Episode #87 featuring James Low

James Low brought his world-class folk to Portland’s famous little honky tonk, Landmark Saloon, for Episode #87 of That Much Further West Podcast. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media.

Stream or download Episode #87: Episode 87 w/ James Low

Welcome to That Much Further West Podcast, Version 3.0. We’ve moved on from The Helm, our underground headquarters for the past four years, and have returned to our roots, relaunching from a very public place — the stage at the legendary Landmark Saloon in Portland, OR, U.S.A.

And who better to have as our first guest at Landmark than the great singer-songwriter James Low, himself a Portland institution who has returned to his roots and relaunched. Following a four-year stay with his wife in Malaysia, the couple recently returned to Portland having added a beautiful baby daughter to their family.

Quite a bit has changed around here since James was a guest on the podcast way back in its earliest days, when co-hosts Mike Lee and Eric Kotila ran the show live from the Hawthorne Theater Lounge. But the talented Mr. Low remains an institution, delighting local audiences with his world-class country folks songs.

James Low, laying it down on the stage of Portland’s Lil’ Opry, the Landmark Saloon, for That Much Further West Podcast. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media.

On Episode #87, James performs a handful of classics from his catalog, including a pair from his stunning breakthrough record, 2012’s “Whiskey Farmer.” He also talks about his time in Malaysia, the positive impact of his daughter’s arrival and the folk influences that seeped into his DNA as young man growing up in Eastern Oregon.

James is back to playing regular dates in the Portland area, and will be one of the featured artists in a couple of weeks at Wanderfest, a two-day music festival taking place June 29 and 30 at the Dundee Lodge in Gaston, OR. Please watch our calendar for featured show dates, and click here for tickets and more information about Wanderfest.

We’re looking forward to sharing more episodes as the year goes on with hopes of improving the experience for our guests, team and live listeners at Landmark Saloon. So please stay tuned!

In the meantime, enjoy this latest episode featuring the great James Low. We think you’re gonna dig it!

June Podcast Picks

Jason Boland’s new record “Hard Times Are Relative” is out and ready to be a Summer 2018 Red Dirt classic.

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

Let another Summer of Great Music begin!

To kick off your summer with some great tunes, we present our Podcast Picks for June. And what better to start things off with than a sweet blast of world class Red Dirt Country from the man who’s been carrying the torch for nearly 20 years, the great Jason Boland and his killer band The Stragglers.

Nobody does it better than Boland and his band, whose new album “Hard Times Are Relative” arrived recently just ahead of a full slate of summer shows. The band is joined by Texas singer Sunny Sweeney on “I Don’t Deserve You,” a tune that celebrates the serendipity of love against all odds — a sweet notion to start off the summer.

We also share some “new” music from Jason Isbell. His debut record “Sirens of The Ditch” is being reissued with a few lost classics, including “The Assassin,” written by his friend and former Drive-by Trucker bandmate Patterson Hood.

Lots of newly released songs flow throughout, including simply amazing new stuff from American Aquarium, Karen Jonas, Kayla Ray, Ashley McBryde and the mighty Chuck Westmoreland, a Portland-based artist destined for world renown thanks to his killer new album “Long Winter Rodeo.” Mercy, we can’t stop playing that record! So good.

When it comes to rock solid alt-country, you can’t do much better than Justin Townes Earle, Lydia Loveless and M. Ward. And for straight country, we share a deadly combination: Dwight Yoakam and the red-hot Charley Crockett.

Our picks also include a tune from Portland-based Wes Youssi and his band The County Champs, who’s record “Down Low” has been catching the ears of raving critics nationwide. And as a little surprise, we share a newly released tune by The Lonesomes, whose singer is one of our own — podcast producer and co-host Phil Favorite. Their new tune “Alone On Foster” is a staggering blast of slide-guitar-driven rock and roll.

Lots and lots and lots of goodies to chew on here, folks. So dig in!

Here’s our list of picks for June:

I Don’t Deserve You, Jason Boland and the Stragglers
Trinity Lane, Lilly Hiatt
The Assassin, Jason Isbell
My Sweet Arsonist, Karen Jonas
The World Is On Fire, American Aquarium
Then Here Came Monday, Dwight Yoakam
Hell Of A Day To Drink All Night, Kayla Ray
Prisoners, Chuck Westmoreland
Masterpiece ((solo)), Big Thief
Green Dream, Wes Youssi and the County Champs
Girl Goin’ Nowhere, Ashley McBryde
Poor Tom, M. Ward
Harlem River Blues, Justin Townes Earle
Steve Earle, Lydia Loveless
Alone On Foster, The Lonesomes
A Lovely Conversation, The Harmed Brothers
Deportee, The Tex Maniacs
Stitch In Time, Pharis & Jason Romero
Lonesomes As A Shadow, Charley Crockett