Roots Music Rambler

This week on Roots Music Rambler, hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) visit with singer-songwriter Jesse Lynn Madera whose new album “Speed of Sound” is out. She pulled together a list of heavy-hitter producers to make this new record including Dan Navarro of Lowen and Navarro fame, and Grammy winners Jim Scott and Ryan Hadlock. The early single from the album “Last Calls” features Navarro and is turning some heads in the Americana space.

Frank and Falls explored the new album, her roots growing up in both West Virginia and Texas, her creative flow and inspiration and the role her actor husband Hemky Madera (Weeds, Kaleidoscope, Spider Man: Homecoming) plays in her writing.

Plus our hosts discuss a somewhat controversial topic in the Americana music space: Do women have to have a gimmick to get noticed? The question was inspired by a theory posed by a marketing and promotions pro in the space and opened an interesting conversation. 

And, as usual, Frank and Falls offer up their weekly recommendations for new music to listen to in their Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment. 

Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

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.

Welcome to Episode 19 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, we have a true Alt Country legend with us. Guitarist John Horton joins us on the show to talk about his career and impact on the music world. He became a member of the legendary band The Bottle Rockets in 2003. As if that wasn’t impressive enough to cement him as an impactful contributor to the Alt Country sound, he joined friend Jay Farrar and his band Son Volt in 2021. 

Son Volt, of course is one of the two offspring of the Uncle Tupelo split. That band is often credited with starting the Alt Country genre. 

Horton takes us through his musical journey, the impact of both bands and their music, Son Volt’s latest album Day of the Doug (a tribute to Doug Sahm) and a lot more.  

Frank and Falls also discuss the recent dust-up between Jason Isbell and the widow of Justin Townes Earle over Isbell’s song When We Were Close. The controversy was covered widely in the music business as Jenn Marie Earle posted a harsh criticism of the song which calls out their daughter.

Frank also discusses her recent trip through Belleville, Illinois, to New Orleans, to stalk historical sites related to both Farrar and former Uncle Tupelo and Wilco founder Jeff Tweedy. She and Falls also offer up their regular Pickin’ the Grinnin’ choices for music you should listen to.

Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

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.

Welcome to Episode 17 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

This week, folk music legend Si Kahn joins the program to celebrate his 80th birthday (April 23). He looks back on his over 50-year career of making music and talks about a new album coming out in September called “Labor Day.” 

Kahn is a long-time labor organizer and advocate whose songs are typically laced with political punditry and satire. His first album, New Wood, was recorded in the 1970s and chronicled electioneering and old boy’s clubs of small mountain towns, among other themes. 

Kahn has recorded over 20 albums and written four books, the latter of those mostly focus on community organizing and grass-roots community building. He is the former leader of Grassroots Leadership and has served in various roles with songwriting unions and organizations over the years.

In 1987, Kahn recorded Carry It On: Songs of America’s Working People with Jane Sapp and legendary folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger. He has also written several theatrical plays and musicals. 

Frank and Falls also discuss the ambiguous definition of Americana music and, of course, offer up another offering of Pickin’ the Grinnin’ – recommendations for you to discover new or rediscover older music this week. 

Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

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.

Welcome to Episode 17 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

This week, New Jersey-based singer songwriter Renee Maskin joins the show to talk about her transition from progressive rock and punk to folk and Americana. She’s now on her third album, an imaginative gem called Shimmer, and has even been named songwriter of the year and artist of the year by New Jersey Stage. 

Maskin spent several years in a progressive / punk band before a fateful trip to Texas and a recommendation to listen to Tom Waits turned her musical interests to folk and Americana. Since the switch, she’s been honored as a songwriter with awards and recorded three albums, all fueled by the inspiration surrounding the music scene in her hometown of Asbury Park, N.J. 

She sat in with Falls to talk about the Bruce Springsteen-vibe of Asbury Park, her evolution as a songwriter, touring with her former band which included touring with The Pretenders and more. Maskin started her professional pursuits in college as a visual artist, but quickly moved to music full-time. 

She’s been writing since she first took a guitar lesson as a teenager.

Frank and Falls also talk about Falls’s recent invitation to fill-in on WFPK’s Roots ‘n’ Boots, a weekly roots music show on terrestrial radio in Louisville, music documentaries worth watching and, of course, both share their regular pickin’ the grinnin’ recommendations for new music. 

Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

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.

Welcome to Episode 16 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

This week, Falls caught up with rising star Brit Taylor before a recent performance in support of her Kentucky Bluegrassed album. The Hindman, Ky., native actually took 2023’s Kentucky Blue, her second album comprised of a number of strong country and Americana nongs, and rendered a bluegrass version of many of those songs with Kentucky Bluegrassed. 

The bluegrass version entered the Americana Music Association charts in early March as Taylor went on the road to promote both records. Kentucky Blue was produced by Sturgill Simpson and Dave Ferguson. Taylor also previous wrote songs with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. 

Frank and Falls also talk about his trip to see Taylor play which included some celebrity spotting, of sorts. They also chat about the potential break-up of Lovejoy, Falls’s experience seeing Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit for the first time. 

And, of course, both share their regular pickin’ the grinnin’ recommendations for new music. 

Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

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.

Welcome to Episode 14 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

This week, the Patron Saint of the Dollar Store herself blesses us with her presence. S.G. Goodman joins the show to talk about her meteoric rise to prominence in the Americana music scene. The last 12-18 months have included her being named Americana Emerging Artist of the Year, releasing her second album to high acclaim, having Tyler Childers cover “Space and Time” on his Rustin’ in the Rain album, then being asked to join him on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, then going on tour to open for Childers and Jason Isbell … WOW!

Goodman sat in with Falls to talk about the rise, her background, the whole Tyler Childers evolution with Space and Time and a lot more.

Frank and Falls also talk about the Jason Isbell-Amanda Shires divorce, The 2024 Grammys and more. Falls had a very pointed reaction to Taylor Swift’s on-stage announcement of her new album much to his daughter’s chagrin. Frank lamented the fact Childers’s In Your Love video didn’t win. 

And, of course, both share their regular pickin’ the grinnin’ recommendations for new music. Falls even asked Goodman to contribute, so she told us who she’s listening to during her brief break from the road.

Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

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.

Welcome to Episode 13 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, Falls sits down with three members of the Louisville-based Digby, which is back with its first album in 17 years. The group, originally known as Hundred Acre Wood, scored a modest hit single in the early 2000s with “Hundred Percent Free” but put down the guitars, drums and fiddle as life happened to its members.

While often labeled a “power pop” band, the group evolved from a more acoustic and folk-based sound and fits squarely into the Americana vibe. 

They debuted the single “Love is Love ” on Valentine’s Day on WFPK in Louisville. The full album, Happy Little Heartbreak, drops March 1. The episode features the world-wide debut of three songs from the upcoming album (clips, not the full cuts), and lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter Paul Moeller, lead guitarist Rich Oeffinger and bassist Ben Schneider all dialed in to chat about the past, present and – yes – future of Digby. 

Also on the show, Frank and Falls discuss the recent news that Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires are divorcing. Falls drops a truth bomb on Swifties after Taylor’s tacky promotional speech at the Grammys. And, of course, some new music was offered up as this week’s Pickin’ the Grinnin’ for you to feast upon.

Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

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.

Welcome to Episode 12 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love.

On this episode, we finally explore the topic that has been nagging at Falls (at least) for some time: Does Wilco suck? Needless to day, it’s an entertaining conversation that might end in a different place than you expect. 

Also on the show, Frank asks Falls about his burgeoning addiction to vinyl record shopping and the two interview their daughters about the music they love. Katie and Lucia joined the hosts for some spirted talk about Boy Genius, Lovejoy, Gracie Abrams and more. 

And, of course, some new music was offered up as this week’s Pickin’ the Grinnin’ for you to feast upon.

Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. 

(As of press time, there are no “Wilco Sucks” bumper stickers.) 

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!

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 11 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’re joined by singer-songwriter Sara Jean Stevens. The Illinois-based artist has put in years of grind, playing in other people’s bands and other people’s music. She even did a European tour with Bleached, an L.A.-based punk band a few years back. 

But she decided one day she had songs in her that needed to get out, so she started gigging with her own band, which morphed into a solo act backed by musicians and began to find her own voice and sound. Firmly planted in the Americana sound, Stevens writes songs she calls “dusty and warm” like the horse farm she grew up on. 

Frank and Falls talked about her journey to cutting her first album, the new EP and eventual LP in the works, her career as a hair and makeup artist, her recent jaunt into being a muralist, and a lot more. Stevens is set to open for John Hiatt in the spring and is poised for a big year in 2024.

Frank and Falls also reveal Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store, talk about their experience in bands and singing in public, and, of course, share some new albums and artists worth checking in in the Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment of the show. 

Falls swoons over his favorite new find in years - Proof of Life from Joy Oladokun.  

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.

Welcome to Episode 10 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.

Ashley Best has one of the stories that just sets him up to write great country songs. The Cadiz, Ohio dairy farmer started playing music in his teens, then life got in the way. In his early 20s, his wife died unexpectedly and left him with two daughters to raise. The struggles of a widower got to him and he admitted to spending years self-medicating with alcohol. 

Then he hit rock bottom.

The journey out of alcoholism included finding love again, getting back to his family farm, and rediscovering his ability to write and perform. Best produced an EP in 2018, then dropped his first full album, Something, in 2022. His mix of honky tonk swoon and rockabilly energy has produced strong music that matches nicely with his layers-of-life-experience voice that is unique, to say the least.

Best told us he describes his vocal quality as, “tired.” We think it’s “seasoned.”

Best joined us to share his emotional journey down and back, what it’s like playing honky tonks in the Ohio-West Virginia-Pennsylvania section of the country, how his grandfather’s old reel-to-reel recordings put him on his path to music and much more on an emotional and uplifting episode of RMR.  

Frank and Falls also talk about their respective vinyl record collections, share their reaction to a local radio station’s top 2023 albums list and react to Jason Isbell’s recent dental work.  

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.