ROUTES & BRANCHES

September 22, 2012

Scott Foley

Well look at that!  Loyal R&B listeners blew past our assigned show goals for KRFC's 2012 Fall Membership Drive.  Plus, I had a good time in the studio with Tarnation!'s Andy and Wednesday Mix's Thoughtful John.  Alas, on Sat 9/30 Episode we'll be back to two full hours of the best of americana, alt.country and roots music, which is what we're all here for, after all. 

This week, we focused on a handful of winners of the 2012 Americana Honors and Awards, held recently at Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium.  As awards shows go, this one has managed to come closest to getting it right, recognizing artists worthy of our attention while appealing to a wider swath of the Great Unwashed.  The show drew to a rousing close with a remarkable version of "The Weight" in tribute to Levon Helm (tho the song was actually written by Robbie Robertson), featuring Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson, Emmylou Harris and a show-stealing verse by Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard.  As of this moment, you can still stream the entire ceremony online here. 

One of the many onstage performers of the evening was the Australian husband-wife duo of Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, whose second album of collaborations, Wreck & Ruin, comes out late October.  Their first album together, Rattlin' Bones, landed on my favorite albums list for 2008.  Their new album showcases Kasey and Shane's seamless harmonies on originals that live in the territory between country, bluegrass and americana.  While Chambers' talent has long been recognized in the U.S., Nicholson's immense talent as a writer and singer remains unappreciated.  His own 2008 solo album, Familiar Ghosts, is a fine place to start. 

*  Dave Alvin, "Johnny Ace is Dead (live)"  Eleven Eleven (expanded)  (Yep Roc, 12)
*  Jason Isbell, "Alabama Pines"  Here We Rest  (Lightning Rod, 11)
*  Johnny Hickman, "Another Road"  Tilting  (Self, 12)
*  Avett Brothers, "Geraldine"  Carpenter  (American, 12)
*  Arliss Nancy, "Saint Forget"  Simple Machines  (Suburban Home, 12)
^  Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, "Wreck & Ruin"  Wreck & Ruin  (Essense, 12)  D
*  Dave Rawlings Machine, "Ruby"  Friend of a Friend  (Acony, 09)
*  Carolyn Mark, "Flaming Star"  Queen of Vancouver Island  (Mint, 12)  D
*  Guy Forsyth, "Things That Matter"  Freedom To Fail  (Blue Corn, 12)
*  Bow Thayer, "New Deal"  Hindsight  (Tweed River, 12)  D
*  Alabama Shakes, "I Ain't the Same"  Boys & Girls  (ATO, 12)
*  Drag the River, "Ride Me Down Easy (live)"  Live at the Starlight  (Self, 02)
*  Bobby Bare, "Finger On the Button"  Bare  (Columbia, 78)
*  Emmylou Harris, "Cosmonaut"  Lawless  (Sony, 12)  D
*  Trampled By Turtles, "Open All Night" Long Distance Salvation  (Project Bread, 12)  D
*  Chris McGarry, "900 Miles"  Bare Bright Halos  (Self, 12)
*  Legendary Shack Shakers, "Hoboes Are My Heroes"  Agri-Dustrial  (Thirty Tigers, 10)
*  Somebody's Darling, "Back to the Bottle"  Jank City Shakedown  (Self, 12)
*  Lyle Lovett, "Anyhow I Love You"  This One's For Him  (Icehouse, 11)
*  Iris Dement, "If That Ain't Love"  Sing the Delta  (Flariella, 12)
*  Dwight Yoakam, "Dim Lights Thick Smoke Loud Music"  3 Pears  (Warner, 12)