It’s just about Christmas, and although I try to resist the temptation to play a bunch of Christmas music, there’s one show where I just give in and go with it, and this is it. Here are some songs about and for the holiday season, and they won’t even give you heart burn! The worst music in the world is bad Christmas music, but there is plenty of great stuff out there, and here are some of the good ones. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Oh Susanna – Silver Bells – Christmas Is for Boys & Girls – CDN
Oh Susanna – It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – CMT Christmas – CDN
Fred Eaglesmith – Go Tell It on the Mountain – CMT Christmas – CDN
Russell deCarle – Away in a Manger – CMT Christmas – CDN
Oliver Schroer – Beneath the Ice, They Heard Bells – Stuck on a Cold Steel Pole – CDN
Carlos del Junco & Rich Greenspoon – Jingle Bells – Stuck on a Cold Steel Pole – CDN
Russell deCarle – Blues for Christmas – live recording – CDN
Clarence Carter – Back Door Santa – Soul Christmas

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Bob & Doug Mackenzie – The Twelve Days of Christmas – Great White North – CDN
Wendell Ferguson – Why Does Every Christmas Song Have So Many Chords? – Wendell’s Cranky Christmas – CDN
Asylum Street Spankers – Red Nosed Reindeer Blues – A Truer Christmas
Mojo Nixon – Christmas, Christmas – Christmas, Christmas
Swank! – Santa Claus Is Out On Bail – Christmas Album – CDN
Teddy Thompson – Boycotting Christmas – single
NQ Arbuckle – Christmas in Hell – single – CDN
Deer Tick – Holy Shit, It’s Christmas! – Holy Shit, It’s Christmas!
Erin McKeown – Santa Is An A**hole – F*ck That! Erin McKeown’s Anti-Holiday Album

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Melissa McClelland – O Holy Night (with Lisa Winn) – single – CDN
Paper Moon – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – single – CDN
Vince Guaraldi Trio – Skating – A Charlie Brown Christmas
Shawn Colvin – Love Came Down at Christmas – Holiday Songs and Lullabies
Good Lovelies – Maybe this Time – Under the Mistletoe – CDN
Vanessa Peters – All That I Want – The Christmas We Hoped For
Skydiggers – Good King Wenceslas – Still Restless The Lost Tapes – CDN

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Boreal – Shovelling Snow – Winter’s Welcome – CDN
Louvin Brothers – The Friendly Beasts – Christmas With Louvin Brothers
Kasey Chambers, Poppa Bill And The Little Hillbillies – Christmas Time – Little Kasey Chambers and The Lost Music
Buck Owens & Susan Raye – Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy – A Truer Christmas
John McCauley III – Christmas In A Chinese Restaurant – live recording
Mary Gauthier – Christmas In Paradise – Filth & Fire
John Prine – Christmas In Prison – Sweet Revenge
Hayes Carll – Grateful for Christmas – single

Jeremy’s along to spread some holiday cheer (and spit out some rather controversial statements near the end of the show. I think he must be adopted.) We’ve got some holiday favourites and some of this week’s upcoming shows to preview!

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Mike Plume – Angels in the Snow – Back Home For Christmas – CDN
Reverend Horton Heat – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – We Three Kings
Matt Andersen – Ol’ Nick and Rudy – Spirit of Christmas – CDN
Nick Lowe – Hooves on the Roof – Quality Street
David Myles – Santa Never Brings Me a Banjo – It’s Christmas – CDN
Kris And Dee – That Was The Worst Christmas Ever! – Christmas Is For Boys And Girls! – CDN
The Sweetback Sisters – Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney – Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Robert Earl Keen – Merry Christmas from the Family – Merry Christmas from the Family
JP Hoe – Shopping Mall Santa – Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday Songs – CDN – WPG
Scott Nolan – Lay Down – North/South – CDN – WPG
Scott Nolan – You Rock We Roll – Montgomery Eldorado – CDN – WPG
Scott Nolan – Bad Liver/Broken Heart – Receiver/Reflector – CDN – WPG
Scott Nolan – Rosie – No Bourbon And Bad Radio – CDN – WPG

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Imaginary Cities – Hummingbird – Temporary Resident – CDN – WPG
The Details – Always, Always, Always, Never – Draw a Distance, Draw a Border – CDN – WPG
The Paperbacks – I Suffer This Like A Dream – An Episode of Sparrows – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – Plea From A Cat Named Virtue – Reconstruction Site – CDN – WPG
Stan Rogers – Northwest Passage – Northwest Passage – CDN

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Stan Rogers – The Mary Ellen Carter – Between the Breaks… Live! – CDN
Stan Rogers – Barrett’s Privateers – Between the Breaks… Live! – CDN
The Warped 45s – Live Bait – Matador Sunset – CDN
Bruce Springsteen – Pay Me My Money Down – We Shall Overcome; The Seeger Sessions
Elliott BROOD – Miss You Now – Mountain Meadows – CDN

Another fine mix of new music, upcoming shows, a look at a great show that just happened, and a few songs for the season to get you feeling jolly and merry! Also, today is the 65th birthday of one of the greatest songwriters/performers of all time, Tom Waits!

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Del Barber & The Profiteers – O Canada – live recording – CDN – WPG
Nick Lowe – Cruel to Be Kind – Labour of Lust
Wilco – Jesus, Etc. – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Skydiggers – Church Bells Ringing – Angels – CDN
Keri Latimer – So Long – Crowsfeet And Greyskull – CDN – WPG
Jeffrey Hatcher – Another Kind of Name – recorded live on UMFM – CDN – WPG

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Oh Susanna – Silver Bells – Christmas Is For Boys And Girls! – CDN
Sarah Harmer – Country Christmas – Christmas Is For Boys And Girls! – CDN
The Sweetback Sisters – Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year – Country Christmas Singalong Spectacular
JP Hoe – Dead of the Dark – Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday Songs – CDN – WPG
Elliott BROOD – Nothing Left – Work and Love – CDN
Lucinda Williams – East Side of Town – Down where the Spirit Meets the Bone
Jon Brooks – Highway 16 – The Smiling & Beautiful Countryside – CDN
Whitehorse – Baby What’s Wrong – Leave No Bridge Unburned – CDN
Lynn Miles – High Heels In The Snow – Songs for the Darkest Night – CDN

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Barenaked Ladies – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings Feat. Sarah McLachlan – Barenaked For The Holidays – CDN
The Crooked Brothers – There Ain’t No One – Postcard EP – CDN – WPG
The Crooked Brothers – Organs on Demand – Thank You I’m Sorry – CDN – WPG
Slow Leaves – Neighbourhood Watch – Beauty Is so Common – CDN – WPG

3:30 – 4:00 pm

The Fuse – Maybe – Trying Must Count for Something – CDN – WPG
Jeffrey Hatcher and the Big Beat – The Man Who Would Be King – Cross our Hearts – CDN – WPG
The Blue Shadows – Deliver Me – On the Floor of Heaven – CDN
Tom Waits – I Hope that I Don’t Fall in Love with You – Closing Time
Neko Case – Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis – New Coat of Paint — Waits Tribute
Shawn Colvin – (Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night – Cover Girl
Scott Nolan Band – Philipino Box Spring Hog – American Hotel – CDN – WPG
Tom Waits – Gun Street Girl – Rain Dogs

It is, indeed, beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so it’s time to
sound like it as well, as we continue to roll out some holiday music
that doesn’t suck. We’ve also got some musical gift-giving options as
we listen to some of the best albums of the year, and somehow, I got
off on a tangent and listened to a whole pile of amazing songs by some
super talented women.

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Skydiggers – Christmas in Prison – Angels – CDN
Lynn Miles – Christmas Makes Me Miss You More – unreleased – CDN
Lindi Ortega – All I Want For Christmas Is A Cowboy – Tennessee Christmas – CDN
Nikki Lane – Falalalalove Ya – An Americana Christmas
Paul Kelly – How to Make Gravy – Words & Music
Kaizers Orchestra – Whiskey Rabbi – Festival Man

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Shannon Lyon – Mods Rule – The Lights Behind – CDN
Sean Rowe – Madman – Madman
Matthew Ryan – We Are Libertines – Boxers
The Secret Sisters – Good Luck, Good Night, Goodbye – Put Your Needle Down
Del Barber – Farewell, God Bless You, Goodbye – Prairieography – CDN – WPG

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Turnpike Troubadours – Diamonds and Gasoline – Diamonds and Gasoline
Classified – Inner Ninja (feat. David Myles) – Classified – CDN
Melissa Payne – Cold Out There – live recording – CDN
Melissa Payne – Not the Only One – High and Dry – CDN
Melissa Payne – Don’t Say – Melissa Payne – CDN
Eilen Jewell – Santa Fe – Queen of the Minor Key
Brandi Carlile – Fall Apart Again – Brandi Carlile

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Dala – Sunday Dress – Who Do You Think You Are? – CDN
Rose Cousins – White Daisies – The Send Off – CDN
Ana Egge – Motorcycle – Bad Blood
Kathleen Edwards – What Are You Waiting For? – Back To Me – CDN
Skydiggers – Even When You Fall – Road Radio – CDN
Danny Michel – Toledo – In The Belly Of A Whale – CDN

Ever year, it’s my goal to prove that not all Christmas music is cheesy and terrible. Some of it is even pretty great. We present some strong evidence to prove the point today. We’ve also got new additions to the amazing Willie P Bennett Legacy project and a few upcoming shows to preview.

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Ken Whiteley – Down to the Water – The Willie P Bennett Legacy Project – CDN
Gurf Morlix – Caney Fork River – The Willie P Bennett Legacy Project
Willie P Bennett – Pushin’ – Scenery/Sharpen the Plow – CDN
Lynn Miles – Highheels in the Snow – unreleased – CDN
Lynn Miles – Let It Snow – unreleased – CDN
Ondine Chorus – Children, Go Where I Send Thee – Twoards a Little Light – CDN

2:30 – 3:00 pm

David Myles – The Gift – It’s Christmas – CDN
Farmer Jason – Christmas Riddles – Christmas on the Farm
James McMurtry – These Things – Complicated Game
Jon Dee Graham – Butterfly Wing – Do Not Forget
Mike June – Let It Go – recorded live on UMFM
Johnny Bower – Honky the Christmas Goose – A Moose in a Maple Tree: A Christmas Compilation – CDN

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Matt The Electrician – All I Know – Accidental Thief
Jimmer – Empty – The Would-Be Plans
Turnpike Troubadours – Diamonds and Gasoline – Diamonds and Gasoline
Girls Guns & Glory – Built For Speed – Good Luck
Kieran Kane – He Never Knew What Hit Him – Dead Rekoning
The Weakerthans – Everything Must Go! – Left and Leaving – CDN – WPG

3:30 – 4:00 pm

John K Samson – Cruise Night – City Route 85 – CDN – WPG
John K Samson – The Last And – Provincial Road 222 – CDN – WPG
John K Samson – Longitudinal Centre – Provincial – CDN – WPG
Shakey Graves – Dearly Departed – And the War Came
Rayland Baxter – Willy’s Song – Feathers & Fishhooks
Geoff Berner – Maginot Line – We Shall Not Flag Or Fail, We Shall Go On To The End – CDN
Geoff Berner – That’s What Keeps the Rent Down, Baby – recorded live on UMFM – CDN

Tonight marks the return of Barney Bentall & The Grand Cariboo Opry, and that’s a great reason to celebrate. We’ve even got an interview with Barney to tell us all about the magic. Plus, there are more great upcoming shows, and we’re slowly and carefully easing into holiday music mode.

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Quinton Blair – Take my Hand, Take Me Home – Blues Man – CDN
Barney Bentall & Co. – Goin’ To The Opry – The Grand Cariboo Opry – CDN
Barney Bentall & Co. – Poorhouse – The Grand Cariboo Opry – CDN
Dustin Bentall – Crash Hard – Streets With No Lights – CDN
Jeffrey Hatcher – Crazy Man – recorded live on UMFM – CDN – WPG
The Devin Cuddy Band – Forty Four – Kitchen Knife – CDN
The Devin Cuddy Band – Home – Kitchen Knife – CDN

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Vance Gilbert – Times Two – Fugitives
Vance Gilbert – Icarus by Night – Shaking off Gravity
John K Samson – When I Write My Master’s Thesis – Provincial – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – Reconstruction Site – Reconstruction Site – CDN – WPG
Skydiggers – I’ll Be Home – Skydiggers – CDN
Jim Bryson – All the Fallen Leaves – Where the Bungalows Roam – CDN

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Paul Kelly – How to Make Gravy – Words & Music
The Blue Shadows – If We Make It Through December – On The Floor Of Heaven – Deluxe Re-issue – CDN
James McMurtry – Holiday – Childish Things
Wendy Bird – Deliver Me – Natural Wonder – CDN
The Blue Shadows – I Believe – On the Floor of Heaven – CDN
The Jayhawks – I’d Run Away – Tomorrow the Green Grass

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Barney Bentall interview

Barney Bentall – Four Went to War – Flesh and Bone – CDN
Barney Bentall – St. Valentines Day – Flesh and Bone – CDN

It appears as if the last big wave of new music this year has hit us, and it carried along some real gems, so a necessary exploration of the contents kicks us off. It’s another crazy busy week for shows in Winnipeg, so plenty of goodness to preview as well.

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Punchbuggy – Pat Benetar – All Nite Christian Rollerskate – CDN
Bob Schneider – Han Solo – King Kong
Whitehorse – Sweet Disaster – Leave No Bridge Unburned – CDN
Doug Seegers – There’ll Be No Teardrops Tonight (w/Buddy Miller) – Going Down To The River
James McMurtry – How’m I Gonna Find You Now – Complicated Game
Thompson & Teddy Thompson – Family – Family
John Southworth – Ode to the Morning Sky – Niagara – CDN

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Doug Paisley – Until I Find You (feat. Bonnie “Prince” Billy) – Until I Find You – CDN
Jonathan Byrd – Slip Away – You Can’t Outrun the Radio
Amelia Curran – The Matador – They Promised You Mercy – CDN
Buck 65 – That’s the Way Love Dies – Neverlove – CDN
Blitzen Trapper – To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High) – While No One Was Looking: Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records
Carolyn Mark – Last to Know – While No One Was Looking: Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records – CDN
Jon Dee Graham – A Place in the Shade – Do Not Forget

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Buffy Sainte-Marie – The Universal Soldier – Vanguard Visionaries – CDN
Joe Nolan – Autumn Sky – Tornado – CDN
Joe Nolan – Did Somebody Call the Cops – Tornado – CDN
Jill Barber – Tell Me – Mischievous Moon – CDN
Del Barber – Farewell, God Bless You, Goodbye – Prairieography – CDN – WPG

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Northcote – How Can You Turn Around – Northcote – CDN
Matthew Barber – And You Give – Ghost Notes – CDN
Jenn Grant – The Fighter – The Beautiful Wild – CDN
Steve Dawson – Walkin’ Down the Line – Waiting for the Lights to Come Up – CDN
Jim Byrnes – You’ll Miss Me (When I’m Gone) – St. Louis Times – CDN
Big Dave McLean – Dead Cat on the Line – Faded but not Gone – CDN – WPG

It’s Pledge-O-Rama time again! This is the one time of the year where we turn to the listeners for their help and hope that they will support our station and help us keep moving forward, and once again, they did! Thanks to everyone who supported us. In spite of the hectic, unpredictable nature of the show, we managed to do what we always do – tell you about new music and upcoming events, and play some of the best music in the world, music that doesn’t get nearly enough attention elsewhere.

Artist – Song title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – WPG=Winnipeg artist

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Del Barber – Miles and Years – Love Songs for the Last 20 – CDN – WPG
Brock Zeman – Chenelle – recorded live on UMFM – CDN
Brock Zeman – Gastown – Cold Winter Comes Back – CDN
Brock Zeman – Day Before Tomorrow – Rotten Tooth – CDN

2:30 – 3:00 pm

John Wort Hannam – Scotsman’s Bluff – Pocket full of Holes – CDN
John Wort Hannam – Great Lakes – Brambles And Thorns – CDN
John Wort Hannam – Infantry Man – recorded live on UMFM – CDN
The Dustin Bentall Outfit – Three Thousand Miles – Six Shooter – CDN
Corin Raymond & The Sundowners – Genius – Paper Nickels (bonus track) – CDN
Richard Thompson – Shoot out the Lights – Acoustic Classics

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Greg Brown – Spring Wind – Dream Cafe
Pieta Brown – Ricochet – Paradise Outlaw
Paul MacLeod – Cruelty – Tell the Band to Go Home – CDN
Skydiggers – Ramblin’ On (featuring Jessy Bell Smith) – She Walks into the Room – CDN
David Myles – I Wouldn’t Dance – In the Nighttime – CDN

3:30 – 4:00 pm

David Francey – Harm – So Say We All – CDN
John Moreland – Nobody Gives A Damn About Songs Anymore – In The Throes
Sunparlour Players – Pacifist’s Anthem – Hymns For The Happy – CDN
The Reid Jamieson Band – Biggest Fan – Juniper’s Kitchen – CDN

4:00 – 4:30 pm

The High Bar Gang – Mother’s Not Dead – Lost And Undone: A Gospel Bluegrass Companion – CDN
Paul Kelly & Uncle Bill – Our Sunshine – Smoke
Jaxon Haldane – Skinny Mona – Transmissions from UMFM 101.5 2014 – CDN – WPG
Jonathan Byrd – You Can’t Outrun the Radio – You Can’t Outrun the Radio

4:30 – 5:00 pm

Cory Branan – All the Rivers in Colorado – The No-Hit Wonder
Lynne Hanson – This Too Shall Pass – River of Sand – CDN
Frazey Ford – You’re Not Free – Indian Ocean – CDN
The Chieftans – Peggy Gordon (with The Secret Sisters) – Voice of Ages