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50 Podcast Picks from 2019

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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

October Podcast Picks

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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

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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.

May Podcast Picks

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Taylor Kingman is back in the spotlight fronting TK & The Holy Know-Nothings. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media.
TK & The Holy Know-Nothings (l to r): Sydney Nash, Jay Cobb Anderson, Taylor Kingman, Lewi Longmire and Tyler Thompson.

We’re here to help you finish the month of May on a hot streak, and we get things started with a dose of heat from TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, Portland’s scruffy new Americana outfit led by former Hill Dogs frontman Taylor Kingman.

The band just completed a short tour of the western states promoting the release of their debut, “Arguably OK,” out now via Mama Bird Record Co. Looking forward to big things from this talented bunch, which includes Jay Cobb Anderson of Fruition on guitar and Portland’s Mr. Indie Everything Lewi Longmire on bass.

We also share songs from two of Portland’s other shining stars of the moment, Kassi Valazza and Anna Tivel. Anna’s latest record, “The Question,” just out this spring on Fluff & Gravy Records, is garnering high praise nationally and around the globe as her popularity continues to skyrocket. And Valazza is quickly becoming a favorite of the podcast — we’re hoping to have her on as a guest for an upcoming episode soon.

This month’s Podcast Picks also include a number of tunes from fresh-out-of-the-oven releases, including awesome stuff from the new Jason Isbell-produced record by Josh Ritter, the first cut from the major label debut of Tyler Childers, another from Chris Shiflett’s upcoming Nashville-recorded release, and a killer tune from the awesome new album by The Quaker City Night Hawks.

Also included is a song from the new record by Kelly Willis, who will be in Portland for a show on June 7 at White Eagle Saloon, and a number from Shane Smith & The Saints’ new album, due to hit the streets in late June.

And to wrap things up, we toss a musical thank you nod to our friend Forrest VanTuyl of An American Forrest, who took time out to meet with us for the podcast special we published last week. Forrest reminded us of the greatness of Ian Tyson, who he regularly covers in his set, and also turned us on to the music of his wife, Margo Cilker. We, in turn, hope to tip you to Margo’s excellent music.

So enjoy! Here’s the list of our May Podcast Picks:

Desert Rose, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings
A Fine Colour, Kassi Valazza
Old Black Magic, Josh Ritter
House Fire, Tyler Childers
Shadow Of A Son, Anna Tivel
Let Me Down Easy If You Can (feat. Amanda Shires), Blackberry Smoke
Heaven Knows, Shane Smith & The Saints
Feral Roots, Rival Sons
El Camino, Elizabeth Cook
Hagler, Hillstomp
Gap Tooth Girl, David Quinn
To You, Matt Carson
Afternoon’s Gone Blind, Kelly Willis
Welcome To Your First Heartache, Chris Shiflett
Fox In The Henhouse, The Quaker City Night Hawks
Letter To Madeline, Ian Noe
M.C. Horses, Ian Tyson
Your Love Is My Rest, Margo Cilker

April Podcast Picks

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Maria Francis and Jeff Overbo lead Silver Lake 66, who have followed up their strong debut with a stellar new album “Ragged Heart.”

Summer Festival Fever is starting to settle in here at That Much Further West Podcast, but Spring has delivered plenty of excellent new albums and live performances on the podcast calendar.

With an eye toward July’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, we kick off our April Podcast Picks with a tune from the excellent new album “Ragged Heart” by Silver Lake 66. They’ll be at Wildwood this year, but beforehand, they’ll be celebrating the release of the new record with a performance May 4 at The Secret Society in Portland — a can’t-miss show for our crew.

And speaking of can’t-miss shows, our team caught up with a number of bands as they performed in Portland last week, including Ruby Boots, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs and M. Lockwood Porter, whose new album “Communion In The Ashes” is received widespread critical acclaim since its release a few weeks back. We share tunes from all three outfits here, along with new stuff from The Cactus Blossoms (Doug Fir, May 1), The Long Ryders, Shoves & Rope, Terri Lynn Davis, W.C. Beck, Kassi Valazza, Molly Tuttle and Drivin’ N’ Cryin’.

You’ll also hear tunes from Vandoliers and Cory Branan, who share a bill at White Eagle Saloon in Portland on April 30, and a killer new track from An American Forrest, whose new record is due soon and was recorded right here in Portland by local treasure Mike Coykendall.

So dig into our April Podcast Picks and give it a spin, and be sure check our Live Music Portland calendar for opportunities to support live music in our community.

Here’s the playlist:

Faded Tattoo, Silver Lake 66
Please Don’t Call Me Crazy, The Cactus Blossoms
Wrap Me In A Fever, Ruby Boots
Ruby, Strand of Oaks
California State Line, The Long Ryders
Waiting For A Sign, M. Lockwood Porter
My Only Desire, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs
Greetings From Mardi Gras, The Harmed Brothers
Ain’t Been Tamed Yet, An American Forrest
Rainbows And Ridges, Blaze Foley
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, Lucinda Williams
Blue Eyed Wanderer, Matt Woods & The Natural Disasters
Times Past, Terri Lynn Davis
Bottom Dollar Boy, Vandoliers
Blacksburg, Cory Branan
Chino, Kassi Valazza
Highway 46, Tom Russell
You Don’t Look So Good (Cocaine), Caroline Spence
The Wire, Shovels & Rope
The Long Way Home, W.C. Beck
Take The Journey, Molly Tuttle
Step By Step, Drivin N Cryin