Best Songs And Stories Podcasts (2024)

1
The Impact of Place, and the Art of Collaboration With Maya De Vitry and Joel Timmons 40:35

1h ago40:35

40:35

It never ceases to delight me how connected we are in the roots music world. Take Maya De Vitry and Joel Timmons, for example. The two have been making music together for five years, and have worked together with Joel’s wife Shelby Means, the bass player in Molly Tuttle’s Band. Molly Tuttle’s partner is Ketch Secor, who was our guest a couple episo…

1
A Butterfly story and song 12:34

8h ago12:34

12:34

Tanya bought some felt butterflies in Australia and got inspired to sing this butterfly song and tell the story of the magical transformation butterflies undergo. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers Or if…

1
Soup from a stone 16:12

8d ago16:12

16:12

On the teams epic recent trip to Australia Tanya and Pete were invited to Mintara in South Australia to tell stories for a grown up audience on the theme of community and the links we all share with those around us. This was one of the stories told... a well known traditional story called Soup from a stone, about a traveller who comes to a town and…

1
Only Me.... Beth and the Faery 23:52

15d ago23:52

23:52

Tanya, Pete and Batt lamb have just got back from a month touring and performing in Australia. They start off with a spring song to celebrate spring arriving here in New Zealand, and then tell an old English story about a girl Beth who stays up one night and meets a Faery. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net…

1
Small Town Revelations From California to Carolina With Margo Cilker 33:58

1d ago33:58

33:58

I have been reading about Plato and Aristotle lately, in Jeffrey Kripal’s fascinating book, The Flip. Early on in the essay, Kripal points to the history of Western intellectual discourse having swung widely back and forth between the visionary philosophy of Plato, and the empirical rationalism of his student, Aristotle. In Plato’s view, our percep…

1
Catching Up With the Pied Piper, Ketch Secor 58:45

22d ago58:45

58:45

Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show is never at a loss for words, and is never not entertaining, however he is, in equal measure, an ambassador of social conscience, too. Our interview concludes with Ketch saying, “[I]t's been a challenging time, and a lot of room … to be bummed out about this stuff. But I, I just got to keep going head on. I pla…

1
Pioneering a New Style: The Musical and Cultural Synthesis of Larry & Joe 37:10

1M ago37:10

37:10

When you think of Venezuelan music, perhaps salsa or merengue come to mind. But have you delved into joropo, or llanera music, from the western portion of the country? When you think of string band music like bluegrass, does anything far outside the region of the southern United States jump out as having a parallel makeup, or a kinship that might l…

1
Mikku and the Trees 26:10

2M ago26:10

26:10

It's the middle of winter in New Zealand and it's the best time to plants trees... Tanya and Pete have just planted thirty plus trees and wanted to celebrate the wonder of trees in the Batt Cave this week. They start off with a song about trees in the garden, then they sing a traditional English tune used to Wassail (Celebrate) the apple trees that…

1
Bluegrass, Country and A Whole Lot In Between: The Extraordinary Life and Career of Marty Stuart 33:13

2M ago33:13

33:13

When it comes to Marty Stuart, there simply is not enough time or space available to address the enormity and the lasting impact of his music, let alone his life story, here in this episode. We would need a whole year’s worth of podcasts to come close, and I doubt that he would be quite that generous with his time. Luckily, he was generous enough t…

1
Jim Lauderdale, Donna the Buffalo and the Many Collaborations of MerleFest 35:17

2M ago35:17

35:17

When it comes to artists like Jim Lauderdale and Donna the Buffalo, I think back to a comment that Jerry Douglas made to me in an interview for this series, when he talked about what he called roots music 12 O'clock. Whereas the mainstream comes back around to roots music only so often in this metaphor, for artists like himself it is always roots m…

1
Matariki Star songs and the story of Tāwhirimātea 18:43

3M ago18:43

18:43

Tanya and Pete share more Matariki songs about some of the stars in the Matariki Cluster and then tell a very poignant story from the Māori tradition about Tāwhirimātea, the God of te hau/ the wind and how Matariki came to be in the sky. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly…

1
Matariki...Celebrating with a song and a story 26:52

3M ago26:52

26:52

Mānawatia a Matariki. In the Batt cave today we are celebrating Matariki, the Māori new year. We start by sharing a fantastic Matariki waiata by our friends Loopy Tunes in Ōtautahi/Christchurch. The star cluster, Matariki is important to many different cultures all over the world and has many names. In English it's called the Pleiades, in Japan Sub…

1
American Songcatcher: Bob Wills 45:34

3M ago45:34

45:34

Back in the day, I discovered the music of Bob Wills when I was a fresh faced college DJ at WXYC Chapel Hill. It was like hearing songs from an alternate universe to me, a kid who grew up listening to FM and AM radio’s menu of pop, rock and rap of the day, sprinkled with music bought from cassette clubs and record stores that ventured as far back a…

1
Rural Roots That Run Deep With Nick Shoulders and Adeem the Artist 34:50

3M ago34:50

34:50

In the first of two episodes from MerleFest in April 2024, we highlight two artists making their debuts at the festival, Nick Shoulders and Adeem the Artist. Following this episode are two artists who have made MerleFest a regular stop over its history — 24 and 26 times, respectively — Jim Lauderdale and Donna the Buffalo. Gallery images above: (le…

1
When babies were dug for - an Inuit Tale. 12:31

4M ago12:31

12:31

For the third in our trio of fox stories ... this story comes from the Inuit and is about a woman who longs for and digs deep to find herself a child. A fox helps realise her dream. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyab…

1
Chicken Licken 18:21

4M ago18:21

18:21

Tanya tells an energetic and fun version of this popular tale, about Chicken Licken who gets hit on the head by a falling acorn and thinks the sky is falling... then sets off to tell the King You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.…

1
When Praise and Worship Is Also a Really Good Time: Trombone Shout Bands 23:40

4M ago23:40

23:40

Hymns and gospel songs have flowed into, and very often, back out of out of every style of music with roots in the American South. From the music itself to its context in worship through choirs, instruments ranging from piano to organ to praise bands, and communal singing, the gospel tradition is, if not front and center in one’s life experience, t…

1
Mr Fox's sack 27:22

4M ago27:22

27:22

Tanya and Pete have dressed up to go to a party, and as Tanya is dressed as a fox , they have decided to tell a traditional English story about a certain Mr Fox and his sack.... I wonder what is in the sack?? You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club …

1
Striking the Eternal Chord of Cosmic Country With Daniel Donato 37:58

4M ago37:58

37:58

It was the last gig of a late winter tour, and Daniel Donato was ready to exhale. His band was, too, having had the rare treat of seeing their wives the night before, as they prepared for one more show, a late night performance in Asheville, NC. As Daniel told me, they were all in high spirits, and I knew this bode well for their performance, which…

1
Anansi the Spider 20:24

5M ago20:24

20:24

This story (and catchy song) from the Batt Cave is from West Africa and is all about Anansi....the trickster spider man. Anansi was a very smart but troublesome god who was changed into a spider by his father Nyame for not giving up his mischievous ways, and there are many traditional stories about Anansi - this is one of them. You can find our aud…

1
Gluscabi and the Wind Eagle 24:14

5M ago24:14

24:14

The Batt Cave kicks off tonight with a song about air and then Tanya and Pete share a Gluscabi story that comes from the Abenaki first nations of America people. In this story Gluscabi's curiosity and frustration with the wind lead him to meet Wouchowsen, the mighty wind eagle where he learns that what often frustrates us, can also make us strong. …

1
From Beethoven to Emily Dickinson and Earl Scruggs: The Musical Archaeology of Tony Trischka 27:03

5M ago27:03

27:03

It is natural that a second generation bluegrass banjo player would have soaked up as much of Earl Scruggs’ style on the five string as possible when starting out; it is just as natural that they would push outside of those boundaries of the territory staked out by their pioneering forebears. In Tony Trischka’s case, part of this instinct to turn b…

1
The Giant Turnip 13:37

5M ago13:37

13:37

Another of the Batt Caves's harvest stories: Tanya tells a story from Russia about a farmer and his struggles to harvest a Giant Turnip from his land. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers Or if you are an …

1
Revisiting a North Carolina Massacre: Shelton Laurel, Part One 27:42

5M ago27:42

27:42

There is a decidedly darker mood in the United States than ever in our lifetimes, it seems. In just one example poll recently, one in five Americans agreed that violence is necessary to get the country back on track. With that in mind, it seems like a good time to remember what happened the last time the country acted on this, when we fought the Ci…

1
The Farmer and the Boggart 23:46

6M ago23:46

23:46

Still on the theme of Harvest time: Tanya tells an English story about a Farmer and his dealings with the boggart... an old mischievous spirit set on causing trouble. Then they follow up with another old harvest song... Oats, peas, beans and barley grow... except Tanya substitutes produce thats ready to harvest in our garden... Apples, Feijoas and …

1
Easter Harvest Time 12:00

6M ago12:00

12:00

Its Easter in the Batt Cave and in New Zealand that means Harvest time in the garden. Tanya, Batt Lamb and Pete have fun with the Batt cave participants identifying produce fresh from the garden and singing a Harvest song... Hip Hip Hip the harvest home!! You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or joi…

1
Going Solo, With Soul: Travis Book 30:18

6M ago30:18

30:18

It was one of the first cold days of the fall in the western NC mountains when I trekked up from Spindale to Brevard to talk with Travis Book ahead of his show in town that night. Spindale is perhaps 60 miles away, where I work at WNCW, and with special shortcut directions from a trusted source who travels that route regularly, I figured it would t…

1
The Singing Sack 22:02

7M ago22:02

22:02

Tanya tells this story from Andalusia in Spain to the Batt Cave about a young girl who looses her necklace. Be warned that it is a bit of a scary story with a mean Ogre with a bad attitude in it!! You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://k…

1
Teaching the Art of the Bluegrass Jam: Pete Wernick 39:10

6M ago39:10

39:10

What connects you to the year 1946? Think of the time immediately following World War II, and perhaps black and white images of men in fedoras and women in long dresses come to mind. Maybe you have parents or grandparents who were born around that time, or maybe you know someone who lived then and has past on. It is an era that now seems quite dist…

1
The ant and the grasshopper 15:52

7M ago15:52

15:52

Aesop is credited with several hundred fables: hot from the Batt Cave comes this tale of the ant who is industrious and hard working, and the grasshopper who takes a more laid back approach. In a first for Pete he not only plays the music but also plays the part of the grasshopper! Tanya takes on the role of the ant with her usual mastery of unusua…

1
Cicada plays his drum 14:05

7M ago14:05

14:05

Its still hot and summery here in NewZealand and the Cicadas are in full song. Here is a story from the Andaman Islands about the Cicada who loves to play his drum; and how this affects the whole balance of nature! You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling…

1
Blurring Lines and Packing a Punch With Stillhouse Junkies 30:06

7M ago30:06

30:06

Here at Southern Songs and Stories, we take some liberties from time to time with what we put forward as songs and stories that fall under the umbrella of the American South. After all, we have featured a band from England (The Ruen Brothers), an artist from Idaho (Eilen Jewell), and several artists out of the sui generis state of Texas (Shinyribs,…

1
The legend of the first dragon from China 12:42

8M ago12:42

12:42

Another story from the Batt Cave celebrating the Chinese New Year. This is the story of a boy called Chi Yu and how he uses a magic bead he finds to help out his village during a drought. His kindness is punished by a greedy farmer and Chi Yu finds himself transformed. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/sto…

1
Diversifying and Exporting Bluegrass With Dark Shadow Recording’s Stephen Mougin and Ben Wright 34:09

8M ago34:09

34:09

It was day five of the IBMAs and I had been up until four that morning, but Stephen Mougin and Ben Wright might have even seen the sun come up that day after they hosted yet another late night music showcase. Technically their showcases shut down around two or three in the morning, but there was always the chance that artists such as Sierra Ferrell…

1
A story about the Chinese Zodiac Animals 26:07

8M ago26:07

26:07

It's the time of the Chinese New Year , so Tanya and Pete share a story about the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac and how decided the order they appear in. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers Or if y…

1
Tiddalik the frog 21:09

8M ago21:09

21:09

With the start of a new year and it being Australia Day Tanya tells a story from the indigenous Peoples of South East Australia about Tiddalik the frog who is a very thirsty frog indeed! You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/t…

1
Maria Segerholm – Move the Mountains

8M ago

—

Yesterday on Songs of Hope we played “Move The Mountains” from Swedish Singer/Songwriter Maria Segerholm. Maria Segerholm is an independent Christian singer and songwriter from Sweden who longs to spread hope and the love of Jesus through her music. Her music is soulful with influences from different genres such as pop, RnB, gospel, and country mus…

1
Victor Claye sings “No Mountain”

8M ago

—

We featured the song, No Mountain, on our program this weekend from Christian artist Victor Claye. Victor resides in Adelaide Australia with his wife and 3 boys. His musical style is heavily influenced by 90s and 2000s Hip Hop, the African rhythms that are in his blood, and the old church hymns that still carry so much truth and meaning.…

1
An Update, and Two Quick Takes With Tony Trischka and Travis Book 16:09

8M ago16:09

16:09

Here at Southern Songs and Stories, there is never a shortage of stories to draw from a seemingly bottomless well of music artists; we only scratch the surface of what we would love for you to hear on this series. But even with that, we have a parallel problem, a good problem if you will, of having a whole lot of material on hand waiting to make it…

1
Second hour replay

8M ago

—

Here is an audio replay of the latest 8am-9am Sunday Songs of Hope radio program. Press play to listen or download . Only available for one week.By Songs of Hope

1
First hour replay

8M ago

—

Here is an audio replay of the latest 7am-8am Sunday Songs of Hope radio program. Press play to listen or download. Only available for one week.By Songs of Hope

1
Gravy: King Biscuit Time 28:11

8M ago28:11

28:11

Delta blues found its voice and audience on the airwaves of KFFA’s King Biscuit Time, a daily broadcast out of Helena, Arkansas. Bluesmen like Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Lockwood Jr., who would go on to become legends, interspersed their own songs with advertising jingles. King Biscuit Time, which launched in 1941, gave unprecedented exposure …

1
The Kings seed 19:28

9M ago19:28

19:28

Tanya and Pete share a story about a king who is looking for a successor to rule his kingdom and comes up with a novel way of selecting the new King. Of course there is a boy called.... (What else!) Jack who thinks he will throw his hat in the ring. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the …

1
Finally, A Country That Welcomes Her: Rissi Palmer 31:37

9M ago31:37

31:37

Imagine getting your dream job and immediately being scrutinized for your appearance; being asked to wear a wig that was nothing like your natural hair; being quizzed on obscure bits of the history of your field; being asked whether you took the job as a stepping stone to another one. Imagine getting lots of hate mail about the fact that you look d…

1
A Mermaid's treasure 18:59

9M ago18:59

18:59

Members of the Batt Cave audience take part in the telling of this story about two children who discover a mermaid on the beach. Treasure is involved, so sit back and enjoy this fun tale told by Tanya and Pete. You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling clu…

1
A Christmas and New Year special from the Batt Cave 14:16

9M ago14:16

14:16

It's that special time of year again!! Tanya, Pete and Batt lamb are here with two new Christmas songs they have written to celebrate the Southern Hemisphere Christmas and New Year in New Zealand with all that means... Hot summer days, fresh plums and strawberries, swimming at the beach. It's also a time for family, remembering those we love and th…

1
Cross Fading All Over the Place With Nora Jane Struthers and Joe Overton 24:44

9M ago24:44

24:44

It is easy to think of musical genres as enduring, definitive territories that are discovered as much as they are created. But even continents drift, and when you dig deep into the careers of artists who are said to be from musical land X,Y or Z, you find that they often do not stay in one place for long, and are likely to be pushing their home ter…

1
Peter; The boy who cried wolf!! 20:40

10M ago20:40

20:40

To celebrate Pete's Birthday, Tanya and Bat Lamb decide to tell a 'Peter ' story, of which there are many to choose from. They settle on the classic tale of the boy who cried wolf, with Peter in the main role.Of course Bat lamb uses her super hero powers to deal with the wolf! You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds…

1
The time of your life 18:21

10M ago18:21

18:21

The time of your life is a story by Tanya Batt and it is her latest picture book published. It tells the story of a boy and his curiosity about the nature of time... can his new watch help him save up time? You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shop Or join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at…

1
Issun-bōshi- the brave Japanese Tom Thumb 22:10

10M ago22:10

22:10

It's a new Batt Cave session, and it's a new year for Pete.... It's his Birthday!! Tanya , Bat Lamb and Pete celebrate with the story of Issun-bōshi : A boy who is only the small size of a thumb, but he has very big courage as he journeys out into the world to pursue his dream of becoming a Samurai Warrior. You can find our audios and books to purc…

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