KDHX 88.1 FM
- To Live Is To Fly (Live)-Townes Van Zandt (Some of his best lyrics; Margo Timmins sings it especially well in a Cowboy Junkies cover.)
- Full Cup-Kelley McRae (McRae's angelic voice carries off this uptempo track from her latest EP, "Easy On My Mind," effectively. Also recommended: "Morning Song," which is ideal for anyone who enjoys quiet alone time in the morning. Stacy, the host of "Backroads," has shown good taste over the years by playing singer-songwriters such as McRae.)
- Making Pies-Patty Griffin (Lyrically, this is a sobering reminder of how life's trials add up and put some people on autopilot. Also recommended: "Rain.")
- Cherry (Cha Cha Cha)-Cal Tjader (Got the "1, 2, cha, cha, cha" beat in your mind? Add vibes, and you'll have this tune.)
- Minor Funk-Cyrus Chestnut (A memorable, propulsive piano riff.)
- I Walk A Little Faster-Erin Bode (Sublime vocals from early in Bode's career on this cover of a Cy Coleman tune. It's great to hear WSIE playing this St. Louis-based artist's music.)
- Bloody Mary-Barbara Dennerlein (Dennerlein's sharp, fast organ playing anchors the proceedings. Also recommended: "Wow!")
- Never Can Say Goodbye-The Jackson 5 (One of the group's stronger hits; Isaac Hayes covers it effectively.)
- Sleigh Ride-The Carpenters (Karen Carpenter's a cappella intro catches the ear. Slowing down the tempo for the for the first verse before launching into a more conventional "Sleigh Ride" tempo also lifts this version above most sung renditions. The Carpenters have been one of the two most-played artists since KEZK switched to all Christmas music Thursday...)
- It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year-Amy Grant (...and Amy Grant has been the other most-played artist since then. Grant makes this tune her own. That's impressive, considering that the Andy Williams version is the one that comes to many listeners' minds first...)
- It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year-Andy Williams (...Let's also give Williams his due, though. The vocals here are so joyful, they make you not want to quibble with the "scary ghost stories" lyric. Still, what ghost stories do people tell or hear at Christmas, other than the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol?)
