Nine noteworthy songs heard today:
KHUH (Seattle, WA)
- Empire Ants-Gorillaz (Welcoming piano trills and shuffling percussion underscore the vocals. This would work even better as a new age instrumental.)
- Igatsus-Apelsin (Prog rock-style guitar with just the right amount of echo. I'm pretty sure I'd never heard anything by this Estonian band until today, so I'm glad to have discovered this instrumental from 1980.)
KOPN (Columbia, MO)
- Lonesome Road-Madeleine Peyroux ("Don't Wait Too Long" is my favorite Peyroux tune, so I was pleased to hear another similarly assured vocals-and-guitar number.)
- Goodnite-Melody Gardot (Gardot's jazzy, old soul-sounding voice carries this tune effectively against a foreboding instrumental backdrop.)
KPTZ (Port Townsend, WA)
- All That You Have Is Your Soul (Live)-Tracy Chapman (Compellingly written and sung lyrics about having the courage of your convictions and resisting ill-advised temptations.)
WMWV (Conway, NH)
- Strangers-Nickel Creek (Yes! This new track is a welcome return to form. Sara, Sean, and Chris continue their winning combination of captivating vocal harmonies and unique front line of violin, guitar, and mandolin.)
- Peg-Steely Dan (One of Steely Dan's best uptempo hits, with blistering guitar playing and a memorable chorus. Wisely, Michael McDonald's backing vocals are prominent in the mix.)
WPKN (Bridgeport, CT)
- Autumn-Lionel Hampton (An appealingly bouncy vibraphone melody not unlike Hampton's "Flying Home.")
- Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)-Ray Charles (Bluesy, emotive vocals, piano, and saxophone. The crackling record WPKN played made the tune sound all the more authentic.)
