February Podcast Picks

Caitlin Sherman has a new record, Death to the Damsel, coming out soon.

Stream or download February Podcast Picks: February ’20 Podcast Picks

Seattle’s Caitlin Sherman’s been on our radar for some time. We first picked up the signal when she sang backups on The Swearengens album Waiting On The Sunrise, and later found her at the center of things in the killer alt-country band Evening Bell. Gifted with a beautiful voice and a talent for songwriting and performing, she never fails to deliver the goods.

That’s why it’s no surprise her breakout new solo album, Death of a Damsel, has industry folks buzzing ahead of its release. We kick off this month’s Podcast Picks with “War For You,” a rollicking romp from the new record. Sherman is just one of a bevy of our favorites who are delivering new records in the coming months, and we preview a bunch of them in this month’s picks.

You’ll hear new stuff from a few of our longtime faves such as John Moreland, Caleb Caudle, Possessed By Paul James, Lucinda Williams and Reckless Kelly, and terrific songs from rising stars such as Whitney Rose, Sammy Brue, Aubrie Sellers, Kelsey Waldon and Marcus King.

There’s a bit of playfulness when Lilly Hiatt name drops our hometown of Portland, OR, USA, and the usual wit and wisdom from our favorite Canadian Cowboy, Corb Lund — both have highly anticipated records coming soon. And the serious business is well handled on cuts from three of the best records of last year offered by Sturgill Simpson, Tanya Tucker and Ian Noe.

So dig right in. It’s our Podcast Picks for February — here’s the playlist:

War For You, Caitlin Sherman
Rollin’ On, Jesse Daniel
P-Town, Lilly Hiatt
Remember To Breathe, Sturgill Simpson
Believe Me, Angela, Whitney Rose
Self-Hatred featuring Derek Trucks, Marcus King
Thoughts and Prayers, Drive-By Truckers
Hard Luck, Tanya Tucker
I Only See You With My Eyes Closes, Reckless Kelly
Crash Test Kid, Sammy Brue
Lucky Charm, Aubrie Sellers
Barbara’s Song, Ian Noe
You Can Have It, Kelsey Waldon
Without You, The Steel Woods
Pearl Snaps, Jason Boland and the Stragglers
In Times Between, John Moreland
Your White Stained Dress, Possessed By Paul James
Man Without A Soul, Lucinda Williams
90 Seconds of Your Time, Corb Lund
Better Hurry Up, Caleb Caudle

Episode #95 featuring Tylor Ketchum of Tylor & The Train Robbers

Tylor Ketchum joined the podcast crew at Landmark Saloon in Portland to talk about his band’s awesome 2019 and their plans for the year ahead. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media.

Stream or download Episode 95: Episode 94 featuring Tylor Ketchum

Finding the right balance of work life and family life is a challenge most folks face every day, and for working/touring musicians, the struggle is very real.

For Tylor Ketchum, music and family have been intertwined since he was a young boy in Eastern Oregon picking up a guitar first owned by his uncle and then his mother. As he’s grown into a career as a country music songwriter and a band leader, family has remained at the heart of the band’s mission and at the root of his artistic vision.

Joining our team for Episode #95 of That Much Further West Podcast ahead of Tylor & The Train Robbers’ show last week at Landmark Saloon in Portland, OR, USA, Tylor shared stories about the evolution of the Boise, Idaho-based band and how the focus on family has allowed it to become one of the hottest hard-touring acts in alt-country.

The Train Robbers feature a rhythm section made up of Tylor’s brothers Jason and Tommy Bushman (bass and drums, respectively). The band’s terrific lead guitar player, Johnny “Shoes” Pisano, is Tylor’s father-in-law. And much of the subject matter in Tylor’s songwriting comes from his family history and the joys and struggles of trying to make it in the music business with the full-fledged backing of the people closest to him — his family.

Tylor Ketchum and his trusty Gibson J45, performing live at Landmark Saloon for Episode #95 of That Much Further West Podcast. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media.

For this episode, Tylor talks about the impact of heavy touring, the splash made by the band’s stunning 2019 album “Best of the Worst Kind” and how networking across the country ironically has made it easier to keep things close to home and hold on to the things that matter most.

He also shares a couple of solo acoustic performances that delighted our team and the folks who gathered at Landmark ahead of the band’s killer show that night.

So give it a listen. Here’s a list of the songs on Episode #95 of That Much Further West Podcast:

Fumblin’ For Rhymes, Tylor & The Train Robbers
Storyteller (Live At Landmark), Tylor Ketchum
Good At Bad News (Live At Landmark), Tylor Ketchum
These Eyes (Live At Landmark), Tylor Ketchum
Best Of The Worst Kind, Tylor & The Train Robbers

Wildwood ’19 Sessions — Drunken Prayer

Morgan Geer of Drunken Prayer debuts a new song, “Nachos For One,” in the podcast RV at last summer’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Video courtesy of Local Hero Media

Stream or download Wildwood ’19 Sessions — Drunken Prayer: Wildwood ’19 Drunken Prayer

There are a lot of great memories to unpack from last summer’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, but certainly one of the best was Drunken Prayer’s Friday night headlining set.

Flanked by a cast of talented Portland-based musicians, frontman Morgan Geer whipped the crowd into a frenzy while delivering tunes from the band’s spectacular breakout album of 2019, Cordelia Elsewhere.

The next day, the crew from That Much Further West Podcast welcomed Geer into the festival podcast RV to talk about the performance and get up to date on all things Drunken Prayer. Geer was in the midst of a cross-country road trip, traveling from his home in Asheville, N.C., along with his wife Krista and 6-year-old son Leon, covering thousands of miles and performing dozens of shows over a 75-day stretch.

He also shared a couple of performances on acoustic guitar, including a brand new song called “Nachos For One” (see video above) that he wrote while on the road in Europe opening for The Handsome Family.

Whenever Morgan and co-hosts Eric Kotila and Mike Lee get together, a lot of laughs ensue. So give it a listen and stayed tuned for more sessions from the RV at Wildwood in coming weeks as we try to shake off the winter doldrums and look ahead to warm, sunny days ahead.

Morgan Geer salutes the crowd after delivering the festival-opening blessing alongside Malachi Graham of Small Million at last summer’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in Sheridan, OR, USA. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media.

50 Podcast Picks from 2019

Have we seen the last of the Turnpike Troubadours? Here’s hoping for a revival and return to form in 2020 for the Oklahoma Red Dirt legends.

Stream or download 50 Podcast Picks from 2019: 50 Podcast Picks from 2019

After a maddening period that saw at least half a dozen stop and starts (cancelled shows, shaky performances, etc.), the Turnpike Troubadours — the rising Oklahoma-based band which seemed destined for big things — finally suspended all group activity in 2019. Some members turned their focus to other projects, while mercurial frontman and main songwriter Evan Felker retreated underground, leaving many to speculate that his personal problems threw the group’s future into jeopardy.

But late in the year, a new single by Felker emerged from Austin, TX, USA, where veteran singer-songwriter and producer Bruce Robison pinned down Felker to perform a few tunes in the studio for his burgeoning Next Waltz multimedia project. The song and video (see below) for “Whiskey In Your Water,” with Carrie Rodriguez singing a dual vocal, shows Felker in fine form and hints at exactly why he is so beloved by fans of the Troubadours and why concern for his well-being remains at the forefront of their thoughts.

We decided to kickoff our 50 year-end podcast picks with the tune in hopes that we haven’t seen the last of Felker and possibly the Turnpike Troubadours as a unit. It’s one of the songs from artists who made a big impact on the ears of our podcast producers in 2019.

Along with a bunch of great new discoveries this year, our podcast picks are highlighted by several career-best moments by some of our favorites, including many from friends and folks who have been guests on our show in the past.

So give it a listen with an ear toward finding your next favorite Americana or Roots act. We bet herein lies the fix you’re looking for in 2020. Here’s the playlist:

Whiskey In Your Water, Evan Felker with Carrie Rodriguez and The Next Waltzers
What You Don’t Know, Caroline Spence
Cordelia, Drunken Prayer
Good at Bad News, Tylor & The Train Robbers
Cheap Silver, Mike and the Moonpies
The House That Built Me, Tanya Tucker
Hey, Heartbreaker, Matt Woods
Things Like This, I See Hawks In L.A.
Big Black Chain, The Jackson County Kills
56 Fury, Rodney Crowell
Walk Through Fire, Yola
Jesus & Elvis, Hayes Carll
All Your’n, Tyler Childers
Ian McLagan, Drivin’ N Cryin’
Downtown, The Cactus Blossoms
Doubt, Clara Baker
Cocaine Country Dancing, Paul Cauthen
Giving Up, Tim Barry
California State Line, The Long Ryders
Emmanuel, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings
Mississippi Nuthin’, Shovels & Rope
So Long To The Traveling Kind, Tom Vanden Avond
Strange Shadows, Aaron Lee Tasjan
Colorado, The Quaker City Night Hawks
Sam’s House, An American Forrest
That’s How I Feel, Dori Freeman
Kind Days, John Calvin Abney
Rolling Stone, Whiskey Myers
Letter To Madeline, Ian Noe
Division Lines, Fernando
Back Into This Church, Ron Rogers & The Wailing Wind
Ruby, Strand of Oaks
Right At Home, Daystar
Old Black Magic, Josh Ritter
The Imperial, The Delines
Hard Time With The Truth, Kendell Marvel
Wake Up Call, Rich Layton and Tough Town
Wildflowers & Wine, Marcus King
The Dream Is Dead, M. Lockwood Porter
Fenceline, Anna Tivel
Excuse Me, Charley Crockett
Blue Earth County, Silver Lake 66
Sad Songs, Kassi Valazza
East October, John Moreland
Just Trying To Love, The Lonesome Billies
Old Soul, The Highwomen
Where The Buffalo Roam, David Quinn
Beautiful and Kind, Ryan Bingham
Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) (Acoustic), Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real

Wildwood ’19 Sessions — Tennessee Stiffs

Tennessee Stiffs from Austin, TX (l to r): Ethan Lee Sadler, Adrian Voorhies, Cara Jane Sadler and Casey Kuznieski.

Stream or download Wildwood ’19 Sessions — Tennessee Stiffs: Wildwood ’19 Tennessee Stiffs

If you took every type of authentic American music — blues, jazz, rock, gospel, etc. — and tossed them in a blender, the noise you would make would sound something like Tennessee Stiffs.

Following in the footsteps of Americana favorites like Scott H. Biram and Shovels and Rope, the Austin-based four-piece lean on each other’s vast array of influence to create music that’s as specific to their personalities as it is limitless in potential.

We at That Much Further West Podcast were introduced to the music of Tennessee Stiffs in the run-up to their appearance at last summer’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in Sheridan, OR, and after their killer performance on the festival stage we were thrilled when they accepted our invitation to join us in the podcast RV for an interview.

Turns out this fabulous foursome is as fun to hang out with as they are musically gifted. Led by the husband-and-wife team of Ethan Lee Sadler and Cara Jane Sadler, the group crowded in along with a great group of our friends and followers for a fantastic visit led by podcast co-hosts Eric Kotila and Mike Lee.

During the interview, we learn about the formation of the band and also some of the struggles they’ve faced in the subsequent years of album-making and touring, and also the many and varied influences the group calls upon to generate their authentic sound. They also share a few sweet performances that will clue you in on why we’ve come to love this crew.

Enjoy this interview and be sure to take a look at the video (below) our teammate Anne Marie from Local Hero Media made from her cramped, restricted seat in the RV. A great memory for the podcast team we won’t soon forget!

November Podcast Picks

Chicago’s David Quinn released his debut album Wanderin’ Fool earlier this year, and his song “Long Time Gone” is featured on Bloodshot Records’ 25th Anniversary compilation album Too Late To Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots.

Stream or download November Podcast Picks: November ’19 Podcast Picks

We’ve reached the home stretch of the 2019 year in music, and a number of our favorite artists new and old are finishing with a strong kick. We feature a bunch of them here in our November Podcast Picks, including Nashville powerhouse Ashley McBryde, who recently was named New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards.

One of our favorite new discoveries of 2019 is Chicago’s David Quinn, who we saw for the first time back in March opening for Mike and the Moonpies. Quinn delivers a traditional honky tonk sound on his debut record Wanderin’ Fool, and live his band takes it up a notch for a rowdy, rockin’ good time.

We kick off our podcast picks with Quinn’s song “Long Time Gone,” featured on the recently released 25th anniversary compilation from insurgent country leaders Bloodshot Records. It’s a traditional honky tonk shuffle with prominent pedal steel and dirty lead guitar that blends perfectly with Quinn’s easy-going lead vocal.

Quinn has enjoyed a terrific year with a steady stream of gigs opening for some of strongest country artists out there. We expect to hear a lot more from this talented performer in the coming years.

We also share tunes from some of best country and roots records of this year, including songs from Paul Cauthen, Cat Clyde, JP Harris, Orville Peck, Cody Johnson. There also is a number from the new Vetiver record, out now on Mama Bird Recording Co., and a new song from Bart Budwig from a record due soon on Fluff & Gravy Records.

And be sure to scroll down to check out a video for the song “Cold Civil War” from our longtime pal Matt Woods. It’s designed to get you in the mood for Thanksgiving dinner with the relatives, whatever be their personal and political beliefs. Nice work, Matt!

It’s all right here folks, so grab a fork and knife and dig in. It’s our November Podcast picks — here’s the playlist:

Long Time Gone, David Quinn
A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega, Ashley McBryde
Messin’ With The Kid, The Saints
Big Velvet, Paul Cauthen
Monroe County Nights, Austin Lucas
Whatever Gets You Through The Night, Erin Enderlin
Elijah Ramsey, The Quaker City Night Hawks
I Only Drink Alone, JP Harris
Turn To Hate, Orville Peck
Bird Bone, Cat Clyde
Monday Morning Merle, Cody Johnson
Hungry Heart, The Mavericks
Cold Civil War, Matt Woods
Far From Home, Aubrie Sellers
The Meaning Of The Word, Ags Connolly
A Beauty In The Horizon, Garrett T. Capps
All We Could Want, Vetiver
Human Again, Bart Budwig
You’ve Got Other Girls For That, Lillie Mae

Wildwood ’19 Sessions — Willy Tea Taylor

Willy Tea Taylor on stage at the 2019 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in Sheridan, OR, U.S.A.
Photo by Chad Lanning

Stream or download Wildwood ’19 Sessions — Willy Tea Taylor: Wildwood ’19 Willy Tea

Daylight Savings Time has slipped away, and as darkness descends earlier each day, we start to dream of the sunshine and some of our favorite things about the summer.

Here at That Much Further West Podcast, summer is our favorite time of year because we gather enforce at our favorite summer festival, the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in Sheridan, OR. It’s where we discover so much great new music every year, and also where we meet up with old friends, some of which we may see only once a year.

And we definitely count Willy Tea Taylor among those friends. He’s been a guest on our show many times over the years and always brings a little bit of magic with him when he shows up at Wildwood. This past summer, he joined our co-hosts Eric Kotila and Mike Lee along with team videographer Anne Marie for an interview and intimate performance in the podcast RV.

Tune in to the find out what Willy Tea has cooking in the coming months, and listen to a few special performances, including a new song called “The Nurse” (see video below).

This is the first of several sessions we plan to publish over the course of the coming weeks. We hope these sessions will have you pining for summer festival season 2020 — and like us, looking forward to the lineup announcement for Wildwood ’20.

Give this first one a spin, and enjoy!

October Podcast Picks

Tim Barry is back with a new collection of great songs.

Stream or download October Podcast Picks: October ’19 Podcast Picks

Tim Barry is no stranger to the music scene, having spent the last 30 years as lead singer of the seminal hard-core/punk band, Avail, out of Richmond, VA.

Known for their off the wall live shows and relentless touring schedule, Avail stopped touring a dozen or so years ago, which happened to be right about the time Barry’s solo career started taking off, and he has kept that hard-driving work ethic as a singer songwriter.

A month after finishing a string of sold out reunion shows to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the lauded Avail album, Over The James, Barry recently released his sixth full-length album since 2006. The Roads to Richmond contains 12 new songs and all the heartfelt and no-punches-pulled feeling Tim has delivered to us all these years.

That’s why we’re kicking off our latest batch of podcast picks with “Fussin’ Over,” a tune that sits right in the heart of The Roads to Richmond. It’s just one of a bunch of new songs that have flown on to our radar over the past month and are included in this month’s picks.

The playlist also includes new music from Dori Freeman, Chris Knight, Kelsey Waldon, Cody Jinks, John Moreland, Neil Young, Kacy & Clayton, The Dead South and Michaela Anne. But we’re especially excited to share “Big Black Chain” from local Portland faves The Jackson County Kills, whose frontman, Matty Charles, was our featured guest earlier this year for Episode 92.

We’re also honored to share with you a song by Little Sue, who earlier this month was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame (congrats, Sue!), and a groovy little number by The Lonesome Billies that shows off the funkier side of their take on country music.

Lots more good stuff here, so dig right in! Here’s the playlist for our October Podcast Picks . . . Enjoy!

Fussin’ Over, Tim Barry
Things Like This, I See Hawks In L.A.
That’s How I Feel, Dori Freeman
Big Black Chain, The Jackson County Kills
I‘m William Callahan, Chris Knight
I Can’t Stop Drinking, The Menzingers
Tell ‘Em What It’s Like, Cody Jinks
Anyhow, Kelsey Waldon
Every Mother’s Son, The Drive-By Truckers
Gonna Make It Real, The Long Ryders
East October, John Moreland
By Our Design, Michaela Anne
We Were Cowboys Then, Tom VandenAvond
Revolution Blues, Neil Young
Intervention, Kacy & Clayton
Broken Cowboy, The Dead South
Built For Love, Little Sue
Just Trying To Live, The Lonesome Billies
Running On Empty, Kassi Valazza
All Your’n, Tyler Childers

Episode #94 featuring William Surly

William Surly in his natural habitat . . . hanging at Landmark Saloon in Portland. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media

Stream or download Episode 94: Episode 94 featuring William Surly

His given name is Michael Scheidt, but when you are a member of the Lonesome Billies, you are destined to be Billied.

So he became William Surly — singer, songwriter, bass player and general jack-of-all-musical trades for the Portland-based country quartet. Surly, though, seems to be a bit of a misnomer. As our guest for Episode #94 of That Much Further West Podcast, Surly proved to be fun and friendly if not a little bit feisty.

Chalk it up to being the youngest of five competitive brothers who grew up listening to all kinds of music, from new wave and punk to classic rock. It all helped shape the artist who performs as William Surly, a player who found his calling in country music and who has emerged from being a role player in a band to taking center stage as a solo performer.

A few weeks ago he sat down with the podcast crew at Landmark Saloon ahead of his twice-monthly solo gig to talk about his role in The Lonesome Billies and the path that led him from punk rock to country.

He credits his mother and her collection of folk records for steering him toward the songwriting heroes who inspired his journey. But he said it’s the friendships and chemistry that he’s developed with his fellow bandmates that inspires him to take musical chances and trust the direction he’s headed.

William Surly, sharing some tunes at Landmark Saloon.
Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media

He also shares a few sweet acoustic performances during the interview, including two songs from the new Lonesome Billies album “Right On Time” that is drawing critical praise for its outlaw country sound and vibe.

So dig into this brand new episode of That Much Further West Podcast and get to know William Surly — the bearded guy in the cowboy hat who’s living the dream, one shot of tequila at a time.

Here’s the playlist from Episode #94:

Away From My Big City Dreams, The Lonesome Billies
Tall Cotton (Live at Landmark), William Surly
Sad Old Man, The Lonesome Billies
Just Tryin’ To Live (Live at Landmark), William Surly
The Bottle Knows Me Better (Live at Landmark), William Surly
Pine Box, The Lonesome Billies

Mike Lee and Phil Favorite from That Much Further West Podcast come face-to-face with William Surly at Landmark Saloon.

Review of The Complete Recordings by Daystar

The Complete Recordings by Daystar (2019, Independent release)

By Phil Favorite
That Much Further West Podcast

Rock and roll ain’t what it used to be, but every once in a while a song or a record or a band comes along to remind us why we love it and what we love about it.

The infectious rock of Daystar is designed to do just that. An unabashed throwback, Daystar — with their rootsy, jangly guitar riffs and pining croon — take you on an upbeat “best of” ride through the history of power pop on their debut record, The Complete Recordings.

Singer-songwriter Derek Phillips displays a deft handle at the controls. His sweet, slightly strained vocal pours nicely over a bed of catchy four-chord melodies reminiscent of bands like Faces, The Move, Big Star and the best of ’90s Brit Pop.

“Right at Home” sets the tone from the top. With its thumping floor tom and introductory power chords, it’s an arresting album opener meant to get the blood pumping. The songs that follow shift, whirl, crest and crash like waves before the warm ballad “Warped Reality” brings the A side to a close.

The record gets a little more musically ambitious as things move along, but Daystar manages to evoke a sunny optimism even when the mood gets serious.

For rock and roll fans dreading the coming winter darkness, this is a record to keep in your pocket. The Complete Recordings is like a blast of Vitamin D to help ward off the gathering gloom.

Podcast Trio Bravo

Stream “Right at Home”: Right At Home

Stream “Buttons and Brass”: Buttons and Brass

Stream “Angelina”: Angelina

Daystar celebrates the release of The Complete Recordings on Saturday, Oct. 19 at Bunk Bar, 1028 S.E. Water Ave. in Portland. The Resolectrics and Maurice & The Stiff Sisters open. 8:30 p.m. $10