Woodsongs Vodcasts

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Woodsongs 695: Caravan of Thieves and Molasses Creek May 24, 2013

Show notes

CARAVAN OF THIEVES are a gypsy swinging serenading firebreathing circus freaks band based out of Bridgeport, CT. If Django Reinhardt, the cast of Stomp and the Beatles all had a party at Tim Burton's house, Caravan of Thieves would be the band they hired. Their new CD is "Funhouse." Check out their gypsy jazz version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." MOLASSES CREEK's high-energy performances and phenomenal songwriting bring the love of their coastal home of Ocracoke Island, NC, to the stage. Award winners from Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion," Molasses Creek has recorded 12 albums over the past 19 years. The band's elegant harmonies and arrangements, blazing instrumentals, and quirky sense of humor have won loyal followers throughout the United States and around the world.

Woodsongs 694: Matthew Ryan and Miss Tess & The Talkbacks May 10, 2013

Show notes

MATTHEW RYAN has been celebrated for his poetic lyricism. His work challenges listeners in so many ways, always cutting to the bone with a rare honesty that isn't prone to offer easy answers. His latest 'In the Dusk of Everything' marks a distilled reclamation of his more primal Americana/Folk roots. With the bluntness of punk and the evocative rhythm of poetry his lyricism shines amongst these twelve deceptively simple songs of perseverance and closure via a clarity that operates in layers amid a world of struggle, beauty and sublime epiphany. MISS TESS is a New York City based songwriter and performing musician, who tours regularly with her band, as "Miss Tess & The Talkbacks". Inspired by styles of vintage swing, blues, country, and early rock-n-roll Miss Tess draws comparisons to artists such as Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Peggy Lee, and Chuck Berry, but maintains a style all of her own. Miss Tess� sixth studio album, Sweet Talk, is a collection of finely crafted original material, along with one haunting cover of the Ink Spot�s 1941 hit I Don�t Want to Set the World on Fire. With songs ranging from influences deeply rooted in a rich history of American music, Tess and her band project a sound that is distinctively timeless and unique.

Woodsongs 693: Claire Lynch and Appalatin May 10, 2013

Show notes

CLAIRE LYNCH is a bluegrass pioneer. She has earned two International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year awards and earned two GRAMMY award nominations. Claire will release her as yet untitled Compass Records debut in early 2013. Lynch will be performing on the show with her band, guitarist Matt Wingate, bassist Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowelland. APPALATIN formed in Louisville, KY through band members' mutual love of the folk music sounds of Latin America and the Caribbean. Instrumentation features the guitar, charango, mandolin, Andean flutes, bongos, congas, and caj�n. Their songs reflect messages of freedom, community, empowerment, human rights, spirituality, and environmental stewardship.

Woodsongs 692: Amber Rubarth and The Ragbirds Mar 29, 2013

Show notes

AMBER RUBARTH has become a fixture in New York's indie scene, named #1 Best of NYC Songwriter by Deli Magazine last year and grand prize winner of NPR's Mountain Stage New Song Contest. At 21 years old, Amber decided to quit her career as a chainsaw sculptor in Nevada in order to pursue music. She taught herself guitar, began playing open mics and recorded her songs, which soon received over 1.5 million listens on MySpace through word of mouth alone. Amber's latest is a live album 'Sessions from the 17th Ward' features Dave Eggar on cello who will be performing with her on WoodSongs. THE RAGBIRDS are a fusion of folk rock and pop hooks over danceable world rhythms stirred with a Celtic fiddler's bow. Hailing from Ann Arbor, MI, the energy of multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle demands attention. She is the songwriter and front woman of the band, skillfully switching between violin, mandolin, accordion, banjo and percussion, all while dancing. The release of The Ragbirds' fourth studio effort 'Travelin' Machine' is a new milestone for the band.

Woodsongs 691: Bill Evans and Kayla Bender Mar 29, 2013

Show notes

BILL EVANS is well-known within the bluegrass music community not only as a musician, but also as a teacher, writer and scholar. Bill will be bringing his solo show The Banjo in America to the WoodSongs Stage. Tracing the banjo from its West African roots to the New World, Evans performs musical examples from the 1700's to the present day on a variety of vintage instruments, explaining how the banjo has been at the intersection of African- and Anglo-American musical and cultural exchange for over 250 years. Bill's new CD "In Good Company" features an all-star cast of 26 musicians, including the Infamous Stringdusters, Tim O'Brien, Joy Kills Sorrow, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, David Grier, Rob Ickes, Stuart Duncan and many, many more. KAYLA BENDER is an amazing 12 year old banjo picker from Oklahoma. She has placed in several banjo competitions and will be showcasing at both IBMA's Kids on Bluegrass and Walnut Valley Festival this year. Watch her tear it up on "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" with her banjo teacher Rob.

Woodsongs 690: Ben Taylor and von Grey Mar 29, 2013

Show notes

BEN TAYLOR's music is marked by memorable melodies, immaculate acoustic guitar playing and insightful, honest lyrics have been captivating fans since the moment he embarked on this journey ten years ago. As the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon, Ben has led a life so far in which music has always played a central role. His wit and skill as a singer-songwriter showcases an artist who is comfortable both in his own skin and with his impressive musical legacy. "Listening" is the follow up album to Taylor's critically acclaimed 2008 release "The Legend Of Kung Folk - Part 1 (the Killing Bite)." VON GREY is an Atlanta-based quartet of four classically trained sisters with soulful four-part harmonies, poetic lyrics and indelible melodies. Performances include over 200 shows in the past 2 years ranging from intimate venues to supporting gigs with Sarah McLachlan. ! Their forthcoming five-song EP, recorded with GRAMMY® award-winning producer/engineer Nick DiDia (Bruce Springsteen, Train, The Gaslight Anthem), captures the band's essence and the raw intensity of their live performances.

Woodsongs 689: Caroline Herring and SHEL Mar 01, 2013

Show notes

CAROLINE HERRING has established herself as a lyrical and inventive songwriter and a singer whose vocals never fail to move the listener with her high trills and rich vibrato. The Mississippi native, now based in Atlanta, has been compared to Lucinda Williams, Joan Baez, and even Mozart. Although the comparisons are nice (and hold water) the truth is that she has her own signature sound that comes to full manifestation on "Camilla", hew new career-defining record on Signature Sounds. SHEL is comprised of four sisters ages 18-24 who are classically trained and home-schooled�the band name is an acronym for their first names. Growing up in a musical household encouraged by their father, a respected local Ft. Collins, Colorado musician, they first appeared on stage as his backing band. SHEL has been performing since 2005 and graced the stages of Lilith Fair, International Folk Alliance, Music City Roots, and South by Southwest. The self-titled effort is the group's first full-length studio album.

Woodsongs 688: Della Mae and Pearl and the Beard Mar 01, 2013

Show notes

DELLA MAE is five women that are are turning heads, winning hearts, and quickly becoming a household name in acoustic, folk, roots, and bluegrass music. The band are all seasoned performers who have won countless contests and shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Del McCoury, Leon Russell, and Laurie Lewis. PEARL AND THE BEARD are three voices, one cello, one guitar, one glockenspiel, one melodica, several drums, one accordion, ninety-six teeth, and one soul. The band's genre-bending and expectation-defying sound has since burst the trio out of the confines of the New York music scene opening for Ani DiFranco and Dar Willliams. The band's current release is "Killing the Darlings."

Woodsongs 687: Sarah McQuaid and Pert Near Sandstone Feb 20, 2013

Show notes

SARAH MCQUAID is a gifted and captivating performer whose warm, haunting alto is delicately cradled by her "sparkling guitar" (Sing Out!). She is both song crafter and song collector, equally at home with traditional Irish and Appalachian folk songs, Elizabethan ballads and 1930s jazz numbers. She is also renowned for her guitar work and is the author of acclaimed The Irish DADGAD Guitar Book. Her musical output is a direct and unfolding reflection of her own eclectic background: Sarah was born in Spain, raised in Chicago, holds dual US and Irish citizenship, and currently lives in rural England. Her new album, "The Plum Tree and the Rose," represents a departure from Sarah's previous albums, which focused on her arrangements of traditional material, in that nine of its thirteen tracks are originals. PERT NEAR SANDSTONE emerged from the same roots-based musical hotbed in Minneapolis that gave birth to Bob Dylan, The Jayhawks and Spider John Koerner. Originally formed by four friends from the same hometown, Pert Near Sandstone formed unintentionally over weekly, whiskey-fueled picking sessions in an old house in St. Paul, MN.The band rejuvenates American stringband music with raw energy; they play tightly-crafted original material that lends itself to the modern audience, as well as being stewards of the old-time and bluegrass traditions. Check out their high octane version of The Beatles "I Am The Walrus. The band's latest release is "Paradise Hop."

Woodsongs 686: The Pines and The Trishas Feb 20, 2013

Show notes

THE PINES rose out of the prairies of the Midwest and are one of the most distinct and powerful indie-rock/Americana groups to hit the national scene in years. Founded by Iowa natives David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey, the band caught the attention of acclaimed indie label Red House Records. The Pines' new album, "Dark So Gold" shows a young band that has fully arrived with a sound and song craft that stands apart on the indie music landscape. THE TRISHAS are 4 girls from Austin. All can sing, play and write songs ... sometimes all at once. None are named Trisha. They first shared a stage in January 2009 and their intention was simply to perform a couple of songs as part of a tribute to Savannah's father, singer-songwriter Kevin Welch. With nearly two solid years' worth of buzz and confidence-building shows and opening for the likes Dwight Yoakam, Raul Malo, Rodney Crowell, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Todd Snider, the band has released their first full-length album, "High, Wide & Handsome." Their musicianship, songwriting and soaring four part harmony shows a band with a sister-like tightness looking to expand their grassroots audience outside of Texas.

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