Saturday, January 18, @9am on KOWS
Heaven and Hell
On this Friday the 13th, our show takes on the constructs of heaven and hell as its chosen theme. Songs that explore the debatable and sometimes fantastical concepts that, while they vary significantly across cultures and tradition, still remain human constructs rather than universal truths. Or are they? I sure don’t know and I doubt that you do. They have no doubt been formed as symbolic or metaphorical ideas formulated to help humankind find a straight path to that ‘great morning’…or something like that anyway. We’re not here to practice heresy or blasphemy, only to observe…and there’s plenty of music to call this theme one of mixed metaphors. Tune in for some Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Eric Clapton, Solomon Burke, Bill Neely and a whole crowd of other sinners and saints pounding out the concepts of heaven and hell in song with melodies both fierce and solemn. Tune in for quite the time.
Thursday, January 23 @Midnite on KOWS
The Hangman’s Rope
We’re going way back to 2017 (!) for a show about the hangman’s noose. Songs about one of the most controversial of mankind’s attempt to balance the scales: the death penalty. Studies point to the fact that at least one in 25 people sentenced to the death penalty in the U.S. are innocent and yet the death penalty is legal in 32 states. In China, corporate fraud can be punishable by death…if it were the case here, our government would probably be on the straight and narrow. But I digress. The music this week will explore the long walk to eternity through the eyes of the condemned; the knowledge of the eventuality of the executioner’s song is clarity. And we’ve got country from a whole host of obscure characters, some blues and boogie, along with just a little bit of folk and bluegrass. A hundred years of the hangman’s rope in reflection.
Thursday, January 23 @9am on KOWS
Saturday, January 25, @3am on KOWS
Episode 493
Not sure what there is to celebrate this week. The long hard work of recovery is underway in Southern California and the long hard work at building a wall around Washington DC to protect our democracy begins. This week on Blue Moon we’ll share a fresh new batch of 2025 hope with new music from Ringo Starr, Lindi Ortega, Luke Winslow-King and The Lumineers…and that’s just a taste of what new tracks we have in store. We’ll also celebrate some anniversaries and birthdays, including a nod to the music of the great Blind Willie Johnson who was born 128 years ago this coming Saturday. We’ve also got some Little Feat, Merle Haggard, Buddy Holly, and Bruce Springsteen in this morning show. Americana is a big tent and celebrates the many different cultures who’ve contributed to this great melting pot. Tune in on Thursday morning at 9 or Saturday morning in the wee hours for Blue Moon Americana.
Friday, January 24, @9am on KOWS
Rock Meets Country
It was without question a natural progression. All of the attributes that country inherited from gospel, blues, and jazz resulted in what amounted to competition in the charts (and in some mid-century cultural clashes). Although The Beatles had suggested a kinship with mid-sixties tributes to Buck Owens and Chet Atkins, the only comfortable way to make the marriage work was to have it come from other directions…specifically from cultural prods of Nudie suits, coupled with folk and country nudges, and the inevitable respect for the music. Gram Parsons’ influence on the late sixties rise of something they called ‘country rock’ is easy to find but Dylan’s John Wesley Harding album from 1968, The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and Leon Russell’s alter-ego Hank Wilson opened the doors to a sound that swept the charts. We’ll hear some originals, covers, and a whole lot more in this week’s Deeper Roots. Hope y’all can join us.
Saturday, February 1, @9am on KOWS
Time
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future…and it’s tickin’ tickin’ tickin’, too. Steve Miller certainly summed it up and our theme this week is all about the passing of time, events that take place in time, biding our time, and recalling a time. We’ll be making a swing through a number of genres and performers including Little Joe, Booker T., Bobby Bare, Evie Sands, Tom Waits and Harry James. But there’s plenty more including classic country, mid-to-late century rock n’ roll, folkie business, and the sweet torch songs that take us back. We’ve chosen to forego the Christmas celebrations because, for the most part, we can hear it elsewhere and the season is a short one with some desperation on the doorstep. Tune in for a journey through the past century of America’s music on community radio for West Sonoma Country, streaming to all of planet Earth at the same time on kowsfm.com/listen. We’d love to have you.