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2018 Year End Podcast Picks

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Texas Road Crew: Mike and the Moonpies knocked us out with their fabulous 2018 album “Steak Night At The Prairie Rose”

Stream or download 2018 Year End Podcast Picks: 2018 Year End Podcast Picks

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

Episode #89 featuring Wes Youssi

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Throwback country singer Wes Youssi outside Portland little opry, Landmark Saloon. Photo by Joshua James Huff (www.JoshuaJosue.com)

Stream or download Episode #89: Episode 89 w/Wes Youssi

It’s a long way from Belividere, Illinois to the Pacific Northwest. But when singer Wes Youssi (pronounced YOW-see) wants to get in the right head space for writing his particular brand of traditional-style country music, he lets his mind travel back to that place from his childhood that holds so many warm feelings and fond memories.

The process has served Youssi well, inspiring the kind of songwriting that has earned him plaudits from near and far following the release of one of the best-loved records of 2018. Down Low, the first full-length record by Wes Youssi & The County Champs, has connected with the kind of audience Youssi only could have dreamed about upon its release last January.

Youssi has become a key player in Portland’s burgeoning country scene, which is why we were thrilled to have him join us at Landmark Saloon as the guest for Episode #89 of That Much Further West Podcast. Over the course of an hour, he shares details about the making of the album, his songwriting process, his journey from the Midwest to the West Coast, and how he came to eat a cockroach as part of a personal growth exercise.

Wes Youssi — solo and live at Landmark Saloon in Portland. Photo by Joshua James Huff

He also shares live, solo acoustic performances of the some of the songs that have will have Down Low on many lists of the year’s best records. With a throwback style in the tradition of Hank Williams and Jim Reeves, Youssi has connected with listeners and critics who long for a simpler, more direct sound that once held sway before the bombast, beats and bedazzled jeans of modern country music took over Nashville and terrestrial country radio.

You can listen to or purchase songs from Down Low and also its predecessor, the three-song Devil Woman EP, at Wes’ page at Bandcamp, and search the internet to read a rave review or two of Down Low. In the meantime, kick back and dial up this latest podcast episode to learn more about the man behind the music. And be sure to scroll down to see a video performance referred to during the interview.

Here’s the playlist from Episode #89 of That Much Further West Podcast:

Cadillac Man, Wes Youssi & The County Champs
Crazy Train (Live at Landmark)
Ready To Run (Live at Landmark)
Devil Woman (Live at Landmark)
Into A Bottle (Live at Landmark)
Green Dream, Wes Youssi & The County Champs

August Podcast Picks

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BJ Barham still stands at the center of American Aquarium, who have reached new heights on the strength of their new album, “Things Change.”

Stream or download August Podcast Picks: August ’18 Podcast Picks

We’re in the thick of the dog days of summer, and back with another batch of killer podcast picks to keep the season cooking.

This month we kick things off with a song from American Aquarium, longtime podcast favorites who are celebrating a rebirth and touring in support of their amazing new album, Things Change. With a revamped lineup, singer/frontman BJ Barham still commands the spotlight, having mastered the art of confessional songwriting while continually expanding the band’s growing audience.

Freshly re-booted: American Aquarium performing live at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR, USA.

We were on hand just a few days ago when the new American Aquarium pulled out all the stops during their show at Mississippi Studios. Playing a set of the best songs from their vast catalog, the band quickly whipped the crowd into a frenzy and kept it loose, rocking and fun all night. It was great to see Barham smiling and having a good time, a vibe that transferred easily to the rest of the room.

We also have lots of new music to share for this month’s picks. Songs from a couple of our favorites from Wildwood MusicFest, Jaime Wyatt and Liz Cooper & The Stampede, are sprinkled in along with a few from acts we saw earlier this month at Pickathon, including Colter Wall, Paul Cauthen, Danny Barnes and Phosphorescent.

There’s also a brand new one from our friends Hillstomp, whose new album Monster Receiver will be out this fall on Fluff & Gravy Records, and another new one from Aaron Lee Tasjan, whose record Karma For Cheap is due on at the end of this month on New West Records.

And catching up from earlier this summer, we have songs from a handful of excellent new albums by Amanda Shires, Jim Lauderdale, Lucero and the title track from a super fun new one on Bloodshot Records by Robbie Fulks and Linda Gail Lewis called Wild Wild Wild.

So, lots to dig into. Let’s have at it!

Here’s the playlist for our August Podcast Picks:

Crooked + Straight, American Aquarium
Marijuana Man, Jaime Wyatt
Blow Out The Candles, Chris Shiflett
Everybody Walkin’ This Land, Paul Cauthen
Wasn’t I Paying Attention, Amanda Shires
Time Flies, Jim Lauderdale
Hagler, Hillstomp
Wild Wild Wild, Robbie Fulks and Linda Gail Lewis
Denim & Diamonds, Shooter Jennings
The Being Gone, Jamie Lin Wilson
Cover Me, Lucero
Motorcycle, Colter Wall
These Walls, Joshua Hedley
All You’ll Ever Be, Countryside Ride
What Made Me Kill, Drunken Prayer
The Night, Liz Cooper & The Stampede
Crazy Train, Wes Youssi & The County Champs
Blue Ridge Express, Danny Barnes
Heart Slows Down, Aaron Lee Tasjan
Joe Tex, These Taming Blues (Live), Phosphorescent

February Podcast Picks

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Stream or download February Podcast Picks: February ’18 Podcast Picks

There’s so much new music out there in our sphere, we can barely keep up with it all. This month’s podcast picks include first releases from upcoming records by Western Centuries, Blackberry Smoke and Charley Crockett; another tune from the much-anticipated new record from Courtney Marie Andrews; a new instrumental from an album full of them by Richmond Fontaine; and killer cuts from new records by Calexico, Ruby Boots and Wes Youssi & The Country Champs.

But we start things off with a brand-new song from alt-country powerhouse Sarah Shook & The Disarmers and their upcoming Bloodshot Records release Years, set to hit the streets in April. Following up their very well-received Bloodshot debut Sidelong, the North Carolina band appears ready to unleash its high-energy, straight-ahead cowpunk on a wider audience in 2018.

“Good As Gold” offers a solid example of the swagger Sarah Shook brings to her music. “It’s about picking yourself up and dusting yourself off after years of being trampled and beaten down,” she said, describing the new album. “Jutting your chin out, head high, after they’ve done their worst, and saying, ‘Still here.’ ”

Scroll to the bottom of this post to check out the Sidelong track “Keep The Home Fires Burnin'” filmed live at the Wildwood Hotel in Willamina, OR by Great Northwest Productions during the band’s swing down the west coast last fall.

With 2018 off to such a great start, we find ourselves still catching up on some of the best stuff from last year. Our picks also include a handful of some of the best tunes from 2017, including songs from Tyler Childers, The Secret Sisters, Zephaniah Ohora, Emily Herring and The Turnpike Troubadours.

And we wrap it with a dose of some of our favorite alternative music heroes, including the great Walter Salas-Humara, who will be coming to our hometown of Portland, OR, USA this week to play a set on Friday, Feb. 23, opening for local legend Mike Coykendall at the LaurelThirst Public House.

So get your week started on the right foot and dial in our February Podcast Picks. Here’s the playlist:

Good As Gold, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers
Tattoos, Tyler Childers
Night Out With Diego, Richmond Fontaine
He’s Fine, The Secret Sisters
Dead In The Water, Calexico
Earthly Justice, Western Centuries
Just Outside Of Austin, Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real
Take Your Love Out Of Town, Zephaniah Ohora and The 18 Wheelers
Last Of The Houston Honky Tonk Heroes, Emily Herring
The Hard Way, The Turnpike Troubadours
Mr. Jukebox, Josh Hedley
I’ll Make It Through, Ruby Boots
Flesh And Bone, Blackberry Smoke
Cadillac Man, Wes Youssi & The County Champs
Misery And Gin, Jaime Wyatt
Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em, Mike and The Moonpies
Kindness Of Strangers, Courtney Marie Andrews
I Wanna Cry, Charley Crockett
2 Cool 2 Be 4-Gotten, Lucinda Williams
Nobody’s Business, Walter Salas-Humara
Mr. Fly, Mike Coykendall