The bandstand prophets of the Texas saloon must preach to
their flock with conviction. They must reach a common ground and the message
must be genuine. Their converts must know their musical guides have travelled
the same roads and the mud drying on their boots has the same mix of bravado
and despair. We don’t step up to the pine to drown our sorrows but to confide
in our brothers and sisters with a round of shots and boots stomping on the
dance floor in front of our roadhouse preachers.
The Ft. Worth-based Vandoliers certainly seem up to the task with their latest effort, “Forever,” on Bloodshot Records. They guide us through the ups and downs of modern American life of not only the Texan but every hard-working, blue-collar soul in this country. We don’t take jet-away vacations but long road trips with our crew, enjoying all the local flavor of the places our wheels roll through. We hate our jobs but find pride in our hard work and reward ourselves plenty with the sinful pleasures of our wild world.
Tylor & The Train Robbers are set for a big year in support of their new album,“Best of the Worst Kind,” due in April.
As lineups for the Northwest’s big summer music festivals are being revealed, a familiar name continues to pop up, included among several impressive billings.
Tylor & The Train Robbers, the Idaho-based country rock four-piece fronted by singer Tylor Ketchum, is on the bill at three of the festivals on the That Much Further West Podcast radar: The Jackalope Jamboree in Pendleton, OR in June; the Wild Hare Country Festival in Canby, OR in July; and the Braun Brothers Reunion — the annual three-day event hosted by members of Reckless Kelly and Mickey and the Motorcars — in Challis, ID in August.
Here in Portland, OR, USA, we won’t have to wait that long to catch Tylor and the band. They have back-to-back shows scheduled, headlining March 12 at Landmark Saloon and opening for fellow Idahoans Jeff Crosby & The Refugees at Mississippi Studios on March 13.
The shows will provide a great preview of the Train Robbers’ new record, Best of the Worst Kind, due for release on April 26. We open this month’s podcast picks with “Hide Your Goat,” one of a dozen fresh cuts that make up the new record. We’re stoked to be able to share the tune and to catch the band as they roll through town.
Clara Baker’s new record, “Things To Burn,” hits the streets March 8.
Speaking of hot releases, we also share a tune from the new record by avant-folk artist Clara Baker, who celebrates the release with a show at The Old Church in Portland this Saturday, March 2. Born of the bleak, frozen woods of the Midwest, “Doubt” illustrates Baker’s ability to mix measured, lyrical expression with lush instrumentation and arrangements reminiscent of Bon Iver.
Maybe it’s inspiration from Baker, who knows why? But we get pretty folky with this month’s picks, including great songs by Taylor Kingman, James Low, M. Lockwood Porter and Emma Hill. We also were influenced by some of the great shows we’ve witnessed recently, including recent Portland performances by Blackberry Smoke and Drunken Prayer.
We also include great new songs from Robert Ellis, Hayes Carll and Son Volt, and re-stamp our country card on the strength of some fine tunes from Little Sue, Miller & Sasser, Whitney Rose, Dee White, Charles Wesley Godwin and wrap it with a stunning new tune from breakout Country Soul singer Yola.
It’s all there just for y’all, so crank it up!
Here’s the track list for our March Podcast Picks. Enjoy!
Hide Your Goat, Tylor & The Train Robbers Mind of Its Own, Miller & Sasser I’ll Keep Ramblin’, Blackberry Smoke Ain’t No Grave, Drunken Prayer I Called You Up To See If You Were Dead, Taylor Kingman Down To You, Little Sue The Stars Don’t Care, The James Low Western Front Doubt, Clara Baker None’ya, Hayes Carll The 99, Son Volt Stumbling Toward The Dawn, M. Lockwood Porter Just Good Night, Michigan Rattlers Going To California, The Lil’ Smokies Don’t Knock On My Door, Emma HIll Nobody Smokes Anymore, Robert Ellis You Don’t Own Me, Whitney Rose Crazy Man, Dee White Coal Country, Charles Wesley Godwin Ride Out In The Country, Yola
World Gone Wild by Ron Rogers & The Wailing Wind (2019, self-released)
By Phil Favorite That Much Further West Podcast
Before he sank his feet into rich soil of the Pacific Northwest roots rock scene, Ron Rogers survived a spell working a variety of music business gigs in Los Angeles.
In that time he saw the best and worst of the industry, spending countless hours in the studio as an engineer, working for labels in various roles, and all the while working to perfect his craft as a songwriter and guitarist.
But nothing he experienced in L.A. or since moving to Portland has washed clean the Texa-delic blood he was baptized in as a younger man, and which infuses the sound of his band, The Wailing Wind, and their current album, World Gone Wild.
The band’s third album is a delightful throwback to the late ’60s, when Texas-based bands made bold musical statements on par with anything that came out of the Summer of Love scene in San Francisco. But unlike the wild head trips of The 13th Floor Elevators and the would-be hippy anthems of the Sir Douglas Quintet, Ron Rogers & The Wailing Wind deliver an upscale, more straightforward psychedelia that’s built for modern clubs and is perfect Internet radio.
It’s colorful, it’s danceable, and it rocks.
Credit goes to the whole cast of characters who make up the The Wailing Wind. Drummer Chris Bond and bassist Don Campbell provide the luscious groove, and a rotating lineup of lead guitarists including Chris Viola, Grant Cumpston and Mark Bowden deliver the twists that turn the record into a thrill ride.
But it’s the presence of backup singer Deborah Giles that adds a whole new element to the Wailing Wind sound. She joined the band after release of the band’s eponymously titled 2013 album, and has been riding shotgun alongside Rogers at the front of the band ever since.
Sometimes bold, often haunting, Giles’ voice is the perfect foil to Rogers’ creaking-door tenor.
Her presence is felt right off the top with the album opener “Ride On Baby,” which sets the trippy tone from the get-go. On “Slave Boy,” Rogers shows off his talent for clever wordplay, where the protagonist (antagonist?) proclaims, “I can wear these chains and shackles, and make you think they’re the latest style.”
The ride is mostly wild throughout but well balanced by some sweeter moments, including the tender ballad “Let Me Know.” But eventually all roads lead to Texas, where the “Flames of Waco” and “Beulahland” reveal a history both somber and foot-stomping.
Just goes to show, you can take the boy out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the boy.
Thars the Stars: Portland’s Stars of Cascadia are back with a new record, Fairfield.
We’re keeping it live and local to start off 2019, and kicking things off with a killer cut from that fun and rollicking band of Portland alt-country grinders, Stars of Cascadia. Their new CD Fairfield just hit the streets this week, and “The Great Divide” is a near perfect tune to sum up the mid-Trump swamp we find ourselves wading through daily. Singer Scott Jeffries gets nostalgic on this new disc, ruminating on the Viet Nam era and the last time . . . say, 1968 . . . when the U.S. felt this very divided.
The Delines may be considered a local band in our neck of the woods, but they’re killing it right now in the U.K. and Ireland on their first tour in a couple of years. We caught both of their warm-up shows in Portland before they headed across the Atlantic to promote their brand new album, The Imperial, which is pulling rave reviews around the globe. We share the title cut here.
And while you’re cranking this latest playlist, be sure to stick around for a song from the Portland trio Five Letter Word. We first saw these talented ladies at last year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, and they blew us away with their amazing harmonies and stellar musicianship. Their debut record, Siren, dropped earlier in January, but we expect to be hearing a whole lot of great things from them throughout 2019 and beyond.
We also share new music from Son Volt, Joshua Ray Walker, Ryan Bingham, Vandoliers, Bob Sumner and a song by Ryan Adams with a title that pretty much sums up our feeling about the winter weather in the Pacific Northwest. Not that we’re complaining. Sending out good wishes to our friends in the Midwest (we’re looking at you, Bloodshot Records crew) who are suffering through a record-shattering Arctic blast that arrived in the Great Lakes region overnight.
Since you folks are pretty much stuck inside for a bit, crank up our January Podcast Picks!
Here’s the playlist:
The Great Divide, Stars of Cascadia The Imperial, The Delines Burn It, Joshua Ray Walker Jingle And Go, Ryan Bingham Mountain Girl, Shane Smith 5 Acres Of Turnips, Pistol Annies Saturday Satan Sunday Saint, Charley Crockett Me And Hayes, Mike and the Moonpies Jesus And Elvis, Hayes Carll Troublemaker, Vandoliers The Way She Looked At You, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers Bourbon And Blood, The Comacheros Southern Accents, The Steel Woods Go Home, Garrett T. Capps Riverbed, Bob Sumner Easier To Go, Five Letter Word Living Free, Jack Waters and the Unemployed F*ck The Rain, Ryan Adams
Cool breeze from Carolina: Caleb Caudle captivated the Mission Theater crowd opening for Corb Lund in Portland on January 13. Photo courtesy of Greg Homolka
It’s been a been a steady, six-year rise for alt-country singer-songwriter Caleb Caudle. Through regular touring and a rock-solid catalog of terrific records, Caudle has emerged as one of Americana’s best acts, whether fronting a band or performing solo.
We caught up with Caleb during a recent west-coast swing opening for Canadian country singer Corb Lund. Over a quick conversation in his dressing room at the Mission Theater in Portland (with Lund’s band sound checking for that evening’s show in the background), Caudle shares some thoughts on his career so far and the many exciting happenings ahead for 2019.
During the interview, you’ll hear about his first trip to perform in U.K., a move he’s planning from his home near Winston-Salem, N.C. to Nashville, and the amazing project he’s undertaking for the making of his next album (and the A-list all-star band he’s put together for the recording).
We also mix in a couple of our favorite songs from Caleb’s career so far (listed below). Visit Caleb’s website for more information about his music, upcoming show dates and how you can contribute to the making of his upcoming record. And expect more great stuff from this talented young man in the coming years.
Piedmont Sky Empty Arms Love That’s Wild Trade All The Lights (featuring Lydia Loveless)
So much great music, and right in our wheelhouse . . . 2018 will be remembered not for one, two or even 10 great albums but a whole slew of game-changing efforts by a wide-ranging list of Americana artists. Whether it was the outlaw country of Whitey Morgan, the timeless folk of John Prine, the disarming, gritty alt-country of Sarah Shook or the multi-pronged Americana of Western Centuries, 2018 delivered an immeasurable amount of fabulous Roots music, all fitting nicely under the That Much Further West Podcast umbrella.
All of the artists included on this list of year-end picks found their way on to our Portland-based podcast this year, either as a monthly or seasonal pick, the subject of a review, or as a featured guest interviewed by our three co-hosts, Mike Lee, Eric Kotila and Phil Favorite. The lads put their heads together for this year-end feature, finding it difficult not only to single out this handful of fantastic performers but even to choose songs from albums loaded with potential entries. With just 25 songs on the list, it’s easy to see how this list could have been twice as long if not longer— all you have to do is look at the countless year-end “best of” lists already published in the preceding weeks.
With so many great acts to choose from, including many (see: Brent Cobb, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Courtney Marie Andrews, American Aquarium) drawing universal praise for the fantastic records they put out this year, we decided to feature a band that we hadn’t paid quite enough attention to on the podcast this year. Over the better part of the last decade, Texas-bred stalwarts Mike and the Moonpies have been bringing their world-class country to the people, building a reputation as one of America’s finest representatives of the white-hot Red Dirt movement.
Following in the footsteps of some of our favorites, like Chris Knight, Reckless Kelly and Turnpike Troubadours, Mike and the Moonpies hit a home run with their 2018 record Steak Night At The Prairie Rose, a must listen for every fan of country music. We kick off our year-end picks with their song “Beaches of Biloxi,” a potent cocktail of temptation, addiction and regret befitting a truly great country song.
Let it serve as a launching point, not just for this playlist but for our pursuit of more fantastic music to share with you as the calendar turns to another year. Be on the lookout for Mike and the Moonpies (see video below) and all the great artists and music we share here and throughout the coming year.
Here’s our humble list of Year End Podcast Picks. Thank you for listening. Enjoy.
Beaches of Biloxi, Mike and the Moonpies Elevator Blues, The Resolectrics NYC In The Rain, Caleb Caudle Damned If I Do, Damned If I Don’t, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers Ballad For The Trees, I See Hawks In L.A. Heart Slows Down, Aaron Lee Tasjan Cadillac Man, Wes Youssi & The County Champs Bad Time To Be An Outlaw, The Bottle Rockets Every Time I Hear That Song, Brandi Carlile A Hole In My Grave, Chuck Westmoreland Lonesome Friends Of Science, John Prine The World Is On Fire, American Aquarium Girl Going Nowhere, Ashley McBryde Everything Has Changed, Lucero Set Em Up (I’m Afraid To Go Home), Countryside Ride Cowboys And Canyon Queens, John Calvin Abney Border, Courtney Marie Andrews Wild You Run, Western Centuries King Of Alabama, Brent Cobb What Am I Supposed To Do, Whitey Morgan and the 78’s My Sweet Arsonist, Karen Jonas Plain To See Plainsman, Colter Wall Ain’t Gotta Worry Child, Charley Crockett The Being Gone, Jamie Lin Wilson Kick The Lights Out, Hearts Of Oak
Terri Lynn Davis sheds a little grace on Landmark Saloon for Episode #91 of That Much Further West Podcast. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media (www.localheromedia.com)
There’s something about the expansive landscapes of the western United States — big skies, mountain passes, open roads — that tug at our sense of adventure, prying us loose from the big city, pushing us to explore the vast country on the horizon. It’s a feeling that seems to flow through the music of Terri Lynn Davis, and for good reason.
She’s bounced around the West for a number of years since uprooting from her native New Mexico, finally settling in our home base of Portland, OR, USA. It’s here that she’s mingled among the burgeoning country music scene, making connections and impressing with her singing and songwriting chops.
Terri Lynn Davis, performing live at Landmark Saloon. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media
We were thrilled to rope the always energetic Terri Lynn into our world for Episode #91 of That Much Further West Podcast, recorded live at Landmark Saloon in SE Portland. On the show, she talks about moving around the western states after graduating from college, eventually picking up the guitar to start writing and performing in Montana. She speaks about finding her place the local country scene, and some of the artists — such as Jaime Wyatt and Alice Wallace — who inspire her by their hard work and dedication.
She also shares a few live performances of songs from her “Hey Love, Hold On” EP, which she recorded in Portland about two years back. Recently, Terri Lynn has been in the studio recording new songs and also performing locally, but the road is always calling. She’ll be undertaking a long trip that will take her through the wilds of Texas in the early part of 2019, so be sure to keep an eye out for her.
In the meantime, enjoy this latest bit of fun — here’s the playlist for Episode #91.
Montana Love Song, Terri Lynn Davis Little Grace (Live at Landmark Saloon),Terri Lynn Davis Lightin’ Your Cigarette (Live at Landmark Saloon),Terri Lynn Davis Hey Love, Hold On (Live at Landmark Saloon),Terri Lynn Davis
The Bottle Rockets cemented their place in the history of alt-country long ago, when the Missouri-based band emerged from the mid-90s wave as one of the genre’s most trusted acts. With singer-writer-guitarist Brian Henneman at the center of things, the band became well known for its catchy, witty and raucous tunes while surfing in the wake of the breakup of St. Louis-area mates Uncle Tupelo.
Twenty-plus years later and The Bottle Rockets are still at it, and the acclaim is rolling in for their brand-new Bloodshot Records release, Bit Logic. It’s everything you’d hope for from a Bottle Rockets record, with memorable songs in their unmistakable style stacked one after another.
We launch our November Podcast Picks with “Lo-Fi,” an easy-going homage to the A.M. radio and a reminder of how Henneman can take a simple groove and melody and turn it into something special. This month’s picks also include new music from rising Austin star Carson McHone, Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, smoking hot country singer Dillon Carmichael and Kentucky-based songwriter Dan Conn.
We also have a brand-new song that represents a bit of a comeback by The Delines, who have been out of commission for about a year due to an injury to singer Amy Boone — great to see them back in action. Be sure to look for their new record, The Imperial, due early next year.
There are also a number of our favorites, both national and local to our scene in Portland, OR, USA, including Roseanne Cash, Tim Barry, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlisle and Taylor Kingman. And be sure to make it all the way through this extended list of picks because The Resolectrics wrap things up with their instant classic “I Love You.”
So dial it in, crank it up and kick back. It’s our November Podcast Picks . . . here’s the playlist:
Lo-Fi, The Bottle Rockets Drugs, Carson McHone Three Sheets To The Wind, Jim Boyer Last Lion Of Albion, Neko Case Rise Again, Root Jack Eddie And Polly, The Delines What Am I Supposed To Do, Whitey Morgan and the 78’s 8 Gods Of Harlem, Roseanne Cash Old Flame, Dillon Carmichael Undercover Agent For The Blues, Tina Turner Polk Salad Annie, Tony Joe White Harder To Forgive, Brandi Carlisle Green Eyed Gal, Dan Conn Always Been You, Lucero Swingset Assassin, Two Cow Garage Testify, Blackberry Smoke A Curious Pride, Taylor Kingman
Streets of Aberdeen, Hellbound Glory Dog Bumped, Tim Barry Cumberland Gap, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit Icicle Tusk, Fleet Foxes The Very Last Day, Parker Milsap I Love You, The Resolectrics
Nate Wallace returns to That Much Further West Podcast with a new Hearts of Oak record and a maturing writing style. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media (www.localheromedia.com)
It’s true. We’re all a little more grey since the last time Nate Wallace of Hearts of Oak joined us for an episode of That Much Further West Podcast.
But like fine wine, we like to think we’re getting better with age, and listening to “Moves,” the fabulous new record by Hearts of Oak, we think the same of Mr. Wallace and his fabulous band. That’s why we were thrilled Nate could join us for podcast Episode #90, recorded live at Landmark Saloon on a rainy October night in Portland, OR, U.S.A.
On this episode, Nate talks about how the evolution of the band led to a more cohesive sound on the new record. Recorded at The Deer Lodge in Portland with bandmate Ezra Meredith at the engineering controls, “Moves” sounds like a band hitting its stride, with older and newer members of the band having found their place in the music and contributing to every song.
Nate Wallace of Hearts of Oak, performing live at Landmark Saloon for Episode #90 of That Much Further West Podcast. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media.
He also talks about his songwriting process, which also has evolved over time, and how he finds inspiration in continually listening to new music — he says he just picked up a record by Colter Wall that hits close to home in terms of style and substance. After talking about his influences, we felt compelled to share a song by the late Jason Molina from his days with Songs: Ohia.
Nate also shares a few live solo performances, including a song from the new record, an newer unreleased song and a cover song from one of his Deer Lodge Records labelmates.
There’s an intimate, cinematic vibe to Nate’s songwriting that not only draws the listener in, but makes you want to get behind the fabulous, adventurous soundscape that surrounds everything Hearts of Oak does live and in the studio.
So settle in for a fun listen — it’s Episode # 90 of That Much Further West Podcast.
Here’s the playlist:
Outlaws, Hearts of Oak Worthless Currency (Live at Landmark Saloon), Nate Wallace Hoary Man (Live at Landmark Saloon), Nate Wallace Just Be Simple, Songs: Ohia I Hope He Breaks Your Heart (Live at Landmark Saloon), Nate Wallace Kick The Lights Out, Hearts of Oak
Matt Cadenelli is the Swiss Army Knife of the Portland roots music scene — if there’s a job to be done, Cadenelli has something in his musical tool box to get it done. He’s a terrific drummer who is a seemingly perfect fit for any band he slides into. His preternatural talent for harmony singing makes him a welcome addition for any act that puts a high value on vocals. And the list of bands with which he works here in the Pacific Northwest is too long to list here.
But it’s as the Don of Division Street where Cadenelli takes center stage, shining the spotlight on his world class ability as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and singer. With a voice that fits nicely in the classic Americana realm where Jackson Browne and Ryan Adams have flourished, Cadenelli’s singing is the musical equivalent of the perfect soup and sandwich on a crisp fall day.
That’s why “Fire Bird,” the lead/title track from the new CD by The Don of Division Street is the perfect choice to kick off our October Podcast Picks. It’s one of several great songs on the new disc, which you can preview and purchase here. We highly recommend you do just that.
We also share music from new records by Lucero, Courtney Barnett, The Resolectrics, Aaron Lee Tasjan and a haunting song, “My Mother And The Devil,” from the stunning new record by longtime podcast favorite Austin Lucas. Be sure to pick up “Immortal Americans,” recorded by famed engineer Steve Albini at his studio in Chicago, Electrical Audio. Lucas will be in Portland for a show at Dante’s on Oct. 11.
We also feature some terrific female voices in this month’s picks, including a nice cover of The Turnpike Troubadours’ song “Oklahoma Stars” by Jamie Lin Wilson. And we cap things off with a piece of timeless perfection by the incomparable Loretta Lynn, who continues to share her incredible songwriting and musical vision at age 86.
So slip into your favorite hoody and settle in for a very special listen. It’s our podcast picks for October — here’s the playlist:
Fire Bird, The Don of Division Street Bottom Of The Sea, Lucero Honeywine, Flatland Calvary Oklahoma Stars, Jamie Lin Wilson My Mother And The Devil, Austin Lucas Saskatchewan In 1881, Colter Wall Lookout Mountain, Adam’s Housecat City Looks Pretty, Courtney Barnett The Girl’s Already Gone, Chris Shiflett Set You Free, Aaron Lee Tasjan Fuck Up, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers Charlene, The Resolectrics Don’t You Think I Feel It Too, Carson McHone JP’s Florida Blues No. 1, JP Harris and The Tough Choices 10/05/60, The Long Ryders Within A Stone, The Sadies Total Disaster, Rhett Miller Wouldn’t It Be Great, Loretta Lynn
