Rough Sundays

A wee bit of craic, this episode — recorded up in Donegal. From parting glasses to wild mountain thyme, the anthem of the troubles, a cover from the country's most revered, sea shanties, dogs + yoga and a lot more. So throw another turf on the fire, help yourself to something strong, sit back and let's pay tribute to this magical, magical isle. 

Our first show from Ireland, but definitely not the last, it's a goodness-packed episode, featuring the stars of the Gospel Highway, a sanctified soul sister, 7th century hymns, as well as checking in with our friend Grace who just saw Ebo Taylor... plus bunches more. Rough Sundays, huzzah! 

A special show from host Aric S. Queen's hometown of Tulsa, taking inspiration from visiting Historic Vernon AME Church on Mother's Day, taking us back to that old-time gospel this show was founded upon, featuring the music from that very church, as well as a handful of one-mic + loud congregation tracks, some soul, some spiritual-leaning folk and much more. 

No way are we going to let an Easter Sunday get started without some proper old-school gospel music. From bellies of lead to the rise + fall + rise again of Ethiopian jazz, as well as the Queen of Soul (and New Orleans, for that matter), some Love & Harmonettes, Bay Area quartets and even a somewhat modern track. Have some Good Lord, you heathens, of all days!

Somehow and in some way, it's two shows in two weeks HALLELUJAH. Speaking of which, it's an old-timey gospel-heavy show this week, with quartets from the 40s & families from the 50s, plus French goodness from the 70s, boring Irish legends and even some highlife from Ghana. How do we do it? 

Did you even notice the nine month absence? Lie and say "Yes". It's your favorite sporadic Sunday Morning wake-me-up program, back with five fantastic tracks to get you slowly up and moving. Cannonballs, a lady U2 adores, some New Orleans goodness, sad goodbyes and more—kicking it all off with some gospel from Curtis Mayfield. It's Rough Sundays! Hello again! 

Last show before The Big Trip and boy-oh-boy, did we break out the big guns for this one. Kicking it off with the Choir of Fire—with a subsequent story of a dear friend meeting the bandleader last weekend—to the great (or, should be) Dorthy Love Coates, some flugelhorn funk, reggae from the most-improbable place and much, much more. So you know the drill: Coffee. Sit. Listen. Happiness. It's Rough Sundays!

Recorded from the Grand Ole Opry House (okay, okay, a hotel room overlooking it), the second of our two-part series dedicated to the goodness coming out of Tennessee, with a capella mountain gospel, the Empress of Blues, songs from prison, Satan-fearing brothers and, of course, some Big Maybelle. It's exactly 30 minutes of Sunday Morning Smokey Mountain scrumptious medley and it's all just waiting to be enjoyed SO DO THAT. 

From high atop the Smokey Mountains, it's the first of two Tennessee Specials! Kicking it off with a Negro Spiritual more than 100 years old, then moving through the gospel, bluegrass, country, fiddle and ending with the Queen of Soul... plus lots more. It's less than 30 minutes long—which is saying something as slow as things move around here—and it's probably the only podcast you'll ever hear recorded next to Dollywood while playing Dolly Parton THAT'S THE LEVEL WE PRODUCE enjoy, now, y'hear? 

Back to the roots—both of music and childhood—as we check in from Middle America, aka Tulsa, where fire and brimstone wouldn't be to far off the already scorching forecast. From old time gospel from the 1940s courtesy of "The Thunderbolt of the Middle West", to the lady who turned Bob Dylan onto folk singing, a founding group of Ethiopia's Golden Age of Jazz, one of reggae's most under appreciated + overlooked voices and a Miles Davis number you might not know, plus a hilarious story involving said Prince of Darkness and Oklahoma's infamous red dirt. It's 35 minutes of goodness, just perfect for making, waiting, pouring, waiting, sipping and finishing a coffee. Press play! 

Our final show from Japan and the second of two episodes making our way through the different decades—and the happenings and sounds therein—of this fascinating country. From shoegaze crooners to the ladies who launched City Pop, ska-loving boy bands and what can only be described as "Japan's Engelbert Humperdinck". So sit back, make a big cup of coffee (or sake; we don't judge) and let's travel both back in time, and to Tokyo...

In the first of our two final (sniff) shows from Japan, we go back in time—tracing the sounds and historical happenings of Edo—dedicating one track per decade, starting from the smokey twenties and all the way up to the nineties. In this episode, we cover 1920-1950, from the dark corners of Tokyo kissaten cafes, to the jus post bellum tracks of the late 1940s, plus much more. It's 30 minutes of absolute goodness, and all from a country that specializes in it! 

Homeruns from Hiroshima, hip-hop and a Hall & Oates hybrid and that's just the alliteration accolades! From Southern Japan, it's another half-an-hour of a deep dive into the city pop, funk, doo-wop and soul from a 1960s-80s Japan. Good? Child, please. This week's show is GREAT. Hit play! Be happy! 

From a gorgeous apartment overlooking the bay in Southern Japan, it’s yet another deep dive into the beautiful bins of a 1950s-80s Tokyo and beyond, with not one, but two of those incredible City Pop tracks, a big-band, throwback, some sixties hippy happenings and the catchy collab done with the guy from Daft Punk’s dad… and much more. Half an hour of Japanese Old School goodness, get in there!

From an expensive-and-unplanned hotel room in Osaka comes a deep-dive into all things 60s, 70s and early 80s Japan. A few tracks explaining "kawaii", to crooners you'll know of, but probably not know (we'll change that), to some husky female vocals and, of course, more of our current addiction: City pop. That, plus a whooooooole lot more. It's Rough Sundays, back to the Japanese Chapters! 

Coming to you from the Pink City of Jaipur, India, it's probably the world's best Sunday Morning Gospel, Blues, Funk and Soul podcast coming to you from Jaipur, India. Featuring haunting vocals from Son House, the lady who invented rock n' roll, the band that would have been The Wailers if not for The Wailers, funk + sitar crossovers, New Orleans funkiest drummer, plus sounds of the Sufi, of Delhi traffic, of hidden temple chants and of India during Holi WOW IS RIGHT so press play, enjoy a cup of coffee or something stronger ... and let us handle the next half hour. It's Rough Sundays!

What was supposed to be—supposed being to key word here—the world's first ever Sunday Morning Wake-Me-Up Podcast recorded from Everest Base Camp ended up just being from Kathmandu and host Aric S. Queen just talking about it WE'RE SORRY but to make up for it, it's a return to the original format of old timey gospel, jazz from The Queen, some Cannonball(s), acapella from a Xhosa group from South Africa and much, much more. So sit back, pour something strong (no judgement), and let us handle the next 37 minutes. It's Rough Sundays! No, seriously!  

Tulsa Time. Keys To Tulsa. Chandler moves to Tulsa. Our little city has occasionally popped up in pop culture, but few are aware that town has its own subgenre of music . In this week’s Rough Sundays, we deep dive into the casserole that makes up this movement—from Dust Bowl beginnings to dreamy doowop, over to Southern Swing and finally to what it sounds like today. So sit back and spend 32 Midwestern minutes with us as we learn all* about that Tulsa Sound.   *Hardly.

In the 17 years this show has been around, we’ve never done a Sunday morning wake-me-up from the state of Oklahoma. What gives, right? This week, we remedy that with an extra long show, featuring music exclusively from the 46th state, featuring songs about murders, songs done by junkies, songs done by folks who narrowly missed out on dying with Buddy Holly, plus a few more upbeat tales. From rockabilly to old country, Nancy Sinatra’s guardian angel and we even dip our toe into the Tulsa Sound. So put on a strong black cup of coffee, fry you some sausage gravy, sit on the front porch while the storms roll in and let us handle the next 45 minutes or so. 

From right up against Route 66 and in the midst of much mirth, it's our 81st episode and our yearly Christmas Extravaganza! Reaching back way, way into the good old stuff—even turn of the century tracks—all holiday-themed and mostly-Motown... with a handful of New Orleans magic as well. Plus stories. Plus more music. An hour-and-40-minutes of it, to be exact. So you focus on your cup of something cheerful, and leave the rest to us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!