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(First aired on WUTC 5/11/24)
Ninth Street was a thriving African American community boasting a legendary music and entertainment scene rivaling Beale Street in Memphis and New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. The best musicians in the city played in the clubs that lined this historic street, and it was home, at least for a time, to music greats like Bessie Smith, Clyde Stubblefield, Jimmy Blanton, The Impressions’ Fred Cash and Sam Gooden, Valaida Snow and others.
With The Impressions: From the Big 9 to the World Stage, Songbirds showcases one of the world’s most influential soul groups from their start in Chattanooga to becoming the soundtrack of America’s Civil Rights Movement. Ninth Street played a significant role in inspiring Sam Gooden and Fred Cash, as well as fellow Chattanoogans Richard and Arthur Brooks to form The Roosters, which would eventually become The Impressions with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler.
“The Impressions were an important part of America’s Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s— their music inspired people to keep fighting for equality,” says Mr. Caldwell. “Fred, Sam and Curtis were pioneers, and they took a risk singing those songs. We can never do enough to honor this group and celebrate their message of hope and togetherness. I hope this exhibit can help people understand the importance of this band and their music.”
The Impressions Tracklist:
Ridin' High
Fool For You
I'm The One Who Loves You
People Get Ready
Amen
Choice of Colors
We're A Winner
It's All Right
Other Artists Tracklist:
The Moonglows - When I'm With You
The Moonglows - Love is A River
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - Finger Poppin' Time
James Brown - Say it Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud
Mavis Staples - Security
Curtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead
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(First aired on WUTC 4/13/24)
Call Me Spinster is one part kaleidoscopic indie rock, one part porchy holler pop — and every bit a family operation. The brainchild of three sisters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Call Me Spinster skims nostalgia from psychedelic folk to 90’s synth-pop, weaving frank vocals with ethereal harmonies to make sense of their constantly growing world.
Band practice for Call Me Spinster is not your typical beer-fueled midnight garage rock. It starts at 10 a.m. A 7-month-old chews an XLR cord in the corner. A toddler naps in the next room over the screech of bass amps and keyboards. The sisters pause constantly to breastfeed, change a diaper, or lull a cranky child back to sleep.
The chaos of motherhood would cause most bands to stall, but Call Me Spinster has always rocked with children in the background. When Amelia, the eldest sister, became pregnant with her first child in 2017, she took maternity leave from her teaching job. The same month Amelia’s son was born, her sisters Rachel and Rosie quit their respective teaching jobs in Costa Rica and Portland, Oregon and joined Amelia in Chattanooga.
The sisters began by tackling Prince and Drake covers on a hodgepodge of acquired instruments — including their Amish grandfather’s old accordion, an upright bass, glockenspiel, and even the occasional pie pan. They busked, played brunch gigs and local festivals, then eventually opened for bigger touring acts across the Southeast. When they started applying their unorthodox arrangements to their own songs, they quickly attracted New West/Strolling Bones label head George Fontaine Sr., who connected them with producer Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Faye Webster, Toro y Moi) to create their first EP in 2020.
“The result is a set of songs that they can certainly be proud of, a series of soft, shimmering melodies that convey both youthful enthusiasm and elegiac indulgence,” wrote American Songwriter.
Call Me Spinster’s first full-length album, Potholes is due out spring of 2024 on Strolling Bones Records. Tracks range from “nods to Robyn and ‘90s synth pop”… “moments of Minnie Riperton-era Rotary Connection and Air.” Other songs dip into the realm of country - folk, but in an unusually understated, anti-Nashville style, pedal steel or accordion pinging nostalgia but staying out of the way. Lyrics present a gentle, sometimes starkly candid view of domestic life. While the inspirations are raw, there is no shortage of technicolored joy on this album. Call Me Spinster underscores emotional depth with bouncy electropop that makes you want to dance in public.
Call Me Spinster Tracklist:
Feet are Dirty
Potholes
No Yield Sign
Mule
Born in a Ditch
Standby
White Lines
Other Artists Tracklist:
Joni Mitchell – "California"
Simon and Garfunkel – "The Only Living Boy in New York"
The Clash – "Lost in the Supermarket"
The Diddys – "Intergalactic Love Song"
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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(First aired on WUTC 3/9/24)
In Chicago, a city overflowing with unrivaled blues talent, world-renowned Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials have been standing tall for almost 30 years. The band’s big sound, fueled by Lil’ Ed’s gloriously rollicking slide work and deep blues string bending, along with his rough-edged, soulful vocals, is as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets.
After playing around town in various clubs during the 80s, the band was invited into the recording studio by Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer, and the end result of the session was 30 songs cut in three hours with no overdubs and only one second take. Twelve of those songs became the band’s debut album, Roughhousin’, released in September of 1986.
Nine albums and thousands of performances later, Lil’ Ed is now universally hailed as a giant of the genre. Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials—bassist (and Ed’s half-brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett, and drummer Kelly Littleton—have remained together for nearly 30 years (an extraordinary feat for any group), the band fueling Ed’s songs with their rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship.
The Big Sound Of Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials is the musically electrifying, emotionally intense and downright fun new album from the band Guitar Player calls “a snarling boogie-blues machine…they blow down the walls.” With this new album, the band continues to bring their blistering Chicago blues to “Ed Heads” new and old. Their infectious energy, joyful showmanship and masterful playing have been honed to a razor’s edge by their many years together.
Lil’ Ed, Pookie, Mike and Kelly have seen sports stars and presidents, musical fads and fashion trends come and go. Meanwhile, their fiery music has more than stood the test of time. “We’re not band members,” says Williams, “we’re family, and families stay together.” Night after night, gig after riotous gig, the musical family called Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials bring their big, dynamic Chicago blues sound to fans across the country and around the world.
Episode Tracklist:
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "If You Were Mine"
J.B. Hutto – "Speak My Mind"
J.B. Hutto – "Lulu Belle's Here"
Blind Willie Johnson – "Dark Was the Night"
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – "Rock Me"
Mississippi Fred McDowell – "You Gotta Move"
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Troubled World"
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "You Done Me Wrong For the Last Time"
The Nighthawks – "Come Baby"
Satan and Adam – "Big Boss Man"
Frank Sinatra – "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)"
The Police – "It's Alright For You"
Jimi Hendrix – "Red House"
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Natural Man"
Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials – "Giving Up On Your Love"
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(First aired on WUTC 2/10/24)
The Mason Jennings History:
Mason Jennings was born on the Island of Hawaii, but at an early age his family moved to the opposite of tropical, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At 13, he started playing guitar and writing songs. Mason later dropped out of high school and decided to move to Minneapolis to pursue his musical career. Jennings made this decision after a friend of his father’s sent him cassette tapes of the Replacements, Jayhawks, and Prince. After non-stop listening he felt like it would be a great home for his music.
Jennings produced his self-titled debut album in 1997 on a Tascam analog four-track in the living room of a rented home, playing all instruments himself. In October 1998, he began a weekly gig at Minneapolis' 400 Bar. The two-week gig ended up lasting four months. Birds Flying Away, Mason's second record, revealed his penchant for singing first-person narratives of imaginary rustic characters. In 2002, Jennings released a studio album, Century Spring, and a "fans only" collection of acoustic songs, Simple Life. Mason released all three albums (and re-released his earlier albums) on his own record label, Architect Records.
In June of 2005, Jennings signed with Glacial Pace, a subsidiary of Sony's Epic Records headed by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. Minnesota's Star Tribune credited Brock with convincing Mason to sign after he opened for several Modest Mouse shows in 2004. Jennings had long avoided the major labels, citing desires to maintain creative control and dodge big-label politics.
In early 2008, Mason signed with Jack Johnson's record label, Brushfire Records. Jennings released In the Ever in May 2008. Blood of Man soon followed and received a coveted 4-Star review in Rolling Stone, who also cited, “What makes Mason Jennings one of the best singer songwriters you’ve never heard of is his ragged intimate voice and his simple ruminations on God, war, hope and gratitude.”
With many more albums and projects in between, we fast forward to the release of Wild Dark Metal in 2016. He got divorced and after taking some time off to focus on painting, to recover from depression and to heal from agoraphobia, he began touring again. He remarried in 2018 and released an album of love songs inspired by his new relationship, Songs From When We Met, available now.
Mason Jennings Tracklist:
Butterfly
Chemical Car
Keepin’ It Real
Nothing
Something About Your Love
United States Global Empire
The Light, Part II
Drinking as Religion
Darkness Between the Fireflies
Cursive Prayers
Other Artists Tracklist:
Bob Dylan – “Tangled Up in Blue”
Mötley Crue – “Dr. Feelgood”
Mötley Crue – “Kickstart My Heart”
The Beatles – “Get Back”
Hank Williams – “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”
Gordon Lightfoot – “Only Love Would Know”
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(First aired on WUTC 1/13/24)
"Marissa Paternoster is one of the best guitar players alive.” -Kathleen Hanna
A band lasting for half the lifetime of its members, Screaming Females has long been pounding out their own desire path. Formed in 2005 in New Brunswick, NJ, the trio has consistently created a hearty, surprising mix of indie-, alt-, punk- and stoner-rock, all with their original line-up of Marissa Paternoster (guitar/vocals), “King Mike” Mike Abbate (bass) and Jarrett Dougherty (drums).
Released on February 17th, 2023 by Don Giovanni Records, Screaming Females’ final album, Desire Pathway, was recorded at Minnesota’s Pachyderm Studios. Bright and full, the album captures the band at a time when nothing was certain other than their abiding desire to make music together.
For 18 years and eight albums, Screaming Females have clearly created their own path in the world, touring DIY, self-managing, and releasing music without compromise. The route might cut a little off the main road, but you’ll quickly see there’s a reason they went this way. You just might like where it leads you!
Screaming Females: 2005–2023
Episode Tracklist:
Ripe – Screaming Females
Bell – Screaming Females
Ever Fall in Love – Buzzcock
True Believers – The Bouncing Souls
Cut Your Hair – Pavement
Sheep – Screaming Females (Live at Songbirds)
Tell Me No – Screaming Females (Live at Songbirds)
Mourning Dove – Screaming Females (Live at Songbirds)
Let me In – Screaming Females
What's Wrong with You – Bratmobile
Freewheel – Team Dresch
Titan – Screaming Females (Live at Songbirds)
Halfway Down – Screaming Females (Live at Songbirds)
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(First aired on WUTC 12/9/23)
Guitarist / songwriter / producer Emily Wolfe has been making waves with her powerful vocals and dynamic guitar skills - and shows no signs of slowing down.
Not only is Epiphone / Gibson releasing a second Emily Wolfe Signature guitar - the “White Wolfe” - but she also recently released The Blowback, the self-produced follow-up to her 2021 album Outlier.
“I’ve spent 10 years building a foundation for my career and this year feels different. It feels like the momentum is finally picking up and I’m ready to take off. With new music coming out, another signature guitar with Epiphone and touring being back to normal after the pandemic, I am filled with nothing but excitement and gratitude," she wrote.
Wolfe’s music combines elements of classic rock, blues and modern alternative rock - creating a unique and energetic sound. She has garnered attention for her passionate live performance and has been recognized as an emerging talent in the rock music scene. Her work and live show have been praised as transcendent, sticky & sweet, and provocative - with a “blazing guitar that runs balance against compellingly melodic vocals that range from scorching to soothing.”
Episode Tracklist:
Holy Roller – Emily Wolfe
Walk in My Shoes – Emily Wolfe
Friendship Train – Gladys Knight & The Pips
Missionary Son – Emily Wolfe
Silencer – Emily Wolfe
The Slider – T. Rex (Emily Wolfe cover, live at Songbirds)
Dead End Luck – Emily Wolfe (Live at Songbirds)
Forty Six & 2 – TOOL
Sleep Now In the Fire – Rage Against the Machine
Heat of the Moment – Emily Wolfe (Live at Songbirds)
Bad Behavior – Emily Wolfe
No Man – Emily Wolfe
Predator – Emily Wolfe
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(First aired on WUTC 11/11/23)
KT Tunstall burst onto the music scene with her 2004 multi-platinum debut, Eye to the Telescope, which spawned the global hits "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See." These songs established Tunstall as a captivating, must-see performer, as well as a Songwriter with a singular knack for balancing introspective folk and propulsive rock. "I feel there are two immediate, recognizable pillars of my style," she says. "I have this troubadour, acoustic guitar-driven emotional side. Then there's definitely a rocker side of me with sharper teeth."
In the last few years, the Grammy-nominated Scottish musician has expanded on these musical selves by focusing on a trilogy of records, where each album zeroes in on a single concept: soul, body and mind. The first - 2016's KIN - was the soul record, 2018's WAX was the body record, and the new 2022 NUT is the mind record.
Episode Tracklist:
Other Side of the World – KT Tunstall
Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night – Bon Jovi
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree – KT Tunstall
Blue Moon – Billie Holiday
Psycho Killer – Talking Heads and live cover by KT Tunstall
You and Me On The Rock – Brandi Carlile
Little Favours – KT Tunstall
Lady Writer – Dire Straits
Goin’ Out West – Tom Waits
Universe & U – KT Tunstall
Suddenly I See – KT Tunstall
Hey! Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
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(First aired on WUTC 10/14/23)
Many already know the story of the early Athens, Georgia music years: R.E.M., B-52’s, Pylon, and other legendary bands. But what about present day? In this episode of The Songbirds Radio Hour, Chuck Reece, the founding editor-in-chief of The Bitter Southerner and Salvation South, and recording engineer/musician David Barbe, discuss how Athens continues to be an incubator of all kinds of music, 50 years later.
Episode Tracklist:
Feast On My Heart — Pylon
Girlfriend — Matthew Sweet
Undigested Parts — Elf Power
Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games — of Montreal
Private Idaho — The B-52's
Orange Crush — R.E.M.
Violet Furs — The Whigs
The Southern Thing — Drive-By Truckers
Submission — Monsoon
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(First aired on WUTC 9/09/23)
Legendary troubadour Steve Earle performs a solo acoustic show to fundraise for the Songbirds Foundation's Guitars for Kids program on this episode of "The Songbirds Radio Hour"—recorded at the Songbirds Guitar and Pop Culture Museum in downtown Chattanooga.
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(First aired on WUTC 8/12/23)
Sunny War, blues / folk / punk guitarist - and Buffalo Nichols, blues singer and guitarist - perform together in this special episode of The Songbirds Radio Hour.
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(First aired on WUTC 7/8/23)
The GRAMMY® Award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers Joe and Justin record and perform family music with a goal to inspire children and their parents to step outside and get creative. They believe this can motivate kids to gain a greater respect for the natural world, their communities, and themselves. Their nationwide fanbase is drawn to their witty lyrics, strong musicianship, and unique folk style. By appealing to the musical needs of the entire family and recognizing that kids deserve quality music, The Okee Dokee Brothers are working full-time to advance the family music genre.
Friendship is at the heart of this joyful collaboration between Mexican songstress, Sonia De Los Santos, and the Americana folk duo, The Okee Dokee Brothers. This bilingual program includes both old and new songs that span the musical traditions of North America and illustrate the collective power of singing together and learning from each other. With an adventurous spirit and a common vision of peace and understanding, this act encourages young and old to explore, dance, sing and laugh together, hand-in-hand.
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(First aired on WUTC 6/10/23)
The Shindellas are a band formed under the belief that when women come together, powerful change can happen. They are advocates aligned under the tenets of sisterhood, excellence, elegance, and empowerment.
Since hitting the scene back in 2017, The Shindellas, (Kasi Jones, Stacy Johnson, and Tamara Chauniece), who hails from the music city of Nashville, has been on a mission to impact music with their unique sound and style. Hand-picked by Multi-Grammy-nominated production and songwriting duo Chuck Harmony & Claude Kelly (Rihanna, Miley, Jazmine Sullivan, Ledisi, Fantasia, and more), The Shindellas were fueled by the opportunity to make music that would not only matter to them but ring true to the listeners. As a result, the ladies tapped into retro sounds of R&B/Soul influences to bring forth a sound they dubbed as ‘New American Soul’ with hints of The Clark Sisters, EnVogue, The Pointer Sisters, and LaBelle. Effortlessly displayed, they not only evoke emotion through harmony but the beauty of music is evident on their recently released debut album HITS THAT STICK LIKE GRITS via Weirdo Workshop/The Orchard. The 14-track album showcases each voice that blends to sound like one. The album's lead single "Money" remains a fan favorite. Other releases featured on the album include "Fear Has No Place," and "When You Are Lonely." Celebrity fans include names like Beyonce, Missy Elliott, and Anita Baker. Last year, they made history as the first R&B band to perform at the 2021 CMT Awards, and performed on the 2021 “CMA Country Christmas.” The Shindellas have been featured on NPR, appeared at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, performed at the TEDxNashville Women, and more. The Shindellas, at their core, are pitch-perfect. Their tone is penetratingly beautiful.
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(First aired on WUTC 5/13/23)
Artist. Activist. Music Therapist Gone Rogue.
Kyshona is an artist ignited by untold stories, and the capacity of those stories to thread connection in every community.
With the background of a licensed music therapist, the curiosity of a writer, the resolve of an activist and the voice of a singer, Kyshona is unrelenting in her pursuit for the healing power of song.
Kyshona blends roots, rock, R&B and folk with lyrical prowess.
She is both a sought-after collaborative vocalist, working with artists like Margo Price - whom she accompanied on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - Adia Victoria, who features Kyshona, Price and Jason Isbell in her single “You Was Born to Die” - and a burgeoning performer in her own right, whose 2020 release "Listen" was voted Best Protest Album of 2020 by Nashville Scene.
Kyshona’s nonprofit organization Your Song offers songwriting programs for youth empowerment programs, detention, re-entry, recovery, mental health and veterans centers and organizations.
With local support from In The Company of Wolves!
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(First aired on WUTC 4/8/23)
We’ve partnered with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera for this episode of The Songbirds Radio Hour. Here on Episode 7, we talk with Mexican-American conductor Ismael Sandoval, who is Assistant Conductor of the CSO and Music Director of the CSO Youth Orchestras.
We discuss the history of Mariachi and the importance of the tradition in Mexican society. Our special musical guest is Mariachi Aventurero from Dalton, Georgia.
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(First aired on WUTC 3/11/23)
For more than a quarter-century, the Music Maker Foundation has tended the roots of American music. Based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, this nonprofit organization serves the most vulnerable artists — those marginalized by age, poverty, race, gender, etc. — because these are the artists least likely to have the resources to share their musical messages with the world.
Join us as we talk with Ardie Dean, who has been with the Music Maker Foundation for more than 20 years and serves as house drummer and musical director of the Music Maker Blues Revue, working closely with Music Maker partner artists, producing and recording records with them. The musical guest is blues musician Charles “Sugar Harp” Burroughs, a Music Maker partner who performs, “down in the gutter, back alley, storytelling blues.”
Sugar Harp performs with our house band, Zowie & The Vanguard.
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(First aired on WUTC 2/11/23)
In this episode, we talked with folk musician and founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John McEuen, about his career, his new book, and the 50th anniversary of the band’s seminal album—Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
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(First aired on WUTC 1/14/23)
In 1972, a little-known Memphis band named Big Star was poised to make it big with the release of its first album, "#1 Record."
The album garnered rave reviews—but through a series of missteps, it never happened.
But over the following decades, Big Star started gaining a cult following with bands like R.E.M., Wilco, The Replacements, and others singing its praises.
Join us as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Big Star’s "#1 Record"—and talk to our special guest, Jody Stephens from Big Star, about the band’s enduring legacy.
Jody also performs a short set with our house band, Zowie & the Vanguard.
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(First aired on WUTC 12/10/22)
Simon Tam—author, musician, activist, and self-proclaimed troublemaker—is best known as the founder and bassist of The Slants, the world’s first and only all-Asian American dance rock band.
He approaches arts and activism with radical optimism and compassion, and in 2017, he won a landmark case at the U.S Supreme Court unanimously, helping to expand civil liberties for marginalized groups.
Simon's work has been highlighted in more than 3,000 media features across over 150 countries—including Rolling Stone, TIME, NPR, BBC, and The New York Times.
And, for the first time since 2019, The Slants perform live with a special extended set as part of this episode of The Songbirds Radio Hour.
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(First aired on WUTC 11/12/2022)
CBGBs and the 1970s New York City's punk scene are the stuff of legends - and right in the mix of it all was the band Television.
Join us as we interview Television's co-founding member and guitarist Richard Lloyd about his time at CBGB's, the recording of the band's innovative first album "Marquee Moon" - and how Television transformed the punk music genre.
Richard Lloyd also performs a short set with our house band, Zowie & the Vanguard.
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(First aired on WUTC 10/8/2022)
The inaugural episode of “The Songbirds Radio Hour” focuses on Chattanooga's famous 9th Street —now known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard—and how the thriving Black community helped shape the music career of legendary blues singer Bessie Smith.
Guests:
— Dr. Michelle Scott, the author of "Blues Empress in Black Chattanooga: Bessie Smith and the Emerging Urban South," which influenced the 2015 film "Bessie." Dr. Scott is a professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
— Neshawn Calloway - a music teacher at Chattanooga’s Center for Creative Arts - is the musical guest, covering some of Bessie Smith’s most beloved songs.
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