Treat A Stranger Right by Frank & Allie Lee was the top album on folk radio for a second consecutive month, along with The Family Songbook by The Haden Triplets, during February 2020. They also tied as the month’s second most-played artists, while The Kingston Trio took the top spot. February’s most-played song was “You Can’t Say @#$ on the Air,” a track on Matt Watroba’s #2 charting album The Far Si: The Si Kahn Funny Song Sing-Along Songbook. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.
Based in Bryson City, North Carolina, Frank and Allie Lee are a harmony-driven old-time and folk music duo who perform traditional and trad-style songs and tunes from the rural south — featuring banjos, guitars, fiddle and harmonica, along with their harmony vocals. An old time aesthetic permeates their music, while blues, bluegrass and spiritual songs also are part of their repertoire and recordings. The Lees also are part of the noted stringband The Freight Hoppers, host a bi-annual old time music retreat called Banjo-Fiddle Frolic in the Great Smoky Mountains near their home, and have led banjo workshops throughout the U.S. and abroad. Treat A Stranger Right, the duo’s new album, was officially released on Feb. 7.
Here’s a link to view an official video for Frank and Allie Lee’s rendition of “Lost John”: https://www.mountainwaterfilms.com/post/lost-john-music-video-by-frank-and-allie-lee
The Haden Triplets (Petra, Rachel and Tanya) come from a musically inclined family. The daughters of the late Charlie Haden, a noted jazz double-bassist, they were born in New York and raised in Los Angeles but also spent time during their childhoods visiting him in Springfield, Missouri.
The Haden Triplets: Tanya, Rachel and Petra
Although they’ve shown a penchant for Americana roots music on their recordings as a trio, between them, the sisters also have played with such jazz and rock artists as Beck, The Decemberists, Bill Frissell (the acclaimed guitarists who graces three tracks on Family Songbook), Foo Fighters, Green Day, Jimmy Eat World, Mike Watt, and Weezer. The Haden Triplets also portrayed The Fates on Tony Award-winning singer-songwriter Anais Mitchell’s folk-opera album Hadestown.
Here’s a link to a lyric video for The Haden Triplets rendition of “Wayfaring Stranger”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgyLsizqnx4.
The February 2020 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13,600 airplays reported on 491 playlists submitted by 125 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.
Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) is 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 February 2020
1. Treat a Stranger Right by Frank and Allie Lee (77)
1. The Family Songbook by The Haden Triplets (77)
3. The Far Si: The Si Kahn Funny Song Sing-Along Songbook by Matt Watroba (72)
4. Alicia Viani by Alicia Viani (63)
5. Next Time We Meet by Terry Kitchen (62)
6. Good Good Man by Vance Gilbert (59)
7. Treasures in My Chest by Andrew McKnight (56)
8. Lacher Prise by Michael Doucet (49)
9. Hello Stranger by Eliza Meyer (48)
10. Recollections/Revolutions by Windborne (47)
10. Making Life Sweet by The Early Risers (47)
12. Collection 2008-2018 by Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus (46)
13. Old Tin by Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones (43)
14. Circadian by Letitia Vansant (42)
15. Embracing the Journey by Kathleen Healy (41)
15. Lp5 by John Moreland (41)
17. Daytime Highs and Overnight Lows by Eric Brace and Last Train Home (40)
17. The Storyteller’s Suitcase by Ellis Paul (40)
19. Love and Fire by Annette Wasilik (37)
20. Rearrange My Heart by Che Apalache (36)
20. Legacy by Michael Johnathon (36)
22. The Kingston Trio by The Kingston Trio (34)
22. Bad Wife by Grant Peeples (34)
24. The Light We Bring by Trout Steak Revival (33)
25. Slow Steady Heart by Claudia Schmidt (32)
26. No Holds Barred by The Flyin’ A’s (31)
27. Songs of Our Native Daughters by Our Native Daughters (28)
28. All Mine by Sarah Morris (27)
28. Heartland Again by Tim Grimm (27)
28. Bravado by Rose Cousins (27)
28. Stony Run by Ken and Brad Kolodner (27)
28. Straight to Marrow by Clint Alphin (27)
33. Visions by Alice Howe (26)
33. Oklahoma by Keb’ Mo (26)
33. String Tides by Mark Grobner (26)
36. Let Love Go On by Mark Dvorak (25)
36. Chasing the Sun by Bobtown (25)
38. Wildwood by Katie Dahl (24)
38. Sky Tonight by Anne Marie Menta (24)
40. Coyote by Catherine Maclellan (23)
41. Rise and Fly by The Barefoot Movement (22)
41. Assiniboine and the Red by The Small Glories (22)
41. Tall Fiddler by Michael Cleveland (22)
44. Medicine for Living by Alexa Rose (21)
44. Eddy and the Abstract Truth by Eddy Lawrence (21)
46. Winter Stories by Judy Collins and Jonas Fjeld (20)
46. In This Town You’re Owned by Robert Vincent (20)
48. Honest by Ordinary Elephant (19)
48. From Liberty Street by Mapache (19)
48. Best of the Rest by Si Kahn (19)
48. Lines and Spaces by Heather Pierson (19)
52. Bones and Gravity by Lizanne Knott (18)
53. Fair Play to You All by Tommy Sands (17)
53. Going to the Well by Linda McRae (17)
53. Bright Lights, Long Drives, First Words by Nora Jane Struthers (17)
53. Me and the Ghost of Charlemagne by Amy Speace (17)
57. The Hard Stuff by Susan Gibson (16)
57. We’ll Never Know Unless We Try by Darling West (16)
57. Today Again by Fred Arcoleo (16)
57. If I Catch My Dream Song of Hope for a Better World by Bett Padgett
(16)
61. When They Fall by Annie and Rod Capps (15)
61. Wonderful Fairytale by Bill Jones (15)
61. Heroes and Sparrows by Kevin Brown (15)
61. Modern Old-Time Sounds for the Bluegrass and Folksong Jamboree by The Lonesome Ace Stringband (15)
61. Home by Billy Strings (15)
61. Bitter Ballads and Cynical Prayers by Chris Moyse (15)
67. Up Against the Sky by Dave Gunning (14)
67. The Moon Is an Ashtray by Miss Tess (14)
67. Just Words by Lynne Hanson (14)
67. Early Bright by Seamus Egan (14)
67. Mortal Flames by John Dennis (14)
Top Songs of February 2020
(Here’s a link to listen to Detroit. Michigan-based singer-songwriter and folk DJ Matt Watroba’s rendition of “You Can’t Say @#$% on the Air” by Si Kahn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1DVDT9T73Q&list=OLAK5uy_nfTXUgurZGh98auNIcjeJVNgkQ3n_avTw&index=2&t=0s)
1. “You Can’t Say @#$% on the Air” by Matt Watroba (26)
2. “Wildwood Flower” by The Haden Triplets (17)
2. “Pie & Whiskey” by Vance Gilbert (17)
4. “Party on the Roof” by Terry Kitchen (14)
4. “You Can’t Put My Fire Out” by Letitia Vansant (14)
4. “Two to Tango” by Kathleen Healy (14)
7. “Good Man” by Alicia Viani (12)
7. “Legacy” by Michael Johnathon (12)
7. “Another Great Day Above Ground” by Vance Gilbert (12)
10. “Scotch and Soda” by The Kingston Trio (11)
11. “When My Fever Breaks” by John Moreland (10)
11. “Unsustainable” by Grant Peeples (10)
11. “Lazy Farmer” by Frank and Allie Lee (10)
11. “Lonesome for You” by Alicia Viani (10)
11. “You Can Walk Up There” by Darryl Purpose (10)
11. “Who Will You Love” by The Haden Triplets (10)
11. “Arrows in the Dark” by Trout Steak Revival (10)
11. “Norwegian Wood” by Terry Kitchen (10)
11. “Hello Stranger” by Eliza Meyer (10)
11. “Tom Dooley” by The Kingston Trio (10)
21. “Wayfaring Stranger” by The Haden Triplets (9)
21. “Walt’s Waltz” by Matt Watroba (9)
21. “You Are My Flower” by Frank and Allie Lee (9)
21. “The Agreement” by Rose Cousins (9)
21. “Bless Your Heart” by Clint Alphin (9)
21. “Lamplight” by Alicia Viani (9)
21. “Walking on a Mardi Gras Day” by Michael Doucet (9)
21. “The Sailor and the Soldier” by Frank and Allie Lee (9)
21. “This Changes Everything” by The Early Risers (9)
21. “Harder Dreams” by John Moreland (9)
21. “Water, Water” by Michael Doucet (9)
21. “The Dreamer” by Che Apalache (9)
Top Artists of February 2020
1. The Kingston Trio (81)
2. The Haden Triplets (77)
2. Frank and Allie Lee (77)
4. Matt Watroba (72)
5. Terry Kitchen (65)
5. David Olney (65)
7. Alicia Viani (63)
8. Vance Gilbert (59)
9. Andrew McKnight (57)
10. Windborne (54)
11. Ellis Paul (51)
12. Michael Doucet (49)
13. Eliza Meyer (48)
13. Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus (48)
15. The Early Risers (47)
16. Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones (45)
17. Letitia Vansant (42)
17. Tim Grimm (42)
19. Kathleen Healy (41)
19. John Moreland (41)
21. Eric Brace and Last Train Home (40)
22. Annette Wasilik (38)
22. Michael Johnathon (38)
24. Trout Steak Revival (37)
25. Ladysmith Black Mambazo (36)
25. Che Apalache (36)
25. Claudia Schmidt (36)
28. Si Kahn (35)
29. John McCutcheon (34)
29. Grant Peeples (34)
29. Bob Dylan (34)
32. The Flyin’ A’s (32)
33. Willie Nelson (31)
34. Rose Cousins (30)
34. John Prine (30)
34. Mark Dvorak (30)
37. Our Native Daughters (29)
37. The Wailin’ Jennys (29)
39. Ken and Brad Kolodner (28)
39. Keb’ Mo (28)
39. Nanci Griffith (28)
39. Susan Werner (28)
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