2/24/08 Playlist

New:
1. Jamcrackers: Arnold the Armadillo (Jamcrackers), Esperance 014 www.esperanceproductions.com
2. Anders Osborne: Lucky One (Coming Out), M.C. Records 0060 www.mc-record.com
3. Sirens: The Promise (Look Up), Borealis 183 www.Sirens3.com
4. Ben Bedford: Lincoln's Man (Lincoln's Man), Hopeful Sky 101 www.benbedford.com

New:
5. Amanda Shaw: Pretty Runs Out (Pretty Runs Out), Rounder 3257
6. Randall Williams: Draw the Line (Praying for Land), Musafir 06 www.whereisrandsll.com
7. The Kennedys: American Wish (Better Dreams), Appleseed 1107 www.appleseedred.com
8. Brooks Williams: Rich Tonight (The Time I Spend with You), Red Guitar Blue Music 0801 www.brookswilliams.com

New:
9. Wagtail: When the Sun Goes Down (One Clear Moment), Thunder Ridge www.wagtailmusic.com
10. Sparky & Rhonda Rucker: Ezekiel Saw the Wheel (The Mountains Above and the Valleys Below), Tremont 008 www.sparkyandrhonda.com
11. We're About 9: All the Time (Paperdust * Stardust), self www.wa9.org
12. Mat Callahan & Yvonne Moore: Circle Round (Welcome), Broken Arrow www.brokenarrowrecords.com

Concerts coming up:
13. Joe Crookston: Bird by Bird (Able Baker Charlie & Dog), self www.joecrookston.com
14. Maria Sangiolo: Celia Says (Under the Mystic Sea), Raging River 106 www.mariasangiolo.com
15. Ed Trickett: Diamond Joe (Echo on The Evening Tide), Azalea City 9901 www.azaleacityrecordings.com
16. Red Stick Ramblers: When The Sugar Cane's Tall (Bring It on Down), Memphis International Records 8 www.memphisinternationalrecords.com

More Concerts: 17. Garnet Rogers: Bittersweet (Get A Witness -- Live), Snow Goose Songs 1133 www.garnetrogers.com 18. Becky Chace: Trouble (A River Under Me), self www.beckychace.com 19. Steve Earle: Steve's Hammer [for Pete] (Washington Square Serenade), New West 3027 20. Kym Tuvim: Mystery (Nothing Sweet Nothing), Retrofit 001 www.kymtuvim.com

For that lovely eclipse: 21. Greg Brown: Ring Around the Moon (44 & 66), Red House 02 22. Eliza Gilkyson: Walking on The Moon (Wounded Heart of America), HighTone 8196 www.hightone.com 23. Emily Kurn: Mississippi Moon (Things Change), self www.emilykurnmusic.com 24. Denice Franke: Dance to The Moon (Comfort), Certain Records 003 www.denicefranke.com

Dreaded Folk Calendar over selections from Hesperus's "An Early American Quilt," Maggie's Music 235 www.maggiesmusic.com

25. Dar Williams: February (Mortal City), Razor & Tie 2821

More for the eclipse: 26 & 27. Hugh Blumenfeld: Soweto (played the "wrong" song) & Rising Moon (The Strong in Spirit), Prime CD 006 www.hughblumenfeld.com 28. Kitty Donohoe: Howling at The Moon (This Road Tonight), Roheen 005 www.kittydonohoe.com 29. Mary Chapin Carpenter: The Moon and St. Christopher (Shooting Straight in The Dark), Columbia CK 46077 30. Small Potatoes: Big Ol' Prairie Moon (Small Potatoes Alive!), self www.smallpotatoesmusic.com

Tomorrow's the 16th anniversary of my being badly injured in a crash caused by a VERY drunk driver: 31. Watermelon Slim: Drinking and Driving (The Wheel), Northern Blues

32. State Radio: Fight No More (Year of The Crow), Ruff Shod 33. Eric Taylor: Better Man (Hollywood Pocketknife), Blue Ruby 003 www.bluerubymusic.com 34. Michael Jerling: Cold River (Crooked Path), Fool's Hill 2002 www.michaeljerling.com 35. Eliza Gilkyson et al: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174

Playlist, Feb. 17, 2008

1. Brooks Williams: Lightning (The Time I Spend with You), self www.brookswilliams.com
2. Wagtail: When the Sun Goes Down (One Clear Moment), self www.wagtailmusic.com
3. We're About 9: Nobody Flying (Paperdust Stardust), self www.wa9.org
4. Kym Tuvim: Mystery (Nothing Sweet Nothing), Retrofit www.kymtuvim.com

5. Elizabeth Nicholson & Stringed Migration: Lord Thomas (Fly Not Yet), Waterbug 81 www.stringedmigration.com
6. Cindy Kallet & Grey Larsen (Sounding Board 3/15): Your Love (Cross the Water), Sleepy Creek 105 www.kalletlarsen.com
7. Jefferson Pepper: Columbus Day (American Evolution), American Fallout 003 www.americanfallout.com
8. Shelby Lynne: How Can I Be Sure (Just A Little Lovin'), Lost Highway 9789

It's Loreena McKennitt's birthday -- I played an interview mixed with her recorded music, produced in March 1995. The eight selections included Marrakesh Night Market, Prospero's Speech, The Blacksmith, Annachie Gordon, and 4 other pieces whose names I probably noted when I put the piece together, but don't know now! www.quinlanroad.com

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day, and the end of Random Acts of Kindness Week:
17. Emmylou Harris: Cup of Kindness (Stumble into Grace), Nonesuch 79805
18. Richard Thompson: Hand of Kindness (Hand of Kindness), Hannibal 1315
19. Rebecca Troon: Small Acts of Kindness (Turning Around), Awful Good www.cdbaby.com
20. Joan Baez: Be Not Too Hard (The Contemporary Ballad Book), Vanguard 2-LP collection
21. Paul Thorn: What Have You Done to Lift Somebody Up (A Long Way from Tupelo), Perpetual Obscurity 20089 www.paulthorn.com
22. Susan Werner: Help Somebody (The Gospel Truth), self www.susanwerner.com

The Dreaded Folk Calendar over selections from Larry Unger and Eden MacAdam-Somer's "Notorious," Black Socks 26

For Mike Huckabee:
23. Roy Zimmerman: Defenders of Marriage (Faulty Intelligence), Metaphor 920 www.royzimmerman.com
For the controversial exhibit (where DID those bodies come from?) "Bodies Revealed" at the XL Center:
24. Cindy Kallet: Bodies (Dreaming down A Quiet Line), Stone's Throw 1 www.cindykallet.com 25. Meg Hutchinson: America [Enough] (Come Up Full), Red House 209
26. Robin & Linda Williams: 50,000 Names (Radio Songs), Red House 204
27. Eric Bibb: Dance Me to The End of Love (Friends), Telarc 83619
28. Becky Chace: Lonely (A River Under Me), self www.beckychace.com
29. Eliza Gilkyson et al: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174

Mellencamp songs taken off McCain's playlist

By AMANDA LEE MYERS, Associated Press WriterFri Feb 8, 10:39 AM ET

It may be "Our Country," but it's John Mellencamp's song.

When the liberal rocker found out his songs were being played at events for Republican John McCain's presidential campaign, Mellencamp's publicist sent a letter that questioned the campaign's playlist.

"Are you sure you want to use his music to promote Senator McCain's efforts?" according to the letter sent to McCain's campaign on Monday. "Logic says that the facts might prove to be an embarrassment, were they to be circulated widely."

McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers in Washington, D.C., said Thursday that the songs would no longer be played. He declined to elaborate.

The letter explained Mellencamp was a liberal who had supported Democrat John Edwards, who recently dropped out of the race. Publicist Bob Merlis said Mellencamp told him that the situation made him uncomfortable and he couldn't imagine McCain would want to be associated with him.

"You know, here's a guy running around saying, 'I'm a true conservative.'" Merlis told The Associated Press. "Well, if you're such a true conservative, why are you playing songs that have a very populist pro-labor message written by a guy who would find no argument if you characterized him as left of center?"

Mellencamp songs that had been played at McCain's events included "Our Country" and "Pink Houses." In "Our Country," Mellencamp sings, "There's room enough here for science to live, and there's room enough here for religion to forgive." In "Pink Houses," he sings about a simple man who "pays for the thrills, the bills and the pills that kill."

His other hits include "Jack and Diane," "Hurts So Good" and "Small Town." Mellencamp is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10 in New York.
___
On the Net:
John McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/
John Mellencamp: http://www2.mellencamp.com/

NYTimes: Shared Song, Communal Memory

By BEN RATLIFF
EAST LANSING, Mich., Feb. 10, 2008

THEY meet on the first Monday of the month at the Universalist Unitarian Church here, not to worship but to sing. Just to sing. There are song leaders, some with a guitar or a banjo or an autoharp, but this isn’t a class or a choir; the singers, not the leaders, choose the tunes. Most hold copies of a spiral-bound songbook of folk music called “Rise Up Singing.” They perform songs like “Keep On the Sunny Side” and “This Land Is Your Land.” No one minds a voice gone off-key.
From Hawaii to Santa Cruz to the Philadelphia suburbs, in living rooms, churches and festival tents, similar gatherings — called community sings, or singalongs — draw together the average-voiced and bring old songs into common memory.

If there is a natural opposite to gold-plated pop irony and faceless file sharing — music as the American majority knows it in 2008 — this is it. These meetings are earnest, participant directed and person to person: a slow-going, folkish appreciation of American vernacular culture.
Much of this impulse descends from Pete Seeger, who has championed the cause of group-singing for more than 60 years. “No one can prove a damn thing,” Mr. Seeger said in a recent interview, “but I think that singing together gives people some kind of a holy feeling. And it can happen whether they’re atheists, or whoever. You feel like, ‘Gee, we’re all together.’ ”

Amateur group-singing has been around forever, of course, at bars, churches, schools, camps and stadiums. Community sings like the one in East Lansing are pitched halfway between the ritual of the campfire singalong and the self-conscious American folk-music movement of the 20th century.
In 1945 Mr. Seeger founded the People’s Song collective, which disseminated its own songbooks, thereby helping to popularize songs like “We Shall Overcome.” The folk revival of the late 1950s and the subsequent rise of folk festivals, some of which included song-circles as special events, furthered the idea that singing together could reseed a homegrown culture and empower the ordinary citizen to change society.

In 1973 Peter Blood, a Quaker, political organizer, teacher and folk musician in Philadelphia, put together a homemade songbook called “Winds of the People,” which quickly took off in the group-sing scene. “There was a demand for it in the circles we ran in, which were religious and summer-camp circles,” said his wife, Annie Patterson. In time Movement for a New Society and other nonreligious activist organizations adopted it for singalong events.

A decade later Mr. Blood and Ms. Patterson were envisioning a more ambitious book. They compiled and cleared the rights to 1,200 songs for “Rise Up Singing,” which was published in 1988. Mark Moss, editor of Sing Out! magazine, the pre-eminent journal of the folk movement, and also the publisher of the songbook, said it has sold about 800,000 copies, at $17.95 each.

More at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/arts/music/10ratli.html?scp=1&sq=Shared+Song%2C+Communal+Memory&st=nyt

2/10/08 Playlist

1. Lenny Solomon Band: It's Snowing (Maybe Today), Not Life Threatening 002 www.solomonband.com
2. Sweet Honey in The Rock: Dog, Dog (Experience ... 101), Appleseed 1104 www.appleseedrec.com
3. John McCutcheon: Hope Dies Last (This Fire), Appalsongs 2007 www.folkmusic.com
4. Ruthy Ungar: Sunday Kinda Love (Jukebox), Humble Abode Music 002 www.themammals.net

5 & 6. Woody Guthrie: Tom Joad & Grand Coulee Dam (The Live Wire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949), Woody Guthrie Foundation www.woodyguthrie.org

7. Sugar Bayou: He's Just Weak (Dance Hall Incident), Spare Parts 56474 www.sugarbayou.com
8. Jason Spooner: All That We Know (The Flame You Follow), self www.jasonspooner.com
9. Sally Spring: Ain't No Ash Will Burn (Mockingbird), Sniffinpup 0001 www.sallyspring.com
10. Spicewood Seven: Iraqi Soldier Blues (Kakistocracy), Austin Records Inc. 70406 www.austinrecordsdirect.com

11 - 14. from Songs from Sing Out! Volume 51 #4 www.singout.org
11. Sara Grey: Derry Dems of Arrow
12. Jonathan Byrd: Jacks
13. The Mountain Goats: Cotton
14. Chuck Pyle: Long Time Gone

15. Eva Cassidy: American Tune (American Tune), Blix Street G2 10079 www.blixstreet.com
16. Matt Callahan & Yvonne Moore: Old John Brown (Welcome), Broken Arrow
17. Ann Wilson with Alison Krauss: War of Man (Hope & Glory), Zoe 1085
18. Mark Erelli: Here & Now (Hope & Other Casualties), Signature Sounds 1296 www.markerelli.com

Due to health problems, Utah Phillips has had to give up touring. You can find out more at www.utahphillips.org/podcast/index.html
These songs are from "Starlight on The Rails: A Songbook," Daemon Records 19047 www.daemonrecords.com
19. Going Away
20. Old Buddy, Goodnight
21. Jesse's Corrido

I read a bit of Matthew Rothschild's Progressive article "The FBI Deputizes Business" www.progressive.org/mag_rothschild0308
22. Roy Zimmerman: Multinational Anthem (Security), Metaphor 917 www.royzimmerman.com
23. Eric Bogle: Global Economy (The Colour of Dreams), Greentrax 237 www.greentrax.com

The Dreaded Folk Calendar over selections from Roger Williams's "A Resophonic Retrospective," Happy Appy 5, www.rogerreso.net

24 & 25. Rebecca Troon: Small Acts of Kindness & Hazelwood (Turning Around), Awful Good Records
26. Danny Schmidt: California's on Fire (Little Grey Sheep), Waterbug 79
27. Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez: Do Your Part (Let's Leave This Town), Lone Star 4009 www.trainwreckrecords.com
28. Carrie Newcomer: One Woman and A Shovel (The Geography of Light), Philo 1253 www.carrienewcomer.com

29. Bill Morrissey: Dangerous Way (Come Running), Turn and Spin 1125 www.turnandspin.com
30. Tracy Grammer: Lord of The Buffalo (Book of Sparrows), self www.tracygrammer.com
31. James Gordon & Sons: Levee's Broken (Nine Green Bottles), Borealis 182 www.jamesgordon.ca
32. Cathy Fink: Mistreated Mama Blues (Banjo Talkin'), Rounder 0599 www.cathymarcy.com
33. Tom Paxton: How Beautiful Upon The Mountain (Comedians & Angels), Appleseed 1105
34. Joel Mabus: Holding to The Land (Retold), Fossil 180 www.joelmabus.com
35. Eliza Gilkyson et al: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174

2/4/08 playlist for a fill-in, following Democracy Now

1. The Kennedys: Give Me Back My Country (Better Dreams), Appleseed 1107 www.appleseedrec.com
2. Butch Hancock: Tat Great Election Day (War and Peace), Two Roads 2006
3. John McCutcheon: Surprise, Surprise, Surprise (Signs of The Times), Flying Fish
4. Dan Bern: My Country II (My Country II), Messenger www.danbern.com

5. The Mammals: Bad Shoes Blues (Rock That Board), Signature Sounds 1284 www.signaturesounds.com
6. Peter Dyer: Talking Chickenhawk Blues (single)
7. James McMurtry: Can't Make It Here (single download, radio edit), Compadre www.jamesmcmurtry.com
8. Iris DeMent: The Wasteland of The Free (The Way I Should), Warner Bros. 46188

Following 9/11, President Bush and seven top officials of his administration waged a carefully orchestrated campaign of misinformation about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Charles Lewis and Mark Reading-Smith talk about at least 935 false statements made in the two years following September 11, 2001, at http://www.publicintegrity.org/WarCard/

9. Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time: I'm A Lie (Took Down and Put Up), Lonesome Day 011 www.lonesomeday.com
10. The WMDs / Christine Lavin: The Liar Sleeps Tonight (Happydance of The Xenophobe), Yellow Tail 10022 www.yellowtailrecords.com
11. Chuck Brodsky: Liar Liar, Pants on Fire (Tulips for Lunch), Waterbug / self www.ChuckBrodsky.com
12. Yikes McGee: The Liar (EP), self www.yikesmcgee.com
13. Jay Mankita: They Lied (Dogs Are Watching Us), self http://jaymankita.com

14. Myshkin's Ruby Warblers: Lied (Anti-Theft Device), Waterbug sampler www.waterbug.com
15. The Short Sisters: Blizzard of Lies (Live from Four States), Black Socks Press 17
16. Ann Wilson: Little Problems, Little Lies (Hope & Glory), Zoe 1085
17. The Avett Brothers: The Weight of Lies (Emotionalism), Ramseur 2716 www.ramseurrecords.net
18. Emma's Revolution: Silence & Lies (Roots, Rock & Revolution), self www.emmasrevolution.com

19. Willie Dixon: It Don't Make Sense -- You Can't Make Peace (Mighty Earthquake and Hurricane), PA USA LP
20. Joni Mitchell: Strong and Wrong (Shine), Hear Music 30457
21. Charlie King: The War Has Been Coming Home (Stoking the Fires of Resistance), No Label visible
22. Les Barker: Debate (Twilight of The Dogs), Mrs. Ackroyd DOG 019 www.mrsackroyd.com

23. Chumbawamba: Walking into Battle with The Lord (A Singsong and A Scrap), AK Press 047CD
24. Neil Young: Let's Impeach the President [for Lying] (Living with War), Reprise
25. Richad Thompson: Pharoah (Amnesia), Capitol
26. Keb' Mo': (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (Peace -- Back by Popular Demand), Okeh/ Epic

2/3/08 Playlist

1. Elizabeth Nicholson and Stringed Migration: Lebanese Melody / The Unquiet Grave (Fly Not Yet), Waterbug 81 www.stringedmigration.com
2. Kane Welch Kaplin: I Wish I Had That Mandolin (Kane Welch Kaplin), Compass 4464 www.compassrecords.com
3. Carey Creed: Blue Boat Home (Peace of Wild Things), Azalea City 0705 www.careycreed.com 4. Arlo Guthrie: In Times Like These (In Times Like These), Rising Son 1126 www.risingsonrecords.com

5. Lisa Markley: Eve Takes the Fall (The Sky Is Blue and Sometimes Cries), Soona Songs 007 www.soonasongs.com
6. Steve Earle: City of Immigrants (Washington Square Serenade), New West A3027 www.steveearle.com
7. Caroline Herring: Song for Fay (Lantana), Signature Sounds 2010 www.carolineherring.com
8. Duane Rutter: Dead Man (Waiting Room), Busted Flat 017

It's Rich's and Johnny's birthday:
9. Small Potatoes: Time Flies (Small Potatoes Alive!), self www.smallpotatoesmusic.com
10. Johnny Irion: Short Leash (Ex Tempore), Rte 8 Records / Rising Son www.johnnyirion.net
11. Small Potatoes: Misalliance (Small Potatoes Alive!), self www.smallpotatoesmusic.com
12. Johnny Irion: Brush Yet Teeth Blues (Ex Tempore), Rte 8 Records / Rising Son www.johnnyirion.net

Upcoming concerts:
13. Last Fair Deal (Branford Folk Coffeehouse 2/9): Don't Let Your Deal Go Down (True Tales), Bread and Butter 000405 www.lastfairdeal.com
14. Emma Weiss (WHUS, 2/6): Windowsill (Clamor), self emmaweiss@earthlinknet
15. Mark Erelli (Roaring Brook 2/9): The Volunteer (download), self www.markerelli.com
16. Atwater-Donnelly (as Jerimoth Hill) (U'n'I 2/9): (The Halfway Ground), Rabbit Island 1010 www.atwater-donnelly.com
17. The Subdudes (Garde Theater 2/7): A Thorn in Her Side (Street Symphony), Back Porch / EMI
18. Girl Howdy (Iron Horse 2/10): You're Not Easy to Forget (It's Honky Tonk Time!), EP/self www.girlhowdyband.com

The Army has been threatening to buy a pristine parcel of land in Middletown, one of the last undeveloped parcels on the CT River, and develop it to make a training center there:

19. Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi - 2007 (Shine), Hear Music
20. Mark Erelli: Imaginary Wars (Hope & Other Casualties), Signature Sounds 1296
21. Laurie Lewis and Her Bluegrass Pals: The Wood Thrush's Song (Laurie Lewis and Her Bluegrass Pals), Rounder 0461
22. John Gorka: Houses in The Fields (Jack's Crows), High Street 10309
23. Tom Paxton & Anne Hills: There Goes the Mountain (Under American Skies), Appleseed 1052
24. Carla Sciaky: The Song That Bird Sings (Awakening), Green Linnet 2115
25. Storyhill: Paradise Lost (Storyhill), Red House 197

But it looks as if an informal coalition of neighbors, open space advocates, town officials, state officials, the DEP, the governor, influential editorial advocates and most recently Congresswoman Rosa Delauro, and Secretary of State Susan Byciewicz have likely had an effect:

26. Malvina Reynolds: The Lambeth Children (Magical Songs), Cassandra LP
27. Bob Bossin: Sulphur Passage (Gabriola V0R 1X0), Nick 007
28. Patty Larkin: Metal Drums (Live in The Square), Philo 1136

The Dreaded Folk Calendar over selections from Elizabeth Nicholson and Stringed Migration's "Fly Not Yet," Waterbug 81 www.stringedmigration.com

It appears that the two suicide-bombers who attacked the Iraqi pet and bird markets were women with Down Syndrome, and it's possible that at least one of them carried an explosive pack that was detonated by remote control -- in other words she was murdered, along with her victims.
29. Eliza Gilkyson: Tender Mercies (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174
30. Tom Waits: Road to Peace (Orphans), Anti- promo 86677

Tsunami Tuesday coming right up:
31. Dan Bern: My Country II (My Country II), Messenger 19 www.danbern.com
32. Butch Hancock: Great Election Day (War and Peace), Two Roads 2006
33. Therapy Sisters: Let's Put A Folksinger in The White House (A Folksinger in The White House), self www.therapysisters.com
34. John McCutcheon: Surprise, Surprise, Surprise (Signs of The Times), Flying Fish
35. Norman & Nancy Blake: Don't Be Afraid of The Neo-Cons (single), Dualtone
36. Eliza Gilkyson: Peace Call (Land of Milk and Honey), Red House 174