Blogs

This week’s High Country Music Radio (1/28/2020) features the sound of traditional roots music and the old time banjo from artists no longer with us (but live on in song!) and artists, some young and some with a bit of gray, that continue playing and interpreting that music. To discover this old time music you can start with an artist and then find out who their influences were. Then keep working your way backward and, eventually, you’ll find musicians such as Dock Boggs, the Carter family or Lead Belly. That list is long. 

Tomorrow at 11:00 on High Country Music Radio KDRT 95.7FM Rusty will feature the Donut Exchange, a band recently relocated to Davis, Dock Boggs, Abigail Washburn, Tim Eriksen, Laurie Lewis and others. Thanks for listening!

Tomorrow, Tuesday January 21st, High Country Music Radio will open with Rhiannon Giddens performing a beautiful a cappella cover of Pretty Bird,  a song written by coal country activist Hazel Dickens. Hazel Dickens also appears on this week's playlist performing  two of her songs. Carolina Chocolate Drops alum Dom Flemons is featured as well with a pair of songs from his post Chocolate Drops catalog.

Rusty will also feature the Lonesome Ace String Band who are performing locally this week, the Brothers Comatose, The Lowest Pair and others on High Country Music Radio at KDRT 95.7 FM.

Tomorrow, Jan 13th, at 11:00 a.m on High Country Music Radio host Rusty Nail will warm up these cool days with songs from the award winning AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Special Consensus, The Grateful Dead, Rita Hosking, Asleep at the Wheel along with other great artists. Tune in at KDRT 95.7 fm or stream on KDRT.org! You can listen to High Country Music Radio anytime by visiting iTunes and subscribing to the podcast. 

Ask Adrian what kind of music The Adrian West Band  plays and he'll say "Yes." Or if he's feeling cocky, he'll say "Good."

The longer answer: original acoustic rock that sounds like Paul Simon meets Dave Matthews meets Talking Heads. The band features vocal harmonies, guitar, electric violin, bass, drums, sometimes an alto sax, and a bit of live “looping.”

Born and raised in Montreal, Adrian is an exciting performer. A gifted vocalist, he moves effortlessly between guitar & violin, sometimes using live looping to add layers of sound and intrigue to his songs. With a knack for language that's simple yet poetic, he's not afraid to tackle difficult topics in his songwriting. "Safe Streets" tells an allegory about police violence, "Close Your Eyes" laments the beauty bias that pervades the mass media, and "Senses" entreats you to appreciate your senses while you can. But Adrian doesn't take any of this stuff too seriously; his lyrics are infused with a sense of hope and a touch of whimsy.  

Adrian started playing violin at 4, and in his teens he studied classical violin at the McGill Conservatory of Music in Montreal. He later learned drums and guitar, and developed his vocal and songwriting technique. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1995, where as a sideman violinist he began supporting Bay Area bands, playing some of the area's better known venues including the Fillmore, Yoshi's SF (main stage), Slim’s, The Independent and The Sweetwater. In 2005 he formed the Adrian West Band, which has performed steadily at venues and festivals all over the Bay Area.

Check out his new album "The Human Touch"

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"Singing My Song to the Sky" is the title of song you'll hear on today's show, but the phrase also captures the essence of cowboy songs which are often sung to the sky, the land and the animals. The music and poetry on today's program capture that spirit.