July - 5 years running!

July 12 will mark 5 years since we began broadcasting at 11pm on Sunday evenings. I remember the day Shelley asked me if I wanted to host a show. She was thinking it would be Sundays at 9pm, but she would have some shuffling of existing programs to make it work. After near 6 months of waiting, E-Lars from 33 1/3 helped me hijack the 11pm Sunday slot, formally held by the "Sunday Evening Service". The show has drifted around in format, always intending to feature Alt-Country and Americana from the expansive underground scene that exists, yet allowing the freedom to play what I choose.

That is the beauty of public radio and a station like KMSU. There is no required library, there is no digital loop and there are pretty much no rules except no booze at the station. I love every minute of volunteering and working with the KMSU family.

Thanks for listening!

-Steve Guse  



July 06, 2014

Twisty River Bridge - Joe Ely - 2003 Streets of Sin*
I Hung It Up - Junior Brown - 1996 Semi-Crazy
Speed of Sound - Communist Daughter - Daytrotter 1/21/13**
Grass Is Greener - St. Paul & The Broken Bones - 2014 Half The City**
Hurricanes & Hand Grenades - Jason Isbell & 400 Unit - 2008 Live @ Twist & Shout**

Hank Williams - They'll Never Take Her Love From Me
Lecce, Leaving - Lee Ranaldo & The Dust - 2013 Last Night On Earth
Wet Hair - Japandroids - 2009 Post-Nothing
Relief Is Just A Swallow Away - George Jones
All Time Low - Widespread Panic - 2002 Live In The Classic City
I'm Beginning To Forget - Elizabeth Cook - 2010 Welder
Two Pillow Sleeper - Daniel Romano - 2013 Come Cry With Me
Nothing Can Change This Love - Sam Cooke



*   Appearing at Vetter Stone Amphitheater Sunday, July 20 @ 7pm opening for George Thorogood

** Appearing at Vetter Stone Amphitheater Wednesday, July 30 @ 6:30pm

March Playlists

March 30, 2014

Suckin' on a Big Bottle of Gin - Joe Ely - 1977 s/t
On My Way Back Home - Band of Horses - 2010 Infinite Arms
Winter Light - The Autumn Defense - 2006 s/t
Homeless Child - Ban Harper - 1997 The Will To Live
Poor Fool - Justin Townes Earle
If I - Amanda Shires - 2013 Down Fells The Doves
Oh You Pretty Things - Seu Jorge - 2005 The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions
All The Time In The World - John Fullbright - 2012 From The Ground Up
The Dolphin Dance - Sam Bush - 2006 Laps in 7
The Byrds - You're Still On My Mind
One Short Night - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - 2012 Live at Sun Studios
Drinkin' at the Dam- Smog - 2005 A River Ain't Too Much to Love
I Can't Get You Off My Mind - Hank Williams
Nobody Knows But Me - Jimmie Rodgers
No Deal - Townes Van Zandt - 1972 High, Low & In between
Call a Spade a Spade - Turnpike Troubadours - 2012 Goodbye Normal Street



March 23, 2014

Under Your Spell Again - Ernest Tubb
Both Of Me - Erik Koskinen - 2014 American Theatre
Good Intentions - Robert Ellis - 2014 The Lights From the Chemical Plant
Out of Reaches - Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - 2009 Real Emotional Trash
Get Up and Get Out - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - 2014 Give The People What They Want
Gonna Burn Some Bridges - Ray Price
Travelin' Blues - The Cactus Blossoms - 2013 Live at the Turf Club
Steel Road - Tim Barry - 2006 Rivianna Junction
First Air if Autumn - Drive-By Truckers - 2014 English Oceans
Return - Drag the River - 2009 Bad at Breaking Up
The Rubber Room - Porter Wagoner
I Don't Wanna Grow Up - Tom Waits - 1992 Bone Machine
Hail Hail - Shovels & Rope - 2012 O Be Joyful
Higgs Bosom Blues - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - 2013 Live @ KCRW



March 16, 2014

Primer Coat - Drive-By Truckers - 2014 English Oceans
Grand Canyon - Drive-By Truckers - 2014 English Oceans
Nothing Without You - Erik Koskinen - 2014 American Theatre
Fleeting Porch of Tide - Drag the River - You Can't Live This Way
Bunkhouse Blues - Guy Clark - 1999 Cold Dog Soup
Please Don't Sneak Around - The Cactus Blossoms - 2013 Live at the Turf Club
Say Goodbye - Beck - 2014 Morning Phase
Sweetheart In The Summer - Ween - 2007 La Cucaracha
Sugar Man - Sonny Knight & The Lakers
House Built for Two - Delta Spirit - 2007 Ode to Sunshine
Bottle of Wine - Robert Ellis - 2014 The Lights From the Chemical Plant
That's Why I'm Blue - Jimmie Rodgers
outro: Forky Deer - Charlie Parr & The Black Twig Pickers



March 9, 2014

Celebrating Townes Van Zandt's 70th Birthday!

Waiting For The Day - 2003 In The Beginning
Colorado Bound - 2003 In The Beginning
Tecumseh Valley - 1969 Our Mother the Mountain
When She Don't Need Me - 1978 Flyin' Shoes
Kathleen - Be Here To Love Me
Dead Flowers - 1972 Sunshine Boy Session
Pancho & Lefty - Heartworn Highways
If I Needed You - 1972 The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
Don't Let The Sunshine Fool Ya - 1972 The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
Wabash Cannonball - 1993 Roadsongs
Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold - 1972 Hig, Low & In Between
Highway Kind - 1972 High, Low & In Between
Nothin' - 1971 Delta Mama Blues
Waitin' Round to Die - 1977 Live at the Old Quarter
Marie - 1994 No Deeper Blue
Dollar Bill Blues - 2005 Live at Union Chapel, London 1994



March 2, 2014

My Way Back Home - Dawes - 2011 Nothing Is Wrong
To Love Somebody - Lydia Loveless - 2014 Somewhere Else
Are You Behind The Shining Star - Dave Simonett - 2014 Razor Pony
Paradise - Tom T Hall
New Orleans - Trampled by Turtles - 2013 Live at First Avenue
And In My Bourbon Down - Javier Trejo - 2006 s/t
A Little Unfair - The Cactus Blossoms - 2013 Live at the Turf Club
Moving - John Fullbright - 2012 From the Ground Up
Break My Heart Sweetly - John Moreland - 2013 In The Throes
She Said - Erik the Viking
I Won't Ask You Again - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 2009 Beware
River Jordan - Papa M - Whatever, Mortal
Have You Ever Wanted To Die - Jonny Fritz - 2013 Dad Country

February Playlists

February 23, 2014

TV Song - Robert Ellis - 2014 The Lights From The Chemical Plant
Chemical Plant - Robert Ellis - 2014 The Lights From The Chemical Plant
Mess With Time - Built to Spill - 2006 You In Reverse
You're Still On My Mind - The Byrds - 1968 Sweethearts of the Rodeo
Everything's Gone - Lydia Loveless - 2014 Somewhere Else
Thanks For Nothing - Middle Brother - 2010 Middle Brother
Repetition - Dave Simonett - 2014 Razor Pony
I Overlooked an Orchid - The Cactus Blossoms - 2013 Live at the Turf Club
Wild Creatures - Neko Case - 2013 The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You
Gotta Get Up Every Morning - Junior Brown - 2009 Live in Austin
The Mountain Song - Hard Working Americans - 2014 s/t
long, long, long - Yim Yames - 2009 Tribute to...
Still Crazy After All These Years - Robert Ellis - 2014 The Lights From The Chemical Plant
Katie Bell - Townes Van Zandt - 2005 Union Chapel, London 1994



February 16, 2014

Too Late To Worry Now - Webb Pierce
Here's To The Losers - Drag the River - 2013 s/t
3 days - Lilly Hiatt & The Dropped Ponies - 2012 Let Down
Middle Child - Daniel Romano - 2013 Come Cry With Me
Your Spell - John Moreland - 2013 In The Throes
Nowhere to be Found - John Fullbright - 2012 From The Ground Up
Before We Run - Yo La Tengo - 2013 Matador sampler
Westbound Train - Robert Ellis - 2011 Photographs
A Song for Leonard Cohen - Amanda Shires - 2013 Down Fell the Doves
Who's Gonna Take The Garbage Out - Loretta Lynn & Ernest Tubb
Ransom Man - Delta Spirit - 2010 History From Below
I Like Beer - Tom T Hall
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You - Eddie Spaghetti - 2005 Ol No. 2
Wicked Girl - Band of Horses - 2006 Everything All The Time



February 9, 2014

50th Anniversary of the Beatles Ed Sullivan Appearance!

I Should Have Known Better
I Saw Her Standing There
Can't Buy Me Love
Help!
--John & Yoko interview 1971
Act Naturally
Getting Better
--Paul Interview 1970
Hey Jude
--George Interview 1969
Here Comes The Sun
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey
outro - She Loves You - Chet Atkins



February 2, 2014

What I Mean To You - Justin Townes Earle - 2009 Midnight At The Movies
Window Blues - Band of Horses - 2007 Cease To Begin
I Was Just Walking Out The Door - Wynn Stewart
Keep It Simple - The Hackensaw Boys - 2002 Keep It Simple
Could've Been A Sunday - Chastity Brown - 2012 Back-Road Highways
Brian & Robert - Phish - 1998 Story of the Ghost
It's Coming Down - Cake - 2007 B-Sides
Empty Boxes - Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 2013 What The Brothers Sang
My Way Back Home - Dawes - 2011 Nothing Is Wrong
I Never Had The One I Wanted - Ernest Tubb
Oval Room - Blaze Foley - 2004 Oval Room
Uncle Frank - Drive-By Truckers - 2009 The Fine Print
Your Heart to Haunt - Glossary - 2009 Feral Fire

Three in the tree

We quietly celebrated 3 years of radio bliss last week by playing a few songs in memory of Susanna Clark, wife of legendary singer-songwriter Guy Clark, who passed away on June 28, 2012 at the age of 74. We'll be back this week to recognize and play some of our favorite 3rd tracks.


July 8, 2012


Don't Be Denied -- Neil Young -- 1973 Time Fades Away
I'll Be Your San Antone Rose -- Emmylou Harris -- 1977 Luxury Liner
Heavenly Houseboat Blues -- Townes Van Zandt -- 1972 The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
Stuff That Works -- Guy Clark -- 1995 Dublin Blues
No Depression -- Uncle Tupelo -- 1990 No Depression
Roadrunner -- Modern Lovers -- 1976 s/t
Life on Mars? -- Seu Jorge -- 2005 The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions
Stopping By -- Jason Isbell & 400 Unit -- 2011 Here We Rest
Come From The Heart -- Guy Clark -- 1988 Old Friends
L.A. Freeway -- Guy Clark -- 2004 Live
Astronaut -- Blitzen Trapper -- 2011 American Goldwing
The Heart and the Crown -- Two Cow Garage -- 2008 Speaking In Cursive
Spit on a Stranger -- Pavement -- 1999 Terror Twilight 
outro: Little Martha -- Leo Kottke


RIP Susanna Clark

2 years and counting

On July 3rd, I spent the evening with 5 guys who helped make 2 years a memorable night of live radio. Here is our playlist from that night:



July 3, 2011

Dancing Horse -- Detroit
Be Stiff -- DEVO
Planet Earth -- DEVO
Communication Breakdown -- Fleshtones
Rockin' In the Free World -- Neil Young
Sinkhole -- Drive-By Truckers
Wiser Time -- Black Crowes
Slippery People -- Talking Heads
Rocket Man -- Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Gratitude -- Beastie Boys
Freedom of '76 -- Ween
America the Beautiful -- Ray Charles
Living In America -- James Brown
Chocolate Jesus -- Tom Waits
Baby, I'm an Anarchist -- Against Me!!!
Stick Shifts and Safety Belts -- CAKE
Space Oddity -- David Bowie
Caribou -- PIXIES
Slumber -- Bad Religion


Celebrating 2 years/Freedom
w/ E-Man, Stoli, Smoothy, Lumpy Shithead, Hombre



Following this, I spent some time with my friend Smoothy(pictured here, not actual size) at KMSU. Smoothy has been away in the mystical land of China, teaching math I failed in college to High Schoolers, in their second language. This is slightly different from me learning Calculus in college from a Native Russian teaching for the first time in English.

We also saw some great local music on the patio at Savoy and played a few tunes with local Avant-Garde originals "That's What She Said". I had a chance to hear "The Organic Cowboys" for the first time and enjoyed their high energy set to 6 patrons. Stealing the show was Mankato's "Body Politic". I waited way to long to see these guys play the best local punk I have seen in a long time. They gig every weekend so get out and catch em'. Cheers to Smooth One!


July 10, 2011

Mr. Soul -- Buffalo Springfield
We Call Upon the Author -- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Respect -- Otis Redding
Black Country Rock -- David Bowie
Brand New Stone -- Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
Ex-Spectator -- Fugazi
Lovin' Cup -- Rolling Stones
I Will Dare -- The New Standards
If It's True -- Yo La Tengo
Lines Around Your Eyes -- Leftover Salmon feat. Lucinda Williams
I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive -- Hank Williams
Tokyo Eye -- Sonic Youth
Retrograde -- Leo Kottke
Born Under A Bad Sign -- Albert King
outro: Memphis -- The Ventures

w/Jim "Smoothy" Snyder



July 17, 2011

Celebration Day -- Led Zeppelin
Jumpers -- Sleater-Kinney
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way -- Leftover Salmon
At Least That's What You Said -- Wilco
Act Naturally -- Buck Ownes & His Buckaroos
Curse of a Drunk -- The Takers
Mind Your Own Business -- Hank Williams
Only Love Can Break Your Heart -- The New Standards
Summer Babe -- Pavement
Never Can Say Goodbye -- Issac Hayes
Mr. Tough -- Yo La Tengo
Shield Your Eyes -- Jawbreaker
City of Refuge -- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

w/ Jim "Smoothy" Snyder

June Playlists

We'll be live for 2 hours this Sunday celebrating 2 years of radio joy. Join us, you don't have to work on Monday...



June 26, 2011

Artists Only -- Talking Heads -- 1978 More Songs About Buildings and Food
Ramrod -- Bruce Springsteen -- 1980 The River
Rounder's Blues -- Pert Near Sandstone -- 2007 Up & Down the River
Master of Sparks -- ZZ Top -- 1980 Tres Hombres
You Can Have It All -- Yo La Tengo -- 2000 And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
Perfect Day (acoustic demo) -- Lou Reed -- 1972 Transformer
Tried and True -- Ween -- 2003 Quebec
Spit On A Stranger -- Pavement -- 2010 Quarantine the Past
Take It All Away -- Cake -- 2004 Pressure Chief
Soon -- Squirrel Nut Zippers -- 1998 Perennial Favorites
Beautiful & Damned -- Drag the River -- 2006 Esta Loco
Equalized -- Jawbreaker -- 2002 etc.
Lucifer Sam -- Pink Floyd -- 1967 Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Mansion On the Hill -- Neil Young -- 1990 Ragged Glory




June 19, 2011

Here To Fall -- Yo La Tengo -- 2009 Popular Songs
That Summer Feeling -- Jonathan Richman -- 1992 I, Jonathan
Wouldn't It Be Nice -- Beach Boys -- Live In London
Whiskey & Beer -- Erik the Viking -- 2011 KMSU Sessions
When I Ran Off And Left Her -- Drive-By Truckers -- 2011 Sometimes Late At Night
Aunt Avis -- Widespread Panic -- 1998 Panic In The Streets
Supernatural -- Cowboy Junkies -- 2011 Demons Vol. 2
Bug -- Vic Chesnutt -- 1991 West of Rome
Everyone Is Golden -- Portugal. The Man -- 2009 The Satanic Satanist
Act Naturally -- Buck Owens -- 1988 Live from Austin City Limits
Tube -- Phish -- 1999 Hampton Comes Alive
Sing It Again -- Beck -- 1998 Mutations
outro: Chamber of Commerce -- Leo Kottke

Anniversary Show

July 18, 2010

Embrace the Sound -- Drag the River -- 2002 Closed
Gold Soundz -- Pavement -- 2010 Quarantine the Past
Oh! -- Sleater-Kinney -- 2002 One Beat
I Know There's An Answer -- Beach Boys -- 1966 Pet Sounds
What Are You Willing to Loose -- Lucero -- 2009 1372 Overton Park
--power outage--
Smoke -- Lucero -- 2009 1372 Overton Park
Beginnings -- Chicago Transit Authority -- 1969 s/t
Tired of Sex -- Weezer -- 1996 Pinkerton
Don't Try -- Built to Spill -- 2009 RSD 7"
Girlfriend is Better -- Talking Heads -- 1984 Stop Making Sense
Cocaine Blues -- Townes Van Zandt -- 1977 Live at the Old Quarter
Got to Get You Into My Life -- Beatles -- 1966 Revolver
Take Me Away -- Ween -- 1997 The Mollusk

1 Year Anniversary Spectacular
w/ T. Sydney Leonhardt, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Jason Kuehl, Benjamin J. Findley

1 Year Anniversary Giveaway Spectacular

The second item up for giveaway tonight is this lot of used records.

- Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
- Neil Young "Comes a Time"
- Tom Waits "Closing Time"
- The Who "Live at Leeds"
- Boxcar Willie "King of the Road"
- Herb Alpert "Going Places" and "Whipped Cream and Other Delights"



Tune in Tonight at 11pm, anybody can win! 89.7fm and kmsu.org

1 Year Anniversary Giveaway Spectacular

First item up for giveaway Sunday night is 2 tickets** to see Lucero and Jason Isbell & 400 Unit at the Minnesota Zoo. The show is Saturday July 31 at 7:30pm Rain or Shine.

Is there a better way to end your July?

Tune in this Sunday night, July 18 2010, at 11pm for your chance to call in to KMSU and win.

507-389-5678
1-800-456-7810
Listen Online, anywhere in the world, at kmsu.org

**Give away tickets not necessarily the exact tickets pictured here

Celebrate 1 Year!

This coming Sunday, July 18, at 11pm Embrace the Sound is Celebrating its 1 year anniversary by going live. We will attempt live radio for the first time. I'll be joined by my two favorite co-hosts, Ben and Tom, of Patrick's trivia fame. We'll chat, play some songs, take your calls requests and dedications, as well as give away a few special prizes.

Thank you for listening over the past year. KMSU is just an awesome radio station and I couldn't be happier to be a part of that community. It has been a dream come true for this young music lover, and I hope to be around for many more.