Steel Belted Radio – Roots Rock Weirdoes

Back live in-studio again for the first time in a long while, and rightly so, because a major music icon died today, and a tribute is definitely in order. We’ve got some Prince covers for you (as well as a dazzling display of his amazing guitar playing,) plus memories of the previous weekend’s Spirit of the West shows in Vancouver as well as a look ahead at an upcoming show in Winnipeg, as well as some great new music!

Artist – Title – Album

The Pursuit of Happiness – When Doves Cry – When We Ruled: The Best of
The Derailers – Raspberry Beret – Reverb Deluxe
Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet – I Would Die 4 U – Completely Under the Covers
John Wesley Harding – Kiss/Lovers Society – It Happened One Night & It Never Happened at All
Martin Sexton – Purple Rain – Solo
Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne, and more – While My Guitar Gently Weeps – recorded live at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame
Martyn Joseph – Are You Ready? – Sanctuary
Spirit of the West – D for Democracy (Scour the House) – live recording
Steven Page – The Work at Hand – Heal Thyself Pt. 1: Instinct
Odds – It Falls Apart – Past from the Blast
Matthew Barber – Sentimental Acumen – Means & Ends
Matthew Barber – We’re Gonna Play – The Story of your Life
Matthew Barber – Soft One – Sweet Nothing
Mayhemingways – Wanderers – Hunter St. Blues
Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle – You’re Right (I’m Wrong) – Colvin & Earle
Whitehorse – Pretty Thing – The Northern South Vol. 1

Tonight a couple of exciting shows to discuss, including a stellar show tonight featuring Corin Raymond & Jonathan Byrd! Yesterday the music world lost a true giant when Merle Haggard left us on his 79th birthday. Merle’s influence and legacy can be found just about everywhere, so a tribute is in order. We also paid tribute to the late John Bottomley who lost his struggle with depression five years ago yesterday, but is loved and remembered still.

Artist – Title – Album

Jonathan Byrd – Diana Jones – The Law and the Lonesome
Jonathan Byrd – Father’s Day – Cackalack
Jonathan Byrd – A Big Truck Brought It – You Can’t Outrun the Radio
Corin Raymond – Hard on Things – Hobo Jungle Fever Dreams
Corin Raymond – I Wish I Was in Love – There Will Always Be a Small Time
Skydiggers – Accusations – Restless
JP Harris & the Tough Choices – Drink Up and Be Somebody – Bloodshot Six Pack to Go: Working Songs for the Drinking Class
The Flying Burrito Brothers – Sing Me Back Home – Sacred Hearts And Fallen Angels: The Gram Parsons Anthology [Disc 1]
Buck Owens – Swinging Doors – Honky Tonk Man: Buck Sings Country Classics
Dave Alvin – Kern River – Tulare Dust: A Songwriters’ Tribute To Merle Haggard
Johnny Cash – The Running Kind (with Tom Petty) – Unearthed II: Trouble In Mind
Emmylou Harris – Mama’s Hungry Eyes – Mama’s Hungry Eyes: A Tribute To Merle Haggard
Redbird – Silver Wings – Live At Café Carpe
Carrie Rodriguez – I Started Loving You Again – Love and Circumstance
kd lang – How Did You Find Me Here – Sweet Relief III “Pennies From Heaven”
Merle Haggard – Turn To Me – If I Could Only Fly
Merle Haggard – Under The Bridge – Working In Tennessee
Merle Haggard – The Bottle Let Me Down – The Complete ’60s Captitol Singles
Merle Haggard – Mama Tried – The Complete ’60s Captitol Singles
Merle Haggard – Shade Tree Fix-It-Man – The Complete ’60s Captitol Singles
John Bottomley – The Healing Dream – The Healing Dream
John Bottomley – Candle in the Dark – Blackberry

Tonight a trip through the Jay Farrar catalogue and a whole pile of diverse and amazing classics!

Artist – Title – Album

Uncle Tupelo – Shaky Ground – March 16-20, 1992
Son Volt – Looking at the World Through a Windshield – Sun Volt Retrospective
Jay Farrar – Feel Free – Sebastopol
Gob Iron – Hard Times – Death Songs for the Living
Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar – These Roads Don’t Move – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone
The Bottle Rockets – Indianapolis (1991 Acoustic Demo with Uncle Tupelo) – The Bottle Rockets/The Brooklyn Side Reissues
Moe Berg – Angelique Is A Free Spirit – Summer’s Over
Bidiniband – Last of the Dead Wrong Things – In The Rock Hall
The Details – Vulture Mechanics – Lost Art
The Cash Brothers – Take A Little Time – How Was Tomorrow
Animal Parts – Where The Heart Is – Six Arms To Hold You
Matt Andersen – Fired Up – Coal Mining Blues
Brian Dunn – Country – TVs and Radios
Dennis Ellsworth – Electric Stars – Dusk Dreams
Band of Horses – Is There A Ghost – Cease To Begin
Bon Iver – Lump Sum – For Emma, Forever Ago
Clem Snide – Fill Me With Your Light – End of Love
Richard Buckner – Town – Meadow
Audra Mae and The Almighty Sound – Jebidiah Moonshine’s Friday Night Shack Party – Audra Mae & The Almighty Sound

Tonight some new & newish music, then an extended pre-Johnny Cash Birthday Bash with some songs about Johnny and a bunch of cool covers

Artist – Title – Album

The Bills – Wonders I’ve Seen – Trail of Tales
Reid Jamieson – Weeds – Songs of the Future
William Melville – Text Me (with Cara Luft) – Songs of the Future
James Gray – Bigger Things – Bigger Things
Myrle – Soapbox Preacher – A Dozen Hearts
Shannon Lyon – Danger It Runs – Lost Creek
Andrew Neville & The Poor Choices – Nick Hill – Winnipeg: The High & Lonesome Years [Vol. IV]
Fred Eaglesmith – Johnny Cash – 6 Volts
Shooter Jennings – Outlaw You – Outlaw You
Hank Williams Jr. – If You Don’t Like Hank Williams – Singer / Songwriter
Billy Joe Shaver – That’s Why The Man In Black Sings The Blues – Freedom’s Child
Shel Silverstein – A Front Row Seat To Hear Ole Johnny Sing – The Best Of Shel Silverstein
Rodney Crowell – I Walk The Line (Revisited) – The Houston Kid
Joy Kills Sorrow – I Still Miss Someone – Joy Kills Sorrow
Harry Manx – Long Black Veil – Johnny’s Blues
Lindi Ortega – Ring Of Fire – Ring Of Fire / Fires 7″
Steve Earle & The Milk Carton Kids – Custer – Look Again to the Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited
Steve Earle – Hardin Wouldn’t Run – Kindred Spirits: A Tribute To The Songs Of Johnny Cash
Buddy Miller – Hey Porter – We Walk The Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash
Brandi Carlile – Folsom Prison Blues – We Walk The Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash
The Little Willies – Wide Open Road – For the Good Times
Ry Cooder – Get Rhythm – Get Rhythm
Nancy Sinatra And Lee Hazlewood – Jackson – Nancy & Lee

It might still be miserable outside, but it must be spring somewhere because the new music releases are flowing again! We’ve got a whole lot of great new music tonight and we take a look at the lineup for this year’s Festival du Voyageur.

Artist – Title – Album

Waco Brothers – Orphan Song – Going Down in History
Duane Rutter – Who Found Who – Crazy Things
Matt Patershuk – Pep the Cat Murdering Dog – I Was So Fond Of You
Joel Fafard – All I Need – Fowl Mood
Matt Andersen – One Good Song – Honest Man
Donovan Woods – Leaving Nashville – Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled
Grant Peeples And The Peeples Republic – Treason Is The Reason – A Congress Of Treason
BTU – Vancouver 1914 – Tightrope Walk
Freakwater – Number One with a Bullet – Scheherazade
The Cactus Blossoms – Change Your Ways or Die – You’re Dreaming
Daniel Koulack & Karnnel Sawitsky – GroundHog – Fiddle And Banjo
Sweet Alibi – My Love – Walking In The Dark
Del Barber – All that It Takes – Prairieography
Del Barber – Everything Is not Enough – Headwaters
The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer – Mama’s in the Backseat – A Real Fine Mess
Crooked Brothers – Lightning in my Chest – Thank You I’m Sorry
Quinton Blair – Blues Man – Blues Man
The Honeysliders – Mercy of Machines – Demos
William Prince – You Got Me – Earthly Days
Red Moon Road – Breathing Slow – Sorrows And Glories
Alex Dezen – If You Can Say “I Love You” on a Greeting Card, How Can it Be True? – Alex Dezen
Alex Dezen – Rush Hour – After the Go-Go’s EP