Strange Currency

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.

Monday, May 12: All My Friends is a new two-CD set that serves as a tribute to Gregg Allman. It features a wide range of artists performing some of Allman’s best-loved songs. Guests include Martina McBride, Jackson Browne, Vince Gill and members of the Allman Brothers Band including Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes. We’ll hear selections from that record as well as Allman’s 2011 album Low Country Blues.

Thursday, May 1: Listen for selections from Enjoy Your Rabbit, the 2001 release from Sufjan Stevens. Unlike subsequent releases, this album consists of music that is driven primarily by electronics. The record is being reissued on the heels of another electronics-centric recording featuring Stevens, Sisyphus.

Friday, May 2: It’s our New Month, New Music feature: Listen for new releases from Old 97’s, The Black Keys, and Cloud Nothings, among others.