The magic hour with Wynton Marsalis; A bit of blues from The Mountain Goats; The lo-fi world of John Vanderslice; New music from Chicago's Tortoise; and rethinking the blues with Tarbox Ramblers. Featured Artist: Nellie McKay.
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Nellie McKay, The Mountain Goats, John Vanderslice
Sari
Nellie McKay is just nineteen but writes music with a breadth and depth beyond her years.
Feeling of Jazz
Marsalis explains the album's's title, say that "For kids, the 'magic hour' is the one hour before they go to bed. For parents, it's the one hour after the kids go to sleep."
Letter from Belgium
There are more than 100 songs by the Mountain Goats on various compilations and label samplers, most of them recorded on a department store boombox. This collection is their 12th studio album.
Pale Horse
John Vanderslice writes delicate and dark songs carefully crafted with creaking keyboards, buzzing guitars and plenty of distorted drums.
Stretch (You Are All Right)
Check out our previous feature on Tortoise from All Songs Considered episode 8, from July of 2001.
Were You There?
With tribal drums, upright bass, and slide guitar, the Tarbox Ramblers have sound that's been described as a train wreck of hillbilly gospel and blues.