Roots Rednecks and Radicals
Music
About
Roots, Rednecks, and Radicals is a podcast covering the world of alternative and independent music. Whether it’s alt-country, indie rock, or something in between I bring you the best in what’s happening and what’s been. Featuring interviews with artists, in-depth music reviews and analysis, I keep you current on what’s happening in music.
Episodes
- Kacey Musgraves Celebrates Mexican Music With Brothers Detained By ICE
Kacey Musgraves has always had a sense for social activism. Recently when she learned the story of brothers who were detained by ICE and also were Mariachi musicians she reached out to them. She had them perform on stage with her in Texas…
- 5 Songs I'm Diggin' For May! Featuring Lucy Liyou, Snail Mail, Kacey Musgraves/Willie Nelson, Deer Tick, and Shooter Jennings/Willie Nelson.
Here's 5 more songs I think you'd enjoy that are out this month. Some of the best tracks I've been listening to. Lucy Liyou, Snail Mail, Kacey Musgraves, Deer Tick, and Shooter Jennings. With a bonus of Willie Nelson on two of the tracks.…
- The Album That Set The Stage For Outlaw Country Turns 50 This Year!
Wanted! The Outlaws gave us a template for what Outlaw Country music should sound like. And it came out in an era of country music that gave us a ton of classic albums. It features Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter and a handful…
- 5 Songs I'm Digging For April. Featuring Charley Crockett, Mitski, Iron & Wine, Ratboys, and India Ramey!
Lot's of good tunes out in the world right now. These are the songs I'm enjoying. Charley Crockett, Mitski, Iron & Wine, Ratboys, and India Ramey all have incredible music out you should be listening to. I hope you dig it!
- Jessye Desilva Glitters Up The Dark With This New Album Produced By Aaron Lee Tasjan!
- Gillian Welch's album "Revivial" Came Out 30 Years Ago This Month! Let's Take A Look At This Classic Album.
The bluegrass revival of the early 2000s has it's roots in music that was bubbling just under the surface years before. In the 90s there were artists laying the groundwork for what would become this musical phenomenon. Gillian Welch, Uncle…
- Johnny Blue Skies (aka Sturgill Simpson) Has A New Album Out! And It's Weird As Hell!
Sturgill Simpson is one of my favorite artists of all time. He just does things the way he wants to do them. He's made Outlaw Country, Bluegrass, and Rock records. And now he's trying his hand at Disco/Funk. He's just a weird dude and I lo…
- Charley Crockett's new album "Age of the Ram" is the end of his Sagebrush Trilogy.
I've been such a big fan of Charley Crockett for a long time now and I'm stoked to see him reach new levels in his career. He's super creative, and just a brilliant songwriter. He teamed up with Shooter Jennings for his newest release whic…
- Folk/Blues Legend Charlie Parr Is On The Show!
Charlie Parr is a roots musician from Minnesota that has been making music for decades. Over the years he's really created his own style that is based in the American folk and blues tradition. He's playing a show in my hometown (Carson Cit…
- Folk Duo The Lowest Pair Talk Are On The Show!
My hometown is getting a treat. Charlie Parr and The Lowest Pair are coming through to play a show. I had a chance to talk with this dynamic folk duo about their music, and their most recent release Always As Young As We'll Ever Be. I hope…
- 5 Songs I'm Digging For March! Featuring Jeff Tweedy, Jeremy Ivey (w/Margo Price), Courtney Barnett, Father John Misty, and the Milk Carton Kids.
I have five more songs for you lined up this month. As always I like to bring you what's good in the world of new music and I have a great line-up for ya! This month we're listening to tunes from Jeff Tweedy, Jeremy Ivey (w/Margo Price), C…
- Colter Wall Is Taking A Break From Music For The Time Being
Colter Wall announced on his Instagram recently he's taking a mental health break from music for the time being. There are few details surrounding this decision. But it's clear he needs a break. I wanted to take a minute and reflect on thi…
- Folk The Man! John Henry
John Henry is an American folk hero. His mythology goes back to the 1800s and no one is quite sure what part of his story is real, or legend. Nevertheless his story lives on mainly in song form. And his story could not be more relevant tod…
- Country Music Grifters: Kid Rock
For some reason Country Music has become a space for people who want to run a grift and make a quick buck, and Kid Rock is one of the worst. He doesn't really make "country" music, but the crowd he is going after is the country crowd. In 2…
- Steve Earle's Guitar Town Turns 40 This Month. Let's Take A Look At This Classic Album!
Steve Earle is one of America's greatest living songwriters. His career spans decades, and he is widely respected as an incredible artist by so many musicians. His first album Guitar Town got his career started 40 years ago. It reflects th…
- Celebrating Black History Month With The Carolina Chocolate Drops!
The Carolina Chocolate Drops (Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons, and Justin Robinson) put out their album Genuine Negro Jig over 10 years ago. And it is still amazing. I wanted to take a look at this album because it is such an important piece…
- Remembering Bob Weir. The legendary guitar player of the Grateful Dead!
Bob Weir passed away just over a month ago. He was a giant in the world of American roots music. A founding member of the Grateful Dead, after Jerry Garcia's death he went on the play with RatDog, Dead & Company, and of course Bob Weird an…
- 5 Songs I'm Diggin' For February featuring: Lucinda Wiliams, Mitski, Ecca Vandal, Flea, and Kim Gordon
I've got 5 more songs for you that I'm diggin' this month! Lucinda Williams, Mitski, Ecca Vandal, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) all have new music out and I wanted to bring these songs to you. They cover a rang…
- Folk The Man! The Ghost of Tom Joad
This is the first episode in a series I plan on doing on protest music. Decades ago Woody Guthrie wrote a song that told the story of Tom Joad from Grapes of Wrath. After that Bruce Springsteen wrote an interpolation of Guthrie's song, and…
- 5 Songs I'm Diggin' for January featuring Wednesday, Courtney Barnett, Clover Country, Colter Wall, and Brennan Leigh!
Lots of good music to go over with you this month. As always I try and keep you up to date on what's happening in the world of Indie/Alternative music. And I have some fun ones for you today. From jangly indie, to honky-tonking country thi…
- Sammy Brue on his touching album dedicated to the memory of Justin Townes Earle.
Justin Townes Earle passed away nearly six years ago. His death came as a shock to the roots music community. The son of Steve Earle was a bright shining star in the world of songwriters. Sammy Brue was a huge fan, and he's written a touch…
- Hayley Heynderickx and Max Garcia Conover Are Making Music Like Woody Guthrie
These two folk artists have made an incredible piece of art. It came out at the end of last year, and it's been on repeat in my headphones for awhile now. I've always loved to socially conscious lyrics of Woody Guthrie and this album feels…
- MJ Lenderman and Waxahatchie are artists to be listening to in 2026!
MJ Lenderman and Waxahatchie (Katie Crutchfiled) have both had an amazing last few years. They've worked with each other, and played in either Wednesday or Snocaps, both bands that have been garnering a ton of attention lately. I wanted to…
- Breaking down the best music of 2025!
I feel like this year gave us some incredible music from a variety of artists. I wanted to share with you some of the bands and songwriters that were on repeat for me this year. We'll be talking about Tyler Childers, Margo Price, Nathan Ev…
- Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas is a damn delight!
I have loved this movie since I was a little kid. It's campy, and honestly kinda bad but in the best way possible. The songs are fun, the puppets are bad, but the nostalgia lives on. I hope I can inspire you to make this classic a part of…
- This Episode Goes To 11! Remembering Rob Reiner And His Classic Film This Is Spinal Tap!
Rob Reiner was an incredible director and genuinely hilarious. He passed away this week under really tragic circumstances. But the art he left us with will live on. This Is Spinal Tap is one of the funniest movies ever made in my opinion.…
- Amanda Shires dives deep into her divorce with Jason Isbell on her new album "Nobody's Girl."
I have been a fan of Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell for over a decade now. Like many others I was surprised to hear about their divorce. And it's never easy to deal with something like that in the public eye. This album, produced by Shoote…
- Billy Strings Tiny Desk Concert!
I've been a big fan of Billy Strings for quite a while now. I've also always loved NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, and I was stoked to see that Billy was on the show. Join me for a quick breakdown of his Tiny Desk conert!
- Mexican folk musician Silvana Estrada is someone you need to be listening to!
Silvana Estrada is a Mexican folk musician with an incredible voice. I saw a video of her playing NPR's Tiny Desk Concert and it blew me away. This album is full of intimate and paired down songs that get to the core of her emotional deliv…
- Brandi Carlile's new album "Returning to Myself" is Brandi at her best!
Brandi Carlile has been one of my favorite singers for some time now. Her voice is genuine and honest. I was a bit disappointed in her last couple of releases, and I was excited to see she has a new album out. The first in four years. And…
- Twangly, Jangly, Honky-Tonking Alt Country!
I have another playlist for you! This one focuses on modern alt-country that has been making waves. In this episode we listen to Tyler Childers, Margo Price, Brandi Carlile, Jeff Tweedy, and Brennan Leigh. All incredible artists with reall…
- In Memory of Todd Snider, The Interview We Did In 2020. RIP Todd!
Todd Snider was an open and free artist. He lived his life as a troubadour, a vagabond, and a real creative soul. It's impossible list all of the people he influenced with his songs, but rest assured the number is incredibly high. In 2020…
- Indie Folk, But Not Like Stomp-Clap Indie Folk
I thought it would be fun to make a few playlists and share them with y'all! You can find it on Spotify, and it has a ton of new great music that I'm sure you're gonna dig. Today we take a look at new music from Lucy Dacus, Bahamas, Tropa…
- Austin Meade is blending rock and country sounds on his new album Almost Famous.
- Singer Songwriter Max Gomez On His New Album Memory Mountain
I met Max Gomez at a show he played in my hometown. It was a solo acoustic show, and I was really blown away by his songs. They have a casual, and intimate feel. I knew I wanted to have him on my show and we finally worked out a time in hi…
- The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art's New Record Label Features The Kasawambwe Brother of Malawi Africa.
The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass Moca) is starting a record label aimed at developing artists, focusing on creativity, and giving exposure to musicians who are creating under-appreciated art. The first record on this new…
- I Am A Fall-Ass Hoe. And Do I Got A Playlist For You! Let's Celebrate Spooky Season With Some Great Music.
Man, I just love the Fall. The weather is changing. It's getting chilly outside. And best of all Halloween is on the way! I put together a playlist of music I think you'll dig if you're into this time of year as much as I am. Join me as we…
- Roots Rewind: Amanda Shires On Her Song The Problem, And Writing About Women's Reproductive Rights
In 2020 Amanda Shires released a song about the topic of abortion and women's reproductive rights. I had the chance to interview her about this song and it was such a great conversation. She really is an insightful and empathetic writer. S…
- The West Texas Exiles Talk About Their New Album, The West, And How The Desert Impacts Their Songwriting.
The West Texas Exiles are a Texas based band that are making incredible music. They have a new album out, and on today's episode we talked about all kinds of things. The influence of Texas musicians like Buddy Holly and Willie Nelson. How…
- Roots Rewind: A Conversation With Amy Ray of Indigo Girls
There is a new documentary out now on the history of Lilith Fair. It is really good! It touched on so many topics that are relevant to the music industry today. The artists in the documentary are so good; Sarah McLachlan, Bonnie Raitt, Ery…
- 5 Song I'm Digging for September 2025! Featuring Jeff Tweedy, Neko Case, Lucy Dacus, Will Hoge, and Hayes Carll.
Lots of great music out there and I'm here to bring you the best of it. This week we take a look at five songs that have come out recently that you should be checking out! Jeff Tweedy, Neko Case, Lucy Dacus, Will Hoge, and Hayes Carll. All…
- Rancid's break out album ...And Out Come The Wolves turns 30 this year. And it's still a banger!
Rancid released their album ...And Out Come The Wolves 30 years ago this year. It's the record that introduced me to the band and inspired the name of this podcast! This week I do a breakdown of this classic, and take a look at what makes…
- Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger Turns 50 This Year! Let's Take A Look At This Classic Album.
Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger came out in 1975. It was a watershed album for him. He also made a movie by the same name and the set for that movie hosts his yearly music festival. The album is incredible and gave him a couple of hits…
- AI Generated Music Sucks! Let's Take A Look At Some Awful Songs I "Wrote" Whatever That Means.
AI seems to be the thing of the moment. Generative models are creating everything from pictures and movies to full songs. But is it any good? Turns out, not really. I tried my hand at making some different "AI Music" to see just how awful…
- 5 Songs I'm Digging Ep. 8 featuring Margo Price/Jesse Welles, Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett, Wednesday, and SG Goodman!
It's been a while since I've done one of these episodes and in my opinion it's been far too long! There is always a ton of great music out there and sometimes it's hard to keep up with what's going on. This week we take a look at new music…
- Kai Crowe-Getty discusses his new album "The Wreckage."
Kai Crowe-Getty is a songwriter from rural Virginia. The themes he weaves into his music explore the geography and culture of the rural south. It's mindful and introspective. Today we talk about his new album, and his work with artists lik…
- Tyler Childers Visionary New Album "Snipe Hunter" Is A Banger!
I've been following Tyler Childers for quite a while now. He's always been an impressive songwriter to me, telling stories of his native Appalachia with his own twists and turns. His new album Snipe Hunter just takes things to the next lev…
- Nathan Evans Fox on his news song Hillbilly Hymn and why the Old Testament idea of "Jubilee" is relevant today. But probably not in the way you think.
I first came across Nathan Evans Fox on his TikTok account. He's from rural North Carolina and he has a fresh perspective on what it means to be from the south, and rural America. The common discourse on these issues is old and tired, and…
- Tami Neilson's new album "Neon Cowgirl" is a powerhouse of an album. She joins me today to talk about the record, recording with Willie Nelson, and what a whirlwind the last few years have been!
Tami Neilson has a new record out called "Neon Cowgirl" and it is a powerhouse of a record. The songwriting is great. It sounds incredible. And she collaborates with incredible artists like Neil Finn (Crowded House) Ashley McBride, Grace B…
- Tribute to the music of Ozzy Osbourne!
Ozzy passed away last week. He was a massively influential artists who is credited with laying the foundations of what became the genre of metal. I wanted to do an episode taking a look at the first three albums from Black Sabbath. Today w…