Another fine mess \ Playlist 29 Oct

Confusion at Acoustic Spectrum about who was putting the hour back on the server meant that all the shows, including mine, went out an hour early. The chap who got me involved with AS is as frustrated as any one with the poor service they are providing as he also presents a folk music show. He is now starting to look round for another internet radio web site which we can move to, unless we get assurances that the service at Acoustic Spectrum will improve.

I think I have been particularly unlucky with the technical problems as four out of the eight shows I have done have been affected. But I will carry on as I'm getting some positive feedback about the show and I'm reaching a wider audience that I was when I was just doing stuff on Mixcloud.

If you missed it, you can listen to the Hallowe'en show here...

http://www.mixcloud.com/cmbertram/the-folk-acoustic-music-show-08/

Steeleye Span - Bede's Death Song
Steeleye Span - The Unquiet Grave
KT Tunstall - The Girl and the Ghost
Jamie Smith's Mabon - The Gordano Ranter
Stuart Anthony - Angels and Devils
Bill Malkin & Band Wagon - The Ghost of The Mary Rose
Kathryn Roberts - The Drowned Lovers
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Bats in the Attic
Richard Thompson - Razor Dance
Kate Rusby - Sweet William's Ghost
The Folk - Here Come The Creeps
The Duhks - Death Came A Knockin'
Dave Rowlands - Jim Hardings Waltz
Richard Thompson - The Ghost of You Walks
Gin Goblins - Hammerama


Next week's show is one I recorded a couple of months back with most of the songs to do with the sea. I've edited it so it includes the track Katrina from Show of Hands' new album. Fingers crossed the show will go out at 9pm next Monday!

http://streams.museter.com/start/acoustic/

Scottish Mix & Hallowe'en show

I've uploaded a mix of a dozen songs by mainly Scottish artists from CDs I've been sent over the last couple of years. It's a mixture of traditional and contemporary, singers and instrumentals. Check it out here - 

http://www.mixcloud.com/cmbertram/scottish-selection-2010-12/

This Monday's show will have a spooky theme to it as it will be just a couple of days before Hallowe'en, so expect to hear songs about ghosts, graves, bats, drowned lovers and a tribute to Hammer Horror by the likes of Steeleye Span, KT Tunstall, Richard Thompson, Kate Rusby, The Duhks, King Creosote & Jon Hopkins and Gin Goblins.

Tune in at 9pm on Monday the 29th on the Acoustic Spectrum web site.

The Folk and Acoustic Music Show playlist 22 Oct

Here's last night's playlist. If you missed it or would like to listen again, go to mixcloud.com/cmbertram

The Carrivick Sisters - If I Had Time
Hayseed Dixie - Mountain Man
Heather Bristow - Somebody's Cryin'
Dan Melrose - Migraine's Fame
Gillian Welch - Tennessee
Jaywalkers - Introducing...
Jaywalkers - Drag You Down
Jaywalkers - Dark Eyes
David Ferrard - Childhood Days
Seasick Steve - Whiskey Ballad
Tracy Moore - Mumbles The Cat
Mad Pudding - Vagabond
Angie Palmer - I Hear That Locomotive
Kate Rusby - Elfin Knight (outro)

I've had interest from two other bands about doing their own interviews, namely The Cadbury Sisters and Lazibyrd so hopefully this will be an occasional feature on the show. I'm now looking out tracks for next week's Hallowe'en edition of the show with songs about ghosts, graves, death and drowned lovers!

Remember to check out the Folk & Acoustic Show page on Facebook.

New feature on the show

I'm trying out a new feature this week which I'm hoping will become a regular part of the show. As I record my shows at home I am unable to do interviews so I've come up with the idea of asking bands to record a few minutes introducing themselves and their music to you the listeners. It's up to them what they want to include but I can provide them with some sample questions.

My guinea pigs for this are the band Jaywalkers. Two members of the band have recorded five minutes' worth which will go out on this Monday's show along with two tracks from their new album.

I sent some typical interview questions to get them started like

- how did you meet?
- how long has the band been together?
- what are your musical (and other) influences?
- what are your plans for the next couple of months? Any live dates?

So along with the Jaywalkers feature on this bluegrass edition of the show there will also be tracks by The Carrivick Sisters, Hayseed Dixie, Seasick Steve, Gillian Welch and Angie Palmer.

 
The Folk & Acoustic Music Show
Mondays at 9pm on acoustic-spectrum.co.uk
Listen to previous shows at mixcloud.com/cmbertram

The Folk and Acoustic Music Show playlist 15 Oct

To coincide with the release of the new Show of Hands album 'Wake The Union' I included 2 tracks from it along with a track by Jenna Witts who guests on the album. There were also songs by Fence Collective members Down The Tiny Steps and HMS Ginafore, a John Martyn cover by Session A9 and an Indigo Girls cover by Chris & Kellie While plus a song from Nick Keir's new cd, The Edge of Night.

I'm planning on having a bluegrass theme in the next couple of weeks which will hopefully include an interview of sorts with members of Jaywalkers. The show will also include tracks by The Carrivick Sisters, Angie Palmer and Seasick Steve. 

Remember that you can listen at your leisure to previous shows on Mixcloud

Show of Hands - Now You Know
Nick Keir - Slow French Waltz
Chris & Kellie While - Power of Two
Bellowhead - London Town
Down The Tiny Steps - Infinitea
Jo Gillot - Travelling Raft
John Rigby - Dragon Mind
HMS Ginafore - Suzy 4 Jack
Show of Hands - Seven Curses
Merry Hell - Over The Border
Session A9 - One for the Road
Jenna - Wish You Were Here

Listen online on Mondays at 9pm at acoustic-spectrum.co.uk

Top 25 Albums

If you're a music fan it's more than likely that from time to time you'll think about what your Desert Island Discs would be or your Top 10, 20 or whatever favourite songs, bands, albums, gigs. The other day my good friend Reza Mills posted a list of his 25 favourite albums of all time on Facebook so I thought I'd do the same. I quickly realised that I was going to miss out so many favourites that I decided to limit it to singers and bands who I have seen in concert, or in the case of Vivaldi, heard the piece in the concert hall.

So here is my Top 25 in alphabetical order. My favourite album of all time? I'll get back to you on that!

AC/DC - Back in Black
Big Country - The Buffalo Skinners
Cara Dillon - Cara Dillon
Crosby, Stills & Nash - CSN
Fairport Convention - What We Did On Our Holidays
Dick Gaughan - Live at the Trades Club
Stephane Grappelli - Just One of Those Things
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
John Mellencamp - Scarecrow
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Motorhead - Another Perfect Day
Iggy Pop - Brick By Brick
Michelle Shocked - Arkansas Traveller
Spearhead - Home
Colin Steele - The Journey Home
The Black Crowes - Amorica
The Damned - Strawberries
The Stranglers - The Raven
The Who - Live at the Isle of Wight Festival
Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
Richard Thompson - The Old Kit Bag
Throwing Muses - Hunkpapa
Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
ZZ Top - Tres Hombres

The Folk and Acoustic Music Show playlist 8 Oct

I didn't tune in last night but according to Wes the show was coming thru loud and clear which is a relief. If you missed it you can catch up on Mixcloud.

Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies - Watter's Coming Annie
Kim Edgar - The Steamy Note
Wes Martin - Exit Bert (jansch)
Bert Jansch - La Luna
Lorraine McCauley and the Borderlands - Belong
James Yorkston - The Year of the Leopard
Jess Thomas - Inbetween The Cracks
Wes Martin & Hannah Duncan - River Bed
The Imagined Village - Get Kalsai
Kate Rusby - Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Dead Flamingoes - The Jealous Sailor
Rua MacMillan - Ooh, Pierre!


Here's James Yorkston with Jenny Casino aka HMS Ginafore performing Year of the Leopard...

Red Rose Recovery Radio 5 Oct

As it is 50 years ago to the day that The Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do, I went for a Fab Four covers theme on my first broadcast on RRR Radio. Hope you enjoyed it. I'd never heard anything by Charlie Dore before but love her version of "Here Comes The Sun".

01 - I Don't Want To Spoil The Party by Rosanne Cash
02 - If I Needed Someone by Show of Hands
03 - Don't Bother Me by Kami Thompson
04 - While My Guitar Gently Weeps by Jake Shimabukuro
05 - Help by The Damned
06 - You Never Give Me Your Money by Glenn Tilbrook with Nine Below Zero
07 - Here Comes The Sun by Charlie Dore

Here's the video of Jake playing "While My Guitar..." Quite incredible playing!

Red Rose Recovery Radio

I've been asked to contribute to the weekly broadcast which goes out on Red Rose Recovery Radio. They are an organisation which helps people with drug and alcohol problems in the Lancaster and Morecambe area and their radio shows started about a month ago. At the moment they broadcast on Friday afternoons between 1 and 4pm with the main presenters being Philip Cowles and Gordon Smith who were previously among the volunteers at Diversity FM.

So I've recorded a half hour feature which, all being well, will be going out this Friday at 2pm. I'll be playing some different stuff to what I do on Acoustic Spectrum and this first feature has been inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first single released by The Beatles. So I've chosen 7 songs covered by various artists including Rosanne Cash, Kami Thompson, The Damned and Glenn Tilbrook with Nine Below Zero.

You can tune via their web site - http://redroserecovery.co.uk/


Re my previous post, I'll be playing the Icepops and Jesta next time - I promise! This won't be a weekly thing though - just the occasional guest spot.