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Americana Music Tuesday Taste Sensation

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The Flatlands are feeling a little introspective tonight as we continue to try and dry out from what seems like Seattle coming to Ohio to roost.

Our Americana music feature tonight lights up Faye Webster and her tune “Kingston”. If you look past her flamingo-splashed video and colorful personality – you’ll find “Kingston” waiting in the corner – equally terrified you’ll listen and achingly hoping you’ll take the tune in.

My college years (oh, so long ago) saw my cassette case filled with “shoe gaze” fuzzy alternative music. As I was listening to Faye this past weekend, I fell into the same groove from my past. Different styles, for sure, as Faye mixes the best of roots music with R&B stylings. “Kingston” is a great summer groove and will probably escort a lot of people through their road trips, top down rides and campfires this year.

Take a Tuesday trip with Faye Webster and “Kingston” with us on the Flatlands!

Americana From the Flatlands Cabin Countdown for Memorial Day 2019

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A thunderous ‘Thank You’ from the Cabin this week to all of the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us free and safe here in the Flatlands! We will always remember you.

It’s time again this week to feature our Top 10 Cabin Countdown – if we were programming our station up at the Cabin…these are the tunes we’d make sure you caught! And we’ve added a few on the back end that are peeking in the Cabin windows to get in.

“Gloria” The Lumineers

“Rise Sun” The Infamous Stringdusters

“I Was Wrong” Bailen

“Bad Case” Lukas Nelson & The Promise of the Real

“Father Mountain” Calexico & Iron and Wine

“Love All Night (Work All Day)” Yola

“Messed With My Mind” Molly Tuttle

“Old Black Magic” Josh Ritter

“Into the Sun” Mandolin Orange

“I’m On My Way” Rhiannon Giddens

Plus…here are a few knocking on the door looking for a bit of your time

“This Too Shall Pass” Jamestown Revival

“Frightened By the Sound” Justin Townes Earle

“Front Porch” Joy Williams

“Special Announcement” The Felice Brothers

Saturday Sitdown Lukas Nelson Style

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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real launched their latest “Turn Off the News (Build a Garden)” – the title track from their forthcoming album Friday night. The tune teams them up with Sheryl Crow on backing vocals and calmly opens Lukas’ world view as we ride the tempestuous waves of the late twenty teens.

It’s a modern twist on the ” Think Globally – Act Locally” stance that makes deep, deep sense in any time. World view aside, it’s a spotless song with strong vocals, heartfelt lyrical composition and conviction of the soul.

Take a look at “Turn Off the News (Build a Garden)” here on Americana From the Flatlands! And look for the full album June 14th!

Americana Flatlands Flashback – May 23rd

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The Jayhawks are just one of those bands that if you want to share a gateway with someone into Americana music – you are safe launching them into their full back catalog. When they come out the other side – they’ll get what you were trying to share. It’s a rich catalog of tunes and there are gems on every album they launched.

We’ll throwback to one of my favorites – “I’d Run Away” from 1995’s Tomorrow the Green Grass. “Blue” and “Miss Williams’ Guitar” got a lot of the pub on that album – and for good reason, but “I’d Run Away” always hit home with me.

Take a gander at a very young looking bunch of ‘Hawks in the video. I know I looked a lot younger in ’95! Enjoy the Flatlands Flashback!

Americana Wednesday Wax

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Wax with The Felice Brothers and their latest Poor Blind Birds. We featured Justin Townes Earle yesterday and I guess we hop back on the Big Surprise Tour bus from back in ’09 with Ian and James Felice.

The long awaited “Undress” album is out on Yep Roc Records. It’s a heartfelt, slow amble “through a world that’s not what it seems” for the poor blind birds. The organ and pacing percussion walk slowly with us as the lyrics commiserate with us over the course of the 5:47 of the track.

It’s the the lyrical poetry mixed with the humanity of the Felices that make the most of this track. It’s real…it’s a product of our confusing times…and it welcomes you to walk along and shake your head along with friends in the band. Give it a listen and nod your head slowly with us…go on…it’s okay.

Americana Tuesday Taste Sensation

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Justin Townes Earle swings back with another smooth single “Frightened By the Sound” and you’ll want to hop aboard that ride. Justin has the vocal stylings that you can sit back and sink into for a long ride or a short daydream into the mystic. Mix a little Van Morrison into a bit of the southwest and into a bit of 60’s steel guitar and you’ve got the makings needed to serve up “Frightened By the Sound” stew.

Justin’s vocals and his lyrics always tend to take me aside and allow me to think things through and this one is a straight example of his ability to share himself with you. Which allows you to take what you need and, not only enjoy the song, but learn a bit along the way.

Catch Justin Townes Earle’s new album The Saint of Lost Causes coming out May 24th on New West Records.

Americana Flatlands Flashback Digs Out First Aid Kit Plus Shakey and Esme

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Glad you volunteered to head back in time with us on a Throwback Thursday – Americana style! Our first Flatlands Flashback harkens back to the woods of old as First Aid Kit let out The Lion’s Roar in 2012. Haunting and familiar the song was my first experience with Klara and Johanna. The video was a perfect match for the song – a walk through the misty woods seeking a mystery. Enjoy it again!

Set the dial for 2014 and the fiery blend of Shakey and Esme on Dearly Departed. To me, this is one of the songs I pull the covers off of when people ask me why I love this music. I chose the Pandora House as SXSW video version – I love the torn down, porch is burning, can’t feel it anymore than this performance the two showcase here. You can sign me up for Shakey Graves and Esme Patterson any time, any where and I enjoy sharing this one frequently.

Don’t let the time travel lag bother you – hope you enjoyed it and head back here next Thursday for another trip to goodness from the Americana past on americanaflatlands.com!

Americana From the Flatlands Top 10 Americana Music Cabin Countdown

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Monday night on the Flatlands which means we’re planning on heading up to the Cabin and need to know what tunes to slam into our phone. Remember, our wi-fi is non-existant up at the Cabin and our cell service isn’t so special either…so…these are the Top 10 we recommend you’d put on your phone. Makes for a fun campfire with some solid Americana goodness. Not a lot of change in the Top 10, as these are some great tunes. Here’s our Tops – and add in a few at the end looking in the Cabin window.

  1. Tedeschi Trucks Band “Hard Case”

2. Greensky Bluegrass “Do It Alone”

3. Josh Ritter “Old Black Magic”

4. Sean McConnell “I Could Have Been an Angel”

5. Shovels and Rope “The Wire”

6. Lula Wiles “Love Gone Wrong”

7. Son Volt “Devil May Care”

8. Mandolin Orange “The Wolves”

9. Gregory Alan Isakov “Dark Dark Dark”

10. I’m With Her “Call My Name”

Plus a few that made it to your friend’s phone and are bidding to get in the Cabin:

Our Native Daughters “Black Myself”

Steve Gunn “Vagabond”

The Cactus Blossoms “Please Don’t Call Me Crazy”

Weekend Americana Mixtape – February 23, 2019

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We’ve got the can opener out ready to crack your ears open to some music that may not have hit your radar yet. Each Saturday, our goal is to give you a nice mixtape to set you up through your weekend – for wherever you’re headed to and whatever you’ve got planned…

Let’s start it off with Rob Baird and Green Grass – a chugging guitar leads you through this jaunt into a Saturday. Rob’s Memphis roots are right there for you to take as your own. This one has had me hurrying to slam the door on the truck so I could get it loud on the stereo and me on the road faster. Check it out on Rob’s new album “After All”!


I really think the next stop on the Mixtape could be summed up in one sentence – I love Yola. Just a breath of fresh air swirling through the mixtape. If you’ve caught an interview with her you know how happy she can make those around her – and her music carries the same weight. My current fave from her is Ride Out In the Country – not going to lie this one just reminds me of home. I want to ride around in Yola’s truck with her…and yeah, I’d help her bury her past if she wanted me to.


I love putting fellow Ohioans on the Mixtape and I’m happy to talk about the new one from Over the Rhine – Los Lunas. Haunting and swirling – the song is a audiolog of fresh, raw feelings. The guitars float like ghosts and Karin Bergquist’s vocals soak you like a day long rain. Los Lunas isn’t a tune you pop on with a group of people in the room – but it’s one that can help you get back to wanting to be in that room of friends when things are crashing down on you.

Jenny Lewis is just straight cool. I’d like to be her for a few days and her newest tune Heads Gonna Roll underlines that. Any tune with a narcoleptic poet involved rockets to the top of my list (narcoleptic goats would surpass that, but that’s just me). Jenny’s got stories to tell and they’re not the stories in your Book of Life. Heads Gonna Roll features interesting instrumentation that really enhances the storyline she weaves. Give it a listen and take a trip to someone else.

One final tune for your Weekend Mixtape today – how about some Roses and Cigarettes California Going Home. I must have travelling on the back of my mind this weekend. A lot of the Mixtape takes you on the road this weekend. I don’t think there are any road signs for sunshine and heartbreak in the Golden State (never been there), but this song makes me think the tourism office should probably feature both in their brochures. Glad Angela and Jenny are willing to take me there with them.

That’s the Americana From the Flatlands Weekend Mixtape for you this week – find us on Twitter and Facebook

This Week’s Americana From the Flatlands Top Cabin Countdown!

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Monday night on the Flatlands and we’re feeling a deep need to update the Top 10 songs this week that make the cut. Remember, our wi-fi is non-existant up at the Cabin and our cell service isn’t so special either…so…these are the Top 10 we recommend you’d put on your phone. Makes for a fun campfire with some solid Americana goodness. Here’s our Tops – with some that might be looking to sneak in soon.

Tedeschi Trucks Band “Hard Case”

Greensky Bluegrass “Do It Alone”

Shovels and Rope “The Wire”

Josh Ritter “Old Black Magic”

Sean McConnell “I Could Have Been an Angel”

Lula Wiles “Love Gone Wrong”

Son Volt “Devil May Care”

Mandolin Orange “The Wolves”

Gregory Alan Isakov “Dark Dark Dark”

Vandoliers “Cigarettes In the Rain

Plus a few that made it to your friend’s phone and are bidding to get in the Cabin:

I’m With Her “Call My Name”

The Raconteurs “Sunday Driver”

Rhett Miller “Total Disaster”