Episode #55 featuring Stars of Cascadia

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Our three Stars of the game (l to r): John, Mandy and Scott from Stars of Cascadia. Photo by Anne Barrett

Episode #55 with Stars of Cascadia

Shifting winds brought smoke from the raging Western wildfires into the Portland area this past weekend, smuggering up the sky and blocking out our beautiful weekend stars. And while our thoughts are with the folks east of the Cascades adversely affected by the fires, we at least were able to enjoy a visit in The Helm from a few of the folks in Stars of Cascadia, a new alt-country band emerging on the Portland scene.

The Stars are led by an old friend of the podcast, Scott Jeffries, who first appeared on the show as a member of the psych-rock band Spirit Lake. He’s joined here by singer Mandy Allan and fiddle player John Nyen, who make up key elements of the full seven-piece outfit the Stars have evolved into.

During the interview, we learn how Mr. Jeffries left Spirit Lake to pursue his country muse. He formed Stars of Cascadia with a group of like-minded supporters of our local men’s professional soccer team, the Portland Timbers, and rounded out the lineup with all the necessary accouterments — telecaster, pedal steel, etc. — to bring their version of original twang to the masses.

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The Stars of Cascadia entertaining the nurses in The Helm.

Having played shows for more than a year now, Stars of Cascadia are picking up momentum and making big plans for recording and live playing. Here they share a couple of Scott’s original songs with Mandy and John playing prominent roles in the performance. Scott also talks about the influences that drove him toward country music, including his upbringing in California, a constant source of inspiration in his song-writing.

The interview evolves into a healthy debate about who was the best singer in The Band — Rick Danko, Levon Helm or Richard Manuel. Too bad none of these greats is alive to defend his particular legacy, though we came to the conclusion that as awe-inspiring as these singers were individually, they were all better when singing together and making those magical harmonies. Listening to the show, you’ll appreciate the harmonies laid down by Scott and Mandy, who produce a little magic of their own.

And while our hot, dry summer has brought dangerous conditions for wildfires, it also brought a wave of our favorite artists as their summer tours roared through the Pacific Northwest. On this episode we share a playlist full of music by some of the great bands and singers our hosts have had the pleasure of witnessing since the last time we gathered in The Helm, including Jason Isbell, American Aquarium, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit and Possessed By Paul James.

We also share some new music from artists D.L. Marble, Jonathan Tyler and a track from the new solo album by Slobberbone front man Brent Best. So there’s lots to dig into for Episode #55. Have at it!

Here’s the playlist:

Daddy Was A Liar, Brent Best
Heart On A Shelf, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit
Country Love Song, D. L. Marble
The Man I Am Today (Live In The Helm), Stars of Cascadia
Modjeska (Live In The Helm), Stars of Cascadia
Shoulda Known Better, Possessed By Paul James
Wolves, American Aquarium
This Is How We Do Things In The Country, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
Palmetto Rose, Jason Isbell
Run-Down Neighborhood, Lindi Ortega
Hold You Like A Harness, Hip Hatchet
Riverbottom, Jonathan Tyler

 

Episode #22 — Remembering Levon Helm (1940-2012)

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Levon Helm

Episode #22 — Remembering Levon

The second anniversary of Levon Helm’s death gave us a chance to pay tribute to the great man, and also to do it from our home base, The Helm. So we did just that for Episode #22, which features a block of favorites from Levon and The Band.

The boys managed to tape this week’s show while Eric was on baby patrol. Thankfully his daughter Ruby is a great sleeper — she snoozed right through the show so the crew could bring together their usual shenanigans uninterrupted. This trial run went so well, it could be the precedent for future shows from The Helm.

This time around, we kept it pretty brief, but we also have a new music from Hillstomp and Sturgill Simpson and a block of other goodies for you to enjoy, so just press play. Here’s this week’s songlist:

Santa Fe Line, Hillstomp
Gone, Gone, Gone, Nikki Lane
Turtles All The Way Down, Sturgill Simpson
Rattlesnake, American Aquarium
Reno, Denver
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, The Band
Poor Old Dirt Farmer, Levon Helm
Anna Lee, Levon Helm
When I Paint My Masterpiece, The Band
The Weight, The Band
Meanest Jukebox In Town, Whitey Morgan & The 78s
American Charm, Hip Hatchet
Whip-Poor-Will, Magnolia Electric Company
It Could Happen To You, Blue Rodeo
Here’s Looking At You, Kid, The Gaslight Anthem