Shady Groove Radio: I Still Got It (Podcast 101)
These are the funky fresh tracks that were played:
Harry Nilsson – Turn On Your Radio ++ Dr. Dog – The Truth ++ Shinyribs – Sweet Potato ++ Gregg Allman – Little By Little ++ The California Honeydrops – Here Comes Love ++ Lee Fields & The Expressions – I Still Got It ++ Deer Tick – Still Crazy After All These Years ++ Leon Russell – Hummingbird ++ Traffic – Dear Mr. Fantasy ++ Vampire Weekend – Unbelievers ++ The Strokes – Someday ++ Amos Lee – The Man Who Wants You ++ Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears – Sugarfoot ++ Los Lobos – Set Me Free (Rosa Lee) ++ The Gourds – The Bridge
Download Shady Groove Podcast #101
2013 Year In Review Part 2: Top 10 Songs
Ah, the art of song. There’s nothing better than a well written, well performed song. Here are my Top 10 songs of the year:
10. Stony Ground – Richard Thompson
9. Can You Get To That – Mavis Staples
8. Limpia Hotel (Chihuahua Desert) – Shinyribs
7. Get Lucky – Daft Punk
6. Walking On A Pretty Day – Kurt Vile
5. Most People – Dawes
4. Come To My Party – Black Joe Lewis
3. Part of Me – Tedeschi Trucks Band
2. Unbelievers – Vampire Weekend
1. A New Life – Jim James
Honorable Mention:
Wallace – The Hard Pans
The Man Who Wants You – Amos Lee
Back Seat Lover – Mayer Hawthorne
2013 Year In Review: Top 10 Live Shows
One of my favorite things about doing this Shady Groove thing, living in the Philadelphia area, and being friends with the Keswick Theatre, is that I get to go see a ton of live music. Here’s my favorite concerts of the year:
10. Cyndi Lauper @ The Keswick Theatre – November 15
A Sellout crowd poured in for the 30th anniversary of “She’s So Unusual”. Cyndi talked at length about the origin and making of each of the songs off of the huge album from 1981. Radio songs of my youth. It was great to hear her speak about pop music and its roots. This album actually originated in the Philly area, with the Hooters playing the music and them jamming in a warehouse in Manayunk, PA. Cool stuff.
9. Zappa Plays Zappa @ The Keswick Theatre – October 16
Dweezil and friends killed it as they recreated dad Frank’s “Roxy and Elsewhere” album.
8. Michael McDonald @ The Keswick Theatre – December 7
Iconic songs and soulful sounds bellowed from the stage at this show. Love Michael McDonald. It was worth it to see every 40 something adult stand and sing all of the lyrics to “What A Fool Believes”.
7. Colin Meloy @ The Keswick Theatre – November 2
The Decemberists front man played an intimate solo show at the Keswick and rocked the house.
6. Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band @ Philly Folk Fest – August 18
Funny because the band consists of just 3 members. But the sound is big. Rev Peyton rips the slide guitar and Ben “bird dog” Bussell keeps the rhythm driving. It makes for some highly danceable music.
5. Richard Thompson @ Philly Folk Fest – August 17
His mind-blowing guitar and thoughtful lyrics are always on display when you see Richard Thompson. This show was no exception.
4. Avett Brothers and Trombone Shorty @ The Mann Center – September 14
Gotta love a double bill like this. Trombone Shorty never disappoints. And as much as I complain about the Avett Brothers new stuff, its really pretty good. Plus their live presence is unmistakable.
3. Mayer Hawthorne @ Union Transfer – September 7
Mayer brought his brand of new-age motown/hip hop/soul to the Union Transfer and rocked the house down. Great show.
2. Spirit Family Reunion @ Philly Folk Fest – August 16
This band blew me away at the Folk Fest this year. My favorite new (to me) band of the year.
1. Jimmy Cliff @ The Keswick Theatre – September 29
An absolutely amazing performance. A sublime experience. I waited all year and my whole life to see this show. Jimmy lost not a beat over the years. I originally thought this show would be mainly promoting his 2012 grammy-winning album, Rebirth. And he did play a couple of tunes off of that album. But he played the hits and he played them well. And it wasn’t just his hits but hits from reggae as a musical genre. This show was a chronology of the songs and ideas that made reggae popular, played narrated by one of its founding fathers.
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Honorable Mention:
– Billy Bragg @ The Keswick Theatre – April 20
Perennial folk hero played us some awesome tunes at the Keswick.
– Joe Pug @ Johnny Brenda’s – May 1
Always a treat to hear one of my favorite new (ish) folk writers. Plus I love Johnny Brenda’s.
– Hogmaw and Dom Flemons @ Philly Folk Fest – August 17
I had the pleasure of helping run the Culture Tent at this years Folk Fest and this was one of the highlights. Dom (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) produced Hogmaw’s new album. So the band and Dom were on the Culture Tent stage playing and explaining the though process behind the album.
It’s A Shady Groove Christmas: Podcast #100!
Wow. 100 podcasts. Feels like just yesterday I started fooling around, pretending like I had a radio show. I had such a good time, I thought I’d keep doing it. Plus it turned into something really cool! One of my favorite parts of the week has been putting this podcast together for y’all. And the cool thing is, is that its really just a self-indulgent mixtape. Old time rock and roll. I love it. Music for the soul.
So thanks for coming along on the ride with me. Here’s to 100 more.
Wouldn’t you know it, it just so happens that our 100th podcast happens to be our annual Christmas podcast. I’m bringing it to you early this year with the hopes that people listen for the holidays. Rock it out during your decorating, share it with your friends. Its a celebration!
These are the winter wonderful holiday tracks that were included in this monumental podcast:
Willie Nelson ft Nora Jones – Baby It’s Cold Outside ++ Otis Redding – Merry Christmas Baby ++ Ray Charles – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ++ Tom Petty – Christmas All Over Again ++ Elvis Presley – Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) ++ The Kinks – Father Christmas ++ Jackson 5 – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town ++ Brenda Lee – I’m Gonna Lasso Santa Claus ++ Big John Greer – We Wanna See Santa Do The Mambo ++ Chuck Berry – Run Rudolph Run ++ The Waitresses – Christmas Wrapping ++ Nick Lowe – Children Go Where I Send Thee ++ Good Old War – Snow Falls Down ++ Kenny Rogers – Kentucky Homemade Christmas ++ David Grisman – We Wish You A Merry Christmas ++ Rev Frost – Frosty The Snowman ++ Sufjan Stevens – Christmas In The Room ++ The Gourds – Yes Yes Yes
Download The Shady Groove Podcast #100
Happy Thanksgiving from the Shady Groove: Podcast #99
Here are the tracks on this weeks Thanksgivingkkah podcast:
William DeVaughn – Be Thankful for What You Got ++ Bob Marley – Thank You Lord ++ Sly & The Family Stone – Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) ++ My Morning Jacket – Thank You Too! ++ Cab Calloway – Everybody Eats When They Come To My House ++ The Kinks – Maximum Consumption ++ The J.B.’s – Pass The Peas ++ Arlo Guthrie – Alice’s Restaurant Massacree ++ The Avett Brothers – Nothing Short of Thankful ++ Those Darlins – The Whole Damn Thing ++ Bob Dylan – Country Pie ++ The Beatles – I’m So Tired ++ Alabama Shakes – Goin’ To The Party ++ The Gourds – When Wine Was Cheap