Multi-instrumentalists Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell had the top album (Grit & Polish) and were the most-played artists on folk radio during June 2021, while singer-songwriter Jackson Browne’s “My Cleveland Heart” was the month’s most-played song. 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.
Grit & Polish features original fiddle tunes and songs, along with choice covers of songs by Bob Dylan and Louis Jordan. Schatz and McDowell, who were formerly part of The Claire Lynch Band, play and sing a mix of bluegrass, old-time, folk and swing. Twice named IBMA Bass Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association, Schatz has toured and recorded with such notable acoustic artists as Bela Fleck, John Hartford, Sara Jarosz, Nickel Creek, Tim O’Brien, and Tony Rice. A master of stringed instruments, McDowell was a first-place winner on three of them (fiddle, mandolin and guitar) at the National Flatpicking Championships in Winfield, Kansas when he was just 18 and has won many instrumental contests and accolades since then. He’s also toured with bluegrass artists Alison Brown, Sierra Hull and Molly Tuttle and has shared his love for mountain music with young people as a teacher.
A noted songwriter and performer, Browne has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also a longtime environmental and social activist., who has been honored for his humanitarian efforts as well. “My Cleveland Heart” is the first single off his new studio release, Downhill From Everywhere. [Here’s a link to view the official video for Jackson Browne’s “My Cleveland Heart,” which he co-wrote with his longtime guitarist Val McCallum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_gWWzLph24].
The June 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13,103 airplays reported on 451 playlists submitted by 118 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.
Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.
Top Albums of June 2021
1. Grit & Polish by Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell (105)
2. Be Ready When I Call You by Guy Davis (83)
3. Light and Dark by Chris Ronald (74)
4. Outside Child by Allison Russell (69)
5. Ballad of a Bad Girl by Kate McDonnell (61)
5. On Solid Ground by Reggie Harris (61)
7. Red Maple Tree by Sloan Wainwright (57)
8. All This Time Running by Craig Cardiff (52)
8. Time out Session 1 by The Accidentals (52)
10. We Can Hear Each Other by Erin Ash Sullivan (50)
11. There Used to Be Horses Here by Amy Speace (45)
12. Undertaker’s Songbook by Sons of the Never Wrong (44)
12. He Walked On by Tim O’Brien (44)
12. Don’t You Marry No Railroad Man by JP Harris (44)
12. Echo Land by Bumarang (44)
16. Animal Communicator by Robin Bienemann (43)
17. Let Us Sing by Andy and Judy (40)
18. First Farewell by Peggy Seeger (38)
19. They’re Calling Me Home by Rhiannon Giddens (36)
19. Bang at the Door by Donna Herula (36)
19. Downhill From Everywhere by Jackson Browne (36)
22. Grenadine and Kerosene by Carolyn Shulman (33)
23. I Wanna Start a Band by Britton Patrick Morgan (32)
24. Knew Things by Cliff Eberhardt (31)
25. Everybody Wants My Hat by Marc Black (29)
25. A Better Day A-Coming by Robin and Linda Williams (29)
25. Shame and Sedition by Lula Wiles (29)
25. Where and When by Kelly’s Lot (29)
29. Sharecropper’s Son by Robert Finley (28)
30. Appalachia: American Stories by Grant Maloy Smith (27)
30. We Shall Stay Here by Paul Kaplan (27)
32. Cycles by Rachel Baiman (26)
32. The Waylon Sessions by Shannon McNally (26)
34. Changemakers by Crys Matthews (25)
34. Migrants by Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra (25)
34. Six Degrees of Separation by Wilson Banjo Co. (25)
37. Markology II by Mark O’Connor (24)
37. Annamania by Anna Elizabeth Laube (24)
37. Songs of a Simple Life by Merle Monroe (24)
37. Song to a Refugee by Diana Jones (24)
37. When We Wander by Jesse Terry (24)
42. Madison Archives by Frank Evans and Ben Plotnick (23)
43. Friends in High Places by Turner Cody and the Soldiers of Love (22)
44. Happy Again by Bill and the Belles (21)
44. Meridian by Miles Gannett (21)
46. Just Causes by Noel Paul Stookey (19)
46. Backyard Birds by Lisa Bastoni (19)
48. Calla Lily by The Brother Brothers (18)
48. Haymakers Live at Art Church by Haymakers (18)
48. Gone by Tim Grimm (18)
51. Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore by Rod Abernethy (17)
51. Cheater’s Waltz by Michelle and Jason Hannan (17)
51. Blue by Joni Mitchell (17)
51. Queen of the In-Between by K. C. Jones (17)
55. The Fray by John Smith (16)
55. Truer Picture by Graham Sharp (16)
55. American Quilt by Paula Cole (16)
58. Poets by Liz Simmons (15)
58. Let’s Get Happy Together by Maria Muldaur with Tuba Skinny (15)
58. Just Over the Ridge by Lizzy Plotkin and Natalie Spears (15)
58. Streamliner by Jesse Brock (15)
58. Adeline by Sam Allison, Chris Coole, Adrian Gross, Mark Kilianski,
John Showman (15)
58. Desert Ghosts by Jaspar Lepak (15)
64. Renaissance by Valerie Smith (14)
64. Tapered Point of Stone by Eli West (14)
64. Still Woman Enough by Loretta Lynn (14)
64. Only Human by Luke Leblanc (14)
64. Smoke From the Chimney by Tony Joe White (14)
64. Leftover Feelings by John Hiatt and the Jerry Douglas Band (14)
64. Hourglass by Murray McLauchlan (14)
64. Into the Ground by Beth Whitney (14)
64. Up With the Masses by Sue Jeffers (14)
Top Songs of June 2021
1. “My Cleveland Heart” by Jackson Browne (36)
2. “A Better Day A-Coming” by Robin and Linda Williams (30)
3. “Father’s Day” by Amy Speace (20)
4. “The Keeper” by Sloan Wainwright (19)
5. “For What It’s Worth” by Tom Prasada-Rao (17)
6. “Kensington Station” by Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell (16)
6. “Still Turning” by Chris Ronald (16)
8. “God’s Gonna Make Things Over” by Guy Davis (15)
8. “Fireflies” by Erin Ash Sullivan (15)
8. “Tmi” by Robin Bienemann (15)
8. “I Found” by Valerie Smith (15)
12. “All This Time Running” by Craig Cardiff (14)
12. “The Best Summer” by Christine Lavin (14)
14. “The Girl I Love Don’t Pay Me No Mind” by Mark Schatz and Bryan
McDowell (13)
14. “Please Don’t Come for Me Now” by Chris Ronald (13)
14. “Wildfire” by The Accidentals (13)
14. “All Shall Be Well” by The Accidentals (13)
14. “Tears of Joy” by Marc Black (13)
19. “Persephone” by Allison Russell (12)
19. “Standing in Freedom’s Name” by Reggie Harris (12)
19. “Ballad of a Bad Girl” by Kate McDonnell (12)
19. “Hob Thrasher” by Michael McNevin (12)
19. “My Father’s Eye” by Leah Kaufman (12)
24. “Badonkadonk Train” by Guy Davis (11)
24. “Muskrat” by Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell (11)
24. “My Old Man” by Steve Goodman (11)
24. “What Do You Care” by Anne E Dechant (11)
24. “Clearwater Tune” by Emma’s Revolution (11)
24. “My East Tennessee Home” by Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell (11)
24. “Flint River Blues” by Guy Davis (11)
24. “House Carpenter” by JP Harris (11)
24. “City Girl” by Chris Ronald (11)
24. “Got Your Letter in My Pocket” by Guy Davis (11)
24. “The Invisible Woman” by Peggy Seeger (11)
Top Artists of June 2021
1. Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell (105)
2. Guy Davis (87)
3. Reggie Harris (82)
4. Chris Ronald (76)
5. Bob Dylan (71)
5. Allison Russell (71)
7. Kate McDonnell (62)
8. Sloan Wainwright (61)
9. Tim O’Brien (57)
10. Craig Cardiff (53)
10. The Accidentals (53)
12. Amy Speace (51)
12. Sons of the Never Wrong (51)
14. Erin Ash Sullivan (50)
15. John McCutcheon (48)
16. Rhiannon Giddens (47)
17. Bumarang (44)
17. JP Harris (44)
17. Robin Bienemann (44)
20. Peggy Seeger (43)
20. Jackson Browne (43)
22. Andy and Judy (41)
23. Donna Herula (36)
23. Robin and Linda Williams (36)
25. Grace Griffith (35)
26. Cliff Eberhardt (34)
26. Joni Mitchell (34)
28. Carolyn Shulman (33)
29. Tom Prasada-Rao (32)
29. Britton Patrick Morgan (32)
31. Grant Maloy Smith (31)
31. Kelly’s Lot (31)
31. John Prine (31)
31. John Smith (31)
31. Tim Grimm (31)
31. Lula Wiles (31)
37. Ellis Paul (29)
37. Marc Black (29)
37. Paul Kaplan (29)
40. Robert Finley (28)
40. Diana Jones (28)
40. Kate Wolf (28)
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