Episodes

  • Michigan-based country singer Rachel Brooke talks new single, journey to the stage and more

    Michigan-based country singer Rachel Brooke talks new single, journey to the stage and more
    Jul 5 2024
    This week on Roots Music Rambler, hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) are joined by country music singer and songwriter Rachel Brooke. Her new single is out and she is touring the U.S. this summer to drum up anticipation for an EP later this year and perhaps a new full album in 2025. She sat in with Frank and Falls to share her journey from being a teenage punk band drummer to crooning country songs in honky tonks around the midwest. She also discussed her music and writing, the layoff from touring and recording brought about my motherhood and much more. Frank and Falls also talk about being locked in a hotel room … twice. (And yes, we said locked “in”!) Falls shares his experience seeing Joy Oladokun, Gary Clark Jr., and others at the inaugural I Made Rock and Roll festival in Indianapolis. Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links: I Made Rock ‘N Roll Festival Joy Oladokun on Spotify Gary Clark Jr. on Spotify The Robert Randolph & The Family Band on Spotify Rachel Brooke Online Rachel Brooke on Spotify The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations Pat Younger and Aaron Bibelhauser’s single “Me & The Stars” Pat Younger on Spotify The Bibelhauser Brothers on Spotify Bluegrass Evolution on WFPK in Louisville Lukas Nelson, Sierra Ferrell & The Travelin’ McCourys’ Adele cover And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Bri Bagwell’s “Overnight” Success is on Year 15, But She’s Here!

    Bri Bagwell’s “Overnight” Success is on Year 15, But She’s Here!
    Jun 21 2024
    This week on Roots Music Rambler, hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) visit with Texas-based country artist Bri Bagwell. She has strung together 12 No. 1 hits on the Texas Country Music Charts and is a nine-time winner of that organization’s Female Artist of the Year. She’s well on her way to becoming the next big thing in country music and she sat in with us for a chat. Bagwell’s latest album, Corazon Y Cabeza, features a song climbing those charts this summer called The Rescue. It’s about her dog Whiskey, a rescue she found on the side of the road several years ago, who incidentally sat in Bri’s lap during the interview. Bagwell is also a successful podcaster as host of Only Vans, a music interview show where Bri interviews her fellow artists in the front of her touring van as she travels across the country playing gigs. Hear several of her songs and all about her climb to the country music mountain tops on this week’s episode. Francesca and Falls also talk about 80s hair bands, the 25th anniversary of Old Crow Medicine Show, which played a private show Falls attended recently. And as usual, Frank and Falls offer up their weekly recommendations for new music to listen to in their Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment. Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links: Def Leppard Hysteria on Spotify Def Leppard Pour Some Sugar on Me video on YouTube Bri Bagwell on Spotify Bri Bagwell online Only Vans on Spotify Only Vans on Apple Podcasts Jason’s Old Crow Medicine Show post on Instagram Old Crow Medicine Show on Spotify The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations CAAMP on Spotify Cam Clark on Spotify And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Singer-Songwriter Leon Majcen brings Prine and Buffett-esque sounds to new album

    Singer-Songwriter Leon Majcen brings Prine and Buffett-esque sounds to new album
    Jun 7 2024
    This week on Roots Music Rambler, hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) are joined by emerging Americana singer-songwriter Leon Majcen (pronounced MITE-zen). The Florida-based songwriter brings a mix of John Prine and Townes Van Zandt lyrics with a Jimmy Buffet, Gulf Coast vibe that is sure to appeal to a lot of music fans. Majcen came to our attention opening for Sundy Best in Louisville in February. Falls then saw him at the Monarch Music Space in Louisville in May. His self-titled new album launched in late May and is well worth the listen, if not purchase. Majcen has an interesting backstory, too. He is the son of Bosnian immigrants who fled that country during its war in the mid 1990s. Frank and Falls also pay tribute to their music teachers in their childhoods, and as usual, offer up their weekly recommendations for new music to listen to in their Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment. Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links: The Madison Regatta Online The Roostertail Music Festival Leon Majcen online Leon Majcen on Spotify Bosnian War on Wikipedia John Prine on Spotify Townes Van Zandt on Spotify The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations Joe Diffe’s Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox on Spotify Hermanos Gutierrez on Spotify And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Jesse Lynn Madera talks new album, heavy-hitter producers and more

    Jesse Lynn Madera talks new album, heavy-hitter producers and more
    May 24 2024
    This week on Roots Music Rambler, hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) visit with singer-songwriter Jesse Lynn Madera whose new album “Speed of Sound” is out. She pulled together a list of heavy-hitter producers to make this new record including Dan Navarro of Lowen and Navarro fame, and Grammy winners Jim Scott and Ryan Hadlock. The early single from the album “Last Calls” features Navarro and is turning some heads in the Americana space. Frank and Falls explored the new album, her roots growing up in both West Virginia and Texas, her creative flow and inspiration and the role her actor husband Hemky Madera (Weeds, Kaleidoscope, Spider Man: Homecoming) plays in her writing. Plus our hosts discuss a somewhat controversial topic in the Americana music space: Do women have to have a gimmick to get noticed? The question was inspired by a theory posed by a marketing and promotions pro in the space and opened an interesting conversation. And, as usual, Frank and Falls offer up their weekly recommendations for new music to listen to in their Pickin’ the Grinnin’ segment. Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links: Charlie Crocket’s $10 Cowboy on Spotify Jesse Lynn Madera online Jesse Lynn Madera on Spotify Speed of Sound on Spotify Hemky Madera on IMDB Sierra Ferrell online Margo Price online Amanda Shires online Margo Cilker online The Secret Sisters online Brandi Carlile online Brandy Clark online Orville Peck online The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations Waxahatchee on Spotify Kimmi Bitter on Spotify And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Son Volt, Bottle Rockets guitarist John Horton talks about the beginnings of Alt Country

    Son Volt, Bottle Rockets guitarist John Horton talks about the beginnings of Alt Country
    May 10 2024
    Welcome to Episode 19 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love. On this episode, we have a true Alt Country legend with us. Guitarist John Horton joins us on the show to talk about his career and impact on the music world. He became a member of the legendary band The Bottle Rockets in 2003. As if that wasn’t impressive enough to cement him as an impactful contributor to the Alt Country sound, he joined friend Jay Farrar and his band Son Volt in 2021. Son Volt, of course is one of the two offspring of the Uncle Tupelo split. That band is often credited with starting the Alt Country genre. Horton takes us through his musical journey, the impact of both bands and their music, Son Volt’s latest album Day of the Doug (a tribute to Doug Sahm) and a lot more. Frank and Falls also discuss the recent dust-up between Jason Isbell and the widow of Justin Townes Earle over Isbell’s song When We Were Close. The controversy was covered widely in the music business as Jenn Marie Earle posted a harsh criticism of the song which calls out their daughter. Frank also discusses her recent trip through Belleville, Illinois, to New Orleans, to stalk historical sites related to both Farrar and former Uncle Tupelo and Wilco founder Jeff Tweedy. She and Falls also offer up their regular Pickin’ the Grinnin’ choices for music you should listen to. Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links: Jenn Marie Earle article on Whiskey Riff John Horton article on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Son Volt online Son Volt on Spotify The Bottle Rockets online I’m going to No Depression Facebook Group Robin Wheeler (Woody Guthrie book project) on Substack Musk Ox Flannels (Use RAMBLER for a discount) Mike Ireland on Spotify KSHE 95 Radio - St. Louis Day fo the Doug by Son Volt on Spotify The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations Savannah Keyes on Spotify The Secret Sisters on Spotify And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Folk Legend Si Kahn Turns 80 with New Music, Look Back at Career

    Folk Legend Si Kahn Turns 80 with New Music, Look Back at Career
    Apr 26 2024
    Welcome to Episode 17 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love. This week, folk music legend Si Kahn joins the program to celebrate his 80th birthday (April 23). He looks back on his over 50-year career of making music and talks about a new album coming out in September called “Labor Day.” Kahn is a long-time labor organizer and advocate whose songs are typically laced with political punditry and satire. His first album, New Wood, was recorded in the 1970s and chronicled electioneering and old boy’s clubs of small mountain towns, among other themes. Kahn has recorded over 20 albums and written four books, the latter of those mostly focus on community organizing and grass-roots community building. He is the former leader of Grassroots Leadership and has served in various roles with songwriting unions and organizations over the years. In 1987, Kahn recorded Carry It On: Songs of America’s Working People with Jane Sapp and legendary folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger. He has also written several theatrical plays and musicals. Frank and Falls also discuss the ambiguous definition of Americana music and, of course, offer up another offering of Pickin’ the Grinnin’ – recommendations for you to discover new or rediscover older music this week. Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links: Americana Music Association’s definition of Americana Si Kahn online Si Kahn on Spotify The Charlie Daniel’s Band on Spotify Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen on Spotify Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen on Spotify John Prine’s Paradise on Spotify Bob Dylan on Spotify Me and Bobby McGee by Kris Kristofferson on Spotify Harry Chapin’s Cats in the Cradle on Spotify Musk Ox Flannels (Use RAMBLER for a discount) New Wood by Si Kahn on Spotify The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations Sierra Ferrell’s Trail of Flowers on Spotify The Animals on Spotify And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • Singer-Songwriter Renee Maskin Turns Out Another Strong Album with Shimmer

    Singer-Songwriter Renee Maskin Turns Out Another Strong Album with Shimmer
    Apr 12 2024
    Welcome to Episode 17 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love. This week, New Jersey-based singer songwriter Renee Maskin joins the show to talk about her transition from progressive rock and punk to folk and Americana. She’s now on her third album, an imaginative gem called Shimmer, and has even been named songwriter of the year and artist of the year by New Jersey Stage. Maskin spent several years in a progressive / punk band before a fateful trip to Texas and a recommendation to listen to Tom Waits turned her musical interests to folk and Americana. Since the switch, she’s been honored as a songwriter with awards and recorded three albums, all fueled by the inspiration surrounding the music scene in her hometown of Asbury Park, N.J. She sat in with Falls to talk about the Bruce Springsteen-vibe of Asbury Park, her evolution as a songwriter, touring with her former band which included touring with The Pretenders and more. Maskin started her professional pursuits in college as a visual artist, but quickly moved to music full-time. She’s been writing since she first took a guitar lesson as a teenager. Frank and Falls also talk about Falls’s recent invitation to fill-in on WFPK’s Roots ‘n’ Boots, a weekly roots music show on terrestrial radio in Louisville, music documentaries worth watching and, of course, both share their regular pickin’ the grinnin’ recommendations for new music. Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links: Roots and Boots on WFPK WFPK online Renee Maskin online Renee Maskin on Spotify Renee Maskin’s Shimmer on Spotify The Short Film on Shimmer The Stone Pony New Jersey Stage article on award winners June on Paramount Plus Willie Nelson and Family on Paramount Plus Thriller at 40 on Paramount Plus The Greatest Night in Pop on Netflix The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations Neil Young’s Greatest Hits on Spotify Teddy Swims on Spotify The Beastie Boys on Spotify And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • Brit Taylor Flips Kentucky Blue to a Chart-Climbing Bluegrass Album

    Brit Taylor Flips Kentucky Blue to a Chart-Climbing Bluegrass Album
    Mar 29 2024
    Welcome to Episode 16 of Roots Music Rambler! Join us – hosts Francesca Folinazzo (Frank) and Jason Falls (Falls) as we explore the real roots of the music we love. This week, Falls caught up with rising star Brit Taylor before a recent performance in support of her Kentucky Bluegrassed album. The Hindman, Ky., native actually took 2023’s Kentucky Blue, her second album comprised of a number of strong country and Americana nongs, and rendered a bluegrass version of many of those songs with Kentucky Bluegrassed. The bluegrass version entered the Americana Music Association charts in early March as Taylor went on the road to promote both records. Kentucky Blue was produced by Sturgill Simpson and Dave Ferguson. Taylor also previous wrote songs with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Frank and Falls also talk about his trip to see Taylor play which included some celebrity spotting, of sorts. They also chat about the potential break-up of Lovejoy, Falls’s experience seeing Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit for the first time. And, of course, both share their regular pickin’ the grinnin’ recommendations for new music. Don’t forget you can now show your support of the show with Roots Music Rambler’s new merch, now available at rootsmusicrambler.com/store. Authentic t-shirts, hats and stickers are now available. Buckle up for The Hoe-Down and the Throw-Down! It’s a new episode of Roots Music Rambler. Notes and links: Lovejoy controversy on The Mirror Brit Taylor online Brit Taylor on Instagram Kentucky Blue on Spotify Kentucky Bluegrassed on Spotify The Americana Music Association charts (current not archived) Silas House on Wikipedia Kindred Valley on Spotify Falls’s Instagram post from the Jason Isbell show Isbell’s Threads post Frank commented on Joan Shelley on Spotify The Roots Music Rambler Store Roots Music Rambler on Instagram Roots Music Rambler on TikTok Roots Music Rambler on Facebook Jason Falls on Instagram Francesca Folinazzo on Instagram Pickin’ the Grinnin’ Recommendations Smushie on Spotify Reilly Downes & The Acid Cowboys on Spotify Sparkle Carcass on Spotify The Waco Brothers on Spotify Jon Langford on Spotify Cabeza de Chivo on Spotify Hermanos Gutierrez on Spotify Logan Ledger on Spotify And be sure to get your MuskOx premium flannel shirts just in time for fall. Use the code RAMBLER on checkout for a discount! - https://gomuskox.com/rambler Subscribe to Roots Music Rambler on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, GoodPods or wherever you get your podcasts. Theme Music: Sheepskin & Beeswax by Genticorum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins