Today we check in with new music fro some true singer songwriting legends: Willie Nelson, John Doe of X, Lyle Lovett and Calexico. Nitty Girtty Dirt Band make a whole album of Bob Dylan covers and they don’t just do Nashville Skyline. Lada, Dinko and Hrvoje from Bambi Molesters have a new band called LHD and it fits very well with their previous work. We also check in with Tyler Bejoian and his Names. But the show opens a newcomer, Peter Donovan from Seattle, WA.
The Americans – Give Way
Peter Donovan – This Better Be Good;
Willie Nelson – I Don’t Go to Funerals;
Green On Red – Time Slips Away;
Daniel Romano – I Don’t Fit In;
Tyler & the Names – OB’s;
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You;
Bob Dylan – Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You;
Tom Troccoli’s Dog – Girl from the North Country;
John Doe – The Cowboy and the Hot Air Balloon;
Lyle Lovett – Her Loving Man;
Lyle Lovett – LA County;
Giant Sand – Yer Ropes;
Calexico – Then You Might See;
LHD – Boiling Water, Dreamy Girl;
Amy Lavere – Girlfriends.
New music took us strange places this time. I recently came across a band from Barcelona, Spain, by the name of Belgrado, with a Polish singer that takes up the visual identity of Yugoslavian Zenitism movement and sounds like they are from Rijeka, cca 1983. Then, we also check out a Welsh band that named themselves after my old hometown, Vukovar. Back in that old part of the world, we also get new music from Nina Romić and PunÄke. The rest of the show also brings the new albums from Calexico, as well as a new collaboration between Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. We also introduce some new names for us. Big Eyes lead by Kate Eldridge come from New York City and the singer-songwriter Shawna Russel hails from Oklahoma.
Today we begin with two obituaries. Arturo Vega, art director and logo designer of The Ramones passed away on June 8 this year. Alan Myers drummer of Devo passed away on June 24. After we pay respect to the two of them, we continue with some new music. King Louie’s Missing Monuments have a new single, Calexico covers Replacements on the new EP and Mama Rosin joins forces with Mick Collins and Matt Verta-Ray for a Marvelette’s tune Please Mr Postman. Mark Ribot’s Ceramic Dog has an exceptional new album and Lisa Mychols is back with the new album too. Finally, we have a reissue of the Shoes first LP One In Versailles which is finally widely available.
A few new records premier in today’s show. R. Stevie Moore has a new album called Advanced and it’s as fresh and as exciting as we got used from Stevie. Hipbone Slim who collaborated with Mama Rosin earlier this year, also has an album on his own with his Kneetremblers. Cody Chesnutt who you may remember as a guest on Phrenology by the Roots, is back this year with a new EP called Black Skin No Value, somewhat more ambitious project than his first album Headphone Masterpiece. Calexico are back with a compilation record that contains the best tracks from their tour only discs. The only new name today is the New Orleans street band Washboard Chaz Blues Trio.
And… we’re back from our usual Summer break. The break was long, but without huge shakes in musical world. Also, not too many great records happened in the past two months while we were gone. My favorite record this summer is definitely Rainer Ptacek session with Calexico members that came out now, but it was recorded way back in 1997, mere months before Rainer passed away. The cd is called Roll Back The Years, and I really wish I could. We lost a lot when Rainer left 14 years ago. From Austin, we have new records for The Krayolas and John Wesley Coleman. From Memphis, we have new records for Jack Oblivian and Bo-Keys. We also have new Brian Wilson, whose new record is centered around Disney movies.
Irish guitar player Gary Moore was a one time member of Thin Lizzy, which was an amazing band. He was in and out of the band many times, but their album Black Rose that featured Moore marked a new era for this band and it is one of their strongest. Moore was a kind of rock musician that put virtuosity ahead of everything. This is a thin line that can make you sound kitschy or really grand. Moore did both, but we will remember him for the best. This show goes to him. First half hour of the show is therefore loud and for the most part live. Still, we also introduce some new artists, Towerbrown from France and Susie Hug from London. Even though Susie lives in London, her sound is very American. This is not surprising since she’s raised in San Diego in a Japanese-American family. Just check our her latest album Tuscon Moonshine that she recorded with the help of Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico and Giant Sand fame. We also check in with North Mississippi Allstars – a band that we featured for the first time exactly 10 years ago. They have a new album called Keys To The Kingdom. We also check in with our good friend Huw Akiba Jones and his Akibas. They recorded another album pastorally titled The Cows on Donkey Hillin 2009 and it’s finally in our hands.