Blogs

 Stone Temple Pilots - Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. My favorite album by one of the first bands I loved as a young teenager. Scott Weiland's death last month resonated with me the way Bowie and Glen Frey did my parents this past week. (Although those ones matter to me as well). Tiny Music is 41 minutes long, so I'll probably break tradition and play a little Bowie, Motörhead and Eagles to fill our the hour. Justin Cox your host this week

Hurricane, released in 2013, is the third album by independent Mississippi duo R. Dyer and R. Thomas. The experimental-rock team dabbles in many sub-enres on this LP, even bordering on psychedelia, but they manage to stay grounded with a classic blues-rock guitar sound. On their more traditional tracks, they create a passionate atmosphere, with earthy vocals singing vague but thought-provoking lyrics. The best examples of this on the record are lead track "Butterfly" and title track "Hurricane," which provide six minutes of fun and inventive rock and roll. On the experimental side, the multilingual "Durare" and the wonderfully wonky "Delivery Pizza" bring new, unique sounds to the album. Overall, R. Dyer and R. Thomas manage to pack quite a few sounds and ideas into Hurricane, making the LP quite a fun and interesting listen for fans of many music genres.

Civilization Phaze IV will be celebrating the life and work of the late great David Bowie.  A master melder of the avant-garde and popular, Bowie was a musical tour de force who had an immense impact on people from all walks of life--he's one of the few artists who was respected in equal measure by people in both classical and popular musical spheres. 

"Knowledge comes with death's release." -David Bowie

DEAD WAX. Tune in for our weekly vinyl-centric exploration of Americana. Each Episode features a current artist and digs into the roots of their music as we dig through our record stack. Everything from classic country to roots rock and blues. All from the KDRT-LP 95.7 FM community radio station in Davis, California.

A week of rainy days in Northern California is something to celebrate. Sooo LISTENING LYRICS has an hour of songs about rain across a wide spectrum of genres. Listen in but bring your umbrella.

KDRT's Dug Deep hosts the Reverend Shawn Amos and his band for a special Live in the Loam on Wednesday, January 13, at 3pm PT. A blues singer/songwriter of the highest order, Amos is on a mission to spread the blues with unsurpassed fervor beyond his base in Los Angeles. The Reverend stops at KDRT in advance of his evening gig at the Torch Club in Sacramento. His latest record is The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You. Visit the Reverend on the web at shawnamos.com.

Some classic jazz coming up tonight: Rosemary Clooney With Duke Ellington * Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra * Getz, Quinichette & Sims * Art Tatum * Ella Fitzgerald * Buddy DeFranco * Brother Jack Mc Duff featuring Kenny Burrell * Benny Goodman & Quartet * Dave Brubeck & Gerry Mulligan * Bill Harris * Dorothy Donegan * Jose James & Jeff Neve * Red Garland Trio

Hang Your Hopes on a Crooked Nail is Rod Piscott's sixth studio album in a career that spans an impressive 15 years. The album is pure down-to-earth Americana music, combining the charm and rural feel of country music and the rock sound of Bruce Springsteen. Rod Picott's soothing and earthy voice is at the musical forefront of the album, with an array of instruments filling in the rhythmic midtempo instrumentation, including a mandolin and slide guitars. The album has its quicker and louder moments, including the hopeful and reflective "Where No One Knows My Name." However, the album's best moments are the softer tracks, including the simple yet thoughtful "Bluebonnet" and "Mobile Home," which paint a realistic portrait of trailer-park life. Overall, Hang Your Hopes on a Crooked Nail is very laid back--a relaxing and reflective album--perfect for long drives on quiet, sunny afternoons and a worthy addition to the collection of country, Americana, or acoustic-rock fans.

This month's KDRT Live from 2nd Friday ArtAbout features Davis' own Spangler, performing live from the Armadillo Music stage. Singer/songwriters Helen and Tim Spangler front the band of five musicians, which also includes Scott Katzman and Adam Estell on dueling guitars and Christopher Reilly on drums. Most recently nominated for a SAMMIE (Sacramento Area Music Award) in the folk-rock category, Spangler's songs tell stories of passion and need, triumph and defeat, and the grounded realization that timing is everything. After releasing their second album We're All Fine Here Now, Spangler was featured in the Sacramento News and Review and performed on the headliner's stage at Sacramento Music Festival 2015, opening for Sean Mullins, Eve 6, and Everclear.