I never sent out a playlist last month due to the holidays, so this one is compiled from the previous two months on Topsoil. If you want off this list, let me know. The sold out Alejandro Escovedo house concert happens this Wednesday (2/3) at 8pm. Stay tuned because I will be putting the tickets for the Saturday March 6 Greg Trooper house concert on sale on Monday 2/8. Please don't email asking for tickets until I send out the announcement that day. After that it will be first come, first serve. These shows have become immensely popular and I'm trying to give everyone a fair shot at tickets. Tickets will be $10, and you can find out more about Greg Trooper at http://earth.vol.com/~jessi11/index.htm. If you'd like on my house concert mailing list, let me know. Now, on to the January playlist for Topsoil. Cheers. Steve Gardner [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.topsoil.net =================================================================== WXDU-Fm 88.7 Durham, NC Steve Gardner, "Topsoil" E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] January Roots Report 1. Greg Trooper - Popular Demons - Koch [This is Greg Trooper's 3rd album and it is his best yet. It's produced by Buddy Miller (aka the King Midas of music). Greg has some fine guests on here including Buddy and Julie Miller, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Duane Jarvis.] 2. Paul Burch - Wire to Wire - Checkered Past [I've been following Paul for a few years now. I'm not sure if he just got better, or if it just clicked with me (probably the latter) but I really really really like this new CD. I would consider it one of the best country records of the year.] 3. Gerald Collier - Gerald Collier - Revolution [Probably my second favorite release from '98 although many of the songs don't fit into a show about twangy music. Great pop singing and songwriting from this former lead singer for the Best Kissers in the World. Everyone should have this CD in their collection.] 4. Clodhopper - Red's Recovery Room - ? [Wilco-ish alt.country. Great songs and a great sound.] 5. Hazel Dickens, Carol Elizabeth Jones and Ginny Hawker - Heart of a Singer - Rounder [The female three tenors of bluegrass.] 6. Richard Buckner - Live at Schuba's Tavern - MCA [A promo only live EP with Richard and Eric Heywood.] 7. Various - My Rough and Rowdy Ways - Yazoo [Another fine Yazoo comp. This time they mine music from the 20s and 30s that deals with raising hell.] 8. Marah - Let's Cut the Crap and Hook Up Later On Tonight - Black Dog [Ragged but right. Marah may not be for everyone, but they are certainly someone I can enjoy. The only way I can think to describe this band is by spouting out the general term alt.country. However, this stuff is pretty darn unique. Listen and see if you like it. I sure do.] 9. Pine Valley Cosmonauts - Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills - Bloodshot [This is the best Bloodshot compilation yet. There's lots of good playing and singing on this disc from the likes of Robbie Fulks, Alejandro Escovedo, Kelly Hogan, Neko Case and many others. Get it!] 10. Hank Williams - The Complete Hank Williams Box Set - Mercury [The question I get asked most often with regards to this set is "Isn't 10 CDs a little extreme? Don't you ever get sick of it?" Answer: NO. I love everything on this set which means I love pretty much everything Hank ever did. If the set was 20 CDs and it was all this quality I'd buy it too. Of course, it'd take me twice as long to save up the money. Put this on your Xmas list this year. It's much more fun than a new pair of shoes...and it'll last longer too.] 11. Lyle Lovett - Step Inside This House - Curb/MCA [A magnificent 2 CD set of Lyle's favorite songwriters. Lyle takes the lead vocal duties for Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Steve Fromholz, Willis Alan Ramsey and others. His version of Townes' "Lungs" is probably my favorite cut on the disc, but there are lots of good ones to choose from.] 12. Rock n' Roll Summer Camp 98 - Rock n' Roll Summer Camp 98 - Black Dog [Members of Marah, Blue Mountain, the Neckbones and a few others get together for a summer retreat and walk away with an album under their belts. This CD is a ton of fun. It just goes to show what great things can happen when musicians who are friends first get together for fun and music.] 13. Alejandro Escovedo - More Miles Than Money - Bloodshot [This live record hopped back up the chart due to his appearance at Pine Hill Farm on 2/3. If you still haven't heard this CD you need to....it's fabulous.] 14. JD Crowe and the New South - Come On Down to My World - Rounder [Another great bluegrass CD from JD Crowe. Once again he's put together a stellar new band.] 15. Various - Mississippi River of Song - Smithsonian Folkways [Soundtrack to the PBS miniseries documenting music along the Mississippi River.] 16. Howard Armstrong - Louie Bluie Film Soundtrack - Arhoolie [My search of stringband versions of ragtime music led me to Howard Armstrong and this magnificent release. This is exactly what I was looking for. Howard plays mandolin and fiddle mostly and he can really tear it up. This is great great stuff. I even saw the movie the other night and it just doubled my enthusiasm. I can't recommend this highly enough. If you like blues, oldtime, jazz, ragtime or just any old stringband music check this CD out. You will love it.] 17. Hot Club of Cowtown - Swingin' Stampede - Hightone [Great mixture of Hot Jazz and Western Swing from this Austin Trio. Think Django Reinhardt mixed with Milton Brown. Thanks to the Hot Club for an amazing house concert on Nov 6.] 18. V-Roys - All About Town - E Squared [Another great CD from my favorite roots based power pop band. Like a movie star's hair the V-Roys roots show a little more on this CD than their last. And those roots appear to be bluegrass. The band that supplies the pickin' is Del McCoury and his band. The main focus of the CD, however, is the strong songwriting from Mic Harrison and Scott Miller. "Fade Away" which was written by Scott is devastatingly sad. That's good.] 19. Kelly Hogan & the Mellowcremes/Neko Case & the Sadies - The Shortening Sessions: Tribute to Loretta Lynn split 7" - Bloodshot [Yowza. These gals can really sing! I can't think of two who could give Loretta a more fitting tribute. Pray for new albums from these two in the future.] 20. Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson and Del McCoury - Mac Doc and Del - Sugar Hill [Are my eyes deceiving me? Did I just read Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson and Del McCoury listed on an album together...that isn't the Groovegrass Boys? Amen. A great new CD of country and bluegrass music from this three greats, and no drum machine. Woo hooo!] 21. Hazeldine - Orphans - All Swoll [Quirky alt.country. I think fans of Freakwater should check this group out. The visa-versa is true, too. If you hate Freakwater you might want to listen before you buy. I think this is a fun album. It is all covers but their renditions are not cookie cutters duplicates of the originals.] 22. Ralph Stanley II - Listen to My Hammer Ring - Rebel [Ralph son embarks on his second solo album here, this time he's in the spotlight alone (the previous record shared the marquee with John Rigsby. Check out "Mary Merry Christmas" a great song that Carter Stanley wrote for his wife a month before he died. It has never been record until now.] 23. Okeh Wranglers - Lonesome Vistas - Blue Smoke [A solid honky tonk CD from England. If only most American country could be this American. I enjoy it quite a bit. Check out their website: http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/park/kcd11/] 24. Buzz Matheson & Mac Martin - Echoes of the Past - White Oak [Great traditional sounding bluegrass.] 25. Bare Jr - Boo-TAY - Epic [This album has clocked in as my favorite rock release of 1998. It is awesome. It rocks hard and the twang is barely audible. Think Uncle Tupelo's "Factory Belt". I've dug out a shoehorn the size of Tennessee, however, and wedge this sucker into my shift whenever possible. It is just TOO good to pass up. It's nice to feel the ol' blood pumping again. Update: Bare Jr is starting to take off on hard rock radio. I hope they become the most popular band in the world.] 26. Bad Livers - Industry and Thrift - Sugar Hill [To say a Bad Livers album is diverse is redundant, but even considering their past recordings this new album IS diverse! From an almost Hendrix rendition of the Jimmie Skinner bluegrass classic, "Doin' My Time," to their own brand of klezmer music with "A Yid ist Geboren inz Oklahoma" the CD cooks. These are some of the best songs Danny Barnes has ever written.] 27. Recitfiers - Rectifiers - Way Over There (Australia) [Great alt.country EP from this Australian band. Thanks to Sophia Best from down under for hipping me to the Rectifiers.] 28. Greta Lee - This Ain't Over Yet - Black Creek [Hard country from this indie. Greta is an as-of-yet undiscovered talent along the lines of Heather Myles.] 29. Sharon Shannon - Spellbound - Green Linnet [Best of record from this young accordian whizz from Ireland.] 30. Mike Henderson - Silver Lining - Copper Creek [Good CD of bluegrass guitar.] Questions? Comments? Cheers. Steve Gardner -- Steve Gardner - Topsoil: A Century of Twang - Sun. 12-3pm WXDU 88.7FM Durham NC and on the Net at www.wxdu.duke.edu * [EMAIL PROTECTED] **** www.topsoil.net *
