Tuesday, May 01, 2012

ROUTES & BRANCHES
April 28, 2012
Scott Foley

Thanks to all who made our first stab at KRFC's Spring Membership Drive a success.  Special gratitude to Jeremy and Darren from Turn 4, who joined us to testify about the station's value to Colorado music, and to Andy from Roadhouse Radio, who also helped to keep things more or less on the rails.  You'll have at least two more opportunities to get your charity on, during my Thursday Morning Mix stint (10-noon) and next Saturday's Episode of R&B.

In the meantime, privileged to have Alejandro Escovedo's Big Station in our big station, in its entirety.  Produced by Tony Visconti, largely cowritten with Chuck Prophet, name checking Austin and Mexico, primed with edgy bits ...  Escovedo's eleventh album hangs comfortably alongside his other recent releases.  So what sets it apart?  It's the energy.  Between an unexpectedly lengthy summer tour schedule and a fire unheard since his earlier albums, Escovedo has seemingly found the fountain of musical youth.  He spits his lyrics like a punk, and wields a guitar loud and rude, like he's back in the Nuns or True Believers with Jon Dee Graham.  The rediscovered attitude and spirit may bring to mind earlier days, but Escovedo hasn't sounded this alive in years. 



*  Turn 4, "Cheap Guitar"  What You Do About It  (Fuck All Y'all, 11)
*  Far West, "Town Called Lonesome"  Far West  (Wooden Tapes, 11)
*  Haunted Windchimes, "Wanderin' Heart"  Out With the Crow  (Blank Tape, 12)
*  Supersuckers, "Paid"  Paid  (Mid-fi, 06)
*  Patterson Hood, "After It's Gone"  internet single  (Protect Downtown Athens, 12)
*  Mosey West, "Hometown Heroes"  Merica  (Self, 12)
^  Alejandro Escovedo, "Bottom Of the World"  Big Station  (Fantasy, 12)
*  Tin Horn Prayer, "Stumble"  Grapple the Rails  (Self, 12)  D
*  Bottle Rockets, "Man Of Constant Anxiety"  Blue Sky  (Sanctuary, 03)
*  Little Willies, "Wide Open Road"  For the Good Times  (Milking Bull, 12)
*  Ryan Adams, "My Winding Wheel"  iTunes Session  (iTunes, 12)  D
*  Marty Stuart, "Tear the Woodpile Down"  Tear the Woodpile Down  (Sugar Hill, 12)  D
*  Johnny Hickman, "Measure Of a Man"  Tilting  (Self, 12)  D
*  Lukas Nelson & Promise Of the Real, "Ain't No Answer"  Wasted  (Tone Tide, 12)
*  Turn 4, "Buckhannon Line"  What You Do About It  (Fuck All Y'all, 11)
*  Buddy & Julie Miller, "Wallflower"  Buddy & Julie Miller  (Hightone, 01)
*  Chris Stalcup & the Grange, "Dixie Electric Company"  Dixie Electric Company  (Dirt Leg, 12)  D
*  Jason Isbell, "Heart On a String"  Here We Rest  (Lightning Rod, 11)
*  Kelly Hogan, "We Can't Have Nice Things"  I Like To Keep Myself In Pain  (Anti, 12)  D
*  Todd Snider, "Continuing Saga Of the Classic Bummer ..."  Time As We Know It  (Aimless, 12)  D
*  Paul Thorn, "Don't Let Me Down Again"  What the Hell Is Goin' On  (Perpetual Obscurity, 12)  D

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