IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (July 21, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

July 21, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Waylon Payne's 2020 album served as a comeback following years wandering in the wilderness. The songwriter, musician, and actor had come of age in the family business, as the son of Sammi Smith and Jody Payne. One of our five favorite LPs for the year, Blue Eyes the Harlot the Queer the Pusher & Me eloquently tells Payne's story of addiction, sobriety, redemption, identity, and legacy. The follow-up, Wayward, asks what's next? when the writer has already shared so much. 

Payne is a masterful songwriter in the continuing lineage of country music writers. Where Blue Eyes served as a confessional, Wayward returns to simply telling good stories. A tidy bow can't be affixed to a story like Payne's, so new songs like "The Roses" and "Watch Him Die" continue to mine these rich personal narratives. But, by and large, Waylon Payne has brought us a selection of tunes about the struggle 'n strife of everyday life. A cowrite with Pam Tillis, "Looking For a Feeling" addresses our individual search for meaning and drama: We all get high and low / Turning over every stone. The Latin-inflected "Caramelo" tells a tragic Romeo & Juliet lovestory set to horns and rousing percussion. 

The new project again pairs Payne with award-winning producer Frank Liddell, celebrated for his work with Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack. Alongside Eric Masse, Liddell provides a bed of classic country and soul not unlike Shelby Lynne's records. Wayward's arrangements are both slightly retro and timeless, supported by a veteran band featuring Matt Chamberlain (drum), Glenn Worf (bass), Jedd Hughes (guitar) and the great Chuck Leavell (keys). On "Looking For a Feeling" and "Holding On To Lonely", Payne and his supporting band cruise through bright-sounding, melodic country rock. The latter, written with Charlie Worsham, challenges us to push against our comfort zones in search of companionship. As a vocalist, Payne recalls Rodney Crowell and Guy Clark, a singer who is capable of showy moments, but who opts for tasteful restraint. 

Many of Waylon Payne's best songs follow him into those dramatic, larger-than-life episodes. He relates an especially harrowing dream in "Hell Is Empty", and is haunted by a friend's death on "Watch Him Die": I struggle not to hate myself daily for the way it all went down. Elsewhere, "The Roses" is a masterclass in simplicity of phrasing and arrangement. With its strings and jazz-adjacent bridge, "The Delta" charts a lazy, lilting course into deception: Make believe that you really love me / And tell me so as we walk through the moon. With half of Wayward written solely by Payne, the writer collaborates elsewhere with Ashley Monroe, Miranda Lambert, Matraca Berg, Aaron Raitiere and others. 

One of the project's highlights, "Weed By the Wall" demonstrates Payne's abiding patience and unadorned beauty: I am a freight train / Forged out of steel / I am a highway rolling west in the morning / My hands on the wheel / I am a full-grown man / I stand alone / And I sacrifice nothing for the sake of the cause / I am God and nature / I am a weed by the wall. Most impactfully, Waylon Payne ends the song and the album with the simple statement, I am a songwriter. Like his parents before him, Payne is currently touring with Willie Nelson's band, embracing the inheritance that was left him. While the path leading to this moment might have been a genuinely dramatic one, Wayward finds the artist seemingly comfortable in his role as country songwriter. 

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ROUTES-cast July 19, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

July 19, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

As far as we're concerned, this is the best that we do. We serve our followers most valuably by drawing your attention to the new stuff we track down from week to week, month to month, etc. Is every single thing we include here essential? Naw. While we think it all fits, and that some slice of our audience will enjoy this or that, we know that only a handful of these songs will probably make it beyond this year's short attention span. But from one Episode to the next, we tell a story about what we call our kind of music. It's a story we assume you want to hear (otherwise, what are you doing here). You'll find a gob of our ROUTES-casts at the Spotify link below, which will also gain you access to several years' worth of year-end favorites lists, Lookback Episodes, and plenty of holiday lists. Ho ho ho:

ROUTES-cast July 19, 2026

^ Willi Carlisle, "Mason Jar At the Center Of the World" Universal Bubba  (Signature Sounds, Nov 6)  D

- Two Runner, "Roadrunner" Porchlight  (Gar Hole, Aug 28)

- Chris Acker, "Overdrafted" single  (Gar Hole, 26)  D

- Mama's Broke, "Build It Up" Reunion  (Free Dirt, Aug 28)

- Candi Jenkins, "Holding Out (On Moving On)" single  (Cloverdale, 26)  D

- Waylon Payne, "The Delta" Wayward  (Big Loud Texas, 26)

- Elizabeth Cook, "Girls Of Atomic City" Great Television  (Agent Love, Aug 13)

- Jason James, "One More Cry" Cut the Chain  (Heart Of Texas, Sep 11)

- Gasoline Lollipops, "Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning" single  (GasPops, 26)  D

- John R Miller, "Steering Wheel Drums" The Great Unknowing  (Rounder, 26)

- Presley Haile, "Longtime Lonely" Hamilton Honey Pt 1 EP  (Columbia, 26)

- Riley Downing, "Hurt To Fall" Landfill Poetry  (Oh Boy, Aug 28)

- Bright Eyes, "Wonderful Life" Felice County Fair: Celebration Of Felice Brothers  (Sony, Oct 16)  D

- Leon III, "Invisible Ink" Candy Cigarettes  (MonoSonic, Sep 18)  D

- True Mountain Laurel, "Holy Hell" Angel So Bad  (Birthday Cake, Aug 28)

- Lawrence Rothman, "Word's a Weapon" Here Lies Love/Sawdust To Stardust  (KRO, Sep 25)

- Jess Williamson, "Goodbye To All That" A Mile South Of Heaven  (New West, Oct 9)  D

- Tyler Ballgame, "Live It Down" single  (Rough Trade, 26)  D

- Julia Jacklin, "I Wish (ft the Maes)" The Gem  (4AD, Sep 25)

- Hank Heaven, "I Wanna Be Your Man" Welterweight EP  (Nice Life, Aug 14)  D

- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Clown Show" Get Over It Underdog  (Blue Elan, 26)

- Lily Seabird, "Portal To the Past" Lightspheres On Their Way  (Lame-O, Oct 2)

- OK Cowgirl, "Cruise the Town" Rhinestone Cowgirl  (Easy Does It, Aug 21)  D

- Attic Abasement, "Player Sky" Moonlight Passes On  (Father/Daughter, Aug 14)

- Horse Feathers, "Like Lavender (demo)" Words Are Dead (Deluxe Edition)  (Kill Rock Stars, Aug 28)

- Clay Street Unit, "Kids (Live From Charlotte, NC)" Live From the Road Vol 1  (Leo33, Aug 21)  D

- Fenne Lily, "Thank You Sorry" Win Win  (Nettwerk, Oct 22)  

- Jake Xerxes Fussell, "Rock Island Line" Old Beloved Path  (Fat Possum, Sep 18)  D

- St Paul & Broken Bones, "Mess I Made" single  (Oasis Pizza, 26)  D

- Leon Bridges, "Tears Of Joy" Happiness Anytime  (Columbia, Sep 25)  D

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To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.  Or click here for a preview:

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!! (July 17, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

July 17, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT THiS WEEK?!!

Bright Eyes, "Wonderful Life" Felice County Fair: Celebration Of Felice Brothers  (Sony, Oct 16)

Such a thoughtful gift for the lover of all things Felice and Oberst in your life. This lovingly assembled collection features a great lineup of artists paying tribute to the Brother Felice. Here we'll cite the frontguy for Bright Eyes himself: Whatever little checkmarks in my heart need to be checked to make the perfect music, they check all those things. The poetry is there, the soulfulness is there, the song craft

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Jess Williamson, "Goodbye To All That" A Mile South Of Heaven  (New West, Oct 9)

As devoted admirers of Jess Williamson's work, we didn't necessarily need to her follow her friend Katie Crutchfield down the road to Saint Cloud. Nevertheless, that's what she seems to be doing with her first project for New West. Produced by Shooter Jennings and featuring the Mastersons as her accompanists, "Goodbye" is a fine intro to what should be a great collection. 

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Candi Jenkins, "Holding Out (On Moving On)"  single  (Cloverdale, 26)

Another very strong single from Ms Jenkins, who also gifted us a cover of Fred Eaglesmith's "Trucker Speed" a few weeks ago. With producer Andrija Tokik, there should be a full-length on the horizon featuring more of this seemingly effortless country cheer. 

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Hank Heaven, "I Wanna Be Your Man" Welterweight EP  (Nice Life, Aug 14)

This is the sweetest lovesong we've heard featuring the line, I got my own place but got no rent to pay / Cause it turns out the landlord is in prison. It's the debut single from a just-announced EP from the New York songwriter, who has also served with folks like Del Water Gap and Samia. Chances are you'll also want to their "Thread" single from a few weeks ago. 

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Tyler Ballgame, "Live It Down" single  (Rough Trade, 26)

Tyler Ballgame's January full-length is one of our favorite debuts of 2026. This follow-up single from the fascinating performer slides nicely alongside those songs. It's rhythms and progressions remind us a bit of Lindsey Buckingham's "Second Hand News", without those unnecessary bow-bow's. 

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A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER (July 16, 2026)

A ROUTES & BRANCHES GUiDE to FEEDiNG YOUR MONSTER

good news about good noise

July 16, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

If you're thinkin' that the Rolling Stones' new record is the biggest story of the week, boy have we got news for you! Our Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster delivers a jawdropping calendar of new releases so you never miss a thing. Since we last spoke, we added a newly announced project from traditionalist Jake Xerxes Fussell. With a September 18 street date, The Old Beloved Path will appear courtesy of the Fat Possum label. That same day, it seems we'll be graced with a new Orville Peck record. You can thank Warner for the arrival of Mule. We're cautiously optimistic about Leon Bridges' Happiness Anytime album (Sep 25, Columbia), as long as it doesn't sound like Jimmy Buffett doing reggae. Jess Williamson's next LP, A Mile South Of Heaven, marks her debut with a new label. New West will release the collection on October 9. Finally, Willi Carlisle's next is a double-CD produced by Tyler Childers. Universal Bubba will bear a Signature Sounds imprimatur come November 6. 

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^ We meaningfully included Bella White's A Sign In the Weather among our favorites for the first half of the year. Bluegrass Situation chats with the songwriter about relocating to New Orleans, being unable to record at the Deslondes' studio so doing so in the house next door, and Muji pens. 

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Aaron Lee Tasjan's Get Over It Underdog appears wherever music matters this Friday. The songwriter speaks to Glide Magazine about the influence of Todd Snider. And also Mitch Hedberg. And Jonathan Winters ...

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News has spread that Amy Helm has been removed from the Board for Levon Helm Studios, and that any future Midnight Ramble plans are suspended. Hm. Showbiz 411 has a few details. 

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Here at R&B HQ, we're rumored to be allergic to bluegrass. While that's only situationally true, we're impressed with the news that Lindsay Lou will be releasing an album paying tribute to the women who helped lay the foundation of bluegrass. Co-conspirators are plenty, including Sarah Jarosz, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, and many more. Grateful Web details the project, and also includes the trailer for a multi-part documentary about the sessions. 

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In the week's oddest story, Charley Crockett has booted satanic doo-wop act Twin Temple from his tour. Saving Country Music saves country music by exploring why they were there in the first place, and why there are there no longer. Also, we're hereby updating our byline to read featuring the very best of americana, alt.country, roots music, and satanic doo-wop. 

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Oh no: More bluegrass! The revolving door known as Old Crow Medicine Show has welcomed back Chance McCoy for their current tour. No doubt inspired by our recent Lookback Machine segment, Bluegrass Standard checks in with the multi-instrumentalist to see if he's up for the challenge. 

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Newport Folk Festival has released a series of videos called Sea To Shining Sea, talking to artists about the importance of music in the 250 years of our country. Sierra Ferrell, who seems to have been on the road for the past 8 years, offers some perspective around Mindy Smith's "Come To Jesus". Also, let's encourage more of our artists to wear grills and facial piercings. As a national treasure, Ferrell can pull it off. 

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When is it still legal to perform Grateful Dead covers? When you're Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Relix reports that the duo are continuing what they call their Acoustic Reckoning concert series. You can also read a fuller article for the small cost of your email address!

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Finally, we're impressed with River Shook's recent self-titled collection. Good Country shares our appreciation, and interviews Shook about building the album around their vocals, striking out with labels, and what was up with that Mightmare thing. 

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LOOKBACK MACHiNE: Be Good Tanyas

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

July 15, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Frazey Ford, Jolie Holland, Trish Klein, Samantha Parton. In their various combinations, Be Good Tanyas released just three (3) records during their collaboration. But Blue Horse, Chinatown and Hello Love remain unparalleled as the product of the coming together of such unique voices. Of course, the Trio sessions of Harris, Parton, and Ronstadt were remarkable, but Be Good Tanyas featured almost unknown artists creating something new. 

For this Episode of Lookback Machine, we're not only celebrating the music of Be Good Tanyas. We're reaching into the solo work of Ford, Holland, Klein, and Parton and extracting the gems. While most of their work featured original songs, they were also deeply guided by trad music, as well as a handful of terrific covers - we could make a case for BGTs' run through "When Doves Cry" as among the very best in our kind of music. We also gave some thought to featuring songs from Po' Girl, Trish Klein's act with Allison Russell, but didn't want to cast our net too wide. 

BE GOOD TANYAS: thirty favorites

- "The Littlest Birds" Blue Horse (Be Good Tanyas, 2001)

- "Lakes Of Pontchartrain" 

- "Light Enough To Travel" 

- "Roll My Blues" Catalpa (Jolie Holland, 2003)

- "Wandering Angus" 

- "It's Not Happening" Chinatown (Be Good Tanyas, 2003)

- "In Spite Of All the Damage" 

- "In My Time Of Dying" 

- "Rudy" Maybe This Christmas Too (Be Good Tanyas, 2003)

- "Old Fashioned Morphine" Escondida (Jolie Holland, 2004)

- "Amen" 

- "Goodbye California" 

- "Crush In the Ghetto" Springtime Can Kill You (Jolie Holland, 2006)

- "Mexican Blue" 

- "For the Turnstiles" Hello Love (Be Good Tanyas, 2006)

- "Draft Daughter's Blues aka Ootischenia" 

- "When Doves Cry" 

- "Mexico City (ft M Ward)" Living and the Dead (Jolie Holland, 2008)

- "Firecracker" Obadiah (Frazey Ford, 2010)

- "One More Cup Of Coffee" 

- "All Those Girls" Pint Of Blood (Jolie Holland, 2011)

- "September Fields" Indian Ocean (Frazey Ford, 2014)

- "Done" 

- "On and On" Wine Dark Sea (Jolie Holland, 2014)

- "Waiting For the Sun" 

- "Wildflower Blues" Wildflower Blues (Jolie Holland, Samantha Parton, 2017)

- "Louisiana 1927" single (Jolie Holland, 2018)

- "Azad" U kin B the Sun (Frazey Ford, 2020)

- "Highway 72 (ft Buck Meek)" Haunted Mountain (Jolie Holland, 2023)

- "Haunted Mountain" 

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To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.  Or click here for a preview:

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK (July 14, 2026)

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

July 14, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

Another tough week, forcing us to tag just one record to highlight. We could easily have waxed enthusiastic about any of the promising projects mentioned in Sunday's ROUTES-cast. Nevertheless, we persist. 

IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK

Let's start with a playlist Twisted Teens have apparently assembled on Spotify. Friends Of the Twisted Teens seems to feature acts the duo have played with or encountered during their travels, several hailing from New Orleans' underheralded arts scene. In addition to more familiar names like the Lostines and Kiki Cavazos, there are very indie artists like Remi Dean or Forty Drop Few with no more than a handful of listeners. Stylistically, the playlist veers between punk and roots, pop and folk, most decidedly lo-fi and bearing a musty garage essence. In all the best ways. 

We mention this playlist as a way of wrapping our ears around Twisted Teens. The playlist is one of several online from CPNPC, otherwise known as Caspian Hollywell. Alongside RJ Santos, he makes up Twisted Teens, who have just shared Florida Water Blues, their second record of 2026 and their third LP since a self-titled project appeared in 2024. While there is an unrehearsed immediacy to his music, Hollywell knows stuff. He understands the tradition of which the duo are a part, the idea that punk is a community as opposed to a genre. 

These songs were a product of Twisted Teens' sessions for Blame the Clown, mined from the same vein of country, folk, and blues forced through a lo-fi filter and occasionally collaged with found noise. "Swamp" begins with a patch of sound, then: I live in a crazy swamp just about in the crotch of America / Smells like ket and two piece chicken. Santos' steel guitar provides a foil to Hollywell's phlegmy bark, a juxtaposition that defines the push-pull of Twisted Teens. As the singer explains in an interview, it's traditional music with a weird, awkward, future element to it. "Weather the Season" establishes an early rock 'n stroll, featuring Hollywell's strongest vocal and his primitive electric guitar jangle. 

Even Twisted Teens' relatively tame moments vibrate with outsider energy. One of the year's worthiest songs, the title cut lays out its Southern rock, replete with Santos' genuine steel solo before things take a Mojo Nixon turn: The sun and the rain make a golden shower / And I would drink it all if I had my power. Songs like "Top Of the World Hwy No 2" and "Concealed Weepin'" speak most readily to the Teens' punk connections. With its rapidfire bass, the latter delivers spoken verses from Caspian: Little fucker with a big attitude / Did not socially integrate to the school / Did not get in the deep end of the pool / Was not considered super duper cool. 

Tunes start and finish abruptly, sometimes bookended with manipulated noise. "Riding" closes with a length of digitized shape note singing, morphing into the next song's gospel snippet which stumbles into the twang guitar and spoken vocal of "Business". The mess and clutter is essential to the success of Florida Water Blues, the programmed percussion or throwback synth simply contributes to the Twisted Teens' oddity, as does the humidity of the production. "Javelina" offers a near-standard alt.country arrangement, and "Sun Go Down" falls just this side of a country balled, until the final two minutes dissolve into soggy strings and a wheeze of noise. While occasionally tough to pigeonhole, it's all a part of the living tradition of vernacular music. We eagerly await this fall's promised Holy Cross Tigers, a new project the duo refer to as their Blood On the Tracks. Is nothing sacred? No, thank God. 

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ROUTES-cast July 12, 2026

ROUTES & BRANCHES

featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music

July 12, 2026

Scott Foley, purveyor of dust

There is no shortage of appealing options for this week's recommendations. At present, we're considering devoting our weekly review to William Matheny, Tracey Nelson, Houndmouth, Twisted Teens, Idle County, or this dark horse candidate, Dean Schlabowske's ambitious production about Davy Crockett's unsuccessful 1833 run for the White House. But, as we're quick to acknowledge, too much is better than not enough, and we're patiently awaiting the right album to rise organically to the top. In the meantime, we have this thing:

ROUTES-cast July 12, 2026

^ William Matheny, "Material Witness" Material Witness  (Diamond Teeth, 26)

- John Moreland, "Faded Love and Memories (ft Lydia Loveless)" Sittin' With Blaze: Tribute To Blaze Foley  (Lost Art, Aug 7)

- Mary Gauthier, "Reckoning" Reckoning  (In the Black, Sep 28)  D

- Palmyra, "Sleep Softly" Cheap Beer EP  (Oh Boy, Sep 17)

- Will Sheff, "Lapsed Catholic" Extra Mile  (Solid Ghost, 26)

- Madeleine Edwards, "American Psycho" single  (Mississippi Rain, 26)  D

- Elanor Moss, "The Way That It Feels" The Knife the Needle  (Merge, Aug 21)

- Hollow Hand, "I Turned My Back On the World" Wish Road South  (Loose, Sep 4)

- Anna Graves, "Goldmine" America's Greatest Burnout  (Rounder, Aug 21)

- Biita Houdei, "The Ground Here" This Bed Was Made For Me  (Father/Daughter, Sep 18)  D

- Lindsay Lou, "All I Ever Loved Was You" Bluegrass Women  (Work Of Bart, Aug 14)  D

- Goodnight Texas, "Winter Of '68"  Wooden Machine  (Goodnight, Sep 16)  D

- Idle County, "Wilson Watts Dr" Long Gone Saviors  (Idle County, 26)  

- Dogwood Tales, "Ralph Sampson" Every Star In Rockingham County  (Born Losers, Aug 28)

- Houndmouth, "Carbondale" Lordy  (Dualtone, 26)

- Squirrel Flower, "Not Me" Say a Prayer To the Gods Of Getting Going  (Polyvinyl, Aug 20)

- Bures Band, "High Tide" single  (Love Police, 26)  D

- Futurebirds, "Sober Somewhere" Far Out Country  (Dualtone, Sep 3)

- Tracey Nelson, "St John's River" Hercules  (Perennial, 26)

- David Quinn, "Cold Turkey" single  (Quinn, 26)  D

- Twisted Teens, "Florida Water Blues" Florida Water Blues  (Going Underground, 26)  D

- Alabama Shakes, "I Feel Hope Coming" I Must Be Dreaming  (Island, Aug 28)  D

- Sam & Louise Sullivan, "Love & Devotion" Love & Devotion  (Historic New Jersey, Jul 24)

- Magic City Hippies, "Snakes" single  (MCH, 26)  D

- Allison Russell, "Love Is a Golden Lion (ft Devon Gillfillian)" In the Hour Of Chaos  (Fantasy, 26)

- Cory Branan, "Ricochet" You'll Live  (Blue Elan, Oct 9)

- Mountain Goats, "Candlebox" Days  (Cadmean Dawn, Aug 6)

- Ada Lea, "copycat" the end is a wave  (Saddle Creek, Aug 12)  D

- HUG, "Cow With Half Moon Parasol" HUG  (Luaka Bop, Sep 11)  D

- Kelly Hogan/Nora O'Connor/Sally Timms, "A Song About Power" Congressman Davy: A Musical  (Plenty Tuff, 26)  D

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To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.  Or click here for a preview: