Category Archives: Theme Time

Deeper Roots Goes To Mardi Gras

Deeper Roots Goes To Mardi Gras
Deeper Roots Goes To Mardi Gras

Fat Tuesday or, translated to French, Mardi Gras, comes but once a year and signals the penitential season of Lent. It also provides us with an outlet for the many things that we do as part of our celebration. One of them involves the backdrop of music. We’ll visit the sounds introduced by the Second Line of “Sugar Boy” Crawford, Fats Domino, and Stop, Inc. We’ll follow with The Meters, Bo Dollis and The Wild Magnolias, Louis Armstrong, and many others in a show that separates our locales by almost 2000 miles. Join Dave Stroud for the big beat coming from the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, and the Mississippi waterfront in our newest episode, another produced exclusively for KWTF, 88.1 FM, member-supported community radio for Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, California.

The Railroad Blues

Railroad Blues
Railroad Blues

The railroad is the muse for the morning here in Occidental as the show uses the theme of the railroad: the stories of those who built it, the promise of the golden sunrise that awaits at our destination, the sorrow of a love taken away by rail, and the lonesome whistle from some far away valley. As an aside, did you know that Occidental itself was once a bustling community where the train would haul off the timber and bring tourists from San Francisco and cities beyond?

Join us for the sacred and the secular, including Peter Rowan, ELVIS PRESLEY, Kevin Russell, Paul Warmack & His Gully Jumpers, Furry Lewis, and many others as we explore the genres of bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country, and so much more.
#rootsmusic #railroad #Americana

Songs About Texas

Songs About Texas
Songs About Texas

It’s theme time once more on Deeper Roots Radio: A Century of America’s Music. Join Dave Stroud as he digs up some classic songs about the Lone Star State.

We defer now to John Steinbeck: “I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it and, as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings in mystery or paradox. But I think there will be little quarrel with my feeling that Texas is one thing. For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study and the passionate possession of all Texans.”

It’s  country, bluegrass, blues, R&B, jazz, and more from the past century of America’s music.

Halloween Theme

Halloween Special
Halloween Special

Okay…what the heck and why not? Deeper Roots goes holiday flavor with songs of spiders, witches, graveyards, and that voodoo that we do. Tune in for musical selections from the vaults of the last century of America’s music, including pieces that celebrate the genres of jazz, country, blues, and rock. We’ll also cover some excerpts from some of the more famous ‘Halloween’ screen themes. Performers include Spike Jones, Fats Waller, Luis Russell, and (of course) Leon Russell’s backup piano with the Crypt-Kickers on Monster Mash.

 

Night Theme

Night Theme
Night Theme

We have a fresh new episode produced exclusively for KWTF, community radio for Sonoma County. In this week’s two hour journey hosted by Dave Stroud, he takes a ‘theme time-out’ to explore a topic with music from the past century. The theme this week is “Night”…of course. Join Dave as he explores some midnight weeping blues with Barbecue Bob, a celebration of the night time being the right time with Nappy Brown, travels to Memphis in the night from Roy Acuff and Jerry Lee Lewis, some blues in the night with Jimmie Lunceford’s Orchestra, and nights wasted with Freddy Fender…and that’s only a sampling. Join us  as we explore the night…our muse that carries us into the morning hours.

Play Me That Song

Play Me That Song
Play Me That Song

Take a guided tour exploring the last century of America’s music on Deeper Roots as we play with the theme of jukeboxes, DJs, turntables, house parties, record shops, Victrolas, and transistor radios…celebrating music with music. We’ll hear a diverse set of songs by artists including a later Roy Orbison piece, three from Merle Haggard, party music with Sam Cooke, Margie Singleton singing about old records, a pair of pieces from Fats Waller, and a host of others.

Money Theme

Money Theme
Money Theme

It’s ‘theme time’ in this episode of Deeper Roots. We’ll listen to performances that explore that not-so-curious passion for money, the anxiety and fear of not having enough, and stories of a time when was hard to come upon. We’ll hear what would be paid for a song or keeping quiet; fantasies of what it might be like to in a position of wealth and nightmares of when the money’s all gone. Mostly, however, we’ll hear stories about what would be paid in exchange for a man’s time, or maybe a man’s soul. Join Dave Stroud for another journey through a century of America’s music where he’ll include among the performers Buddy Guy, Lefty Frizzell, The Blue Sky Boys, Gillian Welch, Chuck Berry, and Howlin’ Wolf.

Fourth of July Special

Fourth of July
Fourth of July

Join Dave Stroud tomorrow night for some Fourth of July Americana from the last century of America’s music. He’s been digging into those dusty digital archives for songs celebrating America. It’s the Fourth of July and all of the fireworks, flags, bunting, barbecues, and patriotic celebrations can be traced back as well to a century of America’s music. We’ve got broadway and silver screen classics, country music new and old, songs with tongue-in-cheek flag-waving wit, and a number of ballads that celebrate the good in all of us…we’ll also reflect on a little bit of the bad. Our playlist Friday night includes The Piper’s Gap Ramblers, Dave Alvin, James Brown, Morton Gould doing Sousa, Randy Newman, and many more in an eclectic blend of patriotic pandering and tongue-in-cheek rambling.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Woody GuthrieThis Land Is Your Land (Alternate Version)Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial CollectionAmazon
2Bill Chitwood & His Georgia MountaineersFourth Of July At The Country Fair (1927)Work Hard, Play Hard, Pray Hard: Hard Time, Good Time, And End Time Music, 1923-1936Amazon
3Pipers Gap RamblersYankee DoodleSerenade The Mountains: Early Old Time Music On Record, [Disc 1]Amazon
4Bob Wills & His Texas PlayboysStars And Stripes On Iwo JimaSwinging Hollywood Hillbilly CowboysAmazon
5The Nitty Gritty Dirt BandStars And Stripes ForeverStars And Stripes ForeverAmazon
6John PrineYour Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven AnymoreIn Person & On StageAmazon
7Phil OchsPower and the GloryThere But for FortuneAmazon
8Bob DylanChimes Of FreedomAnother Side Of Bob DylanAmazon
9Cisco HoustonRoll On ColumbiaBest Of The Vanguard YearsAmazon
10Randy NewmanSail AwaySail AwayAmazon
11Randy NewmanMy CountryBad LoveAmazon
12Robert Earl KeenForth Of JulyPicnicAmazon
13Steve EarleDear Old FlagDivided & United: The Songs of the Civil WarAmazon
14Dave AlvinFourth of JulyRomeo's EscapeAmazon
15Neil YoungAmerica The BeautifulLiving With WarAmazon
16The Abyssinian Baptist Church Sanctuary ChoirBattle Hymn Of The RepublicThe Civil WarAmazon
17Rosanne Cash500 MilesThe ListAmazon
18Morton Gould: Morton Gould OrchestraSousa: Fourth Of JulyBrass & PercussionAmazon
19London Symphony Orch./CoplandCopland: Fanfare for the Common ManColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
20Kate SmithGod Bless AmericaAmerican Songbook Series: Irving BerlinAmazon
21James CagneyYankee Doodle BoyWarner Brothers 75 Years of Film Music (2)Amazon
22The Delta Rhythm BoysPraise The Lord And Pass The AmmunitionThe Best Of 1940-50Amazon
23The Merry MacsPraise The Lord And Pass The AmmunitionThe Groups Sing [Disc 2]Amazon
24Willie NelsonAmerican TuneAcross The BorderlineAmazon
25John MellencampSmall TownScarecrowAmazon
26Bobby BareGod Bless America AgainThe Essential Bobby BareAmazon
27Ray CharlesAmerica the BeautifulGenius – The Ultimate Ray Charles CollectionAmazon
28James BrownLiving In AmericaRocky Balboa: The Best of RockyAmazon

The 99 Percent Blues

99 Percent Blues
99 Percent Blues

On Deeper Roots …”The 99 Percent Blues”, featuring music reflecting on the Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, and the recent financial crisis…songs and stories of the working class. We take a trip back to the twenties and share with you the sounds of Vernon Delhart, Joe Stone, Harry McClintock, and others…and we’ll share the more contemporary songs of Ry Cooder, Randy Newman, and Uncle Tupelo.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Uncle Dave MaconAll In Down And Out Blues [2003 Remastered]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
2Joe StoneIt's Hard TimePoor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
3Vernon DalhartThe Farm Relief SongPoor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
4Charlie McFaddenTimes Are So TightBankers Blues – A Study in the Effects of Fiscal MischeifAmazon
5Snooks and the Memphis Ramblers,Julia Gerity and Her BoysSittin' on a Rubbish Can [Remastered 2003]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
6Ry CooderNo Banker Left BehindPull Up Some Dust And Sit DownAmazon
7Little VillageDo You Want My JobLittle VillageAmazon
8The Reverend J.M. GatesPresident Roosevelt Is Everybody's Friend [Remastered 2003]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
9Randy NewmanMr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)Good Old Boys [Expanded] Disc 1Amazon
10The WeaversBrother Can You Spare a DimeThe Weavers AlmanacAmazon
11Cisco HoustonDo Re MiBest Of The Vanguard YearsAmazon
12Woody GuthrieDusty Old Dust (So Long It's Been Good to Know Yuh) [Remastered 2003]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
13Mac "Harry" McClintockHallelujah, I'm a Bum [Remastered 2003]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
14Fiddlin' John CarsonTaxes On The Farmer Feeds Them All [Remastered 2003]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
15Ry CooderTaxes On The Farmer Feeds Us AllInto The Purple ValleyAmazon
16Hank PennyTaxes TaxesBob Dylan: Radio Radio – Theme Time Radio Hour, Vol. 5 [Disc 4]Amazon
17Ralph WillisIncome Tax BluesBankers Blues – A Study in the Effects of Fiscal MischeifAmazon
18Fenton RobinsonSomebody Loan Me A DimeLiving The Blues: The 70's Blues ClassicsAmazon
19Bob MillerThe Rich Man And The Poor Man [Rematered 2003]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
20Roy Bargy;RamonaRaising the Rent [Remastered 2003]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
21Bing CrosbyBrother Can You Spare A Dime?Columbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
22William (Bill) MooreRagtime Millionaire1927-30-Ragtime Blues GuitarAmazon
23Lead BellyThe Bourgeois BluesBest Of LeadbellyAmazon
24Ry CooderThe Bourgeois BluesChicken Skin MusicAmazon
25Uncle TupeloNo DepressionNo DepressionAmazon
26Sheryl CrowNo Depression In HeavenThe Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage Of The Carter FamilyAmazon
27The Carter FamilyNo Depression In HeavenHarry Smith's Anthology Of American Folk Music, Volume FourAmazon
28David McCarnPoor Man, Rich Man (Cotton Mill Colic No. 2)Gastonia Gallop – Cotton Mill Songs & Hillbilly Blues 1927-1931Amazon
29Cedar Creek SheikJimmy Shut His Store Doors [Remastered 2003]Poor Man's Heaven – Blues And Tales Of The Great Depression – When The Sun Goes Down SeriesAmazon
30Woody GuthrieThe Jolly Banker (Woody Guthrie)Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection [Disc 2]Amazon
31Bo CarterTimes Is Tight Like ThatBankers Blues – A Study in the Effects of Fiscal MischeifAmazon
32Woody GuthriePastures of PlentyDust Bowl BluesAmazon

The Devil Ain’t Lazy

The Devil Ain't Lazy
The Devil Ain’t Lazy

“The Devil Ain’t Lazy” is a song by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and it is also the title of this week’s Deeper Roots show. In our weekly ramble through the last century of America’s music this Friday night at 9, we explore how that malevolent spirit known as the devil has been a foil and muse in song.  We start it off with the Almanac Singers and the Irving Berlin piece from pre-war, “Get Thee Behind Me Satan”,  move into a  1928 musical sermon called “Warming By the Devil’s Fire”, and find ourselves in country bible land with the Louvins, Hank Williams, and Marty Stuart. In between we’ve got lots of jazz, gospel, blues, and some modern revelations about our culture’s call and response with Lucifer himself.