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A Tragedy, A Heavy Metal King, And Fun In Space

Friday, August 21 

The Most Lamentable Tragedy is the fourth studio release from Titus Andronicus and is a rock opera in five acts; the central narrative concerns an unnamed protagonist whom we meet in deep despair. Following an encounter with his own doppelgänger, long held secrets are revealed, sending our protagonist on a transformative odyssey, through past lives and new loves, to the shocking revelation that the very thing that sustains him may be the thing to destroy him. 

We’ll hear selections from the latest by this New Jersey outfit on this episode of the show as well as music from Black Sugar, the new release by The Moonfires.

Saturday, August 22

Ricked Wicky is the latest project from former Guided By Voices frontman Robert Pollard. The former elementary school teacher and impossibly prolific songwriter has just released the second release for 2015 under this new guise, King Heavy Metal. The album calls to mind elements of ‘70’s progressive rock, Pollard’s signature “lo-fi” songwriting with Guided By Voices and myriad other music elements in a high-energy recording that is equal to many of his records made in recent years. We’ll hear selections from that recording as well as music from the upcoming release by Mercury Rev. 

Monday, August 24

Star Wars is the recent surprise release from Wilco. Made available to fans for free via download, the album is one of the most startling and refreshing releases from the Chicago-based group in several years. We’ll hear music from that release as well as music from Portland, Oregon’s Vacilando, the solo project of singer-songwriter John Shepski, which recalls the music of bands such as Galaxy 500 and Low as well as solo acts such as Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Bright Eyes.

Tuesday, August 25

Known primarily as the drummer for Queen, Roger Taylor released a series of impressive and high-concept solo albums in the 1980s, starting with 1981’s Fun In Space on which Taylor played all the instruments and did all the singing. We’ll hear from that release as well as selections from Taylor’s 1984 follow-up Strange Frontier which featured guest appearances from his Queen bandmates. 

Wednesday, August 26 

Half Past, Present Pending is the latest release from Oregon-based and Kansas-born singer-songwriter Mike Coykendall. Featuring a wide range of new songs, a few from his immense back catalog and a nice sprinkling of covers, the album demonstrates why Coykendall is an in-demand studio musician, producer and engineer. We’ll hear selections from this recording as well as from John Moreland’s High On Tulsa Heat.

Thursday, August 27

Hailing from New England to Arizona, the 10-piece band The Nightowls recorded their LP Fame Sessions at the iconic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Heavily influenced by the soul and gospel of the studio’s history, this collection of eight songs pays tribute to greats like Aretha Franklin and Percy Sledge. Listen for music from that recording as well as new music from Rey Pila. 

Friday, August 28 

Something More Than Free is the latest album from former Drive-By Truckers member Jason Isbell. We’ll hear selections from that on this episode of the show as well as music from Wyoming, the 2012 album from Water Liars.

Saturday, August 29

Released in 1976, Colosseum II’s debut album Strange New Flesh was a late entry in the jazz fusion canon. Featuring Irish guitarist Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy) and other luminaries from the British blues-rock scene, the band recorded three superior albums in just under three years. We’ll hear selections from the debut, Strange New Flesh as well as from the 2015 debut from Reeves Gabrels and His Imaginary Friends. 

Monday, August 31

We celebrate Van Morrison's 70th birthday with a wide range of music from throughout the Irish vocalist's remarkable career.  

Jedd Beaudoin is host/producer of the nationally syndicated program Strange Currency. He has also served as an arts reporter, a producer of A Musical Life and a founding member of the KMUW Movie Club. As a music journalist, his work has appeared in Pop Matters, Vox, No Depression and Keyboard Magazine.