Tuesday, December 2: Listen for music from singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson’s latest release, Yeah OK, I Know. The record spotlights Hutson’s remarkably smart and heartfelt songs. Although listeners will find parallels between Hutson and earlier songwriters he is in a class by himself among contemporary singer-songwriters. We’ll also hear from In Real Time, the latest album from Minneapolis, Minnesota singer-songwriter Chris Koza.
Wednesday, December 3: While No One Was Looking is a new compilation celebrating 20 years of Chicago’s Bloodshot Records. The label, self-proclaimed home to insurgent country since the 1990s has hosted an impressive roster of bands in that time. This collection finds artists such as Shakey Graves, William Elliott Whitmore, Ha Ha Tonka and others paying tribute to the many acts who have passed through the Bloodshot stable during the last two decades. We’ll also hear selections from An Americana Christmas featuring selections from Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, The Band and others.
Thursday, December 4: Although best known for its 1983 album The Crossing and the hit single “In A Big Country,” many consider the Scottish band’s sophomore release, Steeltown its finest moment. Released in 1984 the album is the subject of a 20th anniversary reissue. We’ll hear selections from that recording on this episode of Strange Currency as well as selections from Back To The Egg, the final studio album from the band Wings. The album features two songs with guest guitar work from Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, who has collaborated with Paul McCartney on several recordings since the 1970s.
Friday, December 5: It’s our New Month/New Music feature. We’ll hear new music from the singer-songwriter Chris Koza, selections from the new boxed set from Wilco, Alpha Mike Foxtrot and the new one spotlighting Captain Beefheart’s output between 1970 and 1972, titled Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972 and featuring a number of previously unheard outtakes.
Saturday, December 6: Relics is a 1971 compilation from Pink Floyd, featuring several obscure songs from the band’s catalogue, including “Biding My Time” and “Paintbox,” plus one of the group’s best-loved songs “Careful With That Axe, Eugene.”
Monday, December 8: The Final Cut is perhaps the most divisive of all classic-era Pink Floyd albums. The 1983 release is the last to feature bassist and vocalist Roger Waters and is largely a political exploration of his feelings about the war in the Falkland Islands and the death of his father in World War II. The album was also recorded without the participation of keyboardist Richard Wright who was fired from the band several years earlier. We’ll hear selections from this recording as well as from The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, the 1984 solo debut from Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters. Although released in ’84 the concept actually dates back to the late ‘70s and was presented to the other members of Pink Floyd at the same time as the material that became the classic LP The Wall.
