Routes & Branches 1/26/13

I had the pleasure of having the Portland band Fruition in to the studio this week. They stopped by on their way to a show at the WOW Hall. Fruition has a base in the string band tradition with the addition of drums and percussion to propel their music to a new level of intensity. Even the slower tracks have hot leads from Mandolin player Mimi Naja and guitarist Jay Cobb Anderson. With a strong rhythm section made up of Kellen Asebrock on guitar, Keith Simon on bass, and Tyler Thompson on drums, Fruition will keep you dancing all night long.
Several good new releases caught my ear this week including Davis Coen's "Hard Luck,  Chicago Farmer with his CD "Backenforth, IL" and the  Kelly Willis & Bruce Robinson CD "Cheater's Game".

Artist-Song-Source

3pm
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Cowgirl In The Sand - Crazy Horse Live At The Filmore 1970
Black Prairie - Rock Of Ages - A Tear In The Eye Is A Wound In The Heart
Davis Coen - AAA Whiskey - Hard Luck
Davis Coen - Hard Luck Café - Hard Luck
Chicago Farmer - Everybody In This Town - Backenforth, IL
Chicago Farmer - Twenty Dollar Bill - Backenforth, IL
Dale Watson & His Lonestars - I Lie When I Drink - El Rancho Azul
Daniel Romano - Just Between You And Me - Come Cry With Me
Rob Lutes - The Ship That Sails Today - The Bravest Birds
Railroad Earth - Elko - Elko
4pm
Fruition - Wastin' Away - Live In The KRVM Studio
Fruition - Just Close Your Eyes - Live In The KRVM Studio
Fruition - Get In - Live In The KRVM Studio
Lucinda Williams - Righteously - World Without Tears
Nicki Bluhm - Stick With Me - Driftwood
Kelly Willis & Bruce Robinson - Cheater's Game - Cheater's Game
Kelly Willis & Bruce Robinson - Border Radio - Cheater's Game
The Leavers - Coronado's Gold - Once Upon A Time
White Iron Band - St. Louis County - Damn The Nighttime
Solas - Tell God And The Devil - Shamrock City
Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons - The Road Home - Happy Book

Routes & Branches 1/19/13

I'm home alone this week while my wife is visiting family down in Florida. Lucky for her that she was able to catch the Sunshine Blues Festival this afternoon while I was on the air. So for my second hour I mostly played artists that she was seeing. Tedeschi Trucks are playing as I write this blog. Unfortunately the sound does not travel over the phone very well.
I did take a one set break to promote and give tickets away for the upcoming Hot Buttered Rum Show (with Fruition) happening next weekend.
Several new tracks in my first hour including some local folks with the group Co Gro and their CD "Subvert The Dominant Paradigm" and a new Americana style remake of "Sunshine Of Your Love" by George Kilby Jr. I also had new music by Daniel Romano, Max Gomez, Aaron Neville and Roadkill Ghost Choir. Daniel Romano reminds me of Gram Parsons so I opened the show with him. Steve Earle celebrated another trip around the sun this week so I had to play his version of Hank Williams "I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive". Birthday congrats also go out to T-Bone Burnett who produced and played on that CD of Earle's, and to Aaron Neville who will be 72 this week.

3pm
Gram Parsons - Return Of The Grievous Angel - Grievous Angel
Daniel Romano - Middle Child - Come Cry With Me
Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive - I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
Max Gomez - Love Will Find A Way - Rule The World
Aaron Neville - Under The Boardwalk - My True Story
Rick Hornyak - Cigarettes - Marigold
Wynn Taylor & The Working Poor - Blood On The Road - Wynn Taylor & The Working Poor
George Kilby Jr. - Sunshine Of Your Love - Six Pack
Co Gro - Subvert The Dominant Paradigm - Subvert The Dominant Paradigm
Co Gro - Kali's Tune - Subvert The Dominant Paradigm
Roadkill Ghost Choir - Beggars Guild - Quiet Light
Wilco - Via Chicago - Kicking Television
4pm
Sonny Landreth - Levee Town - Levee Town
Sonny Landreth - Congo Square - Grant Street
Dr John - Goin' Back To New Orleans - The Very Best Of Dr. John
Hot Buttered Rum - Loretta - Live In The Sierra
Fruition - Big Sky - It Won't Be Long
Hot Buttered Rum - Ramblin' Girl - Live In The Sierra
The Wood Brothers - Shoofly Pie - Smoke Ring Halo
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Everybody's Talkin' - Everybody's Talkin'
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Darling Be Home Soon - Everybody's Talkin'

Routes & Branches 1/12/13

I'm celebrating my 5th anniversary with KRVM so I brought in a few of the old tunes that I listened to in my youth to mix with some of the music I have enjoyed playing on the show these past few years. I started and ended with Robert Earl Keen since he was our birthday boy for the week. I have always enjoyed a Robert Earl Keen show.  He is a great story teller as well as a good song writer.
I played a Jon Sundell tune because he was instrumental early in my personal journey through the music I play today on Routes and Branches. Jon was my high school humanities/music teacher who took me to meet people like John McCutcheon, The Carter Family's homestead and to June Apple Recording Studios where he recorded his album " The Eagle and The Sparrow". I also played several of my old favorites from Jerry Jeff Walker, Steve Earle, JJ Cale, David Bromberg, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Charlie Daniels Band most of which was on vynal. Along with the old, I also played some of my newer favorites like Railroad Earth, Ray LaMontagne, Jason Isbell, Drive By Truckers, Chris Robinson Brotherhood and Dave Alvin. It was a fun show!!



3pm
Robert Earl Keen - Gringo Honeymoon - Live at The Ryman
Jon Sundell - I've Been all Around This World - The Eagle And The Sparrow
Jerry Jeff Walker - It's A Good Night For Singing - The Ultimate collection
Steve Earle - Copperhead Road - Essential Steve Earle
Loudon Wainwright III - Older Than My Old Man - Older Than My Old Man
Guy Clark - The Guitar - Somedays The Song Writes You
JJ Cale - Anyway The Wind Blows - Okie
David Bromberg - Ride On Out A Ways - Use Me
Railroad Earth - Colorado - Elko
Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs - Henry Nearly Killed Me - Live  Fall 2010
James McMurtry - Lobo Town -  Saint Mary Of The Woods
4pm
New Riders Of The Purple Sage - Shake That Thing - 17 Pine Avenue
Lynyrd Skynyrd - T For Texas - One More From The Road
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Cigarettes & Wine - Live From Alabama
Charlie Daniels Band - Rainbow Ride - Million Mile Reflections
Drive By Truckers - The Righteous Path - Brighter Than Creations Dark
Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Little Lizzie Mae - The Magic Door
Dave Alvin - Murrietta's Head - Eleven Eleven
 Robert Earl Keen - The Road Goes On Forever - The Party Never Ends

Routes & Branches 1/5/13

There was so much good music released in the past year that I couldn't fit it all into a single 2-hour show last week, so this is the best of the rest 2012. It includes a set of tunes from my favorite local bands and a set from bands mostly from the Portland area. It also includes my choices for the December FAR chart. I finished the show with my favorite song of the year: Corb Lund's "Bible On The Dash"

3pm
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Gallows Pole - Americana
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Born In Ontario - Psychedelic Pill
Kinky Friedman - The Ballad Of Kevin Barry - Bi-Polar Tour
Leftover Salmon - Bayou Town - Aquatic Hitchhiker
John Hiatt - It All Comes Back Someday - Mystic Pinball
Tara Stonecipher & The Tall Grass - January - Recovery
Wayne Drury Project - New York Central Line - Songs From The Saddlebag
The Fiddlin' Big Sue Band - Wagon Wheel - The Fiddlin' Big Sue Band
Sara Watkins - You And Me - Sun Midnight Sun
Zoe Muth And The Lost Highrollers - Walking The Line - Old Gold
Rosie Flores - Working Girl's Guitar - Working Girl's Guitar
Yarn - On The Radio -  Leftovers Vol 2
Jonathan Warren & The Billygoats - Brown Liquor - A Little Something Stronger Than Wine

4pm
Todd Snider - Sangria Wine - Time As We Know It: The songs Of Jerry Jeff Walker
Dwight Yoakam - Dim Lights, Thick Smoke - 3 Pears
Chris Robinson Brotherhood - Rosalee - Big Moon Ritual
The James Low Western Front - Medicine Show - Whiskey Farmer
Cascade Rye - Baby Let's Go - Cascade Rye
Shook Twins - Potter's Daughter  - Window
Shoebox Letters - Frozen In Fargo - Nowadays
Little Feat - Candy Man Blues - Rooster Rag
Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale - I Just Lost The Job Of Lovin' You - Buddy & Jim
Dan Weber - Hank & Jesus - Ash And Bone
Otis Gibbs - Broke And Restless - Harder Than Hammered Hell
Corb Lund - Bible On The Dash - Cabin Fever

Routes & Branches 12/29/12

The annual "Best of The Year" show this week. I finally narrowed down my choices for this year's FAR & Away 2012 best of chart. Here is a list of my choices followed by this week's playlist. Be sure to tune in next week when I will feature some of the discs that didn't make it into this show as well as featuring my favorite CD's from local musicians this year.


ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (up to 6)
John Fullbright: From The Ground Up (Blue Dirt )
J P Harris & The Tough Choices: I'll Keep Calling (Cow Island)
Corb Lund: Cabin Fever (New West)
Grant Peeples: Prior Convictions (Gator Bone)
Old Crow Medicine Show: Carry Me Back (ATO)
Marley's Ghost: Jubilee (Sage Arts)

DEBUT ALBUM (up to 3)
Alabama Shakes: Boys & Girls (ATO)
The Time Jumpers  (Rounder)
The Lumineers (dualtone)

VARIOUS ARTISTS/TRIBUTE ALBUM (up to 3)
This One's For Him (Dualtone)
Even More Songs Of Route 66 (Lazy SOB)
KIN: Songs By Mary Karr & Rodney Crowell (Vanguard)

REISSUE/HISTORIC ALBUM (up to 3) This also covers vintage material appearing for the first time.
The Flatlanders: The Odessa Tapes (New West)
The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal (Sony)
Woody Guthrie: Woody At 100 (Smithsonian Folkways)

LIVE ALBUM (up to 3)
Halden Wofford & The Highbeams: Live At Hodi's (Self)
Tedeschi Trucks Band: Everybody's Talkin' (Sony)
Tim O'Brien & Darrell Scott: We're Usually A Lot Better Than This (Full Light)

FEMALE ARTIST (up to 3)
Lindi Ortega
Brandi Carlile
Chelle Rose

MALE ARTIST (up to 3)
Corb Lund
Grant Peeples
Jimmy LaFave

DUO/GROUP (Up to 3)
Scott Chism & Better Half
Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale
The Honeycutters

INSTRUMENTALIST (up to 3)
Sonny Landreth: Elemental Journey (Landfall)
Joe Goldmark: The Wham Of That Steel Man (Lo-Ball)
Jerry Douglass: Traveler (Entertainment One)

SONGWRITER (up to 3)
Chuck Cannon
John Fullbright
Ray Wylie Hubbard

BEST IN THE INDUSTRY (up to 3) This is a back stage deal, record labels, producers, publicists, anyone who’s contributed to the music in any way other than playing it.
Donna Mavity
Sue Dumond
Jenni Finlay


Artist-Song-Source
3pm
Marley's Ghost - Hank And Audrey - Jubilee
The Time Jumpers - On The Outskirts Of Town - The Time Jumpers
Alabama Shakes - Hold On - Boys & Girls
Sonny Landreth - For You And Forever - Elemental Journey
Joe Goldmark - The High Road - The Wham Of That Steel Man
Old Crow Medicine Show - Mississippi Saturday Night - Carry Me Back
Jimmy LaFave - Land Of Hope And Dreams - Depending On The Distance
Corb Lund - Drink Like You Mean It - Cabin Fever
Chelle Rose - Browder Holler Boy - Ghost Of Browder Holler
Brandie Carlile - Keep Your Heart Young - Bear Creek
Lindi Ortega - Cigarettes & Truckstops - Cigarettes & Truckstops
Taj Mahal - Sweet Mama Janisee - The Hidden Treasures Of Taj Mahal
The Flatlanders - Shadow Of The Moon - The Odessa Tapes
Woody Guthrie - This Land Is Your Land - Woody At 100
4pm 
Slaid Cleaves - Pickin' California - Even More Songs Of Route 66
Rodney Crowell & Kris Kristofferson - My Father's Advice - Kin: Songs By Mary Karr & Rodney Crowell
Joe Ely - Dublin Blues - This One's For Him
Grant Peeples - Things Have Changed - Prior Convictions
Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale - The Train That Carried My Gal From Town - Buddy & Jim
Scott Chism & Better Half - Jet 'N Dewdrop's Farm - Long Haul Steady
Ray Wylie Hubbard - Mother Blues - The Grifter's Hymnal
Tedeschi Trucks Band -  Rollin' And Tumblin' - Everybody's Talkin'
Halden Wofford & The Hi-Beams - Hippie In My House - Live At Hodi's
J P Harris & The Tough Choices - Gear Jammin' Daddy - I'll Keep Calling
Chuck Cannon - You Let The Fox Watch The Hen House - Symphony Of Scars
John Fullbright - All The Time In The World - From The Ground Up

Routes & Branches 12/22/12

This being the weekend before Christmas it is time for my annual Holiday Show.

Artist-Song-Source
3pm
Brian Cutean - Rosepelly Mountain - Guitarred & Feathered
Paul Simon - Getting Ready For Christmas Day - So Beautiful Or So What
Ry Cooder - Christmas Time This Year - Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down
Nils Erickson, Noellle Hampton, Andre' Moran - I'll Be Home For Christmas - Jazz Up Your Country Christmas
Sonny Landreth feat. The Dixie Cups - Got To Get you Under My Tree - Christmas Gumbo
Heartless Bastards - Blue Christmas - Holidays Rule
Dolly Parton - Hard Candy Christmas - The RCA Years 1967-1986
Art Neville - Christmas Gumbo - Christmas Gumbo
Robert Earl Keen - Merry Christmas From The Family - Live At The Ryman
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Last Night (I Went Out With Santa Claus) - Everything You Want For Christmas
Hayes Carll - Grateful For Christmas - KMAG YO-YO 
A Skaggs Family Christmas - Christmas Time's A Coming - A Skaggs Family Christmas Vol. 2
New Grange - While Roving On A Winter's Night - A Christmas Heritage

4pm
Drive By Truckers - The Thanksgiving Filter - Go-Go Boots
The Boxmasters - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Chritmas Cheer
Calexico - Green Grows The Holly - Holidays Rule
Robin & Linda Williams - Together Alone - The First Christmas Gift
Catherine Maclellan - Snowbird - Silhouette
Martin Sexton - White Christmas - Camp Holiday
Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer - Giddyup Said Santa Claus - American Noel
David Jacobs Strain - Halfway To The Coast - Terraplane Angel
Mark O'connor - O Christmas Tree - An Appalachian Christmas
Chuck Cannon - Money Don't Matter - Love And Money
John McCutcheon - Christmas In The Trenches - Christmas Cookies: A Concord Calamity

Routes & Branches 12/15/12

Well the cowboys and the hippies all showed up to fill Sam Bond's Garage last night to see the Turnpike Troubadours and Corb Lund & The Hurtin' Albertans. Needless to say the place was rockin' with "Our Kind of Music"!!! These guys had Eugene sounding like a Texas Roadhouse with everyone dancing and having a good time. The next time they come through we're going to have to find a bigger place to hold the party. I had so much fun that I had to start off the show with a set of tunes played last night.
Other highlights this week focused on a couple of up coming shows here in Eugene. The first of which is our local annual "John Prine Sing-A-Long" which is happening before Christmas this year. Everyone knows at least one or two John Prine songs and this a chance to sing them all. It's like a night of karaoke with a live band for back up and a room full of friends to sing along.
Second was the focus on Kinky Friedman who will be bring his "Bi-Polar Tour" to Eugene this week. Friedman I think will fit right into Eugene judging from the new tour recorded CD.

Artist-Song-Source

3pm
The Byrds - Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man - Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
Corb Lund - Cows Around - Cabin Fever
Hayes Carll - Little Rock - Little Rock
Turnpike Troubadours - Before The Devil Knows We're Dead - Goodbye Normal Street
Corb Lund - Bible On The Dash - Cabin Fever
Guy Clark - The Cape - Songs & Stories
Slaid Cleaves - Drinkin' Days - Sorrow & Smoke
The Fiddlin' Big Sue Band - Wagon Wheel - The Fiddlin' Big Sue Band
Jonathan Warren & The Billy Goats - Brown Liquor - A Little Something Stronger Than Wine
The Incubators - Viola Lee Blues - Must Hatch
Dennis Price Band - Cold Beer - DPB
The Dusty 45's - Fortunate Man - Fortunate Man

4pm
The Stagger & Sway - Sam Bond's Garage - Break Til You Bend
John Prine - Spanish Pipedream - In Person & On Stage
Old Crow Medicine Show - Angel From Montgomery - Songs Of John Prine
John Prine - In Spite Of Ourselves - In Person & On Stage
Drive By Truckers - Daddy's Little Pumpkin - Songs Of John Prine
Kinky Friedman - Sold American - Kinky Friedman's Bi-Polar Tour
Kinky Friedman - We Reserve The To Refuse Service To You - Kinky Friedman's Bi-Polar Tour
Chris Daniels - Sister DeLores - Better Days
Neil Young - Oh Susannah - Americana
Dirty River Boys - Medicine Show - Science Of Flight
Dan Hubbard & The Humidors - All I Want Is You - The Love Show
Jimmy LaFave - Red River Shore - Depending On The Distance