Today, it’s our Blue & True Valentine’s Day special! We start off in Blue Valentines mode, as we celebrate the great musical legacy of the late, great Willie P. Bennett, who left this world on Feb. 15, 2008. We sure do miss him, but luckily he left behind some amazing music. Sadly, his music is not available for purchase or download ANYWHERE, which is absolutely criminal, so it’s more important than ever that we keep his music on the radio.

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

We love starting our day off with great new music, and this week’s haul was exceptional. We threw in a few requests/dedications for our wonderful listeners, before heading off into “upcoming concert” territory. We finished with a dusty old pile of vinyl records, in honour of the upcoming screenings of Allan Zweig’s documentaries about obsessive collectors!

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

Paul MacLeod – Cruelty – Tell the Band to Go Home – CDN
Paul MacLeod – Change Your Life – Gauge – CDN
Shannon McNally – Toast – Western Ballad
Chic Gamine – Closer – City City – CDN – WPG
Ron Sexsmith – Get in Line – Long Player Late Bloomer – CDN
The Wailin’ Jennys – Swing Low Sail High – Bright Morning Stars – CDN – WPG

2:30 – 3:00

Bobby Long – The Bounty of Mary Jane – A Winter Tale
Steve Earle – Tennessee Blues – Washington Square Serenade
Steve Earle & The Dukes – I Ain’t Ever Satisfied – Exit 0
Jack Marks – Michigan Love – Lost Wages – CDN
Jadea Kelly – The Sound – Eastbound Platform – CDN
Justin Rutledge – Robin’s Tune – The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park – CDN
Christina Martin – Hello – I Can Too – CDN
NQ Arbuckle – In Another Time – Hanging the Battle Scarred Piñata – CDN

3:00 – 3:30

Lee Harvey Osmond – The Love of One – A Quiet Evil – CDN
The Sadies – Idle Tomorrows – Darker Circles – CDN
The Sadies – Tiger Tiger – Stories Often Told – CDN
The Sadies – Loved on Look – Tremendous Efforts – CDN

3:30 – 4:00

Todd Snider – Vinyl Records – New Connection
Nick Lowe – Cruel to Be Kind – Labour of Lust
Andrew Cash – Boomtown – Boomtown – CDN
Jeffrey Hatcher & The Big Beat – The Man Who Would Be King – Cross Our Hearts – CDN – WPG
The O’Kanes – When We’re Gone, Long Gone – The O’Kanes
David Wiffen – Skybound Station – Coast to Coast Fever – CDN
Willie P Bennett – For the Sake of a Dollar – Blackie & The Rodeo King – CDN
Tom T Hall – That’s How I Got to Memphis – Greatest Hits

This weekend marked the 10th anniversary of one of the most important music venues in town (if not Canada), The Times Change(d), and we relived some of the great musical moments to start off today’s show. Next weekend brings Rufus & Martha’s pappy to town, and we couldn’t let that go by without some classic songs. Loudon’s a bit of a curmudgeon, and that led us to hear a few other crusty classics. We had some great new music, a concert rumour, and whatever else came to mind!

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

2:00pm – 2:30pm

Wyckham Porteous – Hungry Heart – 3 a.m. – CDN
Alana Levandoski – Don’t Be Denied – Borrowed Tunes II: A Tribute to Neil Young – CDN – WPG
The New Meanies – Letting Time Pass – Three Seeds – CDN – WPG
Chris Carmichael – Nowhere – Chris Carmichael – CDN – WPG
Loudon Wainwright III – Dead Skunk – Album III

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Loudon Wainwright III – Your Mother & I – Career Moves
Loudon Wainwright III – One Man Guy – One Man Guy
Loudon Wainwright III – Motel Blues – Recovery
Loudon Wainwright III – Daughter – Strange Weirdos: Music From and Inspired by the Film Knocked Up
Ian Tyson – M.C. Horses – All the Good ‘uns – CDN
Stan Rogers – Night Guard – Northwest Passage – CDN
Guy Clark – The Cape – Dublin Blues
Richard Thompson – 1952 Vincent Black Lightning – Live from Austin TX

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Hoyt Axton – Snow Blind Friend – Flashes of Fire: Hoyt’s Very Best 1962-1990
Gurf Morlix – Clay Pigeons – Blaze Foley’s 113th Wet Dream
Carrie Rodriguez & Ban Kyle – If I Needed You – We Still Love Our Country
Carrie Elkin – The Things We’re Afraid Of – Call It My Garden
Twilight Hotel – Frozen Town – When the Wolves Go Blind – CDN – WPG

3:30 – 4:00 pm

NQ Arbuckle & Carolyn Mark – Passing Dream – Let’s Just Stay Here – CDN
Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle – Fireworks – Just Married: An Album of Duets – CDN
NQ Arbuckle – Goodnight Irene on New Year’s Eve – The Last Supper In A Cheap Town – CDN
Buddy & Julie Miller – Love Snuck Up – Love Snuck Up
Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Wildflower – Rattlin’ Bones
Jess Klein – Cloud Song – Draw Them Near
The Jayhawks – I’d Run Away – Tomorrow The Green Grass

I’ve never been afraid to go far and wide to check out a good show, but this weekend just might be the craziest yet. Since we’re off on that crazy adventure, this show is pre-taped, but we’ll hear some tunes from the guys we’re headed to see, and some traveling/driving/road songs to keep us rolling. This week brings us some great new tunes, so we dive into some of those. And, next weekend, one of Canada’s finest female singer/songwriters, Sarah Harmer, returns to town, so we hear a bunch of her great solo work and her work backing up others.

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Paul Kelly – Keep on Driving – Stolen Apples
Del Barber – Chicago – Love Songs for the Last 20 – CDN – WPG
Wilco – Via Chicago – Summerteeth
Peter Case – Travellin’ Light – The Man With The Blue Postmodern fragmented neo-traditionalist Guitar
Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar – These Roads Don’t Move – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone
Kings Of The Moon – Drive So Far – Kings Of The Moon – CDN – WPG

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Scott Dibble & Watertown – Rich Man – One Phoebe Street – CDN
Hemingway Corner – Watch Over You – Under the Big Sky – CDN
Hemingway Corner – On the Run – Speed of Life – CDN
The Heartbroken – Tonight Tonight – Tonight Tonight – CDN
Phosphorescent – We’ll Be Here Soon – Here’s To Taking It Easy
Drive-By Truckers – Everybody Needs Love – Go Go Boots
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Users – III/IV

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Sarah Harmer – Weakened State – You Were Here – CDN
Rheostatics – Loving Arms – The Story Of Harmelodia – CDN
Skydiggers – Dear Henry – Desmond’s Hip City – CDN
Reid Jamieson w/Sarah Harmer – Holding Out – The Unavoidable Truth – CDN
Reid Jamieson – Coffee Stain – Unreleased demos Nov 2008 – CDN
Sarah Harmer – Home Soon (The Cherry Song) – Hear Music: Sweetheart Love Songs – CDN
Sarah Harmer – Late Bloomer – Oh Little Fire – CDN

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Del Barber – If I Told You That I Loved You – Love Songs For The Last 20 – CDN – WPG
James McMurtry – Hands Like Rain – Candyland
James McMurtry – Childish Things – Childish Things
James McMurtry – Just Us Kids – Just Us Kids
James McMurtry – Levelland – Live in Aught-Three
Del Barber – Katy Sparrow – Love Songs for the Last 20 – CDN – WPG

As we prepare to unveil our official favourite songs of 2010, we’ve noticed that there are a whole bunch of great ones that somehow didn’t make the cut. Some years, there’s just too much great stuff, and 2010 seems like one of those years. Much of today’s show is devoted to great releases from 2010 that deserve an honorary mention.

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Romi Mayes – Achin’ in yer Bones – Achin’ in yer Bones – CDN – WPG
Jackpine – Dab – Cabbage – CDN – WPG
Jackpine – Baggage – Cabbage – CDN – WPG
Hatcher-Briggs – Boy Chief Hill – Getting There from Here – CDN – WPG
John Prine – This Guitar Is for Sale – Twistable Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Shel Silverstein

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Old Crow Medicine Show – Angel of Montgomery – Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine
John Prine w/Iris DeMent – In Spite of Ourselves – In Person & On Stage
John Hiatt – The Open Road – The Open Road
Robert Plant – Angel Dance – Band of Joy
Patty Griffin – Move Up – Downtown Church
Elvis Costello – The Spell that You Cast – National Ransom

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Bobby Bare Jr – Sad Smile – A Storm A Tree My Mother’s Head
Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs – Beg Steal or Borrow – God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise
Pieta Brown – Calling All Angels – One and All
Red Horse – Wild Horse – Red Horse
Storyhill – Cover your Tracks – Shade of the Trees
Brock Zeman – -Gone- – Ya Ain’t Crazy Henny Penny – CDN
Robert Larisey – Black Heart – Nights Take Forever – CDN

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Dan Walsh – Wherehowse – Virtuoso – CDN
Jenny Whiteley – Ripple Effect – Forgive or Forget – CDN
Kim Beggs – Just Someone I Used to Know – Blue Bones – CDN
Shari Ulrich – Why Can’t We Just Get Along – Find Our Way – CDN
James McMurtry – Ruby and Carlos – Just Us Kids
James McMurtry – Safe Side – Candyland

A super-sized, action packed episode, as we close out another year and start up a new one. We play a bunch of the best of 2010. As usual, we can’t let New Year’s Day pass without tributes to Hank & Townes, who both left us on Jan. 1.

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Slaid Cleaves – One Good Year – Broke Down
Matthew Ryan & Hammock – Like New Year’s Day – Like New Year’s Day
D. Rangers – New Years Blues – The Paw-Paw Patch – CDN – WPG
Hank Williams – I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive – The Ultimate Collection
Reid Jamieson – I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Vinyl Cafe Demos – April2008 – CDN
Neko Case – Alone and Forsaken – Canadian Amp
Hank Williams – Cold, Cold Heart – The Ultimate Collection

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Townes Van Zandt – Flyin’ Shoes – Flyin’ Shoes
Danny Schmidt w/ Carrie Elkin – Rex’s Blues
Jeffrey Foucault – Nothin’ – Riding the Range – The songs of Townes Van Zandt
Phosphorescent – Why She’s Acting This Way – More Townes Van Zandt by the Great Unknown
Shannon Lyon – If I Needed You – Riding the Range – The songs of Townes Van Zandt
Shannon Lyon – Blue Flowers – This Love This Love – CDN

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Paul Quarrington – Wherever You Go – The Songs – CDN
Brian MacMillan – All I Have – Shine – CDN
Jenn Grant – Annie’s Song – Songs for Siigoun EP – CDN
Jack Marks – Michigan Love – Lost Wages – CDN
Jadea Kelly – Heavy Heart – Eastbound Platform – CDN

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Leeroy Stagger & The Wildflowers – I Believe in Love – Little Victories – CDN
Danny Michel – Who’s Gonna Miss You? – Sunset Sea – CDN
The Head and the Heart – Down in the Valley – The Head and the Heart
Beta Radio – Either Way – Seven Sisters
Turnpike Troubadours – Diamonds and Gasoline – Diamonds and Gasoline

4:30 – 5:00 pm

The Details – The Original Mark – The Original Mark EP – CDN – WPG
Jim Bryson – Rust and Fade – Kelp 16 – CDN
Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans – Decidedly – The Falcon Lake Incident – CDN
Tanya Davis – Tra La La – Clocks and Hearts Keep Going – CDN
Greg Macpherson – First Class – Mr. Invitation – CDN – WPG
The Damnwells – She Goes Around – No One Listens to the Band Anymore
Hannah Georgas – This Is Good – This Is Good – CDN
Sweet Thing – Over You – Sweet Thing – CDN

5:00 – 5:30 pm

Yukon Blonde – Babies Don’t Like Blue Anymore – Yukon Blonde – CDN
The John Henrys – Little One – White Linen – CDN
Band of Horses – Dilly – Infinite Arms
Tired Pony – Dead American Writers – The Place We Ran From
Christina Martin – Daisy – I Can Too – CDN
Lissie – When I’m Alone – Catching a Tiger
Keith & Renee – But I Do – Detour – CDN – WPG
Griffin House – Just Another Guy – The Learner

5:30 – 6:00 pm

The Beauties – Tired Fired Blues – The Beauties – CDN
Jesse Malin & The St. Marks Social – Burning the Bowery – Love It to Life
Wintersleep – Black Camera – New Inheritors – CDN
The Gaslight Anthem – Stay Lucky – American Slang
Alejandro Escovedo – Anchor – Street Songs of Love
Mumford & Sons – The Cave – Sigh No More

Have yourself a very Merry Boxing Day with the first of our year-end, best-of shows. We look at some notable releases and events from the past year. And, since Christmas is a time of excess, we stretch out a bit and go for a good 3 ½ hours!

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

2:00pm – 2:30pm

The Rocky Fortune – Merry Boxing Day – single – CDN
The Supersuckers – Call It Christmas – Redeye 2008 Holiday Sampler
Mojo Nixon – Christmas, Christmas – Christmas, Christmas
The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale of New York – The Very Best of the Pogues
Hoots & Hellmouth – A Song For Solstice – The Key’s 12 Days Of Christmas
Lyle Lovett – Simple Song – recorded live @ The West End Cultural Centre, Oct. 23, 1997
Twilight Hotel – Viva la Vinyl – Highway Prayer – CDN – WPG

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Rheostatics – King of the Past – Whale Music – CDN
The Lowest of the Low – So Long Bernie – Shakespeare My Butt – CDN
The Blue Shadows – A Paper ‘n a Promise – On the Floor of Heaven Deluxe Edition – CDN
Blaze Foley – You’ll Get Yours Aplenty – The Dawg Years (1975-1978)
Blaze Foley – Clay Pigeons – Sittin’ by the Road

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Ryan Bingham – The Weary Kind – Crazy Heart Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Holly Williams – Mama – Here with Me
Dave McCann and the Firehearts – Unfamiliar Ground – Dixiebluebird – CDN
Will Kimbrough – Godsend – (EP)
The Fabulous Ginn Sisters – Hey Doll – You Can’t Take a Bad Girl Home
Noisettes – Never Forget You – Wild Young Hearts

3:30 – 4:00 pm

The Beauties – Hearts Are Down – The Beauties – CDN
The Beauties – Without You – The Beauties – CDN
Justin Rutledge – Jack of Diamonds – The Early Widows – CDN
Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues – Harlem River Blues
Luke Doucet and The White Falcon – Thinking People – Steel City Trawler – CDN
Peter Katz w/Melissa McClelland – Let Me Go – First of the Last to Know – CDN
Matthew Barber – I Think You’re Gonna Feel My Love – True Believer – CDN

4:00 – 4:30 pm

Jackie Greene – Medicine – Till the Light Comes
Josh Ritter – Change of Time – So Runs the World Away
Jeremy Messersmith – Repo Man – The Reluctant Graveyard
Band of Horses – Factory – Infinite Arms
Patty Griffin w/Buddy Miller – Never Grow Old – Downtown Church

4:30 – 5:00 pm

Jay Nash & Garrison Starr – Sweet Talking Liar – Live at Sun Studio
Madison Violet – Crying – recorded live on UMFM – CDN
John Wort Hannam – Requiem for a Small Town – recorded live on UMFM – CDN
Christina Martin – Subject to Change – recorded live on UMFM – CDN
NQ Arbuckle – Officer Down – recorded live on UMFM – CDN
Drive-By Truckers – The Wig He Made Her Wear – The Big To-Do

5:00 – 5:30 pm

Fred Eaglesmith – Shallow – Cha Cha Cha – CDN
Paolo Nutini with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Between the Devil & The Deep Blue Sea – Preservation
David Francey – When I’m Not Thinking About You – Fixing this Place to Suit Myself – CDN
Scott Nolan – Swing Low – single – CDN – WPG
Jakob Dylan – Everybody’s Hurting – Women + Country
Kim Richey – Leaving 49 – Wreck Your Wheels
Sarah Harmer – The City – Oh Little Fire – CDN
Sunparlour Players – Battle of ’77 – recorded live on UMFM – CDN
Sunparlour Players – Be the One – Hymns for the Happy – CDN

A really exciting show for me, as I’m joined live, in-studio by (almost) my entire family for a very special Merry Christmas from the Family episode filled with festive favourites, holiday trivia, holiday humour, and more!

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Robert Earl Keen – Merry Christmas from the Family – Merry Christmas from the Family
Robert Earl Keen – Happy Holidays Y’all – Walking Distance
John Prine – Christmas in Prison – Sweet Revenge
Mary Gauthier – Christmas in Paradise – Filth & Fire
Rough Shop – How to Make Gravy – Just Because It Was Christmas

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Paul Kelly – Christmas Must Be Tonight – Won’t You Come Around EP
Radney Foster – Away in a Manger – Dualtone Holiday EP
Melissa McClelland & Lisa Winn – O Holy Night – CDN
Bing Crosby & David Bowie – Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby – Christmas Classics
Emmylou Harris – Light of the Stable – Light of the Stable
Boris Karloff – You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Burl Ives – Have a Holly Jolly Christmas – Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
The Blue Shadows – Run Run Rudolph – 2009 Reid Family Christmas Spectacular – CDN

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Hatcher-Briggs – Holiday – CDN – WPG
Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison – Please Daddy, Don’t Get Drunk – Happy Holidays
Ox – Xmas in the Jailhouse – Silent Night and other Cowboy Songs – CDN
Drive-By Truckers – Hope Santa’s Out of Rehab for Christmas – Stu & Kathy Present a Ding Dong Dandy Christmas 2004
Swank – Santa Claus Is Out on Bail – Christmas Is Fun – CDN

3:30 – 4:00 pm

Russell deCarle – Blues for Christmas – Under the Big Big Sky – CDN
Tom Wilson and the Dogs – We’re Gonna Make a Beautiful World Together – Design Hope: December Songs – CDN
Ron Sexsmith – Something to Hold On To (At Christmas) – Redeye 2008 Holiday Sampler – CDN
Jill Barber – This Christmas – This Christmas – CDN
Don Amero – All I Need This Christmas – CDN – WPG
Paper Moon – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – CDN – WPG

It’s Weakerthans week in Winnipeg, as our greatest band is set to kick off 4 shows at different venues across town. While they are somewhat famous and maybe don’t need our help any more, there is no greater songwriter in our city (past or present), so it’s our duty to play a bunch of the greatest songs ever written in and about our town. But, that’s not the only exciting time of year approaching, it’s also Christmas, and we’ve got a batch of Christmas tunes that won’t make you nauseous. Also, some new songs, some winter songs, and some all-around good songs.

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Jim Bryson – Impaler – The Occasionals – CDN
Leeroy Stagger – Snowing in Nashville – Everything Is Real – CDN
Ruth Moody – Cold Outside – The Garden – CDN – WPG
The Head and the Heart – Winter Song – The Head and the Heart
Tanya Davis – Tra-la-la – Clocks and Hearts Keep Going – CDN
Shuyler Jansen – Wedding Band – Voice from the Lake – CDN
Steve Earle and Allison Moorer – After the Fire Is Gone – Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Matt Andersen – O Holy Night – The Spirit of Christmas – CDN
Matt Andersen – Hobo Christmas Train – The Spirit of Christmas – CDN
Oliver Schroer – Beneath the Ice, They Heard Bells… – Stuck on a Cold Steel Pole – CDN
Skydiggers – Good King Wenceslas – The Truth About Us – CDN
Good Lovelies – Maybe this Time – Under the Mistletoe – CDN
Ox – It’s Christmas Time Again – Silent Night and other Cowboy Songs

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Jim Bryson and the Weakerthans – Freeways in the Front Yard – The Falcon Lake Incident – CDN
The Weakerthans – Fallow – Fallow – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – None of the Above – Fallow – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist (country style) – Hopelessly Devoted to You Vol. 3 – CDN – WPG
The Wakerthans – Ringing of Revolution – Return of the Read Menace – CDN – WPG

3:30 – 4:00 pm

The Weakerthans – Everything Must Go! – Left & Leaving – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – Pamphleteer – Left & Leaving – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – Watermark – Left & Leaving – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – Plea from a Cat Named Virtute – Reconstruction Site – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – A New Name for Everything – Reconstruction Site – CDN – WPG
John K Samson – Reconstruction Site – live recording – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – Night Windows – Reunion Tour – CDN –WPG

Pre-recorded this week as I’m off nerding it up at the big Lowest of the Low show in Toronto. Of course I can’t let another week go by without some more Low and without bragging about my part in the reissue of the greatest album of all time. A bunch of tributes to the greats this week (besides the Low), including a new tribute to The Band starring one of the long-time members, plus upcoming tribute shows to Tom Waits and John Lennon, and a whole bunch more!

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Jim Bryson – Sleeping in Toronto – The North Side Benches – CDN
The Lowest of the Low – Under the Carlaw Bridge – Shakespeare My Butt – CDN
The Lowest of the Low – Just About “The Only” Blues – Shakespeare My Butt – CDN
The Lowest of the Low – Henry Needs a New Pair of Shoes – Shakespeare My Butt – CDN
The Sadies – The Shape I’m In – Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of The Band – CDN
Blue Rodeo – King Harvest – Garth Hudson Presents a Canadian Celebration of The Band – CDN

2:30 – 3:00 pm

Easily Amused – Walk Away – recorded live on UMFM – CDN – WPG
Easily Amused – Song for Belfast – Simple Stuff – CDN – WPG
Keith & Renee – But I Do – Detour – CDN – WPG
The Wailin’ Jennys – Heaven When I’m Home – recorded live on UMFM – CDN – WPG
Ruth Moody – Travellin’ Shoes – The Garden – CDN – WPG

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Ox – Christmas with the Band – Silent Night and other Cowboy Songs – CDN
Neko Case – Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis – New Coat of Paint
Tom Waits – I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You – Closing Time
Tom Waits – Hold On – Mule Variations
Tom Waits – Long Way Home – Orphans
Scott Nolan Band – Philipino Box Spring Hog – American Hotel – CDN – WPG

3:30 – 4:00 pm

The Brothers Cosmoline – No Reply – Songs of Work & Freedom – CDN
Wyckham Porteous – Please, Please Me – 3 a.m. – CDN
Brandi Carlile – All You Need Is Love – XOBC
Steve Earle – I’m Looking Through You – Train a Comin’
The Co-Dependents – The Ballad of John and Yoko – Live At The Mecca Café – Volume 2 – CDN
Nathaniel Mayer – I Found Out – I Just Want to Be Held
The Blue Shadows – If We Make It Through December – On The Floor Of Heaven – Deluxe Re-issue – CDN
Shannon Lyon – December Song – El Sol – CDN