Monday, Feb. 24 2014: Lake Street Dive is comprised of musicians who met at the New England Conservatory in Boston a decade ago. The collective draws on elements of Stax, Motown, and jazz for its unique sound, which can be heard on the group’s latest release, Bad Self Portraits. We’ll hear from that as well as from Dark Night of the Soul, the latest from Jimbo Mathus and The Tri-State Coalition.
Tuesday, Feb. 25 2014: We celebrate the birthday of former Beatle George Harrison with selections from his work with that band, his solo career, and other projects.
Wednesday, Feb. 26 2014: One of the most anticipated annual events for music lovers is the release of Oxford American’s annual music issue. This year, the magazine salutes the music of Tennessee with a two-CD compilation. We’ll hear works included on that release from a wide range of artists as well as selections from the soundtrack to the 2013 documentary, Muscle Shoals. The town is home to two recording studios, Muscle Shoals Sound and Fame Studios, each attracting artists from around the globe. The film has just been issued on DVD.
Thursday, Feb. 27 2014: Strong Feelings is the latest release by Toronto, Ontario Canada’s Doug Paisley. The record recalls classic era country music and features a guest appearance from Garth Hudson of The Band. We’ll hear from that as well as selections from After The Disco, the new release by Broken Bells, a collaboration between James Mercer of The Shins and acclaimed producer Danger Mouse.
Friday, Feb. 28 2014: Kid Face is the latest release by Shawnee, Okla., singer-songwriter Samantha Crain. Listen for selections from that recording as well as from our February featured artists The Beatles and Harry Nilsson.
Saturday, March 1: Throughout the 1980s Bob Mould was one half the creative force behind the Minneapolis, Minnesota band Husker Du. The trio was known for its loud, aggressive brand of rock that was sometimes labeled hardcore and other times as punk. When the band folded at the end of the decade, Mould retreated to rural Minnesota where he worked on a series of acoustic-driven songs that were more in line with the music of British singer-songwriter Richard Thompson than the music of the Sex Pistols. In May 1989, Mould released his first solo album, Workbook. The record alternates between delicate acoustic numbers and the loud electric guitar playing for which Mould is best known. Workbook has just been reissued in expanded form to celebrate the record’s 25th anniversary. We’ll hear selections from that LP on this episode of Strange Currency as well as from English Oceans, the latest release by Drive-By Truckers. The record has already been hailed as one of the Top 10 Americana Albums to seek out in 2014 by CMT and NPR has also named the record as one of its best Under The Radar recordings of the year. Plus, featured music from Beck and of Montreal.
