Tag Archives: W.C. Beck

April Podcast Picks

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

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

Episode #82 featuring W.C. Beck

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

W.C. Beck in The Helm for Episode #82 of That Much Further West Podcast. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media (www.localheromedia.com)

Stream or download Episode #82: Episode 82 w/ W.C. Beck

William Christopher Beck grew up in Middle America surrounded by music, so it’s no surprise he found his musical calling early in life. Now, having moved from coast to coast and overseas (check out the video at the bottom of this post), the multi-talented Mr. Beck has put down roots in Brooklyn, N.Y., after establishing himself as a leading light in the Portland Americana music scene.

Making a quick return visit for a handful of shows in our fair hometown, Chris stopped by The Helm to talk about a few recording projects he has cooking, including one with a crowd-funding campaign underway called “First Flight.” On Episode #82, he plays a live version of his song “Steel Bird” which will be featured on the new record and available for digital download soon.

W.C. Beck sharing some wonderful new songs in The Helm. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media (www.localheromedia.com)

Chris also plays a couple other original songs: “Facecomber” is from a second recording project he has in the works with his friend Justin Wilcox; on the other, “The Long Way Home,” he invites local singer Anna Hoone to join him on harmony vocal.

We also delve deep into W.C.’s musical upbringing under the watchful eye of his composer grandfather, falling under the influence of some amazing old-time and bluegrass players, and how he came to write his own brand of Americana, roots and country music.

We’re beyond grateful that Chris made time in his busy schedule to do this podcast episode, and we hope you’ll further explore his catalog and support his ongoing Kickstarter campaign. We think you’ll be an instant fan after downloading and digging this episode.

Here’s the playlist:

Poor Man, W.C. Beck
Steel Bird (Live In The Helm), W.C. Beck
Rolling Hills, W.C. Beck
Facecomber (Live In The Helm), W.C. Beck
New Shoes, Caleb Klauder
Le déserteur, Boris Vian
Abandoned Love, Bob Dylan
The Long Way Home featuring Anna Hoone (Live In The Helm), W.C. Beck
Atchison Train, W.C. Beck

 

TMFWP Special: Portland Country Underground — An Appreciation

Posted on by

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

DSCN0602

The lads of Portland Country Underground in their native habitat, Laurelthirst Public House (l to r): David Lipkind, Darrin Craig, David Reisch, Lewi Longmire, Ben Nugent and Jason Montgomery.

Stream or download TMFWP Special:
Portland Country Underground — An Appreciation: PCU Podcast Special

By PHIL FAVORITE
For That Much Furhter West Podcast
Since forming about five years ago as a Monday night happy hour band at the Laurelthirst Public House, Portland Country Underground, or PCU as they are known, has had a handful of individual lineup changes. But in terms of talent, the band has been a model of consistency, providing their fun-loving fans with songs from a catalog that spans the history of Americana music and often dips into the obscure and inspirational.

The current PCU lineup features longtime members Darrin Craig on rhythm guitar, Lewi Longmire on lead guitar, David Lipkind on harmonica, Dave Reisch on bass and relative newcomers Ben Nugent on drums and Jason Montgomery on pedal steel and lap steel guitar. All are respected veterans of the Portland music scene, and Reisch provides a direct link to Portland’s past — he was a member of the Holy Modal Rounders, plays with trippy-hippy veterans the Freak Mountain Ramblers, and when singing with PCU leads the band through a few songs made famous by fellow Portland alt-country and folk pioneers such as Jeffrey Frederick.

Kansas-born W.C. Beck was an original member of PCU and added a healthy dose of Midwest authenticity to the act, which you can hear on his song “Poor Man.” Like a few other former members of the band, he has since moved away from Portland but usually sits in with PCU when he returns here for visits. His cousin Darrin Craig, another Kansan, keeps that Midwestern vibe in tact, which you can hear when he sings “Pray For Rain.”

That song features some supernatural harmonica playing by David Lipkind, who occasionally takes lead vocal duties and is always at the ready to add some sweet harmonies or drop an insane harp solo when called on by the band’s live traffic cop, Lewi Longmire. When he’s not ripping a hot guitar solo of his own, Longmire is calling the shots, passing out solos between Lipkind and Montgomery or taking lead singing duties on songs by artists as varied as Mel Tillis, Ronnie Lane and Jimbo Mathis. He occasionally adds an original tune to the mix, such as the one we share here, “Baby, Would You Take Me Home.”

Needless to say, we’re huge fans and admirers of PCU, who sit at the top of sweet list of top-notch alt-country happy hour bands that we’re privileged to enjoy here in Portland.

You can catch Portland Country Underground for free on the first, second, fourth Monday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m. at Laurelthirst Public House. If you do, be sure to tip the band and your bartenders.

A special podcast thank you to our pal and local recording guru Greg Fuller for providing us with these wonderful sound files. Feel free to stream or download the individual tracks from this special edition of the podcast.

Stream or Download “Poor Man” here:  Poor Man

Stream or download “Pray For Rain” here: Pray For Rain

Stream or download “Baby, Would You Take Me Home?” here: Baby, Would You Take Me Home?