The Folk Brothers for Aug. 25, 2021: The Irish-Americana connection

The Irish (and British) love for Americana music (i.e. North American country, folk, and blues) has deep roots, stretching back to waves of immigration in the 18th and 19th centuries. Young Cork-based singer-songwriter John Blek (pictured here) recorded his 2019 album "Thistle and Thorn" in studios in Clonakilty, Ireland as well as Lousiville, Ky. The latter sessions -- which featured co-vocals from Joan Shelly -- produced the song "The Body," featured on today's show.

And Don Everly -- who died this week at 84 -- and his brother Phil were beloved on those shamrock shores: we also featured their version of "Rose Connolly" (aka "Down In The Willow Garden") as recorded for the great 1991 BBC box set "Bringing It All Back Home."

Also on today's show: new music from Amanda Anne Platt and The Honeycutters, Joshua Burnside and Laura Quirke, A.J. Lee and Joaquin Cooder. And much more!

Davisville, Aug. 23, 2021: With crops worth $670 million, Yolo ag is seeing some changes

Yolo agriculture, which produced crops worth $670 million in 2020, is going through a few changes. That’s not surprising, because of the drought, Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, but maybe some of the details are. For example, sales of CSA boxes (“community supported agriculture”) rose sharply last year, helping to balance lower food sales to restaurants and institutions; longer term, some growers are moving crops to Yolo from even drier parts of the state. Yolo Agricultural Commissioner Humberto Izquierdo talks about these changes, his job, the value of open space, and a few things he wishes the county's city residents would know about farming, on today’s Davisville.

The Folk Brothers for Aug. 18, 2021: Remembering Nanci Griffith

She was a brilliant songwriter and song interpreter who helped define the Americana genre. Steeped in the traditional folk tradition of her parents' generation -- by artists like Odetta, Malvina Reynolds, and Pete Seeger -- her artistic vision was strongly influenced by "outlaw" Texas singer-songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Her songwriting and vocal collaborations were far-reaching. On today's show we merely scratched the surface of her work with tracks from the Chieftains, John Prine, Tom Russell, and Eric Taylor.