Biscuit City was a folk and bluegrass label based on the 17th avenue in Denver, Colorado. The label was founded by the two New Yorkers Jim Ransom (now Jai Ram Ransom) and Laura Benson and became a pivotal part of the local Colorado folk scene. During the years 1973 to 1979 they released twenty-five albums in many different genres, including recordings by dulcimer and bluegrass bands, folk artists and singer-songwriters. In today’s episode we take a look at this seldom discussed label and dig out some of its treasures. 
Thanks to Dan McCrimmon and Jai Ram Ransom for helping us with information for this episode.
Frummox-Here To There (Probe 1969)-There You GoDan McCrimmon – Colorado Folk, vol. I (1973)-Legend of the WasheenJim Ransom (Just Came Along For The Ride, 1974)-Ballad of the Fisherman’s SonPete McCabe-Colorado Folk, vol II (1974)-Sweet Jesus GoodbyeRandy Handley-Keepsake (1975)Papa Always SaidFingers Akimbo-Cowtowns & Other Planets (1978)-Abu Dhabi Man

Episode 8 - Songs from Biscuit City

Arkivet (the Archive) is a podcast about underground music from the 60s and 70s - focusing on psychedelia, progressive and folk.

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A new mix of acoustic and lysergic folk music. Tracklist: Thomas Mera Gartz - En Lycklig Sång Poor Richard - The Gulls Amory Kane - Four Ravens (single version) Yellow Autumn - Energy Spilld Mjölk - Glasverandan Glenn Saiger - Dark Side of the Moon Art Gee - Tea Gardens All That the Name Implies - Black Tuesday Chris Rawlings - Song of Creation Rabindra Danks - Lords Sweet Name Logos - Peace Chas Rose - Ballad For World Heroes Moonstone - Black Blind Light Vandy - Wishing Well Owen B - All We Are Asking Turid - Före Kenora Lachlan Chace McLearn - Lady Come Lightly Sonstar - Save Wild Basin

Black Blind Light Mixtape

A new episode to start off the new year, which we surely hope will be a better year. Here we listen to a mixed bag of new discoveries/finds from 2020, including some UK folk, privately pressed westcoast psych, dreamy pop-psych and funky Swedish blues. We also have the honor to play the new single from Kungens män, which will be included in the upcoming 5 LP-box, “Innanför boxen” that will be out in February.   Bruce Hamana – Hamana (Canyon Records, 1974) – The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth Shelagh McDonald – First Album (B & C Records, 1970) –Look Over the Hills Cinderella (Imperial, 1971) –From Town to Town Mad Hatters (Fontana, 1966)  –I’ll Come Running Red, White and Blues (MNW, 1971) –Far, Far Away Sage – Into the Wind (A & B Records, 1978) –Empty Man Sten Bergman – Lyckohjulet (Gump, 1974) – Vägen är Lång Sally Christopherson – Autumn (Customs Records, 197?) –Autumn Kungens Män – Innanför boxen (Cardinal Fuzz, Adansonia Records och Kungens Ljud & Bild, 2021) –Hamra med slutna ögon   You find more info on Kungens män on their bandcamp-page.  

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

A new mix of privately pressed US and Canadian folk and folk-rock. We also included a few Swedish progg numbers and a great westcoast-sounding band from Japan. Tracklist:  Summer Madness - In the Hills of Shiloh Trees - Psalm 46 Handgjort - Worlds on Fire Doug McArthur - One-Eyed Walden David Sinclair - A Tale of Raven Scott Jones - Chattanooga To Lynchburg Trail Randy Palmer - Starlight, Daylight Darragh Nagle - Horse Mesa Chris Rawlings - The Wheel Jim Thompson - Train for Thought Larry Reese - Second Song Sten Bergman - Människofiskare Happy End - Dakishimetai D’Arcy - The Forest Sage - Empty Man Bernt Lööf & Jan Eriksson - Kan ljuset vända åter?

The Wheel Turns On Mixtape

Paul Tescher has been collecting records for a long time and started already in the 80s to deal in obscure music. As part of the first generation underground collector he has seen the evolution of the collectors scene, from the beginning to what it is today. In this interview we talk about how he started to collect and sell records and he also share some stories from the weird world of record collecting. He also put together a selection of 6 track to play for us. Paul is still digging records weekly and still manage to find amazing records, although everyone is saying it’s drying up.  Bruce Cockburn – Ting/The Couldron (True North, 1971) Spilld Mjölk – Tills döden skiljer oss åt (Svart Mjölk, 1975) Peter Bursch – Witchwood (Pläne, 1981) Anna koka 5 ägg jag är värd i huset – Kaffekokaren (Flärrp-skivor, 1975) Stenblomma – Kungen (Silence,1973) Jennifer Warnes – Sand and Foam (Reprise, 1972)  

Interview with Paul Tescher

We’ve been in contact with Mark Sabol of Mark and Suzann Farmer for over a year and finally we found the time to record an interview with him. Mark and Suzann Farmer recorded one album, We’ve Been There, in 1978, which is still pretty obscure among collectors. It is mostly known for the moody late-night version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”, and although excellent, this album is far from a one-track-album and I’ve always considered that its true strength lies in Mark’s own compositions. About half of the songs are self-penned and Mark is a competent songwriter and creative arranger, using the sparsely equipped living room recording studio to full use while Suzann has a strong and mesmerizing voice that works well with the material. The overall feel evokes a late-night lounge set at a dimly lit countryside roadhouse and with a minimal instrumentation, including a simple drum machine and a lot of homemade production tricks, they create a mellow but still diverse experience, with enough nuances to keep you returning for repeated listening. The covers generally work well in the mix, and if anything, adds to the lounge vibe and reflex the sound of their live set. In this interview we talk about the making of the album and how it was in the lounge business in the late 70s. We also listen to Dreams, American Child, Waiting For the Dawn and We’ve Been There from the album.

Episode 8 - Songs from Biscuit City

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