Podcast: Steel Belted Radio’s Last Ride – June 1, 2017

Steel Belted Radio’s last hoorah! We kicked things off on September 11, 2003, and with the help of some great co-hosts and amazing guests, we managed to keep rolling until June 1, 2017. It was a hell of a lot of fun. On this, the last episode, the longest-serving co-hosts, T-Bar & KK made a surprise appearance, and just like the old days, we played some new music, classics from back-in-the-day, some out there T-Bar picks, and heard a pile of T-Bar’s jokes. Thanks to everyone who tuned in to this episode or any of the 650 or so that came before it. We were blessed to have some amazing support and encouragement over the years. We wish Skippy all the best as he takes over and makes Thursdays his own.

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Artist – Title – Album

Mike Plume Band – Steel Belted Radio – Steel Belted Radio
Robbie Fulks – Roots Rock Weirdoes – The Very Best of
Mercy John – Back Home – This Ain’t New York
Richmond Fontaine – Wake up Ray – You Can’t Go Back If There’s Nothing to Go Back To
Birds of Chicago – Dim Star of the Palisades – Real Midnight
Abigail Lapell – Night Bird and Morning Bird – Hide nor Hair
Dana Sipos – Old Sins – Roll Up the Night Sky
Oh Susanna – Tickets on the Weekend – A Girl in Teen City
Leeroy Stagger – Enemy Inside – Love Versus
Bruce Knauer – Allnight Breakfast Special – Allnight Breakfast Special
The Cash Brothers – Night Shift Guru – How Was Tomorrow
Dori Freeman – Ain’t Nobody – Dori Freeman
Henry Wagons – King Hit – After What I Did Last Night…
Kaleo – Automobile – A/B
James McMurtry – Choctaw Bingo – Live in Aught-Three

Playlist – June 1, 2017 – The Last Hoorah!

Steel Belted Radio’s last hoorah! We kicked things off on September 11, 2003, and with the help of some great co-hosts and amazing guests, we managed to keep rolling until June 1, 2017. It was a hell of a lot of fun. On this, the last episode, the longest-serving co-hosts, T-Bar & KK made a surprise appearance, and just like the old days, we played some new music, classics from back-in-the-day, some out there T-Bar picks, and heard a pile of T-Bar’s jokes. Thanks to everyone who tuned in to this episode or any of the 650 or so that came before it. We were blessed to have some amazing support and encouragement over the years. We wish Skippy all the best as he takes over and makes Thursdays his own.

Artist – Title – Album

Mike Plume Band – Steel Belted Radio – Steel Belted Radio
Robbie Fulks – Roots Rock Weirdoes – The Very Best of
Mercy John – Back Home – This Ain’t New York
Richmond Fontaine – Wake up Ray – You Can’t Go Back If There’s Nothing to Go Back To
Birds of Chicago – Dim Star of the Palisades – Real Midnight
Abigail Lapell – Night Bird and Morning Bird – Hide nor Hair
Dana Sipos – Old Sins – Roll Up the Night Sky
Oh Susanna – Tickets on the Weekend – A Girl in Teen City
Leeroy Stagger – Enemy Inside – Love Versus
Bruce Knauer – Allnight Breakfast Special – Allnight Breakfast Special
The Cash Brothers – Night Shift Guru – How Was Tomorrow
Dori Freeman – Ain’t Nobody – Dori Freeman
Henry Wagons – King Hit – After What I Did Last Night…
Kaleo – Automobile – A/B
James McMurtry – Choctaw Bingo – Live in Aught-Three

Steel Belted Radio’s Last Ride, June 1, 2017

Friends, the time has come. The last ever episode of Steel Belted Radio will air this Thursday, 6:30 – 8 pm CDT on UMFM.

It’s been an amazing ride and an amazing honour. We’ve had some incredible interviews and amazing live guests on this show. And I got to spend some time with some great friends.

But these days, the interviews and live performances aren’t happening like they used to, and I ran out of friends willing to come in and talk about music with. So, without too much fanfare or drama, we’ll put this thing to bed and move on. It’s been fun.

Tell the Band to Go Home will continue. I can’t see ever giving that up. But Thursday wasn’t meant to be a continuation of Tell the Band to Go Home, it was supposed to be different. Hell, I wasn’t even supposed to be a host at all, and here I am, the last man standing.

Mike Plume gave us a hell of a great name for the show and the listeners and management at UMFM gave us a hell of a great run. 

UMFM legend Dan Raposo, AKA Skippy will be moving from WTN Sundays at 4, to Free Range Thursday on June 8. You couldn’t be in better hands. I always hoped that if the time ever came, I could find someone who might be willing to play a lot of the same music that I played, and entertain folks in a way that I’d be excited to listen to. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

I hope that you’ll keep listening to Free Range Radio Thursdays (or start.) I also hope that anyone who likes what I do will listen on Sundays, 2-4 pm.

Tune in this Thursday. If you’ve got anything you want to say or anything you want me to play, now’s the time. I don’t really plan to do anything special or different, so I’ll leave that up to you. I’d love to have some folks call in or drop by. Maybe share a memory or two. Hell, maybe we can track down the ghost of Terry Wilson and get him to offend Lucy one last time. I’d like that.

Thanks for listening!

Playlist – May 11, 2017

I started dreaming of having a radio show as a kid, when I’d pick a song that I felt like listening to, then wait and see what that song made me think of, and travel down the line from there. Now that I am actually on the radio, I usually do that on air. Sometimes, it can lead us off on some strange tangents, like tonight. I make no apologies and no promises that it won’t happen again because it surely will! To finish things off a little more sensibly, we previewed some exciting shows coming up this weekend.

Artist – Title – Album

Joe Nolan – Did Somebody Call the Cops – Tornado
John Bottomley – Long Way to Go – Blackberry
Blackie & The Rodeo Kings – Summertime’s Over – South
Colin Linden – Big Mouth – Big Mouth
Lester Quitzau – Rollin’ & Tumblin’ – So Here We Are
Carlos del Junco – Yul Brynner – Big Boy
Alejandro Escovedo – The End – Thirteen Years
Iain Matthews – Like Dominoes – Pure and Crooked
Chalk Circle – My Artificial Sweetner – Mending Wall
Sons of Freedom – USA Long Distance – Gump
Midnight Oil – Truganini – Earth and Sun and Moon
Corey Hart – Eurasian Eyes – Boy in the Box
JP Hoe – Run Away from Me – Hideaway
D. Rangers – We Stay High and Lonesome – We Stay High and Lonesome
Pat Temple and the High Lonesome Players – Stone Boat – Stone Boat
Shotgun Jimmie – Georgia OK – Field of Trampolines
The Burning Hell – Fuck the Government, I Love You – Public Library

Playlist – May 4, 2017

Oh boy, have we got some bangers for you tonight! We’ve got some killer, rockin’ new tunes to share, concert news here and for Fargo, as well as a celebration of Star Wars Day! May the Rockin’ Tunes Be With You!

Artist – Title – Album

Larissa Tandy – The River – The Grip
Oh Susanna – My Boyfriend – A Girl in Teen City
Skye Wallace – Mean Song 2 – Something Wicked
Tanya Davis – Hush, Little Weeper – Clocks and Hearts Keep Going
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers – Keep the Home Fires Burnin’ – Sidelong
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers – Dwight Yoakam – Sidelong
Lydia Loveless – Steve Earle – Indestructible Machine
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Star Wars – III/IV
Bob Schneider – Han Solo – King Kong
Communism – Forgiveness – Get Down Get Together
Don Kerr – The Chocolate King – Songs From The Sniffing Princess
Ron Sexsmith – On a Whim – recorded live on UMFM
Ron Sexsmith – Radio – The Last Rider
Ron Sexsmith – All in Good Time – Time Being
Ron Sexsmith – Wishing Wells – Retriever
Matthew Ryan – (I Just Died) Like an Aviator – Hustle Up Starlings
Matthew Ryan – Killing the Ghost – vs. The Silver State
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Cumberland Gap – The Nashville Sound
Drive-By Truckers – Easy On Yourself – A Blessing And A Curse
Drive-By Truckers – Sink Hole – Decoration Day
Frank Turner – Imperfect Tense – Love Ire & Song
Sam Outlaw – All My Life – Tenderheart
Ane Brun – From Me To You – Rarities

Playlist – April 27, 2017 – w/Scott Cook

Tonight some great classics, a new favourite, and a some upcoming concerts, including the return of Scott Cook, who joins us for a quick chat in advance of his concert this weekend!

Artist – Title – Album

Scott Cook – When We’re Back Around – One More Time Around
Corin Raymond – Morning Glories – Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams
Scott Nolan – The Last One – Silverhill
William Prince – Breathless – Live from the Junos 2017
Scott Cook – Careful with my Heart – Further down the Line
Scott Cook – Your Sweet Time – Further down the Line
Scott Cook – If He Showed up Now – Further down the Line
Scott Cook – Dogs and Kids – Further down the Line
Will Courtney – The Days When Bands could Make you Cry (Live in the Studio) – Planning Escapes (Deluxe)
Patty Griffin – The Cape – This One’s for Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark
Matthew Ryan – Devastation – Concussion
Lucinda Williams – Lake Charles – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Steve Earle – Once you Love – Copperhead Road

Scott Cook interview

Playlist – April 20, 2017

Today the news (and our hearts) broke about Jimmy Lafave’s terminal cancer diagnosis. Jimmy has been a favourite and a guiding force for years, so we’re taking this one kind of hard. We console ourselves with plenty of Jimmy’s music today, before picking things up with some new & fun music.

Artist – Title – Album

Jimmy Lafave – Walk Away Renee – Austin Skyline
Jimmy Lafave – Only One Angel – Austin Skyline
Jimmy Lafave – I Walk Along with You – Buffalo Return to the Plains
Jimmy Lafave – Sweetheart like You – Buffalo Return to the Plains
Jimmy Lafave – Give your Sweet Love to Me – Highway Trance
Jimmy Lafave – Buckets of Rain – Road Novel
Jimmy Lafave – Emotionally Yours – Texoma
Jimmy Lafave – This Land – Cimarron Manifesto
Jimmy Lafave – The Beauty of You – Night Tribe
Wyckahm Porteous – Looking for Ground – Looking for Ground
Wyckahm Porteous – Jimmy Lafave – In this World
Wyckahm Porteous – In this World – In this World
John Bottomley – You Lose and you Gain – Blackberry
Leeroy Stagger – Enemy Inside – Love Versus
Mike Edel – Blue Above the Green – India, Seattle
Mayhemingways – End up this Way – Hunter St. Blues
Del Barber – Walking in a straight Line – Prairieography
Del Barber – Everything Is not Enough – Headwaters

Playlist – April 6, 2017

Tonight we’ve got some new music, exciting shows to preview, some Steel Belted classics, and a tribute to the late, great John Bottomley who left us on this day back in 2011.

Leeroy Stagger – I Want It All – Love Versus
Leeroy Stagger – Living in America – Dream It All Away
Dustin Bentall & The Smokes – Every Chord that Rings – You Are an Island
The Lowest of the Low – For the Hand of Magdalena – Shakespeare my Butt…
Rheostatics – Song of Flight – Music From The Motion Picture Whale Music
Kayla Howran – Spare Parts – Spare Parts
Express and Company – Carry Me Along – Ontario
Melissa Payne – Don’t Say – Melissa Payne
William Prince – Breathless – Earthly Days
William Prince – 7 – single
The Watchmen – Must to Be Free – McLaren Furnace Room
The Watchmen – Soft Parade – Slomotion
John Bottomley – Tomorrow – The Mountain Hammered, Vol. 2-unreleased songs, live songs, demos.
John Bottomley – Ring Like Gold – The Mountain Hammered, Vol. 2-unreleased songs, live songs, demos.
John Bottomley – Long Way to Go – Blackberry
John Bottomley – Candle in the Dark – Blackberry
John Bottomley – The Healing Dream – The Healing Dream

Playlist – March 23, 2017

Today we meet a couple of mind-blowing new acts and spin some surprising new music from old favourites, as well as look ahead to a Spring Break road trip with some travelling tunes!

Artist – Title – Album

Altameda – Dirty Rain – Dirty Rain
Altameda – Smokestack Thunder – Dirty Rain
Altameda – Blackmarket Blues – Dirty Rain
Torero – Canyon – Torero
Torero – Heist – Torero
The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer – Get Ready – Apocalipstick
Amelia Curran – Watershed – Watershed
Matt Mays – Lonely Highway Night – Matt Mays
Matt Mays & El Torpedo – Travellin’ – Matt Mays + El Torpedo
Jay Smith – When The Wheels Slow Down – Jay Smith
Jay Smith – Long Way Home – Jay Smith
The Dustin Bentall Outfit – Three Thousand Miles – Six Shooter
Corin Raymond – Trains and Boats and Buses – unreleased
Jonathan Byrd and Chris Kokesh – You Can’t Outrun The Radio – Live at 4th & Main, Wray, Colorado
Jim Bryson – Travelled By Land – The Occasionals
Jim Bryson – 26 Miles By Car – The Occasionals
Mike Plume – Looking For You: A Travelogue Of Sorts – A Drive Thru Record Volume II
Peter Case – Travellin’ Light – The Man With The Blue Postmodern fragmented neo-traditionalist Guitar
Ruth Moody – Travellin’ Shoes – The Garden
Caroline Herring – Travelling Shoes – Camilla

Playlist – March 16, 2017

Tonight, an out-of-the-blue James McMurtry feature, some amazing upcoming shows happening next week (on the same damn night!), and we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with some songs about the Emerald Isle and, of course, whiskey!

Artist – Title – Album

James McMurtry – Peter Pan – live recording
James McMurtry – No More Buffalo – Americana Master Series: Best of The Sugar Hill Years
James McMurtry – Childish Things – Childish Things
Curtis McMurtry – Wrong Inflection – The Hornet’s Nest
Thompson Wilson – Without You – Homewood Tapes
Bill & Joel Plaskett – The Next Blue Sky – Solidarity
Joel Plaskett – Credits Roll – The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
Joel Plaskett – Come On Teacher – Emergencys, False Alarms, Shipwrecks, Castaways, Fragile Cre
Joel Plaskett Emergency – Penny For Your Thoughts – Ashtray Rock
Lindi Ortega – Til the Goin’ Gets Gone – Til the Goin’ Gets Gone
Chris Stapleton – Traveller – Traveller
Chris Stapleton – Parachute – Traveller
Lindi Ortega – Jimmy Dean – Little Red Boots
Butch Walker and The Black Widows – Dublin Crow – The Spade
Butch Walker – Irish Exit – Stay Gold
Bill Chambers – The Whiskey Isn’t Working – Sleeping with the Blues
Guy Terrifico – Whiskey, You Can Save Me – Bring It Back Home
Drive-By Truckers – Women Without Whiskey – Southern Rock Opera / Act II
Scott H Biram – Only Whiskey – Nothin’ But Blood