Past  Episodes

Episode 109 was just music for music’s sake. No particular special features but we did look at Sturgill Simpson’s pandemic released Cuttin Grass albums that feature bluegrass versions of his earlier work in several different genres and compared and contrasted his vocal stylings between two different versions of the same song. Also featured were Bobbi Gentry, The Coasters, The Vaughn Brothers, Citizen King, Talking Heads and more!

Episode 108 featured our first listener submitted Top 5 list! Listener Kevin Manker of Adams, Tennessee submitted his Top 5 Rodeo Songs featuring George Strait, Red Steagall, Jerry Jeff Walker, Cody Johnson and Casey Donahew. We broke down the rodeo song and what makes it special. Other artists featured were Jackie Venson, Stereophonics, G Love, Lyle Lovett, and Darrell Scott

The second listener submitted Top 5 list was featured on Episode 1078. Listener Butch Ellis of Louisville, Kentucky submitted his top five favorite songs from the Beatles, Paul McCartney, Heart, Weather Report and Joni Mitchell. Also featured were The Newbees, NRBQ, Nellie McKay, Prince, Willie Chirino, Southern Culture On The Skids and more!

Episode 106 was a re-airing of a two hour musical retrospective I produced on the late singer/songwriter Jesse Winchester. I spoke with Jessie after a his show in Northampton, Massachusetts in November 2005. We discussed his life and his music and I interlaced the interview with Jesse’s music to create a musical history of the work of a true American artist.

Episode 105 features nothing but songs that include a brass section. Not a single trumpet or a single saxophone but at least a three-piece brass section. That went for our set of cover songs as well. We also had sets of hip-hop and Latino music. Artists featured include Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band, Huey Lewis and the News, Public Enemy, The Buckinghams, Ojos De Brijo and Phil Collins.

In Episode 104 we looked at the difference between a version and a cover through the lens of the originals for three different songs which were really big hits and that most people did not know were, in reality, covers. The originals were from Linda Lyndell, Sam & Dave and Ednaswap. We heard a set of “cryin’-in-my-beer” country songs, heard a cut from the brand new album by Blur as well as hearing cuts from The Damnwells, Gabi Hartman, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, The Diablo Swing Orchestra and more!

Episode 103 featured, of all things, a set of four songs that highlighted yodeling in each one. Rodney Crowell’s new album was featured and the theme of the cover set was songs that had been written by one person has an instrumental and we’re covered by someone else who added lyrics. Other artists featured were James McMurtry, Jake Scott, John Hiatt, De La Soul, Arctic Monkeys and David Bowie made his first appearance on the show.

We did a bit of housecleaning with Episode 102. There were a bunch of songs on my “To Be Aired” playlist that just hadn’t made it onto a show yet so I took the opportunity to get a bunch of them played on this show. Artists featured were The Spinners, Raphael & Q-Tip, Rare Earth, George Michael, Flobots, Everything Everything, Bill Callahan & Bonnie “Prince” Billy and more!

The cover set for Episode 101 was three tracks from albums that were covers of another artist’s entire album including a track from Macy Gray’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book, The Smithereen’s cover of The Who’s Tommy and Matt Nathanson’s cover of U2’s Achtung Baby. Other artists featured were The Bottle Rockets, Weathers, Beastie Boys and The Uninvited.

For our 100th Episode we featured our first Top 5 submission from the west coast (Berkley, CA) and it was also our first anonymously submitted Top 5. The topic was Top 5 Readheads featuring David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, Bonnie Raitt, Daryl Hall, Van Morrison and Willie Nelson. The remainder of the show was also all redheads and featured Trey Anastasio, Thom Yorke, Lulu, Florence Welch, Caylee Hammack, Mick Hucknell, Reba McEntire and two “Reds”: Red Foley and Red Steagall and more!!

For Episode 99 Amber of Clarksville, Tennessee submitted her Top 5 Most Therapeutic Songs but the list of artists will surprise you. They may not be who you tend to think of when you think of therapeutic music. The artists were Radio Company, Taylor Swift, Metallica, Insane Clown Posse and Tom Jones. Other artists featured are Paramore, The Dresden Dolls, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon and more.

After attending a fantastic concert put on by Billy Strings in Lexington, Kentucky I was inspired to do an entire show on progressive Bluegrass featuring music from it’s beginning to present day. Artists featured were Sierra Hull, Newgrass Revival, Béla Flack, Ganstagrass, Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, Carolina Chocolate Drops and of course Billy Strings!

Sean Tisdale of Lexington, Kentucky’s Top 5 Songs That Can Make A Grown Man Cry was the centerpiece of Episode 97. His list included songs by Led Zeppelin, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones and two from Lynyrd Skynyrd. The cover set was versions of Fleetwood Mac songs. Other artists featured included Sonny Landreth, Muse, a brand new track from The Black Crowes and more!

Fleetwood Mac was featured in the cover set in Episode 96 and The Electric Peanut Butter Company’s 2012 version of the Fleetwood Mac song “Dreams” triggered the latest installment of the intermittently recurring segment Can You Steal It in which two songs are closely compared to see if the second song might not take a little bit too much from the first. Also featured was Two Dollar Pistols, Pearl Jam, Hope D, John Hiatt and more!

The 95th featured brand new music from Mother, Mother and Khruangbin. Other artists featured were Albert Lee, Dallas Wayne, Dada, David Gilmore, Little Richard, Deer Tick, The 1975, Darrell Scott and more!

Episode 94 is Part 2 of a 2 part Top 5 Show that featured Chuck Levin of Wayland, Massachusetts’ Top 5 Songs That He Wished Would Continue Much Longer. In keeping with the theme of song length all the songs last week, before Chuck’s Top 5, were all two minutes or less and all the songs this week are all eight minutes or more. Artists featured included Diablo Swing Orchestra, Genesis, James McMurtry, 10cc, Elbow, Dire Straits and more!

Episode 93 is Part 1 of a 2 part Top 5 Show that featured Chuck Levin of Wayland, Massachusetts’ Top 5 Songs That He Wished Would Continue Much Longer. His Top 5 included songs by Blind Faith, The VooDoo Dolls, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Family. In keeping with the theme of song length all the other songs on the show were two minutes or less. The Beatles were featured in the cover set. Other artists featured are Todd Snider, Roger Miller, BR5-49, The Jam, Janelle Monáe and more!

In Episode 92 we talked about how Don Was and came to produce Bonnie Raitt’s best-selling, Grammy winning album “Nick of Time”, our cover set featured white artists covering Motown songs. Among the artists featured are Mary J Blige, Was (Not Was), Little Feat, Weezer, Radiohead, and Gorillaz just to name a few.

After a couple of top five shows followed by a six episode Music of Texas series Episode 91 was the first show in a couple of months that was just music for music’s sake. Not that we phoned it in. Artists featured were Laurel Lewis, Chicago, Dwight Yoakam, Orville Peck, Simply Red, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Alanis Morissette, Tony, Toni, Toné and more!

Episode 90 featured return engagements from BR5-49, Paramore and Aretha Franklin. Also featured were Ry Cooder, Meghan Trainor, Fantastic Negrito and Cissy Houston and the Sweet Inspirations. The covers set featured three excellent Bruce Springsteen tracks by The Band, The Mavericks, and Big Head Todd & The Monsters