This month on Air Check, Jeff, Jake and Vicky return to the roundtable to share their favorite recent releases, and we visit with musician, actor, and author Chris Thomas King, perhaps best known for his role as blues musician Tommy Johnson in the film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?
PART ONE: Musical Roundtable
Jeff's Pick:
Gorillaz - "Idaho"
Jake's Pick:
MorMor - "Heaven's Only Wishful"
Vicky's Pick:
Creation Factory! - "I Don't Know What to Do"
PART TWO: In Studio With Chris Thomas King
This year the 12th Annual Blues Under the Bridge Festival featured musician, actor, and writer Chris Thomas King.
For those of you who aren’t that well versed in blues music, you may know Chris from his film work… perhaps his most recognizable role was that of Tommy Johnson, the blues musician who sold his sold to the Devil at the crossroads in the Coen Brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Chris Thomas King made it in to the 91.5 KRCC studios to play a couple songs, and talk with Jeff Bieri about his long-running effort to reclaim the blues from the "Blues Mafia."
BONUS FEATURE!
As we discussed in the roundtable, our friends at NPR Music have put together an incredible list of the best songs by women in the 21st century. It's a superb resource for anyone interested in revisiting some of the best musical moments of the last two decades and taking stock of the outsized contributions made by women in all genres. Enjoy!
NPR Music's List of the 200 Greatest Songs by 21st Century Women
