The Cornbread Cafe

The Cornbread Cafe
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Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. We are the Internet’s new hang-out for the best in a sprawling menu of American Roots music.

  1. 18/07/2020

    Cornbread Cafe #15: Sierra Ferrell

    Hear our long-awaited conversation with brilliant songwriter and spellbinding performer Sierra Ferrell — who is the. real. deal. Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #15 of the Cornbread Cafe, located at the five-corners of Americana, Blues, Country, Folk, and Gospel.  And sometimes you can catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. I am, of course, your host, the mongrel, a.k.a. Jay Vee, and I am deeeeelighted to have you with me for what’s going to be an amazing show. In addition to just a truckload of amazing American Roots tunes, I have for you portions of my long awaited conversation with Sierra Ferrell — who is the. real. deal. A brilliant songwriter, she plucks stories from her heart and her lived experience in a way that will make sure you don’t likely forget her music any time soon. Featured in this Episode: Erin Gibney • “Boys Think” • single The Rightly So • “Not Coming Home” • Vandura Sierra Ferrell • “The Sea” • Washington by the Sea Sierra Ferrell • “I’ll Come off the Mountain” • Washington by the Sea Brianna Nelson • “Golden Silhouette” • single Tiffany Thompson • “Human Life” • single Darby O. Bell • “Hold On” • Away It Falls Because this is such a jam-packed episode, I’ll keep my chatter to a minimum. In fact, let’s get to some tunes right now.  Erin Gibney; submitted photo. We’ll hear from Buffalo NY-based Americana/Folk duo The Rightly So, with “Not Coming Home” from their most recent release, “Vandura.” I’ll have more to say about this act on a future show, because the whole album feels like an old comfortable sweater you thought you’d lost, but for now, we’ll be satisfied with a tune.  First though, opening the show today is an artist who showed up on our radar through our partnership with ReverbNation, the web’s premier discovery and promotions platform. ReverbNation believes that DIY shouldn’t mean you’re all alone. Artists really can build their career with ReverbNation’s easy-to-use services and exclusive industry access. Which is exactly how I came across Erin Gibney, who’s recent alt-country single, “Boys Think,” comes on the heels of her well-received 2018 EP Bold. Let’s hear that right now, right here on the Cornbread Cafe. The Rightly So; photo by Haley McLain Photography That’s Gregory Zeis and Jess Chizuk, performing as The Rightly So. I don’t know if you hear what I hear in Zeis’ voice, but I think they simply MUST cover some early John Denver on their next album. Now, I’m so thrilled to bring you the conversation I had with Sierra Ferrell, a soulful genius with a once-in-a-generation gift for conjuring both bright or shadowy works that long haunt the ear and pleasantly disorient the mind. Let’s set the tone for our talk with “The Sea,” off 2019’s Washington by the Sea. “That was, per Sierra’s own suggestion, “I’ll Come off the Mountain,” also from Washington by the Sea. Sierra Ferrell & Nate Leath; photo by Harris. I have to tell you, I’ve done several hundred interviews, and I’ve enjoyed them all. Every once in a great while though, I get the chance to speak with someone who’s so open and so honest and seems a real kindred spirit and I actually forget here and there that the conversation is for a podcast…you know, as part of my job? And then I almost feel kind of possessive about it, like, wait a minute, do I have to share that with everybody listening? And, of course, that’s when I know I’ve just captured a classic interview to file, and so, yeah, I’m going to share it. But still… Brianna Nelson; submitted photo. So, I’d like to think you’d have gotten your money’s worth if I ended the show right there, BUT we still have the dessert course to follow that hearty entrée.  We’ll kick off this set with “Golden Silhouette,” by Brianna Nelson, another artist who came to my attention via ReverbNation.  At the age of fifteen, she was cast for Season 6 of NBC’s The Voice. Like many artists, her performance schedule has been impacted by the pandemic, but my latest intel places her as a student at Berklee College of Music, studying songwriting and vocal performance, so may be as venues open up, you can catch her perform in and around Boston this fall.  Tiffany Thompson; photo by Jen Eun. New York City–based musician Tiffany Thompson brings us “Human Life,” which was written for the women at Willow International in Uganda. Willow International benefits survivors of the human trafficking trade and is an organization near and dear to Tiffany’s heart. All proceeds from the song will be donated to Willow International.  Indiana native Darby O. Bell wraps up this episode with the very inspirational “Hold On” from 2018’s Away It Falls. She’s performed and taught all over the world in such as countries as Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Japan, Scotland, Ireland, England, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Africa, and all over the United States. Darby acts and dances as well, and, like many artists, will be eager to fill up her calendar when venues start booking again. Darby O. Bell; submitted photo. Right now though, let’s have a listen to Brianna Nelson and “Golden Silhouette.” Well, we have heard just a tremendous collection of gorgeous voices this episode, including that last one belonging to Darby O. Bell. All of them so unique and memorable, too. That’s one of the traits we strive to include here on the Cornbread Cafe. You can always listen through the website of course, but you can order us up to-go also via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or through a quality podcatcher, like Downcast. Subscribe now and listen whenever you want.  Again, thanks for listening, . Take care.

    1 hr

  2. 05/07/2019

    Cornbread Cafe #14: The Mammals

    Welcome brothers and sisters to episode #14 of the Cornbread Cafe. I am the mongrel, and I will be your grill master at this barbecue bonanza we’re firing up for you today. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. I hope you brought your appetite, too because we’re going to burn a full-rack of meaty American Roots tunes out on the back deck. And not only that — we’re finally going to share an interview that’s been in the smoker for a good long time. I’ve given you nibbles in different shows over the last year, but I am truly honored to present to you, in its entirely, for the first time, the conversation I had with Mike Merenda of the Mammals (first featured back in Episode 13) . If you’re a Cornbread Cafe fan, then chances are good that you already know about this Hudson Valley area band that draws from the very best in the Folk Tradition — stories grounded humbly in the Earth, yet told with a fire and a musical prowess that seems effortless. You can see and hear for yourself, too, because they’ll be gracing the barn boards at Hancock Shaker Village Saturday, July 27, in the next installment of the Shaker Barn Music series. Note that the Hancock Shaker Village is one of our 2019 season sponsors, so be sure to thank them for supporting independent local news when you go. Featured in this Episode: Todd Snider • “Talking Reality Television Blues” • Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3 The Mammals • “Make It True” • Sunshiner The Mammals • “Sunshiner” • Sunshiner The Mammals • “Fork in the Road” • Sunshiner The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow • “Every Day It’s Always Something” • Heart of the Run Anna Stine • “Eyelids” • Company of Now The Chris Robinson Brotherhood • “Come’n Round the Mountain” • Servants of the Sun Brett Allen Gregory • “Here and Gone” • Tales of the Bed Yam The core of the group has, since its inception in 2001 consisted of Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar to whom he’s also married. Other musicians have rotated in and out of the lineup, which has has infused the act with a lot unique talents and perspectives over the years. They’ve shared stages with both legendary figures in roots music as well as artists from recent generations of folk fame. Look for a link in the show notes for more details — a more impressive who’s-who list would be hard to come by. Also in the first half of the show I’ll be spinning a few tunes off the Mammals 2018 release Sunshiner, which earned a place on the Americana Music Association’s “Top 100 Albums and Songs for 2018.” The Mammals Saturday, July 27, 20019, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, Mass. Tickets Points of Contact: Web, Patreon, Bandcamp, Archive.org Wikipedia Before we do that though, let me introduce you to the opening act for this episode, Todd Snider. I’ll admit, I didn’t know much about Snider, except that he’s irreverent and witty as hell. His publicist sent me a track that’s a lot tamer than some of the tracks I’d love to play for you, probably following standard decency rules for radio. Except that I’m a podcaster and a streamer and I’ll play whatever I want. But, until they actually send me his entire latest LP, Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3, I guess I’d better just play it safe, and play you “Talking Reality Television Blues,” which should warm up the house nicely. If you like what you hear, visit his Spotifiy for more, and if you REALLY like what you hear, you can check him out live Wednesday, July 24 at Club Helsinki in Hudson, NY. . Todd Snider Todd Todd Snider plays Club Helsinki in Hudson, New York Wednesday, July 24; photo by Cathy Mills. So, again, that was Todd Snider, with “Talking Reality Television Blues,” off the Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3. I’ll see what I can do about bringing some of his more candid tunes to you soon. But now, I am definitely in the mood for a heaping helping of the Mammals, which, now that I hear myself say the name, probably should have warned me away from the barbecue theme of this episode. After 20 years of marriage to a vegetarian, you’d think I’d know better. Oh well. A round of apologies to all — on the house. Michael Merende and Ruth Ungar have been the principals of The Mammals since the group’s founding in 2001; photo by Schnaidt. One of things you’ll hear Mike Merenda talk about on this show is the realization that you get more mileage out of positivity when you’re singing to change the world. I think you’ll pick up on that in the title track of Sunshiner, that I inject into the middle of our conversation, as well as right now with the very hopeful “Make It True,” right here on the Cornbread Cafe. The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow is hard at work touring and putting the finishing touches on their new album, “Band Together;” submitted photo. That was “Fork in the Road,” also off 2018’s Sunshiner. And because I want you to hear some of that shared DNA with a multiply, previously featured act, The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow” (wayyy back in INDIEcent Exposure #23) I’m going to fire up a tune off 2017’s live album, Heart of the Run. And now that you know Chris Merenda from Whiskey Treaty and Mike Merenda from Mammals are brothers, I’ll let you ponder where the musical DNA weaves in with the biological. The tapestry actually get pretty complex, too — since the Whiskey Treaty’s forthcoming album, “Band Together,” is being produced by Johnny Irion, with whom the Mammals have shared the stage along with Johnny Irion’s wife and musical partner, Sarah Lee Guthrie. Until that album comes out though, here’s “Every Day It’s Always Something” as a crunchy next course in this feast. Anna Stine With a voice to remember and a solid command of songwriting and musicianship, Anna Stine will likely be a familiar face around the Cafe; photo by Nick Meza. We just heard from Anna Stine, who’s been compared to Norah Jones and Laura Marling, and I think I might detect a little Bonnie Rait swagger in there, as well as some Halie Loren precision. The song was “Eyelids” off her new release, Company of Now. I Love that song’s vibe — how ‘bout you. You know, if you fall hard for any of the tunes you hear on this podcast, and want to hear more from the artist, just hit me up at news@cornbread.cafe, and I’ll try to serve ‘em up as quick as I can. And yes, that e-mail address again was news@cornbread.cafe C-A-F-E Before that, we heard “Every Day It’s Always Something,” from the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow’s debut full-length live album, “Heart of the Run.” I’ll share tracks from their upcoming release as soon as they land in my DL folder. Brett Allen Gregory Brett Allen Gregory, is a singer-songwriter and guitar instructor based in Livermore Calif.; submitted photo. We’re going to end this show with a talented artist who isn’t just a gifted guitarist, but a musician who demonstrates a versatility that is truly admirable. Brett Allen Gregory got in touch with me towards the end of last year, which, if you’ve been following the evolution of the Greylock Glass, you know was kind of a clusterfumble schedule-wise. But I’ve really been looking forward to turning you on to tracks off his recent LP, Tales of the Bed Yam, and I have a feeling it’s going to be my go-to album for many episodes to come. His tune “Here and Gone” showcases both that musicianship I was talking about, and a gift for compelling lyric composition. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood The Chris Robinson Brotherhood just dropped their sixth studio album June 14, 2019; photo by Jay Blakesberg. But first, I’ve been saving a little surprise for y’all. You a big fan of the Black Crowes? Did you follow Chris Robinson’s evolution post-Crowes into his latest project, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood? Well guess what? The band was kind enough to send me a couple tracks to give you just a taste of their brand new album, Servants of the Sun that just dropped last month, and available through their website — link in the shownotes. So feast your ears on the very tasty tune, hot off the grill, “Come’n Round the Mountain.” Well, brothers and sisters, that does it for this episode. Thanks for tuning in, and remember, if you’re a musician, I am ALWAYS looking for Indie artists to feature on the Cornbread Cafe. You don’t need to have a following of a gazillion fans. In fact, since I hand craft every single bespoken episode, you might have exactly the track that would complete the show perfectly, even if only your bandmates, girlfriend, and mother have heard it before. You send it. I’ll figure out if I can fit it in.

    1h 9m

  3. 26/09/2018

    Cornbread Cafe #13: The Black Bear Americana Music Festival

    We celebrate the first inaugural Black Bear Americana Musics Festival with potent tracks from The Mammals, Adam Ezra Group, Belle of the Fall, The Nields, Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, The Rad Trads, Violetta Zironi, NuBluzRevue, and the Honey Whiskey Trio. First ever installment of this huge event to be held at the Goshen Fairgrounds just north of Litchfield, Conn., October 4–8. Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #13—of the Cornbread Cafe, that new joint on the web offering tasty American Roots treats. We’re located at the five-corners of Americana, Blues, Country, Folk, and Gospel. And sometimes you can catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. I am, of course, your host, the mongrel, a.k.a. Jay Vee, and it’s my distinct pleasure to serve up a show I know we’re all going to look back on some day with kind of a “Yup. I was there” satisfaction. Featured in this Episode: The Mammals • “Culture War” • Sunshiner Adam Ezra Group • “Steal Your Daughter” • Hurricane Wind
 Belle of the Fall • “They All Come Crashing Down” • Rise Up The Nields • “You Don’t Have That Kind Of Time” • XVII
 Whiskey Treaty Roadshow • “Jimmy The Whiskey Boy” • Whiskey Treaty Roadshow EP
 The Rad Trads • “The Little Pie Blues” • On Tap Violetta Zironi • “Little Wound” • single
 NuBluzRevue • “Think Again” • NuBluzRevue Honey Whiskey Trio • “Grim Reaper” • Rye Woman Last episode we got to hear from Jim Olsen of Signature Sounds about the inaugural Arcadia Folk Festival going on September 30, in Northampton Mass. This time around, we hear from two of the organizers of the brand new Black Bear Americana Music Festival taking place October 4 through the 8 in Northwestern Connecticut. Beth Murphy and Ian Campbell dialed in to our studio late in the evening earlier this week to talk about the whys and hows of building this exciting new gathering from the ground up. The Mammals And how cool is that? Back to back shows about back to back nascent American Roots music festivals. This type of opportunity comes around less than once in a blue moon, and I am pleased to be able to bring you the news, interviews, and sampler platters of music you can expect to hear at these top flight festivals. It’ll be another lean back and loosen yer belt kind of episode. We also continue our occasional series of music in the American Roots genre that thrives on foreign soil — “Americana Expat.” As promised, this episode we have the JUST released single, “Little Wound,” from Italian born Violetta Zironi—an artist I predict will be making her way into the festival circuit in the next year or two. Plus, we’ll hear from a couple artists new to the show, as well as making sure we end this musical feast with a sweet finish courtesy our old friends, the Honey Whiskey Trio.’ Adam Ezra Group I already know we’re going to run over our 60-minute limit with this show, so let’s get right into it with our first Black Bear set, featuring the Adam Ezra Group and particularly smokin’ track, “Steal Your Daughter” off 2017’s Hurricane Wind. We’ll hear Belle of the Fall and the blistering “They All Came Crashing Down,” off their brandy new release Rise Up, and we’ll kick it all off with The Mammals, who also have a brand new album, Sunshiner, from which we’ll enjoy “Culture War,” right here on the Cornbread Cafe. Again that was “They All Came Crashing Down,” from Belle of the Fall. The album, Rise Up, is Exhibit A for why I do this show and why we all gravitate towards American Roots. You can listen for no other reason than the satisfying overall sound, and then listen more closely and hear some real genius in the poetry, wit, and wisdom of the lyrics. Belle of the Fall You find songwriters who fall at different points along the lyrical spectrum, sometimes simultaneously, in the Americana-verse. I think this emotional complexity is one of the things that draws people from all walks of life, all over the world, to the genre. Certainly that’s one reason that Katryna and Nerissa Nields continue to attract new audiences every season to their warm harmonic blend of Folk, with dashes of Gospel, Rock, Blues, and more here and there. From their 2015 release XVII, let’s have a taste of what I’m talking about with “You Don’t Have that Kind of Time.” You Don’t Have that Kind of Time, by the Nields, here on the Cornbread Cafe! And as I’ve already mentioned, we don’t have that kind of time either, if we’re gonna fit all the music we want to hear into this episode. That means we’d better get to our conversation with Black Bear Americana Music Festival founders Beth Murphy and Ian Campbell right…about…now! The Nields Not unlike the bands themselves, really, when you think about it… So, if you’ve been wondering “how does one bring a music festival to life,” well, now you have one explanation. Every festival will have its own creation story, but the common thread that runs through them all is that someone was crazy enough to come up with the idea and hard working enough to make it happen. That tune was “The Little Pie Blues,” from none other than the Rad Trads off their brand new, amazing new album, On Tap. And other than to say that this new release is pure Americana heaven, I’m not going to say much else, since I’m working on setting up an interview with the Rad Trads this very week. If all goes mostly according to plan, we’ll actually get to hear about On Tap, and their just launched tour, from the artists themselves real soon. The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow And if we had to name a house band here at the Cornbread Cafe, it would be a pretty close race between just a couple/few acts, but without a doubt, the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow would be in the finals. (we interviewed the boys back in IE#23) They’ll be at Black Bear going on the first weekend in October, and I’m guessing you’ll get a chance to hear some of the tunes off their most recent, eponymous release as well as from their upcoming first full length studio album. And just maybe, if you go, you’ll get a chance to hear one of my favorites, “Jimmy the Whiskey Boy.” Before that was the the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow with “Jimmy the Whiskey Boy.” Now you may or may not have heard yet, but these boys are in the studio early this fall to work on their first album since their debut live album “The Heart of the Run.” And let’s all pause to admire the juevos of any band that decides to debut with a live album, right? Anyway, no less a talent than Johhny Irion has signed on as producer of the album, so I for one am extremely excited to find out what comes out of this collaboration. And, of course, any sneak peaks or advance audio I get, I’ll share with you first. Check out Whiskey Treaty Roadshow’s Pledgmusic crowdfunding page at https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/whiskeytreaty. Only 25 days left as of today, September 25, 2018 to get in on this community effort so don’t delay. That link is also in the shownotes. The Rad Trads Speaking of sharing with you first…As promised, our new Americana Expat segment returns with an artist I hope will be joining the festival circuit in the next year or two. Certainly, her voice will stop you in your tracks, and her songwriting will cast a spell on you. The Italian born, Germany-based Violetta Zironi sent us an advance release of her new single earlier this month, and I’ve been dying to share it with you ever since. It’s been officially out in the wild less than a week now, so it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to the Alpha Romeo of Americana music, Violetta Zironi, with “Little Wound.” If you loved that single, “Little Wound,” from Violetta Zironi, be sure to share this episode on the socials, and tag her so she knows her music is making it’s way across the Atlantic to all of us over here Stateside. Violetta Zironi We have yet MORE brand new music for you still to come on this episode. The New York-based NuBluz Review has just released a self-titled album that gave me a little bit of a pause. Part of me wanted to save this next track for an upcoming episode celebrating the Blues and the Blues alone. But, truth be told, I’ve been giving the genre a whole lotta love these last few episodes, so I can’t exactly justify doing a whole Blues show for a bit yet. So I won’t make you wait to hear one of the awesome tracks, “Think Again,” off this 2018 release. First though, I want to introduce you to one of a growing number of solo artists who are not only performing most, or all, of the instruments in their tunes, but also trying their hands at editing, mixing, and mastering their tracks, often with very impressive results. Such is the case, I’m sure you’ll agree, with Austin, Texas–born, and South Carolina based musician Aaron McMahon, and his brand new single, “Quicksand,” right here on the Cornbread Cafe. NuBluzReview And that last tune in this set was Grim Reaper, from the Honey Whiskey Trio, whose recent release, “Rye Woman,” is a musical and vocal tour de force that should definitely be in your CD or digital library. If and when the Cornbread Cafe launches our own American Roots music festival, I’m flying the Honeys out here to be a mainstage headliner. For now though, we’ll just have to content ourselves with an upcoming episode since we have come to the end of this one. If you enjoy this show, I really hope you’ll help it to grow and thrive. Become a member by following the link in the sidebar at cornbread.cafe. The Honey Whiskey Trio I’ve been your host, the mongrel, and I do thank you for tuning in. By sure to drop by again for exclusive interviews with the Rad Trads, the Mammals, Violetta Zironi, Grant Malloy Smith, and

    1h 18m

  4. 08/09/2018

    Cornbread Cafe #12

    We celebrate the first inaugural Arcadia Folk Festival with mighty tunes from Laura Berman, Faint Peter, Divining Rod, Birds of Chicago, Darlingside, Heather Maloney, The Nields, and Celine Schmink. host, the mongrel music editor, Serafina Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #12—of the Cornbread Cafe, a fine place to get your fill of some of very best in American Roots music. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And sometimes you can catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. * I am the mongrel, and it does my heart good to see you back again so soon. And it looks like you brought some friends with you. Thanks for dropping in. Always room in the Cafe for folks with great taste in music. We’re sliding back into our long format this episode to celebrate the inauguration of America’s newest American Roots fest, the Arcadia Folk Festival, taking place in Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley September 30. Not only do we have a block of great tunes from some of artists who’ll be performing there, but we speak both with Signature Sound’s Jim Olson, organizer of the event AND Jonah Keane, Sanctuary Director for Mass Audubon at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. Both Jim and Jonah explain why this enchanting, verdant refuge makes for a setting that’s more than just a gorgeous backdrop. Featured in this Episode Laura Berman • “Come As You Are” • Home Faint Peter • “Waiting” • Redoubt Divining Rod • “Darling Down The Row” • single Birds of Chicago • “Farewell Tenderhearts” • American Flowers Darlingside • “Singularity” • Extralife Heather Maloney • “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” • Just Enough Sun The Nields • “Love Love Love” • XVII Celine Schmink • “Solo Rider” • Faded Wanderings If you enjoy this show, I really hope you’ll help it to grow and thrive. Become a member by following the link in the sidebar, or by pledging your support at Patreon.com/greylockglass. At the tail end of this episode, we’ll introduce a new, occasional feature of the show we’re calling “American-a Expat.” Right now, though, let’s tuck in to this musical spread by spinning a tune that landed in my inbox just this week. You know I love sharing an early taste of albums before anyone else has heard them. This track will appear on Laura Berman’s January 2019 release, Home, and I think it’s a good indication you’re going to love the whole album when it drops. Here’s “Come as You Are,” on the Cornbread Cafe. Laura Berman Laura Berman; photo courtesy laurabermanmusic.com/. “Singer and songwriter Laura Berman has reached acclaim for her soul-touching vocal and honest, lyrical poetry. She has performed alongside Rev. Michael Beckwith at the Agape International Spiritual Center, Authors Neale Donald Walsch and Marianne Williamson, and sang backup for Grammy Award Winner Enya on the David Letterman Show. Laura also is a session singer and has a featured song in the children’s film and accompanying soundtrack of “Clifford’s Really Big Movie.” She is currently recording her fifth studio album with producer and multi-instrumentalist Roman Morykit, one half of the musical duo, Gypsy Soul, with the album release set for January 2019.” Divining Rod That was “Darling Down the Row,” a new single from Divining Rod, the new project of former Rogers Sisters member, Miyuki Furtado. It’s a hypnotic song in its own right, but there’s a story attached, and I encourage you to follow the link in the show notes to Diving Rod’s website for an explanation in his own words. “What do you do after your band has toured the world several times over? Break up and head back home.” That’s just what Hawaiian born, Brooklynite Miyuki Furtado did after a show in Oslo, Norway when he exited The Rogers Sisters (Too Pure/Beggars Group), the much touted NY trio in which he sang, played bass and wrote many of their winning songs. The band had weathered a grueling decade of recording and nearly non-stop touring around the globe. “We were completely exhausted. After our last show in Oslo, we went our separate ways.’ He returned home just in time for the birth of his daughter then promptly moved out of his beloved Brooklyn neighborhood with his family for greener (and less crowded) pastures. “My wife and I bought a small, beat up house north of the city and settled down.” Between repairing the house and raising his child he began work on his current project: the folk, country and soul tinged psych-rock band, Divining Rod. Faint Peter Joseph De Natale records and performs as Faint Peter; photo courtesy faintpeter.com, image manipulation by Jason Velázquez, Before that, we heard another track, “Waiting,” from Faint Peter’s 2016 release Redoubt. The song conjures up some of the powerful singer-songwriter mojo that you usually associate with the likes of Paul Simon, Jackson Brown, or Van Morrison. It’s really all I can do to keep from inserting a Faint Peter tune in every episode. Give us another month—we’ll play another one. Or better yet, just go buy the release and support some of the best music crafted today. You know where to find the link. As promised, you get to eavesdrop on some conversations I had this week about the upcoming Arcadia Folk Festival with two really brilliant, interesting guys. I’d originally intended to splice the two interviews together as kind of back and forth public radio-esque thing, but there just wasn’t anything I wanted to cut out, and I hate out-of-context soundbytes as much as you do, so I said the hell with it. Let’s just go long-form on this episode. How long? As long as it takes. But let’s start with my chat with Jim Olsen, President and a founder of Signature Sounds, to find out how he found himself preparing for a brand new festival before the dust had even settled from the Green River festival Well, I guess right now would be the right time to kick off a long block of Arcadia Folk Festival artists, so why not let’s bring back Birds of Chicago with another track of 2018’s American Flowers, “Farewell Tenderhearts.” Birds of Chicago Be sure to go back and listen to our interview with JT Nero of Birds of Chicago in INDIEcent Exposure #29. Allison Russell and JT Nero (Birds of Chicago) will be on hand at the first ever Arcadia Folk Festival on September 30, 2018; photo courtesy birdsofchicago.com. Known for their “near perfect Americana” (No Depression), JT Nero and Allison Russell had recently finished recording their sprawling rock and roll circus of an album, Love in Wartime, co-produced by Luther Dickinson ( North Mississippi All Stars), to be released next April on Signature Sounds. Nero had a suite of six songs that didn’t feel quite at home on Love in Wartime. Having recently relocated to Nashville, they decided to throw themselves their own welcome to town party by recording an acoustic E.P. at Steve Dawson’s Henhouse Studio. New friends like Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids, and Maya de Vitry of The Stray Birds got in on the fun, and the Birds emerged after a couple days with the raw, spontaneous, and warm American Flowers. The E.P. is Love in Wartime’s cousin from the country, and it rounds out Birds of Chicago’s offering of healing, communion and celebration of life in a dark and troubled time. Darlingside Darlingside will be on hand at the first ever Arcadia Folk Festival on September 30, 2018; photo courtesy darlingside.com. And that, of course, was Darlingside, with Singularity, off their brand new release, Extralife. While their latest effort isn’t a concept album, there’s a really incredible flow from one song to the next that reminds us all why we still LOVE LPs. It’s obvious that a LOT of thought went into the presentation of these 12 groundbreaking pieces. To hear what I mean, pick up a copy of Extralife, do whatever you do to get yourself in the mood for some awesome psychedelic folk, drop the needle, and just kick back. You actually CAN drop the needle, too, both on standard vinyl AND on special silver vinyl that comes swaddled in a mirror-board jacket, about which the band says, “If you were a unicorn, this is the version you’d want.” I bet we’ve got a unicorn or two in the audience. Link in the shownotes. “It’s over now / The flag is sunk / The world has flattened out,” are the first words of Extralife, the new album by Boston-based quartet Darlingside. While the band’s critically acclaimed 2015 release Birds Say was steeped in nostalgia and the conviction of youth, Extralife grapples with dystopian realities and uncertain futures. Whether ambling down a sidewalk during the apocalypse or getting stuck in a video game for eternity, the band asks, sometimes cynically, sometimes playfully: what comes next? Their erstwhile innocence is now bloodshot for the better. Of course headlining the whole Arcadia Music Festival is Mother Nature herself, in the form of the eponymous wildlife preserve. This green event is happening because the rare parcel of land, teeming with flying, swimming and crawling critters holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of people connected with the music scene, including Jim Owens. When he got together with Jonah Keane of Mass Audubon, they hatched an idea for a celebration that has the potential for perennial sustainability. Continuing our block of artists who’ll be performing at the Arcadia Folk Festival September 30, I have the pleasure of doing something I rarely do. Play a cover. I don’t avoid them because I don’t like covers—on the contrary, I think some songs cry out to reinterpreted at least once a decade. But I just try to spend as much of my bandwidth as possible showcasing the impressive original work of artists I think deserve a prominent spot in y

    1h 23m

  5. 25/08/2018

    The Cornbread Cafe #11:

    The Matchstick Architects, Gus McKay, Misty Blues, Toney Rocks, CATFOX, Jeb Barry and the Pawn Shop Saints, Trevor McShane, Ameraucana Kurt Fortmeyer From our interview with Gina Coleman of Misty Blues, available on Episode #66 of the Top Left Corner, releasing August 29. “So, last year we won the Capital Region Blues Network International Blues Challenge competition which sent us to the greater International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, where we competed against about 250 of the best Blues bands around the world. Each blues Society gets to pony up their best band and send them to Memphis in January every year, and I think this was the 33rd or 34th year of this competition. We were really excited—we thought, “What a wonderful opportunity…we held our own and it really afforded me the opportunity to learn that we are right in the mix with Blues bands throughout the world.” — Gina Coleman Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #11—of the Cornbread Cafe. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. Featured in this Episode: The Matchstick Architects • “Renegade Friend” • All That’s In Between   Gus McKay • “Out Like a Torch” • Salt Flat Mojo Blues Misty Blues • “Blues on My Heels” • Call & Response Toney Rocks • “Drifting” • Drifting CATFOX • “The Basement” • Thank You, I Love You, I’m Sorry   Jeb Barry and the Pawnshop Saints • “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” • texas, etc…   Trevor McShane • “Lonely Weekends” • Lonely Weekends   Kurt Fortmeyer • “Snugglin’ with My Demons” • Snugglin’ With My Demons The Matchstick Architects The Matchstick Architects, All That’s In Between I am the mongrel, and I’ll be your waiter today. I hope you brought your appetite, because I’ll be bringing you plate after steaming plate of grubbin’ Americana delicacies with all the fixins’. On this show, we joyfully reach for second helpings of some of our favorite artists, as well as taste test a couple tracks off new items on the menu. Starting us off is the Matchstick Architects, hailing from Western Massachusetts, a hotbed of American Roots music right now. They give us “Renegade Friend” off their recent release, All That’s In Between.” After that, we sample a treat from Down Under with “Out Like a Torch,” from Gus McKay. Aussies really get American Roots, and they do it very, very well, whether we’re talking about the Blues, Americana, or their own brand of Country.   Gus McKay Gus McKay, Salt Flat Mojo Blues We’ll finish this course off by returning to the Berkshires and bringing Misty Blues back on the show. We love featuring this band, because of their range of full-spectrum, bring the house down power down to the sparest, most intimate measures of a lonesome tune. If you’re interested in hearing from the band’s unstoppable leader and powerhouse vocalist, Gina Coleman, have a listen to our August 29th episode of the Top Left Corner on the Greylock Glass. Right now, let’s get this show started with Matchstick Architects and “Renegade Friend.”   Buy direct from artist.  Misty Blues Misty Blues, Call & Response That was “Blues on My Heels” from Misty Blues off their brand new 2018 release, Call and Response. Now, this high octane act took home the top spot at the Capitol Region Blues Network, regional, which means they’re on their way to Memphis to throw down in the 2018 International Blues Challenge. If you’re going to be in or around the Berkshires on September 28th, consider hearing them live at Jiminy Peak Ski Resort in Hancock Mass. Misty Blues and other great regional acts will be performing that night to raise fund to send the entire band to Memphis, Tennessee for the Challenge. Check out the show notes for links and more information at cornbread.cafe. You’ve probably figured it out by now by I, the mongrel, have just a touch of the Dark Side in me. That’s probably why I’m drawn back time and again to the margins of the American Roots scene where you stumble across some pretty macabre gospel, melancholy murder ballads, and malcontent outlaw country. In particular, I circle back around to the CATFOX, whose mind-bending lyrics and haunting instrumentation define the genre I call Northern Gothic. We’ll hear “The Basement,” from her release Thank You, I Love You, I’m Sorry. Toney Rocks Toney Rocks; Drifting First though, let’s head West, all the way to Las Vegas, Nevada, and debut singer-songwriter Toney Rocks, née Robinson. He started his musical career at the age of five on drums, but more often performs on guitar or piano these days. You may have caught his act at SXSW, the NAMM Show, or Folk Alliance International. Ever since his 2018 EP, Drifting, landed in my mailbox, I’ve been impatient to turn you on to a tune or two. I know you’re going to enjoy, for the first time on the show, Toney Rocks, with “Drifting” here at the Cornbread Cafe. CATFOX CATFOX, Thank You, I Love You, I’m Sorry Again, that was the CATFOX, with the Basement. I don’t Catrin’s musical plans are for the near future, given her schedule of theatre, voice-over gigs, and other creative endeavors. I guess we’re going to have to try to get her on the show one day and ask her, right? Someone who pairs well with Northern Gothic is Jeb Barry. Jeb, and his band, the Pawnshop Saints, explore the gritty underbelly of working class life through their Americana stew of Country, Folk, and Blues. Their most recent release, 2018’s texas, etc…, is like a shoebox full of old Polaroids of heartbreak and disappointment, with the occasional snapshot of hope thrown in—just enough hope to get us up in the morning and face the hard times that make up reality for more and more of it seems these days. From that ground-breaking double-album let’s hear, “Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.” Buy the album, Zoömagnesis (which does NOT include “The Basement”) via Bandcamp Jeb Barry and the Pawnshop Saints Jeb Barry and the Pawnshop Saints, texas, etc… I have been waiting for a just the right time to treat you to that track. That was Kurt Fortmeyer and “Snugglin’ With My Demons,” off his latest release Ameraucana—And that’s spelled Ameraucana, like the chicken breed. What I love about Kurt’s music is that he has a song for every mood. You need a good-time tune to get into the party spirit? He’s got you covered. Feeling pensive and introspective? Check. Ready for some unfiltered, biting social commentary? Coming right up. And I have a bunch more where that came from, so we’ll be featuring that and other albums for a long time to come.   Trevor McShane Trevor McShane, Boom Boom Well, that’s it for episode 11 of the Cornbread Cafe. I’ve been your host, the mongrel, and it sure has been a pleasure to serve up this amazing musical feast. Whether you’re a music fan or a musician, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at mongrel@cornbread.cafe. Until next time, thanks for listening, and I’ll keep searching out more of the best of American Roots.   Kurt Fortmeyer Kurt Fortmeyer, Ameraucana You can support this show in a few different ways. You can support this show in a few different ways.       • Become a member here • Become a patron here • Share us on social media • Follow us on social media • Subscribe through iTunes • Sign up for our newsletter * Note: Artist links provide access directly to artists’ websites or social media homepages. All album links provide access to song or album purchase options, often through our affiliate programs with Apple Music or Amazon.com, which help make this show possible. Musicians’ bio info comes from the artists, their websites, or their publicists. Click on names below to visit their websites where you can get the full story, photos, and very often video.

    34 min

  6. 04/03/2018

    Cornbread Cafe #010

    Pickxen, Grant Maloy Smith, Scott Thorn, Mikalyn Hay, The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, Parsonsfield From Parsonsfield on the release of WE: “Everyone finds themselves searching for this theoretical ‘thing’ that is supposed to make them happy. Whether it’s a relationship or financial comfort, there’s a goal in our minds that once achieved, we’ll be able to start enjoying life,” says singer/songwriter and banjo player Chris Freeman. “Our circumstances, whether we’re rich or poor, are only half of what determines happiness. The rest is our thoughts, habits and connections with other people,” adds songwriter and mandolin player Antonio Alcorn. “WE is an inner journey to appreciate what you have, and to find happiness no matter what your lot in life.” Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #10—of the Cornbread Cafe. I am the mongrel, and I’ll be your host today. That mouthwatering aroma that hit you when you walked in the door is our buffet, where you can enjoy all you care to hear of the best in a generous spread of the finest in American Roots music. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. * Featured in this Episode: Pickxen • “Poor Lucy’s Crooked Mile” • Picks ‘n Vittles Grant Maloy Smith • “So Far Away” • Dust Bowl – American Stories Scott Thorn • “Dust Devils and You” • Unreleased — Cornbread Cafe Exclusive! Mikalyn Hay • “Fade Away” • 12:15 Whiskey Treaty Roadshow • “Close To The Edge” • Whiskey Treaty Roadshow EP Parsonsfield • “Kick Out The Windows” • WE Pickxen Events Pickxen — Picks ‘n Vittles; 2017; self. In our first set, we are honored to welcome a man who is truly the stuff of legend. Grant Maloy Smith has so many credits and awards to his name, it almost seems a shame to talk about them without him bein here. And that’s why I am ecsTATic that he’s offered to come on the show for an interview. And when we get that set up, I promise you, you will be personally introduced to a musician whose authenticity are heart are the very embodiment of American Roots. In this episode, we’re going to hear, “So Far Away” from his most recent LP, Dust Bowl – American Stories.” But first, let’s spin a track off Picks ‘n Vittles, the debut album from the North Georgia trio, Pickxen. Dixie, Pixie, and Micksy, who are Laura Monk, John Monk, and Michael Garvey, respectively, infuse their good simple music with both passion and sense of humor. So let’s start this show off with “Poor Lucy’s Crooked Mile,” and we’ll dedicate it to all you beautiful dreamers. Grant Maloy Smith Events Grant Maloy Smith; Dust Bowl – American Stories, Suburban Cowboy Records. Again, that was Grant Maloy Smith with “So Far Away” from his most recent LP, Dust Bowl – American Stories.”  And if you haven’t heard it yet, you may be interested to know that every song is set squarely in the Great Plains of the 1930’s, during the worst economic and environmental disaster that America has ever seen. We will be playing more tracks from that album, but if you can’t wait until that future episode, why not pick up a copy for yourself? You can find a link to purchase Dust Bowl, every album we feature, actually, right in the show notes at cornbread.cafe, you heard right, that’s cornbread.c-a-f-e. And because most of the purchase links are through our affiliate programs, we get a few pennies on the dollar when buy through our links. That helps out with the cost of running this cafe. Scott Thorn Events Scott Thorns new track, “Dust Devils,” is not yet available for purchase, but I’m betting you’ll love his recent album, Ordinary Day, released by Max Beep Records; image courtesy Scott Thorn. Next up, we’ll be hearing from young Canadian singer/songwriter Mikalyn Hay. Be advised that just like her Indie pop tunes, her Americana compositions are laced with nimble, at times jaw-dropping lyrics sung in a smoky alto that’ll have you wondering how far away from world domination can be if she’s capable of this kind of artistry at only FIFTEEN. You won’t believe it, but believe it anyway when you hear “Fade Away,” from her 2017 release, 12:15. First though, I have the privilege of serving up a Cafe exclusive! Scott Thorn is musician who grew up around the Gulf Coast of Florida listening to Southern blues, country, gospel and rock and roll. Now an award-winning singer/songwriter in the neighborhood of Arlington Virginia, his music bears the marks of his travels and fuses several influences from rock, Americana, and country. And it’s not too likely that you’ve heard this next song anywhere else but right here—enjoy “Dust Devils,” a new single by Scott Thorn right now on the Cornbread Cafe! I’m crossing my fingers that we’ll get both Mikalyn and Scott on the show for conversations about their work soon. Let’s take a break before our final set to check in on the festival scene for just a bit. Later this month, you might want to make your way down to one of my old stompin’ grounds, Knoxville, Tennessee, for the Big Ears Festival 2018. This International Cultural Gathering taking place March 22–25 is a dynamic, interactive experience that explores connections between musicians and artists, crossing all musical genres while interfacing with film, performance, and the visual arts. We’ve had the good fortune of featuring one of acts who’ll be there, Anna & Elizabeth, on episode #5. As an added bonus, Rhiannon Giddens, founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops,  will deliver a keynote address at the historic Tennessee Theatre on Saturday, March 24. The 2nd Annual Suwannee Spring Reunion occurs in the exact time envelope of time—March 22–25—at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida. If this festival seems familiar, but the name doesn’t quite match up, that’s because it’s a new take on the classic gathering, fondly remembered as Suwannee Spring Fest. This year, if the American Roots scene is where you want to be that weekend, you can head to FLA and catch Donna the Buffalo, The Infamous Stringdusters, Dar Williams and many more. The following week sees the kickoff of the world renown Savannah Music Festival. Lasting from March 29–April 14, The Savannah Music Festival is dedicated to presenting world-class celebrations of the musical arts by creating timeless and adventurous productions that stimulate arts education, foster economic growth and unite artists and audiences in Savannah. A few of the many artists from the multi-genre line-up include Tedeschi Trucks, Gillian Welch, Bela Fleck, and Audra McDonald. And hey! Are you a musician wondering how you can insert yourself into the Festival circuit in 2018? I’ve got good news for you. Showcase submissions for AMERICANAFEST 2018 are now open and will be accepted through Monday, March 26, 2018. Formally known as the Americana Music Festival & Conference, this annual event brings together fans and music industry professionals alike, offering six days of celebration through seminars, panels and networking opportunities by day and raw, intimate showcases each night. This year, AMERICANAFEST will take place September 11–16, gathering thousands of artists, fans, and industry professionals from all over the world in Nashville, TN. If you want to get in on this action, remember, submission deadline is March 26, so be sure to look for the link to the submission page in the show notes for Episode 10 at cornbread.cafe. Mikalyn Hay Events Mikalyn Hay; 12:15, 741607 Records DK, 2017. Well, we’re down to it now—the dessert course of this extremely decadent  American Roots music feast. I was going to play this next track off the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow’s  recent release, the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow EP last week, but when I dropped it in place, and listened to the entire music library for the episode, I felt like the fit could be better. And that’s what makes the Cornbread Cafe different than just setting your playlist to shuffle, or turning on the radio, which might as well be random these days. I hand select every single tune and then listen to hear how well they all go together. If the batch doesn’t taste right, I scrap the episode and start over. Obsessive as hell? Why, yes it is and yes I am. Does it make for a superior show? Damn straight it does. The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow Events The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow; self-titled EP, self, 2017. So when I got my hands on the as yet unreleased new effort, WE, from Parsonsfield, I was happy as a jackass in clover to hear that not only was every single track on the EP profoundly tuneful, but opened up new worlds of song pairings. Just in time, too. When I heard “Kick Out the Windows,” the final track off WE, I knew it was just the song to go with the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow’s “Close To The Edge,” that I didn’t play last episode. Parsonfield’s WE releases Friday, March 9th, but you can hear the brilliant “Kick Out the Windows,” right after “Close to the Edge,” right here, right now on the Cornbread Cafe.   Parsonsfield Events Parsonsfield; WE, Signature Sounds Recordings, 2017. Parsonfield’s WE releases Friday, March 9th, but you can hear the brilliant “Kick Out the Windows,” right after “Close to the Edge,” right here, right now on the Cornbread Cafe. Well, that pretty much does it for our show this week. I hope your musical digestive system is fat and happy! As I said, I’m hoping to do interviews with most, if not all, of the artists featured in this episode, and I’ve already got some pretty enthusiastic yesses, so I’ll keep you posted as things develop. Remember, if you

    34 min

  7. 16/02/2018

    Cornbread Cafe #009

    Chris Andres, Janie Barnett, The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, Almond&Olive, Keeton Coffman, Honey Whiskey Trio From their website: Alms and Davidson believe that, when possible, using their platform of musical creation and performance to give back to those in need is a natural extension of their personal goals – to make the world a better place for those who live in it. With that charge, once finished, their debut album will be also be used to help give back. Alms and Davidson have decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from the initial sales of the album to the Jackson Galaxy Foundation (JGF), a foundation founded by Animal Planet’s Jackson Galaxy. JGF will use the funds donated by A&O to help animal shelters bolster their animal adoption programs, rehab crumbling animal housing and enhance vital community animal welfare programs. Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #9—of the Cornbread Cafe. I am the mongrel, and I’ll be your host today. Be sure to ask your waiter about about this week’s specials, which are all prepared using only the finest ingredients in American Roots music. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. * Featured in this Episode: Chris Andres • “Tired Old Town” • Tired Old Town Janie Barnett & Blue Room• “Buy That Thing” • You See This River The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow • “Poisonous Me” • The Heart of the Run Almond & Olive • “Standing at the Precipice” • Standing at the Precipice Keeton Coffman • “The Tribe” • Killer Eyes Honey Whiskey Trio • “The Lone Wild Bird” • Rye Woman We’re going to get right into the music this show, because the hardcopy of the EP, Tired Old Town, by Chris Anres with Gary McDannold showed up in the mail just a couple days ago, and I have been impatient to share it with you. I couldn’t decide between the five tracks on this 2017 release, so I figured we’d go with the title track, Tired Old Town, to get things goin’. Chris Andres, with Gary McDannold Events See, look it that. I invite musicians to send me their music, they do, it shows up on show just like that. And it’s just that easy. Look for the contact link at cornbread.cafe for more info. It’s been an episode or two since we’ve picked from the all-natural Country section of the menu, so I guess that why that tune hits the spot just right. Chris Andres leans more than a little bit towards the outlaw end of the Country spectrum, and all I can say is thank God for outlaws or wouldn’t have any friends at all. Janie Barnett Events Janie Barnett; submitted photo. Now, back on Episode #6, I was honored to have Janie Barnett as our guest. I played a portion of our conversation on the show, and then made the entire interview available separately via an audio player in the show notes. If you haven’t yet, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to both. I didn’t include the clip that I’m gonna share with you now in the main show in Episode 6. Call me superstitious, but I think I felt like if I held on to it, if I didn’t let it out of its cage, or the song she discusses, maybe I could somehow keep this thing from happening. Maybe I could shield my children, everybody’s children, by just not talking about it. But I’m a fool to fool myself that way. And waiting until a calmer time to have this conversation means waiting until the pain subsides. Thank you Janie for preserving that pain in your music, your work. Thanks again for talking about your very powerful song, “Buy That Thing.” The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow Events That was “Buy That Thing” off Janie Barnett’s 2017 release, You See This River. Remember you can pick up that LP by visiting the show notes for this episode at cornbread.cafe and looking for the iTunes, Amazon, or other purchase links. And, since these links are usually our affiliate links, you help support this program with your purchase, at no extra extra cost to you. Next, I was going to play a track off the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow’s self-titled September release. But I had my Cornbread library on shuffle yesterday, and the tune, “Poisonous Me” from their 2016 live album “Heart of the Run” came up. And I was like, “I’ve played that on the Cafe, haven’t I?” I had to go back and check, and the answer was no, no I haven’t. I guess I’ve just played it for myself so often I kinda figured I must have. So let’s spin that right now to correct that oversight. Here’s “Poisonous Me,” by the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow on the Cornbread Cafe. The festival scene is starting to kick into gear around the country, and I hope you get to experience as many as you can. Really, if music were an ecosystem, festivals would be the natural habitat for Americana bands and the Rootsians who love them. Coming up this weekend is the Wintergrass Festival February 22 – February 25 Hyatt Regency, Bellevue Washington,  just across the lake from Seattle. And the fourth annual Back Porch Festival returns March 1–4, with all-star line-ups of American roots artists at the Academy of Music and The Parlor Room in Northampton, Massachusetts. Reserve your body space at signaturesoundspresents.com/back-porch/ or, actually, just go to our show notes at cornbread.cafe and click the link to get you there. I would provide info about SXSW, coming up March 9–18 in Austin, TX, but until they put me on the press list, I can’t very well do that, now can I? You’d think for $1,650 per pass, they could afford to hire someone to put music podcasters on the press list, right? Hell with ‘em, I say. Besides, I’m busy that week. Almond & Olive Events Anyway, in this next set, I have to play the only tune I have from Keeton Coffman that I have NOT shared with you yet on this show, I think. The tune is “The Tribe” off his 2017 release “Killer Eyes,” which would definitely be in the running for a Cornbread Award, if we had such a thing here. But he just released his video for “The Tribe” this week, and like the rest of the videos from that release, it fits the music perfectly. You can check out the embed in the shownotes. Keeton Coffman Events First though, let’s hear from one of our most recent discoveries, Almond&Olive, out of Chicago. We featured their song “We Will” on Episode #6—now let’s hear the title track off “Standing at the Precipice.” Both of those songs are just pristine, aren’t they? Go together pretty well, too, if I do say so myself. You know, in addition to buying music and merch from the artists you hear on the show, you can connect with them through their sites or social media pages. I always provide the link s if I’ve got ‘em. And when you find those songs that really resonate with you, why not shoot the artists a quick not and tell them how much you enjoyed hearing their tunes on the Cornbread Cafe. It won’t help them pay the rent, but it does let them know that their efforts are appreciated. Honey Whiskey Trio Events Last up is a song I’ve been saving up, though I can’t say I’ve known what for. This week, I know. From the Honey Whiskey Trio’s 2017 release, Rye Woman, is a song of comfort that you might just know. And I think I’ll let the Honeys have the last word on this episode, so I’m just going to send out “The Lone Wild Bird,” along with my deepest sorrow, to the families of Parkland, Florida. Buy Rye Woman directly from the Honeys * Note: Artist links provide access directly to artists’ websites or social media homepages. All album links provide access to song or album purchase options, often through our affiliate programs with Apple Music or Amazon.com, which help make this show possible. Musicians’ bio info comes from the artists, their websites, or their publicists. Click on names below to visit their websites where you can get the full story, photos, and very often video.

    30 min

  8. 10/02/2018

    The Cornbread Cafe #8: Not a Valentine’s Day episode. Unless’n you want it to be.

    Tanya Gallagher [explicit lyrics], Kate Lush, The Suitcase Junket, Bumper Jacksons, Faint Peter, Birds of Chicago “Virginia taught me love, it taught me heartache, but most importantly it taught me that a home away from home can exist. These songs represent an incredible time of personal growth.” — Tanya Gallagher Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #8—of the Cornbread Cafe. I am the mongrel, and I’ll be back in the kitchen today cooking up a sampler platter of the best from a sprawling menu of American Roots music. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. *   Featured in this Episode: Tanya Gallagher • “3002 Miles” (explicit lyrics) • Virgina Kate Lush • “Good Good Love” • Let It Fly The Suitcase Junket • “Swamp Chicken” • Pile Driver Bumper Jacksons • “Corina Corina” • I’ve Never Met a Stranger Faint Peter • “Texas” • Redoubt Birds of Chicago • “Etoile d’Amour (Stardust)” • American Flowers You know, somebody asked me the other day what makes this podcast any different, or any better than, the radio. Now I don’t know if the Cornbread Cafe is better than radio—I mean, I grew up listening to some of the last great mainstream radio out there, when stations would play an entire new album commercial free late at night, and thousands of teenagers would have their fingers on play and record with a brand new 90-minute CrO2 in the deck, back when we spent Saturday night with “Dr. Demento”, Sunday morning we ate “Breakfast with the Beatles” and Sunday night was for headphones, high volume, and the King Biscuit Flower Hour with Bill Minkin. And if you haven’t heard either of those shows I have good news for you. Episodes of the King Biscuit programs are archived online and Dr. Demento is STILL doing his musical funny business every Saturday night through his websites. Tanya Gallagher Events “But what makes the Cornbread Cafe podcast different than today’s radio is that I can showcase songs that might never make it to the airwaves, either because of their length, or because they might appeal to a narrower audience, or because they contain explicit language not allowed on the radio per FCC rules. Such is the case with this next song, “3002 Miles,” by Tanya Gallagher, who gives us a scathing answer to infidelity on her 2016 release Virginia. We featured the title track on Episode #1 and have been hungry to dig in and sample some deeper cuts off what is a graceful, potent, vivid, multifaceted LP. So let’s get this show started with “3002 Miles” here on the Cornbread Cafe. Kate Lush Events And that was Kate Lush with “Good, Good Love,” off Let It Fly, and I thought some good, good love might be needed to wipe the slate clean of the bad love in 3002 Miles that started that set off. I have a surprise for you. As convincing as her powerful, soulful vocals are, she’s not American—she’s an Aussie. That’s right, when she contacted me, I was like, really? Australians get the Blues? And then I heard her album, and it was just BAM—she gets it, and she nails it. And come to find out, she’s one of a growing collection of Australians and Britons who are totally into the the American Roots scene. Mayyyybe you recall Gus McCay, and “Extremely Voodoo” from back in Episode #3. There you go. Another Aussie. The Suitcase Junket Events Now if Kate Lush did it for you with Good, Good Love, why not check her out live at the Girrakool Blues & BBQ Festival March 2nd and 3rd in Kariong, NSW, Australia. The weather should be great, and the airfare really is a small price to pay for great Blues like Kate’s. Next set, we’ll pull another track off the 2017 release, I’ve Never Met a Stranger, from the Bumper Jacksons, “Corina Corina,” but first, lets sample a tune from Pile Driver, also released last year, by The Suitcase Junket, “Swamp Chicken.” So, it is kinda true that Winter in the States is a little thin on American Roots music festivals. Apparently, “Down Under” has a bunch of them this time of year, but then again, it’s more like our September weather over there. On the other hand, South of the Mason-Dixon line things are already starting to heat up, and here are two events going on this weekend you might be interested in. First off is the Mile 0 Fest Key West going on right now.  This event is a brand-new music festival assured to be a “must see” in the burgeoning Red Dirt & Americana music scene. Single Day passes for Saturday, February 10 still available. Also this weekend is the 10th Annual Appalachian State Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention, North Carolina. This new classic festival is held on the campus of Appalachian State University and is 100% student operated. Events include; concerts, instructional workshops, music competitions, a gathering of luthiers, as well as a handmade market featuring crafters from across the region. Quite a few of the goings on are completely free, and all of it is family friendly. Bumper Jackson Events Bumper Jacksons are hot and sweet, painting America’s story from the streets of New Orleans to Appalachian hollers. Unafraid to scrap together new sounds from forgotten 78’s, the Bumper Jacksons elegantly balance paying homage to the traditions while fashioning their own unique, playful style. The group began as a duo, a city-meets-country experiment between songstress Jess Eliot Myhre and banjo player Chris Ousley. They hopped on bicycles, touring the country, instruments on their backs, seeking to reimagine roots music. In five short years, Bumper Jacksons grew to a brassy seven-piece, with horns and pedal steel. Faint Peter Events We’re going to take it down just a notch for the final set of the show, as we often do. You may have realized it, but that’s one of the ways I get you to finish your drinks, tip your waitress, and go home. And well start the pair off with a particularly addictive song from the brilliant LP, Redoubt, by Faint Peter and, “Texas.” Birds of Chicago Events We’ll follow that up with a deeper track off the just released EP, American Flowers, from our good friends, the Birds of Chicago, “Etoile d’Amour.” But don’t head out the door just yet when you hear the final strains of the delicate, wistful torchsong “L’etoile D’amour.” I have another bit of news I think all you pickers out there are going to find really exciting. First though, let’s hear “Texas,” by Faint Peter. * Note: Artist links provide access directly to artists’ websites or social media homepages. All album links provide access to song or album purchase options, often through our affiliate programs with Apple Music or Amazon.com, which help make this show possible. Musicians’ bio info comes from the artists, their websites, or their publicists. Click on names below to visit their websites where you can get the full story, photos, and very often video.

    33 min

  9. 30/01/2018

    The Cornbread Cafe #7: Charlie Parr and a few others we’ve been keepin’ warm for ya’.

    Charlie Parr, Chrystyna Marie, and Kurt Fortmeyer are just a few of the great artists you’ll find on the specials board this week. So, I asked for your thoughts about how long the show ought to be. You weren’t shy about turning loose of your opinions, neither. The results were about three-to-two in favor of a half-hour episode. Hard to do when we’ve got so much music to share, but here goes! Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #7—of the Cornbread Cafe. I am the mongrel, and I will be your waiter today. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. We hope to become your new new fave hang for the best in a sprawling menu of American Roots music. * Featured in this Episode: Charlie Parr • “Evil Companion” • Stumpjumper Avery LeVine • “Coins on the Ground” • Lonesome City Ray Wilson • “Under A Lonely Sky” • Coming Through in Waves Chrystyna Marie • “Down the Road” • Loaded Gun Rust Dust • “Wayfaring Stranger” • Diviners and Shivs Comanchero • “Watching Rome Burn” • Thrown Kurt Fortmeyer • “Call The Bitchdoctor On You” • Ameraucana Charlie Parr Events Charlie Parr; photo by Nate Ryan. “Life has always had a kind of soundtrack for me,” says Parr. “My memories fit nicely in the grooves of the records that played through those times, specific records, too, the very ones themselves, complete with the pops and scratches in just the right places.” Charlie Parr is a singular songwriter who has built a dedicated grassroots following for his haunting, topical songs and virtuosic picking, not to mention the fact that he’s on the road 300 days a year. Based in Duluth, MN, Parr’s inspiration is drawn from the alternately fertile and frozen soil of Minnesota; his songs exude a Midwestern sensibility and humility. Avery LeVine Events Avery LeVine; submitted photo. Avery LeVine is a Portland, OR based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist specializing in traditional Irish music and original, progressive Irish folk. With deep roots, and a BMus from the Dublin Institute of Technology, in traditional Irish music; Avery is one of the foremost performers on Irish flute, Irish bouzouki, tin whistle, and DADGAD guitar in the Portland area. His original music uses these roots as a base to explore the connections between Irish music and the traditional music of England, Scotland, America, and other Celtic nations. All while infusing it with jazz and eastern sounds in the hopes of exploring a new, Celtic-tinged chapter in New Acoustic Music. Ray Wilson Events Ray Wilson; submitted photo. “It’s been a wild ride already” Wilson says, “I’ve never had an experience like the one I’ve had recording and then turning around and playing ‘troubadour’ live!” With roots in Alabama, Ray was introduced to music by his father, a construction worker who moonlighted as a honky-tonk musician. After living in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, Wilson gained a wide variety of musical inspirations ranging from The Doors and The Police to Chuck Berry and The Beatles. Wilson gained experience playing bass for both a punk and a heavy metal band in the 90’s.  Crystyna Marie Events Chrystyna Marie; photo courtesy http://www.chrystynamarie.com/ Originally hailing from Toronto, Crystyna Marie sings with a powder keg voice over a cocktail of grungy blues and pop. The classically trained Canadian-born singer has supported Ontario acts and been featured as a demo singer on indie labels from as young as 18 years old. Marie has taken first place in various categories in the Kiwanis Music Festival 2 years in a row. She’s taken lead roles in local community plays; West Side Story as Maria and Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Over the years, she has racked up a long list of smaller roles in music videos, television and was also the lead singer in an LA founded pop group called Greencat. Writing and releasing her own music, with her own unique voice, however, is where her true passion lies. Rust Dust Events Rust Dust; submitted photo. Rust Dust, formally known as Ardell Jason Shealy Stutts, is a South Carolina native with a healthy aversion for barbers and liars. He earns his keep repairing and dealing in guitars and amps of a certain age. After bonding with Oscar-winning, Grammy-nominated producer John DeNicola over their mutual affection for this sort of vintage gear, Jason explained his concept for a record. “A set of songs came together. I rearranged and de-arranged them until they tell the story of Diviners and Shivs,” Jason says. “They seemed to fit naturally with the country, blues and gospel songs I always held dear, and I hoped to record them, live, with someone who wanted to contribute to the sound and feel so that this wasn’t just a ‘dude with an acoustic’ record.” Comanchero Events We will play tunes by Comanchero until you fully internalize their greatness. And then we’ll keep playing them. Since 2003, Comanchero has crafted an Americana sound that combines old traditions with new, Country with Rock, Bluegrass with Blues, Honky-Tonk with Funk, and Roots with Rockabilly. While unique in their own sound, there is something strikingly familiar in Comanchero’s songs that weave influences ranging from The Allman Brothers, The Band, Little Feat, & Led Zeppelin, to today’s contemporaries such as Wilco, The Drive -By Truckers, & Mumford & Sons.   Kurt Fortmeyer Events Kurt Fortmeyer; photo courtesy http://www.kurtfortmeyer.com/ Kurt Fortmeyer was born in a barn and raised in a stable environment, or so he might tell an unwitting listener in one of his sillier moments. His life was changed irreparably at a tender and impressionable age when he was subjected to Roger Miller, Allan Sherman, Chubby Checker, and Trini Lopez. His first solo show was at the HOLE IN THE WALL SALOON in Raleigh, North Carolina. In the late ’70s, influenced by Jack Kerouac, Jesse Winchester, and Townes Van Zandt, he hitchhiked coast-to-coast, playing in the streets and parks of New Orleans, New York, Memphis, and San Francisco. Brandishing his acoustic guitar and harmonicas, and writing and playing original songs with a traditional bent, Kurt has been found in venues as wide-ranging as Montessori Schools, motorcycle bars, restaurants, and rest homes. He has performed at the Festival for the Eno, the Castalian Springs Bluegrass Festival, and the Haw River Festival. * Note: Artist links provide access directly to artists’ websites or social media homepages. All album links provide access to song or album purchase options, often through our affiliate programs with Apple Music or Amazon.com, which help make this show possible. Musicians’ bio info comes from the artists, their websites, or their publicists. Click on names below to visit their websites where you can get the full story, photos, and very often video.

    34 min

  10. 10/12/2017

    The Cornbread Cafe #6: INTERVIEW with Janie Barnett, too many new tracks to list!

    Janie Barnett discusses her gracefully drifting release, You See this River. Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #6—of the Cornbread Cafe. I am the mongrel, and I will be your waiter today. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. We hope to become your new new fave hang for the best in a sprawling menu of American Roots music. I am the mongrel, and I will be your waiter today. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. We are the Internet’s new fave hang for the best in a sprawling menu of American Roots music. Click the play button on this audio player to hear the complete interview with Janie Barnett. Artists Featured in this Episode: Janie Barnett, “You See This River,” You See this River Janie Barnett, “Better Times Are Coming,” You See this River Molly Pinto Madigan, “Seven Tears,” The Cup Overflows Bees Deluxe, “Industrial (espionage),” single Gus McKay, “Married a Snake,” Salt Flat Mojo Blues Heather Maloney, “Let Me Stay,” by Just Enough Sun Almond & Olive, “We Will,” Standing at the Precipice Birds of Chicago, “American Flowers,” American Flowers Janie Barnett, “Sweet Thursday,” You See this River Note: Artist links provide access directly to artists’ websites or social media homepages. All album links provide access to song or album purchase options, often through our affiliate programs with Apple Music or Amazon.com. Musicians’ bio info comes from the artists, their websites, or their publicists. Click on names below to visit their websites where you can get the full story, photos, and very often video. On her just released album, You See This River, Janie crafts stories dug out your family’s cedar trunks up in the attic, memories traced in carbon copy from old letters in the shoebox in the back of the closet. Her ballads are painted in emotions as fresh as eternally wet paint. Her creations are woven from Words that seem like she could have teased them out of my own brain if I were an immeasurably more talented poet. Some are Songs of stubbornly optimistic, inevitable love filtered through a self-knowledge even the most enlightened gurus would envy. Some Songs echo the lives people who are really living their lives on the back stoops, in the kitchens, in bedrooms together in vulnerable companionship or the complex internal lives we’re living alone in our hearts and minds as we travel through our labors or little luxuries. Penetrating and heartbreaking. Wise and reckless. True. Imagined. True anyway. Janie Barnett thanks for being on the show! (audio clip of our interview with Janie Barnett) Upcoming Event Janie Barnett, opening for Paula Cole Saturday December 16, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. The Center for Arts in Natick info & tickets Molly Pinto Madigan’s 2017 release, The Cup Overflows, builds on her impressive songwriting and vocal skills with a heightened level of self-assurance that suits her musical direction. I think it’s about time that we all get a taste of the work that I know Janie can do, does do, and has done with Blue Room on this recent release “You See This River.” Before we do, though, I need to pause and explain that I had no idea just how engaging our conversation was going to be. I will confess right here and now that I was prepared to record for 20 minutes, keep the best 10, and share them with you. When I looked up at the clock and saw that a full 30 minutes had gone by, and realized that she had so many more stories and nuggets of wisdom to share, I made the decision to keep rolling tape and figure it out later. And I think I’ve got it figured out, now. I’ve edited the entire conversation, keeping almost every syllable, and have made the entire talk available as bonus audio here in the show notes. Just look for the audio player below the first paragraph. You’ll want to hear everything Janie has to say. And to create the most powerful, most tempting incentive, I’m going to sprinkle jewels from our talk throughout the rest of the show. That way, you still get almost as much music as usual, AND you get an exclusive interview with one of Americana’s leading ladies. Bees Deluxe Front: Conrad Warren, Allyn “Aldo” Dorr Back: Patrick Sanders, Carol Band photo courtesy Carol Band via Patch So let’s have two right now from Janie—One, a searching, buoyant rendition of Steven Foster’s “Better Times Are Coming” from 1862, but first the title track off this tuneful treasure trove, You See This River. And THAT last number was Seven Tears off our old friend Molly Pinto Madigan’s very recent release The Cup Overflows. Before that, we heard Better Times Are Coming and the title track from You See This River, from the very phenomenal Janie Barnett and Blue Room. You can find purchase options for their most recent as well as prior releases in the “Artists Featured in this Episode” section, above. After hearing Janie Barnett, you’re likely to ask yourself, “This is great, but how and where can I experience the magic live?” You’re in luck, because she has a couple shows coming up in the next couple of months, including a one-of-a-kind performance December 16 opening up for Paula Cole at the Center for Arts in Natick, Mass. If you’re anywhere in the Boston Metro neighborhood, you won’t want to miss what is sure to be a powerful evening of tunes. Gus McKay; photo courtesy Gus McKay Next course coming out of the kitchen is a sub-genre we have not explored much yet on the Cornbread Cafe—and that’s Acid Blues. Oh it’s true blue, but just a little bit gacked out. We’ll have a double shot that starts with a band I’ve been following since my days at the helm of the Mongrel’s Howl podcast, back in 2005. In fact, that’s why I was so grateful and honored that they responded to my note asking if they wanted to be part of this new show. Ever-gracious, they obliged, and YOU dear listener, reap the benefits of my association, I promise you that. Also in this block, we’ll hear a deeper cut “Married a Snake,” off Gus McKay’s recent release, Salt Flat Mojo Blues. I don’t know if Gus would categorize his music as acid blues, but I’ll let you be the judge of whether it belongs in the same drawer as Bees Deluxe’s newest single, Industrial (espionage) right here on the Cornbread Cafe. (audio clip of our interview with Janie Barnett) Heather Maloney; photo courtesy heathermaloney.com That’s Janie Barnett talking about the need to wrangle, and ultimately reconcile time and creativity as responsibilities of family and paying gigs eat away at the leisurely time once spent waiting for the muse to show up with inspiration. In our extended conversation, Janie shares some deeply personal perspectives on subjects like family. I really encourage you to to listen to what was, for me, one of my most absorbing interviews ever. In fact, let’s have a listen to one of my favorite gems from our talk before we hear brandy new just released tracks from Heather Maloney, Almond & Olive, and Birds of Chicago. We just heard the title track from the just released EP “American Flowers,” by Birds of Chicago, available through Signature Sounds. On a different podcast, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of sharing a long conversation with JT Nero who, along with Allison Russell, makes up the principle force of the group that’s been described as “secular gospel.” That identifier certainly seems to fit, doesn’t it? The affect some of their songs have on me definitely goes beyond simply my heart and mind. Almond & Olive; submitted photo. Before that, we heard “We Will” off the new release from Almond & Olive. This duo, sometimes known simply as A&O, is comprised of singer-songwriters Natalie Alms and Ollie Davidson. The also call Chicago home, so if you think detect some shared musical DNA, you’re probably not wrong. The track comes from “Standing at the Precipice,” an album that came about less than two years after the two met in 2015. And we started the set with another artist on the Signature Sounds label, Heather Maloney, who brought us “Let Me Stay,” from her latest effort, Just Enough Sun, which also features the instrumentation of Ryan Hommel. You’ll be hearing plenty more cuts off each of these albums in the near future, probably just as soon as my heart recovers from the extreme emotional workout that triple of tunes put it through. Pre-order American Flowers, from Birds of Chicago, now—you’ll be glad you did. Before them, Janie Barnett gave us a deep look into the emotional dimensions of her own creative source material, and how motherhood instilled a sense of forgiveness in the artistic space she inhabits these days. Let’s here from Janie again as we work our way through dessert and coffee. She talks about the process of creating her new album, You See This River, one of the most consistent and structurally sound I’ve heard. She suggested we close out the show with a song she described as one of her more light-hearted compositions, “Sweet Thursday.” I think you’ll agree that it’s just the balm you need some days, these days. (audio clip of our interview with Janie Barnett) Janie Barnett; photo courtesy janiebarnett.com. Well, that’s our show for the week. I know you won’t want to miss next weeks episode of the Cornbread Cafe, so I’d encourage you to subscribe through iTunes or Google Play Music—you’ll find the subscribe buttons on just about any page of our site. And when you subscribe, I’d be grateful if you left us a review—it really helps people discover us. I’ve been your host, Jay Vee,

    1 hr
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About

Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. We are the Internet’s new hang-out for the best in a sprawling menu of American Roots music.

Information

  • Creator
    The Cornbread Cafe
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2020
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Cornbread Cafe