FolkBlog

..and the Sox keep hanging in there. I dislike Pedro Martinez, Headhunting Punk pitcher, but I hate the Yankees even more. I hate everything about their smug dynasty.

It was pledge week at WCBE, the best public radio station in the universe last week, so I was in Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings to answer the phones. It is worth stating that I would not be doing what I do without the inspiration I’ve received from this plucky freeform station that dares to play music that nobody else will. Check out their music programming over the web from 9 am to 3 pm Eastern time weekdays (that’s 1300 to 1900 UTC for those of you thinking internationally, at least until the time change).

It’s Cowboy and Western Week here on the Online Folk Festival. Music by cowboys, about cowboys, and about the American West experience, including tracks from Tom Russell, Don Edwards, Tish Hinojosa, Sons of the San Joaquin and more.

Jack Hardy has a new CD out, Coin of the Realm, full of vitriolic protest. Most of it is a bit too vitriolic for me, and I’m plenty full of unflattering things to say about our current administration. There is a really excellent song, “Poor Man”, dedicated to Jimmy Carter that you will hear on the OFF, and an excellent tribute song for Dave Van Ronk.

And the plucky Sox have just taken the Yankees to a 6th game on a bloop single by David Ortiz. Fortunately, the game will be in Yankee Stadium, where we won’t be forced to endure crowd shots of Red Sox fans praying for their team.

Pauline Scanlon is a rising young star on the Irish folk scene, and her debut album, produced by Lunasa guitarist Donogh Hennessy, is a mixture of the traditional and the contemporary - ranging from technofolk looping drums on the first track, “Churchyard” to a compelling a capella rendition of “The Boys of Barr na Sraide.” Throughout, Scanlon displays an impressive range of vocal color and technique for a young singer. This CD is an outstanding debut, and I look forward to hearing what she can do as she matures. I have one complaint - the production seems to swallow her voice at times, especially when she is singing at the high end of her range - she would have benefited from being brought forward in the mix a little more.

Peter Case has a new CD out on Vanguard, Who’s Gonna Go Your Crooked Mile?, a compilation of tracks from the last ten years. It showcases some of Case’s best work as a folk rocker from the last ten years, especially the story songs. Two new tracks, one political and one an anti-corporate screed, don’t work quite as well.

Singer/songwriter Tim Grimm has taken a break from recording original tunes to record a concept album of sorts. Entitled Names, every song title is someone’s name, including tunes from Robert Earl Keen (”Mariano”), Gillian Welch (”Annabelle”), John Prine (”Sam Stone”), Woody Guthrie (”Pretty Boy Floyd”), and Brooooooce Springsteen (”Johnny 99″). The standout track for me is a heartfelt acoustic reading of John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Jackie Brown.” Carrie Newcomer helps out trading verses with Tim on a pretty rendition of the traditional ballad “Barbara Allen.”