Country Fried Rock

Town Mountain brings the bluegrass-infused Asheville, North Carolina, music scene into its creative process. In a place where open and invitational bluegrass jams abound, there is little room for slackers, but there is always room for newbies. For a picker who really wants to learn to play from the best, jump in and try to keep up. For the members of the band, they do not join forces with either "side" of the bluegrass camps, and instead write music that appeals to the traditionalist while reflecting what is new and forward-thinking. Town Mountain are Big Tent pickers. 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

American Aquarium's sixth album, Burn. Flicker. Die. , extends the reach of the North Carolina band, down I-95 and across I-20 to Texas. For the past five years, American Aquarium has toured 300 dates per year, mainly within the Southeast, yet their fo...

Todd White of 90 Acre Farm grew up listening to his older cousins playing outlaw country on the radio and playing everything from those tunes to classic rock at pickin' parties. Those foundations combine with White's personal listening collection to form the Americana sounds of 90 Acre Farm. Their debut album, Always Somethin', brings some of White's previous songwriting into their current band line-up ranging from six to eight players, depending on who is available for a given gig. 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)

Midnight Salvage Co. is an emerging band in the muddied Americana music scene of the Pacific Northwest; not based in ultra-hip Seattle, but in the metal-soaked scene of Tacoma. Lead singer and songwriter, Brason Alexander's vocals will either draw you into their music, or immediately drive your hand to the skip button, but their music is worth a second listen (and after all, vocals in music are polarizing by nature). Something about their debut record reminds me of their huge influence of Bruce Springsteen's The River album, but I also hear an element of what I initially thought might be Lou Reed's vocal contrast with some of the early Velvet Underground music. After listening to my VU records again, I cannot pinpoint a song and maybe it's something else entirely, but something is swirling in some of the musical phrases that brings me to that reference. Whatever it is, is what kept me returning to this debut and deciding to listen again. 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 (Sp., trans. "bright star") transformed from their twang-punk origins (in response to and reaction against their country roots) to their full-fledged Memphis rock and roll band status over eight albums and fourteen years, although it's seemed like an overnight extreme makeover to some of their fans. As music fans, many of us have our go-to favorites and the rest of our playlists meander through other favorites and new obsessions, like the children's game The Blob, ebbing and flowing in random directions, pulling in little bits here and there from all sorts of places--ultimately redefining its basis by the elements picked up along the way and ending up as something totally different and unintended in the end. 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 left rock and roll in the dust years ago, finding a new sound, which he dubbed "Quietbilly," a gentle, sweet rockabilly, now twinged with some Southern blues. His previous album, Goodbye Rock and Roll, clearly cemented Hoke's distinguishable sound, but his recent release, Waiting All Night, explores a wider variety of rhythm, while still being a Derek Hoke record. Producer and childhood friend, Dexter Green (of Sea Lab Sound), partnered with Hoke on the project, taking their time to call upon friends to play on songs between their own touring schedules. The list of guests reads like a Who's Who of East Nashville and legendary sidemen, and reflects on Derek's ability to make his peers feel at ease. 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)

Bonnie Whitmore played in her family's band as a child, joined the Brent Mitchell Band when she was only fifteen, and released her first solo record by twenty-two. Whitmore's dual roles as sought-after bass player and independent songwriter offer a breadth of professional choices, but also pull her in different directions creatively: from playing Austin City Limits one night, to a tiny club with ten people the next. The ebb and flow of a music career sometimes has a quickly turning tide. Whitmore, though, has not caught the right wave yet. 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. Sorry for Ustream's commercials. We have nothing to do with that.

Jimbo Mathus describes himself as "original," a word with layers of meaning for him and that he uses frequently in conversation. Mathus is one of those rare, self-taught experts in the humanities, well-versed in art history and poetry, local history and its impact on the arts, music, theatre, and subcultures--without ever being pretentious. He immersed himself in studying these areas to satisfy his own curiosity, not to impress anybody else. Most likely, these topics will not even arise while you go cat-fishing together with Jimbo. 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.

Enjoy a new FREE EP from The District Attorneys! Jr. by The District Attorneys 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"

Steve Poltz's bio says, "Steve Poltz is not normal." I cannot judge that from one conversation, but I can say that you might know a few of his songs, and be shocked by some of his other work. No matter which incarnation of his music you like, Poltz's fans are dedicated to his songwriting and to each other in ways many artists only imagine. Poltz fans follow him from show to show, country to country, and plan their vacations to meet other Poltz fans that they only know through his shows. In his words, if fans are not coming up to the band after shows to buy CD's and asking, "When are you coming back?" then artists need to re-evaluate what they are doing creatively. The call to action should be so deep, that listeners seek out the band. That said, Poltz's music is not for everyone, and his live shows can be so intense that significant others' of diehard fans make a point of telling him how much they hated it! 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.

While not newcomers to the music business, The Deadfields are newly formed and new to making authentic music borne of the love for the songs and enjoying them for their own sake. This may not seem revolutionary, but for a collection of musicians who swore off "the business" of making music to fit audience demographics, genuine expression and pleasure through songs have been their own coup d'etat. Their self-produced record, Dance in the Sun, begins to show their break from their past, but to truly appreciate how engaging and infectious The Deadfields' music is, you really must see them live. They have already written more than an album's worth of new songs, and hopefully will move more closely to capturing the energy and joy of their live shows. 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!

Ray Wylie Hubbard thinks of himself as a folk singer, who finally learned to finger-pick guitar when he was forty-one. As Hubbard sees it, adding the blues rock to his songwriter lyrics finally helped him find his groove. Ray frequently cites "grit, groove, tone, and taste" as the hallmarks of a great song, and strives to reach that with the songs he writes and performs, as well as the ones he produces for other musicians, from Band of Heathens to Chelle Rose. Hubbard's most recent album, Grifter's Hymnal, combines these essential song elements with a lineup of his friends and peers: George Reiff, Rick Richards, son Lucas Hubbard, fellow songwriters Liz Foster and Charlie Shafter, Billy Cassis, Brad Rice, Audley Freed, Ian McLagan, that Joe Walsh, and the Ringo Starr. Players like that could cover nursery rhymes and make an amazing rock and roll record. 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"

Lefty Hathaway blocked out his childhood experience in musical theatre, but the desire to create his own music and perform it for a live audience has never waned. Hathaway's childhood bounced from England to the US back to England, then Tulsa, and on to Seattle, Flagstaff, Colorado, and finally Athens, Georgia as an adult. These disparate locales and frequent moves led him to always feel like an observer to his environment, rather than part of his community, which influences his writing, but also contrasts with his love for Athens--where he finally feels at home. 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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"

The dB's met each other by the age of 8 or 9 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Chris ultimately formed the trio with Gene Holder and Will Rigby in the late 1970's, adding Holsapple after they requested him to audition on keys. Chris Stamey stayed with the band for the first two albums, then moved on to play with Alex Chilton for many years. Over time, the original lineup changed, and within a decade, The dB's as they were had run their course. Peter Holsapple moved through many other bands, including a long run as the "fifth member of R.E.M.," on the road with Hootie and the Blowfish, and playing with the Continental Drifters, as well as a recurring acoustic duo with Chris Stamey, both live and for a couple of records. 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.)

Neal Casal's tenth solo album, Sweeten the Distance, needs to be in your car for every road trip, both the adventures across wide distances and the ones in traffic that you must abide. At first, the music is pleasing, but does not necessarily grab me, until I realized I had listened to the entire album more than once without ever clicking forward or changing it. As I turned it down to listen to my GPS, I realized that I was singing several of the songs in my head--although they had not appeared to be "catchy" on the surface. It took about a day to realize that Sweeten the Distance was one of my favorite first-to-last albums in a long time. 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"