New Adds - Festival Radio February 4, 2010

Here’s the list of albums added to rotation on Festival Radio since 1/7/2010.  It’s a big one, crimestoppers – January was a big month for new music here at Festival Radio Central Operations HQ.

Annie Dinerman – Broken Cookies

Audrey Auld – Billabong Song

Bow Thayer – Shooting Arrows at the Moon

Carolyn Currie – Waves of Silence


Coco and Lafe – Uncovered

Dave Rawlings Machine – A Friend of a Friend


Ellis Paul – The Day After Everything Changed

Heather Masse – Bird Song

Jan Krist and Jim Bizer – Influence

Jed Marum – Lonestar Banjo

Laurie Lewis – Blossom

Libby Johnson – Perfect View

Rebecca Loebe – Mystery Prize

Russ Edwards – We Call Them Cowboys

Sarah Jarosz – Song up in Her Head

Sarah McQuaid – I Won’t Go Home Til Morn/When Two Lovers Meet (double disc)


Switchback – Ghosts of the River Folk

The Honey Dewdrops – If the Sun Will Shine

Tim Grimm – Farm Songs

Trout Fishing in America – Big Round World

Wild Carrot and the Roots Band – Crowd Around the Mic

No video available

  • Richie Lawrence – Melancholy Waltz
  • Spinn – She Was Heartache
  • Trillium - Crossing the Streams
  • Various Artists – WCBE: Live From Studio A, Volume 11
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Festival Radio Top 35, January 2010

Top 35 tracks as rated by listeners of Festival Radio for January 2010.  Why 35?  Why not?

Artist – Track – Album

  1. Nanci Griffith – You Were On My Mind – Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back To Bountiful)
  2. Trillium – Schule Agra (Johnny’s Gone For a Soldier) – Crossing the Stream
  3. Peggy Seeger – Gonna Be An Engineer – Three Score and Ten
  4. Trillium – Jenny Lind Polka/Swedish Polka – Crossing the Stream
  5. The Mad Maggies – Luna Marie – Crazed and Enthused
  6. Leo Kottke – Morning Is The Long Way Home – One Guitar, No Vocals
  7. The Greencards – Lonesome Side Of Town – Viridian
  8. Steve Martin – Calico Train – The Crow – New Songs For The Five String Banjo
  9. Richard Shindell – State of the Union – Not Far Now
  10. We’re About 9 – Maryland, 1987 – Paperdust :: Stardust
  11. Mustard’s Retreat – Hard Times Come Again No More – Back to Back
  12. Susan Werner – Misery and Happiness – New Non-fiction
  13. Suzie Brown – Over & Done – Side Streets
  14. Sonia and Disappear Fear – Tango – Tango
  15. Kate Campbell – Trains Don’t Run From Nashville – Songs from the Levee
  16. Toni Price – #1 – Sol Power
  17. Susan McKeown and Lorin Sklamberg – Enniscorthy Fair – Saints and Tzadiks
  18. Kathleen Edwards – Copied Keys – Back To Me
  19. Rosanne Cash – Tennessee Flat Top Box – Hits 1979-1989
  20. Brad Colerick – Leave It All Behind – When I’m Gone
  21. Sloan Wainwright – Every Grain Of Sand – Rediscovery
  22. Mick McAuley and Winifred Horan – The Cafe Milou Jigs – Serenade
  23. Josh Ritter – You Don’t Make it Easy Babe – Hello Starling
  24. Johnsmith – The Times They are A-Changin – Gravity of Grace
  25. Ben Bedford – The Cherry Mine – Land of the Shadows
  26. Jessica Fichot – Le Grenier – Accordion Babes 2010
  27. 10,000 Maniacs – Stockton Gala Days – Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure & Unknown Recordings (Disc 1 – The Most Popular Recordings)
  28. Kim and Reggie Harris – Done Wit’ Driver’s Dribbin’ – Get on Board: Underground Railroad and Civil Rights Freedom Songs Volume 2
  29. Julie Miller – All my Tears – Broken Things
  30. Jake Shimabukuro – While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Best of Woodsongs Volume Three
  31. Silly Sisters (Maddy Prior and June Tabor) – Rosie Anderson – No More to the Dance
  32. Bob Dylan – Most Of The Time (alternate version, Oh Mercy) – Tell Tale Signs
  33. Alison Krauss & Union Station – The Lucky One – Live
  34. Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band – Eyes On The Prize – Live In Dublin
  35. Battlefield Band – Three Brothers – Zama Zama …try your luck…

Keep listening and rating the songs, crimestoppers.  If you use the Live365 player, use the thumbs up and thumbs down buttons to make your votes.  Songs people like really do stay in the playlist for longer, so your vote counts.  Vote early and often.

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Complete Festival Radio Playlist: January 7, 2010

Complete playlist for Festival Radio, sorted in alphabetical order by artist is coming up after the break. Why do I do this?

  1. Because my playlist is, indeed, a thing of awesome beauty and wonder and it should be shared with the world.
  2. Because I want the artists I play (and their labels, and their publicists, and their fans, etc.) to know that I’m playing them.

Continue reading Complete Festival Radio Playlist: January 7, 2010

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Festival Radio New Adds, January 7, 2010

New album additions to Festival Radio since our last reporting on December 9, 2009

Artist – Album

Freedy Johnston – Rain on the City

John Shipe – Yellow House

Doug Spears – Welcome Home

Works Progress Administration – WPA


Nicole Reynolds – Unordinary Mine

Various Artists – West Coast Accordion Babes 2010
Note – I’ve chosen the Mad Maggies to represent here


Dan Fogelberg – Love In Time

No video available -

  • Louise Mosrie – Home
  • Erik Balkey – Custom Songs by Erik
  • Ray Naylor – No Shrink Wrap
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So You Want to Submit Your Music?

I now have a page for that on this blog, detailing submissions guidelines.

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Festival Christmas Top 42 – Mid-December Edition

Here’s a sneak peek at what the listeners like on Festival Christmas.  If this doesn’t convince you about the great variety to be found there, nothing will.  Here are the Top 42 Songs on Festival Christmas, as selected by listener interaction:

Artist – Track – Album

  1. Ruthie & the Wranglers – Songs of Christmas – Creme de la Creme – First Serving
  2. Dianne Williams – Midwinter – Oasis Acoustic Volume 37
  3. David Parmley and Continental Divide – Christmas at the Old Homeplace – A Pinecastle Christmas Gathering
  4. Over the Rhine – Thank You My Angel – The Darkest Night of the Year
  5. Odetta – Mary Had a Baby – Gonna Let It Shine, A Concert For The Holidays
  6. Bonnie Rideout – Eric Rigler – Maggie Sansone – Al Petteway – O Come, O Come Emmanuel – God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen – A Scottish Christmas
  7. Take 6 – Amen! – He Is Christmas
  8. Sarah McLachlan – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Wintersong
  9. Evelyn Cox – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Charlie Daniels and Friends – Joy to the World
  10. Boys of the Lough – Sankt Staffan han rider / Christmas Day in the Morning / Trettondagsmarschen – Midwinter Night’s Dream
  11. Aoife Ni Fhearraigh – Seact Sualci Na Maighdine Muire – Narada Presents: The Best of Celtic Christmas
  12. The Jambalaya Cajun Band – Jingle Bell Rock – Alligator Stomp, Volume 4- Cajun Christmas
  13. October Project – Silent Night  – Silent Night
  14. The Jumbalaya Cajun Band – Joy to the World – Alligator Stomp, Volume 4- Cajun Christmas
  15. The Grascals – Christmas Time’s A Comin’ – Charlie Daniels and Friends – Joy to the World
  16. The Gypsy Hombres – Sleigh Ride – Django Bells
  17. The Clumsy Lovers – Snoopy’s Christmas – A Winter’s Night
  18. Leslie Ritter and Scott Petito – In the Bleak Midwinter – This Christmas Morning
  19. Loreena McKennitt – Noel Nouvelet – A Midwinter Night’s Dream
  20. Dan Crary – Christmas Waltz/Fum, Fum, Fum – Holiday Guitar – Christmas
  21. Tropical Flavor Steel Drum Band – Feliz Navidad – Island Christmas
  22. Pat Wictor – The Quiet of the Snow – Hudson Harding Sampler Volume 1- Happy Holidays
  23. Loreena McKennitt – Coventry Carol – A Midwinter Night’s Dream
  24. Johnnie Allan – It’s Christmas in Louisiana – Alligator Stomp, Volume 4- Cajun Christmas
  25. John Fahey – Medley: Hark the Herald Angels Sing; O Come All Ye Faithful – Christmas Guitar
  26. The Hayburners – Your Winter Weather – Hudson Harding Sampler, Volume 3 — Happy Holidays
  27. The Bobs – Mambo, Santa, Mambo – Too Many Santas
  28. The Blind Boys of Alabama – Joy To The World (featuring Aaron Neville) – Go Tell It On The Mountain
  29. Robert Earl Keen- Merry Christmas From the Family – Tinsel Tunes – more holiday treats from Sugar Hill
  30. John Fahey – The Skater’s Waltz – Christmas Guitar
  31. Anuna – Noel Nouvelet – Christmas Memories
  32. Steve Glotzer – Children Go Where I Send Thee – Acoustic Christmas
  33. Ottmar Liebert – Festival (of 7 lights) – Poets & Angels
  34. Johnny Cunningham – King Holly, King Oak – The Very Best of Celtic Christmas
  35. Belton Richard – Please Come Home for Christmas – Alligator Stomp, Vol. 4: Cajun Christmas
  36. Phil Keaggy – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – A Christmas Gift
  37. Eva Cassidy – It’s Not the Presents – A Holiday Feast- Creme de la Creme
  38. yThe Christmas Jug Band – Lonesome Reindeer Blues – Uncorked
  39. Boys of the Lough – The Mummer’s Jig / Christmas Eve – Midwinter Night’s Dream
  40. Jethro Tull – A Winter Snowscape – The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
  41. Bittersweet and Briers – No Shelter for Mary/What Child Is This? – A Conner Prairie Christmas
  42. Adam Rafferty – We Three Kings – A Christmas Guitar Celebration
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New Adds, Festival Radio, December 9, 2009

New adds to Festival Radio since November 18, 2009:

Samuel James – For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen

Exene Cerveka – Somewhere Gone

Pieta Brown – Shimmer

John Gorka – So Dark You See

Brett Dennen – Live Sessions

Pete Seeger – Live in ‘65

Loreena McKennitt – From Istanbul to Athens

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20 Holiday Albums For Your Consideration

It’s no secret that I love Christmas music.  I have a substantial collection of Christmas CDs and every year I go out and get a few more.  In fact, I love Christmas music so much that I start a second Internet broadcast every year, Festival Christmas, in order just to play my favorite Christmas music.

This year, I’ve decided to spotlight some of my all-time favorite Christmas CDs in order to help you in your music shopping or holiday gift buying, or just to get you in the holiday mood.  You can hear tracks from all of these CDs on Festival Christmas.   I present the list in alphabetical order by artist first name, with a short review.

Adam Rafferty – A Christmas Guitar Celebration

One of my favorite discoveries of this year is fingerstyle guitarist Adam Rafferty, and his new Christmas CD is a must for those who like solo acoustic guitar renditions of standards.

The Arrogant Worms – Christmas Turkey

This album is not for those without a sense of humor, and, honestly, the more warped the better.  My favorite tracks are “Santa’s Gonna Kick Your Ass” (“Santa’s coming and he’s gonna kick your ass, because you’ve been a rotten little brat.” and “Christmas Turkey Blues” (sung from the perspective of the turkey.

Blackmore’s Night – Winter Carols

Ritchie Blackmore (former guitarist for Deep Purple) and Candice Night have been plying their renaissance/rock fusion for many years now, and if you like some traditional music mixed with occasional crunchy guitar, I recommend this CD.

Brave Combo – It’s Christmas, Man!

Brave Combo is just flat out awesome.  Here they do the Santa Polka, wish for Christmas in July, and do polkafied and dancified versions of chestnuts like “O Christmas Tree” ( as a samba) and “The Christmas Song” (ska).  Bob Dylan pretty much ripped his accordion-driven “Must Be Santa” straight off of this CD.  If this album doesn’t move you to tap your toes, please have somebody check your pulse.

Bruce Cockburn – Christmas

One of my all-time favorite Christmas albums, highlighted by the haunting “Iesus Ahatonnia (Huron Carol)”, the gospel flavored “Early on One Christmas Morn” and the rollicking cajun hoedown gone awry, “Les Anges Dans Nos Compagnes.”

The Crossing – The Court of a King

Chicago-based Celtic band provides a wonderful take on the holidays, with my favorite track being the opening “O Come O Come Emmanuel”, which opens with haunting didgeridoo and flute, and a rollicking version of “Righteous Joseph.”

Emmylou Harris – Light of the Stable

Tasteful renditions of country Christmas classics topped off by the great vocals of Emmylou Harris.

Harvey Reid and Joyce Andersen – Christmas Morning

Harvey Reid is an amazing multi-instrumentalist (fingerstyle guitar, banjo, autoharp) and Joyce Andersen is a fiddle virtuouso.  Together, they have put together a gem of a folky Christmas CD, superbly played and sung.  One of the best purely Americana Christmas CDs I’ve ever heard.  Check them out at Woodpecker Records, Reid’s label.

Continue reading 20 Holiday Albums For Your Consideration

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Festival Radio Top 40, November 2009

Top 40 Tracks as rated by listeners to Festival Radio for November 2009:

Artist – Track – Album

  1. Jimmie Dale Gilmore – Blue Moon Waltz – After Awhile
  2. Julie Miller – All my Tears – Broken Things
  3. Norman & Nancy Blake – Happy Little Home In Arkansas – Back Home In Sulphur Springs
  4. Kris Drever – Braw Sailin’ On the Sea – Black Water
  5. David Bromberg – Wee Midnight Hour Blues - Live New York City 1982
  6. Pamela Ward and Paul Cherrington – Sail On By – Sail on By
  7. The Notting Hillbillies – Railroad Worksong – Missing… presumed having a good time
  8. Leadbelly – Goodnight Irene – Genius of Folk
  9. Buffy Sainte-Marie – To the Ends of the World – Running For The Drum
  10. Peter, Paul And Mary – Leaving On A Jet Plane – The Very Best Of Peter, Paul And Mary
  11. Peter Case – Blue Distance – Who’s Gonna Go Your Crooked Mile?
  12. Arlo Guthrie – If You Would Just Drop By - Tales of ‘69
  13. Molly’s Revenge – The Long Drive – The Western Shore
  14. Mark Stepakoff – Little Black Dress – Some Assembly Required
  15. Jon Brooks – The Crying of The Times – Moth Nor Rust
  16. Buskin & Batteau – Red Shoes and Golden Hearts – Red Shoes and Golden Hearts
  17. Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah – The Essential Leonard Cohen
  18. The High Kings – The Rocky Road To Dublin – The High Kings
  19. Mavis Staples – Waiting for My Child – Live: Hope at the Hideout
  20. Maura O’Connell – There’s No Good Day For Dying – Don’t I Know
  21. The Innocence Mission – Follow Me – Birds of My Neighborhood
  22. The Foremen – Godzilla Has a Midlife Crisis – The Best of the Foremen
  23. Woody Guthrie – Jesus Christ – Classic Protest Songs From Smithsonian Folkways
  24. Tom Russell – The Eyes of Roberto Duran – The Long Way Around
  25. Steve Goodman – The Dutchman – Anthology: No Big Surprise
  26. Smithfield Fair – Radio - The Longing
  27. Loudon Wainwright III – Daughter - Strange Weirdos
  28. Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams – Everyone Has A Broken Heart – The Great Unravel
  29. David Bromberg – Levee Camp Moan – Try Me One More Time
  30. Woody Guthrie – This Land is Your Land (extra verse) – The Asch Recordings Vol. 1 – This Land is Your Land
  31. The Waybacks – The River – Loaded
  32. Susan McKeown & Lorin Sklamberg – Heart’s Blood – Saints & Tzadiks
  33. Paul Simon – Kodachrome – Concert In The Park
  34. Nia Morgan – Silent Times - Nia Morgan
  35. Michael Stanley Band – Falling In Love Again – Right Back at Ya (1971-1983)
  36. Lara Herskovitch – Here Comes the Sun – Through a Frozen Midnight Sky
  37. The Kennedys – Chimes of Freedom – Half A Million Miles
  38. Josh Ritter – Leaving – Golden Age of Radio
  39. Eddie From Ohio – Imagine Me – Portable EFO Show
  40. The Byrds – Positively 4Th Street (Live) – There Is A Season

This month listeners seemed to really like some of the older tunes, so I have marked the recent releases with red type to distinguish them from the herd.   I appreciate that they are digging on Woody Guthrie, Leonard Cohen, Mavis Staples and The Byrds.  I also like the love for the Michael Stanley Band, one of the favorite bands of my youth.

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Festival Christmas is Back On the Air

Happy Holidays, Crimestoppers!

Festival Christmas is back on the air.  I’ll be filling the station with the typical mix of spiffy holiday tunes over the next day or so, but I wanted y’all to know that a short playlist is up now for your holiday listening enjoyment.  You can click on the widget in the right sidebar to listen, or go to http://www.live365.com/stations/folkchristmas/

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