2020-12-27 playlist & stream

Dec 27

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Alphabet of Nations (in-studio)

Strand of Oaks – The Grocery Store (new)

ID

Weaves – Help

Little Miss Ann – Stars on the Island (new)

ID

Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis – This Will Be Our Year 

[WJFF/JUMP – Bruce Springsteen – We Shall Overcome

[KUTX – Ella Jenkins – Kumbaya

[WFNU – The Salteens – Have a Nap Mom

2nd set

Salim Nourallah – Be Here Now (in-studio)

ID

TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock!

ID

ScribbleMonster – All Ready to Go!

Prince – Starfish & Coffee

Skankin’ Pickle – I Missed the Bus

Old 97’s – Auld Lang Syne

ID

3rd set

Molly Ledford – Sound & Vision

John Coltrane – My Favorite Things, Pt. 1

Too Many Zooz feat. Big Freedia – Funky Christmas (new)

ID

Karen K & Mista Cookie Jar – Rainbow

Wunmi – Rainbow

ID 

They Might Be Giants – Roy G Biv

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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2020-12-20 playlist & stream

Dec 20

Merry Christmas!

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Read a Book

Louie Phipps Interview

Louie Phipps – Bird of Freedom

Mac McCaughan & Annie Hayden – Down We Go (Sledding Song)

ID

Andrew Bird – Christmas Is Coming (new)

[WJFF/JUMP – Vince Guraldi – O Tannenbaum

[KUTX – Justin Roberts – From Scratch

[WFNU – The Nields – Who Are You Not To Shine

2nd set

The New Standards (feat Allison LaBonne & Brian Tighe) – Snow (new)

ID

TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock!

ID

CandyBand – I Want a Big Fat Cookie for Christmas

Jonathan Coulton & John Roderick – 2600

Jingle Punx – Wonderful Christmastime

The Hold Steady – Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You

ID

3rd set

Quiet Company – Little Drummer Boy

Brady Rymer – Writing a Letter to Santa Claus (new)

ID

123 Andres & Mista Cookie Jar – Feliz Navidad (new)

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Funky Little Drummer Boy

Run-DMC – Christmas in Hollis

ID 

They Might Be Giants – O Tannenbaum

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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2020-12-13 playlist & stream

Dec 13

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Electric Car (feat. Robin Goldwasser)

The New Standards – My Favorite Things (feat. Aby Wolf) (new)

ID

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – 8 Days of Hannukah

Rissi Palmer – Dear to Me

ID

Cloud Cult – Good Friend

[WJFF/JUMP – Asylum Street Spankers – Sidekick

[KUTX – Sweet Honey in the Rock – Tama Tama Tamali

[WFNU – Lloyd Miller – Big Trip

2nd set

Elizabeth Mitchell – Bright Morning Stars are Rising

ID

TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock!

ID

Jingle Punx – Chanukah, Oh Chanukah

The Jimmies – I Wanna  Hippopotamus for Hanukkah

ScribbleMonster – Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (new)

Adam & the Bull Shark – We Make a Great Team

Joanie Leeds & the Nightlights – Spinning

ID

3rd set

Antibalas – Let’s Dance

Mama Doni Band – Chanukah Fever

ID

Daveed Diggs – Puppy for Hanukkah (new)

Aaron Nigel Smith – One

ID 

They Might Be Giants – Why Does the Sun Shine?

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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2020-12-06 playlist & stream

Dec 06

1st set

They Might Be Giants – It’s Spare the Rock

ID

They Might Be Giants – Boat of Car (feat. The Other Thing Brass Band)

SaulPaul feat. JC Stringz – Rise Violin Remix

123 Andres feat. Rissi Palmer – Cooperation

ID

Pierce Freelon – Daddy Daughter Day

Michael Franti & Spearhead – Once a Day (feat. Sonia Rele)

ID

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – White Christmas

[WJFF/JUMP – Red Yarn – Old Black Dog

[KUTX – The Sippy Cups – Springtime Fantastic

[WFNU – Mister G – Big Old World

2nd set

First Aid Kit – On the Road Again

ID

TMBG – Don’t Spare the Rock!

ID

The Not-Its! – Brain Freeze

The Lucky Band – Taco Tuesday

Lunch Money – Dizzy

Matt & Kim – Daylight

Jingle Punx – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

ID

3rd set

Das Racist – Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell

Parry Gripp interview

Parry Gripp – Raining Tacos on Christmas Eve

ID

Peelander Z – Taco Taco Tacos

The Comet is Coming – Summon the Fire

ID 

They Might Be Giants – One Everything

They Might Be Giants – Spare the Rock

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The Grammy nominations

Dec 01

The Grammy nominations came out recently. I’ll talk about them a bit on the radio this weekend but thought I’d expand briefly here.

Every artist nominated is white; four of the five are white men. At a time when, more than at any point during the fifteen-plus years we’ve been doing this show, I believe there are more BIPOC folks making family music, and when so much of that music that is amazing, it is inexplicable that this would be the slate of nominees.

(Actually, it is entirely explicable, but not for any good reasons.)

Pierce Freelon; SaulPaul; Lucky Diaz; Jazzy Ash–the list literally goes on and on. Pierce’s record was the best family record of the year.

It is true that many of the nominated records had non-white artists on them. Cool. Whether it is as it should be or not, it is inarguable that the name that is nominated is far more noticed than the supporting players.

So.

I commend to you this statement by the Family Music Forward organization, an organization taking a vital lead role in dismantling racism and white supremacy in family music. You’ll recognize many of the founding members as folks who have appeared on the show, often guest hosting (June of this year I dedicated almost entirely to shows guest hosted by people of color). You’ll hear more from them in the future on the show as well. I’m going to keep listening to them and amplifying their voices.

I also commend to you WeeNationRadio. You’ll recall that Devin guest hosted the show just a few months ago; you can listen to that now. His work is essential.

The Grammys have never been a huge deal to me; I’ve noted that before. But they are unquestionably a central part of how musicians are recognized and they make a real difference in the artists’ lives, as I understand it.

The records nominated are very good records, every one of them made by friends of mine. But any process that results in that slate is a fundamentally broken process. If I were a nominee, I’d like to think that I would choose not to be part of that process until it gets fixed, including this year. Declining a nomination is absolutely a sacrifice; it seems like a small one to make to noisily reject the process that led to this.

Note: as of December 9, three nominees—Alastair Moock, Dog on Fleas, and The Okee Dokee Brothers—have written to the Academy asking not to be listed on the ballot. I do not think this was because of my post, to be clear; I am glad they did so.

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