Today’s show was a fun one. Pepe Espada, of Sacramento’s own Banjo Bones, returned to the Twirl studios, and spent a full hour with me on the air. He’s about to release the fourth Banjo Bones album, “Ghostly Musings from the Delta”, and it is a fine record–perhaps his finest to date. Stellar songwriting–bleak subject matter juxtaposed with sometimes upbeat melodies, a great vocal performance, against the backdrop of a National Resonator steel guitar–make for a good, thoughtful listen. Banjo Bones’ tagline is “The Dark Side of Americana”–but don’t think that’s the only thing they’re known for. Pepe’s earliest influences include rock ‘n’ roll and punk rock. Influences included Chris Whitley, Tom Waits, and Beck. And while not a blues artist, much of this record owes a debt to the early bluesmen–and that beautiful Resonator guitar kind of reinforces this.

The album has a release date of Thursday, August 30th–with a release show at Sacramento’s Blue Lamp music venue. The live band is tight and professional, and they really make the songs come to life. I hope to see you there. More info at www.banjobones.com.

Artist | Track | Album
Chris Church | Be My Nuisance | Limitations Of Source Tape
Translator | Everywhere That I’m Not | Translation
Duncan Faure | Very Truly Yours | Single release
Daniel Trigger | Days Gone By | Right Turn
Maxi Dunn | Everything | Edmund & Leo
Steve Rosenbaum | Get The Hell Out Of My Lane | Big Stir IPO Sampler 2018
Lisa Mychols | Endless Daydream | Sugar

Pepe Espada interview
Banjo Bones | Dangerous Game | Ghostly Musings From The Delta
Pepe Espada | Picking Up The Slack | Live in studio
Banjo Bones | Tale Of An Outcast | Ghostly Musings From The Delta
Tom Waits | Gun Street Girl | Single release
Chris Whitley | Kick Them Stones | Single release
Beck | Farewell Ride | Single release
Pepe Espada | The Sermon | Live in studio
Banjo Bones | Rabbit Hole | Ghostly Musings From The Delta

Big Red Ants | Where I Wanna Be | Big Red Ants
Sunshine Boys | Glider Pilot | Blue Music
The Imperial Sound | I Feel Strange | The New AM
Lannie Flowers | Good | Single release
Elk City | Sparrow | Everybody’s Insecure
Wilkerson | Let It Go Tonight | Wilkerson
Poplord | Kill Me | The Fowl Tone Sampler

August 25, 2018
Categories: Playlists . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

On today’s show, Deborah Gee and Glen Laughlin of the L.A. psych-pop band The Cherry Bluestorms returned for some great conversation! This was the eve of the release of their new album, “Whirligig!”. We talked about the making of the album, the evolution of the band, and about the album release party, which also has Duncan Faure as their opening act! What’s really cool is that although it took a while to get to this, their third album, their musical pipeline has a bunch more treats in store. There is a solo Deborah Gee album on the way, and the next Cherry Bluestorms album is also in progress! (Easy there, guys–the world needs to hear this one first!)

Deborah and Glen have put together the perfect band to bring these new songs to life on stage–and we discovered that their ideal is more or less the classic guitar driven rock of the 1960s, filtered through the swirly, trippy, organ-drenched late 1980s Madchester sound. And that is music to my ears–and will be to yours, shortly. This is one intelligent band, aware and respectful of their roots, while forging a new sound. I’ve seen them live a number of times, and they are not to be missed. Deborah and Glen are the truth.

Check ’em out, and order yours at http://www.thecherrybluestorms.com.

Also in this show, we debuted a brand new single from Duncan Faure (former Bay City Rollers and Rabbitt frontman), and played a track from brand new Chicago supergroup The Imperial Sound. And my long time friend Susanna Reilly and her son Derek were visiting from Pittsburgh, PA–and each picked a track to play on the show.

Enjoy the show!

Artist | Track | Album
The Imperial Sound | Yesterday | The New AM
Richard X. Heyman | Incognito | Incognito
Arthur Alexander | Un Peu Plus Longtemps | One Bar Left
Right Said Fred | Upon My Heart | Up
Maxi Dunn | Why Do I Want You? | The Neglected Gambit
Bud Rogers | Intercity Mars | Starman

Cherry Bluestorms interview
The Cherry Bluestorms | Roy Wood | Whirligig!
The Cherry Bluestorms | Be Here Now | Whirligig!

Lannie Flowers | The One | Single release
Tawny Thiele | Happy Together | The Fowl Tone Sampler
Jody Porter | By Your Side | Pacifier
The Beatles | Lovely Rita | Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band 50th Anniversary Edition
Duncan Faure | Crowning Queen | Single release
Wilkerson | You Still Owe Me A Kiss | Wilkerson
Led Zeppelin | When The Levee Breaks (Alternate Take) | Led Zeppelin IV
Sunshine Boys | Only A Million Miles | Blue Music
The Jangle Band | The Guy Who Used To Care | Single release
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop | My Soft Rock Girlfriend | Make
Elk City | 25 Lines | Everybody’s Insecure
Lisa Mychols | Goodbye To All Carousels | Sugar

August 19, 2018
Categories: Playlists . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

Today’s show featured an interview with oncologist/singer-songwriter (a rare combination, to be sure) Karen Haglof. The New York City-based physician/musician sent us a sneak preview of her forthcoming EP, “Palomino Steady Rocking”, and it is terrific. She had written a whole batch of songs, intended for her next album, and four of those all were thematically connected–they had something to do with horses. And thus was born the EP. The leadoff track, Ode To Bon Jovi, has perhaps the quirkiest backstory. It’s about a horse that she likes to ride, which is actually named Bon Jovi. And the horse throws her off quite often. Oh–and it used to be owned by John Elway. I’m going to go out on a limb here, and state that there probably has never been quite another song like this one! Oh–and it rocks, and it’s kind of in your face, sonically speaking. The rest of the EP treads more familiar territory for Karen–veering between Americana and rock ‘n’ roll. http://karenhaglof.com/

We also continued playing the new music that 2018 keeps sending us! A quick survey showed that about two thirds of the tracks on this show were released this year. How exciting!

I hope you enjoy this show–and your feedback is always welcome.

Artist | Track | Album
Banjo Bones | Dangerous Game | Ghostly Musings From The Delta
Sean O’Brien and His Dirty Hands | My Colors Dark | International Pop Overthrow Vol. 21
Miami Dan & The Hayes Street Band | I Didn’t Do It | Left Hand To The Sky
The Judybats | La Dulcinea | Pain Makes You Beautiful
Maxi Dunn | Will You Forgive Me? | The Neglected Gambit
Bud Rogers | Pictures Of A Modern World (acoustic) | Single release

Karen Haglof interview
Karen Haglof | Ode To Bon Jovi | Palomino Steady Rocking
Karen Haglof | Palomino Steady Rocking | Palomino Steady Rocking

Allyson Seconds | Little World | Little World
Braam | Maybe Honey You’re A Lemon Tree | The Things You Think You Have
Jody Porter | Vanishing Act | Pacifier
Lisa Mychols | Into Oblivion | Sugar
Lannie Flowers | Good | Single release
The Sleep Junkies | The First Time Is Never The Last Time | The Fowl Tone Sampler
Elk City | No Depth | Everybody’s Insecure
Wilkerson | How She Lost My Heart | Wilkerson
Sunshine Boys | There Goes Another One | Blue Music
Michael Simmons | Let’s Fall In Love | First Days Of Summer
Duncan Faure | In The Right Place | Anthology
Gretchen’s Wheel | Lucid | Black Box Theory
Spygenius | Godfearing | Pacéphale
Chris Church | Be My Nuisance | Limitations Of Source Tape

August 12, 2018
Categories: Playlists . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment

After a couple of weeks off (and big thanks to Bill Fuller for filling in for me last week), the Twirl Radio interview engine revs up again with a couple of interviews! We got all experimental on you during this show. In the first hour, we chatted with guitarist Robert Poss. The founding member of Band of Susans has spent the last 30 years coaxing all sorts of creative avant garde music from his guitars. He’s become well known for creating songs using feedback, distortion, and all sorts of unusual sounds–but making them accessible and listenable. There’s a lot of good rock and roll here. We chatted about his brand new album, “Frozen Flowers Curse The Day”, which was released the day before the show was broadcast. Find out more at https://www.robertposs.com.

In the second hour, we had an in-depth conversation with experimental musician Raquel Bell. She’s had a varied background, both musically and geographically. She grew up in Humboldt County, in far Northern California, but has also lived in such rich and varied places as New York City, Austin, TX, and now Los Angeles. She also finds herself spending a lot of time in the desert landscape of Joshua Tree. Her musical influences range from classical, jazz, pop, country, reggae, and folk. These places and musical genres all show up in her work. Her new album, “Swandala”, is varied, but the common thread between all these different influences is her vocals. They are intimate, gritty at times, ethereal at other times, but always passionate. The music can be a little strange at first, but once you sit down and listen–it’s completely mesmerizing. Learn more at https://www.rbell.ink/raquelbell.

I hope you enjoy listening to the show as much as I did putting it together!

Artist | Track | Album
Translator | Everywhere That I’m Not | Translation
Pete’s Copter | Magic Circle | The Fowl Tone Sampler
Cait Brennan | Miss Valentine | Big Stir IPO Sampler 2018
Sunshine Boys | Caroline Yes | Blue Music
Lannie Flowers | Let It Go | Single release
Maxi Dunn | Make It Better | The Neglected Gambit
Daniel Trigger | Rock N Roll Party | Right Turn

Robert Poss interview
Robert Poss | I’ve Got A Secret List | Frozen Flowers Curse The Day
Robert Poss | Sketch 72 | Frozen Flowers Curse The Day

Lisa Mychols | Endless Daydream | Sugar
Pugwash | Make It Yourself | Silverlake
The Apples In Stereo | Tidal Wave | Fun Trick Noisemaker
Anton Barbeau | Creepy Tray | Natural Causes
Duncan Faure | The Day That I Found Love | 4
Wilkerson | Carry The One | Wilkerson
Krista D | Land Mine | Look At Me I’m Krista D

Raquel Bell interview
Raquel Bell | Who Gets To Name The Name | Swandala
Raquel Bell | Wizard Liar | Swandala

August 6, 2018
Categories: Playlists . . Author: twirlradio . Comments: Leave a comment