Episode 114

Subscribe to the ASC podcast

Listen to the entire show

New rock from Dashboard Confessional
Raw and emotional: The Twilight Singers
Africa's Hallelujah Chicken Run Band
Reggae dub by Roots Tonic & Bill Laswell
Strange electronic textures from Matmos
Japan meets Norway through Caroline
A new retrospective on Gram Parsons
Cowboy singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott
'50s, '60s Folk revival singer Ed McCurdy

E-mail this page to a friend

Dashboard Confessional was originally a solo project for frontman Chris Carrabba. Hailing from Boca Raton, FL, their fourth CD follows 2003's million-selling album A Mark, a Mission, A Brand, A Scar. Dusk and Summer was produced in part by Daniel Lanois, known for his work with artists like Peter Gabriel, U2 and Bob Dylan.

Dashboard Confessional

CD: Dusk and Summer
Song: "Don't Wait"
Label: Vagrant

Listen to "Don't Wait"

The Twilight Singers began in 1997 as a side project for The Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli. Dulli originally wanted to use it as a vehicle for a concept album, Twilight As Played By The Twilight Singers. The group is now releasing its fourth CD. Powder Burns is an often intense collection of personal meditations on Dulli's drug addictions.

The Twilight Singers

CD: Powder Burns
Song: "There's Been an Accident"
Label: One Little Indian

Listen to "There's Been An Accident"

The Hallelujah Chicken Run Band originally formed in the mid 1970s to entertain workers at the Mangura Copper mines in southern Africa.

Hallelujah Chicken Run Band

CD: Take One
Song: "Mudzimu Ndiringe"
Label: Alula

Listen to "Mudzimu Ndiringe"

Roots Tonic is the band that backs Hassidic reggae star Matisyahu. Bill Laswell is a producer known for mixing broadly different genres to come up with something completely different. Together they've created an album that's mostly reggae dub with a special touch.

Roots Tonic and Bill Laswell

CD: Roots Tonic Meets Bill Laswell
Song: "Road to Axum"
Label: Roir

Listen to "Road to Axum"

Matmos is a San Francisco-based experimental electronic duo featuring Drew Daniel and Martin C. Schmidt. In addition to their own work, the two provided the rich digital textures for Bjork's 2001 Vespertine album and 2004's Medulla. The name Matmos comes from a lake in the 1968 film Barbarella.

Matmos

CD: The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of A Beast
Song: "Rose and Teeth for Ludwig Wittgenstein"
Label: Matador

Listen to "Rose and Teeth for Ludwig Wittgenstein"

Caroline is Japanese singer with a gorgeous voice. In her native home of Tokyo she's been given the nickname "queen of snow jams." For her latest CD she collaborated with Norwegian producer Andreas Bjorck.

Caroline

CD: Murmurs
Song: "Where's My Love"
Label: Temporary Residence

Listen to "Where's My Love"

Gram Parsons played with the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and released two critically-acclaimed albums under his own name before he died tragically at the age of 26. In his short time, he helped forge the marriage of country and rock. A new two-CD set from Rhino Records collects Parson's complete Reprise recordings.

Gram Parsons

CD: The Complete Reprise Sessions
Song: "Love Hurts"
Label: Rhino

We were unable to get permission from the label to play this individual cut.

Ramblin' Jack Elliott emerged in the late 1950s as a self-made cowboy, making enduring folk music with broad appeal. Once a touring partner with Woody Guthrie, Elliott influenced other artists like Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead.

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

CD: I Stand Alone
Song: "Mr. Garfield"
Label: Anti

Listen to "Mr. Garfield"

Once one of folk revival's most popular singers, Ed McCurdy started out as a Gospel singer in Oklahoma in the 1950s. His most popular hit was "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream."

Ed McCurdy

CD: A Ballad Singer's Choice
Song: "I Ride An Old Paint"
Label: Empire Musicwerks

Listen to "I Ride An Old Paint"

      Copyright , NPR