Better Days

Welcome to the blog of Doug "Duke" Lang, songwriter and host of Better Days, a radio show spinning journeys from music and language, heard Thursdays ten-to-midnight Pacific time at www.coopradio.org Listen to songs at www.myspace.com/dukelang

Name:
Location: Vancouver, Canada

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

The Back 40 : January 2006

The Back 40 gives you an idea what I've been playing
on Better Days. Listings are in no particular order; it's
not a contest. Recent additions show the artist's name in
red. Visit the artists' websites by clicking the link below
their entry, and where inspired demonstrate solidarity
and support for the artists' commitment and genius by
purchasing a copy of the music.

First, out of respect for the great tradition, five cds from
days gone by that I've been listening to and recommend...
Dick Gaughan's Handful Of Earth, Sleepy John Estes's
Legend Of Sleepy John Estes, Mickey Newbury's Stories
From The Silver Moon Cafe, Sandy Denny's Attic Tracks
1972-1984, and The Band's Music From Big Pink. Wow,
the well is deep. Get yourself a drink of water!

Better Days is heard Thursdays, 10:00 pm to 12 midnight
Pacific Time (GMT -8 hours) at 102.7 FM and live on the
webcast at http://www.coopradio.org/

Watch this site for radio specials aired outside the usual
time slot. Artists or labels wishing to submit material,
contact the show at cfrobetterdays@yahoo.ca


*****The Back 40*****

Hey Dreamer : John Spillane
http://www.johnspillane.ie/
One of Ireland's finest singer-songwriters.

Rebecca Drive : Willy Clay Band
http://www.willyclayband.com/
Fresh country sounds from the arctic north of Sweden.

Hands Across The Water : Various Artists
http://www.handsacrossthewater.com/
Resonant trans-Atlantic benefit for tsunami orphans.

Burning Times : Christy Moore
http://www.christymoore.com/
The greatest living Irishman, at his interpretive best.

Prairie Wind : Neil Young
http://www.neilyoung.com/
Rust or fade away? Neil chooses life instead.

Giants : Donal Hinely
http://www.donalhinely.com/
The title cut alone is worth the price of admission.

I've Got My Own Hell To Raise : Bettye LaVette
http://www.bettyelavette.com/
Detroit blues-soul singer dishes out her best record ever.

Little Fugitive : Amy Rigby
http://www.amyrigby.com/
Amy writes from a unique, cuttingly female perspective.

Mantras For Madmen : Harry Manx
http://www.harrymanx.com/
Manx freshly combines blues and eastern sounds.

Fair & Square : John Prine
http://www.ohboy.com/
What would we do without this guy?

Lookaftering : Vashti Bunyan
http://www.anotherday.co.uk/
Thirty-five years between albums; worth the wait.

Bones In The Backyard : Kensington Hillbillys
http://www.kensingtonhillbillys.com/
This is an excellent record of good-time country music.

Gone But Not Forgotten : Emptyhouse
http://www.emptyhouse.info/
From the far north of Scotland, wonderful folk.

Iron Flowers : Grey De Lisle
http://www.greydelisle.com/
Grey makes new music that sounds old as the wind.

Stripping Cane : Jeffrey Foucault
http://www.jeffreyfoucault.com/
One of the best, lesser-known songwriters in America.

Flower Of Avalon : Tracy Grammer
http://www.tracygrammer.com/
Tracy revisits the late Dave Carter's songbook.

Humming By The Flowered Vine : Laura Cantrell
http://www.lauracantrell.com/
Laura's singing takes me away somewhere. Great cd.

Get Myself Together : Danny Barnes
http://www.terminusrecords.com/
Makes me laugh, with the blessing of all my feelings.

The Outsider : Rodney Crowell
http://www.rodneycrowell.com/
Rodney is putting it out there stronger than ever.

Two Birds : Kirsty McGee
http://www.parkrecords.com/
Original songs, beautifully sung by this UK artist.

Soul's Chapel : Marty Stuart
http://www.martystuartmusic.com/
Further evidence of Stuart's spiritual changes.

I Am A Bird Now : Antony & The Johnsons
http://www.antonyandthejohnsons.com/
Hard to describe, but I like it more with each listen.

Here Come The Choppers : Loudon Wainwright
http://www.loudonwainwright.net/
An American original. Loudon's best in a while.

Pulling Through EP : Karine Polwart
http://www.karinepolwart.com/
Scotland's best songwriter gives us five.

Cripple Crow : Devendra Banhart
http://www.xlrecordings.com/
Well-produced, without comprising his brilliance.

Song Of The Traveling Daughter : Abigail Washburn
http://www.abigailwashburn.com/
My selection for 2005 album of the year.

Chicago Wind : Merle Haggard
http://www.merlehaggard.com/
Haggard's in good voice, and is speaking out, too.

The Duhks : The Duhks
http://www.duhks.com/index.php
Canada's finest new band makes a wonderful debut.

Mercy : Sam Baker
http://www.sambakermusic.com/
A survivor, an unknown, this is Baker's masterpiece.

Dreamin' My Dreams : Patty Loveless
http://www.pattyloveless.com/
Patty Loveless, a beautiful singer glowing in her prime.

American Jukebox Fables : Ellis Paul
http://www.ellispaul.com/
New England's Ellis Paul gets better each time out.

The Girl Who Couldn't Fly : Kate Rusby
http://www.katerusby.com/
She is a spellcaster. Another Rusby gem.

Begonias : Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell
http://www.caitlincary.com/
Begonias deservedly made many best of 2005 lists.

Childish Things : James McMurtry
http://www.jamesmcmurtry.com/
McMurtry's sinewy writing and guitarwork at their best.

Out Beyond Ideas : David Wilcox & Nance Pettit
http://www.outbeyondideas.org/
Ancient poems to new music, a lovely accomplishment.

Hair In My Eyes... : Corb Lund
http://www.corblund.com/
Albertan Lund's beat and humour are irresistable.

Paradise Hotel : Eliza Gilkyson
http://www.redhouserecords.com/
Eliza keeps besting her last outing. A great cd.

Part Of Your History : Jamie Hartford
http://www.johnhartford.com
Jamie pays beautiful tribute to his father's songs.

The Art Of Virtue : Adrienne Young
http://www.adrienneyoung.com
An exquisite and intelligent record, and a big wow!

Chavez Ravine : Ry Cooder
http://www.ryland-cooder.com
Ry Cooder continues to honour the true blood of living.

DL


Cover, Iarla O'Lionaird's The Seven Steps Of Mercy