KAFM Music Blog

top spins (new music) 10-1-2021 to 11-1-2021
Data set presented in the body was truncated.

SpinsCount	Artist name
17	Sturgill Simpson
15	Tiffany Pollack & Co.
13	James McMurtry
13	Tim Easton
12	Blues Traveler
12	Brandi Carlile
11	The Mommyheads
10	Charley Crockett
10	Willie Nile
9	Dar Williams
9	Avey Grouws Band
9	Los Lobos
9	Malcom Holcomb
9	Rodney Crowell
9	The Killers
9	Single Girl, Married Girl

 

LA Cowboy
Bruce Sudano
Wesley Pruitt Band
Rod Bland And The Members Only Band
Brandi Carlile
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (jazz)
Elovators (World- reggae)
Los Lobos
Chris Daniels/Hazel Miller/ Dana Marsh
Anya Hinkle
Justin Sullivan
The Killers (2 recommendations)
Blues Traveler
Yola
Sun Valley Station
Ericson Holt
Mommyheads
Guided By Voices
Birds Of Play
Efterklang
Chick Corea Acoustic Band
Single Girl, Married Girl
Joshua Ray Walker
The Rock House All Stars
Erin Enderlin
Ida Mae
Sturgill Simpson
Joe Troop
Ron A. McNeill
The Furious Seasons
Malcolm Holcomb
Keeton Coffman
Blumer Haus (jazz)
Starlett & Big John
Son Volt
Greg Schochet
Heartless Bastards


 

Music videos are an art form in their own right, a visual bonus to the music we love. Every Monday we bring you an eclectic mix of audio-visual goodness.
 


Long established southwest England folk singer/songwriter perfoming under the name Ruarri Joseph, has gone full band with the name William the Conqueror, and switched to a grittier Country/Americana sound.  Debuting the new band and name this past summer with a full length release, "Proud Disturber of the Peace" features this excellent track,  Tend to The Thorns, On the Loose Music label.




Discover the best new music in the Grand Valley at KAFM Community Radio!
 

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Music videos are an art form in their own right, a visual bonus to the music we love. Every Monday we bring you an eclectic mix of audio-visual goodness.

Boxer Rebellion

 

In addition to small, independent radio stations like KAFM, online music blogs are front line resources for finding new and emerging artists.  They range in scope from well supported and staffed to a single individuals.  They can encompass music from every corner of the world, or focus on a certain genre, region, or country.  They might post multiple times a day or once every few months.  They may review dozens of releases daily or post just a track of the week.  They might be well written and easy to navigate, or a total mess.  They might invest hundreds of hours a week in research and publication, or throw things up on a whim.  Regardless there is very seldom any feedback Quick read more or view full article or monetary compensation.  It is a thankless, consuming endevour done for the love of music.  Every week, we will feature one of our favorite music blogs here on the blog site of your favorite radio station - KAFM!
 

5 out of 5 Stars for                The Alternate Root

            

A beautifully designed site!  Crisp, clean, and easy to navigate.  Online companion the the quarterly print magazine of the same name.  Created in 2007, this visually stunning blog contains content written by industry people with decades of experience in artist management and development, commercial  and independent radio, music publishing and marketing.  Content includes new releases, reviews, top ten, artist interviews, music videos, staff picks, bands on the radar, and lots of embedded media.

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We just received a new CD from Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox and as I listened to it this morning I went wild!  I'm a long-time fan, especially "All About That Bass".  They are always raising the bar - check it out!       

 
Listen for more on Fresh Tracks at 11 a.m. this Friday Jan. 2!

Music videos are an art form in their own right, a visual bonus to the music we love.  Every Monday we bring you an eclectic mix of audio-visual goodness.

The Last Bandeleros - "I Don't Want To Know"

Whew!!!  Watch out for these guys, Tex-Mex Tejano spiced rockers, The Last Bandeleros.  Having toured with The Mavericks and more recently with Sting, and with this huge nod from Rolling Stone Magazine, it looks like the San Antonio based quartet is in for a huge 2018. 



Sufjan Stevens - "Tonya Harding"

Sufjan Stevens released "Tanya Harding" as a single last December, just before the biopic Quick read more or view full article "I, Tonya" was released on December 8th.  In this essay, Stevens describes Harding as a "strange and magnificent America hero."  With the 2018 Winter Olympics just a single axel away, play this and see if you too, might have wished a softer fall from grace for Tanya Harding.


 

The Ben Miller Band - "Akira Kurosawa"

Melding clips from old black and white films and contemporary tunes to produce a music video is nothing new.  We love 'em!  It's fitting that The Ben Miller Band's new upcoming January 26th release on New West Records, "Choke Cherry Tree", uses classic clips from famed Japanese film director and screenwriter Akira Kurosawa to serve as a storyboard for the band's gritty single of the same name.  Creative editing brings it all together.


 

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Here at KAFM we are happy to boast a volunteer programmer force of over 100.  Here are some recent new music favorites from a few of our programmers!!!

KateA is a high school student in Mesa County District 51 who enjoys subbing when she can for other programmers.  She loves War on Drugs new release "A Deeper Understanding".

 

Check out KateA's playlists here.

H-man is in the drivers seat for "Enjoy The Ride" every other Monday from 1-4 PM.  This choice cut is from Walter Trout's current release, "We're All In This Together"....

 

Check out H-man's playlists Quick read more or view full article here.

Longtime KAFM programmer VetaBluegrass is loving this recent cut from Molly Tuttle's new CD "Rise".

 

Checkout VetaBluegrass' playlists here.

Find your favorites on air or online at kafmradio.org.  Listen live everywhere here.

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Every week Tori, the Music Director here at KAFM, has a new music spotlight show called Fresh Tracks.
Each Tuesday TONS of music goes into radio rotation, and Tori tries her best to keep a finger on the pulse.
Let's check out the featured artists and tracks this past week!


ARTIST - SONG - ALBUM
1. Sinkane - U'Huh - Life & Livin' It

Born Ahmed Gallab, to two college professors in Sudan, and moved to the US at 5 to Ohio. Worked as a studio musician for Eleanor Friedberger, Of Montreal, Yeasayer, and more. Also the band director of the Atomic Bomb! Band, which includes David Byrne, Jamie Lidell, Dev Hynes, and Joshua Redman, just Quick read more or view full article to name a few. This is his 6th studio album as Sinkane, out on City Slang records.

2. The Luyas - All of Everything - Human Voicing

From Montreal, formed in 2006. This band is known for using a wide variety of instruments, including a Moodswinger, swung my singer/guitarist Jessie Stein. A Moodswing is an electric 12 stringed zither. This is their 4th LP, called Human Voicing out on Paper Bag Records

3. Maggie Rogers - Dog Years - Now That The Light is Fading EP

Since I mentioned more about how she came to music in the last post, I'll put a piece of her own personal bio on Facebook "Dear listening ears/reading eyes, For a long time, I've introduced myself as a banjo player from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I'm a hiker and an environmentalist. I'm an optimist. I'm loud. I'm still all those things, but I went quiet for a few years. I cut my long hair short. I got a cat named Cat Stevens. I fell in love. I moved to New York, to France, and back. Inevitably, I found my space in the place between knowing who I was and finding out who I am."

4. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Fireproof - The Tourist

Project of Alec Ounsworth, based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Started in 2004 and really hit it big on the internet, with no real help from a record label. But their bio on Facebook keeps it short and sweet, "We formed several years ago. We have made 4 albums. We plan on making 300 more."

5. Leif Vollebekk - All Night Sedans - Twin Solitude

From Montreal, his new album Twin Solitude reflects on how the music he started making didn't make him feel saved like other music he loved, and his journey to creating the music he needed. Out on Secret City records.

6. The Orwells - They Put a Body in the Bayou - Terrible Human Beings


From Chicago, IL, this is their 3rd album out on Canvasback Records. Playing blues in the background of all their garage rock power, and whining about girls.

7. Dude York - Life Worth Living Pt. 2 - Sincerely


(not the song featured on the show, but a good song off of the album!)
A trio out of Seattle, WA, they say this album "Sincerely is a loud, sweaty rebuke to those moments in life when it seems like nothing's working, a testament to the power of friendship, staring problems directly in the face, and finding solace in art." Out on Hardly Art Records.

8. The Right Now - That's Enough - Starlight

Soul band from Chicago, that say their music confronts the darkness of modern times head on, and they utilize their music as a beacon to navigate to safer ground

9. Xiu Xiu - Wondering - Forget

An experimental art-rock band from San Jose, California. Fronted by Jamie Stewart. 13th album since 2002. Stewart says that Xiu Xiu was formed as an answer to feeling off, wanting to dance away the negative emotions, and realizing that club music made you feel just as bad - so he made his own.

10. Middle Kids - Your Love - Middle Kids

From Sydney, Australia, with a huge debut under their belt without even releasing the EP yet. After two singles they've been all over the radio, so now with their full EP, out on Domino, there's no stopping this trio.

11. The Matinee - Dancing on Your Grave - Dancing on Your Grave

From Vancouver, Canada, "Just a bunch of good 'ole boys, never meaning no harm" out on Light Organ Records.

12. Old 97's - Good With God - Graveyard Whistling
(
Alt-country band from Dallas, TX, formed in 1993. Playing along with the likes of the Drive-by Truckers, The Jayhawks and Whiskeytown. This is their 10th studio album out on ATO Records.
(PS. Fake interview comedy bit with Fred Armisen before the song :p)

13. Sinkane - Telephone - Life & Livin' it
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2016 - The Finest Hour, by PJ - programmer for the KAFM Desert Canyon Music show on Sunday night.
 
Aspiring on-air programmers for KAFM sit in on an orientation program conducted by our Program Director, Coach. Aspiring programmers get a rundown of the dos and don'ts associated with representing the station on air.  Obviously it's not appropriate to rave about the soup at your brother's restaurant, but I was taken aback by one point: Coach was adamant that KAFM is not an oldies station.  We want fresh programming he insisted, and said his expectation was that at least 30% of the music we play should be new releases.  I dutifully accepted, not realizing that the door to a golden Quick read more or view full article musical opportunity was about to swing open.
 
Three years later, a Desert Canyon playlist routinely includes nearly 50% new material.  Music distributors send KAFM new releases from artists, asking only that that we play them.  Given our lack of musical obligations at KAFM such as a requirement to play hits, we are uniquely positioned to support these artists by giving them air time.  We like them.  They like us.  It's really great to be part of such a positive relationship.
 
To celebrate the work of these modern day artists, I present my list of the "finest hour" of new music added to the KAFM library in 2016.  I employed a one song per artist ground rule in developing this list. There is so much material, I only heard some of what was available.  Your top hour would surely be different.  Here's mine.  
 
15.   Waiting for the World to End  - All Night Live, Vol. 1 - The Mavericks  The spectacular "Mono" CD hit the KAFM new wall in 2015.  They went on tour in 2016, and I had the great fortune to catch one of their high-energy good-time shows on the shores of Lake Superior.  It is hard to imagine a better summer evening, so I was thrilled when a disk of their live CD showed up  at the station.  Frankly this recording is a little fuzzy.  It is a problem easily remedied by adjusting the volume upward.  Do it!
 
14.  The Do Without - Not Gonna Worry - Bob Rasero  It's fun to pair Howling Wolf's "Do the Do" with Bob Rasero's "The Do Without."  It helps that Bob Rasero is an exceptional acoustic lead guitar player, song writer and vocalist.
 
13.  Afraid - Love and Sabotage - David Star A Cedaredge local artist, David Star played at the KAFM Radio Room in early 2016.   His guitar work on "Afraid" is cutting edge both with regard to the acoustic rhythm, the slide, and wah wah lead.  JJ Cale would have loved this guy.
 
12.  Find Ourselves - Devin Allman - Ride or Die  Greg Allman's son Devin has definitely found himself as a musical talent.  I'm sure his name is both an obstacle and an advantage depending on the circumstance, but check him out on youtube and he looks like he was born to play that cherry sunburst Les Paul.


 
11. Boulevard Six - Jim Duffy - Pale Afternoon  This is just one example of a jazz record that is consistently bright and upbeat.  I'd like to go to New York with Booker T, and watch Jim Duffy play keyboard.
 
10.  Comes a Time - Coral Creek - Coral Creek  Ever listen to a song and think, hey this better than the original?  This Neil Young cover is so cool!  The song is bluegrass rooted for sure, but with a pleasing drum beat.  Try to categorize them and they'll break out a saxophone, or perhaps launch a mean electric guitar solo.  Their vocals are always excellent.
 
9. She thinks I Still Care - Eric Lindell - Matters of the Heart  Reminiscent of Eric Stewart of 10cc trying to convince himself he's "Not in Love,"  Eric Lindell wants us to know he doesn't still care.  Of course he does.  This is nifty song writing - nicely implemented.
 
8. Belly of the Sea - Darcy Malone & the Tangle - Still Life  Blues rock with a great saxophone, great vocals and unique songwriting make this a special tune.
 
7. Maybe I'm A Rose - For The Sender - Love Letters From Vietnam  The tempo change when this song switches gears is quite the hook.  She says, "Maybe I'm a Rose, but first I'm your girl."  Lucky guy.
 
6. Leave This Town - Stewart Lindsey - Spitballin'  Stewart Lindsey, the former other half of the Eurythmics, excels in this rockin' tune that showcases his guitar skills more than the heavily produced Eurythmics material.


 
5. Jacqui Juice - The Jimmys - Live In Transylvania Like the Mavericks, the Jimmys feature an impossible to indentify genre that moves from jazz, to country, to big band swing, then good old fashion rock and roll.  It's a sweet niche they occupy together, and they do it with gusto.  The all instrumental Jacqui Juice is a round trip through that splendid niche, with bass, drums, trumpet, saxophone, guitar, and keyboards alternating and blending to carve out a wonderful song.
 
4.  Cathy With The Curly Hair - Eleanor Friedberger - New View  Eleanor trends toward non flashy, but she conveys a down home groove that really works.  This song captures from the outset and keeps me interested until it fades away.
 
3.  Lessons Learned - Three Beards - Lessons Learned  At a KAFM music board team gathering in the spring of 2016, I pulled a CD from the mail bag that had this adult coloring book looking skull on the cover.  I reluctantly agreed to review it.  In my hand was a five song EP that includes three of the best rock and roll songs I've heard in years.  Lessons Learned is one of them.   Gentlemen, it's time to release another CD.
 
2.  The Pain Around Me - Toronzo Cannon - The Chicago Way  I can just feel the personal commitment inherent in this incredible song.  Toronzo Cannon still drives a bus for the Chicago Transit Authority.  Somehow that fact seems to personify the music business.  How could this man possibly still need his day job?  I guess that just sums up why I like to play Toronzo's songs on KAFM.  They're great, and he deserves to be recognized.  It's an honor to have the opportunity.
 
1. Rita - Gnarly Feat - Gnarly Feat I play a lot of songs for people.  Come over to the house and chances are you'll be asked to listen to one.  People love this song.  And why not?  It has incredible guitars, biting lyrics, sweet vocals and a rhythm line that flows like a river.  Looking at the videos, I doubt any of these guys are twenty.  I can't wait to hear their 15th CD.  Oh, and I do have some fatherly advice.  If you boys ever write another song as good as Rita, make it longer than three minutes and 20 seconds.


 

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