WFUV's Take Five

Born in the Midwest in 1940? Nope. Jesse Dee only sounds like it. Channeling soul greats like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, this Bostonian spreads as much love as possible on his sophomore album, 'On My Mind / In My Heart.' With killer guitar licks and backing horn arrangements, Jesse proves that if you 'Don't Know Much About History' - there's still time to learn. Catch Jesse and his band performing live in Studio A and talking music with host Alisa Ali.

Alice Smith has an intriguing combination of influences. Growing up between Washington, DC and a Georgia farm, this Fordham alum has developed a style that jumps fences, from rock to R&B and soul. Today she releases an impressive and nuanced second album called 'She,' and Alice used her four-octave range to belt out a few of the songs during a recent FUV Live show at City Winery, hosted by Rita Houston.

Songwriter Colyn Cameron is the founder and frontman of the quartet Wake Owl, and with the band's debut EP, 'Wild Country,' his experimental and sometimes spacey approach to folk-rock is gaining attention. A slew of shows at SXSW last week helped too, and now you can check out the band's visit to Studio A, with host Alisa Ali.

From FUV's Russ Borris: "Supergroup' gives the impression of a bunch of musicians who are passing time between their regular gigs to play around a bit. A distraction, of sorts. Nothing could be further from the case with Divine Fits: Britt Daniel of Spoon, Dan Boeckner of Handsome Furs/Wolf Parade and Sam Brown of New Blood Turks. When the band stopped by WFUV, we talked about the dreaded 'supergroup' moniker, the origins of the band and where they see this whole thing going.  Make no mistake: Divine Fits is no side project. This is a great band with a great record, 'A Thing Called Divine Fits.'  Pretty great session, too.'

Americana luminaries Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have been making music fans swoon for decades now with their undeniable talents. But for all of the songs they've sung - together and apart - they've never put out a duet album, until now. Not surprisingly, it's a beauty. Called 'Old Yellow Moon,' the album features an eclectic list of songs, with standards and new standards side by side, and we were lucky enough to have Emmylou and Rodney perform a few of them during a Studio A session with host Rita Houston.

Back in the late '80s, Dwight Yoakam's take on country music put him in the 'alternative' bin of his local record store, and he's been squeezing past genre boundaries ever since. If you need proof, his latest album, '3 Pears,' features Beck and Kid Rock. It also gave FUV's Rita Houston the lucky opportunity to join Dwight on his tour bus for a chat, after his show at The Wellmont Theatre earlier this year.

Take the elastic rhythms of Charlie Musselwhite's harmonica and top it off with Ben Harper's killer guitar licks and soulful vocals, and it conjures up something of an old juke joint: sometimes wretched, sometimes treacherous, but always a gas. Their new album is 'Get Up!' and from a great hang FUV's Eric Holland had with the guys at Avatar Studios, you can hear that magic live.

Trixie Whitley may be a 25 year-old with a debut album, but she sounds more like a supreme soul singer with history. After releasing a few EPs and working with Daniel Lanois and Black Dub a couple of years ago, Trixie has now stepped out on her own with her first solo album, 'Fourth Corner.' Recently she performed a few of the songs for FUV's Alisa Ali, using a guitar with an interesting story.

The Alternate Side's Russ Borris talks with Richie Follin from the NYC band Guards about their full-length debut, 'In Guards We Trust' and his writing process. The band also performs songs from the new record, including 'Silver Lining' and 'Not Supposed To,' in WFUV's Studio A.

How lost would be be without the emotional and political firepower of Billy Bragg? In a career that's now three decades strong, he's targeted Reagan and Thatcher, celebrated unions and the working man, and now he's got a new Joe Henry-produced album called 'Tooth and Nail.' Hear how his world view came to be and how it informs his music - plus a few new live tunes - as Billy talks with Eric Holland in Studio A.

From FUV's Dennis Elsas: 'Eric Burdon has always had one of the most distinctive voices in Rock 'n' Roll. As the lead singer of The Animals he presented a style and sound unlike any of the other British Invasion bands.  A young Bruce Springsteen was watching him perform on the Ed Sullivan Show back in 1964, and he told a SXSW audience last year in the keynote address in Austin just how influential Eric and The Animals would come to be in shaping his future career. Eric is scheduled to play several important showcases at this year's SXSW Festival, promoting and performing songs from his latest solo album, 'Til Your River Runs Dry.' I recently had a chance to talk with Eric about the new music, The Animals' hits and the Springsteen connection during his visit to FUV.'

A painful divorce didn't hinder Josh Ritter's need to create. In fact, in the darkest hours, his songwriting propelled him through. The resulting album is called 'The Beast In Its Tracks,' and it's not the downer you might expect. There is humor, grace and wisdom mixed in with the view of tough times, and in Josh's latest visit to Studio A, he shared some live tunes and candid thoughts with host Russ Borris.

Canadian songwriter Lindi Ortega wasn't exactly born into country music, but she can channel her inner Johnny Cash like nobody's business. She's hit her stride on the new album, 'Cigarettes & Truckstops,' and with her band, Lindi stopped by Studio A to share some of the new songs, and to tell host Darren DeVivo some stories of her winding road from Toronto to Nashville.

The Alternate Side's Eric Holland talks with the UK band Palma Violets about its full-length debut, '180,' and the recording process behind the album. The band also performs songs from the new record including 'Step Up for the Cool Cats' and 'Best of Friends' live in WFUV's Studio A.

Robyn Hitchcock's otherworldly wit and off-kilter melodies haven't made him mainstream material, but his storytelling and singular point of view are certainly worthy of his passionate fanbase. He returns the affection with the new album 'Love From London' - which is out next week - and Robyn gave us a live, acoustic preview in a Studio A session with host Darren DeVivo.