The Cornbread Cafe #8: Not a Valentine’s Day episode. Unless’n you want it to be.

Tanya Gallagher [explicit lyrics], Kate Lush, The Suitcase Junket, Bumper Jacksons, Faint Peter, Birds of Chicago “Virginia taught me love, it taught me heartache, but most importantly it taught me that a home away from home can exist. These songs represent an incredible time of personal growth.” — Tanya Gallagher Welcome! brothers and sisters to Episode #8—of the Cornbread Cafe. I am the mongrel, and I’ll be back in the kitchen today cooking up a sampler platter of the best from a sprawling menu of American Roots music. Cazh and cozy, we’re located at the five-corners of Blues, Americana, Folk, Country, and Gospel. And you can sometimes catch an express to Rock ’n’ Roll at the bus stop across the way. * Featured in this Episode: Tanya Gallagher • “3002 Miles” (explicit lyrics) • Virgina Kate Lush • “Good Good Love” • Let It Fly The Suitcase Junket • “Swamp Chicken” • Pile Driver Bumper Jacksons • “Corina Corina” • I’ve Never Met a Stranger Faint Peter • “Texas” • Redoubt Birds of Chicago • “Etoile d’Amour (Stardust)” • American Flowers You know, somebody asked me the other day what makes this podcast any different, or any better than, the radio. Now I don’t know if the Cornbread Cafe is better than radio—I mean, I grew up listening to some of the last great mainstream radio out there, when stations would play an entire new album commercial free late at night, and thousands of teenagers would have their fingers on play and record with a brand new 90-minute CrO2 in the deck, back when we spent Saturday night with “Dr. Demento”, Sunday morning we ate “Breakfast with the Beatles” and Sunday night was for headphones, high volume, and the King Biscuit Flower Hour with Bill Minkin. And if you haven’t heard either of those shows I have good news for you. Episodes of the King Biscuit programs are archived online and Dr. Demento is STILL doing his musical funny business every Saturday night through his websites. Tanya Gallagher Events “But what makes the Cornbread Cafe podcast different than today’s radio is that I can showcase songs that might never make it to the airwaves, either because of their length, or because they might appeal to a narrower audience, or because they contain explicit language not allowed on the radio per FCC rules. Such is the case with this next song, “3002 Miles,” by Tanya Gallagher, who gives us a scathing answer to infidelity on her 2016 release Virginia. We featured the title track on Episode #1 and have been hungry to dig in and sample some deeper cuts off what is a graceful, potent, vivid, multifaceted LP. So let’s get this show started with “3002 Miles” here on the Cornbread Cafe. Kate Lush Events And that was Kate Lush with “Good, Good Love,” off Let It Fly, and I thought some good, good love might be needed to wipe the slate clean of the bad love in 3002 Miles that started that set off. I have a surprise for you. As convincing as her powerful, soulful vocals are, she’s not American—she’s an Aussie. That’s right, when she contacted me, I was like, really? Australians get the Blues? And then I heard her album, and it was just BAM—she gets it, and she nails it. And come to find out, she’s one of a growing collection of Australians and Britons who are totally into the the American Roots scene. Mayyyybe you recall Gus McCay, and “Extremely Voodoo” from back in Episode #3. There you go. Another Aussie. The Suitcase Junket Events Now if Kate Lush did it for you with Good, Good Love, why not check her out live at the Girrakool Blues & BBQ Festival March 2nd and 3rd in Kariong, NSW, Australia. The weather should be great, and the airfare really is a small price to pay for great Blues like Kate’s. Next set, we’ll pull another track off the 2017 release, I’ve Never Met a Stranger, from the Bumper Jacksons, “Corina Corina,” but first, lets sample a tune from Pile Driver, also released last year, by The Suitcase Junket, “Swamp Chicken.” So, it is kinda true that Winter in the States is a little thin on American Roots music festivals. Apparently, “Down Under” has a bunch of them this time of year, but then again, it’s more like our September weather over there. On the other hand, South of the Mason-Dixon line things are already starting to heat up, and here are two events going on this weekend you might be interested in. First off is the Mile 0 Fest Key West going on right now. This event is a brand-new music festival assured to be a “must see” in the burgeoning Red Dirt & Americana music scene. Single Day passes for Saturday, February 10 still available. Also this weekend is the 10th Annual Appalachian State Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention, North Carolina. This new classic festival is held on the campus of Appalachian State University and is 100% student operated. Events include; concerts, instructional workshops, ...