Collector's Edition

Indie rocker, John Vanderslice, is a true American original. In addition to a successful two-decade career in music, he also owns the Tiny Telephone recording studios in San Francisco and Oakland.  He joined Christian Schaeffer last month to discuss his recent album, 'The Cedars,' as well as his libertarian philosophies on drugs, technology and building permits. While in the studio, Vanderslice performed "I'll Wait for You," "Henry Ford Gymnasium" and "I Got S**t to Lose." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on May 2, 2019. The sound engineer was Andy Coco, with technical producer KE Luther. 

Parker Gispert is best known as the singer and guitarist for the Athens, Georgia band, The Whigs. Late last year, he released his first solo album, the raw, country-influenced Sunlight Tonight. He joined host, Christian Schaeffer, last month to discuss recording outside of Nashville, the freedom of touring solo and the transformative power of a solar eclipse. Gispert performs "Volcano," "Is It 9?" and "Too Dumb to Love Anyone." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on April 27, 2019. The sound engineer is Jon Valley, assisted by Sami Ross. The technical producer is KE Luther. And the executive producer is Andy Coco.  

Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear are often considered an Americana band but much of their work defies easy categorization. Last year, they sat down with guest host, KE Luther, to discuss how they arrived at their distinctive sound.  This episode includes live performances of "Hell and Back," "Everybody's Got Problems," and "Mother Mary." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on September 21, 2018. Jon Valley served as music engineer. 

Kiley Lotz is the creative force behind Petal, and her new record "Magic Gone" mixes autobiographical detail with emotional, pop-punk smarts. Lotz and her bandmates play the songs "Better Than You," Magic Gone" and "Stardust." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on January 21, 2019. Music recorded by Andy Coco, mixed by Taylor Perkins.

Chloe Feoranza, clarinetist for the Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band, Pokey LaFarge and other projects, is one of the great instrumentalists of her generation. She speaks with guest host, KE Luther, about playing in an all-female jazz combo, the challenges of touring and living with anxiety. The music for this episode was recorded live at KDHX's The Stage in St. Louis, Missouri on August 31, 2018. Engineered by Andy Coco and Jon Valley. 

Shades is the haunted and haunting debut record from Vera Sola, the nom-de-musique of Danielle Aykroyd. She performed every note and utterance on Shades, recording at St. Louis' Native Sound studio. On this episode Vera Sola performs the songs "Small Minds," "Black Rhino Enterprises," and "The Cage." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on September 30, 2018. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Collector's Edition digs into the vaults this week and uncovers a high-energy interview between KDHX host, Chris Sanley, and Shaun Fleming of the band, Diane Coffee. The exchange was originally recorded in January of this year, but it provides some much-needed color as we roll into fall. The band performs three songs: "Mayflower," "As You," and "Get By." Recorded January 20, 2018 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Jon Valley, KE Luther and Andy Coco.

With a hauntingly beautiful voice, Shelley Short has provided harmonies for many well-known bands over her fifteen-year career. Currently on tour with Neko Case, she spoke to guest host, KE Luther, about feminism and what it means to play behind a musical legend. Short and her band played the songs "Death," "Muddy River," and "September." Recorded on July 7, 2018 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by KE Luther and Jon Valley. 

In this episode, Chris Sanley, host of KDHX's The Future is Now, interviews feminist icon, Ani DiFranco, about motherhood, her upcoming memoir and the rise of the #metoo movement. Ani performs live in The Stage at KDHX on Saturday, June 9, 2018 to a limited audience of KDHX donors. Sound was recorded and mixed by Joshua Melvin. This episode was produced with support from Andy Coco and KE Luther. 

After more than 10 years as a member of bands like Frontier Ruckus and Failed Flowers, Anna Burch made her solo debut with this year's Quit The Curse. The album channels smart, jangly indie-pop while cataloging the in and outs of romantic entanglements. Burch and her band play the songs "Quit the Curse," "2 Cool 2 Care" and "Asking 4 a Friend." Recorded on June 20, 2018 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by KE Luther and Andy Coco.

In a special episode, John Wendland, host of "Memphis to Manchester," interviews members of Calexico.

The Nashville-based singer and songwriter Tristen Gaspadarek continues to mine the space between pop and folk on her 2017 LP Sneaker Waves. For this session, Tristen and her husband/guitar player Buddy Hughen played at KDHX's venue The Stage in front of a live audience. Songs performed are "Negotiating," "Glass Jar" and "Psychic Vampire." Recorded live at KDHX's The Stage on December 11. 2017. Engineered by Jon Valley.

Tamara Lindeman has recorded as the Weather Station for four albums running, but 2017's self-titled release felt a little more like a statement of purpose, a re-assertion of her identity under that moniker. On this episode, Lindeman plays three new songs solo and talks through the new songs as well as her evolution as a songwriter, guitarist and arranger. Songs performed are "You & I (On the Other Side of the World)," "Impossible" and "Free." Engineered by Jon Valley. Recorded on February 14, 2018 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri.

Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel) and Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster (Water Liars, Theodore) team up as Marie/Lepanto, marrying their mutual loves of keen, scalpel-sharp songwriting and sometimes-moody, sometimes-rangy guitar atmospherics. They joined us in the KDHX studio on the eve of their first-ever live performance as this duo, and we talk about the forces that brought them together and how highway road signs can offer direction in more ways than one. Songs performed are "Patient, Patient Man," "Clean Gift," and "Simple Scenes." Engineered by Jon Valley. Recorded on February 7, 2018 at KDHX in St. Louis

On 2017's Goths, the Mountain Goats channel one of singer John Darnielle's favorite musical subcultures while painting its songs in lighter shades of electric piano and saxophone. For this stripped-down set, Darnielle is joined by pianist and saxophonist Matt Douglas for one tune from the new record and a pair from 2007's Get Lonely. Songs performed are "Wear Black," "In the Hidden Places" and "Get Lonely." Engineered by Andy Coco and Cody Pees. Recorded on September 11, 2017 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri.

Formerly known as Major & the Monbacks, this Virginia-bred sextet revels in warm and fuzzy psych-pop built on a common language of Beatles, Beach Boys and Dr. Dog LPs. Super Doppler performs the songs "Moonlight Anthems," "Sandman" and "Over and Over" from its new LP Moonlight Anthems. Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on August 10, 2017. Engineered by Jon Valley.

Hailing from West Plains, Missouri, Ha Ha Tonka has spent its past five albums working through vibrant and spirited Americana, and on this year's Heart-Shaped Mountain, the quintet wrestles with the rigors of adulthood. Songs performed are "Arkansas," "Race to the Bottom" and "Everything." Recorded on May 19, 2017 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Jon Valley.

New York-based foursome Charly Bliss channels a fuzzy and effervescent strand of 90s pop-punk while making its own stamp on the genre. The band plays three songs from its debut full-length "Guppy" and singer/guitarist Eva Hendricks talks about the band's experiences on the road and in the studio. Songs performed are "DQ," "Percolator" and "Ruby." Recorded on April 30, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Pokey LaFarge and his six-piece band get a warm hometown welcome for this recording, done in front of a live audience at the Stage at KDHX ahead of the release of his latest "Manic Revelations." LaFarge and company perform the songs "Riot in the Streets," "Must be a Reason," "Going to the Country" and "Good Luck Charm." Recorded live at the Stage at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on May 11, 2017. Engineered by Jon Valley and Andy Coco.

Tift Merritt's gifts for songcraft and perfectly pitched delivery are old news at this point, but it's good to know that she can still turn a phrase and break a heart 15 years into her career. She and partner Eric Heywood offer up three acoustic songs from her latest "Stitch of the World." Songs performed are "Dusty Old Man," "My Boat" and "Wait for Me." Engineered by Jon Valley. Recorded on March 1, 2017 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri.

Alejandro Escovedo's long career has led him through strains of punk, folk and Americana, but for 2016's Burn Something Beautiful he channels rangy, guitar-heavy rock & roll. He's joined on that album by Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Scott McCaughey (Minus 5), but for this session it's just him and his acoustic guitar. Songs performed on this episode are "Farewell to the Good Times," "Heartbeat Smile" and "Beauty and the Buzz." Recorded on November 13, 2016 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Jon Valley. 

When Amanda Shires isn't on stage -- performing her own songs or in support of her husband Jason Isbell or the legendary John Prine -- she pursues her MFA in creative writing; on her latest LP, My Piece of Land, she walks the line between biography and fiction. Shires sings three new songs and talks at length about her writing process, life on the road and much more. Songs performed are "Harmless," "Pale Fire" and "When You're Gone." Recorded on November 3, 2016 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

On her debut album "Beyond the Bloodhounds," singer and guitarist Adia Victoria uses an updated and dark-tinted brand of electric blues to tell her stories and consider the intersections of her black, Southern, female identities. On this episode, we'll talk with Adia Victoria about the legacy of music as social protest in the era of Black Lives Matter. Songs performed are "Dead Eyes," "Head Rot" and "Invisible Hands." Recorded September 25, 2016 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Olivia Hally and Pepita Emmerichs combined their first syllables and their musical talents in creating Oh Pep! in their native Melbourne, Australia a few years ago. Both have studied music at the university level but their earliest recordings show an unfussy freedom in adopting folk and Americana forms. On this year's full-length Stadium Cake, the pair embrace a fuller palette of pop sounds while still tackling some big-ticket issues in their lyrics. Songs performed are "Wanting," Doctor Doctor" and "Afterward." Recorded August 3 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Jon Valley.

Will Johnson led the beloved Denton, Texas-based Centro-matic for over 15 years, and after that band's friendly dissolution, he released Swan City Vampires and embarked on a series of living room tours. Johnson will play three songs from that new LP -- "Call, Call, Call," "Nameless, But a Lover" and "Pulleys" on this episode. Recorded on May 25, 2016 at KDHX in St. Louis. Engineered by Andy Coco.

The three Stavely-Taylor sisters -- Emily, Camilla and Jessica -- have been recording as the Staves for a number of years, fusing the austerity of British folk with the rich overtones of their harmonies. Their latest, the three-song EP "Sleeping in a Car," reunites the band with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, who lends production help on these songs as the Staves move outside of purely acoustic music and embrace electronic and ambient textures. Songs performed for this session are "Make It Holy," "Outlaw" and "America." Recorded on June 25 at KDHX in St. Louis. Engineering by Jon Valley.

Call the Jayhawks an Americana band if you must, but singer Gary Louris is more than likely to sling some German noiseniks your way. The band's latest, "Paging Mr. Proust," was recorded with Peter Buck and Tucker Martine, and Louris' detail-rich songs study the twin poles of stillness and movement. We'll hear three acoustic versions of tracks from that new LP: "Leaving the Monsters Behind," "Lovers of the Sun" and "Comeback Kids." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis on June 27, 2016. Engineered by Jon Valley. 

Robert Ellis' latest album is self-titled; that tidbit, along with a recent divorce, has had critics and writers salivating for a broken-heart narrative. But to hear Ellis tell is, he's still exploring the grey area in relationships, where people struggle to get what they want. We'll talk with Ellis at length and hear three new songs on this week's episode. Songs performed are "Perfect Strangers," "Amanda Jane" and "California." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis on June 7, 2016. Engineering by Andy Coco, mixing and mastering by Jon Valley.

Oscar Scheller self-records his songs under his first name, and the tracks on this year's Cut & Paste place his elegant baritone voice against scuzzy garage rock and the rainbow-colored remnants of Brit Pop. We caught him on his first full tour of the U.S. whilst opening for Bloc Party, and on this episode he'll talk about his musical upbringing, his fascination with American pop culture and the challenge of adapting home recordings in a full-band setting. Songs performed are "Sometimes," "Breaking My Phone" and "Good Things." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis on May 24, 2016. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Miles Nielsen leads the rock-and-roots combo the Rusted Hearts through warm, weathered Americana on this year's Heavy Metal. We'll talk with Nielsen and the band about its evolution, its Midwestern sensibilities and growing up in the shadow of Cheap Trick. Songs performed are "Simple Times," "Is This The End" and "Honey Bee." Recorded on May 12, 2016 at KDHX in St. Louis. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Lily Cato leads this New York-based sextet with clear nods to '60s girl-group harmonies and an increasing reliance on taut, muscular synth pop. Parlour Tricks plays three tracks (including one as-yet-unreleased tune) on this week's show, and we talk with Cato and harmony vocalists Darah Golub and Morgane Hollowell about the band's evolution, its rejection of gender-as-genre, and how all the best post-show compliments deal with music theory. Songs performed are "Gone," "Requiem" and "Leave Your Light On." Recorded on March 7, 2016 at KDHX in St. Louis. Engineered by Andy Coco and Paul Roach.

These two singer-songwriters take different approaches to their craft -- Grant-Lee Phillips is often ruminative and mystical, while Poltz treats his songs as a catch-all for his expansive and idiosyncratic worldview. But as tour mates, Phillips and Poltz find commonality both in the songs and in conversation, as this special two-for-one episode of Collector's Edition proves. Phillips performs "Smoke and Sparks" and "Holy Irons" from his latest The Narrows, and Poltz plays "I Want All My Friends to Be Happy" and "Folksinger" from his latest, also called Folksinger. Recorded on February 16, 2016 at KHDX in St. Louis. Recorded by Dan Kinney, mixed and mastered by Haley Hudson.

This Los Angeles-based quartet calls itself the Americans, a broad and startlingly simple name and one that fits the group's catch-all approach to American roots music. After two self-recorded releases, the Americans will issue the studio album "I'll Be Yours" this spring. We talk with all four band members during this session and hear three new, forthcoming songs: "Stowaway," "Harbor Lane" and "I'll Be Yours." Recorded on January 14, 2016 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Recorded by Andy Coco, remixed by Haley Hudson.

Few bands in St. Louis are as storied and celebrated as the Bottle Rockets. The band was a leading light in the burgeoning alt-country movement in the early '90s and has been consistently releasing records and touring the country for nearly 25 years. The newest LP is called "South Broadway Athletic Club" (named for a local landmark), and the band talks about recording its first album in its hometown. Songs performed are "Monday (Every Time I Turn Around)," "Ship It on the Frisco" and "Dog." Recorded on December 14, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Dan Kinney.

Alongside woodwind player Jeff Lederer and bassist Paul Sikivie, drummer Matt Wilson leads this seasonally motivated jazz trio through a deep dive of the Christmas song canon, performing traditional carols, modern tunes and folk songs with equal parts wit, irreverence and inventiveness. We'll talk with the band about finding new meaning in old favorites and how Christmas songs have become a different take on the idea of the "jazz standard." Songs performed are "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Si Me Dan Pastellas" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel." Recorded on December 17, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Mikaela Davis came to play the harp at a young age almost by happenstance, but by her teenage years she had figured out how to use the instrument to drive her dreamy, slightly psychedelic pop songs. We'll talk with Davis and her drummer and collaborator Alex Cote about the importance of music education, the influence of Joanna Newsom and her upcoming LP. Songs performed are "When You're Away," "Is This the Way," and "I Don't Want Another Love." Recorded on October 6, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Pure Bathing Culture principals Sarah Versprille and Daniel Hindman talk about stripping back the layers of their band's shimmering, gossamer pop songs on this year's Pray for Rain. Producer John Congleton helped them focus their sound and new additions to the recordings -- Moog bass and live drums, to name two -- give a new bounce to the Portland-based quartet. Songs performed are "Palest Pearl," "She Shakes" and "Pray for Rain." Recorded on October 12, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco. (Bonus content: Pure Bathing Culture's appearance on Collector's Edition from November 12, 2013)

Emi Night leads the Denver-based quartet Strawberry Runners with a memoirist's approach to the heartfelt and harrowing stories of her own childhood. Her bandmates support these songs with a twee-pop sheen that doesn't undercut the lyrics' emotional heft, and Strawberry Runners' two-song single shows both sides of that coin. The band is about to record its debut LP but were kind enough to play a preview of the forthcoming album. Songs performed are "Dog Days," When We Were Good" and "Your Bed Was Tall." Recorded on October 3, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

On The Embers of Time, Josh Rouse pairs his tastefully arranged and sweetly sung songs with lyrics that meditate on artistic identity, personal history and shifting priorities. On this episode, Rouse shares three solo, acoustic songs from the new record and talks about the duality of playing fundamentally American music while residing in Valencia, Spain, where he's lived for over a decade. Songs performed are "New Young," Somedays I'm Golden All Night" and "Crystal Falls." Recorded on September 18 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Tim Kasher started the Good Life as a softer, more bare-bones approach compared to the work he was doing in Cursive, but the band came to be more than a mere side-project.  Mid-2000s Albums like Black Out and Album of the Year showed melodic and thematic adventurousness, but the Good Life had been dormant since 2007. This year's Everybody's Coming Down finds the core quartet back in fine, rangy form. Songs performed as "Everybody," "The Troubadour's Green Room" and "So Let Go." Recorded on September 5, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

You might know him as the lead singer of the Athens, GA-based band Dead Confederate or as a member of Diamond Rugs alongside members of Deer Tick and Los Lobos, but T. Hardy Morris remains restless on his latest release. "Drownin' on a Mountaintop" is released under the guise of Hardy & the Hard Knocks, but Morris' knack for finding Southern rock's grittier corners remains regardless of the outfit. Songs performed are "Young Assumption," "Blame" (one of his contributions to Diamond Rugs) and "Shit in the Wind." Recorded on August 4, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco. 

The long-running, hard-touring acoustic trio the Devil Makes Three talks about its most recent LP, 2013's I'm a Stranger Here and shares stories about collaborating with producer Buddy Miller. Songs performed are "Pray for Rain," Do Wrong Right" and "Graveyard." Recorded on January 22, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Joshua Melvin.

Rev. Peyton and his bandmates are proud purveyors (and dedicated scholars) of country blues music, and their latest LP So Delicious revels in joyous surrender to the music. Rev. Peyton himself opines about domestic bliss, blues scholarship and more. The band performs the songs "Pot Roast & Kisses" and "Front Porch Trained." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on February 22, 2015. Engineered by Dan Kinney.

For her forthcoming LP This Ain't Luck, singer-songwriter Alex Winston took a more personal approach to her lyrics while opening up her music to more radio-ready popcraft. Winston talks about the new songs and the fruitful, if trying, creation of the new album. Songs performed are "The Day I Died," "Careless" and "Gentleman." Recorded at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on June 23, 2015. Engineered by Andy Coco.

The Toronto-based quintet began as a vehicle for Tony Dekker's softly sung and sweetly rendered songs and grew into a formidable, intuitive folk outfit. The band plays an acoustic set of three songs from its latest, A Forest of Arms, and Dekker expands on the band's relationship to its physical environment, both in and out of the studio. Songs performed are "Something Like a Storm," "Don't Leave Me Hanging" and "Zero in the City." Recorded on June 21, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Nashville-based and Dallas-bred, singer-songwriter Andrew Combs combines Lone Star State story-song tradition with genteel Music City slickness on his new album All These Dreams. Combs and his band play three new songs -- "Foolin'," "Suwanee County" and "Slow Road to Jesus." Recorded on April 13, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Joshua Melvin. 

Helmed by brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, JEFF the Brotherhood has spent the last 15 years exploring the realms of garage rock, proto-metal and heavy prog. The Nashville-based band released Wasted on the Dream this year on their own Infinity Cat label, and the band came to KDHX to play old and new tracks and talk about the band's evolution (and its brief major label dalliance). JEFF the Brotherhood recorded the songs "Black Cherry Pie" "Heavy Krishna" and "Voyage Into Dreams." Recorded on April 12, 2015 live at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Jon Valley.

With his honeyed rasp and incisive lyrics, Joe Pug has been a singer-songwriter of rare insight since his 2009 debut. His most recent LP, 2015's Windfall, finds Pug back in the studio after a soul-searching respite, and his new songs tell of dogged perseverence and hard-won freedom. Pug talks about his new album, his re-commitment to his art and much more in this live session and interview. Joe Pug and his band perform the songs "Windfallen," "Burn & Shine" and "If Still It Can't Be Found." Recorded on April 7, 2015 live at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Pat Wolfe Jr. and Daniel Fitzpatrick.

The Brooklyn-based instrumental trio plays a kind of dance music that is hard to pin down: elements of jazz, house and free-form rock & roll come the band's sets, and the twin-saxophone attack of Michael Milbur and Wenzl Mcgowen is supported by the four-on-the-floor drumming of James Muschler. On this episode of Collector's Edition, the band plays two brand-new songs and talks about Moon Hooch's genesis as a subway-busking act and where it hopes to go next. The songs performed are "Something Else!", "Low 5" and "Tubes." Recorded on May 20, 2015 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Dan Kinney.

Best known as founding members of the long-running Chicago band the Sea & Cake, Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt trade in tightly constructed, jazz-flecked pop songs for sprawling instrumental synthesis. Touring in support of Prekop's recent LP of modular synthesizer compositions The Republic, Prekop and Prewitt play a new, untitled composition built from Prekop's modulating melodic patterns and layered with Prewitt's lithe, soaring guitar lines. We talk with Prekop about his history with this style of instrumental music and its connections to his better-known work with the Sea & Cake. Recorded live at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on May 19, 2015. Engineered by Andy Coco.

Under the direction of pianist and songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone, this Brooklyn-based octet have released two albums that mix symphonic swells, beat-driven pop and evocative vocal interplay. We talk with Ludwig-Leone, vocalist Charlene Kaye and trumpet player John Brandon about the band's evolution from studio concoction to thrilling, club-filling live act. San Fermin plays the songs "Emily," "Jackrabbit" and "Reckoning," all from the new Jackrabbit LP. Recorded live at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri on May 14, 2015. Engineered by Andy Coco.