There’s plenty of acoustic music on the radio and streaming online these days – if you know where to find it. This recurring column will help point you to it, while also noting upcoming in-studio guests and live or recorded concerts and performances.
The Early Risers had the top album (Making Life Sweet) and the three most-played songs on folk radio during November 2019. Renowned folksinger-songwriter Si Kahn, whose albums have previously topped the charts, edged out the New England-based duo of Putnam Smith and Ashley Storrow for the month’s most-played artist and had the second most-played album (Best of the Rest). 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.
[The monthly charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Ron Olesko receives NERFA's 2019 Creator of he Year Award from Michael Kornfeld, the nonprofit organization's board president (Photo: Jake Jacobson)
Veteran folk DJ Ron Olesko was the recipient of the inaugural Creator of the Year Award presented by the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) during the nonprofit organization’s 25th annual conference in Stamford, CT, Nov. 7-10, 2019. Olesko, a NERFA stalwart, who has been hosting a folk show (Traditions) on WFDU-FM (Teaneck, NJ), was recognized for launching Folk Music Notebook, an online radio station showcasing folk music 24/7 earlier this year.
[To continue reading this article -- which includes mention of the other award-winners and some other conference highlights -- click on the headline.]
Debra Cowan had the top album (Greening the Dark) and the three most-played songs on folk radio during October 2019. She also was the month’s most-played artist. 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.
[The monthly top albums, songs and artists charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
The soundtrack for Country Music – A Film by Ken Burns that premiered on PBS television stations across the U.S. recently was the top album on folk radio during September 2019, while Midwest urban folk duo Annie & Rod Capps’ “(That Would Do) Some Good” was the top song and Canadian troubadour Dave Gunning edged out southern Indiana-based singer-songwriter Tim Grimm as the month’s most-played artist. 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.
[The monthly top albums, songs and artists charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
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.
[The monthly top albums, songs and artists charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Southern Indiana-based singer-songwriter Tim Grimm had the top album (Heart Land Again) and three of the ten most-played songs on folk radio during July 2019 and also topped the monthly top artists chart, while Guy Forsyth and Jeska Bailey Forsyth had the month's most-played song ("The Things That Matter"). 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.
[The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Jan Hall, host and producer of the syndicated weekly radio show, Folk Roots Radio, has been named the winner of the Estelle Klein Award that is presented by Folk Music Ontario during its annual conference in September. Established in 2000, the award honors the work of an individual or group that has made significant contributions to the Canadian province’s folk music community.
[To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Ordinary Elephant, the husband-and-wife duo of Crystal and Pete Damore, had the top album (Honest) and the two most-played songs (“The War” and “Scars We Keep”) on folk radio during May 2019. The duo was also #2 on the monthly top artists chart, following the late folk icon Pete Seeger, while Joel Rafael’s Rose Avenue was the month’s #2 album and featured its third most-played song (“Abraham, Martin and John"). 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.
[The monthly top albums, songs and artists charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Molsky's Mountain Drifters (Photo: Kate Orne)
For a second consecutive month, Songs of Our Native Daughters (featuring modern roots artists Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell and Amythyst Kiah) was the top album on folk radio during April 2019. "There’s a Bright Side Somewhere” by Molsky’s Mountain Drifters was the month’s most-played song, edging out Danny Schmidt’s “Just Wait Til They See You,” March’s #1 song. John McCutcheon was the most-played artist of the month. 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.
The monthly Folk DJ charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.
Veteran broadcaster Ron Olesko, who has been hosting a folk show (Traditions) on WFDU-FM in Teaneck, New Jersey since 1980, launches Folk Music Notebook, an online radio station showcasing folk music 24/7, on May 3, 2019 – the 100th anniversary of the birth of late folk music icon Pete Seeger.
“Folk Music Notebook plans to be a gathering spot for the folk community and all the fans of this music,” said Olesko. “The channel will be a place to ‘discover’ new artists and songs as well as honor the established names who created this living tradition.”
[To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Songs of Our Native Daughters (featuring modern roots artists Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell and Amythyst Kiah) was the top album on folk radio during March 2019, while four of its 13 tracks were among the month’s top 10 most-played songs. Singer-Songwriter Danny Schmidt’s “Just Wait Til They See You” edged out one of them for the #1 song. Our Native Daughters were the most-played artists of the month, followed by Schmidt. 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.
[The monthly charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
John McCutcheon was the most-played artist and had both the top album (To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger) and the top song (“Sailing Down My Golden River”) on folk radio during February 2019, after having the second most-played album and song in January. 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.
[The monthly charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them and to continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
