Midsummer Podcast Picks

Konrad Wert, aka, Possessed By Paul James unleashing his energetic musical maelstrom on the crowd at the Wildwood MusicFest and Campout. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media.

Stream or download Midsummer Podcast Picks: Midsummer ’20 Podcast Picks

Folks who follow this show know how connected our podcast team is to the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in Sheridan, OR, USA. Our co-hosts Mike Lee and Eric Kotila serve as masters of cermonies at the annual event, and the team records interviews with the festival’s various musical acts throughout the weekend.

Sadly, this year’s festival — like so many across the country — had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We deeply missed spending time with all our friends and so many of the scheduled acts who have become great friends over the years.

One friend we especially missed at Wildwood this year was Konrad Wert, the guitar-strumming, fiddle-playing, foot-stompin’ singer who labels his act Possessed By Paul James. Ready to celebrate the release of his terrific 2020 album As We Go Wandering, the congenial and inspirational Mr. Wert was forced to cancel his early summer tour plans, including a trip to our neck of the woods in the Pacific Northwest.

We were bummed to miss seeing PPJ in action, and that’s why we feature a song from the new record to kick off this collection of Midsummer Podcast Picks. The track “In the Dark of Morning” is part of a large batch of new music featured here, along with new songs from Courtney Marie Andrews, Great Peacock, Charley Crockett, Lydia Loveless and the indomitable Matt Woods.

We also draw a few picks from some of the our favorite records from 2020 so far, including cuts from Jaime Wyatt, Hill Country, Lilly Hiatt, Margo Price and Joshua Ray Walker. The crew also did some excellent mining to find great songs from S.G. Goodman, Vincent Neil Emerson, Sarah Gayle Meech and Kaitlin Butts, who will be part of this weekend’s virtual Braun Brothers Reunion (click here to see the incredible talent lined up for that event).

And speaking of virtual festivals, scroll down to watch the virtual Wildwood festival — hosted by our own lovable podcast co-host Mike Lee. It’s a fun celebration of the festival that helped salve some of the deepest wounds caused by this pandemic.

But before we leave you, we had to share a couple of songs to let you know that, yes, Portland, OR, USA is still standing. The overblown descriptions of fire and destruction as portrayed by the national media and swallowed whole and parroted by conservatives across the country were nothing but another massive lie perpetrated by the current President of the United States and his “homeland security” henchmen.

Donald Trump’s a true instigator, as described by the great Portland-based singer Fernando, who panders to the grievance merchants at the center of the latest incendiary classic by Mike Cooley and his band Drive-By Truckers.

So, lots to digest here, folks. Better get started. Here’s the playlist for our Midsummer Podcast Picks:

In the Dark of Morning, Possessed By Paul James
It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault, Courtney Marie Andrews
Palomino Gold, Hill Country
Love Is Not Enough, Lydia Loveless
What Else Would You Have Me Be? Lucero
I’m Looking For Blue Eyes, Jessi Colter
Goodbye Queen, Jaime Wyatt
Fool Somebody Else, Charley Crockett
Tomorrow’s All We Have, Matt Woods
Space And Time, S.G. Goodman
Willie Nelson’s Wall, Vincent Neil Emerson
White River, Kaitlin Butts
All I Ever Do, Great Peacock
Brightest Star, Lilly Hiatt
True Instigator, Fernando
What Happened To Our Love? Margo Price
Boat Show Girl, Joshua Ray Walker
Somebody’s Gonna Cry, Sarah Gayle Meech
Shotgun Betty, Sarah Shook
Grievance Merchants, Drive-By Truckers

Springtime Podcast Picks

Jaime Wyatt leads off our Springtime Podcast Picks with her new song “Neon Cross.”

Stream or download Springtime Podcast Picks: Springtime ’20 Podcast Picks

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the springtime plans of nearly every active or traveling musician to mush. Countless festivals and tours have been canceled, and especially hard hit are those who had big-time plans built around the release of new albums in the spring months.

Our Springtime Podcast Picks shine the spotlight on many of the artists from the Americana and alt-country realm who had the rug pulled out from under the tour and release plans they had for March, April, May and even June.

The best way to support these artists currently is to purchase the music and merchandise they make available online and/or through their record labels. Now is a great time to pre-order some of the records with songs featured on this podcast, so if you hear something you like, be bold — take some time to learn more about what they have going on and available for purchase online.

We’ll continue to share more music and news as we hunker down from our base in Portland, OR, USA, and try to stay connected with the fans of so many of the great artists we’ve come to love here at That Much Further West Podcast.

In the meantime, here’s a blast of the freshest cuts from some of our favorites. These songs are here to keep you company and help you get through these strange days were living through together. Enjoy!

Neon Cross, Jaime Wyatt
Be Afraid, Jason Isbell
Monte Carlo, Caleb Caudle
If I’m Lucky, Jeff Crosby
Twinkle Twinkle, Margo Price
Patrick’s Crossing, Brian Wright & The Sneakups
Heart Broke Syndrome, Western Centuries
The First Fool, Golden Promise
The Luckier You Get, American Aquarium
Candy Lunch, Lilly Hiatt
Years, John Anderson
Blue-Eyed Wanderer, Matt Woods
If You Ain’t Happy Now (You Never Will Be), Jesse Daniel
Damned Angel, Hellbound Glory
Kina Lyn, I’m So Tired
I Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere, Rick Moranis
Too Long In The Wasteland, James McMurtry
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Vandoliers
Time Honored Tradition, Natalie Hemby
West Texas Girl, The Panhandlers

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