Category Archives: Featured Music

Summer of Broken Hearts

The debate is over; what’s say we have ourselves another. There’s certainly no debating democracy at work. Today’s Deeper Roots show will find us circulating through the connective tissue of song: themes that connect with one another. A little bit of eclectic free form fused with all the delightful sounds of country, pop, rock and tradition. Our guiding light will be the truth and the American way. Yes, there’s always bubble gum, apple pie, and Sunday church but then we also have the bats**t crazies who will blame all the good, the bad and the ugly on those who don’t resemble themselves or their own views. So take a break with us on this summer of broken hearts and we’ll share country from Don Gibson to Rosanne Cash, rock and roll from The Stray Cats to Fats Domino, and a little bit of sass and blues from Etta James and Charles Brown. Summer’s almost over and election day is fast approaching. So make sure you vote. 

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Sarah VaughanBroken Hearted MelodyUltimate Sarah Vaughan (Selected by Dee Dee Bridgewater)Amazon
2Chris IsaakLonely With A Broken HeartSan Francisco DaysAmazon
3k.d. lang & the ReclinesTrail of Broken HeartsAbsolute Torch and TwangAmazon
4Rosanne CashThe Way We Make A Broken Heart [Album Version]King's Record ShopAmazon
5Al GreenHow Can You Mend A Broken HeartThe Virgin SuicidesAmazon
6Don WilliamsSome Broken Hearts Will Never MendThe Definitive CollectionAmazon
7Don GibsonI Can Mend Your Broken HeartThe Complete Recordings 1952-1962Amazon
8Charles Brown & Johnny Moore's Three BlazersMy Heart Is MendedSunny RoadAmazon
9Gram ParsonsHearts On FireG.P. / Grievous AngelAmazon
10Kelly DaltonI'm On FireHome – EPAmazon
11Nikki LaneLove's On FireAll or Nothin' (Deluxe)Amazon
12Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll BoysSettin' The Woods On FireBack At The Quonset HutAmazon
13Fats DominoI Don't Want to Set the World on FireThis Is Gold Disc 2Amazon
14Leon RedboneSettin' By The FireWhistling In The WindAmazon
15Etta JamesLet's Burn Down The CornfieldEnduring SoulAmazon
16Etta JamesJump Into My FireSeven Year ItchAmazon
17The Brothers FourGreenfieldsBest Of The Folk EraAmazon
18Peter WolfThe Green Fields Of Summer [with Neko Case]Midnight SouvenirsAmazon
19Nanci GriffithFields Of SummerLate Night Grande HotelAmazon
20Stray CatsLonely Summer NightsRunaway Boys: A Retrospective '81-'92Amazon
21The Four PrepsLazy Summer NightDancin' & Romancin' In The '50s And 60s [Disc 3]Amazon
22Olivia Newton-John & John TravoltaSummer NightsGreaseAmazon
23Steve ForbertSteve Forbert's Midsummer Night's ToastThe Best of Steve Forbert: What Kinda Guy?Amazon
24The Beach BoysYour Summer DreamSurfer GirlAmazon
25Link Wray & The WraymenSummer DreamDestination Beach: 30 Tunes For Dancing In The SandAmazon
26Rodney CrowellVoila, An American DreamCollectionAmazon
27Hayes CarllAmerican DreamWhat It IsAmazon
28Elvis PresleyAn American TrilogyFifty Years Of HitsAmazon
29Willie NelsonBy the Rivers of BabylonGospel FavoritesAmazon

Ride Away

It’s a mellow, laid back collection of sounds from the past century for you this morning. The “ember” months have arrived and we’re winding our way through the last sunsets of summer. So lay down your burdens and join us on another Deeper Roots Friday morning as we share some sweet sounds from near and far, all anchored in an American landscape of dreams and waning nights of warmth. And warmth is what we’ll focus on…from JJ Cale and Leon Russell to Leo Reisman’s Orchestra, Sam Cooke, Randy Newman and Levon Helm. All of this and more, as they say, as we approach the final two months of election promises. I’m hoping that everyone’s placed a high value on truth and goodness because the hate, the lies, the gutter talk all need to be evaporated at long last. Send the vermin back into their holes of hate and let’s get on with the business of making our lives better. Because it’s not politicians that can do that. It’s us.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1John PrineSpeed of the Sound of LonelinessGerman AfternoonsAmazon
2Roy OrbisonRide AwayClassic "MGM" Roy Orbison 1965 – 68Amazon
3Dire StraitsTicket To HeavenOn Every StreetAmazon
4Eddie LangBlue GuitarsJazz Guitar VirtuosoAmazon
5Bobby "Blue" BlandStormy Monday BluesLegends of Guitar – Electric Blues (Vol. 1)Amazon
6Ray Charles with Norah JonesHere We Go Again…Featuring Norah JonesAmazon
7Ray CharlesCrying TimeGenius – The Ultimate Ray Charles CollectionAmazon
8Levon Helm & The RCO All-StarsYou Got MeLevon Helm & The RCO All-StarsAmazon
9Leon RussellLady BlueRetrospectiveAmazon
10J.J. CaleMagnoliaThe Very Best of J.J. CaleAmazon
11Louis ArmstrongWhen It's Sleepy Time Down SouthThe Ultimate Collection [Disc 3]Amazon
12Hoagy CarmichaelLazy BonesHoagy Carmichael & Friends: Stardust MelodyAmazon
13Leo Reisman & His OrchestraLazy LullabySociety SwingAmazon
14Santo & JohnnyLazy DaySanto & Johnny: Collection [Disc 2]Amazon
15Charlie McCoyWalkin' After MidnightClassic CountryAmazon
16Randy NewmanBaltimoreThe Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 2Amazon
17Sam CookeBring It on Home to MeGreatest HitsAmazon
18Etta JamesI'd Rather Go BlindBlues Classics '27_'69 [Disc 3]Amazon
19The Arthur Lyman GroupYellow BirdMusic For a Bachelor's Den More Of The Best Of The Arthur Lyman Group: 6Amazon
20Willie NelsonBlue HawaiiHoneymoon in VegasAmazon
21Chet Atkins/Mark KnopflerTahitian SkiesNeck and NeckAmazon
22Jason WilberYour DestinyLazy AfternoonAmazon
23John Prine & Mac WisemanOld Cape CodStandard Songs for Average PeopleAmazon
24Bill FrisellPoem For EvaGood Dog, Happy ManAmazon
25Kevin RussellLay Down Your BurdenYou Don't Know MeAmazon
26Mississippi John HurtSince I've Laid My Burden DownImmortalAmazon
27Irma ThomasRiver Is WaitingSimply GrandAmazon
28Willie NelsonHouse Of GoldCountry MusicAmazon
29Calvin CookeSince I Laid My Burden DownThe Best Of Sacred SteelAmazon
30Emmylou HarrisMister SandmanProfile II: The Best Of Emmylou HarrisAmazon

Meeting Up Yonder

Some dynamite gospel this week that leans heavily on the influencers, but we won’t let that lock us in. We’ll be cutting a broad swath across the Americana landscape, with deeper gospel tracks from some of the greats like the Selah Jubilee Singers, the rollicking Reverend Robert Ballinger, The Bronzeman, and some other greats you may or may not know. But we’ll also share tracks from the next generation secular branding with just a taste of gospel in their music: Johnny Taylor, Edwin Hawkins, and Curtis Mayfield. We’ll also share a couple of Marty Stuart gospel tracks in another look at the deepest roots from the past century. So grab the headphones and get ready for a revival without beating you about the head with any false fundamentalism. All for our favorite listeners, beaming down from the ether on KOWS Community Radio.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives99-1/2 Won't Do [Live]The Gospel Music Of Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives [Live]Amazon
2Mighty Mo RodgersBlues Is My Wailin' WallLovely Jazz Gospel & BluesAmazon
3R.H. Harris & His Gospel ParadersWait On JesusSam Cooke's SAR Records Story: 1959 – 1965 [Disc 1]Amazon
4Johnnie Taylor/The Soul StirrersWalk With Me20 Gospel GreatsAmazon
5The ImpressionsMeeting Over YonderGospelAmazon
6Johnnie TaylorSoul HeavenLifetime: A Retrospective Of Soul, Blues & Gospel 1956- 1999 [Disc 3]Amazon
7Gospel HummingbirdsDon't Move the MountainBlind Pig Records 20th Aniversary Collection [disk 1]Amazon
8The Staple SingersHammer and NailsHammer and NailsAmazon
9The Staple SingersNew-Born SoulHammer and NailsAmazon
10SkylarksMy Life Is In His HandsI Heard The Angels Singing : Electrifying Black Gospel From the Nashboro Label 1951-1983 [Disc 3]Amazon
11Sammy Price Trio/Sister Rosetta TharpeSinging in My SoulThe Gospel of BluesAmazon
12Sister Rosetta TharpeGod's Mighty HandSister Rosetta Tharpe and the Spirit of Gospel, Vol. 2Amazon
13Mahalia JacksonI Will Move On Up A Little HigherFolk Blues & Gospel: Will the Circle Be UnbrokenAmazon
14The Abyssinian Baptist Gospel ChoirI Want To Ride That Glory TrainShakin' The RaftersAmazon
15The Edwin Hawkins SingersJesus, Lover Of My SoulOh Happy Day: The Best Of The Edwin Hawkins SingersAmazon
16Pastor T.L. Barrett & The Youth For Christ ChoirJesus, Lover Of My SoulDo Not Pass Me By Vol. IIAmazon
17Reverend Robert BallingerSo Glad1950s Gospel ClassicsAmazon
18Reverend Robert BallingerWalking The Road1950s Gospel ClassicsAmazon
19Spirit Of MemphisAtomic TelephoneTalking On The Telephone Vol.1 – Blues, R&B And GospelAmazon
20Selah Jubilee SingersRoyal TelephoneTalking On The Telephone Vol.1 – Blues, R&B And GospelAmazon
21The Golden NuggetsGospel TrainOxford American Music Issue #13-MississippiAmazon
22Samuel PattersonThis TrainAmericana Roots Songbook: GospelAmazon
23The BronzemenDe Gospel TrainThe Bronzemen – Radio Transcriptions (1939)Amazon
24Ernest Carter And The Hymn TrioThe Gospel TrainHillbillies In Hell – Country Music's Tormented Testament (1952-1974) The RaptureAmazon
25Soul StirrersLast Mile Of The WayGospel MusicAmazon
26Elizabeth King & The Gospel SoulsLiving in the Last DaysLiving in the Last DaysAmazon
27Marty Stuart & His Fabulous SuperlativesJust A Little Talk With Jesus [Live]The Gospel Music Of Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives [Live]Amazon
28R.H. Harris & His Gospel ParadersWait On JesusSam Cooke's SAR Records Story: 1959 – 1965 [Disc 1]Amazon
29Clefs of HarmonyBaptizedThis May Be My Last Time Singing: Raw African-American Gospel on 45RPM, 1957-1982Amazon
30Sister O.M. TerrellI'm Going To That CityPreachin' The Gospel – Holy BluesAmazon
31Professor Johnson & His Gospel SingersWhere Shall I Be1950s Gospel ClassicsAmazon

Little Bit O’ Bad

A little bit of good, a little bit of bad, and a whole lot of Americana classics. This morning’s Deeper Roots show runs the gamut from boogie Woogie to country ballads, classic rock, soul, blues, gospel and everything but the kitchen sink. Dave Stroud will be featuring songs that celebrate the band of gold, bad boys, bad girls, schooldays nostalgia, and the silly notion that black cats are no more than a warning when, in fact, they are a sign from on high of the very best being yet to come. Tune in for the likes of Stephen Stills, Johnny Cash, Cleo Brown, NRBQ and…yes, Billie Eilish as we celebrate America’s roots from then until now where no ocean is wider nor mountain is high. Celebrate a free form extravaganza with us as we push our way through August, well past the dog days and into the breezy, cool nights of summer’s waning. All for you and the neighborhood on KOWS Community Radio.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1NRBQA Little Bit Of BadMessage For The Mess AgeAmazon
2Maurice Williams & The ZodiacsStayStreet Corner Symphonies (Disc 2)Amazon
3Ronnie HawkinsMatchboxDuane Allman: An Anthology, Vol. 2 [Disc 1]Amazon
4The Hunt SistersElvis Is Rocking AgainDirty Boogie:The Fortune Records StoryAmazon
5Elvis PresleyDirty Dirty FeelingElvis Is Back!Amazon
6Cleo BrownBoogie WoogiePicking the Blues – Compiled By John Mayall – Boogie Woogie PioneersAmazon
7Big Joe TurnerBoogie Woogie Country GirlBig, Bad & Blue: Anthology [Disc 3]Amazon
8Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail LewisBoogie Woogie Country GalWild! Wild! Wild!Amazon
9The DriftersLet The Boogie Woogie RollThe Definitive Drifters [Disc 1]Amazon
10Robert PlantLet The Boogie Woogie RollMore FriendsAmazon
11Ella Mae Morse & Her Boogie Woogie SevenDown The Road ApieceCapitol Records' From The Vaults, Volume 5 – Roots Of Rock 'N' Roll – 1944-53Amazon
12Billie EilishBad GuyWhen We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?Amazon
13Robert GordonBad BoyBad BoyAmazon
14The Jive BombersBad BoyCry-BabyAmazon
15Slim Rhodes BandBad GirlSun Ballads 1953-62Amazon
16The MiraclesBad GirlThe 35th Anniversary CollectionAmazon
17Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kin…Mama Don't Like My ManI Learned the Hard Way (Bonus Version)Amazon
18Johnny CashI Will Rock And Roll With YouThe Legend: Old Favorites And New [Disc 2]Amazon
19Willie NelsonBring Me Sunshine ("Naked" Version)Naked WillieAmazon
20Roy OrbisonDream BabyThe Monument Singles: A-Sides (1960 – 1964) [Disc 1]Amazon
21Roy OrbisonShe Wears My RingCryingAmazon
22Greg BrownBand of GoldDown in ThereAmazon
23Don CherryBand Of GoldRockin' & Rollin' Wedding Songs, Vol. 1Amazon
24Elvis PresleyWear My Ring Around Your Neck50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong: Elvis' Gold Records – Volume 2Amazon
25Rev. Emmett DickinsonA Black Cat Has Crossed Your PathApple Bobbing Mix Vol. 2Amazon
26Johnny WinterBlack Cat BoneThe Progressive Blues ExperimentAmazon
27Memphis MinnieBlack Cat Blues – Take 1Queen Of Country Blues [Disc 5] (1936-1937)Amazon
28Johnny CashMean Eyed CatThe Man In Black 1954-1958 [Disc 1]Amazon
29Johnny CashRing Of FireCountry Music: A Film By Ken Burns – The Soundtrack [Disc 1]Amazon
30Roy OrbisonRock HouseThree Classic Albums+Singles and Sessions 1956-1962 [Disc 1]Amazon
31PixiesHavalinaBossanovaAmazon
32BR5-49I'm Going DownDog DaysAmazon
33Stephen StillsAcadienneMan Alive!Amazon
34Louis JordanBoogie Woogie Blue PlateNumber OnesAmazon
35Marty WildeBad BoyThe Epic Story 1960Amazon

Country Swing Pioneers

Join Dave Stroud for two hours of the very best of country swing music on Deeper Roots Radio: A Century of America’s Music. He’ll excavate the archives for a show from over eight years ago, reminding us that the west had been long-settled when a new sound exploded. It blasted its way out of the dance halls and barn-dance venues of the Midwest with an upbeat blend of jazz, hillbilly, and down-home blues. The arrangements blended strings, guitar, fiddle and bass, with the rhythmic sounds of urban jazz to reveal something catchy and danceable…and marketable. Before the beat was modernized into the mass market country blandness that paralleled mainstream pop, there were the pioneers including Milton Brown, Bob Wills, Adolph Hofner, Spade Cooley, Light Crust Doughboys, and a host of others. Drop in and celebrate this classic fusion of America’s best

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Tex Williams & His Western CaravanArtistry In Western SwingCountry Hits Vol. 8Amazon
2W. Lee & His Light Crust DoughboysWhen They Baptized Sister Lucy LeeWestern Swing Chronicles Vol. 4 1933-1938Amazon
3Prairie RamblersDeep Elem BluesWhite Country Blues (1926-1938)Amazon
4Prairie RamblersDeep Elem BluesWhite Country Blues (1926-1938)Amazon
5Patsy Montana & the Prairie RamblersI Wanna Be a Cowboy's SweetheartColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
6Milton Brown & His Musical BrowniesIn El Rio GrandeDaddy of Western Swing, Vol.1 : Brownies StompAmazon
7Milton Brown & His Musical BrowniesEasy Ridin' PapaDaddy of Western Swing, Vol. 3 : Easy Ridin' PapaAmazon
8Bill Boyd & His Cowboy RamblersBarn Dance RagThe Western Swing: Doughboys, Playboys, & Cowboys – The Eyes of Texas [Disc 1]Amazon
9Bill Boyd's Cowboy RamblersI Want to Go BackThe Golden Age Of Bill Boyd's Cowboy RamblersAmazon
10Cliff Bruner's Texas WanderersBring It On Home To GrandmaTheme Time Radio Hour – Season 3 – [Disc 1]Amazon
11Hank PennyOh Yes? Take Another GuessKing Of Hillbilly Bebop [Disc 1]Amazon
12Hank PennySweet Talkin' MamaKing Of Hillbilly Bebop [Disc 1]Amazon
13Bob Wills & His Texas PlayboysTwin Guitar SpecialWestern Swing: Hot Hillbilly Jazz & Blues – 1935-1947Amazon
14Bob Wills & His Texas PlayboysStay A Little LongerTake Me Back to Tulsa 3 – Just A Plain Old Country BoyAmazon
15Bob Wills & His Texas PlayboysTake Me Back To TulsaTiffany Transcriptions& Vol. 2Amazon
16Tex WilliamsWon't You Ride In My Little Red Wagon?Vintage CollectionsAmazon
17Leon McAuliffeMr. Steel GuitarTulsa Straight AheadAmazon
18Leon McAuliffeRag MopTulsa Straight AheadAmazon
19Johnny Lee WillsRag MopThe History Of Country & Western Music – Vol. 16Amazon
20Tommy DuncanStars Over San AntoneBeneath a Neon Star in a Honky TonkAmazon
21Tommy DuncanTake Me Back to TulsaTexas MoonAmazon
22Merle HaggardRoly PolyTribute To The Best Damn Fiddle PlayerAmazon
23Adolph HofnerAlamo RagThe History Of Country & Western Music – Vol. 8Amazon
24Adolph HofnerAlamo RagThe History Of Country & Western Music – Vol. 8Amazon
25Ted Daffan's TexansBecauseStompin' Singers & Western Swingers ([Disc 2] Tulsa Twist)Amazon
26Ted Daffan's TexansDown Hi Lo WayKings Of Western Swing, Vol. 2Amazon
27Moon MullicanCherokee BoogieMoon Mullican Sings His All-Time HitsAmazon
28Moon MullicanI'll Sail My Ship AloneThe Very Best OfAmazon
29Spade Cooley & His OrchestraShame On You (Tex Williams & Smokey Rogers)Hillbilly Fever: Vol. 4 – Heroes Of Country Music – Vol. 4: Legends Of The West CoastAmazon
30Spade CooleyTroubled Over YouSpadella! The Essential Spade CooleyAmazon
31Spade CooleyYou Can't Break My HeartSpadella! The Essential Spade CooleyAmazon
32Smokey RogersI Can't Help The Way You FeelSwinging Hollywood Hillbilly CowboysAmazon
33Tex WilliamsLet's Live A Little (Radio)Cowboy Crooners Sing Songs Of The West Cd 1Amazon
34Cliffie Stone & His Orchestra with Judy HaydenHe's A Real Gone OakieCapitol Records' From The Vaults, Volume 5 – Roots Of Rock 'N' Roll – 1944-53Amazon

Bluegrass, Newgrass

We’re taking a trip up into hill country to celebrate a true Americana sound. From it’s simple roots rolling out of Appalachia, celebrating music and culture going back even further, bluegrass music evolved from many different corners with a combination of many styles, including old-time mountain music, square dance fiddling, blues, gospel, jazz, and popular music. You can count on high energy, fast tempos and a most distinctive sound. This week’s show has the syncopated rhythms moving along like a freight train, those nostalgic remembrances, and heel-kicking improvisations…not to mention those high lonesome vocals. We’ve got Blue Highway, Bill Monroe, Mac Wiseman, Earl Scruggs, The Rice Brothers and a couple dozen others in a Friday morning bluegrass extravaganza, sharing both classic and contemporary performers. If you’re close by, tune into KOWS 92.5 FM or, better yet, stream us almost anywhere on planet Earth at kowsfm.com/listen.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Morris BrothersSalty Dog BluesLegends Of Bluegrass [Disc 3]Amazon
2Bill MonroeI'm Travelin' On and On1947-1949 (Warped 4988)Amazon
3Bill MonroeCrossing the CumberlandsBluegrass 1959-1969 [Disc 4]Amazon
4Jimmy MartinFootprints in the SnowFirst Time TogetherAmazon
5The DillardsDooleyThere Is A Time: 1963-70Amazon
6Rhonda VincentLonesome Wind BluesBluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping SongsAmazon
7The Gentlemen of BluegrassOld Old HouseCarolina MemoriesAmazon
8John HartfordSkippin' In The Mississippi DewGood'le Days: Essential RecordingsAmazon
9John HartfordTake Me Back To My Mississippi River HomeGood'le Days: Essential RecordingsAmazon
10Blue HighwayRiding the Danville PikeBluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping SongsAmazon
11The David Thom BandHome Is Where The Heart IsThat Old FamiliarAmazon
12The David Thom BandThe Little White ChurchThat Old FamiliarAmazon
13Alison Krauss & Union StationSo Long So WrongBluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping SongsAmazon
14Ricky SkaggsI Hope You've LearnedRicky SkaggsAmazon
15Ralph StanleyDad's Old Rocky FieldOld Songs & BalladsAmazon
16The Rice BrothersGrapes On the VineBluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping SongsAmazon
17Hazel DickensI Can't Find Your Love Any MoreO Sister! The Women's Bluegrass CollectionAmazon
18Del McCouryA Far CryCelebrating 50 Years of del McCoury (Disc 4)Amazon
19Doyle Lawson & QuicksilverAs Long As the World StandsThe Hard Game of LoveAmazon
20Earl Scruggs/Foggy Mountain Boys/Lester FlattRandy Lynn RagThe Essential Earl Scruggs (1 of 2)Amazon
21The Johnson Mountain BoysDuncan & BradyHills Of Home: 25 Years Of Folk Music On Rounder RecordsAmazon
22The Johnson Mountain BoysOrange Blossom SpecialTime-Life's Treasury Of Bluegrass [Disc 2]Amazon
23Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass BoysDusty MillerBill Monroe: AnthologyAmazon
24Mac WisemanI Wonder How The Old Folks AreTime-Life's Treasury Of Bluegrass [Disc 2]Amazon
25Steep Canyon RangersAs I GoNobody Knows YouAmazon
26Laurie LewisTall PinesBluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping SongsAmazon
27Jim LauderdaleOld Time AngelsOld Time AngelsAmazon
28Jim & JesseNine Pound HammerTime-Life's Treasury Of Bluegrass [Disc 1]Amazon
29The Seldom SceneMuddy WaterTime-Life's Treasury Of Bluegrass [Disc 1]Amazon
30Bobby Hicks & Del McCouryWe're Steppin' Out TonightBluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping SongsAmazon
31Lynn Morris BandThe Bramble and the RoseBluegrass Number 1's: A Collection of Chart-Topping SongsAmazon
32Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain BoysHit Parade of LoveJimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain BoysAmazon
33Emmylou Harris & The Nash RamblersGet Up JohnAt The Ryman [Live]Amazon

AKA Blind Boy Grunt

It’s a cover show. It’s a celebration. It’s a reconnaissance regarding a renaissance. To what do we owe this week’s offering? The answer is clearly the songs of Bob Dylan who, at one time recorded under the non de plume Blind Boy Grunt and we’ve got a track from the Broadside Ballads collection to prove it. But this week’s show will focus primarily on covers of Dylan tracks going back to Sam Cooke live at the Copa to an oddball cover by The Grass Roots. We’ll also share some fresh takes from Eric Clapton, Raul Malo, Audra Mae & The Forest Rangers, and a lovely cover of a rare but popular piece called Walkin’ Down The Line. We’re celebrating a multi-generational master of his dominion where his words and melodies honor the past and carve a well-defined path leading into the future of America’s songwriting craft. Tune into Community Radio for Sonoma County on another Friday morning…via the stream at kowsfm.com/listen.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Bob DylanCorrina, Corrina [Album Version]The Future Is UnwrittenAmazon
2Blind Boy Grunt (Bob Dylan)Ballad Of Donald WhiteSelections From The Best Of Broadside 1962-1988Amazon
3Eilen JewellWalking Down the LineLetters From Sinners & StrangersAmazon
4New Riders of the Purple SageFarewell AngelinaThe Best of New Riders of the Purple SageAmazon
5Sweethearts of the RodeoOne More NightBeautiful LiesAmazon
6Joan BaezThe Walls Of RedwingAny Day NowAmazon
7The HighwaymenOne Too Many MorningsLive – American OutlawsAmazon
8Johnny CashMama, You've Been On My Mind [Album Version]Orange Blossom SpecialAmazon
9Johnny CashWanted ManThe Mystery Of LifeAmazon
10Jessi ColterRainy Day Women #12 & 35 [Album Version]Out Of The AshesAmazon
11Sam CookeBlowin' In The WindSam Cooke At the CopaAmazon
12Nappy BrownTonight Ill Be Staying Here With YouTore UpAmazon
13Jerry Lee LewisRita MayA Half Century Of Hits: Rockin' My Life Away [Disc 3]Amazon
14The Grass RootsMr Jones (A Ballad of a Thin Man)Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970 Disc 1Amazon
15Eric ClaptonI Dreamed I Saw St. AugustineI Still DoAmazon
16Raul MaloYou're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You GoThe Nashville Acoustic SessionsAmazon
17Waylon JenningsDon't Think Twice, It's AlrightDylan CountryAmazon
18Shirley CaesarGotta Serve SomebodyMasked & AnonymousAmazon
19The Blind Boys of Alabama feat. Justin Vernon of Bon IverEvery Grain Of SandI'll Find A WayAmazon
20The Mighty Clouds Of JoySaved [Album Version]Gotta Serve Somebody – The Gospel Songs Of Bob DylanAmazon
21Audra Mae & The Forest RangersForever YoungSongs Of Anarchy: Music From Sons Of Anarchy Seasons 1-4Amazon
22Hazel DickensOnly a HoboIt's Hard to Tell the Singer From the SongAmazon
23Bob DylanTell Ol' Bill [Album Version]North Country – Music From The Motion PictureAmazon
24Karl ShiflettWalking Down The LineSho Nuff CountryAmazon
25The BandI Shall Be ReleasedYesterday's Gone [Disc 2]Amazon
26The ByrdsYou Ain't Going NowhereSweetheart of the RodeoAmazon

Americana Roundup

Looking back over the past fifty-or-so years, we find a large gathering assembled under a large, all-inclusive tent, called Americana. There’s hardly a definition that’s been assigned and it’s hardly what we’d term ‘a genre’. It is, rather, a mood of the music and a narrative of the storytelling defines it. Like the dozens of genres that line it’s walls, we’ve come to know what we’re listening to: blues, gospel, folk and tradition, jazz, and everything in between. This week we’ll be stepping into that tent to congregate and celebrate that ‘sound we know’ called Americana. The digital bins will take us only so far back, celebrating the music of Bob Dylan, Buddy Miller, Gillian Welch, Joe Ely, Old Crow Medicine Show and a couple dozen others. Just what’s needed and built on playlists worthy of the very best of the Americana Hours broadcast each morning here on KOWS Community Radio.

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Old Crow Medicine ShowWagon WheelO.C.M.S.Amazon
2Bob DylanHard TimesGood As I Been To YouAmazon
3Keb' Mo'I'm So Lonesome I Could CryTimeless: Hank Williams TributeAmazon
4Sheryl CrowNo Depression In HeavenThe Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage Of The Carter FamilyAmazon
5Rosanne CashMotherless ChildrenThe ListAmazon
6Ray Wylie HubbardTell The Devil I'm Gettin' There As Fast As I CanTell The Devil I'm Getting There As Fast As I CanAmazon
7Buddy Miller & Julie MillerForever Has Come To An EndBuddy & Julie MillerAmazon
8Lyle LovettIf I Had a BoatAnthology, Vol. 1: Cowboy ManAmazon
9Guy ClarkFort Worth BluesCold Dog SoupAmazon
10Lucinda WilliamsLake CharlesCar Wheels on a Gravel RoadAmazon
11The Texas TornadosThe Gardens4 AcesAmazon
12Buddy MillerThat's How I Got To MemphisYour Love And Other LiesAmazon
13The FlatlandersDallasMore a Legend Than a BandAmazon
14Joe ElyIf You Were A BluebirdJoe ElyAmazon
15Robert Plant & Alison KraussKilling The BluesRaising SandAmazon
16Alison Krauss & Union StationThe Lucky OneNew FavoriteAmazon
17Mark Knopfler & Emmylou HarrisAll The RoadrunningAll The RoadrunningAmazon
18Steve EarleCopperhead RoadCopperhead RoadAmazon
19Blaze FoleyClay PigeonsWanted More Dead Than AliveAmazon
20Justin Townes EarleHarlem River BluesHarlem River Blues [Explicit]Amazon
21Gillian WelchRed Clay HaloTime (The Revelator)Amazon
22Gillian WelchCaleb MeyerHell Among the YearlingsAmazon
23Van MorrisonTill I Gain Control AgainPay The DevilAmazon
24First Aid KitEmmylouThe Lion's Roar (Bonus Track Version)Amazon
25John HiattDrive SouthSlow TurningAmazon

Dirty Money

We’ve heard them all, the quotes about money being the root of all evil, you can’t take it with you, money can’t buy happiness…but there’s this one little thing that is seldom expanded on and that is the story of ‘dirty money’. There’s plenty of fodder in that area…from the banker CEO to the coal company CEO…there’s never an effort to help raise all boats, only the yachts. Capitalism is our theme. No, wait, is it bank robbing? No, most likely the working man trying to put bread on the table. Hold on, I know. It’s runaway inflation and the blame game. In any event, we’ll be all over the board in today’s show, bringing you music about money cravin’ folks from Blind Alfred Reed, working down on Maggie’s Farm and we’ll also have ourselves a hint of a fireside chat to make us feel better. We’ll also head down to coal country and Bonnie and Clyde, Woody Guthrie, and “Voila! An American Dream” from Rodney Crowell. Tune in. Should be fun.



No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1David RawlingsMoney Is the Meat in the CoconutPoor David's AlmanackAmazon
2The Andrews SistersMoney is The Root of All EvilGolden Age of the Andrews Sisters [Disc 2]Amazon
3Randy NewmanIt's Money That MattersLand of DreamsAmazon
4Rodney CrowellVoila, An American DreamCollectionAmazon
5Bob BrozmanFollow The MoneyPost-industrial BluesAmazon
6Eartha Kitt/Henri René & His OrchestraJust an Old Fashioned GirlPurr-Fect: Greatest HitsAmazon
7Dr. John(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite AwayThe Atco/Atlantic Singles 19681974Amazon
8Ry CooderNo Banker Left BehindPull Up Some Dust And Sit DownAmazon
9Woody GuthrieThe Jolly Banker (Woody Guthrie)Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection [Disc 2]Amazon
10Jake Xerxes FussellAll in Down and OutJake Xerxes FussellAmazon
11Roy ZimmermanJoel OsteenRize UpAmazon
12Bob DylanMaggie's FarmThe Essential Bob Dylan [Disc 1]Amazon
13Blind Alfred ReedMoney Cravin FolksComplete Recorded Works 1927-29Amazon
14Barbecue BobWe Sure Got Hard Times NowBankers Blues – A Study in the Effects of Fiscal MischeifAmazon
15Bo CarterTimes Is Tight Like ThatBankers Blues – A Study in the Effects of Fiscal MischeifAmazon
16Betty O' BrianMoney HoneyPoint Of No Return: The Liberty Records Story 1962Amazon
17The O'JaysFor The Love Of MoneyFunk ExplosionAmazon
18Solomon BurkeHoney Where's The Money GoneNashvilleAmazon
19John Lee HookerI Need Some MoneyThat's My Story ( Sings the Blues)Amazon
20SNCC Freedom Singers; Reagon, CordellWhich Side Are You On?Voices Of The Civil Rights Movement, [Disc 2] (Ensembles)Amazon
21Bruce SpringsteenThe Ghost of Tom JoadChapter & VerseAmazon
22Wray Family(Dark As A Dungeon Way) Down In The MineBirth / Work / Death – Work, Money And Status In Country Music (1950-1974)Amazon
23Band Of RuhksCoal Mining Man featuring Dr. Ralph StanleyBand Of RuhksAmazon
24Buddy DurhamSixteen TonsBirth / Work / Death – Work, Money And Status In Country Music (1950-1974)Amazon
25Justin Townes EarleDown In The ValleyCoal Country MusicAmazon
26Stan Farlow1040 BluesBirth / Work / Death – Work, Money And Status In Country Music (1950-1974)Amazon
27Rex AllenMoney, Marbles And ChalkThe Versatile Rex Allen [Disc 2]Amazon
28Merle Haggard And The StrangersThe Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde (2006 Digital Remaster)Hag: The Best of Merle HaggardAmazon
29Merle HaggardWorking Man BluesMerle Haggard Country Legend-Disc 1Amazon
30Ferlin Husky22 – Money Greases the WheelsFerlin Husky SinglesAmazon
31J.J. CaleMoney TalksThe Very Best of J.J. CaleAmazon
32Kronos QuartetWhich Side Are You OnLong Time Passing: Kronos Quartet and Friends Celebrate Pete SeegerAmazon

Tell Me a Story

Storytelling in song is not new. It’s mankind’s way of conveying, in both accuracy and reflection, the narrative from one perspective. Embellishments and hooks have long been the best way to make the story easy to digest and, if need be, to get a point (likely sociopolitical) across. We’ll be doing just that in this Friday’s episode: stories based in war, natural disasters, national tragedies and personal conflict. We’ll take a hundred year tour of storytelling from Bessie Smith to the Drive-by Truckers, from Memphis Minnie and The Tex-I-An Boys to Calexico, The Staple Singers and Marty Robbins. There are floods, murders, environmental catastrophes, bombings, and some wartime solemnity to be shared today. Tune into KOWS Community Radio every Friday morning for some fresh musical linens, curated by the outdoors and streaming to all of planet Earth on KOWSFM.COM/listen

No.ArtistTitleAlbumBuy
1Mac WisemanWreck Of The Old '97Sings Old Time Country FavoritesAmazon
2Jimmie DriftwoodThe Battle of New OrleansSix Classic Albums Plus Bonus SinglesAmazon
3Marty RobbinsBallad Of The AlamoMy Rifle, My Pony And MeAmazon
4Johnny HortonSink The BismarkClassic Country Great Story Songs [Disc 2]Amazon
5CalexicoVictor Jara's HandsCarried To DustAmazon
6Crosby, Stills, Nash & YoungOhioSo FarAmazon
7Joni MitchellWoodstockHitsAmazon
8Grateful DeadNew, New Minglewood BluesWhat a Long Strange Trip It's Been Disc 1Amazon
9Grateful DeadNew Speedway BoogieWhat a Long Strange Trip It's Been Disc 1Amazon
10Arlo Guthrie with The DillardsLudlow MassacreThirty Two Cents Postage DueAmazon
11Tom PettyJefferson Jericho BluesMojo (Extra Mojo Version)Amazon
12Randy NewmanBurn OnSail AwayAmazon
13Charlie HadenIs This America? (Katrina 2005)Charlie Haden Family & Friends – Rambling BoyAmazon
14Johnny CashFive Feet High And RisingSongs Of Our SoilAmazon
15Kansas Joe And Memphis MinnieWhen the Levee BreaksPeople Take Warning [Disc 2] Man Vs. NatureAmazon
16Sin-Killer GriffinWasn't That A Mighty StormField Recordings, Vol. 5: Louisiana, Texas, Bahamas (1933-1940)Amazon
17The Tex-I-An BoysWasn't That A Mighty Storm?Classic American Ballads From Smithsonian FolkwaysAmazon
18Bessie SmithBackwater BluesColumbia Records' 125th Anniv.Amazon
19Rory BlockTitanic (When That Great Ship Went Down)Confessions of A Blues SingerAmazon
20Chill Pill DancersZoot Suit RiotSwing: Next GenerationAmazon
21Mimi & Richard FariqaBirmingham SundayTroubadours: Folk And The Roots Of American Music 4: 10 The West CoastAmazon
22Archie SheppBlues for Brother George JacksonVerve Unmixed, Vol. 2Amazon
23Drive-By TruckersWhat It MeansAmerican BandAmazon
24Will And JehneanTrail of TearsSong of AmericaAmazon
25Don McLeanAmerican PieSongs For The Open Road [Platinum Legends]Amazon