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Friday
Jan202012

Break That Cabin Fever Tonight at the Bellevue Art Museum!

 As the snow melts away, it's time to put a shine on your shoes and head on out the door -- to Bellevue, in fact, for tonight's Mad Men and Martinis party taking place at the Bellevue Arts Museum.

The party starts at 8pm, and the cover charge (a mere ten dollars) not only gets you into the party, but also into the George Nelson exhibit that's running through mid-February. Here's a little more on his work:

Reaching the height of his career in the mid-20th century, George Nelson (1908 - 1986) undoubtedly numbers among the founding figures of American design. Trained as an architect, Nelson made his mark not only as a designer but as an acclaimed writer, lecturer, exhibition designer and passionate photographer. His deliberations on questions of domestic living and the modern home and office set benchmarks in the field. As design director for Herman Miller, Nelson invented numerous classics of modern furniture and interior design. Featuring more than 220 objects, including furniture, lamps, clocks, graphic works, architectural models, films, prints and a full-scale partial reconstruction of the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, this retrospective renders a comprehensive portrait of Nelson and his many activities, acknowledging his prominent position in the world of design over nearly four decades.

Rad mid-century modern design and Greg Vandy on the decks? You can't beat it!

Dress vintage, cash bar. More info on tonight's event at the Bellevue Arts Museum site.

See you there!

Thursday
Jan122012

Listen To Roadhouse Radio NOW: 01/11/12: Zoe Muth In-Studio

Zoe Muth at KEXP, by Victoria VanBruinisseYou gotta love the pedigree. Pure Ballard, WA.

And that voice. And those songs. Zoe Muth is a favorite country singer/songwriter of mine and after you hear this KEXP session that includes three brand new spankin' songs (one she claims is not really even finished) she'll be yours too. Just acoustic guitar, a mic, and me with the questions (oh, those questions!).

Zoe popped into the Roadhosue with a new engagement ring (!), jeans, sweater, and hair pulled back and talked about her songwriting process, the mystery of why she sings country, and of course Ballard (Her dad was a mailman in Ballard for 30 years- does it get any better?!). She has a nervous laugh, stories about being served her first legal drink at Hattie's Hat by yours truly (she spilled it!), and plays three beautiful tunes that not even her band has played with her yet.

This one is special. Click the link below for the entire show, or go to the direct link for this KEXP in-studio performance. Zoe's performance was recorded on Wed 1/11 at 7:30pm.

Also on the show you'll hear heavy soul from Al Green and Dornondo (for real 70's pimp!), blue-eyed soul from Allen Stone and Mayer Hawthorne, new breakthrough artists Alabama Shakes and Michael Kiwanuka, and a new amazing album from Charlie Parr.

There's old 60's folk too, but it all kicks of with some Cinematic Country from 1968 with the likes of Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra, Bobbi Genrty, and Sandy Posey.

Check it!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 (LISTEN TO THIS SHOW)

Time Artist Song Album Label
6:00 Sandy Posey I Take It Back Sandy Posey MGM

DJ Comments: Live footage of the song "Single Girl" with bio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6RELf_1zzA
6:03 Bobbie Gentry Tobacco Road The Delta Sweete Capitol

DJ Comments: Live footage of Bobbie on the Johnny Cash show in 1971: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4ZCrMESar8
6:06 Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood I've Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up to Me) Nancy & Lee Reprise

DJ Comments: Vid of Nancy & Lee doing "Summer Wine": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQiDs9tKZv4
---- air break ----
6:09 Dorondo Didn't I 45 Music City

DJ Comments: B-side of Listen to My Song ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darondo
6:12 Al Green Belle The Belle Album Hi

DJ Comments: Live vid of this song from 1978 in Tokyo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EJsmZbS-vg ; still recording and touring: http://www.algreenmusic.com/
6:17 Liam Bailey Save Some Love


DJ Comments: Brand new song from this young Nottingham, England artist ; this song is from his Facebook page ; he has a couple EPs available online: www.liambaileymusic.co.uk/news
6:20 Michael Kiwanuka I Need Your Company


DJ Comments: More new British soul! The album due in March, but some songs available for download now ; michaelkiwanuka.com/
6:25 Allen Stone Satisfaction Allen Stone self-released

DJ Comments: Sat-Sun 1/14-1/15 @ Neptune, also Bellingham and Ellensburg the two nights before ; local boy! www.allenstone.net/ ; video of his amazing appearance live on KEXP last month: blog.kexp.org/blog/2011/12/01/live-video-allen-stone/
6:29 Beta Hector Angie Sticky Soul Fingers: A Rolling Stones Tribute MOJO

DJ Comments: This song feat. Dionne Charles on vocals ; Beta Hector aka Simon Hill out of Brighton, England, founded Baby Charles and continues to make music and DJ ; From the CD accompanying Jan 2012 issue of Mojo Magazine: http://cover.mojo4music.com/Item.aspx?pageNo=1831&year=2012 ; http://betahector.com/
---- air break ----

Click to read more ...

Wednesday
Jan112012

Win two tickets to the Honky Tonk Angels show this Saturday! {1/14}

This is going to be one hell of a good night, and we're excited to announce that we've got two guest list spots to give away for the Honky Tonk Angels show this Saturday at Columbia City Theater!

If you'd like a chance at spending your night with the likes of Zoe Muth, Kaylee Cole, Vanessa Small, The Brambles, Rachel Mae, the Peterman Sisters, and those amazing ladies and gents of Side Saddle, take a minute to enter to win! Just Contact Us by way of that link up there in the menu and tell us why we should send you to the show. We'll pick a winner sometime Friday morning and let you know via email that you're on the list.

Get to it!

And tune in to the Roadhouse tonight to hear Zoe Muth live on the air -- she'll be performing an in-studio right about 7:30 PST. Listen online or tune in to 90.3 on your FM dial here in Seattle!

{21+ / 9p / $15 / tickets}

Sunday
Jan082012

Listen To Roadhouse Radio NOW: 01/04/12: The New Landscape in SOUL

Let's take a stroll down to the new SOUL. And don't let the acoustic guitars fool ya! This shit is hot and the good is getting gooder if you like soul done right. Check this new SOUL on this radio show right now- 3 hours worth. Click the link!

Not only fire tested and rough & ready acts like Raphael Saadiq, Charles Bradley, and Sharon Jones, but the new blue-eyed wonders like Allen Stone, Mayer Hawthorne, Pickwick, and Eli "Paperboy" Reed can be heard on this one. And let's add the newest soul hitmakers from the UK too- Michael Kiwanuka (top picture-look out for this guy!) and Liam Bailey (below picture- Save Some Love came out on his Facebook page last week!).

And did I mention the Alabama Shakes? There on here too and perhaps the most exciting new band on our radar featuring the steamy vocals of Brittany Howard. Google them right now.

Also, our very favorite new roots releases from Wooden Wand (with killer band The Gum Creek Killers), Black Keys (they like vans!) The Barr Brothers (channeling Blind Willie Johnson, loudly), Gary Clark Jr (he'll be in-studio, solo, on Wed Feb 22nd!), Deer Tick (John McCauley smokes cigarettes!), Deep Dark Woods (Canadians!), Scott H Biram (born in jail!), and a new one from Betty Wright (please call it a comeback!) produced by The Roots.

This show is one of the best in years. We out did ourselves!

*Next week Zoe Muth plays live, and solo, in-studio. I love her

Wednesday, January 04, 2012 (LISTEN TO THIS SHOW)

Time Artist Song Album Label
6:00 The New Mastersounds Return to Gijon Mojo Presents: The New Dictionary of Blues and Soul
6:04 Filmore Street Soul Rebellions Put Your Weight on It, Part 1 Vital Organs Groovy Sounds Unlimited
---- air break ----
6:07 Alabama Shakes Hold On Alabama Shakes Self-Released

DJ Comments: Tue 1/31 @ Crocodile, and earlier that day live on KEXP! http://www.alabamashakes.com/ ; live vid from last month: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnGD8Am7Lgw
6:11 Pickwick Hacienda Motel Myths self-released

DJ Comments: Sat 1/21 in Bellingham @ Wild Buffalo ; http://www.myspace.com/pickwickmusic ; live footage from their KEXP show at the Mural last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz3sb9BxprY
6:15 Charles Bradley The World (Is Going Up In Flames) No Time For Dreaming Dunham Records

DJ Comments: Vid of this song live on KEXP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bbgHTdSPJ4 ; http://thecharlesbradley.com/
6:18 Eli "Paperboy" Reed You Can Run On Come and Get It Capitol

DJ Comments: Cool live vid of "Come and Get It" on a vintage-looking set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMDGKjCSnmo ; http://www.elipaperboyreed.com/
6:21 Raphael Saadiq Stone Rollin' Stone Rollin' Columbia Records

DJ Comments: This song live on KEXP in 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PT26t-KHoU ; the song "Radio" live on KEXP in 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pwfCuSw_DU ; http://www.raphaelsaadiq.com
6:25 Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside I Swear Dirty Radio Partisan Records

DJ Comments: Greg Vandy's top album of 2011! http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2011/12/07/2011-top-ten-list-spotlight-greg-vandy/ ; http://www.sallieford.com/
---- air break ----
6:30 The Black Keys Money Maker El Camino Nonesuch

DJ Comments: Interview w/the boys about working w/producer Danger Mouse: http://www.nme.com/nme-video/the-black-keys---working-with-danger-mouse-changed-us/1265682858001 ; http://www.theblackkeys.com/

Click to read more ...

Sunday
Jan082012

Listen To Roadhouse Radio: 12/28/11: Best Songs & Albums Of The Year!

Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside is #1

And the rest of the best is all right here for ya. Click the link!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 (LISTEN TO THIS SHOW)

Time Artist Song Album Label
6:01 Johnny Otis & His Orchestra Happy New Year, Baby Santa Claus Blues Jass Records
6:03 Lightnin' Hopkins Happy New Year Blue Yule Rhino
6:07 The Black on White Affair Auld Lang Syne Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest in Funk & Soul (1965-1975) Light in the Attic Records
---- air break ----
6:11 Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside Poison Milk Dirty Radio Partisan Records
6:15 Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears Since I Met You Baby Scandalous Lost Highway Records
6:19 Alabama Shakes Hold On Alabama Shakes Self-Released

DJ Comments: Tue 1/31 @ Tractor, and earlier @ 1pm live on KEXP ; http://www.alabamashakes.com/
6:23 Allen Stone Unaware Allen Stone self-released

DJ Comments: Sat-Sun 1/14 - 1/15 @ Neptune ; http://www.allenstone.net/
6:29 Pickwick Hacienda Motel Myths self-released

DJ Comments: NYE in Wenatchee! and Sat 1/21 in Bellingham @ Wild Buffalo ; http://www.myspace.com/pickwickmusic ; listen to Pickwick's live Concert at the Mural last Summer as part of the KEXP/Seattle Center No Depression Night: http://kexp.org/live/liveperformance.aspx?rId=33639
---- air break ----

Click to read more ...

Thursday
Dec222011

A Very Vintage Christmas In The Roadhouse: 12/21/11

 

Enjoy this one with glad tidings and best wishes from American Standard Time and KEXP. 

This show (click the link below!) is most suitable for a Christmas Eve playback under the glow of Christmas lights, served with gin & tonics, nut crackers, and tangerines. So grab someone close, call the family, or if you're having a Blue Christmas (like many of the characters in these songs!), play it to get by. 

This selection of vintage jazz and blues from the 40's, 50's, and 60's shares the many perspectives of the Holiday season- from the joys of plum pudding, marshmallow worlds, soul santas, reefer, and money, to the hard times of winter blues and lonliness. It's all here from some of the true greats- Fats Waller, Charles Brown, Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Lou Rawls, Booker T & The MGs, Babs Gonzales, Ramsey Lewis, Otis Redding, and the classic Columbia recording by a reluctant Miles Davis, "Blue Xmas" (vocal by Bob Dorough).

And who knew that Santa spends the whole year getting high at The North Pole, or how cool he looks in his red suit, shades and cigarette talkin' jive? Jimmy Butler is not shy about wanting to trim ya (er, your tree...), Pearl Bailey wants money, Sonny Boy Williamson is caught looking in his baby's dresser drawers (not cool) and Rashaan Roland Kirk spins "We Three Kings" into "We Free Kings". It's pretty killer.

This is Christmas from the other side of the tracks, from back in the day. And in these hard times, perhaps William Bell's sentiment says it best when he sings "Why Can't Everyday Be Like A Holiday?" For the more grounded of you, perhaps the  immortal words of Soul Brother #1, James Brown says it best in his plea, "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year"

But for me, it's always Charles Brown who says it best,

"Merry Christmas Baby" 

Click it!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 (LISTEN TO THIS SHOW)

Time Artist Song Album Label
6:02 James Brown Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year Santa's Got a Brand New Bag Rhino

DJ Comments: Released as a single on King in 1966 ; Welcome to The Roadhouse's Very Vintage Christmas!
---- air break ----
6:08 The Ramsey Lewis Trio Plum Puddin' More Sounds of Christmas Chess Records

DJ Comments: Audio of the group doing "Christmas Blues" from 1961: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKGeUPRjNZ8
6:10 Booker T. & The MG's Silver Bells The Original Soul Christmas Rhino

DJ Comments: Recorded in 1966 at Stax Studios in Memphis
6:13 Otis Redding Merry Christmas, Baby Dreams to Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology (disc 2) Rhino

DJ Comments: B-side of 1968 Atco single (A-side: White Christmas) ; http://melingo.com/thesoulnet/otis.htm
---- air break ----
6:18 The Ramsey Lewis Trio Jingle Bells More Sounds of Christmas Chess Records
6:18 Detroit Junior Christmas Day Blue Yule Rhino

DJ Comments: 1960 single on Foxy Records
6:20 Solomon Burke Presents for Christmas The Original Soul Christmas Atlantic

DJ Comments: Live footage of the man in a big red coat with big white collar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPYyHGjLrwk
6:23 The Supremes Little Bright Star Merry Christmas Motown

DJ Comments: Audio of "Little Drummer Boy" from the same album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo1X68Fgsv0
6:25 The Twistin' Kings Xmas Twist The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 1: 1959-1961 (disc 6) Hip-O Select

DJ Comments: Apparently aka The Funk Brothers, the Motown house band! http://trunk-of-funk.blogspot.com/2008/12/xmas-twist-twistin-kings.html ; http://motownjunkies.co.uk/2010/04/24/139/
---- air break ----
6:30 Charles Brown Please Come Home for Christmas Charles Brown's Cool Christmas Blues Bullseye Blues

Click to read more ...