Saturday With a Chill Playlist

A quiet (and chilly) Saturday night playlist. Maybe some recent repeat choices ......

• Watchhouse - New Star
• Hiss Golden Messenger - Standing In the Doorway
• Gregg Allman - All My Friends ..... Flashing back. Freshman year of college. Eighteen years old. Playing this record in my dorm room. Probably should have played the record less and studied more.
• Stephen Stills & Manassas - Anyway ..... (A drastic switch for no particular reason in playlist tone and era.) I always seem to find my way back to the 70's.
• Souther-Hillman- Furay Band - Fallin' In Love
• The Beatles - Nowhere Man / Here, There and Everywhere
• Bruce Cockburn - Last Night of the World / Joy Will Find a Way
• Dan Fogelburg - Part of the Plan ..... There are some great songs on his early albums before he went all sugary sweet. Just my opinion.
• Grateful Dead - Box of Rain .... 'It's just a box of rain, I don't know who put it there. Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare.'

Greensky Bluegrass

"So many things about me nobody seems to know" ......

I've been a fan of Greensky Bluegrass for a couple decades now. My introduction was a Relix Magazine sampler disc with their song, 'Tuesday Letter.' I've seen them live two .... maybe three times. Bought a cd out of a suitcase from one of the band members at that first show. Dragged my brother along to a second show. I'm not always a fan of the long, extended jams .... my mind gets foggy after a while of the 'noodling,' which I'm not sure is an established term of 'Deadheads' or a description of my own making .....but the basic songs, which make up the albums, I love. 

James McMurtry

More storytelling from James McMurtry. A 2025 release. The illustration on the front cover was done in the 1960's by author, Ken Kesey while visiting James McMurtry's father, Larry. 

Singer/songwriter that I've followed since the early 1990's enjoying the stories I've heard along the way. All his recordings have been consistently great. 

I.G.Y. Playlist

Gotta be one of my all-time favorites. Wherever I am, I hear those notes and I never walk away until it's finished playing. I especially love the point where he croons: "Oooohhh Wahhhhh" ....

Since covid it's been my habit to get in and out of stores as quickly as possible. But this song comes over the store audio system, and I want to stay a while. 

I also associate it with a time long ago ..... a Sunday morning, lying in bed and it came on the radio. It's funny how you have these odd little moments .... you don't recall 99.9999-plus per cent of the individual minutes of your life but then you have two or three nondescript minutes that stand out clearly. Moments that have no real importance other that you remember and can visualize exactly where you were and what you heard at 7:22am on this random Sunday in 1982.

Making this into a mostly 80's playlist .....

• Steve Winwood - Arc of a Diver .... Another favorite to hear over the store audio system. 
• Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World .... I'm usually a pretty courteous driver when it comes to playing the radio too loud, but this song comes on and the volume's way up and I'm the only person on the road or in the world. When this song came out, it was the worst of times for me. When I hear it these days, I think I try to make up for the pleasure and joy that I couldn't feel back then. 
• General Public - Never You Done That
• Big Country - Restless Natives
• Jolene - Pensacola

• Bourgeois Tagg - I Don't Mind At All .... I love the obvious Beatles influence and inspiration.
• Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
• Peter Himmelman - Eleventh Confession ..... 'I needed to tell you I needed surrender. I never was good at playing pretender."
• Warren Zevon - Searching For a Heart .... Just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. About damn time!! I love the line in this song: "They tell me love requires a little standing in line."

Rituals

Now playing on the turntable: New album titled 'Rituals' from Watchhouse, Americana group formerly known as Mandolin Orange. More great songs about life!! Maybe my favorite non-jazz related release of 2025. One of those records where you think you've decided on a favorite song ..... but then you hear what's next and have to reconsider all that you thought you knew.

The dominant themes in my world these days is that of growing older, looking back on life and loving someone far away. Whether intended or not when the songs were written, I hear much in the lyrics and the feel of the music that creates connections to my daily issues and life questions.

The songs often lead to reflection and are personally haunting in how old memories are revisited.

In the song, 'Endless Highway Pt. 2' there's a couple minutes of fiddle playing that transported me back fifty years .... so eerily similar to the fiddle of the late, great David Lindley on Jackson Browne albums. 

Tonight's Playlist

What I'm listening to tonight. A Sunday evening playlist if I must call it something. Roots stuff for me ....

• Josh White - What's Done is Done ..... A Portland, Oregon pastor. I've always thought that the majority of gospel/worship music was inane and poorly written. He changes that long help notion for me. Gives the word with intelligence.
• Todd Snider - Like a Force of Nature / While We Still Have a Chance
• The Youngbloods - Quicksand ..... Late 1960's. Feels like a song that should be played while the credits roll of a movie with a bittersweet ending.
• Joe Pug - Hymn #35 ..... How many more great singer/songwriters are out there awaiting their sound to be discovered by chance one day by an individual like myself?
• Waxahatchee - Right Back to It
• Watchhouse - House of Stone ..... Duo formerly known as Mandolin Orange.
• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - If We Were Vampires .... For the past decade, I believe the greatest songwriter out there in this moment.
• Joe Pug - Unsophisticated Heart
• The Bats - Electric Sea View ..... A new album coming soon. 
• Richard Buckner - Beautiful Question ..... Been a fan for 15-20 years now. This is from a 4-song live recording I just found on Bandcamp. Where I find a great amount of new music these days.

Ancient Infinity Orchestra

'River of Light' from Ancient Infinity Orchestra on Gondwana Records, where a lot of great jazz from England is found. Released in 2023.

A 14-member ensemble. This is spiritual jazz and often has moments bringing to mind, John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders.

Discovered on vinyl.

Several great jazz or experimental orchestras out there and I love the creativity in their names .... Ancient Infinity Orchestra, Exploding Star Orchestra, Fire Orchestra, Ghost Funk Orchestra .... to name a few. 
 

Destination X

'Destination X' by Dead Moon. A 2022 mono reissue on Mississippi Records. I've seen their sound described as garage rock and punk. Well, it's certainly not punk. Originally released in 1999. 

Just discovered their music. Bought a couple records with the thought in mind that if I liked what I heard, I would dig deeper. I'll be digging deeper. Bonus points given for being an Oregon band. They recorded ten studio albums in their time. 

A trio .... two of their members passed away shortly after disbanding in 2016.

A little surprised that I never heard of them ..... that I can recall that is. 1990's? ....I still used to get out and about a little back then. And I used to peruse all the local small alternative press newspapers back then where they would review such things.

Record Collecting Notes, Autumn 2025

I once thought that I outgrew my John Fahey / Leo Kottke / American Primitive Guitar period several years ago .... But I apparently was wrong. Been discovering of late, all kinds of (new to me) musicians and recordings that I'm finding great enjoyment in, and appreciation for. 

Bandcamp is the greatest (online) record store for discovery of little known and obscure recordings, greatly enhancing my collection. 

The things one finds on small independent record labels are generally far more interesting than what's found on the major labels. Both musically and in the presentation of the package, where you often find some fascinating artwork and bonus materials like inserts, stickers, postcards, etc..

Some odd or different choices? Well maybe. But over the past year or two, I've become drawn in more by combinations of sounds and tones than standard musical melodies. It all started with listening to late night jazz radio which led to the search for different directions in jazz and has morphed and extended into other varied and undefined places .... including drone.

Someone once laughed at me when I mentioned listening to the radio in these times .... like it was so unhip and out of style. But to me it's exciting because you never know what's next. You're always potentially seconds away from a new find, something never heard before.

Is there such a thing as the perfectly flat vinyl LP? I always seem to see a 'flaw.' Usually not affecting the playback but it still bothers me. 

I see all these youtubers showing off their vinyl finds and collections and my immediate reaction is jealousy. I tend to think that everyone has a cooler collection than I and why do I never come across these things? But then I sit back and realize that I've put together a collection that I'm proud of .... and occasionally wonder, is this kind of pride a sin?

Deep Sleep in Seattle

'Deep Sleep' by Sleeping Bag. Indie Rock from 2014. A Seattle band. Came across the vinyl record at a great price in 2020 as my local record store was attempting to liquidate much of their inventory when closing down their store due to the owners opting for retirement during covid and opening up a space in an antique mall and keeping their longtime local shop alive.

The record had a limited printing of 500 copies. I have number 334. Always a bonus to discover great music from my home, the great Pacific Northwest.

Abbey Road

Saw a record store new arrivals flip video where the vinyl was pulled from the sleeve.

I'm not a huge fan of color vinyl. I mean, it's ok occasionally and some variants and designs actually wow me.

But The Beatles on color vinyl .... well that feels like a sin of unparalleled gravity.

Maybe it should be an amendment to the ten commandments.

          11. Thou shall not put The Beatles on color vinyl.

 

With that visual bouncing around in my mind and the fact that it's been many years since I've listened to this record, I pulled out 'Abbey Road' this morning ... on black vinyl and also the remastered compact disc, The Beatles on cd concept seems mildly acceptable to me. 

There were flashbacks to long gone days of youth and the hours spent listening to my vinyl mentors record collection.

Confessing

'The Confessional Tapes' by Aidan Baker. On vinyl from 2015. Ambient, electronic, experimental sounds.

Perfectly placed buzz, fuzz, clicks, ticks, pops and drone amidst sparse piano and vocals slightly above whispers. Sounds like perfection when listened to with the volume turned up at 1:00am and in a dimly lit room. Maybe appreciation takes hearing it while in a certain mood or frame-of-mind, while needing sleep and at a specific time of the late evening with particular atmospheric conditions, but I rate it a 10/10. These are the sounds that I've been transitioning to in my senior years.

Enjoyed it enough that I have two additional Aidan Baker recordings ordered and arriving soon. 

This Week

A Monday (May 26th) evening playlist .....

• The Bats - Electric Sea View / I Go Wild
• Phil Cook - Miles Away ..... Had been seeing him in videos playing with Hiss Golden Messenger and he always looks like he's getting so much enjoyment from what he's playing. Then discovered that he has his own albums.
• Warren Zevon - Desperadoes Under the Eaves
• Sarah Jarosz - Jealous Moon
• The Jayhawks - This Forgotten Town / Society Pages
• Son Volt - Bandages and Scars

And a few more from a few days later. Not sure if it qualifies as a playlist but it's a list of songs that I took time to listen to ......

• The Church - Under the Milky Way / Metropolis
• Donald Fagan - I.G.Y. ..... Heard in the store while grocery shopping and having to hear it again, played it while at work.
• Van Morrison - Wavelength ..... I didn't really become a Van fan until I heard this. I think, (though I may be in error), that it was on SNL all those years ago.
• Poco - I Can See Everything
• Terence Boylan - Trains
• Counting Crows - Children In Bloom / Walkaways
• Matthew Ryan - Return to Me
• Richard Buckner - Progress ..... A demo from his 'Extractions' email. Not sure if it's on any of his records.

These Wilder Things

 

'These Wilder Things' by Ruth Moody. From 2013 on the Red House Records label. Americana and Appalachia sounds. Even a little Newgrass. Mark Knopfler plays guitar on one tune. And there's a beautiful cover of Bruce Springsteen's, 'Dancing In the Dark'. Other than that, it's all Ruth Moody originals. The highlight being her song, 'One Light Shining'.

Stereolab

New one from Stereolab on compact disc. I've just become aware of their music in the last year or two. I read that it's been fifteen years since their last release of original music. There are elements of indie rock, electronica and disco here. The list of credits is like a who's who of (assumedly) electronic instruments that I've never heard of. 

A John Hiatt Playlist

Found an unlabeled cassette tape in a shoebox deep in my closet. Stuck it in the cassette player. Appears that I was making a John Hiatt mix-tape. So many great songs to choose from.

• Shredding the Document .... "I'm shredding the document, I'm keeping my mouth shut, I'm running on radio silence, I'm letting the record speak."
• Cry Love 
• Slow Turning ..... "Now I'm in my car, Ooohh I've got the radio down, Now I'm yelling at the kids in the back, 'Cause they're bangin' like Charlie Watts."

• Perfectly Good Guitar
• Have a Little Faith In Me
• Paper Thin
• Love You Again ..... "I want to thank you for asking me to love you again."
• Stolen Moments
• My Old Friend ..... "My Old friend, You're just as pretty as you were back then."
• Memphis In the Meantime

Daily Worker

Awake at 4:00am, listening to 'Field Holler' by Daily Worker, released just a few weeks ago. 

Daily Worker is Harold Whit Williams. He sent a copy of his poetry chapbook, 'I-40 Primal Scream Therapy' along with the vinyl record. Singer/Songwriter who on this recording sounds at times, a little late-1960's Beatlesque. There's a Strawberry Fields vibe present throughout.

A very enjoyable listening experience.

Foxes In the Snow

 Up late listening to the just released Jason Isbell album, 'Foxes In the Snow.' Stripped down solo album. Just his voice, acoustic guitar  ..... Oh and great songs. 

"For a minute in the afternoon, I almost didn't think of you, it was good while it lasted."

Pretzel Logic

 

Found a nice copy of this record a few days ago in the local used bookstore ..... Yes, bookstore. They've started dealing in used vinyl. Before putting it out for sale, a sticky note was attached that reads: "Hey; It's that album your weird uncle is always talking about."

I'm guessing that I'm the weird uncle. I had this record in my teenage years but didn't appreciate it enough and sold it in a garage sale. The song, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, has always reminded me of high school. Even though I don't think it was released until a month or two after graduation. But it has a feeling in it that brings back those memories of being 18 years old and hanging out with high school friends. And for whatever odd reason, it's always reminded me of a certain girl that I was too shy to talk to back then but had the pleasure of connecting with forty-five years later.

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic from 1974. 

Another Approaching Birthday Blues Playlist

What I'm listening to on this damp and chilly Saturday evening. Comments added are mostly unrelated to the respective songs. .....

• Kris Delmhorst - Waiting Under the Waves ..... Another dreaded birthday coming up soon. Is there a way to avoid it?
• Matthew Mole - Same Parts, Same Heart ..... Several years ago my boss brought rice crispies cookies to work on my birthday. He understood the significance of extra marshmallow gooeyness. 
• Michael Doucet & Todd Duke - Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky
• North Mississippi Allstars - Jumpercable Blues ..... I think an extra 2% should be added to a senior discount for each birthday successfully reached and if a person makes it to 100 years old, everything is free. 
• Peter Mayer - The Birthday Party
• Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band - So Good
• Phil Ochs - There But for the Fortune / Cops of the World
• Radical Face - Ghost Towns ..... "I still dream of you ...."
• Red House Painters - Shadows ..... Listening with eyes closed. There's something about this song that's causing a flashback to attending Catholic folk masses in much younger days.
• Robert Earl Keen - I Gotta Go
• Rocket 3 - Never Again ..... The monthly bills all paid. Feeling of relief ensues.
• Si Kahn - Gone Gonna Rise Again

Thursday Evening

Done for the evening with watching basketball and dinner. Kicking off my shoes and socks. What I'm listening to. Probably listed these here before. Songs that I revisit regularly .....

• The Bats - Sir Queen
• Stereolab - Mountain
• Lou Barlow - Privatize
• Austin Lucas - Already Dead / Kith and Kin
• Chris Whitley - Accordingly / Poison Girl
• Willy Porter - Unconditional

Monday Night Playlist

Monday night and just clicking on random songs in my itunes library. Maybe the best way to construct a playlist ....

• Hiss Golden Messenger - Pittsboro Farewell (Two Monarchs) ..... A catchy, instrumental tune with fiddle, acoustic guitar and banjo. 🟊🟊🟊🟊🟊
• J. Paul Jr. & the Zydeco Nubreedz - Right Now / Stronger ..... Dancing along in the dark.
• John Hammond Sr. - Big Black Mariah
• John Prine - In Spite of Ourselves ..... Duet with Iris DeMent. Always causes me to smile and chuckle.
• Johnsmith - Kickin' This Stone ..... Singing along.
• Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band - Casanova
• Keane - Crystal Ball
• Keb' Mo' - My Baby's Tellin' Lies
• Kurt Vile - I'm an Outlaw ..... I recall hearing this for the first time in my local record store. I ran up to the counter to check out the 'Now Playing' display.
• Lake of Stew - Free Medicine ..... A front porch, Americana tune with several harmonizing voices.
• Leif Vollebekk - Elegy

Flashing Back Once Again

I tend to flashback. Twenty, thirty, .... heck fifty or sixty years. Long ago I was accused by a friend in the middle of a driveway basketball game of H.O.R.S.E. of being overly nostalgic. I guess it's true. And I suppose that's why songs become 'classic.' Anyway, here's just another flashing back playlist .....

• Wheat - Don't I Hold You .... I wonder if this qualifies for the list? Though it certainly causes me to reflect on a seemingly past life. Seems too recent though if I stopped to look up the year I'd likely discover it's been at least twenty years.
• Wheat - More Than You'll Ever Know ..... Appropriate for someone un-named, though very special to me.
• The Church - Under the Milky Way ..... I'd like to go outside at this moment and search the sky but it's too damn cold tonight and I'm too damn old to withstand it. But I suppose that's all in ones attitude.
• The Psychedelic Furs - The Ghost in You ..... Once upon a time, we'd stay up into the latest hours of the night watching music videos on television. 
• Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
• Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
• Dire Straits - Down to the Waterline / Sultans of Swing ..... At least I'm flashing back in an orderly manner. 1990's, 80's, 70's, etc .... Getting closer to where I entered. 
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Even the Losers
• Jesse Colin Young - Four In the Morning
• The Youngbloods - Quicksand ..... One of those songs that I didn't truly appreciate, or stop and listen to, until fifty years later but it brings back the memories anyway.
• Ringo Starr - Photograph
• Rolling Stones - Angie ..... Heard this evening while fueling up at the gas station. Kids working the pumps listening to classic tunes.

The Rounders

 'Little Bitty Can of Worms' by The Rounders. From 2003. Americana with plenty of electric Blues influence and heavenly slide guitar moments with a Texas or southwest feel. A later album was released on Blind Pig Records ..... if that's any indication.

Not sure how I discovered this band. Most likely would have been while record store crate digging for cd's and coming across the colorful art on the album covers. I may have made one blind buy and returned for more. The more I ponder the question, the clearer the vague memory becomes.

Exploding Stars

On the turntable. From 2010. 'Stars Have Shapes' by Exploding Star Orchestra. Avante-Garde jazz. A group led by trumpeter, Rob Mazurek. 

Diving deeper into the abstract and further out into space as I move deeper into my senior years.

This may just lead me to giving another chance to the final two or three John Coltrane albums. Maybe I can better understand and appreciate.

In the Moment

It's plenty cold outside tonight. Inside though, relaxing with 'In the Moment' by jazz drummer, Makaya McCraven. A 2015 release. Live improvised performances taking my imagination to different and unknown places. One of the records that sparked my search for different jazz sounds.