Tell the Band to Go Home

Episode #1025

This one is kind of “inspired” (stolen) from a post that Leeroy Stagger made on Facebook a while ago, asking for recommendations for “perfect albums front to back.”

Most of my very favourite albums, and the majority of the albums that I listen to, seem to have at least one track that I, personally, could do without. When I’m listening to certain records, I know exactly which track(s) I’m going to skip. I’ve made playlists where I’ve “fixed” albums by removing a track or two. I guess I’m kind of hard to please. But every once in a while, I encounter an album where every track works and I wouldn’t dare skip any of them. It’s harder than you might think to find an album with no weak spots. I can immediately think of a few, but I can think of WAY more where there’s one or two tracks that I don’t love as much as the rest.

With that in mind, I did a deep dive into my collection looking for albums where I don’t think there’s a weak track. Because it’s difficult and my collection is kind of diverse, I couldn’t limit it just to the standard singer/songwriter fare, so you’ll hear a few things on this show that you wouldn’t hear otherwise on the program.

I didn’t have time to relisten to them all, so I can’t guarantee that every album played or mentioned in these three hours is perfect, but I can definitely guarantee that diving into any of these albums will be worth your time and very rewarding!

And because this show was pre-recorded and I put a lot of thought into it, I’m calling it one of the occasional “standby” episodes of the show that I might pull out again some day when I can’t make it down to the station.

I sure hope you enjoy this one almost as much as I enjoyed putting it together. If not, I’m sure I’ll be hearing from a few people wondering what the heck I’m doing playing some of this stuff.

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Artist – Song Title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – MB=Manitoba Artist – WPG=Winnipeg artist

Leeroy Stagger – Petrified World – Everything Is Real – CDN

Lowest of the Low – St. Brendan’s Way – Shakespeare My Butt… – CDN
Spirit Of The West – Political – Labour Day – CDN
Skydiggers – Even When You Fall – Road Radio – CDN

John Bottomley – You Lose And You Gain – Blackberry – CDN
Jim Bryson – 26 Miles By Car – The Occasionals – CDN
Oh Susanna – Back Dirt Road – Johnstown – CDN
Del Barber – If I Told You that I Loved You – Love Songs for the Last 20 – CDN – WPG
David Francey – Border Line – Torn Screen Door – CDN

Fred Eaglesmith – Drive-in Movie – Drive-in Movie – CDN
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings – Lace and Pretty Flowers – High or Hurtin’: The Songs of Willie P. Bennett – CDN
Mike Plume Band – If There Ever Was a Fool – Song and Dance, Man – CDN

Van Morrison – And It Stoned Me – Moondance
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Positive Vibration – Rastaman Vibration
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble – Rude Mood – Texas Flood
The Jeff Healey Band – My Little Girl – See The Light – CDN
Van Halen – Light up the Sky – Van Halen II

The Pursuit Of Happiness – Killed By Love – Love Junk – CDN
The Northern Pikes – Wait For Me – Secrets of The Alibi – CDN
The Tragically Hip – Pigeon Camera – Fully Completely – CDN
Huey Lewis & The News – Honky Tonk Blues – Sports
Loverboy – Emotional – Get Lucky – CDN

The Traveling Wilburys – Not Alone Any More – Vol. 1
Steve Earle – You Belong To Me – Copperhead Road
Radney Foster – Nobody Wins – Del Rio, TX, 1959

John Blek & the Rats – Cities Keep Changing – Leave Your Love at the Door
The Jayhawks – Angelyne – Rainy Day Music
Lucinda Williams – Metal Firecracker – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Rodney Crowell – Come on Funny Feeling – Fate’s Right Hand
Kieran Kane – Cool Me Down – Dead Rekoning

Christina Martin – Guard Your Heart – Two Hearts – CDN
Shannon Lyon – Since I’m Loving You – Wandered – CDN
NQ Arbuckle – Skydive Home – Hanging the Battle-Scarred Pinata – CDN
Matt Mays & El Torpedo – Travellin’ – Matt Mays & El Torpedo – CDN

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Rattlin’ Bones – Rattlin’ Bones
Lynn Miles – Flames Of Love – Love Sweet Love – CDN
Jeffrey Gaines – No, I Don’t Think So – Jeffrey Gaines
Sunparlour Players – If the Creeks Don’t Rise – Hymns for the Happy – CDN
Alejandro Escovedo – Real As An Animal – Real Animal

Episode #1024

Hot concerts past and future, a look at the upcoming Toronto concert calendar, new music, and a bunch of classic bangers!

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Artist – Song Title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – MB=Manitoba Artist – WPG=Winnipeg artist

Steve Forbert – January 23-30, 1978 – Jack Rabbit Slim

Figure Walking – The Country – The Big Other – CDN – WPG
Sean Burns – Town Song – single – CDN – WPG
Bobby Charles – Tennessee Blues – Bobby Charles
Shannon McNally – I Must Be in a Good Place Now – Small Town Talk

The Brother Brothers – The Illinois River Song – The January Album
Spencer Burton – Goodbye – North Wind – CDN
Rod Picott – Digging Ditches – Starlight Tour
Aysanabee – Come Out (feat. Raye Zaragoza) – single – CDN
Sarah Jarosz – Jealous Moon – Polaroid Lovers

William Prince & Roosevelt – When You Miss Someone – Roosevelt Remix – single – CDN – WPG
DOSES – Death Wish Suburbia – single – CDN

The Lemonheads – Mrs. Robinson – It’s A Shame About Ray
Kevin Fox – Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes – Set Right – CDN
Brian MacMillan – Blessed Love – Shine – CDN
Jory Nash – The Ballad of Easy Chair – lo-fi northern blues – CDN

Josh Ritter – Kathleen – recorded live on UMFM
Josh Ritter – Snow Is Gone (Live from Vicar Street) – Hello Starling (Deluxe Edition)
Josh Ritter – Bright Smile – Hello Starling

D.Rangers – Three Barriers – We Stay High and Lonesome – CDN – WPG
Alejandro Escovedo – Velvet Guitar – A Man Under the Influence
Buddy Miller – Nothing Can Stop Me – Poison Love

Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell – Second Option – Begonias
Blitzen Trapper – Furr – Furr
Dar Williams – It’s Alright – It’s Alright (EP)

Margo Cilker – Santa Rosa – Valley Of Heart’s Delight
Melissa Carper – From What I Recall – Ramblin’ Soul
Jill Barber – In Perfect Time – Oh Heart – CDN
Matthew Barber – And You Give – Ghost Notes – CDN
Royal Wood – A Mirror Without – A Good Enough Day – CDN

Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle – When I Come Back – Let’s Just Stay Here – CDN
Danny Michel – When I Get Out – Tales From The Invisible Man – CDN
Easton Stagger Phillips – Always Came Back to You – Resolution Road
Brock Zeman – 10 Year Fight – Pulling Your Sword out of the Devil’s Back – CDN
David Wiffen – Lost My Driving Wheel – South Of Somewhere – CDN

Episode #1023

Exciting new music and new discoveries, super exciting upcoming shows at Winterruption (even if the two most exciting are at the same damn time!), bear songs for Lockport Ron, and some blistering bangers to end off!

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Artist – Song Title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – MB=Manitoba Artist – WPG=Winnipeg artist

Greg MacPherson – Windy – Balanced On A Pin – CDN – WPG

Greg Macpherson – Wide Turn – Maintenance – CDN – WPG
Gillian Welch – Dry Town (Demo) – Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell – Invitation To The Blues – Old Yellow Moon

Major Love – Mountain Standard Time – Affirmations – CDN
Sierra Ferrell – Dollar Bill Bar – Trail of Flowers
Adrianne Lenker – Sadness As A Gift – Bright Future

Noeline Hofman – Purple Gas – live recording – CDN
The Halfway Kid – Is That All There is? – If I Don’t Come Home (Go To My House And Burn My Things)
Josiah and the Bonnevilles & Josiah Leming – One Last Song – single
Jarrod Morris – Anvil Stand – single
Cris Jacobs – Work Song (I Can Still Sing) (feat. Lindsay Lou) – single
Will Hoge – End Of The World – Tenderhearted Boys

Anthony da Costa – What If We Never Say Goodbye – Don’t Worry About Me
Bahamas – Someone Forever – I Must Be In A Good Place Now – CDN
James Talley – If We Could Love One Another – Bandits, Ballads and Blues
Shane Smith & the Saints – All the Way – single

John Blek & The Broken Strings – Arno’s Song – Digressions #3 In Dresden
Shawn William Clarke – Tall Trees – Softer Scissors – CDN
The Lucky Ones – Since the Farm Got Sold – A Nickel for the Fiddler – CDN
Corb Lund – Redneck Rehab – El Viejo – CDN

John Prine – Bear Creek Blues – Fair and Square
Lyle Lovett – Bears – Step Inside This House
Matt The Electrician – The Bear – The Bear/Never Had a Gun
Kellen Saip – Bear Bones – Bear Bones – CDN

Shotgun Jimmie – Too Many Flowers – Transistor Sister – CDN – MB
Shotgun Jimmie – Join The Band – Field Of Trampolines – CDN – MB
Bloc Parents – The Bad Blood – EP – CDN – WPG
Show Pony – If I’m Really That Bad – single – CDN – WPG
Burs – Lily – Holding Patterns – CDN
Amos the Kid – Enough as it Was – Enough as it Was – CDN – WPG

Greg MacPherson – First Class – Mr. Invitation – CDN – WPG
Greg MacPherson Band – Goes Like This – Fireball – CDN – WPG
Figure Walking – Victorious – The Big Other – CDN – WPG
Figure Walking – Colourful – Vertical / Horizontal – CDN – WPG

Wintersleep – Black Camera – New Inheritors – CDN
July Talk – Headsick – July Talk – CDN
The Damnwells – The Sound – Bastards Of The Beat

Episode #1022

After the holidays are all done, the new music starts to roll out again, and we’ve got a whole bunch of it today, as well as some exciting upcoming shows to preview and a few classics as well!

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Artist – Song Title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – MB=Manitoba Artist – WPG=Winnipeg artist

Mayhemingways – 14th of January – Skip Land – CDN

Katie Pruitt – White Lies, White Jesus And You – Mantras
Waxahatchee – Right Back to It (feat. MJ Lenderman) – single
Carsie Blanton – My Good Friends – Hope
The Goddamsels – Better Than – single – CDN
The Secret Sisters – Same Water – Mind, Man, Medicine

MJ Lenderman – You Have Bought Yourself A Boat – Boat Songs
Aaron Lee Tasjan – Horror Of It All – Stellar Evolution
John Craigie – Viking Sex (feat. TK & The Holy Know-Nothings) – Pagan Church
Dylan Ault – Taken For A Fool – single
Alejandro Escovedo – Bury Me – Echo Dancing
Gurf Morlix – Switchblade Smile – Melt into You
Bruce Robison – Livin’ in the Woods in a Tree – Darlene

Drayton Farley & Western AF – Lucinda – Live AF Session
Joe Pug – Treasury of Prayers – Sketch of a Promised Departure
Forest Sun – Precious Days – single
Beta Radio – This One’s Going to Hurt – Waiting for the End to Come
Sam Barber – Straight and Narrow (Live) – Live EP 001
Martyn Joseph – Folding – This Is What I Want To Say

Matt Andersen – I’m Giving In – Honest Man – CDN
Kings Of The Moon – White Polar Bear – Kings Of The Moon – CDN – WPG
Bob Schneider – Tokyo – live recording
Doug Paisley – I Want to Be With You Always – Sad Old World – CDN
David Myles – Break Free – Devil Talking – CDN
David Myles – Cape Breton – On The Line – CDN

Belle Plaine – Squared Up – Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath – CDN
Belle Plaine – For All Those Who I Love – Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath – CDN
Belle Plaine & Blake Berglund – Town to Town – Town to Town / Saskatchewan – EP – CDN

Martin Sexton – Black Sheep – Black Sheep
Martin Sexton – The Way I Am – In The Journey

VVonder – Used To Be Happy (I’m So Sad) (Bonus Track) – Frame by Frame (Live) – CDN – WPG
The Telepathic Butterflies – Right Through It All – Plan B – CDN – WPG
The Telepathic Butterflies – The Girl Who Couldn’t Be Named – Plan B – CDN – WPG
Greg MacPherson – Slow Stroke – Good Times Coming Back Again – CDN – WPG
Greg MacPherson – Buy A Ticket – Balanced On A Pin – CDN – WPG
Del Barber – Everything Is Not Enough – Headwaters – CDN – WPG
JP Hoe – Nothing’s Gonna Harm You – Mannequin – CDN – WPG
The Weakerthans – Aside – Left and Leaving – CDN – WPG

Episode #1021

On last week’s show and in a recent post on the website, I listed off some of my favourite music released in 2023, but in making the list, I realized that there were a LOT of releases, even by some of my favourite artists, that I just didn’t get to spend enough time with for one reason or another, so they didn’t make the main list. This episode aims to clean up some of the leftovers and check out some of the releases that somehow slipped past me in the past year.

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Artist – Song Title – Album Title – CDN=Canadian – MB=Manitoba Artist – WPG=Winnipeg artist

Suzie Ungerleider – The One (2003 Demo Version) – Bitch on Wheels (Demos from a Time Capsule) – CDN

Scott Nolan – Swing Low – Before Tonight – CDN – WPG
Scott Nolan – Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead – Before Tonight – CDN – WPG
Richard Inman – What Are You Waiting On? – Life Without Your Love – CDN – WPG
Richard Inman – New Years Blues – Faded Love Better Days – CDN – WPG
Jess Rae – Golden Days – single – CDN – WPG

Lana Del Rey – Margaret (feat. Bleachers) – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
boygenius – Afraid of Heights – the rest
boygenius – Revolution 0 – the record
Evangeline Gentle – Fall Again – Where The Diamonds Are – CDN
Evangeline Gentle – Bad Girls – Where The Diamonds Are – CDN

Jess Klein – Never Gonna Break Me – When We Rise
Allison Russell – Demons – The Returner – CDN

Drayton Farley – Stop the Clock – Twenty on High
Casper McWade – Rather Be Lonely – Something for the Pain
Jess Williamson – Time Ain’t Accidental – Time Ain’t Accidental
Dylan LeBlanc – Let It Rain – single
King Creosote – Please Come Back I Will Listen, I Will Behave, I Will Toe The Line (Edit) – single

Stephen Fearing & The Sentimentals – Gold On The River – Vejpoesi – CDN
Stephen Fearing – Finest Kind – Vejpoesi – CDN
Danny Michel – Bad Timing – Ghost Town – CDN
David Francey – Daughter – The Breath Between – CDN
Lynn Miles – Highway 105 – TumbleWeedyWorld – CDN

NQ Arbuckle – No Hands Bicycle – Love Songs for the Long Game – CDN
Jon Dee Graham – lost in the flood – Only Dead For A Little While
Jesse DeNatale – Sweet Arrival – The Hands of Time

Rodney Crowell – Loving You Is The Only Way To Fly – The Chicago Sessions
Slaid Cleaves – Through the Dark – Together Through the Dark
Shane Smith & The Saints & Hayes Carll – Pancho and Lefty – single
John R. Miller – Press On – Heat Comes Down
Margo Cilker – Lowland Trail – Valley Of Heart’s Delight
Kate Fenner – Quiet Rider – Dead Reckoning – CDN

Garrett T. Capps – A Better Place (feat. NASA Country) – People Are Beautiful
Susto – My Entire Life – My Entire Life
Hugh Trimble & the Atomic Ranch Band – A Trip – Hugh Trimble & the Atomic Ranch Band
Jeremie Albino – Dance with Me – Tears You Hide – CDN
Jeremie Albino – Angeline – Tears You Hide – CDN

Dori Freeman – Do You Recall – Do You Recall
Jenni Muldaur & Teddy Thompson – Just Someone I Used To Know – Once More: Jenni Muldaur & Teddy Thompson Sing The Great Country Duets
Teddy Thompson – A Picture of Me Without You – My Love of Country
Ags Connolly – Headed South for a While – Siempre
Brennen Leigh – Carole With An E – Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet