Tag Archives: Copper & Coal

TMFWP Special: Fifth Anniversary Podcast Picks

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An idea comes to life: Eric Kotila (left) and Mike Lee launched That Much Further West Podcast five years ago as a live internet radio show, broadcast from the Hawthorne Theater Lounge in Portland.

Stream or download Fifth Anniversary Podcast Picks: 5th Anniversary Podcast Picks

It began as a simple idea: a couple of burly, bearded buddies sharing their love of rock, punk and country music with friends and other folks far and wide. What Eric Kotila and Mike Lee launched five years ago as a live internet radio show has evolved into what we today call That Much Further West Podcast.

Much has changed over that time. The show is no longer broadcast live from a public place — instead, it has been taped for the last three-plus years in the comfy confines of The Helm, our subterranean lair in North Portland. We also have a dedicated website
(where you are right now) that serves as a hub for episodes, playlists, specials and reviews. And the team has added Phil Favorite as a co-host and producer and Anne Marie as photographer to help bolster our efforts to produce quality, original content.

The boys, live from The Helm (left to right): Mike Lee, Eric Kotila and Phil Favorite. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media (www.localheromedia.com)

Despite the many changes, mostly for the better, the spirit of the show remains the same. We’re here to turn you on to the music that we love and also the music of the amazingly talented guests we’ve had on the show for the last five years.

To celebrate, we’ve compiled a collection of tunes that represents the tip of the iceberg of what we’ve been listening to and sharing with you over the past five years, and hope to continue to share going forward.

We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the many artists who have volunteered their time and energy to be guests on the show. By one count we’ve had as many as six members of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame visit and perform in The Helm, and that’s just scratching the surface. Rising national stars such as John Moreland and Aaron Lee Tasjan also have stopped by as we’ve compiled more than 80 episodes live from The Helm.

We’re also indebted to the many friends whose interest, enthusiasm and support have fueled our efforts. Special props to Christopher Sohler for his rock-solid stint as our contributing photographer, and to Mary Atwood for her behind-the-scenes, “hostess with the mostest” contributions.

We also can’t thank enough our sponsors — Secret Aardvark Trading Co. and Cloud City Gardens — for their above-and-beyond generosity in making each podcast taping a special treat for our guests.

And last but far from least, a special thank you to Jean Kotila and Ruby Kotila for welcoming us into their home on podcast nights and putting up with our shenanigans. We greatly appreciate it.

So there you have it. A big thank you to you all. And if you’re still wondering what all this is about, just push the play button above. You’ll hear the following:

30 Days, Root Jack
1964, Hearts Of Oak
Tears Don’t Matter Much, Lucero
Right Time, Nikki Lane
Life Is Beautiful, Willy Tea Taylor
Humble Narrator, Two Cow Garage
Dog Bumped, Tim Barry
Midwestern Guys, Lydia Loveless
With Love From Brushy Mountain, Matt Woods
Captain And Tennille, Drunken Prayer
Anchor’s The Way, The Calamity Cubes
Shoulda Known Better, Possessed By Paul James
Whole Damn Bottle, Copper & Coal
The Travelin’ Kind, Tom VandenAvond
Beautiful, Fernando
Ain’t Going To The Bar Tonight, American Aquarium
Deep Red Bells, Neko Case
Better Days, The Harmed Brothers
Somebody Loves You, Austin Lucas
Fire Away, Chris Stapleton
Hurtin’ On The Bottle, Margo Price
Keep It Between The Lines, Sturgill Simpson
Always On The Ride, Richmond Fontaine
Elephant, Jason Isbell

Right at home: Goon squad and co-hosts, protecting the booze at The Helm.

Episode #63 featuring Mamma Coal

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Partners in crime: Paul Brainard and Carra Barratt Stasney, aka Mamma Coal. Photo by Anne Marie

Stream or download Episode #63: Episode 63 w/ Mamma Coal

She’s tall, she’s tough and she’s talented. Mamma Coal can do it all. That’s why we were thrilled to have Carra Barratt Stasney on board for the taping of Episode #63 at The Helm.

Carra is well known in Pacific Northwest country music circles for her terrific singing and songwriting as the dark-haired half of the female duo Copper & Coal. Taking the name Mamma Coal, she’s out promoting her latest musical project, “Raven Haired Vixen,” a musical reimagining of Willie Nelson’s legendary 1975 country album “Red Headed Stranger.” She just launched a Kickstarter Campaign to help fund the project (see the video below).

She’s also curating a fantastic, two-night, two-city Valentine’s weekend performance of classic country duets called “Hearts On Fire,” which will play in Seattle at Conor Byrne Pub on Feb. 13 and in Portland at Star Theater on Feb. 14. Carra will be among an all-star lineup of great singers sharing the songs of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, and many more!

On this episode, Mamma Coal tells us about her musical upbringing, her love of classic rock hits and what brought her to the world of country music. She also shares the story about finding a musical kinship with local players from our podcast inner circle, The Hoot Family, and how becoming a mother inspired “Raven Haired Vixen,” a musical story set in the old west of a mother tracking down the baby son who was taken from her.

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Paul Brainard adding some tasty steel to the wonderful stylings of Mamma Coal in The Helm. Photo by Anne Marie

And to share a few live versions of songs from the new project, Carra invited ace guitarist and steel player Paul Brainard to ride shotgun on the live performance. Paul is playing a big role in helping Carra bring “Raven Haired Vixen” to fruition, lending his musical guidance and tasty playing to the mix.

We also share a few recorded songs from Carra’s earlier days, including a tune from Copper & Coal, a song from Carra’s first band, American Cosmos, and also a fine number from her self-titled solo record from a few years back.

For more information on the Kickstarter campaign or for tickets to the Seattle and Portland “Hearts On Fire” shows, check out the links above. And for everything Mamma Coal, visit her website.

Thanks for tuning in!

 

 

Review of Copper & Coal

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Copper & Coal (2013, self released)

The women of Copper & Coal present a striking vision on stage. With their beautifully detailed evening gowns and towering presence, they demand your attention even before the first note of music is played.

Their voices, though, prove even more arresting.

Check out “Kentucky Blue” (www.reverbnation.com/copperandcoal/song/18224686-kentucky-blue) from their new self-titled debut. A short line of steel guitar opens the ears to the signature sound of Leslie Beia and Carra Stasney harmonizing in a pitch-perfect union that recalls the best of old Nashville.

No auto-tune needed here, folks. These ladies can really belt it out, which they demonstrate throughout this 10-song collection produced by local country legend Caleb Klauder.

Having common roots growing up in their native state of Michigan, and a shared love of country music, the vocal duo came together at Beia’s regular Monday night gig at the Landmark Saloon in Portland. Almost instantly, they found they were on to something special and drew the attention of some of the finest local players — all standing at the ready to back them up.

Branching out, Beia and Stasney were determined to produce a recording to share with a growing audience. Klauder answered the call and along with engineer Jordan Leff helped create this collection of classic-style tunes that would have sounded great on country radio in the 1950s and every era since.

Copper & Coal also gave Stasney and Beia a chance to flex their formidable songwriting chops. The disc features just one cover song, Dolly Parton’s “Dagger Through The Heart,” which fits nicely among the nine others (included seven written by Stasney specifically for the project).

And they hit all the right classic-country notes with songs of longing, drinking, honky -tonking, heartbreak and cheating. Buoyed by terrific performances on fiddle (Luke Price), steel (Gary Newcomb, Russ Blake) and mandolin (Klauder), the music takes the listener back to a time when content mattered and talent trumped all.

An impressive debut, Copper & Coal is sure to draw in new fans to a classic stye of country music, and also bodes well for an act just starting to take off.

— Phil Favorite
That Much Further West Podcast