KAFM Music Blog

Seconds, anyone?  One year ago today we added trailblazing Harrisonburg Virginia band, 'Old Crow Medicine Show' second album for Dave Matthew's label, ATO Records, and fifth major studio release overall, to our new music rack. The album, 'Remedy', features a second, Dylan collaboration of an old unfinished Dylan song and new Old Crow Medicine Show compositional input from Ketch Secor.  Confused?  It's a long story.  'Sweet Amarillo' and other track spins keep 'Remedy' on the KAFM College Charts through September of 2014.  The most recent track played, 'Tennessee Bound', came from the one and only Vetabluegrass on KAFM's 'Bluegrass and Beyond' March 24th, 2015.  

 

Keep your dial at Quick read more or view full article 88.1 KAFM.
 

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Well it got ridiculously hot this week. Here's what we've been playing to cool down:

Jazz - Again, a week full of Daves... But a new #1!



1    VINCENT HERRING    Night And Day    (Smoke Sessions)
2    DAVID SANBORN    Time And The River    (OKeh)
3    DAVE STRYKER    Messin' With Mister T    (Self-Released)
4    CHRIS CORTEZ    Top Secret!    (Blue Bamboo)
5    KEVIN EUBANKS AND STANLEY JORDAN    Duets    (Mack Avenue)
6    DAVID CHESKY    Jazz In The New Harmonic    (Chesky)
7    CAROL SABOYA/ANTONIO ADOLFO/HENDRIK MEURKENS    Copa Village    (AAM)
8    DAWAN MUHAMMAD    Consider The Source    (Lifeforce Jazz)
9    ROBERT KENNEDY TRIO    Big Shoes    (Self-Released)
10    TODD MARCUS JAZZ ORCHESTRA    Blue For Tahrir    (Hipnotic)

Quick read more or view full article /> World - A new #1 here, and there are a few new names peeking up!



1    MORGAN HERITAGE    Strictly Roots    (Cool To Be Conscious)
2    ALEX CUBA    Healer    (Caracol)
3    XAVIER RUDD AND THE UNITED NATIONS    Nanna    (Self-Released)
4    JESSE COOK    One World    (Coach House)
5    BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB    Lost And Found    (World Circuit)
6    NNEKA     My Fairy Tales    (Bushqueen)
7    TIEMPO LIBRE    Panamericano    (Universal)
8    QUITAPENAS    Quitapenas    (White Iris)
9    SKINTS    FM    (Easy Star)
10    MBONGWANA STAR    From Kinshasa    (World Circuit)

College - HUGE movement for Courtney Barnett!



1    COURTNEY BARNETT    Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit    (Mom And Pop)
2    HEARTLESS BASTARDS    Restless Ones    (Partisan)
3    CHRISTOPHER PAUL STELLING    Labor Against Waste    (Anti-)
4    DJANGO DJANGO    Born Under Saturn    (Ribbon)
5    KAIL BAXLEY    A Light That Never Dies    (Forty Below)
6    DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE    Kintsugi    (Atlantic)
7    LORD HURON    Strange Trails    (Iamsound)
8    KELLER WILLIAMS    Vape    (Self-Released)
9    FOOL'S GOLD    Flying Lessons    (ORG Music)
10    DAWES    All Your Favorite Bands    (HUB)

Roots - A compeletely new top 5 - including our Radio Room guest from last night...



1    SONNY LANDRETH    Bound by the Blues    (Provogue)
2    BILLY SHADDOX    I Melt, I Howl    (Self-Released)
3    THE TEXAS HORNS    Blues Gotta Holda Me    (Vizztone)
4    THE NIGHTHAWKS    Back Porch Party    (Eller Records)
5    THE JOSH GARRETT BAND    Honey For My Queen    (Self-Released)
6    WILLIE NELSON & MERLE HAGGARD    Django and Jimmie    (Legacy)
7    TROUT STEAK REVIVAL    Brighter Every Day    (Self-Released)
8    AMY HART     Live at the Mayne Stage    (Painted Rocks / Vizztone)
9    EILEN JEWELL    Sundown Over Ghostown    (Signature Sounds)
10    STEEL WHEELS    Leave Some Things Behind     (Big Bang Records)

Keep it tuned to KAFM for more new music throughout the summer - there's a lot coming up! Read Less

From internet to international phenoms, Swedish siblings Klara and Johanna Söderberg's rocket ride to fame as First Aid Kit was launched with a cover of Fleet Foxes 'Tiger Mountain Peasant Song' on YouTube.  Their second release, 'The Lion's Roar', firmly established the duo as global folk favorites, with the song 'Emmylou' touted by Rolling Stone Magazine as the number 10 "Single of the Year" for 2012.  'Stay Gold', their third, was added to KAFM's new rack one year ago on June 20th, 2014 with the latest spin coming from KAFM's 'Tied To The Tracks' with The Wolfman on Satuday, May 2nd, 2015.  Honored at Sweden's 2015 Polar Music Prize, Laureate Quick read more or view full article Emmylou Harris was serenaded in a dream come true performance for the sisters. Watch below and shed a tear with Emmylou.

 

Chances are you heard 'Emmylou' first on your community radio station.  KAFM
 

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His name is Christopher Paul.  But if ever there was a modern day equivalent of “one crying in the wilderness”, New York singer/songwriter Christopher Paul Stelling is it.  After recording his first release for the ‘Anti-‘ record label, Stelling is riding an exponential wave of attention and critical acclaim from the likes of 'NPR', 'The Rolling Stone', and CBS This Morning.  And no wonder.  With rapid fire fretwork and fervent, penetrating vocals, Stelling delivers songs of yearning for hope and goodness.  Songs of human shortcomings, guilt, and of being lost and found.  Songs that appeal to the base goodness, the spirit, whether human or divine, in all of us.  Self-assured in his delivery one might truly believe Quick read more or view full article that he writes and sings about things at the edge of human perception, as in the song, “Scarecrow”.   “.…don’t that scarecrow on the hillside look an awful lot like me - with his arms all spread out wide like he was measuring the fields, or was he out there standing guard over something long been concealed.”  Seeing Stelling perform live, with his well-worn clothes and guitar, beard and tussled hair, he may have well just delivered a six string sermon in a desert or more likely in a bar halfway around the world.  Don’t let the religious overtones put you off.  This is one hell of an album.  And long, long before NPR and Rolling Stone, we were playing Christopher Paul Stelling here on your community station, KAFM.

 

Check out the newest CPS video 'Horse', too!
 

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The Alabama Shakes sophomore release, Color & Sound (ATO Records) is a marked departure from their 2012 debut (Boys and Girls, ATO), with a heavier sound and more cutting tracks. Love it or hate it, the album has made a mark, especially here at the station!

Here's their latest single, "Don't Wanna Fight":



Color & Sound has been up and down our top 30, peaking at #2 (so far) - keep it tuned to 88.1 for more from them!

Well, the Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival begins today - and you can tell the influence it's had here this week! We've got a bunch of new number 1 spots, as well!

Jazz - New number 1, new top 5!



1    CORY WEEDS    Condition Blue, The Music Of Jackie Mclean    (Cellar Live)
2    CURTIS NOWOSAD    Dialectics    (Cellar Live)
3    DANA LANDRY QUARTET    Standard Elevation    (Artist Alliance)
4    REGGIE QUINERLY    Invictus    (Independent)
5    STOCKTON HELBING    Patina    (Armored)
6    DAWAN MUHAMMAD    Consider The Source    (Lifeforce Jazz)
7    JAGA JAZZIST    Starfire    (Ninja Tune)
8    GREG RUBY AND RHYTHM RUNNERS    Washington Hall Stomp    (Greg Ruby)
9    ELIANE ELIAS    Made In Brazil    (Concord)
10   Quick read more or view full article  TODD MARCUS JAZZ ORCHESTRA    Blue For Tahrir    (Hipnotic)

World - Xavier Rudd FALLS this week! Check out our new number 1!



1    JESSE COOK    One World    (Coach House)
2    XAVIER RUDD AND THE UNITED NATIONS    Nanna    (Self-Released)
3    NIYAZ    The Fourth Light    (Six Degrees)
4    ALEX CUBA    Healer    (Caracol)
5    BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB    Lost And Found    (World Circuit)
6    CHIMURENGA RENAISSANCE    Kudada Nekuva Munhu Mutema    (Brick Lane)
7    QUITAPENAS    Quitapenas    (White Iris)
8    SKINTS    FM    (Easy Star)
9    IBEYI    Ibeyi    (XL)
10    MBONGWANA STAR    From Kinshasa    (World Circuit)

College - Some new names popping up in the 10 this week!



1    DELLA MAE    Della Mae    (Rounder)
2    LORD HURON    "Fool For Love"    (Iamsound)
3    KAIL BAXLEY    A Light That Never Dies    (Forty Below)
4    DJANGO DJANGO    Born Under Saturn    (Ribbon)
5    FOOL'S GOLD    Flying Lessons    (ORG Music)
6    POKEY LAFARGE    Something In The Water    (Rounder)
7    LUCID    Dirt    Full Circle     (Self-Release)
8    SAM LEWIS    "Waiting For You"    (Brash)
9    BRITISH INDIA    Nothing Touches Me    (Liberation)
10    DAWES    All Your Favorite Bands    (HUB)

Roots - A lot of Bluegrass influence here this week... wonder why...



1    JAMES MCMURTRY    Complicated Game    (Self-Released)
2    EILEN JEWELL     Sundown Over Ghost Town    (Signature Sounds)
3    TROUT STEAK REVIVAL    Brighter Every Day    (Self-Released)
4    THE STEEL WHEELS    Leave Some Things Behind    (Big Ring Records)
5    SHELBY LYNNE    I Can't Imagine    (Rounder)

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Just a sample of the new releases arriving here daily at 1310 Ute Ave.  

Honey Honey 3 (Rounder) - Americana



Tony Furtado The Bell (Yousayfurtado Records) - Americana



Blue Plate Specials Servin' It Up (Lanark) - Blues



More to come at eighty eight one.
 

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Change name.  Check.  Graduate from Berklee College of Music. Check.  Release sophomore title, 'The Awakening', one week later.  Check.  Score big spins at KAFM.  Er... Check!  Clearly, 2014 was a big year for soul, jazz, hip hop, and reggae singer/songwriter Lilla, previously known as Lilla D'Mone. One that she had prepared for her whole life, playing piano at six, singing in gospel choirs at 14, and touring as a back up singer throughout high school.  Added to KAFM's new rack on June 11th, 2014, it wasn't until September and into the winter months for 'The Awakening' to, well, awaken with the latest spin being on Sunday, May 24th, 2015 on KAFM's 'Moonlight Melodies' with Nick.  Change mind.  Check.
Quick read more or view full article />
 

For the best in new music, keep it set to 88.1.  KAFM.
 

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It's finallly warming up! Here's what we've got for the first week of June:

Jazz - New number 1, new names, what's not to love?



1    REGGIE QUINERLY    Invictus    Independent
2    DANA LANDRY QUARTET    Standard Elevation    Artist Alliance
3    DAWAN MUHAMMAD    Consider The Source    Lifeforce Jazz
4    CORY WEEDS    Condition Blue, The Music Of Jackie Mclean    Cellar Live
5    GRANT STEWART    Trio    Cellar Live
6    RODRIGO BONELLI    Septet Works    Self-Released
7    ELIANE ELIAS    Made In Brazil    Concord
8    GLEN ACKERMAN    Glenious Alien Landscape    Blue Bamboo
9    DAVID CHESKY    Jazz In The New Harmonic    Chesky
10    DAVE STRYKER    Messin' With Mister T    Self-Released

World - Xavier Rudd can't be Quick read more or view full article stopped, but there are a few new names coming up this chart....



1    XAVIER RUDD AND THE UNITED NATIONS    Nanna    Self-Released
2    NIYAZ    The Fourth Light    Six Degrees
3    ALEX CUBA    Healer    Caracol
4    BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB    Lost And Found    World Circuit
5    MBONGWANA STAR    From Kinshasa    World Circuit
6    JESSE COOK    One World    Coach House
7    TIEMPO LIBRE    Panamericano    Universal
8    MIDIVAL PUNDITZ    Light    Six Degrees
9    SKINTS    FM    Easy Star
10    MORGAN HERITAGE    Strictly Roots    Cool To Be Conscious

College - Woah! Brand new number 1!



1    FOOL'S GOLD    Flying Lessons    ORG Music
2    DELLA MAE    Della Mae    Rounder
3    DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE    Kintsugi    Atlantic
4    COURTNEY BARNETT    Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit    Mom And Pop
5    DJANGO DJANGO    Born Under Saturn    Ribbon
6    ALABAMA SHAKES    Sound And Color    ATO
7    TUXEDO    Tuxedo    Stones Throw
8    BRANDI CARLILE    The Firewatcher's Daughter    ATO
9    FIRESHIPS    Fireships    End Up
10    KOPECKY    Drug For The Modern Age    ATO

Roots - Some new names here, too, and a new topper:



1    HILLBENDERS    Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry     (Compass)
2    EILEN JEWELL     Sundown Over Ghost Town     (Signature Sound)
3    DUFFY KANE    Dead Man Walkin'    (Freedom Train)
4    ROY ROGERS    Into the Wild Blue    (Chops Not Chaps)
5    MARK KNOPFLER     Tracker    (Verve)
6    BLUE PLATE SPECIALS     Servin' It Up    (Lanark)
7    JAMES MCMURTRY    Complicated Game    (Self-Released)
8    GAYE ADEGBALOLA & THE WILD RUTZ    Is It Still Good to Ya?    (Hot Toddy)
9    DAN WEBBER    What I'm Lookin' For    (Highway 142 Music)
10    WILLIE NELSON MERLE HAGGARD    Django and Jimmie     (Legacy)

Keep listening to KAFM for more new music for your summer! Read Less