Tuesday, May 17
We'll remember legendary Texas songwriter Guy Clark, who died today at 74.
Wednesday, May 18
Rest in Chaos is the latest release form Hard Working Americans, the band led by singer-songwriter Todd Snider. We’ll hear selections from it as well as from the new release by Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Rehab Reunion.
Thursday, May 19
After leaving the legendary English post-punk band The Fall, Martin Bramah formed Blue Orchids. The band embarked on a sometimes sporadic recording career in the early 1980s, broke up in 2007, then reunited several years later. The group has two new releases out, an archival collection titled Awefull, and a brand-new LP titled The Once and Future Thing. We’ll hear from both on this episode of Strange Currency. Plus: Featured music by Moreland & Arbuckle and The Jayhawks.
Friday, May 20
Between 1970 and 1975, Mudcrutch was one of the leading bands on the Gainesville, Florida music scene. When the group relocated to Los Angeles, friends predicted big things for the band. But it was not to be. Record company politics ultimately broke the group up, though its vocalist and a few other players would form Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. After decades of international success with that group, Petty, guitarist Mike Campbell, and keyboardist Benmont Tench joined forces in 2008 with past Mudcrutch members Tom Leadon and Randall Marshall for a full-length album. Now, eight years later, the band returns with Mudcrutch 2. Far from a Petty solo effort, the record demonstrates that Mudcrutch operates as a democracy, one with a tendency to lean the sounds of classic FM radio. We’ll hear from that new release from Mudcrutch on this episode of the show as well as music from the latest release by singer-songwriter Robert Ellis.
Saturday, May 21
Day of the Dead is a new compilation featuring numerous bands covering songs from the wide-reaching songbook of the Grateful Dead. We’ll hear selections from that as well as music from the latest Grateful Dead archival release, Red Rocks 7/8/78.
Monday, May 23
Cyndi Lauper has never been afraid of upsetting audience expectations and her latest release, Detour stands as a perfect example. For this recording Lauper retreated to the past, recording a number of classic country standards with guests both expected (Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris) and surprising (Jewel). We’ll hear selections from that release on this episode of the show as well as music from PJ Harvey’s latest, The Hope Six Demolition Project.
