ROUTES & BRANCHES  
ho, ho, ho
December 19, 2015
Scott Foley

If I were in charge of the calendar, Christmas Eve would always fall on a Saturday, and I could do my annual all holiday Episode as the dark fell and the quiet settled on the snowy streets.  This year, my broadcast falls nearly a week before the holiday itself, so that sense of reverent hush doesn't quite take.  Leaving the station, it's still snowy, but it's just another late late fall evening.  The spell cast by good Christmas music doesn't work as well, no matter how much time I've spent scouring the web for new stuff (Mastersons, Southern Culture On the Skids) and less new stuff (Bill Kirchen, BR5-49) that I haven't shared with you on previous shows.  That said, it's always a challenge and a pleasure to assemble these shows, and even more of a treat to return back to playing plain old good music once the holidays have passed.  I'll have one more chance to get it right this coming Wednesday from 8-10am as I host a Mix-mas a little closer to the 25th.  Please join me as I stream festively online at krfcfm.org. 

If I could know within my heart
That you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter night with you


* Two Tons of Steel, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Tangled In Tinsel  (Two Tons, 09)
* Felice Brothers, "Breaking Up Christmas" Felice Navidad  (Felice, 15)
* Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, "Children Go Where I Send Thee" Quality Holiday Revue Live  (Yep Roc, 15)
^ Gretchen Peters, "Song For a Winter's Night" Northern Lights  (Scarlet Letter, 08)
* Blue Rodeo, "Christmas Must Be Tonight" A Merrie Christmas To You  (Warner, 14)
* Kerry Pastine & the Crime Scene, "Ride Santa Ride" It's a Crime Scene Christmas  (Wipe It Off, 15)  C, D
* Diamond Rugs, "Christmas In a Chinese Restaurant" Diamond Rugs  (Partisan, 12)
* BR5-49, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" Southern Rock Christmas  (BMG, 02)
* Mark Erelli, "Ain't No Time Of Year To Be Alone" Hillbilly Pilgrim  (Signature Sounds, 04)
* Diesel Doug & the Long Haul Truckers, "Daddy's a Drinkin' Up Our Christmas" Mistakes Were Made  (Cornmeal, 05)
* Caleb Caudle, "Missing Holidays" Paint Another Layer On My Heart (This Is American Music, 14)
* Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, "Silent Night" It's a Holiday Soul Party  (DapTone, 15)
* Mastersons, "This Holiday's No Holiday (Without You)" single  (Happy Medicine, 15)  D
* Marty Stuart, "Even Santa Gets the Blues" Very Special Acoustic Christmas  (Lost Hwy, 03)
* John Moreland, "Christmas Lights" Everything the Hard Way  (Okie Tone, 11)
* Southern Culture On the Skids, "Silver Bells" single  (Kudzu, 15)  D
* Christmas Jug Band, "Don't They Know It's Christmas" Uncorked  (Globe, 02)
* Langhorne Slim, "Deck the Halls" Indie for the Holidays  (Amazon, 15)
* Rev Horton Heat, "Donuts In the Snow" Indie for the Holidays  (Amazon, 15)
* Marc Broussard, "Almost Christmas" Magnolias & Mistletoe  (G-Man, 15)  D
* Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, "Merry Christmas Baby" Another Neighborly Christmas  (Magnolia, 12)
* Bonnie "Prince" Billy w/Catherine Irwin, "Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem" Face a Frowning World: An EC Ball Memorial Album  (Tompkins Square, 09)
* Townes Van Zandt w/James McMurtry, "Snowin' On Raton" Texas Rain  (Tomato, 01)
* Robert Earl Keen, "Footprints In the Snow" Happy Prisoner: Bluegrass Session  (Dualtone, 15)
* X-mas Men w/Floyd Domino, "Merry Xmas From the Family" Santa Is Real  (Rosetta, 14)
* Over the Rhine, "First Snowfall" Blood Oranges In the Snow  (Great Speckled Dog, 15)
* Bill Kirchen, "Santa Don't Pass Me By" Blues Mistletoe & Santa's Little Helper  (Black Top, 06)
* Shelby Lynne, "Ain't Nothin' Like Christmas"  Merry Christmas  (Everso, 10)
* Willie Nelson, "Christmas In Prison" Songbird  (Lost Hwy, 06)
* Emmylou Harris, "First Noel" Light Of the Stable  (Rhino, 79)
* Steve Earle, "Nothing But a Child" Copperhead Road  (UNI, 88)

I haven't yet decided what will happen for next week's Episode.  I'll either turn some attention to some of the great new stuff that's awaiting us in 2016, or I'll take one last look back at my favorite songs for 2015.  Or I'll do a bit of each ...  We'll see what happens over the next several days.