KC Groves had the most-played album (Happy Little Trees) and three of the six most-played songs (“Little Rain,” “Northern Lights” and “Bluebird”) on folk radio during September 2017, and was the month’s most-played artist. Mara Levine (with Gathering Time) had the month’s #1 song, “By My Silence.” So say charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio.
Happy Little Trees is KC Groves’ first solo project in 13 years and features mostly original songs and tunes by the Lyons, Colorado-based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, who helped bring old-time music to a wider audience as the leader of the all-women’s roots music group Uncle Earl for more than a decade. Backing the Telluride Troubadour contest finalist and Detroit Music Award winner on her third solo album are Oliver Craven (The Stray Birds), Charlie Rose (Elephant Revival), Erin Youngberg (FY5), Steve Smith (Hard Road Trio), and Jake Simpson (The Lil’ Smokies).
“By My Silence,” co-written by Ellen Bukstel and Nick Annis in 2008, is a provocative warning about the perils of remaining passive in the face of injustice. Called “one of the best singers of her generation” by Christine Lavin, New Jersey-based Mara Levine has been creating beautiful interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk songs for many years. Helping to arrange and backing her on “By My Silence” is Gathering Time, a Long Island, NY-based folk harmony trio, whose own song, “Too Far to Turn Back Now,” by band member Stuart Markus, also was among the month’s most-played songs on folk radio.
The September 2017 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 12,417 airplays from 127 different DJs. Labels and release dates appear in brackets below, while the number of reported spins is shown in parentheses. The top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.
Top Albums of September 2017
KC Groves had the top album (Happy Little Trees) and was the most-played artist on folk radio during September 2017, according to the Folk DJ Listserv.
2: One Song At A Time, Barbara Jo Kammer [barbarajokammer.com, new] (72)
3: Bidin’ My Time, Chris Hillman [Rounder, new] (70)
4: Folksinger, Vol. 2, Willie Watson [Acony, new] (58)
5: Spaghettification, Christine Lavin [christinelavin.com, new] (51)
6: Night Tree, Night Tree [nighttreemusic.com, new] (50)
7: Peaceful Easy Feeling, Jack Tempchin [Blue Elan, new] (48)
7: Worth, Emily Mure [emilymure.com, new] (48)
9: Poor David’s Almanack, Dave Rawlings [Acony, 8/17] (47)
9: Southern Blood, Gregg Allman [Rounder, 9/17] (47)
11: Folk Hotel, Tom Russell [Frontera, 9/17] (46)
11: The Hammer And The Heart, Susan Cattaneo [Jersey Girl, 6/17] (46)
13: Chase The Sun, The Early Mays [Bird On The Wing, 8/17] (44)
13: The Long-Awaited Album, Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers [Rounder, new] (44)
15: Undone, Sean McConnell [Rounder, new] (42)
15: Waitin’ For The Sun, Rusty Young [Blue Elan, new] (42)
17: Bone On Bone, Bruce Cockburn [True North, 9/17] (40)
18: Forest Fire, Shawna Caspi [shawnacaspi.com, 9/17] (38)
18: On That Other Green Shore, John Reischman And The Jaybirds [Corvus, 6/17] (38)
18: What If, The Jerry Douglas Band [Rounder, 8/17] (38)
21: Come Back Coming On, Young And Rusty [Motherlotus, new] (35)
22: When We Stand Together, Magpie [Long Tail, 5/17] (32)
23: Dog, Charlie Parr [Red House, 9/17] (30)
23: Fragments, Chris Ronald [Borealis, 5/17] (30)
25: Facets Of Folk (preview), Mara Levine with Gathering Time [Mara’s Creations, new] (29)
25: Grace, Lizz Wright [Concord, new] (29)
25: Hang On For The Ride, Aaron Nathans And Michael G. Ronstadt [michaelronstadt.com, new] (29)
28: A Black And Tan Ball, Ben Hunter, Phil Wiggins, Joe Seamons [Tantamount, 7/17] (28)
28: Down Hearted Blues, Eilen Jewell [Signature, 9/17] (28)
28: Middle Of Nowhere, Folkapotamus [Phatcat, new] (28)
31: Horizon Lines, Matthew Byrne [matthewbyrne.net, 8/17] (27)
31: Lead Belly, Baby!, Dan Zanes And Friends [Smithsonian/Folkways, new] (27)
33: Wildflower Blues, Jolie Holland And Samantha Parton [Cinquefoil, 9/17] (26)
34: The Wild, Kris Delmhorst [Blue Blade, new] (25)
35: Run Away, Rebekah Long [LUK, new] (24)
35: Singin’, Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio [Vessel, 6/17] (24)
37: Contraband Love, Larry Campbell And Teresa Williams [Red House, new] (23)
37: The Conversation, Pete’s Posse [Epact, 8/17] (23)
37: The Queen Of Hearts, Offa Rex [Nonesuch, 7/17] (23)
40: Freedom Highway, Rhiannon Giddens [Nonesuch, 2/17] (21)
40: Poets, Philosophers, Workers And Wanderers, Joe Jencks [Turtle Bear, 5/17] (21)
42: Lukas Nelson And Promise Of The Real, Lukas Nelson And Promise Of The Real [Fantasy, 8/17] (20)
42: Some Distant Shore, Bill Booth [Wheeling, 3/17] (20)
42: Walk In The Dark, Rob Lutes [Lucky Bear, new] (20)
45: Songs Of Bob Dylan, Joan Osborne [Womanly Hips, new] (19)
45: Too Far To Turn Back Now (single), Gathering Time with Mara Levine [Treble-G, new] (19)
45: The Workingman’s Blues, Kat Goldman [Self, 8/17] (19)
48: An American In Havana, Susan Werner [Self, new] (18)
48: The Richmond Sessions, The Sherman Holmes Project [M.C., 7/17] (18)
48: Wondrous Beauty, Ken Dunn [Self, new] (18)
51: California Calling, Laura Cortese And The Dance Cards [Compass, new] (17)
51: Party Of One, George Thorogood [Rounder, 8/17] (17)
51: Revolution Now, Emma’s Revolution [Moving Forward, 5/17] (17)
51: The Safest Place I Know, Robert K. Wolf [Brooding Stud, 2/17] (17)
51: Turmoil And Tinfoil, Billy Strings [Self, new] (17)
56: James, Eliot Bronson [Rock Ridge, new] (16)
56: Not My Monkey, Fiddle Whamdiddle [Self, 7/17] (16)
56: Old Salt Union, Old Salt Union [Compass, 7/17] (16)
56: When The Bloom Falls From The Rose, Sarah Jane Scouten [Light Organ, 6/17] (16)
56: Where The River Meets The Road, Tim O’Brien [Howdy Skies, 3/17] (16)
61: The Family Feast, Uncle Bonsai [Yellow Tail, new] (15)
61: Folk Songs, Kronos Quartet And Friends [Nonesuch, 6/17] (15)
61: King Of Killing Time, The Sweetback Sisters [Signature, 8/17] (15)
61: Ruckus, Beyond The Pale [Borealis, 6/17] (15)
61: Small Believer, Anna Tivel [Fluff And Gravy, new] (15)
61: Tell The Devil I’m Gettin’ There As Fast As I Can, Ray Wylie Hubbard [Bordello, new] (15)
61: True Colors, Gina Clowes [Mountain Home, new] (15)
68: Play One More: The Songs Of Ian And Sylvia, Tom Russell [True North, 5/17] (14)
68: Shame, Rachel Baiman [Free Dirt, 6/17] (14)
68: Silence In These Walls, Flatt Lonesome [Mountain Home, new] (14)
68: Wild As We Came Here, The Steel Wheels [Big Ring, 3/17] (14)
Top Songs of September 2017
Mara Levine (second from right) and Gathering Time perform in concert. (iPhone Photo: Michael Kornfeld)
by Mara Levine with Gathering Time
from Facets Of Folk (preview)
2. “Little Rain” (25)
by KC Groves
from Happy Little Trees
3. “Northern Lights” (20)
by KC Groves
from Happy Little Trees
4. “Too Far To Turn Back Now” (19)
by Gathering Time with Mara Levine
from Too Far To Turn Back Now (single)
5. “Peaceful Easy Feeling” (17)
by Jack Tempchin
from Peaceful Easy Feeling
6. “Bluebird” (16)
by KC Groves
from Happy Little Trees
7. “Bells Of Rhymney” (15)
by Chris Hillman
from Bidin My Time
7. “I Can See Clearly Now” (15)
by Barbara Jo Kammer
from One Song At A Time
7. “Machine” (15)
by John McCutcheon
from The Machine (single)
10. “Work Hard Love Harder” (14)
by Susan Cattaneo
from The Hammer And The Heart
11. “Love In A Moving Van” (13)
by Shawna Caspi
from Forest Fire
12. “Already Gone” (12)
by Jack Tempchin
from Peaceful Easy Feeling
12. “So Good” (12)
by Barbara Jo Kammer
from One Song At A Time
12. “Turn This Ship Around” (12)
by Christine Lavin
from Spaghettification
15. “Come On Over My House” (11)
by Dave Rawlings
from Poor David’s Almanack
15. “Midnight Train” (11)
by Dave Rawlings
from Poor David’s Almanack
15. “Samson And Delilah” (11)
by Willie Watson
from Folksinger, Vol. 2
15. “Wish On The Wind” (11)
by Night Tree
from Night Tree
19. “Black Muddy River” (10)
by Gregg Allman
from Southern Blood
19. “Cumberland Gap” (10)
by Dave Rawlings
from Poor David’s Almanack
19. “Hang On For The Ride” (10)
by Aaron Nathans And Michael G. Ronstadt
from Hang On For The Ride
19. “Hey Joe” (10)
by The Jerry Douglas Band
from What If
19. “My Only True Friend” (10)
by Gregg Allman
from Southern Blood
19. “Road To Nowheresville” (10)
by Folkapotamus
from Middle Of Nowhere
19. “Running Under Water” (10)
by Sean McConnell
from Undone
19. “Wildflowers” (10)
by Chris Hillman
from Bidin’ My Time
19. “Worth” (10)
by Emily Mure
from Worth
Like/Follow Us!