Author Archives: philfavorite@gmail.com

Episode #52 featuring Bad Assets

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The bad asses of Bad Assets (l to r): Ben Cosloy, Kevin Marcotte and Motor Jeffries. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Episode #52 featuring Bad Assets

It was a helluva weekend for Bad Assets, Portland’s rollicking, fun-loving country heroes. A packed CD Release show at the World Famous Kenton Club on Friday . . . a headlining showcase performance at The Deer Lodge on Saturday . . . and it all started with a visit to The Helm for an interview and performance for Episode #52 of The Much Further West Podcast.

Bad Assets are celebrating the release of their fantastic new record, “Poncho,” which has been in the works for the last couple of years. The disc shows off the four-piece’s tremendously clever songwriting and terrific playing, making it an excellent followup to their previous CD, “I-84.”

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Motor, Kevin and Ben tearing it up in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler

Three of the fellas — singer-guitarist Motor Jeffries, singer-bassist Kevin Marcotte and guitar-picker extraordinaire Ben Cosloy — joined us to talk about the making of the record, the songwriting process and the many and varied places from where they draw inspiration. Cold Duck was shared, whiskey was spilled and much beer consumed. Pretty much par for the course, though the cold duck was an unexpected wrinkle.

Big thanks to Bad Assets for sharing their wisdom (remember: Beauty’s in the eye of the Beerholder) and congrats on an excellent record. We were thrilled to have y’all on board.

We also have some terrific music to share from recently released records by Evan Phillips, John Moreland and Banditos, who were psyched to see and meet in just a few days at the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in nearby Sheridan, Oregon, U.S.A. The two-day festival kicks off on July 17, and we’ll be there in full force gathering interviews and exclusive performances to share on later episodes.

But for now, kick back and enjoy this really fun installment with Bad Assets. Here’s the playlist:

Falling Down, Evan Phillips
American Flags In Black & White, John Moreland
Garden Party, Rick Nelson
Beerholder (Live In The Helm), Bad Assets
Empty Bottle (Live In The Helm), Bad Assets
Camarojuana, Bad Assets
Without Me, Bad Assets
Wants You Close, Hearts Of Oak
Aztlán, Trujillo
Still Sober (After All These Beers), Banditos
David, Cody Jinks
Winner’s Casino, Richmond Fontaine
Send It On Down, Lee Ann Womack
One Sip Of Water, Emily Herring
Waitin’ Round To Die, Whitey Morgan and the 78’s
Deadman’s Blues, Matt Woods

Episode #51 featuring Barna Howard

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Barna Howard, back to the garden. Portrait by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Episode #51 featuring Barna Howard

We’ve been blessed in the first half of 2015 to have had a bevy of uber-talented folks as podcast guests in The Helm, and we’ve done it again for Episode #51 with Barna Howard, a world-class young folkie based right here in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.

Barna has an excellent new record out that we’ve been playing on the show, and he just returned from a European tour in advance of its release. Now he’s gearing up for a local record-release show on July 1 at Mississippi Studios.

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Barna Howard with his trusty Martin, live in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler

In our interview, we learn a bit about Barna’s upbringing in small-town Missouri and adventures in big cities such as Chicago and Boston that led him to settle out west. He also speaks of his musical influences — artists such as Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark — which make sense when you hear him perform live in The Helm. He shares a pair of tunes from the new record, the title track “Quite A Feelin’ ” and “Then And There.”

We added in a few more songs from Barna’s new record to help listeners get a feel for how strong it is. Be sure to go to www.barnahoward.com to learn more and to pick up a copy of “Quite A Feelin’.”

Our playlist for Episode #51 also features amazing new music from a bevy of talented artists with whom we are just becoming familiar, including Sam Outlaw, Some Train Yard, Sammy Brue and big batch from folks slated to play at next month’s Wildwood MusicFest and Campout, Oregon’s best little summer music festival.

We were sure to include a few songs from some our longtime favorites, including Whitey Morgan and The 78s, Denver and the lead track from the kickass new EP from The Swearengens, which starts off the show.

So have at it folks! Here’s the playlist:

American Woman (Take My Freedom Away), The Swearengens
Jesus Take The Wheel (And Drive Me To A Bar), Sam Outlaw
Distant Lands, Wild Rabbit
Quite A Feelin’ (Live In The Helm), Barna Howard
Then and There (Live In The Helm), Barna Howard
Notches On A Frame, Barna Howard
Indiana Rose, Barna Howard
Truckstop Amphetamines, J.P. Harris and the Tough Choices
If I Killed Her, Some Train Yard
It Ain’t Easy, Nathan Kalish
Rowdy Love, Denver
Waitin’ ‘Round To Die, Whitey Morgan and The 78s
Jealous, Sammy Brue
San Andreas’ Fault, The Earnest Lovers
Let The Waters Ride, The Holy Ghost Electric Show
Waiting For Some Drunk, Big Harp

Episode #50 — Secret Aardvark Takeover featuring Purusa

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HOT STUFF: Zach Hinkelman (left) and Kris Kirkman of Purusa. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Episode #50 — Secret Aardvark Takeover

It was a hot time in the old Helm when we turned the keys to the podcast over to our friends and sponsors Stacy Moritz and Kip Lindig, the faces of Secret Aardvark Trading Company. They’re the folks who not only delight us and our podcast guests with their fabulous habanero sauce, but they’re dear friends from the local Portland music scene who carry on the professional legacy of our late, great friend Scott Moritz, aka Scotland Barr.

Before we lost Scotland to pancreatic cancer a few years back, he had established himself as one of the brightest lights and rising stars of Portland’s Americana as front man for his band, The Slow Drags. With his gravelly voice, acoustic guitar, stringy hair and striking 6-foot-5 frame, Scotland led from the front, directing the band on a steady rise from obscurity to local and regional fame on the strength of two terrific records and a heavy schedule of gigs.

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Scotland Barr

All the while, Scotland — a successful chef, restauranteur and saucier — was establishing Secret Aardvark Trading Co., an outfit delighting local foodies with its hot sauce and marinades. Like his band, Scotland’s sauce company was on the rise at the time of his cancer diagnosis.

Carrying on Scotland’s legacy — with both the sauce company and the music — has been no small task for Stacy (his widow) and his former bandmates, among them his close pal Zach Hinkelman, lead guitarist from the Slow Drags. Zach proved instrumental in helping his bandmates push through their grief to eventually finish the album (We Will Be Forgotten) they began before Scotland’s passing.

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Zach and Kris from Purusa, laying it down in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler.

The Secret Aardvark crew invited Zach to the podcast to share old stories about his experiences with the Slow Drags and also to update us with what he’s been working on musically, specifically a return to his old band Purusa, which has a show coming up at the Aladdin Theater in Portland on July 11. Zach and his Purusa partner Kris Kirkman show off their terrific talents performing a couple of original songs acoustically.

While choosing the guest for the show, Stacy and Kip also picked songs for the podcast playlist, combining a healthy dose of Scotland Barr songs from all three albums with classic songs that fit the Secret Aardvark “hot” theme, as you can see from the list below. As the beer and whiskey continue to flow, things get a little emotional as we remember our dear departed pal Scott and the impact he left on all of us.

So settle in and come along for the ride, and pour yourself a puddle of Aardvark to help keep it hot. Here’s the playlist.

Burning House of Love, X
Fire, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Sun Years, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Saving Grace, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Always Cherry, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Delta Dive, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Green Grass (Live In The Helm), Purusa
Man Of The Year (Live In The Helm), Purusa
Ring Of Fire, Johnny Cash
Play With Fire, The Rolling Stones
Hot Child In The City, Nick Gilder
Juanita, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Dirty Old Waltz, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Come To Bed, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
If You Fall, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Rock Solid, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Right Where You’re Supposed To Be, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
Washing Over Me, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags
You’re Gonna Be All Right, Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags

Episode #49 featuring M. Lockwood Porter

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Neither the cosmos nor the wind, but a helluva a songwriter. M. Lockwood Porter in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Episode #49 with M. Lockwood Porter

The man whose music once brought a hush over The Helm paid a visit last week to our podcast home for an interview and performance. He didn’t know the backstory — how the first time we shared the song “Chris Bell” from his stunning record of last year “27” a quiet fell over the room as our hosts and friends listened intently to his arresting tribute to the late Big Star singer.

It’s one of several stories we share with M. Lockwood Porter better known to his friends as Max, when he stopped by just minutes before his show at the White Eagle Saloon in Portland. Getting to know Max better ourselves, we find out how this Yale-educated songsmith found his way from his hometown in the heart of the Bible Belt — Tulsa, Oklahoma — to his current hombase of the East Bay in Northern California.

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M. Lockwood Porter laying it down in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler

Max speaks of his younger days playing in punk bands around Tulsa, how he first met fellow troubadour (and podcast favorite) John Moreland as teenagers and how he began to develop his own music voice from his extended studies of poetry and literature. He also speaks of how the title of his record came to him during the mastering process, when he realized that much of the lyrical content in the “27” record revolved around where he was in life around the time of his 27th birthday.

Of course, that 27th year took away several rock icons, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and less famously Chris Bell, the troubled Memphis rocker who died in a car crash at 27. Max’s song “Chris Bell” had alternative radio buzzing late last year, and he shares a live performance of it and a newer song, “Bright Star.”

We also have a batch of fantastic new songs on the playlist from some of our favorite artists, including Jason Isbell, Banditos, The Honeycutters, Michael Dean Damron and former podcast guests Ron Rogers & The Wailing Wind.

So set those phasers to stun and dial it in. It’s Episode #49 of That Much Further West Podcast. Here’s the playlist:

Chris Bell (Live In The Helm), M. Lockwood Porter
Bright Star (Live In The Helm), M. Lockwood Porter
Different Kind of Lonely, M. Lockwood Porter
Restless, M. Lockwood Porter
Couer d’Alene, M. Lockwood Porter
Let Me Know, Ron Rogers & The Wailing Wind
24 Frames, Jason Isbell
Golden Grease, Banditos
Whiskey And You, Chris Stapleton
Texas ’81, The Honeycutters
I Hope He Breaks Your Heart (Live ), American Aquarium
I Can’t Imagine, Shelby Lynne
20,000 Miles, Michael Dean Damron

 

Episode #48 featuring Alex Salcido of The Harmed Brothers

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The Harmed Brothers’ Alex Salcido bellied up to the bar at The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Episode #48 with Alex Salcido

Armed with a beautiful voice and a wonderfully beat up acoustic, longtime podcast pal Alex Salcido of The Harmed Brothers stopped back in The Helm last week as the featured artist for Episode #48, and we’re sure glad he did.

Just a few weeks back, Alex could be heard backing up his pal Tom VandenAvond in a special podcast taping and house show in The Helm. Now cooling his heels in Portland while working on the next Harmed Brothers record, Alex has been playing a few shows here and there around town while prepping for a summer of fun and music with his Harmed Brothers partner Ray Vietti.

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Alex Salcido, laying it down in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler

On this episode, Alex shares the stories of his musical journey from middle school up through the present, a long road with some interesting twists and turns along the way. The Harmed Brothers made quite a splash in 2013-14 with their terrific release “Better Days” on Fluff & Gravy Records, and we share a few of those songs on the show. But before then, Alex performs three fantastic newer tunes, including one he dedicates to his musical pal Drew Landry, currently on the mend from an auto accident. He sings, “Well be broke, but we’ll never be broken,” on the tune “Adopt A Highway.”

We also have some amazing new music to share, per usual. When he wasn’t spreading disinformation about NASCAR racing and Loudon Wainwright III, co-host Phil Favorite dug up brand-new, unreleased songs from The Earnest Lovers and Barna Howard as well as music from some killer Northwest bands he’s seen play live recently, including Evening Bell, The Ganges River Band and Jenny Don’t & The Spurs.

There’s also new music from John Moreland and Ryan Bingham as well as terrific cuts from podcasts favorites Caleb Caudle, Tim Barry, Cory Brannan and a closing track picked by co-host Mike Lee to shine the spotlight on the recent rioting in Baltimore.

So settle in for the ride and let Mr. Salcido’s voice carry you away. All you have to do is hit play. Here’s the playlist for Episode #48 of That Much Further West Podcast:

Dust Storm, Evening Bell
Eyes of Fire, The Ganges River Band
Angel of Sunrise, The Earnest Lovers
Indiana Rose, Barna Howard
Don’t Wanna Be Lonesome (Live in The Helm), Alex Salcido
Adopt A Highway (Live in The Helm), Alex Salcido
For Stephen Maddox (Live in The Helm), Alex Salcido
Ballad of Probably Not, The Harmed Brothers
When You See Me, The Harmed Brothers
Trade All The Lights (featuring Lydia Loveless), Caleb Caudle
Angelyne, Fernando
The James, Tim Barry
High On Tulsa Heat, John Moreland
Radio, Ryan Bingham
Trouble With The Law, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs
Downtown Girls, American Aquarium
Little Birds, Trujillo
Meantime Blues, Cory Branan
Hemingway’s Whiskey, Guy Clark
Streets of Baltimore, Gram Parsons

Episode #47 featuring Morgan Geer of Drunken Prayer

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The one and only Morgan Geer of Drunken Prayer re-visiting The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler (christophersohler.com)

Episode #47 with Morgan Geer

His home base these days is Asheville, N.C., USA, but the Pacific Northwest always keeps a light on for Morgan Geer of Drunken Prayer, our guest in The Helm for Episode #47. A longtime friend and favorite of the podcast, the Reverend Geer stopped by while doing a spate of shows — some solo, some with a filled out Drunken Prayer — in Oregon and Washington over the past few weeks.

In the course of our interview, Morgan talks about the different approaches he’s taken to the three Drunken Prayer records, the single he put out last year featuring songs by The Band and Willis Alan Ramsay, and the album he’s working on that will be coming out this summer on Fluff & Gravy Records. He also tells how he’ll be playing tour dates as a touring member of the seminal alt-country band Freakwater, which will be out supporting a new record on which Geer played guitar.

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Love Looks Like A Master — Morgan Geer, laying it down at The Helm in April 2015. Photo by Christopher Sohler

Morgan also shared a few solo versions of songs to expect on the coming Drunken Prayer album — “Love Looks Like A Master” and “Machines.” He said the new record won’t be as lo-fi as the previous Drunken Prayer record, House of Morgan, but not necessarily “just another Drunken Prayer record.”

He’ll be back in the Pacific Northwest this coming summer to play some shows in support of the new record, so we’re pretty sure we haven’t heard the last of Morgan Geer here at That Much Further West Podcast. And we made sure to play a few cuts from the previous records to help you get a feel for the wonderfully varied rock and soul Morgan cranks out under the Drunken Prayer flag.

We also play some great songs from some more of our favorite bands, including Big Shoals, The Calamity Cubes, The Bottle Rockets and a pair of tunes from the new record by John Moreland. Co-host Phil Favorite even risks his street cred by sharing a song by The Gin Blossoms. Call it a guilty pleasure.

So here’s the song list for Episode #47. Just press play and enjoy!

12 Steps, Big Shoals
Jumper Cables, Widower
Love Looks Like A Master (Live In The Helm), Drunken Prayer
Machines (Live in The Helm), Drunken Prayer
Take This Hammer, Drunken Prayer
The Missionfield, Drunken Prayer
Kite, The Calamity Cubes
Radar Gun, The Bottle Rockets
Cheatin’, The Gin Blossoms
Black River, W.C. Beck
Vanport 1948, Lewi Longmire
Mirror Behind The Man, Kate Mann
Hang Me In The Tulsa County Stars, John Moreland
Heart’s Too Heavy, John Moreland

Episode #46 featuring Hip Hatchet

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Philippe, the man known as Hip Hatchet, barside at The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler (christophersohler.com)

Episode #46 with Hip Hatchet

You can call him Philippe, or simply Phil, but the man known as Hip Hatchet is easily one of the best pickers and folk singers that we’ve had the pleasure of hosting in The Helm.

Our team first discovered Hip Hatchet at the 2013 Wildwood MusicFest and Campout and we’ve been following his progress ever since. Now ready with a fantastic new album titled “Hold You Like A Harness,” a long tour ready to launch and a release show planned for here in Portland this coming Friday at Secret Society, Hip Hatchet is poised to take his profile to a new level.

On this latest episode, we learn a little more about Philippe’s background growing up in New Jersey, his discovery of folk and country music during his college days, and the making of the new record with players from all over the country. We also get to experience the wonderful guitar playing and one-of-a-kind voice — described as “earthy” by co-host Eric Kotila —in live performances of two songs, including the title cut from the new record.

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Phil from Jersey, Taylor in hand, entertaining our guests in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler

With a three-month tour that will take him all over the country and up into Canada, Hip Hatchet is ready to take the world by storm with a record reflective of his terrific talent. Be sure to check him out when he rolls through your town, and if you’re here in Portland, catch him with a six-piece band this Friday at Secret Society.

We also share some great recorded music, some local to us here in Portland. Be sure to check out the tune from Malachi Graham, who celebrated the release of her new EP last week, as well as the songs from M. Lockwood Porter and Drunken Prayer, who will be a guests on the podcast in coming weeks.

Inspired by Hip Hatchet’s appearance on the show, co-host Mike Lee shared a set of songs featuring artists he discovered over the course of the first three Wildwood festivals, including Deadstring Brothers, C.W. Ayon and Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas.

So lots to enjoy on Episode #46. Dial it up, download it and dig in. Here’s the playlist:

Small Bird Song, Hip Hatchet
Hold You Like A Harness (Live in The Helm), Hip Hatchet
Joy of Repetition (Live in The Helm), Hip Hatchet
David’s Wolves, Hit Hatchet
Money Back, The Resolectrics
Pre-Code Blues, Malachi Graham
I Came Around, Possessed By Paul James
Good Time Gal, Copper & Coal
Chris Bell, M. Lockwood Porter
Cavalier, Shovels & Rope
Lucille’s Honky Tonk, Deadstring Brothers
Hollerin’ Mercy, Sidestreet Reny
Tired Oak, Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas
Catron Country Time, C.W. Ayon
Bible On The Dash (featuring Hayes Carll), Corb Lund
You Walk, Drunken Prayer
Remember Me, Fernando
AM Country Heaven, Jason Eady

TMFWP Special: An Evening with Tom VandenAvond

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Buddies and touring mates: Alex Salcido (left) and Tom VandenAvond in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Listen to Tom VandenAvond’s performance at The Helm from 3-25-15:

Tom V. in The Helm

Listen to Tom’s interview with the hosts of That Much Further West Podcast:

Interview with Tom V.

Tom VandenAvond is one of our finest modern American troubadours, and a longtime favorite of That Much Further West Podcast. That’s why we were thrilled to have Tom and his touring mate, Alex Salcido of The Harmed Brothers, in for a special house show in The Helm on March 25.

Tom V. was touring the Pacific Northwest promoting his latest CD, “Endtimes,” a record he made with the help of one of the Pac NW’s best bands, Larry and His Flask. With Salcido riding shotgun and adding banjo and other goodies, the house show at The Helm leaned heavily on cuts from “Endtimes” and his two other terrific CDs, 2012’s “Wreck of a Fine Man” (see video below) and 2010’s “You Ought To Know Me By Now.” All three records come highly recommended by the podcast crew.

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Tom V. with support from Marilee Hord and Alex Salcido.

You can almost hear the million road miles he’s covered in his raspy, whiskey-soaked voice as he entertains a small crowd of believers in The Helm. In our interview with the podcast hosts, Tom shared some tales from the road and how he ended up based in his current hometown of Knights Ferry, California, after a long stint in Austin, Texas. He also played a couple of bonus tunes accompanied by Salcido and our local friend Marilee Hord.

Enjoy the recordings and be sure to watch for Tom V. coming through your hometown soon. And follow all his comings and goings at tomvandenavond.com.

Episode #45 featuring The Git Rights Gospel Revue

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The Git Rights Gospel Revue (l to r): Levi Lunde, Michael Sean Cummins, Marilee Hord, Bob Dunham, Heather Jo Cahill and Chad Lanning. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Episode #45 with the Git Rights

Praise the Lord, we had The Git Rights Gospel Revue into The Helm for a rowdy good time in recording Episode #45. And before you ask, the answer is yes, we knew exactly what we were getting into.

The Git Rights are legends in the local bar circuit here in Portland. Their live shows feature an irreverent mix of country music and Christian outreach, all spouting from the mind of their humorous leader Michael Sean Cummins. The material is presented tongue-in-cheek, but the message is very real in calling out the hypocritical nature of conservative Christianity in America. Sometimes it’s OK to be a little naughty while being nice, and followers of the Git Rights know they’re in for a fun ride every time the band takes the stage. “It’s like going to church, and there’s whiskey,” Rev. Cummins explained.

On this episode, listeners will learn “It Ain’t Gay To Love Jesus,” and also that following Christ’s example isn’t all that difficult — pretty much “try not to be a prick.”

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The Git Rights sharing their gospel music in The Helm.

The Git Rights are prepping for a big show this coming Friday night at The World Famous Kenton Club, the North Portland bar that has served as their home base since their inception. It’s a birthday show for two of their members turning 40, and they’ll also be sharing the bill with one of the best bands in town, Root Jack. It’s a show that’s sure to reveal the Git Rights in their fun-loving glory, so be get there early and prepare for a sweaty, Jesus-lovin’ good time.

While this episode frequently twists and turns toward oblivion, we manage to keep it on the rails by sharing plenty of great music from the wonderful world of Americana and Alt-Country. Topping the playlist is a song, “Asymmetrical Man,” from the new EP by Portland treasure Randall Payton and his band Chez Stadium (search on Bandcamp). We also have tunes from Seattle’s Evening Bell and Chuckanut Drive as well cuts from C.W. Ayon, Charlie Parr, Cody Jinks and Micheal Dean Damron, among others.

So dial it up and open your heart to Jesus. Here’s the playlist:

Asymmetrical Man, Chez Stadium
To Love Somebody, Slobberbone
No Lonesome Tune, Townes Van Zandt
Dust Storm, Evening Bell
It Ain’t Gay To Love Jesus (Live In The Helm), The Git Rights Gospel Revue
Dead Guy On A Stick (Live In The Helm), The Git Rights Gospel Revue
The Hand Of The Almighty (Live In The Helm), The Git Rights Gospel Revue
When God Dips His Love In My Heart (Live In The Helm), The Git Rights Gospel Revue
Bring That Bottle, C.W. Ayon
The Speakeasy Solution, Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy
Funeral Road Blues, Charlie Parr
Burning .44, Chuckanut Drive
13 Years, Cody Jinks
Bad Days Ahead (Live), Michael Dean Damron

Episode #44 featuring Jenny Don’t & The Spurs

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We’ve been Spurred (l to r): Lewi Longmire, Jenny Don’t and Sam Henry in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Episode #44 with Jenny Don’t & The Spurs

Our latest night in The Helm was a rowdy one and made even rowdier by the presence of one of Portland’s best new country bands, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs. Featuring the terrific songwriting and acoustic playing of Jenny Don’t — best known for fronting the fabulous punk-surf-garage band Don’t — The Spurs were kind enough to stop by to promote the release of their new 7-inch and a concert they have coming up opening for Lukas Nelson & The Promise of The Real at Mississippi Studios on March 17.

The Spurs perform as a four-piece fronted by Jenny and backed by legendary drummer Sam Henry, guitarist Lewi Longmire and bassist Kelly Halliburton. Kelly missed the podcast (he’s on tour with his punk band P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S.), but the rest were on board at The Helm to share their thoughts on playing country music, touring Europe and reaching bigger, receptive audiences. And with Lewi adding some lead telecaster and Sam slapping a pair of brushes on a single snare drum, Jenny led the Spurs through a pair of brand-new songs that were warmly received by the excellent rogue’s gallery of Helm guests.

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Jenny Don’t has the chops and boots for kickin’ out the jams. Photo by Christopher Sohler

Once The Spurs wrapped up their interview, things devolved pretty quickly in typical That Much Further West Podcast fashion. But over the course of the episode our hosts managed to share their usual healthy dose of Americana and alt-country for the episode playlist.

Co-host Phil Favorite ran with an “Amarillo” theme, started by a request for the Austin band Lil Cap’n & Travis by our friend and in-house guest Shelby Farrar. Also on the list is a song “Amarillo” from the excellent new album by Ryan Culwell, and the same-titled classic by Emmylou Harris.

Co-host Eric Kotila added some great songs by some of the artists who will be performing at this coming summer’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, including Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit, Matt Woods and podcast favorite Emily Herring. And third amigo Mike Lee shares some tunes from and stories about a handful of his favorites, including 500 Miles To Memphis, Supersuckers and Soda Gardocki.

We saved the last song from the one and only Willie Nelson. And for the record, news of Willie’s death last week were greatly exaggerated, which is reason enough to dial it up and dig into Episode #44. Here’s the playlist:

My Life In Amarillo, Lil Cap’n & Travis
Amarillo, Ryan Culwell
Amarillo, Emmylou Harris
Do You Know Thee Enemy?, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
The Very Best, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit
Drinking To Forget, Matt Woods
Your Mistake, Emily Herring
The Fire (Live In The Helm), Jenny Don’t & The Spurs
The Note (Live In The Helm), Jenny Don’t & The Spurs
Shot My Old Man Down, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs
You Win Again, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs
Easy Come & Easy Go, 500 Miles To Memphis
Streets of Baltimore, Gram Parsons
Roadworn And Weary, Supersuckers
Gutter Queen, Soda Gardocki
Uncloudy Day, Willie Nelson