Strange Currency

Thursday, July 24: Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon were somewhat unlikely but lifelong friends. Browne’s songs were often earnest, while Zevon’s were satirical and sometimes biting in their observations. Still, the two often worked together, beginning with Zevon’s first two albums for the Asylum label in the 1970s, which Browne produced. We’ll hear from those two Zevon releases and from Jackson Browne’s 2008 release Time The Conqueror.

Wednesday, July 16: We’ll hear from Jackson Browne’s 1973 album For Everyman, a record featuring appearances from Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and David Crosby. It also marks the first collaboration between Browne and multi-instrumentalist David Lindley. The two have collaborated off and on since 1973, including on the live album Love Is Strange, which we’ll also hear from.

Tuesday, July 8: Listen for selections from John Hiatt’s 2000 album Crossing Muddy Waters. Hiatt focused on acoustic instruments on this recording, emerging with an album that was raw and emotionally charged, featuring songs about struggles with grief, family, and filled with his usual blend of humor and careful observation. The record was nominated for a 2001 Grammy for Best Folk Album and remains a favorite among Hiatt fans. We’ll also hear selections from 1861, the 2008 release from Kansas trio Moreland & Arbuckle.

Tuesday, July 1: We celebrate Canada Day with a sampling of acts from the Great White North, including The Tragically Hip, Crash Test Dummies, Bruce Cockburn and the band Max Webster.

Wednesday, July 2: We celebrate the life and music of soul legend Bobby Womack, with samples of his work from his early days in the gospel-infused act The Womack Brothers to his final solo album, The Bravest Man In The Universe, which was co-produced by Damon Albarn of the Britpop band Blur. Womack died on June 27 of still undisclosed causes. He was 70.

Wednesday, June 25: Hypnotic Eye is the upcoming release from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, marking the band’s 13th studio effort and a return to its 70’s roots. We’ll hear songs from the album on this episode of Strange Currency, along with selections from Lonely Ones, the latest release by Oklahoma singer-songwriter Graham Colton.

Tuesday, June 17: Lazaretto is the second solo album from former White Stripes leader Jack White. The lyrics are inspired by poems, short stories, and plays that White wrote during an aborted college career at Wayne State University in Michigan. White expands upon his signature rough-edged sound and emerges with one of the best recordings of his career. We’ll also hear music from House of Spirits, the latest album from The Fresh and Onlys.

Tuesday, June 10: I’m Alive is the 1993 release from singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. After spending much of the 1980s focusing his efforts on socially conscious songs via albums such as Lives In The Balance and World In Motion, I’m Alive saw Browne return to matters of the heart on songs such as “Sky Blue and Black” and “My Problem Is You.” This resulted in one of Browne’s best-received recordings in a decade. We’ll hear selections from that release as well as from June featured artist Bob Mould’s new release Beauty and Ruin.

Monday, June 2: Guitarist Ty Citerman has been making rock-inflected jazz (and jazz-inflected rock) for well over a decade with the band Gutbucket. He’s just released his first solo album, Bop Kaballah, which blends elements of traditional Jewish music and the art of improvisation. Citerman is joined by his Gutbucket bandmates Ken Thomson and Adam Gold as well as good friend Ben Holmes. The record is in part influenced by Citerman’s own experience playing both secular and religious music.

Tuesday, May 27: The Phoenix and the Turtle is the first album from Beverley Martyn since 1998. Martyn has recorded with members of Led Zeppelin as well as Richard Thompson, Simon & Garfunkel, and Levon Helm. She also recorded two classic albums with her ex-husband, guitarist John Martyn. Released in 1970, these albums, Stormbringer! and Road To Ruin, remain highly influential more than 40 years after their release.

Tuesday, May 20: R.E.M. remains the only band to ever twice headline MTV’s highly successful Unplugged series, once in 1991 and again a decade later. Despite the popularity of those performances, the Georgia-based band never released the music to a commercial audience. A new two-CD set offers listeners the first chance to hear not only those two shows in their entirety but previously unreleased material as well. We’ll hear from that recording as well as selections from Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, the latest release from Sturgill Simpson.