Sometimes Folk

Bill Wagman explores an eclectic range of music, including traditional folk of the British Isles and the U.S, contemporary singer/songwriters on both sides of the Atlantic, and American roots music and some of its lesser-known offshoots. Tune in for a great music mix!

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Replays Monday 3-4pm, Thursday 3-4pm
Live Wednesday 10-11am
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The Folk Brothers for April 27, 2022: Transatlantic collaborations

This morning we presented tracks featuring exciting new musical collaborations between American and Scottish artists: Orcadian Kris Drever and Rachel Baimans' cover of Eliza Gilkyson's "Hard Times In Babylon"; Heidi Talbot and Lousiana-based Dirk Powell with "Empty Promise Land"; and Brooklyn-based Hannah Read (fiddle) and Michael Starkey (banjo), who met at an Appalachian old-time musical session in Edinburgh.

Also today: new tracks from Kate Rusby with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, The Unthanks, Peter Rowan, Nashville Honeymoon, and more!

The Folk Brothers for April 20, 2022: It's 420 folk!

Not really folk. More old school rock 'n' roll and country. So this morning,  we -- incorrectly pictured here -- ditched the TA fiddle and banjo crap and embraced the 420 stoner vibe, sans inhaling, of course. But we had the foresight to invite local man about town, tree comissioner and singer/songwriter Larry Guenther to join us live. And he graced us with his original, calendar-appropriate song "That's Why They Don't Call it Einstein, That's Why They Call It Dope."

The Folk Brothers for April 13, 2022: Live music is back

In the past few months, live music is a thing again as musicians are out touring like it is 2019! This morning, we played tracks from Lowell Levinger (aka Banana, formerly of the Youngbloods) and Tony Furtado, both of whom appeared in local venues this past weekend. And Tim O'Brien (pictured here with musical and life partner Jan Fabricius) -- who brings us the opening music for The Folk Brothers each week -- will appear at the Auburn State Theater on April 30. Also on today's show: new tracks from Lyle Lovett, Joan Shelley, Pauline Scanline, Sam Shackleton, and more!

The Folk Brothers for April 6, 2022: Story songs

We program a lot of traditional music on the Folk Brothers, but we also find great contemporary ballads -- story songs -- to play. A case in point is the three pieces we presented this morning: West Virginian Chris Haddox's new song about Mikhail Kalashnikov, the reluctant inventor of the automatic rifle; Brighton (UK) band Bird In The Belly's (pictured here) song "After London," based on Victorian naturalist and author Richard Jeffries' post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel "After The City"; and No-No Boy's song about the Sand Creek Massacre of the Cheyenne in 1864.

Also on today's show: new tracks from Tony Furtado, Brittany Hass, Midnight North, and Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert.

The Folk Brothers, March 30, 2022: The story behind a song

This morning, we played Dublin-based Lankum's rendition of the song "Salonika." Although not traditional -- its authorship is unknown -- it was a popular dance hall song in Cork during World War 1. The Munster Fusiliers were attached to British forces stationed in Thessaloniki, Greece. Wives of the Irish soldiers received a stipend. Young Irishmen who didn't join up were called "slackers" -- there certainly wasn't much love for the British army at the time -- but their families suffered financially. The song went out of fashion for decades, but was repopularized by groups like The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers during the '60s folk revival. Singer Jimmy Crowley says "it's a tremendous song, because it gives insights into the lives of Irish women during WW1."

The Folk Brothers for March 23, 2022: Some folk for Women's History Month

The Brothers celebrate some of the women who have made history in the world of folk and roots music, including Odetta, Barbara Dane, Lydia Mendoza and Big Mama Thornton. Also, new tracks from Karine Polwart, Nick Hart, Ye Vagabonds, and TRIP.

The Folk Brothers for March 16, 2022: Whales are folks too

Brother Bill is back from Baja, where he spent a week petting baby blue whales ... awww. And he brought in a bunch of whale songs this morning from the likes of Tom Lewis, Country Joe McDonald, Tom Pacheco, and other fishy folkies. We also have Molly Tuttle singing about her grampa's farm, I Draw Slow singing about the coming apocalypse, and Black 47 with Finbar Furey singing about Father Mychal Judge, the first official fatality of 9/11.

The Folk Brothers for March 9, 2022: Transatlantic sounds old and new

On their debut album in 1968, a group of kids from the suburbs of north London covered a Richard Farina song about a city in Nevada. During the pandemic, a singer-songwriter from Edinburgh teamed up with musicians from Tucson. Sometime in between, a guitarist/mandolinist from Nashville became a founding member of a band of transatlantic musicians who play the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow every winter. Find out who they all are on today's show.

The Folk Brothers for March 2, 2022: Stand with Ukraine

This morning we featured music from DakhaBrakha (pictured), a folk quartet from Kyiv. Also on today's show: new takes on traditional ballads from Joshua Burnell, Cinder Well, and Jim Ghedi, as well as a new take on "Dublin Blues" from Mipso, plus new original tracks from Ernest Troost, Justin Farren, and Jack Sharp. And more!

The Folk Brothers for Feb. 23, 2022: Talisk rocks the folk

This multiple award-winning Scottish trio is not your grandparents' Celtic band. They bring rock 'n' roll sensibilities to their mix of concertino, fiddle, and acoustic guitar. Box player Mohsen Amini is a force of nature as he drives their instrumental tunes onwards. With the release of their second album Dawn, Talisk's first U.S. tour stops at Sacramento's Sofia Center this Saturday night, Feb. 26.

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Comments

Davis resident, Dave Nachmanoff is an award-winning singer-songwriter and renowned guitarist.  He tours nationally and internationally as a solo act, as well as valued accompanist to Al Stewart.  Over the many years he has resided in Davis, Dave has been a generous supporter of this community.  In a rare local appearance, Dave will be doing a benefit concert on December 12th for Yolo Food Trucks who are raising the funds to purchase a new refrigerated truck.   Dave will be joining the Folk Brothers live in the KDRT studio between 10 and 11 AM on Wednesday, Dec. 9th.   He’ll bring his guitar, play some songs, talk about his storied musical career, and tell us why we heard him singing in Starbucks across North America last month. Please join us!

 

 

Submitted by Peter Schiffman on Wed, 12/02/2015 - 11:13am

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