Southern Indiana-based singer-songwriter Tim Grimm had the top album (Heart Land Again) on folk radio for a second consecutive month during August 2019 and also topped the monthly top artists chart, while New York-City-based quartet Bobtown had the month’s most-played song (“Daughters of the Dust”). So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.
Joined by his Family Band, on Heart Land Again, Grimm revisits the songs of his 1999 debut album, Heart Land, and adds a couple of new ones. Grimm has recorded a number of albums and songs that have reached the top of the Folk DJ and EuroAmericana charts. He had both the most-played album (A Stranger In This Time) and song (“Gonna Be Great”) on folk radio during 2017. “Woody’s Landlord,” Grimm’s song about Donald Trump’s father, was the most-played song on folk radio in 2016, while “King Of the Folksingers,” a tribute to his friend and musical icon Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, was the #1 song on the Folk DJ songs chart in 2014. Besides having released a dozen albums over the past 20 years, Grimm has keynoted a Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) conference, has taught songwriting courses, and has worked as an actor in film, theater and television. He also has hosted an Americana concert series in Columbus, Indiana.
A roots music mash-up of pop, bluegrass, R&B, Americana and gospel, bound by a continuous thread of innovative vocal harmonies, Bobtown started out in 2008 as an a cappella group with a focus on original, contemporary field hollers. In the ensuing years, the band added instrumentation and broadened its repertoire. “Daughters of the Dust” appears on Bobtown’s fourth full-length CD. The band released is eponymous debut in 2010, following that with Trouble I Wrought in 2012, A History of Ghosts in 2014, and its new release, Chasing the Sun, this summer. Bobtown features Karen Dahlstrom (vocals, guitar and banjo), Alan Lee Backer (banjo, guitar, harmonica, and vocals), Katherine Etzel (vocals, accordion, drums, and ukulele), and Jen McDearman (vocals, percussion and glockenspiel).
Here’s a link to listen to “Daughters of the Dust”:
https://bobtownmusic.bandcamp.com/track/daughters-of-the-dust
The August 2019 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 15,088 airplays reported on 564 playlists submitted by 122 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses. The charts are compiled by Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org), a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.
The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.
Top Albums of August 2019
1. Heart Land Again by Tim Grimm (108)
2. Every Trip Around the Sun by Sharon Goldman (83)
3. Gonna Love Anyway by Louisa Branscomb (79)
4. Chasing the Sun by Bobtown (78)
5. Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne by Amy Speace (69)
6. As I Go Ramblin’ Around by Nicholas Edward Williams (68)
6. Tall Fiddler by Michael Cleveland (68)
8. Leylines by Rising Appalachia (64)
9. Rearrange My Heart by Che Apalache (60)
10. Oklahoma by Keb’ Mo’ (59)
11. Acorns by Ben Winship (58)
12. It’s a Dog’s Life by Si Kahn and the Looping Brothers (56)
13. Honest by Ordinary Elephant (55)
14. Between the Tracks by Steve Eulberg (54)
14. Conspirators by Guy Forsyth and Jeska Bailey (54)
16. Steering Pete’s Course by The Rix (53)
17. Common Man by Joe Iadanza (52)
17. Assiniboine and the Red by The Small Glories (52)
17. Rings Around Saturn by Marion Halliday (52)
20. Adobe Road by Cej (51)
21. Talk to a Human by Terri Hendrix (50)
22. Back to Shore by Shari Ulrich (49)
22. Toolshed by Ben Winship (49)
24. Now I’m Free by Bill Scorzari (47)
25. Visions by Alice Howe (45)
25. The Storyteller’s Suitcase by Ellis Paul (45)
25. Woodstock – 40 Years On by Various Artists (45)
25. Songs of Our Native Daughters by Our Native Daughters (45)
29. Where the Dogs Don’t Bite by Old Salt Union (43)
30. Facets of Folk by Mara Levine (40)
31. Good Farmer by Chris Carroll and Adam Carroll (39)
31. Free and Fine by Jordi Baizan (39)
33. Fire Out of Stone by Chuck Hawthorne (37)
34. Paws of a Bear by Sofia Talvik (35)
34. In My Pocket by Brooksie Wells (35)
34. Slow It Down by Crowes Pasture (35)
37. Mint Condition by Caroline Spence (32)
37. Unfortunate Point of View by Katherine Rondeau (32)
37. Ride Me Back Home by Willie Nelson (32)
37. Among the Best by Tim Henderson (32)
41. Tim O’Brien Band by Tim O’Brien (30)
41. Ways of the World by David Grier (30)
43. Crowing Ignites by Bruce Cockburn (29)
43. It Is Here I Leave You, Dragon by Janet Bates (29)
43. What Will We Do by Lula Wiles (29)
46. The Great Irish Songbook by Dervish (28)
47. Live at Woodstock by Joan Baez (27)
47. Dedicated to the Proposition by Spook Handy (27)
47. The Heritage Hall Sessions by James Gordon (27)
47. Is It the Kiss by Ana Egge (27)
47. Over the Trees by The Steel Wheels (27)
47. Patty Griffin by Patty Griffin (27)
53. Texas by Rodney Crowell (26)
53. Gypsy by Eilen Jewell (26)
53. Dreams on Hold by Sarah Eide (26)
53. I’m Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table by Andy Antipin (26)
53. Rose Avenue by Joel Rafael (26)
58. Concentric by Flagship Romance (25)
58. Lucky Revisited by Karen Jonas (25)
58. When You’re Ready by Molly Tuttle (25)
58. Casey Joe Lambert EP by Casey Joe Lambert (25)
58. It’s a Hard Life by Ruby Lovett (25)
63. Standard Deviation by Danny Schmidt (24)
63. There Is No Other by Rhiannon Giddens (24)
63. Even the Sparrow by Kelly Hunt (24)
66. Midnight Refrain by Leah Kaufman (23)
67. The Butcher Shoppe by Della Mae (22)
67. Cancel the Sun by The Rails (22)
67. Off to Here Land by Ashley and Simpson (22)
70. Front Porch by Joy Williams (21)
70. To Everyone in All the World by John McCutcheon (21)
70. Western Stars by Bruce Springsteen (21)
70. The Point of Arrival by Carrie Newcomer (21)
Top Songs of August 2019
Bobtown (Photo: Brian Geltner)
2. “Steel Rails” by Louisa Branscomb (22)
3. “A Garden” by Sharon Goldman (21)
4. “Carter’s Blues” by Tim Grimm (20)
5. “Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne” by Amy Speace (17)
6. “This Is My Home” by Keb’ Mo’ (16)
6. “The Wall” by Che Apalache (16)
8. “Better Days” by Tim Grimm (15)
8. “The Things That Matter” by Guy Forsyth and Jeska Bailey (15)
8. “Barefoot Girl” by Louisa Branscomb (15)
11. “Thoughts and Prayers” by Marion Halliday (14)
11. “No Man’s Land” by Bobtown (14)
11. “She Remembers” by Tim Grimm (14)
11. “Take Me Home” by Sofia Talvik (14)
11. “The Dreamer” by Che Apalache (14)
16. “Raincrow” by Casey Joe Lambert (13)
16. “Oh My Love” by The Small Glories (13)
16. “Gonna Love Anyway” by Louisa Branscomb (13)
16. “Weary Hearts” by Joe Iadanza (13)
20. “20 Cent Cotton and 90 Cent Meat” by Michael Cleveland (12)
20. “Don’t Throw It Away” by Keb’ Mo’ (12)
20. “Old Time River Man” by Michael Cleveland (12)
20. “Canada” by Shari Ulrich (12)
24. “Ramblin’ Around” by Nicholas Edward Williams (11)
24. “I Believe in Being Ready” by Rising Appalachia (11)
24. “American Girl” by Bobtown (11)
24. “Sowin’ on the Mountain” by Tim Grimm (11)
24. “Blind Willie” by Bruce Cockburn (11)
24. “Happy Life” by Nicholas Edward Williams (11)
24. “Migration” by Sharon Goldman (11)
24. “Adobe Road” by Cej (11)
24. “Speak Out” by Rising Appalachia (11)
Top Artists of August 2019
1. Tim Grimm (114)
2. Ben Winship (109)
3. Sharon Goldman (83)
4. Bobtown (81)
5. Louisa Branscomb (79)
6. Amy Speace (73)
7. Michael Cleveland (69)
8. Nicholas Edward Williams (68)
9. Rising Appalachia (64)
10. Mara Levine (63)
11. Che Apalache (62)
12. Si Kahn and the Looping Brothers (61)
13. Terri Hendrix (60)
14. Keb’ Mo’ (59)
15. Joan Baez (57)
16. Cej (56)
17. The Rix (55)
17. Ordinary Elephant (55)
19. John McCutcheon (54)
19. Guy Forsyth and Jeska Bailey (54)
19. Steve Eulberg (54)
22. Joe Iadanza (52)
22. Marion Halliday (52)
22. The Small Glories (52)
25. Ellis Paul (49)
25. Shari Ulrich (49)
27. Bill Scorzari (47)
27. Alice Howe (47)
29. Bob Dylan (46)
30. Our Native Daughters (45)
31. Old Salt Union (44)
31. Joe Jencks (44)
33. Willie Nelson (43)
33. Tim O’Brien (43)
35. Pete Seeger (42)
36. Jordi Baizan (41)
37. Joel Mabus (40)
38. Chris Carroll and Adam Carroll (39)
38. Chuck Hawthorne (39)
40. Bruce Springsteen (38)
Like/Follow Us!