The Salt Creek Show on WVBR-FM, Ithaca

Valentine's Day Special

2010-02-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here's what I played for my Valentine's Day special. Thanks to all of you who tuned in. Lots of stream listeners today, include a former student who is now in Prague.

Today's show featured a set of kickass truck drivin' country, and my featured album was Sao Paulo by The Deadstring Brothers, yet another fabulous Bloodshot Records release.

Check out The Deadstring Brothers, and the playlist follows:

Digging My Potatoes / Big Bill Broonzy / Trouble In Mind
I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) / Brown's Musical Brownies / Doughboys, Playboys & Cowboys: The Golden Years of Western Swing: Playboy Stomp (Proper Box)
I Love You Because / Ernest Tubb / Ernest Tubb: The Definitive Collection
I'll Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms / Carter Young / You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music - Disc No. 2
Heartaches By The Numbers / George Jones / Cup Of Loneliness: The Classic Mercury Years, disc 2 (Polygram)
I Love You More Today / Conway Twitty / Conway Twitty: The #1 Hits Collection, disc 1 (MCA/Decca)
The Flame Of Love / Jim & Jesse / Jim & Jesse - The Jim & Jesse Story (CMH)
Treasure Of Love / George Jones / Cup Of Loneliness: The Classic Mercury Years, disc 1 (Polygram)
I Love You Mostly / Lefty Frizzell / Look What Thoughts Will Do (Columbia/Legacy)
My Love Is a Rider / Girls of the Golden West / Cattle Call: Early Cowboy Music & Its Roots
Why Did You Give Me Your Love? / Jimmie Rodgers / Jimmie Rodgers - Riding High 1929-1930 (Rounder)
Love, Love, Love / Webb Pierce / The Best Of Webb Pierce: Millenium Collection (MCA)
I Love You A Thousand Ways / Lefty Frizzell / Look What Thoughts Will Do, disc 1 (Columbia/Legacy)
I Love No One But You / The Stanley Brothers / The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers (1949-1952)
Seasons Of My Heart / George Jones / Cup Of Loneliness: The Classic Mercury Years, disc 1 (Polygram)
I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart / Patsy Montana / Cattle Call: Early Cowboy Music & Its Roots
All Of Me Loves All Of You / Lefty Frizzell / Look What Thoughts Will Do (Columbia/Legacy)
I Want To Be Loved / Jim & Jesse / Jim & Jesse - The Jim & Jesse Story (CMH)
You Can't Break My Heart / Spade Cooley / Spadella! The Essential Spade Cooley (Legacy/Columbia)
Love, Love, Love Me Honey Do / Patsy Cline / Patsy Cline - 2 -
Frankie and Johnny / Jimmie Rodgers / The Essential Jimmie Rodgers (RCA)
You Belong To Me / Patsy Cline
Forsaken Love / The Carter Family / My Clinch Mountain Home: Their Complete Victor Recordings - 1928-1929 (Rounder Records)
Please Break My Heart / Caitlin Cary / I'm Staying Out (Yep Roc Records)
Straight A's In Love / Johnny Cash / 1955 To 1958 Recordings (Charly)
Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine / Bill Monroe / Bill Monroe: Country Music Hall Of Fame Series (MCA)
Nobody's Love Is Like Mine / Ricky Skaggs and Ralph Stanley / Clinch Mountain Country, disc 1 (Rebel)
Cry, Cry, Cry / Robbie Fulks / Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
Without Love / The Meat Purveyors / All Relationships are Doomed to Fail
Looking at the World Through a Windshield / Del Reeves / Road Music: 23 Truckin' Hits
Girl On The Billboard / Del Reeves
Holes in the Road (Dumptruck) / The Hollisters / Sweet Inspiration (Hightone)
Mama Was A Rock (Daddy Was A Rolling Stone) / Kay Adams & BR5-49 / Rig Rock Deluxe: A Music Salute To The American Truck Driver (Diesel Only)
The Highway Patrol / Red Simpson / Hello, I'm a Truck
Two Six Packs Away (Single Version) / Dave Dudley / 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Dave Dudley
There Ain't No Easy Run / Dave Dudley / Country Giants: 20 Alltime Great Country Hits (Mercury)
Mother Trucker / Shaver / Rig Rock Deluxe: A Music Salute To The American Truck Driver (Diesel Only)
Dump Road Yodel / The Legendary Shack-Shakers / Dump Road EP (self-released)
Exit 109 / Dale Watson / The Truckin' Sessions (Koch)
The Emptiest Arms In The World / Merle Haggard / Merle Haggard: Capitol's Collectors Series (Capitol)
I Don't Know Nothin' About Love / Mary Gauthier / Dixie Kitchen
Take These Chains From My Heart / John Doe & The Sadies / Country Club
Baby, We're Really In Love / Hank Williams / The Original Singles Collection Plus, disc 2 (Polygram)
I'm Still In Love With You / Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band with Iris Dement / The Mountain
Aren't I True / Kelly Willis / Fading Fast (A&M)
Hungry For Love / Patsy Cline / Patsy Cline - Honky Tonk Merry Go Round
He Stopped Loving Her Today / George Jones / First Time Live (Sony)
Adalee / Deadstring Brothers / São Paulo (Bloodshot)
Can't Make It Through The Night / Deadstring Brothers / São Paulo (Bloodshot)
Houston / Deadstring Brothers / São Paulo (Bloodshot)
Always a Friend of Mine / Deadstring Brothers / São Paulo (Bloodshot)
Sao Paulo / Deadstring Brothers / São Paulo (Bloodshot)
Give Back The Key To My Heart / Uncle Tupelo / Anodyne (Sire)
Find Love / Clem Snide / Soft Spot (SpinART)
Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight / Whiskeytown / Strangers Almanac (Outpost)
Sweet Kind Of Love / Jon Langford with the Pine Valley Cosmonauts / Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills (Bloodshot)
That's How Strong My Love Is / Buddy Miller / Poison Love
Warm & Tender Love / Caitlin Cary And Thad Cockrell / Begonias (Yep Rock)
Today I Started Loving You Again / Merle Haggard / The Best Of The Best Of Merle Haggard
If You're Gonna Love Me (C'est Le Moment) / Paul Burch / Fool For Love (Bloodshot)
Blind Love / Tom Waits / Rain Dogs (Island)
You Make Me / Freakwater / Feels Like The Third Time (Thrill Jockey)
Too Much Love To Waste / Urban Horse Thieves / Won't Be Long
She Loves Sunset / Old 97's / Blame It On Gravity
(I'm Gonna) Love, Love, Love You / The Derailers / Full Western Dress (Sire)
Hard Headed Woman / Wanda Jackson / Queen Of Rockabilly: The Very Best Of The Rock 'n' Roll Years (Ace)
S.O.S. / The Meat Purveyors / All Relationships are Doomed to Fail
Wavin' My Heart Goodbye / The Flatlanders / Now Again (New West)

Armin's Favorite alt country/Americana Releases of '09

2009-12-12T04:11:00.000-08:00

There is so much wonderful music being released all the time that I'm reluctant to call this a best-of list. These twelve albums are some of the releases that really stood out to me this year, anyway. The artist that undoubtedly moved me the most this year is Ben Nichols (also the lead singer for Lucero). What a gritty and soulful voice, and such great songwriting. The Last Pale Light in the West is an EP, and all songs are about characters in Cormac McCarthy's brutal and brilliant novel Blood Meridian. Loudon Wainright's Charlie Poole project was a wonderful and fitting tribute to on of the early wild men of country before it had a name. New Son Volt certainly did not disappoint, with a terrific tribute to Keith Richards and Rosie Flores with the PVC on Bloodshot is filled with joy proves the value of great collaboration. Oh, and Chicken Tractor Deluxe's album (from Millstein, PA, featuring Kai Schafft, former Salt Creek host and Emelie Peine, former drummer for El Caminos) is a real boot stompin' joy ride.

Hopefully this will help if you're looking for holiday gift ideas!

Ben Nichols—The Last Pale Light in the West
Rosie Flores and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts—Girl of the Century
Lucero—1372 Overton Park
Son Volt—American Central Dust
Loudon Wainright III—High Wide & Handsome - The Charlie Poole Project
Handsome Family—Honey Moon
Rhett Miller—Rhett Miller
Exene Cervenka—Somewhere Gone
Wayne Hancock—Viper of Melody
John Doe & The Sadies—Country Club
Chicken Tractor Deluxe—Tin Can Holler
Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers—Songs in the Night

If your favorites don't appear, please comment! I'm always in search of new music.

Country Music is Dead?

2009-11-19T03:50:00.000-08:00

Country music is dead! Long Live Country!

Ben Nichols—Last Pale Light in the West

2009-11-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

This year Ben Nichols, the singer and songwriter at the helm of the alt country band Lucero, released a stunning solo EP called Last Pale Light in the West. Chuck Donovan and I were both pretty wowed by this recording, and it only continued to grow on us. (Chuck and I compare notes quite a bit!) Without a doubt my favorite recording of the year. Nichols wrote all of the songs based on the characters that appear in Cormac McCarthy's bleak and blood-soaked novel Blood Meridian about a group of scalp hunters responsible for massacres along the Mexico border in 1849 and 1850.

The songs are haunting mini-masterpieces, and Ben Nichols' gravelly voice along with the sparse accompaniment of pedal steel are the perfect match for the material.

Featured Artist - Band of Heathens

2009-11-17T09:02:00.000-08:00

Just this past Sunday, I featured the new release by the Band of Heathens - "One Foot in the Ether". The BOH is a group I have been following for some time now, and have recently become the first Indie group to have two albums reach #1 on the Americana Charts. The group hails from Austin, TX, and has been compared to The Band, among others. I'm a big fan, and their new album is really terrific. Check them out at http://www.bandofheathens.com/ !

I will be posting a complete playlist from Sunday's show either tonight or tomorrow, for those interested. Thanks for listening!

Phonograph

2009-11-17T02:53:00.000-08:00

I just read about a group called Phonograph out of Brooklyn in No Depression. Very compelling indie rock-meets-americana with an element of experimentation. I want to hear more! Check out the video:

Phonograph "In Your Mind" live at Union Pool Brooklyn from PHONOGRAPH VIDS on Vimeo.

New Blog for Salt Creek Show

2009-11-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

I've been hosting The Salt Creek Show on 93.5, WVBR-FM Ithaca since 2003, along with Peter Fraissinet, Brad Edmondson, Annie Keville and Chuck Donovan. The show runs for 4 hours from 6-10 am on Sundays, and is the longest running specialty radio show in Ithaca, on the air continuously since 1964. The show features music in the country/Americana realm, largely outside the country music mainstream. We all have a slightly perspective, but one thing we all have in common is the love of a wide range of music in the country/roots/blues/folk tradition.

I've been starting to think about my upcoming December Salt Creek Show, and I decided to start this blog to post further information about artists that I feature on the show, as well as favorite artists of the year. The December show is my year-end recap, in which I feature my favorite recordings of the year, so this year I'll post all of the albums and artists to help people out who are shopping for holiday gifts.