Kacey Musgraves was a slightly unconventional choice for a WXPN Free-at-Noon concert at World Cafe Live a few weeks ago. Kacey is an up-and-coming country star. And XPN seems to be trending away from country / folk / Americana these…
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Song 75 - - Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore: "Stealin', Stealin'"
I bought an old school CD yesterday. It's the first CD that I've bought in a while. But it was so worth the 15 bucks that it cost. What was it? Well, it was the new record by Dave Alvin…
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Song 74 - - Brian Wilson and Al Jardine / Nick, Matt & Bruce: "Sloop John B"
Back in October 2016 I wrote a post about Jan and Dean. They were big in the mid-60s with songs like Surf City, which was written by Brian Wilson, and other surfing, car and teen songs. But I…
Read moreSong 73 - - Kelly Willis: "Modern World"
I saw Kelly Willis live and in person once, way back in, I don't know, maybe 1992 or so. I'm not sure exactly when it was, but it was at least 25 years ago. And I saw her at what…
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Song 72 - - The National Reserve: "I'll Go Blind"
I guess that The National Reserve could be a part of the national park system. Or maybe something related to the military. Right? Well, sure, but The National Reserve is also a music group. A really good music group from…
Read moreSong 71 - - Trampled By Turtles: "Right Back Where We Started"
Song 33 of this blog featured Dead Man Winter, which is kind of the side project for Dave Simonette. David Simonette is also the leader of Trampled By Turtles, which is a very successful new-school bluegrass group. Both Dead…
Read moreSong 70 - - Matty Charles & Katie Rose: "What I Want"
I know virtually nothing about Matty Charles & Katie Rose. Except this: Matty wrote a song called What I Want, and Matty and Katie recorded it. And it's about the sweetest song you could imagine. Somewhere between country, folk…
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Song 69 - - Bruce Rits Gilbert & The Missing Years: "Well, I'm Sixty-Four"
So, when Paul McCartney wrote When I'm Sixty-Four, I'm pretty sure that he wasn't really thinking that 64 would actually show up. I mean, who can imagine that? But, sure enough, it showed up for Paul in 2006. And…
Read moreSong 68 - - Dispatch: "Josaphine"
Dispatch has kind of taken an odd route to stardom. The ridiculously talented trio came together at Middlebury College back in 1996 and had some level of success until 2002. Then they tried to breakup. But they weren't very successful…
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Song 67 - - Frances Luke Accord: "Maria"
I saw my favorite duo yesterday - - playing as a trio. Nick Gunty and Brian Powers, who are the group Frances Luke Accord, played Bourbon and Branch last night, in a not-quite-sold-out show, with their occasional percussionist, Luke Jackson.…
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Song 65 - - Brett Dennen: "Already Gone"
I saw Brett Dennen today. Nick Gunty (one-half of Frances Luke Accord) and I stopped by World Cafe Live (the music venue) to listen to a taping of a World Cafe (the syndicated radio program) session with Brett Dennen.…
Read moreSong 64 - - Alan Jackson: "Livin' On Love"
I've pretty much always liked country music. I mean, even when I was nine and ten and then a teenager, when rock and pop and The Beatles were raging, and when I was buying each and every Beatles' album as…
Read moreSong 63 - - John Mayer: "In the Blood"
John Mayer is one of those guys who's immensely popular. Huge. But I never really jumped on the Mayer wagon. I'm not sure why. But, after way too long, I finally heard the song that I needed to hear to…
Read moreSong 62 - - Deer Tick: "Miss K"
When I first heard Miss K on the radio several years, it was love at first sound. I mean,Miss K is pretty much the perfect 21st Century pop song. Yep, the lyrics are a little racier than the typical…
Read moreSong 61 - - Those Darlins/The Crystals: "Then He Kissed Me"
I saw Those Darlins way back in 2014 at WXPN's Non-COMM-vention. They were one of those groups that I had never heard of before, but were absolutely fabulous in concert. Really, it's one of the best things about Non-COMM. For…
Read moreSong 60 - - Whiskey Shivers: "Angel in the Snow"
It's snowing here! Lots of snow! And what's a better thing to do on a snow day than to do a blog post about a snow song. Right?
I know virtually nothing about Whiskey Shivers. And, no, Whiskey Shivers is…
Read moreSong 59 - - Slaid Cleaves: "New Year's Day"
So, as we approach the end of 2017 and get ready to turn the page to 2018, i thought that featuring a song called New Year's Day kind of made sense. Right? And the best song called New Year's Day…
Read moreSong 58 - - Elvis Presley: "Blue Christmas"
It's Christmas season. Maybe it's a happy season for you. Or maybe not. And, if it's not, this song is for you. It's one of the best ever Christmas songs by one of the best ever singers.
Elvis Presley is…
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Song 57 - - Trini Lopez: "Green Green"
Ask my 90 year old mom who her favorite singer is. She might say me. But she'll likely say Trini Lopez. When I was a kid, my folks were absolutely not raising me on Elvis and Buddy Holly and Fat…
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