For the Sake of the Song

Bobby Stevens is a singer/songwriter and guitar player in St. Louis who writes self-described “tender tunes” but whom I would describe as kindred spirits with John Prine , Bruce Springsteen, and the podcast’s namesake, Mr. Townes Van Zandt. When Bobby’s not around town singing and playing guitar, you can also find him co-hosting the beloved poetry open mic with his partner, Kyle, at The Heavy Anchor the last Wednesday of every month, creating what has become such a special space in the St. Louis poetry, art, and music communities.

Playlist Track Listing:

Playlist Track Listing:

1. Burnout” by Green Day
2. “Hiding Out In The Open” by Feist
3. “Politics of Free” by Woods
4. “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan
5. “My Favorite Picture of You” by Guy Clark
6. “X-Ray Style” by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
7. “I Wish It Would Rain” by The Temptations
8. “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” by Bruce Springsteen
9. “Aside” by The Weakerthans
10. “The Way It Goes Sometimes” by Garrett T. Capps
11. “Old Note” by Lisa O’Neill
12. “That’s the Hurt” by Zack Kelley
13. “Girl With The Dirty Hair” by Adam Carroll
14. “The Grave & the Cradle in Bloom” by Andy Cook
15. “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers

Skylar Townsend is a St. Louis-based singer/songwriter who released her debut album, “Hit the Ground Runnin’”, in late 2025 and you can find it on streaming services everywhere!

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “Don’t Fool Around (with the Biggest Fool Around)” by The Goldenrods
2. “Tulsa Time” by Don Williams
3. “Blue” by LeAnn Rimes
4. “Drunken Angel” by Lucinda Williams
5. “They’ve Closed Down the Honky Tonks” by Miranda Lambert
6. “Rattlesnake Girl” by Jaime Wyatt
7. “Crackers” by Barbara Mandrell
8. “The Book of Love” by The Magnetic Fields
9. “Motorcycle Drive By” by Third Eye Blind
10. “Dear Miss Loretta” by Carly Pearce & Patty Loveless
11. “I Wish I Was the Moon” by Neko Case
12. “Timber I’m Falling In Love” by Patty Loveless
13. “A Lesson In Leavin’” by Sierra Ferrell and Nikki Lane
14. “Queen of The Clowns” by Summer Dean
15. Carole With An E” by Brennan Leigh

Travis Dodds is well-known around St. Louis, mostly for his amazing guitar playing, which he’s been doing for nearly 20 years now, but he also plays bass, keyboards, synth, mandolin, and sings. And he’s got a lot of former bands to his name, including Jr. Clooney, LePonds, Yannon, Laika, and Big Color, and he also releases solo work as MacsHeadroom. His current project is called God and they just released their first EP back in November 2024 and they are working on their full-length now. If you want to hear the playlist of someone who grew up in Arkansas going to honky tonks and death metal shows, check it out!

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “The Way Up: Opening & Part One” by Pat Metheny Group
2. “Out of Sequence” by Drab Majesty
3. “Either Way” by Wilco
4. “Selkies: The Endless Obsession” by Between The Buried And Me
5. “Right Where It Belongs” by Nine Inch Nails
6. “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” by Waylon Jennings
7. “Green Man” by Type O Negative
8. “Ice Monster” by Minus the Bear
9. “Witches’ Rave” by Jeff Buckley
10. “Goodbye” by The Sundays
11. “Aja” by Steely Dan
12. “Julien” by Carly Rae Jepsen
13. “The Valley Road” by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
14. “Under The Pressure” by The War On Drugs
15. “Brakhage” by Stereolab

FERGUSON is a singer/songwriter out of Nashville whose indie rock music channels the best of ‘60s-70s era pop. His debut album, State of Gold, was released back in 2019 (under his full name, Ian Ferguson), and he quickly followed that up the with the B-sides record Junk the following year. And now FERGUSON has released his latest album for our listening pleasure, Never In My Life, which came out in late September on County Fair Records. Recorded with producer Will Brown in East Nashville, FERGUSON wrote all of the songs and played every instrument on the album and the result was 10 pop songs that are described as “a spiritual cousin to the experimental pop sounds of Sargent Peppers and Pet Sounds”.  Check out Never In My Life wherever you get your music and make sure to follow FERGUSON online to see what comes next! 

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “Solitude” by Duke Ellington
2. “Love Hurts” by The Everly Brothers
3. “ Walk on By” by Dionne Warwick
4. “Hereos and Villains” by The Beach Boys
5. “Ruby” by Silver Apples
6. “I’ve Been Waiting for You” by Neil Young
7. “Tonight Will Be Fine” by Leonard Cohen
8. “Monkberry Moon Delight” by Paul and Linda McCartney
9. “Queen Bitch” by David Bowie
10. “Satori Part I” by Flower Travellin’ Band
11. “M.E.” by Gary Numan
12. “Coming Up” by Paul McCartney
13. “I Can’t Hardly Stand It” by The Cramps
14. “Voices Carry” by ‘Til Tuesday
15. “Maureen” by Sade

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers

Julianna Riolino is a singer/songwriter from Ontario whose music has been described as alt-country, rock ‘n’ roll, pop, and more and she's been described as embodying Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt in one person, which is pretty badass! After the success of her debut album, All Blue, Julianna has followed up with her second album, Echo In The Dust, released in October 2025 on MoonWhistle Records. On the album you can expect to hear “big feelings layered with guitar twangs, vivid pedal steel, and walloping horns”. Chicago’s Reader said the album is “a roots-rock album that floats in currents of postpunk, punk, and doo-wop”. And, in this host's humble opinion, Julianna is one of the best out there right now so make sure you check out Echo In The Dust and then check out Julianna's tour schedule to you can make sure to catch her when she comes through a city near you because she is one hell of a performer to boot! 

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “Winter Is Blue” by Vashti Bunyan

2. “Sally Go Round the Roses” by Pentangle

3. “On Her Side” by Erin Rae

4. “Swim Practice” by Mariel Buckley

5. “Whatever That Means” by Dorothea Paas

6. “Mr. Sellack” by The Roches

7. “freefall” by Jane Inc.

8. “Your Heart’s A Tin Box” by Kassi Valazza

9. “Rags” by Bria Salmena

10. “Play It Out” by Wolf Alice

11. “Sunday” by The Cranberries

12. “Skin & Bones” by The Sundays

13. “Running Errands (Yesterday)” by U.S. Girls

14. “Honky Tonk Women (Live)” by Ike & Tina Turner

15. “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers

This episode features a special co-created playlist, brought to you by Page Burkum and Jack Torrey of The Cactus Blossoms, who have been gifting us modern classics that blend Americana, folk, country, and early rock ‘n’ roll for well over a decade. Based out of Minneapolis, the land of great bands, brothers Jack and Page, along with their band, have released multiple studio albums, each to widespread critical acclaim. No Depression said of their latest album, Every Time I Think About You, “the pair seems to approach their craft with a classicist’s ear, always finding the cleanest words to fill up their harmonies.” Make sure to check out Every Time I Think About You wherever you get your music and follow The Cactus Blossoms on your social media of choice to find when they're playing a city near you!

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “Every Night” by Paul McCartney
2. “Waiting For My Child” by The Consolers
3. “Lately I’ve Let Things Slide” by Nick Lowe
4. “Lean on Me” by Harry Nilsson
5. “Lighten Up & Try” by Erin Rae
6. “Sanza Zomi Na Mibale” by Docteur Nico & Orchestre African Fiesta
7. “Deep Blue Day” by Brian Eno
8. “The Wind” by Laura Nyro & LaBelle
9. “Death of the Party” by Dean Johnson
10. “How Long” by Skip James
11. “Take Me Home Jesus” by Link Wray
12. “With My Face On The Floor” by Emitt Rhodes
13. “Travelin’ Light” by J.J. Cale
14. “You Made A Believer Out Of Me” by Ruby Andrews
15. “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)” by Bob Dylan

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers

It's the one-year anniversary of the podcast! And to celebrate the occasion, this special episode features a very special guest: musician, artist, my boyfriend, and unofficial producer-behind-the-scenes - Jake Maness!

Jake is most well-known as the drummer and singer in the blues rock duo, The Maness Brothers, that he formed with his brother David, who plays guitar and also sings. The Maness Brothers have toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, and Europe and have released multiple albums and EPs. Their latest album, Hill House, is coming out December 27th on Romanus Records so make sure to check that out! Also make sure to check out one of Jake's many other, active bands including Dock Judson, in which he is the lead singer/songwriter and drummer, and The Jits and (d)Friends, in which he plays drums, and The Irene Allen Band, in which he plays washboard and drums.

There's so much more to say about Jake and how instrumental he's been to the podcast, supporting me every step of the way, but you'll just have to listen to the episode to hear more!

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “So Much Better” by Dean Johnson
2. “Love Is A Wish Away” by Faith NYC
3. “Nobody Can Live Forever” by Tim Maia
4. “Monsoon Lightning” by Lonesome Shack and Tom Walbank
5. “Dirty South” by James Leg
6. “Going Back To Memphis – Live” by Soledad Brothers
7. “Coal Black Mattie” by The Black Keys
8. “Ace of Spades” by O.V. Wright
9. “Mush-a-Ring Around” by Freight Train Rabbit Killer
10. “Drive Back” by Neil Young
11. “You Don’t Know What Love Is” by Fenton Robinson
12. “Fire on the Sun” by The Animals
13. “Heavy Music – Pt. 1” by Bob Seger
14. “Evil (Is Going On)” by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
15. “Tears Come Rollin’ Down” by Henry Townsend

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers (yes, the same Maness Brothers that the guest, Jake, is in!)

Lera Lynn is a singer/songwriter whose thoughtful songwriting, poetic lyricism, cinematic soundscapes, and haunting vocals blend Americana, indie rock, folk noir, and art pop. She’s released multiple studio albums and composed numerous pieces for film, TV, and video games, including writing and performing four songs for Season 2 of True Detective, for which she gained widespread recognition. She’s also a producer, known for her meticulous production through her record label, Ruby Range Records. Her latest album, “Comic Book Cowboy” came out just last month and is receiving high praise, with one review noting, the album “sounds like nothing else in this world, in the best sense of the word, and inspires with a multitude of daring/ingenious musical ideas.” You can stream “Comic Book Cowboy” wherever you get your music or, even better, head to leralynn.com to get a vinyl or CD copy! 

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “Table for Blue” by Andrew Combs
2. “Green Thumb” by Post Malone
3. “Perfect Dark – New York Version” by Flyte
4. “Broken Harvest” by Madison Cunningham
5. “control (lose)” by Misty Boyce
6. “Paradise Lost” by Thomas Dybdahl
7. “End of A Friendship” by Julia Jacklin
8. “Martha Sways” by Andy Shauf
9. “The Magician” by Andy Shauf
10. “May Later” by Blake Mills
11. “My Love Mine All Mine” Mitski
12. “Change” by Big Thief
13. “October Sky” by Yabba
14. “Empty Trainload of Sky” by Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings
15. “Cutting It Close” by Iron & Wine

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers

We're back with Volume Two of the Guest Playlist!

Most of the guests on the podcast are musicians and they make us playlists of other musicians’ songs but we don’t get to hear the music that the guests themselves are making and putting out there, which hardly seems fair!

So to remedy that, every 15 episodes I release a playlist that features one song from each of those guests!

And to help me with these regularly occurring special episodes, we are so lucky to have the esteemed Caron Brittany House on the pod! In addition to being a truly wonderful human and friend, Caron has been contributing to the STL music scene for well over a decade. Her show Wax Lyrical ran for nearly 11 years on KDHX and she’s a longtime member of the Twangfest Board of Directors and has been instrumental in showcasing amazing local and national music in STL. And part of that includes the Saturday Sessions at the Tower Grove Farmers Market, which run every Saturday from April to October and feature some of the best acts in STL!

For these Guest Playlists, Caron chose the songs from half the artists and I chose the others and then we chatted about them so give it a listen, find some new music, and show the amazing podcast guests some love!

Playlist Track Listing:

1. “It’s Been Awhile” by Smoke Association / Isaac Chosich
2. “Rae” by Lilly Hiatt
3. “Time Trades” by Jeffrey Lewis
4. “Can’t Get Away” by Shitstorm / Matt Stuttler
5. “Lipstick Stains” by Hunter Peebles & The Moonlighters / Matt Maher
6. “Field” by Les Rhinoceros / Mikey Coltun
7. “Perfect Shade of Blue” by Alex Huck (on YouTube only)
8. “Dying on the Vine” by Patton Magee
9. “Had To” by Esther Rose
10. “First it was a movie, then it was a book” by Florry / Francie Medosch
11. “Ouray” by Garrett T. Capps and NASA Country
12. “Hard Lines” by Tony M. Hall
13. “Trying” by Cyanides / Brian Will
14. “Stranger in the City” by The Mighty Pines / Neil Salsich
15. “Crooked Crown” by The Soledad Brothers / Johnny Walker

For the Sake of the Song Intro/Outro Music: "Gun" by The Maness Brothers @TheManessBrothers

A.J. Croce is a singer/songwriter and piano virtuoso with decades of music and touring to his name. He's released eleven studio albums, including his most recent, “Heart of the Eternal”, which was released in early 2025. His music blends rock, blues, soul, and Americana and his new album even has some psych and jazz influences. He’s worked and toured with many of the greats, including BB King, Ray Charles, Leon Russell, Allan Toussaint, Ry Cooder, Jack Clement, Tony Berg, and dozens more.