Community Radio St. Louis highlights VI

Saturday morning standouts:

Family Reunion 

• Barrett's Privateers-Stan Rogers (This isn't a happy tale, but just try not to get into the story once you start listening.  The Irish Descendants recorded the best version of this, but this original version by Rogers is strong in its own right.)
• Amelia Earhart's Last Flight-Plainsong (This is a tragic tale, as well, but it's a dignified tribute, sung with Crosby, Stills & Nash-style harmony.)

Songwriters Showcase 

• Morning-Sarah Jarosz (As often as I've praised Jarosz's music on this blog, this is one song I've overlooked.  I plan to listen to it more often, as comparing a great blue heron to a significant other is one of the reasons these lyrics are endearing.)
• The Dutchman-Steve Goodman (I was pleased to hear the opening guitar part of this tune, as it's one of Goodman's best recordings.  Lyrically, it illustrates the "in sickness and in health" vow that couples make when they marry.  I first heard "The Dutchman" on KDHX's "Blue Highways" in the early '00s, and it became a favorite Goodman track immediately.) 
• Years-Beth Nielsen Chapman (Even if you're relatively happy with your life as it is, reflecting on the people and places that were once central to your life might make you understandably wistful.)

Only in college CXVII

An early '90s specialty show on KCOU that I had difficulty describing was "Gardening At Night."  A key element of it, however, involved crafting sound collages consisting of live or recorded spoken words paired with musical backdrops.

One night, Robi, the DJ hosting the show, and I started talking, and he recorded part of our conversation.  Later in the show, he asked me, "(Does this) sound familiar?"

It did sound familiar, as he had put a portion of our chat on a tape loop and was playing it on the air backwards over music.

Where else can you do that on the radio?

Community Radio St. Louis highlights V

Thursday night/Friday morning standouts:

Heaven's Library 

• Brighten Your Night With My Day-James Taylor (It's interesting to hear early, i.e. 1967, James Taylor.  As my brother noted, the instrumentation differs from that of a typical Taylor tune.  I think it would work as a commercial jingle.)
• Gentle Wave-Hiromasa Suzuki (This throbbing, jazzy, spacey instrumental combines John Klemmer's and Chick Corea & Return To Forever's styles.) 
• Dream-Ryuichi Sakamoto (This short, celestial-sounding instrumental could segue with "Gentle Wave.")

Next Exit

• Going Places-Lewsberg (An immediately catchy guitar/bass/drums rhythm with a nice contrast between the two lead singers.)

Sweet Inspiration

• None Of Us Are Free-Solomon Burke (Alas, these lyrics are "quite fitting for the times," as DJ Spencer said.)
• Song Of Love-Stephen Stills (This 1972 track about standing on the side of what's humane and just is also sadly appropriate for our current climate.  Playing Midnight Oil's "Sometimes" after it was a lyrically compatible choice, although "My Country" would work equally well.)
• Fool No. 1-The Mavericks (Lead singer Raul Malo really sells this tune that sounds like a late '50s doo-wop ballad.  I think it could have worked as underscoring for a "How I Met Your Mother" episode.)
• Paintbrush-All The Days (Endearingly, sensitively written and sung.)

Community Radio St. Louis highlights IV

Six of the more appealing tunes played this morning:

The Mix-Up 

• Who Will Comfort Me?-Melody Gardot (Rhythmically, this reminds me of Peggy Lee's "Fever.")
• Hippy Skippy Moon Strut-The Mighty Show Stoppers (A catchy, rhythmic, organ-propelled instrumental that could segue with "101" by The Smuggler Brothers.)

Memphis To Manchester

• You're No Good-Betty Everett (The majority of listeners are probably most familiar with Linda Ronstadt's excellent version, but Everett's 1963 vocals and the appropriately melancholy piano backing deserve their due.)
• Two Of Us-Aimee Mann & Michael Penn (Fine vocal harmonies on this cover of a Beatles tune from two artists who deserve more commercial success.  Credit to DJ John for following this up with Mann's "That's Just What You Are," which should have been a hit.)

Pop! The Beat Bubble Burst 

• I'm So Happy Now-The Rascals (These simple lyrics say all they need to say.)
• Stay Fabulous-Marshall Crenshaw (Now, this is a music bed.  If I played guitar for a living, I'd use this instrumental as my sound check.  Its midtempo rhythmic self-assurance made it one of my most played songs in iTunes for years.)

FM dial scan highlights CCXCVII

Five tunes that caught my ear today:

WSIE 88.7 FM 

• Prototype-Robert Glasper featuring Norah Jones (This track has an appealing throwback Quiet Storm vibe in its vocals and instrumentation.)
• Wish You Were Near-Acoustic Alchemy (Since I first heard this on former smooth jazz station WSSM, I've always thought it could segue with "Shuckatoom," the "American Top 40" closing theme from the late '70s and early '80s.  It might be the group's catchiest rhythm, as it shows how a brass arrangement coalesces successfully with the acoustic guitar.)

KCLC 89.1 FM 

• Rock The Casbah-The Clash (One of the most memorable earworms from the early '80s.  The union between the piano and vocals in the chorus makes the tune, in my opinion.) 

KWUR 90.3 FM 

• Popsicle-Juliana Hatfield (This was just released in December, but if I hadn't known that, I would've thought this was one of Hatfield's early '90s efforts.  Her youthful voice and crunchy guitar playing are largely the same today.)

WARH 106.5 FM

• Burnin' For You-Blue Oyster Cult (One of the best album rock tracks for days when your mood is dark.) 

Community Radio St. Louis highlights III

I'm continuing to enjoy KDHX's online successor station, Community Radio St. Louis.  Here are two more impressive songs from yesterday that deserve acclaim:

Backroads 

• I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight-Dori Freeman (I've always found this Richard & Linda Thompson song interesting; on the surface, it sounds like a resolution to set aside one's woes for a while and just enjoy life. Listen more closely, however, and you'll hear that the lyrics are meant to be ironic.  Freeman captures the song's spirit commendably while adding just enough of a twang in the vocals to make it her own.)
• Pot On The Stove-Erin Corday (I've thought about this tune often since yesterday, thanks to its fun, calypso-style rhythm.  Vocally and instrumentally, this is a clever way to mimic food cooking on a stove.)

Now, here are five more standout songs I heard this morning:

Hip City  

• Loving You Is On My Mind-The Meters (You can pick any song by The Meters, and you'll hear the same great consistency in the rhythm section.  I can imagine this tune being cross-faded smoothly with Steely Dan's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number.")
• Bird Of Beauty-Stevie Wonder (This is one of Wonder's more overlooked tunes, but it's a pleasant invitation to take a break from the everyday realities of life.  The descending pattern in the backing vocals punctuates Wonder's lead vocals effectively.)
• Look Around The Corner-Quantic & Alice Russell with The Combo Barbaro (This is a nice, unusual blend of Brazilian, Classical, jazz, and R&B styles.  A cool descending bass line underscores the vocals.)
• Melting Pot-Orgone (For some tunes, a rhythm section is all you need.  That's the case with this excellent cover of a 1971 Booker T. & The MGs instrumental.  This well-sustained eight-minute groove approximates how The Allman Brothers Band might have sounded as a jazz or R&B band.)

Boogie On Down 

• Rockhouse (Parts 1 & 2)-Ray Charles (I'd segue this hip-in-any-era piano rhythm with Stanley Turrentine's "Walkin'.")

Community Radio St. Louis highlights II

Monday morning highlights:

Fresh Start 

• Do You Think We'll Last Forever?-Caroline Rose (I noticed a Prince vibe immediately in the rhythm and vocals.)
• Radio Protector-65daysofstatic (The placid piano intro eventually morphs into a dramatic piano-and-drums instrumental.)
• Cars In Space-Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (This rhythmically propulsive power pop track from 2020 sounds like it's from the '80s.)

Backroads 

• Hard Times Come Again No More-Mike Dowling (This pleasant guitar instrumental sounds at various times as if it's about to detour into "Auld Lang Syne." "Backroads" was one of my favorite shows on KDHX, so I'm jazzed about its return to CRSTL.  It continued the spirit of its predecessor singer-songwriter show, "Blue Highways," and this track was a fine way to kick things off.)
• Feeling Good-Nina Simone (DJ Stacy chose this appropriate set of lyrics to acknowledge the joy of launching CRSTL...)
• Listen To The Radio-Nanci Griffith (...as well as these appropriate lyrics.)
• How'd You Know?-Hudson & Franke (Lyrically and vocally, this reminds me of Carrie Newcomer's music, which is always a plus.)