their friends Modern Skirts, to co-headliners in their hometowns, The District Attorneys are pursuing a heavier road schedule to take them to the next level as a band, while still honing their new songs that frequently sneak into their sets, even though they have not been officially released yet.

The District Attorneys anticipate leaking several of their works-in-progress via their fun home video series and self-produced demo EP’s.  They like to take the feedback from their fans on songs in their development, and tweak the edges based on the responses from the audiences.  Beskin hinted that some of their brand-new material may see daylight before the end of this year, in one form or another.  After winning multiple awards at the Flagpole Music Awards prior to AthFest 2012, look for The District Attorneys to garner more regional and national attention soon.

www.TheDAsMusic.com

Songs in Radio Show #1228 Include:
(Links lead to Amazon, where you can legally purchase their music and support these bands.)

• The District Attorneys, Slowburner “Slowburner,” “The End,” “Worry About Your Health”
• Glossary, Long Live All of Us, “The Flood”
• Whiskeytown, Christmas Time Again “Houses on the Hill” (I specifically chose this version for the uncanny overlap with other music played on Country Fried Rock, from The dB’s, Thad Cockrell, Don Dixon, Alex Chilton, Chris Stamey, Marshall Crenshaw, and so on. Amazing gem of an album.)
• Futurebirds, Futurebirds EP, “Megachills”
• Delta Spirit, History From Below “White Table”

As a child, Steve’s uncle Louis took him to hear classical guitar, and young Poltz became enamored with the gut-string guitar, while listening to music ranging from the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack to Janis Joplin, and later depressing Jackson Browne songs and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. As a teen, his older sister worked for a college radio station, and brought home Elvis Costello’s My Aim Is True, which opened him up to a whole new world of what songwriting could be. As an adult, Poltz’s early songwriting drew influences from Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan (Blond on Blond) and Neil Young (Greendale). Steve’s years with the Rugburns clarified the power of writing a song that connects with an audience, but it also made clear that he prefers autonomy to a group democracy, and “going solo” opened him up to a lot more work as a musician and the freedom to hire a band when he wanted, but not be tied down by the needs of a group of people. Flexibility became key.

Steve Poltz’s latest record Noineen Noiny Noin is newly released, but he has already recorded his next record, in a whirlwind trip through Austin, Texas, during South By Southwest. The current title comes from an Australian promoter he first met while touring Australia with Jewel (with whom he toured and co-wrote for many years), who said, “Well, I reckon I met first met you in 1999,” in his thick Australian country accent. Chatting with Steve Poltz careens from politics to beautiful women to songwriting gems, so I can only imagine what a live show must be like. For now, video will suffice, as do his extensive live recordings.

www.Poltz.com

For a limited time, download a bunch of free songs from Steve Poltz HERE.

Songs in this Episode Include:

• Steve Poltz Noineen Noiny Noin “Spirit Hands,” “Check Your Head,” “Croatia”
• Neil Young Greendale “Devil’s Sidewalk”
• Pavement Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain “Cut Your Hair”
• Arlo Guthrie “The Motorcycle Song”
• Elvis Costello My Aim Is True “Watching the Detectives”

Please support these musicians by buying their music.

Lead singer of The Deadfields, Geoff Reid, shared his personal path through music soon after we met at one of my favorite music festivals, Albino Skunkfest. The Greenville, South Carolina native had an early epiphany that he was not going to be the next Jimi Hendrix, but pursued music anyway. Soon after learning to play and wanting to write his own songs, Reid immersed himself in Neil Young’s lyrics and the raw emotion of Athens, Georgia band Five Eight, both of whom expanded his realm of music beyond traditional commercial radio fare. Through college in the music-rich city of Charleston, SC, Reid enjoyed seeing bands and finally worked up the nerve to perform at a few open mic nights, but his journey through pop country music left him empty and unfulfilled creatively.

With the rapid assembly of The Deadfields, through the original friends, to a third member, and ultimately through their friends, to the current five-person lineup, the guiding mission is to be honest and have fun. The songs they are developing as a group are as much to make music that they would like to listen to as it is to have an audience, and the fans are finding them, in many ways more easily and rapidly than through the former “contrived band” experiences of the various members. The Deadfields are still molding together, but out of mutual appreciation for genuinely creating together, shared through hundreds of band emails of songs and snippets each week. www.TheDeadfields.comSongs in this radio episode include:

• The Deadfields Dance in the Sun: “Gasoline,” “Dandelion,” and “Be Your Fool”
• Steve Earle “Feel Alright”
• The Corduroy Road “Smokehouse Whip”
• The Damnwells “Jesus Could Be Right”
• Rayland Baxter, “Driveway Song” from his upcoming August 2012 anticipated release on ATO Records
• Willie Nelso (with Lukas Nelson) covering Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe”
• Seven Handle Circus “Cruel World”
• Pickin’ on Neil Young – A Tribute “Needle and the Damage Done”

Please support these musicians by buying their music.
NOTE: Several songs in this episode have the words “Sh**” and “He**” in them. For FCC compliance, we have beeped them within the radio show both online and on broadcast radio; however, album versions contain the original lyrics. Personally, we prefer the full lyric as the songwriter intended, but we must comply with broadcast radio regulations in the USA.

Thank you to The Deadfields for this exclusive video, just for Country Fried Rock listeners!

Our conversation with Ray followed a day driving up a snowy mountain pass to an old mining town, in the middle of a June snowstorm. The connection is a little raspy at times, but Hubbard’s stories are worth your time. While many songwriters start with their personal experience, expand to their circle of friends, and then move on to writing about characters, Ray’s lyrics have moved in the opposite direction, with Grifter’s Hymnal becoming one of his most personal records to date. From the more or less factual “Mother Blues,” about an old blues club where folk singers were welcome to play and Ray’s now-wife Judy was the doorgirl, to an honest lament about business deals gone wrong, Hubbard has really brought forth his “folkie” element in this album. Talking with Ray is like a laundry list of every fabulous musician since 1960, but he shares his own respect for their craft, rather than name-dropping. You feel his excitement when one of them likes his songs.

Hubbard uses some lyrical conventions, such as saying things one could not comfortably say himself, by putting the words in the mouths of animals, a la Aesop’s Fables, or invoking Dante’s Divine Comedy to face your life’s sum at the gates of Hell–and less heady but equally trippy concepts like a “folk Irish wake Led Zepplin” song. With a hefty road schedule through summer, as Ray moves toward fall, he has several projects in the blackboard stage, including a film, his memoirs, and re-recording some of his back catalog with his own choice of production for the songs. Ray Wylie Hubbard is not a “nostalgia “act;” his music is current, reflective, yet appeals to fans ranging from his teenage son’s peers to greasy old biker fans of yore (in a good way, of course).

www.RayWylie.com

Songs in this Radio Show Include:

• Ray Wylie Hubbard Grifter’s Hymnal “Coricidin Bottle,” “Mother Blues,” “Count My Blessings”
• Band of Heathens Band of Heathens “Cornbread”
• Joe Walsh Analog Man “Band Played On”
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds Girls Go Wild “Scratch My Back”
• Hayes Carll Trouble in Mind “Drunken Poet’s Dream”

Musically, Lefty’s path has followed some convoluted roads, as well; in Flagstaff, he was in an acid jazz trio and later a jamband–even working with a musician we have featured in the past who keeps popping up in other episodes, Courtney Jaye (also mentioned in the Neal Casal interview). Hathaway began as a drummer, and later became a keyboard player. He thinks of himself as a rhythm guy more than anything, drawing from both Stewart Copeland (drummer for the Police) and Gregg Allman’s keyboard playing. With rock and roll influences including Leon Russell and JJ Cale, as well as strongly from New Orleans style piano and organ, Lefty’s sound is both identifiable and cohesive.

Once Hathaway’s journey took him to Athens, though, he found a small town with a large community of mutually-supportive musicians. Jefferson Taffet of Lionz (another Athens band) and Lefty formed the Athens Music Collective as a way for many of the bands to take their unofficial support for each other’s shows and music to another level. Now three years after forming, they are redefining their mission statement, and seeking to create a more direct impact together. While not competitive with one another, there is a “you snooze, you lose” aspect to music opportunities, and loose organizations like the Athens Music Collective offer a way to move everyone forward and continue to build the community of musicians that makes Athens unique.

www.LeftyHathaway.com
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Songs in This Radio Program Include:

• Lefty Hathaway Shacks: “Baby Roux,” “Mama Shake,” “Long Haired Medicine Show Boogey”
• Allman Brothers Beginnings: “Don’t Keep Me Wondering”
• Leon Russell Live in Japan: “You Don’t Have to Go”
• Betsy Franck This Far:”Lost on the Road”
• Half Dozen Brass Band Easy Street: “Choke Chain”
• The Police Outlandos D’Amour: “Can’t Stand Losing You”

This brand new album by the original foursome of the dB’s, Falling Off the Sky, took nearly seven years to complete. Stamey and Holsapple’s dual vocals create a distinct blend that complements the “jangle pop” of their music. The latest release sounds like a dB’s record, but manages not to sound “retro.” Peter refers to their first meetings since 1988-ish as being like getting back on a bike–comfortable territory and easy to jump right back where they were, despite the decades that had passed. Life has changed greatly for each of them in the interim, though, and makes for a more targeted plan for live performance than might have occurred long ago. The dB’s fan bases in Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, and Los Angeles remain, but logistics of shows in each place vary. They are not twenty-somethings riding in a black and gray GMC rental van any more.

Lyrically, dB’s songs are no longer about yearning for a girl in class, and are about their real life changes, including divorces, addiction, and hurricanes. Holsapple’s family lost everything in Hurrican Katrina, but the loss that put the tragedy into deeper perspective was the death of his former brother-in-law, Barry Cowsill, under unclear circumstances in the hurricane. Such personal depths have brought meaning to some of their songs that perhaps were not there in earlier dB’s songs, but the sound will connect their past to their current music.

www.ThedBs.com

Notice Mitch Easter with them on bass here at SXSW 2012.

Heck, yeah! The van was actually a Ford: (Thanks, Neil Kaplan! You’re the best.)

For those of you familiar with Neal Casal’s work as a side man and band member of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals or Chris Robinson Brotherhood, the mellow, 1970′s California vibe of his solo work may surprise you at first. His lyrics will end up in your head and the meaning will develop as you realize what you are singing inside. Immediately after I posted that we would be talking for Country Fried Rock radio, friends commented that Casal is the best sideman in the business, their favorit guitar player ever, or the person with the most interesting “music family tree.” As a person with a strong visual sense, though, I knew that I had seen his name in another context, but it did not readily dawn on me.

Suddenly, past featured artist, Courtney Jaye, popped into my head: Neal Casal had taken the photos for her last record! That’s where his name was also familiar–album covers, photos of musicians and friends, and his “coffee table” book. Photography evolved for Casal from both opportunity and intense creative drive. Because he travels constantly as a touring musician, Neal realized that he was forgetting places and wanted to document the cities and towns and people he saw on the road. Creatively, this interest in documenting his life extended to photographing his musician-friends and then intentionally being the photographer of others’ music and several album covers. That constant pull to make something new is already forming new work for Casal, as he describes in our conversation.

www.NealCasal.com

Songs in Episode 1222 include:

• Neal Casal, Sweeten the Distance, “Need Shelter,” “Let It All Begin,” “Time and Trouble”
• Jackson Browne, live acoustic, “Take It Easy”
• Beachwood Sparks, “Forget the Song”
• White Denim, “Home Together”
• Six String Drag, “She’s a Hurricane”
• Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, “Destroyers”

Lake Street Dive formed when four jazz students at the New England Conservatory, an elite music university, hung out and goofed off with instrumentation and writing. Not their primary focus for a long time, Lake Street Dive’s sound meandered until they found a funky groove, with soulful vocals from Rachael Price, electric guitar and trumpet from Mike Olson, drums by Mike Calabrese, and upright bass by Bridget Kearney. The unusual combination surprised even these young, but seasoned, musicians, and they kept playing the same clubs over and over refining their sound until it clicked.

Bound by a love for much of the same music and deep friendships with each other, Lake Street Dive forges a unique, but not disjointed, sound. As each album refines who they are, some success comes in waves, with a cover song EP in May 2012 and a new studio album happening over the next year (which they had just confirmed the morning of our conversation). On the surface, Lake Street Dive does not match any of my typical music tastes–and I notably detest cover songs–but even their version of “Rich Girl” (written by Darryl Hall of Hall & Oates) captivates me. To fully appreciate Lake Street Dive, you must see them live. At the very least, check out their live DVD, Live from the Lizard Lounge, currently available digitally from their website. I only half-jokingly tweeted from their Americana showcase that Lake Street Dive should be sponsored by Trojans….

www.LakeStreetDive.com

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Songs in this Radio Episode Include:

• “Henriette,” “Miss Disregard,” and “Elijah” from Lake Street Dive
• “Bridge Over Troubled Water” Simon and Garfunkel (discussion of vocal harmony and influential music)
• “Andy Warhol” David Bowie (from conversation about the Hunky Dory album)
• “Rich Girl” Hall and Oates (finding the joy in pop music, also one LSD often covers)
• “Aunt Betsy” Joy Kills Sorrow (bassist and songwriter Bridget Kearney’s other band)
• “Ain’t No Sunshine” Bill Withers
• “Nowhere Man” The Beatles (previous discussion about vocal harmonies, but also because of comment about the right producer helping a band achieve more than they can on their own)
• One from next week’s episode, Neal Casal’s “Bird With No Name”

As someone into emerging music, even I did not discover Glossary until The Avery Set mentioned their (at that time) upcoming album, Feral Fire.  I began to follow Glossary online, with several near-misses at live shows, and did not track them down officially until Americana Festival 2012 in Nashville.  One unusually hot Saturday afternoon in the Basement’s parking lot, Glossary delivered on a set that was just what I hoped for–rocking, danceable, and packed with fans.  I briefly introduced myself after the set to Kelly Kneiser, gave her my card, and helped carry some gear.  Several months later, Joey and I chatted via telephone for the radio show.

Glossary’s current album, Long Live All of Us, brings in their Muscle Shoals to Memphis musical interests, all balanced on top of the early songs of Bruce Springsteen and The Replacements.  The entire album makes you want to move, and came from a desire to find the positive in music in an economy that seems bleak.  No matter what, you have yourself and your friends, and music can be your fun.  Glossary’s network of friends in music help them sustain their creative path, and mutually support one another along their journey.  It’s really pretty cool.  With a gig at Bonnaroo 2012, hopefully a great booking agent will help them bring their music to a much broader fanbase.

www.Glossary.us

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Songs in this episode include:

• Glossary Long Live All of Us:  ”Keep It Coming,” “Trouble Won’t Last Always,” “A Shoulder to Cry On”
• South San Gabriel (side project of Centro-Matic) “Trust to Lose”
• Deer Tick “Born at Zero”
• Lucero “Sometimes”
• The Replacements S***, Shower, Shave (Live in 1989, official release) “(Un)Satisfied”
• Next week’s episode Lake Street Dive “Hello, Goodbye!”

Although different players have rotated through since 2004, the songwriting trio has remained as the heart of Band of Heathens, until late 2011, when Brooks announced that he was leaving to pursue other creative avenues. By the time we talked with Gordy Quist, the Heathens had had a few months to adapt to being a five-piece instead of a six-piece, but also to losing one-third of their songwriting base. Through Top Hat Crown and the Clapmaster’s Son, Band of Heathens worked from a free-flowing creative base, in constant pursuit of writing and challenging each other with both playing and lyrics, but losing Brooks’ portion of the interaction resembled losing a wheel on your vehicle for a while.

Band of Heathens intended to go into the studio for a new record in early 2012, but instead have chosen to find themselves together in their new format, rather than force something before they have found their new language. Quist believes that his songs are continuously evolving creatures, and does not feel bound by the lyrics he originally wrote, or the particular notes originally written, and this freedom to let songs grow over time has made the personnel change somewhat less chaotic; Band of Heathens were not rigid in the first place. They bring improvisation to the folk element of their songs, with a comfort from the blues and rock and roll traditions that also influence them. Jurdy and Quist played several dates as a duo this winter, fueling their writing, giving outlet to songs that are not Heathens’ tunes, and stoking a new fire that will be the next Band of Heathens album.

www.BandOfHeathens.com

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Songs in Episode 1219 Band of Heathens Include:

• Band of Heathens “Medicine Man,” “Enough,” “Gris Gris Satchel”
• Lyle Lovett “Ain’t It Something” from I Love Everybody
• Ray Wylie Hubbard (also because George Reiff was part of this project) “Coricidin Bottle”
• Owen Temple “Danger and Good Times” (Owen and Gordy have a weekly songwriting challenge to each other)
• One from next week’s episode 1220 Glossary “The Flood”