Tonight we start off with some solid favourites before veering into the holiday spirit (sort of…), talking about the big Rheounion going on in Toronto this weekend, and then swerving back onto the road with some more classics!

Artist – Title – Album

Greg Macpherson – Big Skies – Mr. Invitation
Ox – She Shot Me Down – Dust Bowl Revival
Bob Snider – Sittin In The Kitchen – Caterwaul And Doggerel
Sunparlour Players – Talk It To Death – Hymns For The Happy
Jim White – Crash Into The Sun – Transnormal Skiperoo
Kathleen Edwards – Mint – Voyageur
The Resentments – I Hate Christmas – The Resentments
Butch Walker – Santa’Self (F*ck Your Christmas Party) – single
Rah Rah – Good Winter – Ho! Ho! Ho! Canada VI
Marshall Crenshaw – (It’s Going To Be A) Lonely Christmas – The dB’s & Friends: Christmas Time Again!
Teddy Thompson – Boycotting Christmas – single
The Violet Archers (featuring Ruedi, Sadie + Oliver) – Good King Edmund – The 2011 Zunior Holiday Blender
Dave Clark – So Lucky – Christmas Candy: The 2013 Zunior Holiday Album
The Woodshed Orchestra – Big Hit Song – Buzz
Nick Buzz – Uncle Bumbo’s Christmas – A Quiet Evening at Home
Bidiniband – Last of the Dead Wrong Things – In The Rock Hall
Shooting John – Bright Day – Moodswings
Whiskeytown – Don’t Be Sad – Pneumonia
Mike Dunn – Girl From Buffalo – Hard Luck Soft Rock
Justin Rutledge – Out Of The Woods – Valleyheart
Christina Martin – Falling For You – Sleeping With A Stranger

Holy cow, it’s December already! Luckily, we can ease into it, and the inevitable Christmas juggernaut, with some great music! We’ve also got some songs with deeper meaning, and a whole pile of new and old Steel Belted classics!

Artist – Title – Album

Blue Shadows – If We Make It Through December – On The Floor Of Heaven – Deluxe Re-issue
Amelia Curran – December – Lullabies for Barflies
Shannon Lyon – December Song – El Sol
Malcolm Holcombe – Words Of December – Pitiful Blues
Teenage Fanclub – December – Bandwagonesque
The Lemonheads – December – The Lemonheads
Paul Kelly – How To Make Gravy – Words And Music
The Evaporators – Who Are You? – Ho Ho Ho Canada III
Erin McKeown – You Wish Us A Happy Holidays – F*ck That! Erin McKeown’s Anti-Holiday Album
Gord Downie – I Will Not Be Struck – Secret Path
John K. Samson – 17th Street Treatment Centre – Winter Wheat
Drive-By Truckers – Baggage – American Band
Drive-By Truckers – Guns Of Umpqua – American Band
Lydia Loveless – Out On Love – Real
Jon Dee Graham – (things might turn out) Right – Knoxville Skyline
Zachary Lucky – Make it on time – Everywhere A Man Can Be
Anthony da Costa – Go Steady – Da Costa
NQ Arbuckle – Huntsville Affair – Live At The Dakota
Three O’Clock Train – Train Of Dreams – Train Of Dreams
John Bottomley – Candle In The Dark – Blackberry
Calexico – Corona – Convict Pool
Eliza Gilkyson – Wonderland – Land Of Milk And Honey
Lissie – Record Collector – Catching A Tiger

This is the one where we play some new music, get a little bit political, and then try really hard to feel better about the mess that our world has become, and somehow, come out feeling a whole lot better!

Artist – Title – Album

Brock Zeman – Hammer Them Stakes Down – The Carnival Is Back In Town
Brock Zeman – Freak Show – The Carnival Is Back In Town
Skye Wallace – Not Ready For This To Start – Something Wicked
Tami Neilson – Dynamite – Dynamite!
Ryan Granville-Martin – Eight (feat. Colleen Brown) – Mouthparts and Wings
Radney Foster – All that I Require – single
James McMurtry – Remembrance – single
Drive-By Truckers – What It Means – American Band
Tom Russell – Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall? – The Wounded Heart Of America
Joe Purdy – Maybe We’ll All Get Along Someday – Who Will Be Next?
Todd Snider – This Land Is Our Land – Songs For The Daily Planet
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – This Land Is Your Land – Naturally
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes? – Soul Time!
Townes Van Zandt – Hunger Child Blues – In the Beginning
Hayes Carll – Sit In With The Band – Little Rock
Corb Lund – Five Dollar Bill – Counterfeit Blues
Del Barber & The No Regretskys – Flame of Victory (Coach’s Corner Theme) – The Puck Drops Here
Del Barber & The No Regretskys – Clear The Track, Here Comes Shack – The Puck Drops Here
The 24th Street Wailers – Where Evil Grows – Where Evil Grows
Wayne Hancock – Slingin’ Rhythm – Slingin’ Rhythm

Tonight we eagerly look forward to a few exciting upcoming shows, both near and far, as well as enjoy a solid set of Steel Belted classics!

Artist – Title – Album

The Fuse – The Man Who Would Be King – recorded live on UMFM
The Fuse – The Reachers – Brilliant Sun
The Fuse – My Elizabeth – Trying Must Count For Something
Colleen Brown & Mitchmatic – The Only Way – Seasons Are Circling
Colleen Brown – Fight! Fight! Fight! – Dirt
Rueben deGroot – The Savings and Loan – Rocket Surgery
Rueben deGroot – Little Wonder (feat. Sarah Harmer) – Rocket Surgery
Rheostatics – Guns – Whale Music
Rheostatics – Full Moon Over Russia – Introducing Happiness
The Woodshed Orchestra – This World Needs Love (w/ Sarah Harmer) – Guest Book
Rheostatics – Loving Arms – The Story Of Harmelodia
The Inbreds – North Window – It’s Sydney Or The Bush
The Lowest of The Low – Your Birthday Party – Sordid Fiction
The Bonaduces – A Separate Lid Behind Closed Eyes – The Democracy of Sleep
The Paperbacks – Who Will Run The Starfish Hospital? – An Episode of Sparrows
Chris Brown & Kate Fenner – Margaret – Geronimo
Bruce Knauer – All Night Breakfast Special – All Night Breakfast Special
Dustin Bentall & The Smøkes – Emmy-Lou – Orion
Gram Parsons – Streets Of Baltimore – GP
Son Volt – Back Into Your World – Straightaways
Cedar Park – What She Tells Me (Featuring NQ Arbuckle) – Way Back Home
Sarah Borges – Daniel Lee – Silver City

The world is a messed up, confusing place. Luckily, John Prine knows all the answers. We hear some truth from John tonight. And in an effort to mend the soon-to-be-strained relationship with our neighbours to the South, we present a little Manitoba/Minnesota exchange, where we share some great music from each place. Lastly, we finish off with some exciting concert previews, because everything seems a little more bearable with live music.

Artist – Title – Album

John Prine – Spanish Pipedream – John Prine
John Prine – Illegal Smile – John Prine
Del Barber – That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round (John Prine Cover) – recorded live on UMFM
John K Samson – Rocky Mountain Time – recorded live on UMFM
Mike June – Hard Times – Talkin’ Revolution Blues
Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen – Hard Times – Death’s Dateless Night
The Burning Hell – Fuck The Government, I Love You – Men Without Hats / Fuck the Government, I Love You
Sleeping Jesus – California At Dawn – Perennial
Lanikai – Stay A Little Longer – Lanikai
Jeremy Messersmith – Violet! – The Reluctant Graveyard
Romantica – Fiona – America
The Jayhawks – Blue – Tomorrow The Green Grass
The Wailin’ Jennys – You Are Here – Bright Morning Stars
Jaxon Haldane – Love, Lust, and Loneliness – recorded live on UMFM
Leaf Rapids – Agent of the Night – Lucky Stars
Gordie Tentrees – Wheel Girl – Less Is More
Tony Furtado – Firecracker – Copper and Tin EP
Tony Furtado – Give Me Your Soul – The Bell
Tony Furtado – Devil’s Dust – Golden

We’ve got some mighty exciting upcoming concerts to preview tonight, before jumping into a special birthday party, in honour of the late, great Willie P Bennett, who would have turned 65 yesterday!

Artist – Title – Album

Peter Katz – When the Day Is Done – We Are the Reckoning
Peter Katz – First of the Last to Know – First of the Last to Know
Sweet Alibi – One Chance – Walking in the Dark
Jadea Kelly – Heavy Heart – Eastbound Platform
Colleen Brown – I Can’t Wrap my Heart around It – Seasons are Circling
Rueben de Groot – (So Long) Charlotte – Rocket Surgery
Luther Wright & The Wrongs – Mighty Dark to Travel – Guitar Pickin’ Martyrs
William Prince – Bloom – recorded live on UMFM
Richard Inman – 30 Days – 30 Days
Willie P Bennett – Willie’s Diamond Joe – Tryin’ to Start out Clean
Willie P Bennett – If You Have to Choose – Hobo’s Taunt
Willie P Bennett – Blackie and the Rodeo King – Blackie and the Rodeo King
Willie P Bennett – The Lucky Ones – The Lucky Ones
Willie P Bennett – Breaking the Silence – Take my own Advice
Willie P Bennett – One Vessel – Heartstrings
Willie P Bennett – Decatur – Sharpent the Plow
Willie P Bennett – Baby Come Turn out the Lights – Sharpen the Plow
Willie P Bennett – White Line – Tryin to Start out Clean

UMFM’s Pledge-O-Rama is almost over for another year, but on this final full day of action, we need to pull out all the stops in an effort to help the station make its goal! On tonight’s show, you’ll hear plenty shameless pitches designed to bring in your pledge, as well as plenty of exciting reasons why you should!

Artist – Title – Album

The Damnwells – Lost – The Damnwells
The Damnwells – Kiss Catastrophe – Bastards of the Beat
Mike Dunn – Faith Healer – Hard Luck Soft Rock
Joshua Fletcher – Still Your Blues – Ready, Aim
Dan Bern – One Piece at a Time – Hoody
Darrell Scott – Country Music I’m Talking to You – 10: Songs Of Ben Bullington
Robert Earl Keen – Vincent Black Lightning – Happy Prisoner (The Bluegrass Sessions)
Leeroy Stagger – Sundown – Dream It All Away Tour EP
Mike Edel – Blue Above The Green – India, Seattle
Matt Epp – Ready in Time – Ready in Time
Christina Martin – Somewhere With You – It’ll Be Alright
Sweet Alibi – One Chance – Walking In The Dark
Dar Williams – Here Tonight – Emerald
Alabama Shakes – Don’t Wanna Fight – Sound & Color

UMFM’s Pledge-O-Rama is only a week away, and this week we’ve got a special preview show, featuring some of the prizes available in exchange for your pledge, plus some of my favourite songs from the previous year, in advance of our annual, exclusive “Best of” compilations! We’ve also got a serious set of solid Steel Belted classics to cap things off!

Artist – Title – Album

Neko Case – Buckets of Rain – Sweetheart 2005
Calexico – Love Will Tear Us Apart – Sweetheart 2005
Blackie & The Rodeo Kings – High Wire (w/Raul Malo) – Kings and Kings
The Mavericks – (Waiting for) the World to End – Mono
Whitney Rose – Be My Baby (w/Raul Malo) – Heartbreaker of the Year
Paul Kelly – Righteous Woman – The Merri Soul Sessions
Mike June – Poor Man’s Bible – Poor Man’s Bible
Jon Dee Graham & William Harries Graham – Thoughts after Midnight – single
Brock Zeman – Little Details – Pulling your Sword out of the Devil’s Back
The Damnwells – Kentexas – The Damnwells
The Weakerthans – Plea from a Cat Named Virtute – Reconstruction Site
Greg Macpherson – First Class – Mr. Invitation
The Hold Steady – Spinners – Teeth Dreams
The Lowest of the Low – New Westminster Taxi Squad – Nothing Short of a Bullet
Blue Rodeo – Outskirts – Outskirts
Steve Earle – I Ain’t Ever Satisfied – Exit 0

The bulk of today’s show is made up of new, new-to-me, and new-again music, plus one exciting show to look forward to and an annual ritual.

Artist – Title – Album

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings – Live by the Song (with Rodney Crowell) – Kings and Kings
Buddy Miller – Just Someone I Used to Know (with Nikki Lane) – Camayo Sessions at Sea
Drive-By Truckers – Guns of Umpqua – American Band
Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez – Who’s Gonna Build That Wall – single
Tom Russell – Who’s Gonna Build your Wall – Wounded Heart of America
Stephen Fearing – Blowhard Nation – single
Joe Purdy – Who Will Be Next? – Who Will Be Next?
LP – Muddy Waters – Death Valley
Liz Longley – Swing – Weightless
Amanda Shires – Pale Fire – My Piece of Land
Dar Williams – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – My Better Self
The Rockin’ Highliners – Don’t Jump Back – Oh My!
The Rockin’ Highliners – That’s My Life – What Were You Thinking?
The Rockin’ Highliners – Valentine – Chicks, Suits & Cadillacs
The Inbreds – Any Sense of Time – Kombinator
The Inbreds – North Window – It’s Sydney or the Bush
The Inbreds – Is It the Right Time? – Winning Hearts
Matthew Ryan – 3rd of October – East Autumn Grin

A solid 90 minutes featuring great roots rockin’ music inspired by concerts past and present, as well as some great new music.

Artist – Title – Album

Lydia Loveless – Same To You – Real
Drive-By Truckers – Zip City – Southern Rock Opera / Act I
Drive-By Truckers – Sink Hole – Decoration Day
Drive-By Truckers – Hell No, I Ain’t Happy – Decoration Day
The Replacements – Unsatisfied – Let It Be
The Replacements – Androgynous – Let It Be
Scott Nolan – Postcards – No Bourbon And Bad Radio
James McMurtry – How’m I Gonna Find You Now – Complicated Game
James McMurtry – Red Dress – Saint Mary Of The Woods
James McMurtry – Levelland – Live in Aught-Three
Mayhemingways – Bowling Green – Mayhemingways
Mayhemingways – Wanderers – Hunter St. Blues
Mayhemingways – Jenny Ran Away In The Mud – Hunter St. Blues
Fred Eaglesmith – Rodeo Boy – 50 Odd Dollars
Fred Eaglesmith – 105 – Lipstick Lies & Gasoline
Fred Eaglesmith – Careless – Cha Cha Cha
Buddy Miller Feat. Jill Andrews – Come Early Mornin’ – Cayamo Sessions At Sea
Sheila Carabine – Bear – All In
Aoife O’Donovan – Pearls – Man In A Neon Coat: Live From Cambridge
Lisa LeBlanc – Ace of Spades – Why You Wann Leave, Runaway Queen?
Liz Longley – Say Anything You Want – Weightless