October 20th, 2013

Hi All,

A different sort of show today...spent the first half of the program listening to Bob Dylan's 1989 release Oh Mercy and the second half of the show listening to John Prine's 1995 release Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings.

The playlist went like this...

From Oh Mercy:

1) Political World
2) Where Teardrops Fall
3) Everything is Broken
4) Ring them Bells
5) Man in the Long Black Coat
6) Most of the Time
7) What Good Am I?

And from Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings:

8) New Train
9) Ain't Hurtin' Nobody
10) All the Way with You
11) We are the Lonely
12) Lake Marie
13) Quit Hollerin' at Me

October 13th, 2013

Hey Everyone,

Today's show was a repeat...and went like this.

1) Caitlin Rose; Shotgun Wedding; Dead Flowers

2) Greg Brown; 1952 Vincent Black Lightning; The Live One
3) Bob Dylan; New Morning; New Morning
4) John Prine; Speed of the Sound of Loneliness; German Afternoons

5) Charlie Robison; Feeling Good; Beautiful Day
6) Son Volt; Jukebox of Steel; American Central Dust
7) Glen Campbell; Nothing but the Whole Wide World; Ghost on the Canvas
8) Lucinda Williams; West; West

9) The Rolling Stones; Dead Flowers; Stripped
10) Caitlin Rose; Dead Flowers; Dead Flowers
11) Townes Van Zandt; Dead Flowers; Sunshine Boy

12) Bruce Springsteen & Alejandro Escovedo; Always a Friend; Magic Tour Highlights
13) The Rolling Stones; Like a Rolling Stone; Stripped

October 6th, 2013

Hi All,

Today's show featured selections from 40 songs I put together for a friend on her 40th birthday.  Well, actually, she was 43 before I gave her the gift.  But the songs are good all the same...the playlist went like this.

1) Redbird; Ships; Redbird

2) Greg Brown; Freak Flag; Freak Flag
3) Bruce Springsteen; Wrecking Ball; Wrecking Ball
4) Todd Snider; Good Fortune; The Excitement Plan

5) Richard & Linda Thompson; Hard Luck Stories; In Concert, November 1975
6) Uncle Tupelo; No Depression; 89/93 Anthology
7) Alejandro Escovedo; Down in the Bowery; Street Songs of Love

8) Iris Dement; Go on Ahead and Go Home; Sing the Delta
9) Patty Griffin; The Cape; This One's for Him
10) John Prine; Your Flag Decal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore; The Singing Mailman Delivers
11) Gillian Welch; Orphan Girl; Revival

12) Tom T. Hall; I Love; Country Songs for Children
13) The Avett Brothers; Life; The Carpenter

14) Bob Dylan; Duquesne Whistle; Tempest

September 29th, 2013

Hi All,

A special MSU homecoming show this morning, featuring songs sent to us from Troy Murphy.  Though he claims not to recall the year, Troy graduated from the then Mankato State University back in 1990.  He now lives in Michigan.

The show suggests a far younger and hipper man and went like this...

1) Ben Sollee; Prettiest Tree on the Mountain; Learning to Bend

2) Ben Sollee; Build for This; Learning to Bend
3) Black Prairie; What You Gave; A Tear in the Eye is a Wound in the Heart
4) Black Prairie; Richard Manual; A Tear in the Eye is a Wound in the Heart

5) Sarah Jarosz; Come Up to the House; Song Up in Her Head
6) Sarah Jarosz & Black Prairie; Queen of the Silver Dollar; Twistable, Turnable Man:  A Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein
7) Caitlin Cary & Ryan Adams; The Battle; No Depression--What It Sounds Like--V. 2
8) David Childers & The Modern Don Juans; The Prettiest Thing; Room #23

9) Spirit Family Reunion; Under the Highway; No Separation
10) Spirit Family Reunion; I am Following the Sound; No Separation

11) Hurray for the Riff Raff; Look out Mamma; Look out Mamma
12) Hurray for the Riff Raff; My Dearest Darkest...
13) Riley Downng, Sam Doores & the Tumbleweeds; Wrong Time to be Right; Holy Cross Blues
14) Eric Clapton; Goodnight Irene; Old Sock

September 22nd, 2013

Hi All,

Mentioned Richard Russo and his recent memoir on today's show.  If you haven't read Russo, he's really worth a look.

Today's playlist went like this...

1) Caitlin Rose; Shotgun Wedding; Dead Flowers

2) Greg Brown; 1952 Vincent Black Lightning; The Live One
3) Bob Dylan; New Morning; New Morning
4) John Prine; Speed of the Sound of Loneliness; German Afternoons

5) Charlie Robison; Feeling Good; Beautiful Day
6) Son Volt; Jukebox of Steel; American Central Dust
7) Glen Campbell; Nothing but the Whole Wide World; Ghost on the Canvas
8) Lucinda Williams; West; West

9) The Rolling Stones; Dead Flowers; Stripped
10) Caitlin Rose; Dead Flowers; Dead Flowers
11) Townes Van Zandt; Dead Flowers; Sunshine Boy

12) Bruce Springsteen & Alejandro Escovedo; Always a Friend; Magic Tour Highlights
13) The Rolling Stones; Like a Rolling Stone; Stripped

September 8th, 2013

Hi All,

Day two of the Rock Bend Folk Festival today...hope everyone is out there enjoying the music.

The playlist featured some Rock Bend music and went like this...

1) Bob Dylan; Blue Moon;  Self Portrait

2) John Prine; How Lucky; Pink Cadillac
3) John Prine; Killing the Blues; Pink Cadillac
4) Guy Clark; Cornmeal Walz; My Favorite Picture of You
5) Guy Clark; Rain in Durango; My Favorite Picture of You

A set of artists performing today at the Rock Bend Folk Festival

6) Amanda Shires; Devistate
7) Mary Gauthier; Wheel Inside the Wheel
8) Erik the Viking; Dead Horses

9) Caitlin Rose; I was Cruel; The Stand-In
10) Peter Cooper; Much Better Now; Opening Day
11) Fred Eaglesmith; Freight Train; Ralph's Last Show

12) Cloud Cult; Mr. Tambourine Man; Duluth Does Dylan Revisited

September 1st, 2013

Hi All,

The Labor Day weekend show went like this...

1) The Freedom Singers; This Little Light of Mine; Songs of Freedom

2) Steve Earle; The Low Highway; The Low Highway
3) Richard Thompson; Time to Ring Some Changes; Hard Cash
4) Uncle Tupelo; Graveyard Shift; 89/93:  An Anthology

5) The Avett Brothers; Live and Die; The Carpenter
6) Chris Smither; Outside In; Train Home
7) Joe Pug; Not So Sure; The Messenger...man, do I love this song...

Getting close to ten years since Warren Zevon passed away, a reasonable excuse for a full set of Zevon

8) Warren Zevon; Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School; Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School
9) Warren Zevon; Boom Boom Mancini; Sentimental Hygiene
10) Warren Zevon; The Factory; Sentimental Hygiene
11) Warren Zevon; Heartache Spoken Here; Mr. Bad Example

12) Loudon Wainwright III; Kings and Queens; Unrequited
13) Son Volt; Down the Highway; Honky Tonk
14) The Freedom Singers; We Shall Overcome; Voices of the Civil Rights Movement

**Billy Bragg is coming to the Cedar Cultural Center in September...always puts on a great show.

August 25th, 2013

Hi All,

The playlist for the 25th went like this...

1) The Steel Wheels; Story About Love; No More Rain

2) Graham Parker; The Madness of Love; Beat the Retreat
3) Susan Tedeshi; Angle From Montgomery; Live in Austin

Three from Joe Pug's release, Messenger

4) Messenger
5) How Good You Are
6) Not So Sure

Three from a real nice tribute cd to Hank Williams, Timeless

7) Bob Dylan; I Can't Get You Off Of My Mind
8) Keb Mo; I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
9) Lucinda Williams; Cold, Cold Heart
10) Beck; Your Cheatin' Heart

11) John Prine; You Stayed Away Too Long; Unsung Hero:  A Tribute to the Music of Ron Davies
12) Steve Earle; 21st Century Blues; The Low Highway
13) Evan Dando; Looking For Space; The Music is You:  A Tribute to John Denver

August 18th, 2013

Hi All,

The playlist for the 18th went like this...

1) Bruce Springsteen; Radio Nowhere; Magic (Bruce's intro provided by Eddie Engen)

2) Mavis Staples; You Are Not Alone; You are Not Alone
3) Wilco; Sunken Treasure; Being There

Here's some info about the cool book on Wisconsin Taverns that I mentioned on air...

4) Emmylou Harris (with Tanya Tucker); Sister's Coming Home; Blue Kentucky Girl
5) Emmylou Harris (with Don Everly); Everytime You Leave; Blue Kentucky Girl
6) Kris Kristofferson (with Steve Earle); Sunday Morning Coming Down; The Austin Sessions
7) Kris Kristofferson (with Mark Knopfler); Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends; The Austin Sessions

8) John Prine; Spanish Pipedream; In Person & On Stage
9) Steve Goodman; I'll Fly Away; Live at the Earl of Old Town
10) John Prine; The Late John Garfield Blues (featuring Sara Watkins); In Person & On Stage
11) Steve Goodman; Lost Highway; Live at the Earl of Old Town

12) Guy Clark; Hell Bent on Heartache; My Favorite Picture of You
13) Dave Olson; Old Birds Sing; No October

August 11th, 2013

Hi All,

Lots of new music today...and some good old stuff, too.  The playlist went like this.

1) Hank Williams; Lovesick Blues; The Ultimate Collection

**I'm reading this really nice book about Hank Williams...worth a look.

2) John Hiatt; We're Alright Now; Mystic Pinball
3) Dave Alvin; Nine Volt Heart; Ashgrove
4) Hayes Carll; Beyond the Blues; A Case for Case

5) The Steel Wheels; Walk Away; No More Rain
6) The Steel Wheels; Kiss Me Like a Stranger; No More Rain

**Learned about the Steel Wheels just recently through this blog post.  They're good, real good.

7) Guy Clark; My Favorite Picture of You; My Favorite Picture of You
8) Guy Clark; Waltzing Fool; My Favorite Picture of You

9) Lord Huron; Ends of the Earth; Lonesome Dreams
10) Lord Huron; I Will Be Back Someday; Lonesome Dreams
11) Jason Isbell; Stockholm; Southeastern
12) Jason Isbell; Travelling Alone; Southeastern

13) Billy Bragg; January Song; Tooth and Nail
14) Hank Williams; I Saw the Light; The Ultimate Collection

August 4th, 2011

Hi All,

Today's show was what we like to call an "encore presentation"--also known as a repeat.  This one from just a few weeks ago featuring the fairly new release, Woody Guthrie at 100!  Live at the Kennedy Center.  The entire show was made up of songs from this release--if you buy the cd (at least the version I got), you also get a really nice DVD of the entire concert.


The playlist went like this...

1) Old Crow Medicine Show; How Di Do

2) Old Crow Medicine Show; Union Maid
3) Joel Rafael; Rablin' Reckless Hobo
4) Jimmy LaFave; Hard Travelin'
5) Donovan; Riding in my Car

6) Rosanne Cash; I Ain't Got No Home
7) Rosanne Cash; Pretty Boy Floyd
8) Sweet Honey in the Rock; I've Got to Know
9) Lucinda Williams; House of Earth

10) Ani DiFranco; Deportee
11) Jackson Browne with Rob Wasserman; You Know the Night
12) The Del McCoury Band with Tim O'Brien; So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh

13) Everybody; This Train is Bound for Glory
14) Everybody; This Land is Your Land

July 28th, 2013

Hi All,

Matt Carlson was back as a co-host.  All the songs in some way connected to roses.  The idea for this show came when I heard The Rose playing on the Kwik Trip speakers while putting gas in the car before a recent show.  I mentioned on air that The Rose was one of my favorite songs, yet another reason I'm not what you might call cool.  Matt heard me and the next thing I knew we were chatting about a show.

Originally Matt and I were going to play thirteen different versions of the Rose, but ultimately it was concluded doing so might lead to a less than enjoyable program, perhaps even an annoying one.  And so instead, a morning of songs somehow connecting to roses--all songs selected by Matt.

The playlist went like this...

1) John Martyn; Seven Black Roses; Serendipity

2) Bette Midler; The Rose; Experience the Divine
3) Linda Ronstadt; Love is a Rose; The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt
4) Johnny Cash; Give My Love to Rose; The Essential Johnny Cash
5) Christine Kane; She Don't Like Roses; Putumayo Presents American Folk

6) John Prine; One Red Rose; Great Days
7) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds; Where the Wild Roses Grow; Murder Ballads

8) Pieta Brown; Nobody's Rose; I Never Told
9) Dave Alvin; Plastic Rose; Blue Blvd.
10) Lucinda Williams; Like a Rose; Lucinda Williams
11) Robert Plant/Allison Krauss; Trampled Rose; Raising Sand

12) Siobhan Owen; The Rose; Storybook Journey
13) Jackson Brown; Rosie; Running on Empty

Thanks to Matt for an excellent set...

And, if you're looking for some of those versions of The Rose...

• Bette Midler
• LeAnn Rimes
• Conway Twitty
• Roger Williams
• Mudhoney
• Joan Baez
• Siobhan Owen

July 21st, 2013

Hi All,

The playlist for the 21st went like this...

1) Todd Snider; Just in Case; Happy to be Here

2) Bruce Springsteen; Old Dan Tucker; The Seeger Sessions
3) Warren Zevon; Werewolves of London; Preludes
4) Steve Earle; Watin' on the Sky; I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive

**Merle Haggard is in Mankato on Wed. July 24th...and so four Haggard songs were played--some by Merle and some from a tribute cd.  See you at the show!

5) Merle Haggard; I Take A Lot of Pride in What I Am; Oh Boy Presents Merle Haggard
6) Joe Ely; White Liner Fever; Tulare Dust--A Songwriter's Tribute to Merle Haggard
7) Merle Haggard (with Willie Nelson & Ben Haggard); Workin' Man Blues; Working in Tennessee
8) Marshall Crenshaw; Silver Wings; Tulare Dust

A nostalgia set went like this...

9) U2; Running to Stand Still; The Joshua Tree
10) Indigo Girls; Closer to Fine; The Indigo Girls
11) John Hiatt; Real Fine Love; Stolen Moments

12) Dave Olson; So Long Blues; No October
13) Rondey Crowell & Emmylou Harris; Dreaming My Dreams; Old Yellow Moon

14) Bruce Springsteen; We Shall Overcome; The Seeger Sessions

Springsteen and I, the new documentary, is playing at the River Hills Mall on Monday the 22nd of July  Check the time, but I believe it's 7:30

July 14th, 2013

Hi All,

Just got my hands on the fairly new release, Woody Guthrie at 100!  Live at the Kennedy Center.  The entire show today was made up of songs from this release--if you buy the cd (at least the version I got), you also get a really nice DVD of the entire concert.

The playlist went like this...

1) Old Crow Medicine Show; How Di Do

2) Old Crow Medicine Show; Union Maid
3) Joel Rafael; Rablin' Reckless Hobo
4) Jimmy LaFave; Hard Travelin'
5) Donovan; Riding in my Car

6) Rosanne Cash; I Ain't Got No Home
7) Rosanne Cash; Pretty Boy Floyd
8) Sweet Honey in the Rock; I've Got to Know
9) Lucinda Williams; House of Earth

10) Ani DiFranco; Deportee
11) Jackson Browne with Rob Wasserman; You Know the Night
12) The Del McCoury Band with Tim O'Brien; So Long, It's Been Good to Know Yuh

13) Everybody; This Train is Bound for Glory
14) Everybody; This Land is Your Land

July 7, 2013

Hi All,

Last week's program was a repeat from earlier in the summer.  Today was another new episode and went like this...

1) John Prine; My Old Kentucky Home; Beautiful Dreamer--The Songs of Stephen Foster...a song selected in part because of my recent vacation in Kentucky which, somewhat to my surprise, turns out to be a great place for a family vacation.

2) New Lost City Ramblers; How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live; New Lost City Ramblers--The Early Years, 1958-1962
3) Chris Knight; Little Victories; Little Victories
4) Son Volt; Down the Highway; Honkey Tonk

From here the show featured four songs from Unsung Hero, A Tribute to the Music of Ron Davies

5) Gail Davies; One More Night with You
6) Delbert McClinton; Say it with Money
7) Guy Clark; Walk and Don't Walk
8) Alison Krauss; Good Love After Bad

9) Dawes; Just Beneath the Surface; Stories Don't End
10) Joe Pug; Silver Harps and Violins; The Great Despiser
11) Jerry Jeff Walker; Gettin' By; Great Gonzos
12) Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison; Ordinary Fool; Cheater's Game

13) The Avett Brothers; I Never Knew You; The Carpenter
14) The Avett Brothers; Live and Die; The Carpenter

June 23rd, 2013

Hi All,

The playlist of the 23rd went like this...

1) Hank Williams; I Saw the Light; The Ultimate Collection

2) Townes Van Zandt; T is for Texas; Sunshine Boy
3) Neil Young; Susannah; Americana
4) Hindu Love Gods; Vigilante Man; Hindu Love Gods

Don't ask me why, but for some reason the next three all came from the Jerry MaGuire Soundtrack, which is actually a pretty darn good record.

5) Bob Dlyan; Shelter from the Storm
6) Aimee Man; Wise Up
7) Elvis; Pocketful of Rainbows

And then four from the John Prine anthology, Great Days

8) Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone
9) The Oldest Baby in the World
10) Saddle in the Rain
11) Bruised Orange

**Talked on the show about the Billy Bob Thorton movie featuring John Prine.  The movie is called Daddy and Them and you can find it streaming on Netflix.  Prine has a pretty big role.

12) Tom Russell; Box of Visions; Philo So Far--The 20th Anniversary Folk Sampler
13) Bill Staines; Sourdough--The Miner's Song; Philo So Far...

June 16th, 2013

Hi All,

The playlist for the 16th went like this...

1) Merle Travis; Nine Pound Hammer; Folks Songs of the Hills

2) Billy Bragg; Handyman Blues; Tooth & Nail
3) Chris Smither; Open Up; Leave the Light On
4) Tom Waits; Ol' 55; Closing Time

Three from Springsteen's release of Magic Tour Highlights

5) Aways a Friend (with Alejandro Escovedo)
6) Turn, Turn, Turn (with Roger McGuinn)
7) The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)

**On the show I mentioned the outstanding book Journey to Nowhere--really worth a read (though perhaps from the library given it's a bit expensive these days).

8) Richard Thompson; Stuck on the Treadmill; Electric
9) Richard & Linda Thompson; I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight; Live in 1975
9) Richard Thompson; Bad Things Happen to Good People; Electric

**Here's an excellent BBC documentary on Richard Thompson 

10) Loudon Wainwright III; The Here and the Now; Older Than My Old Man Now
11) Warren Zevon; Keep Disorder in the House; The Wind

Happy Father's Day...

May 25th, 2013

Hey Everyone,

The show on the 25th went like this...

1) Steve Martin & Edie Brickell; When You Get to Ashville; Love Has Come for You

2) John Prine & Bonnie Riatt; Angel from Montgomery; Great Days
3) Drive by Truckers; Everybody Needs Love; Go Go Boots
4) Guy Davis; Words to My Mamma's Song; Sweetheart Like You

5) Patty Griffin; Go Wherever You Want to Go; American Kid
6) Patty Griffin; Ohio; American Kid
7) Hayes Carll; Drunken Poet's Dream; Trouble in Mind

8) Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis; Bring Me down Easy; A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver--Live
9) Jimmie Dale & Colin Gilmore; Hearts a Bustin; Tribute to Billy Joe...
10) Cory Morrow; Live Forever; Tribute to Billy Joe...

11) Iris Dement; Go on Ahead and Go Home; Sing the Delta
12) Steve Martin & Edie Brickell; Love Has Come for You; Love Has Come for You
13) Robert Earl Keen; Lay Down my Brother; Ready for Confetti

May 18th, 2013

Hi All,

The playlist of the 18th went like this...

1) Iris Dement; Hotter than Mojave in My Heart; Infamous Angel

2) Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell; Spanish Dancer; Old Yellow Moon
3) The Bills; Shining Face; Yes Please
4) Son Volt; Down the Highway; Honky Tonk

Watched a nice documentary the other day called Troubadour Blues--it features many of the musicians we play on this program.  The four people below are all featured in the film.

5) Peter Case; House Rent Jump; Wig
6) Slaid Cleaves; Broke Down; Broke Down
7) Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer; Better Way; Little Blue Egg
8) Chris Smither; Hey, Hey, Hey; Drive You Home Again

9) Steve Earle; 21st Century Blues; The Low Highway
10) Steve Earle; Pocket Full of Rain; The Low Highway
11) John Hiatt; I Love that Girl; Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns
12) John Hiatt; Don't Wanna Leave You Now; Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns

13) Trampled by Turtles; Shenandoah; Duluth
14) Steve Earle; Love's Gonna Come My Way; The Low Highway

May 11th, 2013

Hi All,

The playlist for the 11th went like this...

1) Son Volt; Brick Walls; Honky Tonk

2) Richard Thompson; Waltzings for Dreamers; Watching the Dark
3) Richard Thompson; Wall of Death; Watching the Dark
4) Townes Van Zandt; To Live is to Fly; Sunshine Boy

5) Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris; Here We Are; Old Yellow Moon
6) R.C. & Emmylou; Black Caffeine; Old Yellow Moon
7) Eric Brace & Peter Cooper; Johnson City; The Comeback Album

8) Bruce Springsteen; Nebraska; Nebraska
9) Chrissie Hynde & Adam Seymour; Nebraska; Badlands--A Tribute to B.S.'s Nebraska
10) Bruce Springsteen; Reason to Believe; Nebraska
11) Aimiee Mann & Michael Penn; Reason to Believe; Badlands--A Tribute to...

12) Billy Bragg; Do On to Others; Tooth and Nail
13) Various Artists; Take Me Home Country Road; The Music is You--A Tribute to John Denver
14) My Morning Jacket; Leaving on a Jet Plane; The Music is You--A Tribute to John Denver