Red Tail Ring in Ann Arbor, MI photo by Listen To The Mitten

Red Tail Ring on WNMC

Holding down the No. 1 position at WNMC is the Kalamazoo-based Red Tail Ring. Comprised of a degree-holding ethnomusicologist and student of traditional Finnish music, the folk duo’s sound is loving tip of the hat to the folk revivalist movement. Playing both traditional murder ballads (a favorite of the Scots-Irish Appalachian tradition) and tunes with more modern sentiments, Michael Beauchamp and Laurel Premo highlight guitar, banjo, dobro, fiddle and mandolin alongside folksy harmonies. Their new material fits in seamlessly with the old traditions in a perfect marriage of bluegrass and modernity.

Boxcar Lilies on WRUW

A more modern folksy sound takes the 19th position at WRUW in Cleveland, Ohio. Boxcar Lilies’ album Sugar Shack isn’t the Norman Petty pop of Jimmy Gilmer And The Fireballs, but does retain some of the classic blend of electric and acoustic instrumentation against pretty tunes about love and life. The women of Boxcar Lilies bring a broad musical background to their Americana sound. Before forming the Americana trio, Jenny Goodspeed was writing in the style of ’70s singer songwriters, Stephanie Marshall’s sound was contemporary Nashville and rock and Katie Clarke played traditional country and bluegrass. Together, they highlight a mutual love of three-part harmonies backed by warm guitar, that fabulous rhythmic clawhammer banjo, electric bass, drums and even the occasional washboard. Rooted in folk tradition, their sound is completely contemporary in the vein of Gillian Welch or Neil Young.

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Grandkids on Pizza FM

Standing at a solid No. 2 position on newly formed Pizza FM’s Top 30 this week is the new full-length album from Grandkids. Bright imagery combined with a vast, expansive sonic landscape produces a charming confidence without being pretentious, underscoring the band’s self-described “humblecore” sound. The album is full of orchestrated strings lead by Vivian McConnell’s lush, floating vocals—she’s spent the past few years harmonizing with her brother Stan in the group Santah.
 

Met City on WMCO

Sliding in at No. 26 at WMCO is Stokholm Fancy, the first album from the group Met City. It’s a whimsical introspective journey much like that of the classical European wayfarer. The group’s indie pop sound is thoroughly modern while paying tribute to the once popular Baroque stylings of the mid-19th century. The romantic themes conjure up images of lace and silk against a more sophisticated Peter Pan freedom and Alice In Wonderland exploration.
 

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Congress on KRFC

While I admit that I have heard the Congress before, I never really paid enough attention to the band until I saw its latest EP, The Loft Tapes, show up at a solid No. 5 position on KRFC’s top 30 playlist this week. The group’s laid-back groove captures a sound that is at once modern and reminiscent of the good old days of Motown recordings. It is the perfect salve for those of us ready for hanging out in parks on warm summer days. Calling Richmond, VA, a part-time home (and at least one member of the band having been born and bred there), it seems only natural that rich, soulful vocals and bluesy guitars are a staple of the Congress’s sound. The EP consists of seven soul covers that are fresh reinterpretations of the classics but still retain the heart of the originals. Recorded in an old masonic temple in Colorado, guitarist Scott Lane and engineer Logan Muckler mixed the tracks on an eight-channel reel-to-reel tape machine as “a tribute to the songs and studio techniques that have influenced the band over the years.” The EP has been released both digitally and on vinyl.
 

Drag Sounds on WXDU

Appearing at No. 4 at WXDU this week is the Greensboro-based Drag Sounds. Feelin’ It showcases garage-fuzz pop that sounds like what you’d expect from a ’60s group if it had traveled to the future and back, picking up some ’80s punk and mixing it with lots of Lou Reed. The tracks are loose and open, perfect for a band whose self-described agenda is to “have a good time and be really loud.”
 

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Gathered Ghosts – Photo by Pernille Nygaard

Poet’s Row on OpenAir

Technically, I noticed them for the first time last week, but I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mention them after they appeared for a second time (this time at a solid No. 12 position) on OpenAir’s playlist. Named after the neighborhood in Denver where the group met, the acoustic folk duo is getting some serious love back home in Denver after being nominated for Best Folk Band at the Westword Music Showcase. The self-titled record is heavy on harmonies between Mickey Bakas’s melancholy and Emily Hobbs’s sweet voices that sound almost spooky when paired with the fiddle and cozy comfortable when backed by guitar (and crickets!). So pull that blanket a little closer, curl up with a steaming mug of tea and pretend you are watching snow from a log cabin out West.
 

Gathered Ghosts on KZUU

Debuting this week at a solid No. 10 position at KZUU is the self-described “dream jangle” of Gathered Ghosts. The group originally started as a solo project for Craft Spells guitarist Javier Suarez, but this second full-length album finds him joined by Andreanna Wilson, James Kasinger and Kevin Rinker. The additional members bring heaps of dreaminess to the record as the synths, percussion and vocals no longer allow the guitar to dominate the lo-fi pop tunes. The jangle is still there, but the warm synths leave you floating as you dance through the heartfelt tunes.
 

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Legato Vipers – Photo by Austin Gibson

Legato Vipers on CFRU

Holding a solid position at No. 2 on CFRU’s playlist this week are Legato Vipers. The group’s sound is a throwback to ’60s instrumental surf rock that is full of reverb and a gritty edge that adds a modern lean and keeps the sound fresh. Maybe surf punk would be a better descriptor. The eight-song Quick Slug EP is the first from the group. Available only digitally, the EP can be purchased with a switchblade comb or a leather-wrapped flask, seemingly perfect accompaniments for the genre and the tongue-in-cheek playfulness in the group’s sound.
 

 

Heidi Happy on CHMR

Heidi Happy, a Swiss artist who is seeing some serious love on the charts back in her home country, is creeping her way across the pond with her latest album. She was played on two other stations this week, but we first noticed her when she snagged the No. 30 spot on CHMR’s Top 30 playlist. The 26-year-old’s soft folksy vocals are joined by a slew of instruments including the glockenspiel, organ, strings, and, of course, guitar. She provides her own backing vocals, which weave together seamlessly amidst playful hints of electro-pop. Each track is a little different from the last and makes full use of the wide variety of instrumentation Heidi and her collaborators brought together with an overarching feeling of, well, happiness.

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Photo via Anna And Elizabeth’s site

Anna And Elizabeth On WXYC

Charting a solid No. 4 is Sun To Sun, the debut album from Anna And Elizabeth. Recorded in Floyd, Virginia, located only a couple of hours from WXYC’s Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and home of the ever-growing Floydfest, the album establishes these two ladies as curators of the Southern musical tradition. Acoustic banjo and fiddle work together to create the music that, according to them, “is tricky to separate from the sounds of crickets in the mountains all summer, the laughter between tunes in our kitchen, the patience of small stitches, the sight of an old woman flatfooting with her walker.” Unlike a lot of their peers, Anna And Elizabeth sound natural and not contrived, as though Memaw and Papa taught them these instruments and songs while settin’ on a sun-dappled and crooked porch high in the Blue Ridge.
 

Alpine On WNRN

DJs at WNRN in Charlottesville, Virginia, must be daydreaming about trading in their February snow for summer as Aussie group Alpine landed at No. 26 on the station’s charts this week. The six-piece electro-pop group features dual female vocals over keys, synths and bright percussion. Already garnering serious critical acclaim in the southern hemisphere, Alpine is no stranger to touring the U.S. and after releasing a series of demos, partnered with Votiv to bring the A For Alpine full-length Stateside. The airy vocal harmonies blended with crisp and jaunty instrumentation produces a record of completely danceable pop perfect for daydreams of cruising the Australian coasts.

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The annual CMJ College Radio Awards, the only radio awards nominated by and voted on by those in the non-commercial and college radio industry, provide an opportunity to recognize the best and brightest for their hard work and dedication. And be sure to check out the full list of nominees, because they’ve all embodied the spirit college radio.

The winners were announced during the always lively College Day (see the always lively recap!). Congratulations to all the winners, especially first-time Station Of The Year winner WTBU!

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College Day Awards – Photo by Bashira Webb

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2011: WSOU’s Omar Ahmad presents the award for Sexiest Phone Voice

CMJ Music Marathon’s College Day is all ready. But now it’s time to nominate those who shine best and brightest in our industry for the 2012 CMJ College Radio Awards. Which station do you think was this year’s best? Who are you dying to work for after graduation? And most importantly, which promoter do you think is kinda-sorta inappropriately hitting on you? Let us know! The College Radio Awards—the only college/non-comm radio awards nominated by and voted on by those in the industry—are back and eager to reward the stations and industry members for their hard work and dedication.

Check out who took home the prizes in 2011 and nominate your 2012 favorites today.

Nominations close at midnight on Sunday, September 16. You must be a CMJ New Music Report reporter or subscriber to nominate. Winners will be voted on on-site at CMJ Music Marathon in New York City this October. Looking from group discounts? Email collegeday@cmj.com for pricing and invoicing.

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Claire Sullentrop takes home the award for 2011 Specialty Music Director Of The Year for WSOU

College Day Panel: Music Directors’ Summit – Whether you are dealing with bullying, budget constraints, or unruly DJs, no question is too big or too small (or off-limits) when past and present music directors get together and tell all.

College Day Panel: It Takes A Village – Learn how to bring the community and your school back into college radio and strengthen the ties with these powerful allies in a time when college radio needs it the most.

College Day Panel: DIY For All Sizes – Economic slump got you down? These budget-wary mavens and high-profile station members will show you how to put together events, organize fundraisers, and raise station awareness while running as efficiently and effectively as possible.

College Radio Awards At College Day – We reward the best and the brightest for their dedication and accomplishments in college radio. Watch this space to see how to get on the bill and check out last year’s winners and nominees.

The Impact and Traction of College Radio – What impact is college radio having on the new music industry? This panel will look at music trends, artist examples, and the digital domain along with specific advice on what is working well at college radio.

More panels TBA!

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How did the idea for Twangfest come about?
Twangfest was started in the mid-’90s by a group of friends that participated in an alt-country internet message board named “Postcard 2,” which was an offshoot of the similarly-themed “Postcard” message board (named after the Uncle Tupelo song of the same name). Most of these folks were spread out across the country, with many in the Midwest, and the idea at the time was simply to get a group of bands together in a somewhat central location to throw a big party that celebrated the music they loved.
 
How long has Twangfest been going on?
Twangfest has been running continuously since 1997. We just wrapped up our 16th annual event.
 
Why focus on Americana?
Because that’s what we love. The roots of the event were in the aforementioned Postcard 2 message board that sprouted out of the alt-country/No Depression movement of the ’90s and early ’00s. The event has always been centered on Americana, however, we also branch out into pop, rock and soul. Detroit Cobras, Kelly Hogan, Steve Wynn And The Miracle 3 and Wussy have all performed at Twangfest. It’s hard to describe exactly what constitutes a Twangfest-compatible artist, but every member of the committee has a clear idea of what the event represents and who will fit. This year, we hosted Pokey LaFarge And The South City Three, Wussy, Langhorne Slim and John Doe on separate nights. Those four bands on the same bill would’ve been schizophrenic at best, but with focused billing, we were able to pull off four incredible nights of music that each had a very different feel.
 
How many artists play each year?
Fourteen to sixteen, typically.
 
Does St. Louis have a strong local scene, and does that play into who is chosen for the final lineup?
The St. Louis music scene is very healthy, and there are a lot of great bands here that fall under the Twangfest umbrella. We typically book three or four locals each year—with repeat performances by locals being rare—and we never have a shortage of locals to choose from.
 
The local scene doesn’t have much of an effect on the lineup, per se. The lineup is built out of the interests of Twangfest’s volunteer board of directors, dubbed the Twang Gang, and we add locals to the front of nearly every bill based on who else is playing that night.
 
What is the relationship between Twangfest and KDHX?
Twangfest began independent of KDHX. It has and always will be a grassroots, non-profit, volunteer-driven event. KDHX came on as a partner in 2006, after Twangfest 10. Nico Leone had recently become co-executive director at KDHX with the mission of increasing community involvement at the station, and he saw Twangfest as a unique entity whose mission very closely aligned with that of KDHX. So he approached the Twang Gang about folding Twangfest into KDHX as a way to benefit both. Twangfest benefits by having promotional, administrative and other responsibilities shared with KDHX. KDHX benefits by being a part of a unique event that draws in passionate music fans, and which has a well formed brand that fits well with the identity of KDHX.
 
The Twang Gang operates and makes most decisions about the operation of the event essentially independently from KDHX. It’s impossible to draw a line between the two, however. Of the Twang Gang’s seven current members, four are directly involved with KDHX. All of these four, including myself, are KDHX DJs, while three are KDHX employees and one is a member of KDHX’s board of directors.
 
How did this year go?
This year went extremely well. Two nights sold out in advance and saw packed, enthusiastic crowds. We had entirely positive feedback from artists and fans alike. Two of the bands performing in St. Louis for the first time, Humming House and Kasey Anderson And The Honkies, each made a big splash and won over loads of new fans. And John Doe, who is a personal favorite of many on the Twang Gang and who we’ve been trying to book for years, closed out the event. And we were able to bring in two veteran artists, Kelly Hogan and Wussy, which again are favorites of ours but very rarely perform in St. Louis. So that was a real treat.
 
Was this year’s Twangfest different from past years?
The one major difference between this year and years past was that two of the nights saw predominantly younger bands on the bill. Twangfest has always featured both veteran and younger artists, but in the last few years, the focus has tended to be on veteran performers. This mainly has to do with the taste of the organizers and of the event’s fans, many of which have been attending the event since the beginning or close to it. I handled a small portion of the booking last year, but this year I booked the entire event, and having a better balance between young and old was a high priority for me.
 
I’m not quite 30 years old, but I’m below the average age of Twangfest attendees. I go to a ton of shows, however, including a lot of Americana and roots shows, and I know that there are younger fans out there that Twangfest would appeal to and who can be the next generation of loyal attendees. And as much as I love Robbie Fulks or Jason And The Scorchers, those artists aren’t on the radar of most younger fans of Americana. That’s no fault of those artists or of those fans. It’s simply a matter of how people are exposed to and consume music.

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