Connie Smith, a classic country songstress, gets a new Bear Family box; get ready for Townsend, the latest one-named star-in-the-making; Ohio singer-songwriter Andrew Gabbard achieves Psychedelic-Americana; a treasure trove of pre- 63 burners from Koko Mojo. Plus, Bruce Cockburn at 76 still stands tall.
There’s a good chance listeners will think Homemade is one of the best local albums of the year, and Gabbard’s avowed influences like The Beatles and Beach Boys are in clear evidence.
ONLINE: Neal Francis
April 1, 2021
Chicago pianist-songwriter Neal Francis.
Radio listeners in the Monona area are probably already aware of WVMO, a volunteer-run low-power FM station. If you re outside the listening area, you might want to check out the station
streaming on the web; it s twice won station of the year awards from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. WVMO celebrates five years on the air with a special concert from the stage of the Barrymore Theatre, featuring the rockin soul and roots music of Chicago-based songwriter-pianist
Neal Francis and band. Find the livestream on
YouTube (or, listen over the air at 98.7), and information on how to donate to WVMO at the
This week during New Tunes at Two, we’ll check out new music from Langhorne Slim, Aaron Frazer, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, and Brighter Days Ahead. Join us Monday through Thursday during the 2pm hour as we enjoy new tunes together.
Monday, our feature disc will be Langhorne Slim’s album
Strawberry Mansion, which is a collection of 18 songs written in March, April and May of 2020. He describes that time as, “The beginning of a new world. The unraveling of an old one.” Strawberry Mansion is the neighborhood in Philly where his grandfathers grew up. He shares, “It’s become a place of myths for me. A place that’s dirty but sweet, tough but full of love.”
A.J. Croce –
By Request (Compass): “Over the past three decades, A.J. Croce has established his rep as a piano man and serious vocal stylist who pulls from a host of American traditions and anti-heroes it’s part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul. While his last album, JUST LIKE MEDICINE, paired him with soul legend Dan Penn and an all-star cast of players, his new album was born of memories of favorite artists and shows, but mostly, of late-night gatherings with groups of friends, many of them fellow musicians, with Croce at the piano taking requests. Croce revisits these musical evenings with BY REQUEST, 12 personally curated covers that traverse decades and genres, propelled by his spirited, loose-and-easy piano mastery and emotive vocals. It’s a tribute to Croce the music fan as well as Croce the musician that both the variety from pop to RnR to soul and execution is inspired, aided by a full band and horns. BY REQUEST is the first album Croce has released