Episoder
-
A couple of weeks ago, I could not have predicted that I would come upon another way of crafting a Southern Songs and Stories podcast in this fashion. Regular or even casual listeners will be familiar with the go-to format of documentary style profiles of and interviews with music artists in this series; those of you who listen a lot will probably be familiar with some of the less traveled paths we have taken here as well, which include a remembrance for a friend and colleague who passed away unexpectedly, a survey of how western NC folks in the music business were coping in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, as well as an old school, comedic Christmas radio drama, among others. Add to that list this episode, which is a live podcast, at least for part of it. And we are talking about a subject that is incredibly deep and wide, a subject which could easily fill a yearâs worth of episodes. It is a subject that I will revisit again in more depth in coming months â perhaps not here, but at least in person. More on that in the podcast itself, which I hope you enjoy hearing as much as I did in making it.
Album art for the compilation Gastonia Gallop on Old Hat Records
Here, we excerpt two parts of a presentation I gave at Queens University in Charlotte as part of their Senior Scholars series on January 17th, 2025. This episode adds to that original talk with additional commentary, music, and new avenues of exploration for the topic, which is essentially the impact from music born of social movements, especially as it relates to radio. At Queens, I gave an overview of 13 songs associated with four social movements: Labor, Civil Rights, Feminism and Environmentalism. Here, we focus on the portions of my talk on Labor and Civil Rights, with example songs ranging from hillbilly music from a 1930s cotton mill man (âCotton Mill Colicâ) to the most controversial and simultaneously most successful song in Billie Holidayâs career (âStrange Fruitâ), and more.
Host Joe Kendrick on stage during his presentation to the Queens University Senior Scholars series 1/17/25. Photo: Daniel Coston
Songs heard in this episode:
âGastonia Gallopâ by David McCarn, from Gastonia Gallop: Cotton Mill Songs and Hillbilly Blues
âWhich Side Are You On?â by Pete Seeger, from If I Had A Hammer, excerpt
âWhich Side Are You On?â by Ani Difranco, from Which Side Are You On?, excerpt
âCotton Mill Colicâ by David McCarn, from Gastonia Gallop, excerpt
âCotton Mill Colicâ by Mike Seeger, from Classic Labor Songs, excerpt
âStrange Fruitâ by Billie Holiday, excerpt
âBlowinâ In the Windâ by Bob Dylan, from The Freewheelinâ Bob Dylan, excerpt
âBlowinâ In the Windâ by Tangled Up In Bluegrass, from A Tribute To Bob Dylan
Thanks for joining us! We hope you can help spread awareness of what we are doing. It is as easy as telling a friend and following this podcast on your platform of choice. You can find us on Apple here, and Spotify here â hundreds more episodes await, filled with artists you may know and love already, or musicians and bands that are ready to become your next favorites.
This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to everyone on staff at Albino Skunk for their help in making this episode possible. Thanks also to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs â you can link to his music here. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick
-
The new year arrived and âAuld Lang Syneâ bubbled up to the top of playlists all over the land. There are so many versions of this classic, which speaks to the importance of remembering friends and happy times from years past, and it reminded me to pause and reflect on this series, which has featured a great many musical acquaintances and friends (and acquaintances who became friends) over a fairly wide span of time; Southern Songs and Stories began as a video documentary with Aaron Burdett (now in the band Steep Canyon Rangers) in 2015, and transitioned to a podcast in spring of 2017. So much has changed over this time, with both the artists profiled here as well as the podcast itself. In 2018, we partnered with the Osiris Media folks to share the series on their platform, as well as on the internet station Bluegrass Planet Radio, and later with public radio WNCW, where you can hear capsule versions of episodes on air.
Thinking back to those early episodes, it is impossible not to feel the tug of nostalgia for that time -- it was an exciting beginning, full of hope for putting some of the music I loved onto the world stage of an emerging format, and a deep and rich period to experience and take part in the music scene in and around western North Carolina. I thought about David Childers after learning about his new collaboration with Abe Partridge, in a group called The Satan, You're a Liars, on the album Build This House Together. And so, to kick off 2025, here is a listen back to one of our first episodes on a musical hero to Abe Partridge, the Avett Brothers, and many, many more.
(L to R) Joe Kendrick, David Childers and Dolph Ramseur at Davidâs home after taping their interview 10-17-17
David Childers is a western North Carolina singer songwriter who has been a lawyer, a poet, a man who has always made music, and is also now a visual artist. Weâll get to conversations from legendary producer Don Dixon, who worked with David again on his 2017 record Run Skeleton Run, and talk with his son, longtime band member and collaborator Robert Childers, as well as the head of Ramseur Records and Avett Brothers manager, Dolph Ramseur, plus Avett Brothers member Bob Crawford, and writer, musician and WNCW radio host Carol Rifkin. Weâll also highlight Davidâs music and the music that inspired him, and delve into many insights into Southern culture along the way.
Songs heard in this episode:
âJesus Saidâ by Abe Partridge, from The Satan, Youâre a Liars
âJohnny Got A Mohawkâ by David Childers & The Mount Holly Hellcats, excerpt
âRadio Moscowâ by David Childers, from Run Skeleton Run, excerpt
âJesus Set Me Freeâ by David Childers, from Serpents Of Reformation, excerpt
âItâs Bad You Knowâ by R.L. Burnside, from Come On In, excerpt
âFemme Fataleâ by The Velvet Underground, from The Velvet Underground & Nico, excerpt
âBrown Eyed Handsome Manâ by Chuck Berry, from After School Session, excerpt
âBelmont Fordâ by David Childers, from Run Skeleton Run, excerpt
âCollar and Bellâ by David Childers, from Run Skeleton Run, excerpt
âPrice I Had To Payâ by David Childers, from Room 23, excerpt
âLittle Cindyâ by David Childers & The Modern Don Juans , from Burning In Hell, excerpt
Thank you for listening! We hope you can help spread awareness of what we are doing. It is as easy as telling a friend and following this podcast on your platform of choice, so easy! You can find us on Apple here, and Spotify here â hundreds more episodes await you.
From there it takes just a moment to give us a top rating, and where it is an option, a review! It makes a great difference because the more top reviews and ratings we get, the more visible we become to everyone on those platforms, which means that more people just like you connect with artists like David Childers, Abe Partridge, and many more we have profiled that are at your fingertips.
This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks also to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs â you can link to his music here. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick
-
Manglende episoder?
-
After surveying all of the available new Christmas and holiday themed music that I could find, I came up with a tidy playlist of nine noteworthy songs to share here in an episode that departs from our usual artist interview format. Here, we play full songs in several sets, with some back stories on each artist and song. Ranging from the elegant, folky take on âCoventry Carolâ by The Milk Carton Kids to country leaning Americana in âLayaway Mommaâ from Adam Chaffins, to previous Southern Songs and Stories guest The Get Right Band and other fellow western NC artists, this episode celebrates an array of styles and perspectives on the season.
With list in hand, little Joey Kendrick sits happily on Santaâs lap across from sister Leigh, who ponders the validity of the this oddly formal and forced tradition. Circa 1976.
Included here is a special from Christmas past, from my days producing the radio show What It Is on public radio WNCW, with founding panelists Jeff Eason and Fred Mills. We celebrated Jeffâs life and many contributions to music and journalism after his passing in 2018 on this podcast, in the episode âRemembering Jeff Easonâ. Following the music portion of this episode, we take you back fifteen years, to a time when What It Is was just two years old. You will hear a younger version of me (with a cold) talking by phone with Jeff and Fred in two short episodes, detailing some of our favorite holiday music as well as the Christmas and holiday music we would love to do without.
Songs heard in this episode:
Dulci Ellenberger âColorful Christmasâ
Ana Egge âSilver Bells Ringâ
John Doyle and Mick McAuley âGleann na-Eanâ
The Get Right Band âChristmas As A Kidâ
The Pinkerton Raid, âHappy XMas (War Is Over)â, from Winter Songs By Other People
Adam Chaffins âLayaway Mommaâ
JD Clayton âYour Favorite Christmas Songâ
The Milk Carton Kids âCoventry Carolâ, from Christmas In A Minor Key
Jenn Grant âBells Are Ringingâ
Thanks for listening! We hope you can help spread awareness of what we are doing. It is as easy as telling a friend and following this podcast on your platform of choice, so easy! You can find us on Apple here, and Spotify here â hundreds more episodes and many hundreds more artists await you.
From there it takes just a moment to give us a top rating, and where it is an option, a review! It makes a great difference because the more top reviews and ratings we get, the more visible we become to everyone on those platforms, which means that more people just like you connect with artists like The Get Right Band, Dulci Ellenberger, John Doyle, and literally hundreds more we have profiled that are at your fingertips. Speaking of Silas Durocher and The Get Right Band, their episode from 2023 stands the test of time, and you can find that by looking up âPsychedelia in the Carolinas Then and Now With The Get Right Band and Ken Friedmanâ on southernsongsandstories.com, as well as the search feature on your podcast platform of choice.
This series is a part of the lineup of both public radio WNCW and Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks also to Jaclyn Anthony for producing the radio adaptations of this series on WNCW, where we worked with Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs â you can link to his music here. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it. - Joe Kendrick
-
An interview delving into their unique approach, being at home in a liminal space, collaborating with fellow acoustic innovator Casey Driessen, and more in this conversation from their appearance at the 2024 Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Includes music excerpts from the band's third album, Love Your Mind.
-
Joe Kendrick speaks with Steve Earle by video call in June 2024, a conversation which took place after losing Jeremy Tepper just two days before, a conversation where he talks about his rigorous summer tour, his relationship with his music before he became sober, his favorite cover songs from both artists covering his music and vice versa, aspirations to record Irish music and perhaps even a jazz record, and memories of growing up in the midst of musical greats like Doug Sahm. All that and more, including his love of North Carolina trout fishing as well as music from Steve Earle’s latest album, Alone Again (Live)
-
Conversations with music artists Jesse Iaquinto and Josh Blake, as well as music professionals Jessica Tomasin, Liz Whalen Tallent, Jason Guadagnino, Rachel Shea and Russell Keith, including flood songs from Jake Blount, Rhiannon Giddens, Songs From The Road Band and The Seldom Scene. Included is a new song from Fireside Collective, "Whippoorwill".
-
Joe Kendrick posts an audio diary of the last several weeks events in western NC beginning with a lead up to Helene's arrival, and continuing with a trip to Raleigh for IBMA, a trip back home to the land of no utilities and then to the storm's aftermath, as well as a personal tragedy and a great loss for all of WNCW.
-
Conversations with Maya De Vitry and Joel Timmons about their musical collaboration, how the places where they were from and traveled to gave them equally essential but far different keys to their art, and more, including live music from both Maya De Vitry with Joel Timmons in the band, and Joel's own band Sol Driven Train.
-
An interview with Americana artist Margo Cilker, who talks about her extensive travels, cultural differences between Appalachia and the American West, working with Maya De Vitry, who performed with her at Margo’s Albino Skunk Music Festival debut the day of our conversation, her focus on the lyrics to her songs, and more, including music from her live set.
-
On August 9th, 2024, host and producer Joe Kendrick traveled with WNCW intern and rising Carleton College senior, Will Prim, to the PNC Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, just ahead of Ketch Secor’s show that night supporting Hank Williams Jr. Old Crow Medicine Show is headlining the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Tryon, North Carolina, over Labor Day weekend 2024.
The interview includes commentary and an excerpt of Old Crow Medicine Show's music, and is followed by the 2019 episode in this series titled "Anatomy of a Hit: Wagon Wheel" -
A bilingual conversation with Larry and Joe at the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC. They are also part of the lineup at the upcoming Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Tryon, NC over labor day weekend 2024. In our conversation, we talk in depth about the duo’s synthesis of musical styles and cultures, we discover why the harp became so popular in Venezuela, and we get into how their music often has themes of social justice with songs and lyrics about immigration and border issues in particular, and their conviction that cultural differences can be overcome without violence and discrimination. Plus, a tutorial on how to roll your r's! That, and live music as well as one of their brand new songs from Larry and Joe is all here.
-
Welcoming a recent episode of the music history podcast American Songcatcher to our series, courtesy of host and producer Nicholas Edward Williams
-
Conversations with two rising stars in the roots and country music world making their MerleFest debuts, along with excerpts of their latest music and commentary from host and producer Joe Kendrick
-
Music and conversation from cosmic country pioneer Daniel Donato, who talks in depth about his life’s work is a service to listeners, his ever-present muse, playing with Bob Weir of Grateful Dead fame, and perhaps surprisingly, having been an angry kid who was an avid wrestler and more, along with commentary from host Joe Kendrick
-
There are stories where the characters and events are so extraordinary and gripping that one can miss their overall meaning. It can be easy to take stories like the one you are about to hear at face value, and leave their larger context unrealized. But even the most casual reading of the events and people of Madison County, North Carolina from 1863 should raise a lot of red flags about our own worst tendencies. Even a pulp fiction version of the Shelton Laurel Massacre would lend plenty of insight into the all too often dark heart of humanity. But pull the lens back, and consider these events, their beginnings and repercussions in the arc of history, and you might come to an even more chilling conclusion. What caused neighbors and kinfolk to terrorize and murder one another in the Appalachian mountains all those generations ago, what larger forces that worked to bring out the cruelty and violence this chapter of history reveals, and what hatred and divisions that earned the place the moniker “Bloody Madison” are not only in history books; they are with us today. It would be nice to think that because America went through its Civil War, and Shelton Laurel had its Massacre, that it cannot happen again. But once you get sight of the forest beyond all its trees in this bit of history, you might wonder.
-
Travis is a musical treasure both for his work as founding member, songwriter and bass player for Infamous Stringdusters as well as for giving us his decidedly non-bluegrass, non-acoustic debut solo record Love and Other Strange Emotions. Hear his conversation with as well as commentary from host and producer Joe Kendrick in this episode, which includes excerpts of his new album.
- Vis mere
