Playlist For 7/19/09

Chad Van Gaalen - TMNT Mask - Soft Airplane
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Heavy Metal - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Ben Kweller - Hear Me Out - On My Way
The Thrills - Old Friends New Lovers - So Much For The City
Helio Sequence - Looks Good (But You Looked Away) - Love and Distance

Joseph Arthur - Ashes Everywhere - Come To Where I'm From
Pavement - Platform Blues - Terror Twilight
Hot Panda - Cold Hands/Chapped Lips - Volcano...Bloody Volcano..
Deer Tick - The Ghost - Born On Flag Day
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Dirty Water - Stoned and Dethroned

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Complicated Situation - Howl
Jason Ricci and New Blood - Sonja - Rocket Number 9
Toots Thielemans - Brown Ballad - Jazz Masters 59
Brendan Power - Sweet Bulgarity - Lament For The 21st Century

Charlie Musselwhite - She May Be Your Woman - Ace Of Harps
Big Walter Horton and Carey Bell - Under The Sun (Instrumental) - Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell
Little Walter - Everythings Going To Be Alright - His Best

Bobby Jones -Mystery Train - Comin' Back Hard
Mark Hummel - Lost In The Shuffel - Feel Like Rockin'
Sugar Blue - Out Till Dawn - Blue Blazes
Joe Hill Louis - Hydramatic Women - A.L.R's Greatest Hits
Harmonica Hinds - Sunday Morning Blues - Chicago Blues Project: More Rare Gems

Mitch Kashmar - Castle Rock - Live At Labatt
A.A. Bondy - Witness Blues - American Hearts
Omar Coleman - You Don't Love Me - Chicago Blues Harmonica Project

Blues Traveler - Gina - Live From The Fall
James Harman - Torqueflight 727 - Black and White
Rod Piazza and The Mighty Fliers - I Do Believe - Here and Now


Though we still heard some pretty eclectic stuff (Joseph Arthur and his emo harmonica incisions and a Middle Eastern delight from Irish Brendan Powers), today's playlist mostly focused on killer blues and bringin' the harmonica back to its roots. Modern Blues players like John Popper from Blues Traveler, Mitch Kashmar, Charlie Musselwhite, and Rod Piazza keep traditional blues sound and lyrics alive today, but maybe with a little more upbeat attitude and rhythm. If you're just starting out on the harmonica, listen to these guys first..and non-stop. They'll give you a very strong foundation and from there you can explore all you want. The tallest trees with the most branches and leaves have the strongest roots :).

Keep Harpin' - Dj Kamakazzi