Thursday, May 28, 2009


THURSDAY MORNING MIX
May 21, 2009
Scott Foley

First, my apologies for neglecting to post the playlist for this Episode until today.

Most importantly, I've stated my policy previously that I'll never play local music simply because it's local. That's not what my program is about. If something is local, and deserves to be called "the best of americana, alt.country and roots music," then I'll be doubly thrilled to play it.

Fortunately, today's episode featured a pair of excellent new releases that just happen to be from Colorado artists: Reed Foehl and Gregory Alan Isakov. Both Foehl's Once An Ocean and Isakov's This Empty Northern Hemisphere are very well-produced, mature efforts, sporting literate, original lyrics. Both feature great local music, but more importantly, it's just great music, period.

Finally, I spotlighted several artists and songs nominated for this year's Americana Music Awards, handed out in September in Nashville. I don't know if it says more about mainstream americana radio or me that a few of my year-end favorites for 2008 intersected here and there with the AMA's choices. I don't want to think I'm holding back on my dedication to obscurity ...


* Sara Watkins, "Pony" Sara Watkins (Nonesuch, 09)
* Belleville Outfit, "Two Days Of Darkness" Time To Stand (self, 09)
* William Elliott Whitmore, "Let the Rain Come In" Animals In the Dark (Anti, 09)
* The Mystix, "Down To the Shore" Down To the Shore (self, 09)
* Buddy and Julie Miller, "Chalk" Written In Chalk (New West, 09)
* Reed Foehl, "All Its Stars" Once An Ocean (self, 09)
* Flatlanders, "Homeland Refugee" Hills and Valleys (New West, 09)
* Southern Culture On the Skids, "Rose Garden" Countrypolitan Favorites (Yep Roc, 07)
* Blue Rodeo, "Four Strong Winds" The Gift: Tribute To Ian Tyson (Stony Plain, 07)
* Ronnie Fauss, "The Last" New Songs For the Old Frontier, Vol 1 (FTG, 09)
* Spring Creek, "My Love Is Way Up On a Mountain" Way Up On a Mountain (Rebel, 09)
* Alejandro Escovedo, "Always a Friend" Real Animal (Back Porch, 08)
* Star Anna, "Burn" Only Thing That Matters (self, 09)
* Gregory Alan Isakov, "Virginia May" This Empty Northern Hemisphere (self, 09)
* Horse Feathers, "Hardwood Pews" Words Are Dead (Lucky Madison, 06)
* Steve Earle, "Mr Mudd & Mr Gold" Townes (New West, 09)
* Devil Makes Three, "For Good Again" Do Wrong Right (Milan, 09)
* Two Gallants, "Despite What You've Been Told" Two Gallants (Saddle Creek, 07)
* Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, "Rattlin' Bones" Rattlin' Bones (Sugar Hill, 08)
* Joe Ely, "Lift Your Leg" Man Of Somebody's Dreams: Tribute To Chris Gaffney (Yep Roc, 09)
* BettySoo, "Get Clean" Heat Sin Water Skin (self, 09)
* Todd Snider, "America's Favorite Pastime" Excitement Plan (Yep Roc, 09)
* Gourds, "Country Love" Haymaker (Yep Roc, 09)
* Elvis Costello, "I Felt the Chill" Secret Profane & Sugarcane (Hear, 09)
* Robert Earl Keen, "Broken End Of Love" What I Really Mean (Koch, 05)
* Sarah Borges, "No One Will Ever Love You" Stars Are Out (Sugar Hill, 09)
* Jim White, "Town Called Amen" Transnormal Skiperoo (Luaka Bop, 07)
* Chuck Mead, "Albuquerque" Journeyman's Wager (30 Tigers, 09)

Scott

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