Roots Music Rambler

Welcome to Episode 9 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls “Frank,” and Jason Falls, who goes by “Falls” most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

This is a special episode we’ve been hinting at for a while. In November of 2023, Falls traveled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on business. While there, he reached out to Oud soloist and teacher Mohammed Dohai. The Oud is a traditional Arabic instrument dating back centuries that is a predecessor of the lute, mandolin and guitar. It is typically played with 12 strings, double strung like a mandolin, but has a deep, pear-shaped body, short finger board and angled capstan. 

Dohai spent 10 years working as a civil inspector on engineering projects in the UAE but in 2015 transitioned to playing and teaching Oud full-time. He’s since become a frequent performer throughout the Arabic region, playing for large crowds, royalty and beyond. 

He teaches Oud at Bait Al Oud, a prestigious international conservatory dedicated to the instrument in Abu Dhabi. He not only accepted Jason’s invitation to be on the podcast, but met him in person to talk about, show and play the instrument for Roots Music Rambler.

This episode is special for that and other reasons. Our journey to understand the roots of this Arabic instrument and one of its finest players is exactly why the podcast exists … to dig into the roots of music and musicians that a given place or time makes unique. 

Frank and Falls also share their recent weekend that can only be described as Trucker-laden, Falls reveals his new S.G. Goodman-inspired tattoo, and the two share the music they’re listening to this week to help you know what Picks are making us Grin in the Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Notes and links:

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s time for Episode 8 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls “Frank,” and Jason Falls, who goes by “Falls” most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode we dig into the eclectic world of artist, musician and bonafide Eastern Kentuckian John Haywood. Not only is John an “old time” banjo player, but also leads a heavy metal band while being an artist and running a tattoo parlor during the day. He hails from Prestonsburg, Kentucky, just a hop, skip and a jump from Pikeville, where Falls grew up.

The conversation was fascinating as Haywood explains the difference in mountain banjo versus bluegrass banjo, how bluegrass and heavy metal music are intertwined, and how his childhood and background with and without music shaped his life as an artist.

His latest banjo album is called Upon My Word and Honor, which John explains was a phrase his papaw used to say, but he didn’t quite hear correctly. The heavy metal band is called Appalachiatari and can be found on Spotify. His website is full of his artwork and his tattoo parlor can be found on Instagram.   

Frank and Falls also share some fun stories about their first concerts. Falls cringes at his and just cackled at Francesca’s teen heartthrob first show. She recovered, though, with the story of seeing U2 during The Joshua Tree concert.

Falls also offers a sneak peek at a very cool future episode. He is traveling to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for his work life and is planning to interview Mohammad Dohai, a concert oud performer (an Arabic instrument similar to a lute or mandolin).  

As usual, the two have some recommendations for new music in the Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment as well that includes a new album from a notable Americana singer.

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Some other notes and links:

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount!

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Roots Music Rambler is also sponsored by Sonos. Put high quality speakers in every room of your house for a seamless listening experience while you party, work, laundry, clean and more. Go to https://rootsmusic.link/sonos to get your first speaker and experience the difference of Sonos.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s time for Episode 7 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls “Frank,” and Jason Falls, who goes by “Falls” most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, Ben Weiss of the Utah-based bluegrass group Pixie & The Partygrass Boys joins Frank and Falls to talk about perhaps the best bluegrass cover album of all time. The Chicken Coop, Vol. 1 is and 11-track toe-tapper that puts a guitar-mandolin-banjo-fiddle spin on everything from “Gimmie Shelter” by the Rolling Stones to The Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.”

Intentionally silly and fun, Pixie & The Partygrass Boys took their bars and weddings gigs and jazz backgrounds and flipped them into a novel, but serious musical take on bluegrass music. In fact, they have a new album on the horizon that isn’t as cover and gimmick-driven.

Weiss, who plays mandolin and provides some vocals for the band, joined the show on the eve of a Pacific Northwest jaunt for the group. He talked about the background of the band, their treatment of a recent version of The Nutcracker and the commonalities in jazz and bluegrass.  

Frank and Falls also spent time lamenting the TikTok-ificiation of Americana music shows and concerts, from tickets to crowds, and Falls shared his experiences watching Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour movie with his daughter at a Drive-In Theatre. 

(And stick around for the outtakes as he almost embarasses a former teacher!)

As usual, the two have some recommendations for new music in the Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment as well that includes a new album from a notable Americana singer.

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Some other notes and links:

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount!

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Roots Music Rambler is also sponsored by Sonos. Put high quality speakers in every room of your house for a seamless listening experience while you party, work, laundry, clean and more. Go to https://rootsmusic.link/sonos to get your first speaker and experience the difference of Sonos.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Episode 6 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls “Frank,” and Jason Falls, who goes by “Falls” most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, singer-songwriter Nathan Graham’s debut album Saint of Second Chances is out and a breath of fresh air mixing Chicago blues, rock, pop, soul and more. He joined Frank & Falls to talk about his background, family, influences and the new tunes, as well as what he learned from his brief stint on The Voice in 2017.

The Chicago native spent several years as a session musician and playing clubs with several bands before friends and family encouraged him to start singing as well. He also found others singing the songs he wrote didn’t quite satisfy his need to give birth to the song. 

Graham is also on a personal mission to break the stereotype of people of color seldom being labeled a “singer-songwriter” despite performing the same tasks in even the same genres. The three discuss the stereotypes, Graham’s parents and their impact on his music, and how Chicago impacted his art.

The episode starts with Falls reacting to Jason Isbell’s recent criticism of Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” and offered some pointed criticism of his own. 

And the Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment features everything from Native American artists to Tears for Fears. 

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Some other notes and links:

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount!

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Episode 5 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls “Frank,” and Jason Falls, who goes by “Falls” most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, Frank & Falls are joined by Ella Salter and her backing band, The Sunday Sinners. Ella’s 2019 debut album “Beverly” saw its launch thwarted by COVID and the South Alabama singer had a sluggish start to a promising rise through the Americana and Country circuits. But she pulled together The Sunday Sinners once the world opened back up and the unit has been writing new songs since.

They’re in the midst of an Indie Go Go campaign to raise the necessary funds to record a second studio album in early 2024 and are still working the roadhouses, bars and clubs throughout the South in preparation.

Ella et. al., joined the podcast from their weekly rehearsal space – a furniture store – near Mobile, Ala., and talked about Ella’s Texas-Alabama roots, the hurdles she and the band have had to overcome, writing the new album and much more. 

Falls also shares his recent experience with and Edgar Allen Poe dramatic production on The Belle of Louisville and he and Francesca file their regular segment Pickin’ the Grinnin’ where they share the new artists, albums and songs that are making them smile this week.

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Some other notes and links:

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount!

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Episode 4 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls “Frank,” and Jason Falls, who goes by “Falls” most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, Francesca catches up with Jay Gonzalez of the Drive by Truckers. The multi-instrumentalist has a new side project coming out in December. He shares the story of finding and collaborating with lyricist Peter Smith to produce the new Gonzalez Smith album. The first single from the album, She’s My Girl, is out now. 

Frank also explores Jay’s roots as a musician growing up in upstate New York, moving to the South and blending with the Drive by Truckers. 

Frank & Falls also do a little check-in to see how the show is going so far, four episodes in. Francesca reveals she spent 20 years as a 9-1-1 dispatch operator. Jason muses on his next tattoo and hints that he’s working on an impersonation off Drive by Trucker co-founder Patterson Hood. 

Since we’re all new to Roots Music Rambler, the show includes three main parts:

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Some other notes and links:

Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations

And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount!

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to episode 3 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls “Frank,” and Jason Falls, who goes by “Falls” most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, we talk about Falls’s disappointment with a concert cancellation, the sweet Dolly Parton AirBnB he stayed in recently in Nashville, and the latest songs and artists piquing our interest. This show’s guest is self-proclaimed travel pop artist Mike Mentz whose journey from the Chicago suburbs to the world abroad has inspired two significant new projects that are framing roots music in a whole new light.

We talk to him about his acapela group beginnings, singing on a cruise ship, then traveling the world with an inspired mission to let the place inspire his music. He’s recently launched an impressive video and record series based on several months visiting Mexico and has many more facets of the project on the horizon.

Since we’re all new to Roots Music Rambler, the show includes three main parts:

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Some other notes and links:

And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount!

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the second episode off Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls "Frank," and Jason Falls, who goes by "Falls" most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, we talk about Tyler Childers' new album, the first song that took Francesca's breath away, and she talks Falls out of pulling a smart-alek stunt at an upcoming Ryan Adams show. Our guest this time around is the Queen of Queer Country Cindy Emch. She is the founder and brains behind The Secret Emchy Society which is playing Americanafest the week of this episode drop. We dig into her childhood growing up with an accordion-playing mom, college radio days, her experience growing into an LGBTQ existence in the world and how her person and personality presents challenges in the world of country music.

Since we're all new to Roots Music Rambler, the show includes three main parts:

Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It's a new episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Some other notes and links:

And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount!

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Episode 1 of Roots Music Rambler! What was once an off-shoot of a travel blog is now destined to become your favorite music podcast. Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo, who Jason calls "Frank," and Jason Falls, who goes by "Falls" most of the time, as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, we talk Oliver Anthony conspiracy theories, tobacco farming, Napster & more with up-and-coming country artist JD Shelburne. His new album "Neon Hallelujia" is out and the sixth in Shelburne's efforts, all of which dig into hometown life in Taylorsville, Kentucky. The conversation wound around his childhood, his parents, his wife and 3-year-old son. We talked about songwriting, the evolution of his music, the temptations of the music industry and more.

And yes, we dug into Oliver Anthony and whether or not Shelburne thinks the conspiracy theories that Anthony's explosion onto the music scene was all a set up.

As you hear in this premier episode of Roots Music Rambler, the show includes three main parts:

Buckle up for what Falls called, "The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down." It's the debut episode of Roots Music Rambler.

Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Where there are people, there is music. In our celebration of melodies and lyrics, harmonies and riffs, we typically focus on the songs or the people who wrote them. We often overlook the where.

Welcome to Roots Music Rambler!

Join Francesca Folinazzo and Jason Falls for Roots Music Rambler, a podcast exploration of the where as much as the who or what. We’ll interview emerging and established artists, fans and others in Americana, Outlaw Country, Bluegrass, Blues, Roots, Soul, World and beyond. But we will always get to the stories of where they’re from and how that impacted the music we know and love.

It’s more than just their influences. It’s their families. Communities. Cultures. This show is a fun combination of music, travel, history and more. We dig into the stories from artists, musicians, songwriters, producers, fans and beyond, that don’t just expose their musical influences, but their life influences. 

Music follows the path of human movement. We trace the steps to bring better understanding to what we hear today and why we love it.

Where music, travel, history and culture intersect

Join us for the exploration of the real roots of music on Roots Music Rambler. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Find more at rootsmusicrambler.com and join our Backstage Pass Community on Patreon.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.