Hello, Teardrops!   In case you didn't know, I've started a whole new podcast called Rainbow Rodeo! This is the newest episode!   Sylvia Rose Novak hates expecations. That's why they've torn down their Americana image and set stakes in the alt-rock world with their blistering album A Miss/A Masterpiece -- not coincidentally, breaking out of the Americana genre has coincided with Novak coming out as non-binary. We talk about the album, Novak's coming out experience, and how they've trained their audience to adjust to a different sound. Subscribe to Rainbow Rodeo on Patreon, and learn about Sylvia's unexpected run-in with Lucinda Williams!

Well, this is it: the very, very, last episode of Adobe & Teardrops. It's been a great 5-year run, but fear not! The blog will continue. In honor of Adobe & Teardrops' 10th anniversary, here's a super episode of the unsung heroes of Americana's development into a commercial genre with special thanks to Tucker Riggleman, Gabe di Chiara, Farce the Music, and Dirt Reynolds for their suggestions. Here are all the places mentioned in the podcast: Adobe & Teardrops fundraiser for Never Again ActionMiss my co-host Von? Check out his art at TV Artworks.Here's my episode of One Hit History about Cowboy Mouth Track list: Paul Sanchez/Cowboy Mouth -- "Light It on Fire" (Word of Mouth) (04:58) 2. Glossary -- "A Shoulder to Cry On" (Long Live All Of Us) (07:01) 3. Porter and the Bluebonnett Rattlesnakes -- "Your Hometown" (Don't Go Baby, It's Gonna Get Weird Without You) (11:12) 4. Audra Mae -- "The Real Thing" (Audra May and the Almighty Sound) (15:13) 5. Joseph Plunket & The Weight -- "Grand Street" (Nowhere Now) (18:08) 6. Drag the River -- "Here's to the Losers" (Drag the River) (24:58) 7. Lenny & The Piss-Poor Boys -- "Cambridgeport Salloon" (Lenny & The Piss-Poor Boys) (28:39) 8. Prison Book Club -- "Too Much Livin'" (Prison Book Club) (31:42) 9. Becky Warren -- "Stay Calm Get Low" (War Surplus) (35:27) 10. Have Gun, Will Travel -- "Spirit of Discovery" (Science From an Easy Chair) (39:32) 11. Robyn Ludwick -- "Out of these Blues" (YouTube) (45:08) 12. Ha Ha Tonka -- "Lessons" (Lessons) (49:09) 13. The Trishas -- "Mother of Invention" (High, Wide, and Handsome) (53:42) 14. Arliss Nancy -- "Abacus" (Truckstop Roses) (57:24) 15. The Pollies -- "Something New" (Where the Lies Begin) (1:01:26) 16. Two Cow Garage -- "No Shame" (III) (1:07:44) The best way to keep up with me and my upcoming Rainbow Rodeo podcast is to sign up for the newsletter -- and click the button twice! To financially support Rainbow Rodeo, you can donate through the Rainbow Rodeo website, or sign up to the Patreon -- you'll only be charged when the zine is ready to print, twice a year.

It's the second-to-last episode of Adobe & Teardrops, and Jewish country music won by popular demand! Read more about Mya Byrne here! Featuring:   Becky Warren -- "Good Luck (You're Gonna Need It)" (The Sick Season)Nessi Gomes -- "As You Will (Hine Ani)" (Single)Lily Henley -- "Morena Me Llaman" (Single)Tsibele -- "Di Svet Shop (The Sweat Shop)" (It's Dark Outside)Omer Netzer -- "Country Boy" (Single)Miriam Margles – “Kuma” (Rise Up)Mya Byrne -- "Inflatable Menorah" (Single)Elliah Heifetz -- "Living Proof" (First Generation American)Austin Lucas -- "Different Shade of Red" (Stay Reckless)Aly Halpert -- "She Is On Her Way" (Loosen) You can support Adobe & Teardrops by buying merch or hitting the ol’ Patreon or Ko-fi links! The podcast may be ending, but your donations will fund Rainbow Rodeo, the queer country zine, newsletter, and more media formats to come (hint, hint.) Thanks to Alma Contra for making the introduction.

It's February, so it's time for some of my favorite break-up songs! Also, I started a queer country music e-mail newsletter called Rainbow Rodeo! You can subscribe for free here and click the button twice, and subscribe to the zine for as little as $2 a year here. You can hear me talk more about Cowboy Mouth on the brand new One-Hit History podcast! Foul-Weather Friend -- "Kristina's Last Song" (Fool's Gold) (2:40)Sad and French -- "Cheers to you" (Sad and French) (6:28)Zox -- "Leaving Me" (Take Me Home) (10:37)Cowboy Mouth -- "How Do You Tell Someone?" (Easy) (13:47)Two Cow Garage -- "Skinny Legged Girl" (Speaking in Cursive) (18:11)Karen and the Sorrows -- "Just a Little Heartbreak" (The Names of Things) (21:47)Austin Lucas -- "Go West" (Somebody Loves You) (27:11)Whitney Houston -- "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (Whitney) (31:17) You can catch Adobe & Teardrops on Sundays at 1 PM Eastern/10 AM PST on Lost Church Radio. You can support Adobe & Teardrops by buying merch or hitting the ol’ Patreon or Ko-fi links! Please tell your friends to like and subscribe to this podcast. Thanks to Alma Contra for making the introduction. You can also subscribe to the Rainbow Rodeo newsletter for free, or get a paid subscription at the Rainbow Rodeo website, which will enable you to get the zine twice a year for as little as $2!

Hey, gang. I got a little tied up with finals and never made a December episode for Adobe & Teardrops. That’s embarrassing, because December 8th is Adobe & Teardrops’ tenth anniversary!   I begin with a an all-time top 10 countdown for the last 10 years of Adobe & Teardrops. Then, at the 42-minute mark, I do my top 10 of 2021. See below for time stamps.   Also! I am fundraising for Never Again Action, a Jewish-led immigrant rights group. For every $100 we raise, I release a new song. Check out the videos that have already been posted and the donation link here. You'll also find an episode transcript there.   Before I begin, thank you so much for supporting Adobe & Teardrops for all these years. I wouldn’t do if it wasn’t for you.   (3:46) 2011 – John Moreland – “Low” (Everything the Hard Way) (6:10) 2012 – The Sparklers – “Gunfire and Confetti” (Crying at the Low Bar) (9:19) 2013 – Two Cow Garage – “Stars & Gutters” (Death of the Self-Preservation Society)   (11:36) 2014 – N.Q. Arbuckle – “Hospitals” (The Future Happens Anyway)   (15:00) 2015 – Norma MacDonald – “Blue As a Jay” (Burn the Tapes)   (20:47) 2016 – Anna Tivel – “Black Balloon” (Heroes Waking Up)

Happy Hanukkah! (It begins on November 28th). Let's celebrate the season with a whole episode devoted to Jewish country music. If you want more, you can find two different playlists on www.adobeandteardrops.com Sarah Aroeste -- “Las Kandelikas de la Fiesta” (Hanuka!)Nefesh Mountain -- “Hanukkah’s Flame” (Live From Levon Helm Studios) Debbie Friedman -- “Not By Might -- Not By Power” (Celebrate Hanukkah)Karen and the Sorrows -- “The Price of the Ticket” (The Narrow the Place)Ben Fisher -- “The Heavy Gates of Gaza” (Does the Land Remember Me?)Dana Sipos -- “Hoodoo” (The Astral Plane)Rabbi Sandra Lawson -- “Kaddish in Memory of Black Lives” (Single)Deborah Stokol -- “Avinu Malkeinu” (The Ill-Tempered Clavier)Jeremiah Lockwood -- “Ribono Shel Olam” (Kol Nidre) Thank you so much to The Lost Church Radio for having us on their internet waves. You can catch Adobe & Teardrops on the 1st Sunday of every month at 1 PM Eastern/10 AM PST, and the third Thursday of the month at 9 EST/6 PM PST. And, of course, you can listen to these shows any time by subscribing to the podcast feed through your favorite app. You can support Adobe & Teardrops by buying merch or hitting the ol’ Patreon or Ko-fi links! Please tell your friends to like and subscribe to this podcast. Thanks to Alma Contra for making the introduction.

Welcome back, Teardrops! Feels good to have you all here. Adobe & Teardrops will now be a bi-monthly (every 2 weeks) podcast, and I’m so honored to have Lilli Lewis with me to re-inaugurate the show. Lewis is a veteran of the New Orleans music world and her new album, Americana, draws a line in the sand for anyone who think Black artists don’t belong in Americana music. We discuss whether or not genres even need to matter, anyway, and we spin a list of empowering songs by Black women. Lilli Lewis - “A Healing Inside” (Americana)Sweet Honey in the Rock - Sitting On Top of the World (B’lieve I’ll Run On...See What the End’s Gonna Be)Songs of Our Native Daughters -- "Music and Joy" (Songs Of Our Native Daughters)Toshi Reagon - Mountain Top (Toshi)Roberta Lea -- “Sunshine” (Single)Ruthie Foster - Death Came A-Knockin (Travelin' Shoes)Crys Matthews -- “Hope Revolution” (Changemakers)Nina Simone - Sinnerman (Nina at the Village Gate) Thank you so much to The Lost Church Radio for having us on their internet waves. You can catch Adobe & Teardrops on the 1st Sunday of every month at 1 PM Eastern/10 AM PST, and the third Thursday of the month at 9 EST/6 PM PST. You can support Adobe & Teardrops by buying merch or hitting the ol’ Patreon or Ko-fi links! Please tell your friends to like and subscribe to this podcast. Thanks to Alma Contra for making the introduction.

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Big news! This is one of the LAST few episodes of Adobe & Teardrops! But you can hear me at Rosa and Rachel's Redwall Report! Also, you can write for Rainbow Rodeo, the first queer country music magazine! Apply here! This week, I dig into some of the best releases from the month of July. Son Volt -- “Diamonds and Cigarettes (feat. Laura Cantrell)” (Electro Melodier) (2:56)Ryan Curtis -- “She Said” (Rust Belt Broken Heart) (6:48)Yola -- "Dancing Away in Tears” (Stand For Myself) (11:09)Tayls -- “Like a Dog” (Have You Ever? I’ve Always) (14:51)Leon Bridges -- “Motorbike” (Gold-Diggers Sound) (20:13)Jeremy Squires -- “Diminish” (Unravel) (23:54)Jodi -- “Get Back” (Blue Heron) (29:15) Next week’s topic: Winding Down Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub!  Get A&T gear and Rainbow Rodeo at the merch page! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

Summer's winding down so you gotta catch as catch can. Here are some of the best Americana songs around about summer flings and wanting more. Adam Hooks and the Huckleberries -- “Samantha (Bad News)” (So Far Gone) (01:46)  The Redhill Valleys -- “Finish Line” (Single) (05:06)Emily Duff -- “Don’t Hang the Moon” (Razor Blade Smile) (10:37)Gabe Lee -- “Heartbreaker’s Smile” (Honky Tonk Hell) (15:34)The Only Sons -- “Been Gone” (Steel Hearts) (21:14)Ashley McBryde -- “One Night Standard” (Never Will) (23:33) Kate Vargas -- “Honeydripper” (Rumpopo) (28:43) Next week’s topic: July Release Roundup Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub!  Get A&T gear and Rainbow Rodeo at the merch page! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

Grace Pettis and I celebrate her phenomenal album, Working Woman, by trading feminist country and roots music. We also discuss how Grace uses her platform to benefit people who are marginalized in the music industry, and what being a woman really means. Here's that Spotify playlist of feminist country music that Grace and I mentioned. Learn more about Meg Christian on Making Gay History. Grace Pettis -- “Any Kind of Girl” (Working Woman) (7:17)Eurythmics/Aretha Franklin -- “Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves” (11:26)Chicago Women’s Liberation Rock Band -- “Papa, Don’t Lay That Shit on Me” (Papa, Don't Lay That Shit On Me) (18:22)Allison Russell -- “Persephone” (Outside Child) (21:03)Meg Christian -- “Ode to My Gym Teacher” (31:06)Shaniah Twain -- “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” (38:56)   Next week’s topic: Interview w/ Reggie Harris Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub!  Get A&T gear and Rainbow Rodeo at the merch page! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

The second episode this week explores some of my favorite protest music -- just in time for the Fourth of July! You can read more about the No-No boys here. No-No Boy -- “Close Your Eyes and Dream of Flowers” (1975) (4:03)Nana Grizol -- “Plantation Country” (South Somewhere Else) (7:26)Leyla McCalla -- “Money is King” (Capitalist Blues) (12:24)Hurray For the Riff Raff -- “Rican Beach” (The Navigator) (15:17)Highwomen -- “Crowded Table” (The Highwomen) (20:46)Two Cow Garage -- “Brand New Flag” (Brand New Flag) (24:35) Next week’s topic: Papa, Don’t Lay That Shit On Me with Grace Pettis Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub!  Get A&T gear and Rainbow Rodeo at the merch page! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

In this two-episode week, Rachel spins the best music released in June (that she hasn't already covered for Pride, at least.) She also talks a little bit about the survivor's guilt of seeing Cory Branan in concert. Cory Branan -- “Visiting Hours” (Adios) (2:02)Angela Autumn -- “God’s Green Earth” (Frontiers Woman) (5:42) Von Bieker -- “An Artist’s Life” (Long For This World) (9:10)Sleater-Kinney -- “Method” (Path of Wellness) (15:56) Dana Sipos -- “Greenbelt” (The Astral Plane) (20:15) K.C. Jones -- “Queen of the In Between” (Queen of the In Between) (26:45)Lara Hope and the Ark-Tones -- “Some Advice” (Here to Tell the Tale) (31:22)Cory Grinder and the Playboy Scouts -- “Honky Tonkin’ Beauty Supreme” (Honky Tonkin’ Beauty Supreme) (34:21)Jeremy James Meyer -- “That’s OK” (Alive & OK) (37:35)Sara Milonovich - “Two Dollar Town” (Northeast) (43:41) Friday’s topic: Our America Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub!  Get A&T gear and Rainbow Rodeo at the merch page! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

In our final Pride episode, I speak with my friend, poet and writer Anastasia Walker. As we discuss, Anastasia and I met five years ago at our college reunion, and have kept in touch since. We talk about her upcoming book of poetry, The Girl Who Wasn’t And Is from bd-studios, and how the trans experience has changed and is changing across the generations that bridge the two of this. Also, a trans analysis of “Long Black Veil.” After our recording, Anastasia fleshed her thoughts out on her blog. Johnny Cash - The Long Black Veil (At Folsom Prison) (14:12) Tricia Black -- “Not 1 of the Boys” (YouTube) (18:02) Love -- “Alone Again Or” (Forever Changes) (34:37) Fancy Hagood -- “Forest” (Southern Curiosity) (37:50) Penelope Houston - Talking with You (Birdboys) (49:23) Gary Cawker - "I Want You (to be My Man)" (The Sleep of Reason) (52:59) Emily Davis and the Murder Police -- “Bloodlines” (Never a Moment Alone) (61:21) Next week’s topic: June Music Roundup Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters”   Send me music via SubmitHub!   Get A&T gear and Rainbow Rodeo at the merch page!   Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

I’m honored to be joined by Terry Blade to celebrate Juneteenth and Pride! In this episode, Terry discuss his new single “Forward,” as well as his diverse influences and the BIPOC artists he resonates with. We also discuss the rapid corporatization of Juneteenth and how music media can best portray artists’ multiple identities. As always, learn about more music and episode transcripts at AdobeAndTeardrops.com Terry Blade -- “Forward” (Single) (11:47)Crys Matthews - “Prodigal Son” (Changemakers) (14:18)Allison Russell - “Persephone” (Outside Child) (22:34)Amythyst Kiah - “Wild Turkey” (Wary + Strange) (26:51)Jett Holden -- “Taxidermy” (Single) (47:42)Brittany Howard - “Stay High” (Jaime) (64:48) Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub!  Get A&T gear and Rainbow Rodeo at the merch page! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

I'm super excited about my latest project, the queer country zine Rainbow Rodeo! The articles are amazing and the thing looks great -- and that's all thanks to the artists featured in this episode -- as well as many more! In this episode, I preview the zine and play music by some of the zine's contributors. You can get your copy at www.rainbowrodeozine.com Karen and the Sorrows -- “You’re My Country Music” (Guaranteed Broken Heart) (3:03)Justin Hiltner -- “Silver Dagger” (Single) (7:17)Mya Byrne and Paisley Fields -- “Stay Away From My Man” (Electric Park Ballroom) (12:25)Maya de Vitry -- “Better and Better” (How to Break a Fall) (14:28)Bug Martin -- “Just For the Hell of It” (All That Is And What Ain’t) (19:22)Sarah Shook -- “Fuck Up” (Sidelong) (22:16) Next week’s topic: Juneteenth Pride With Terry Blade Read the episode transcript at AdobeandTeardrops.com Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub! Get A&T gear and Rainbow Rodeo at the merch page! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

Adeem the Artist and I picked some of our favorite new queer country songs to feature for Pride! Shortly after this interview, it was announced that Adeem will be opening for American Aquarium in the fall. I’m so stoked for them!  Turns out that between the two of us, Adeem and I reviewed half the albums featured here, so check those out in the show notes. Also, Country Queer is raising funds so their writers (like me and Adeem) can get paid! Sign up for their Patreon here! Quite a few (non-sexual) adult words in these songs, so heads-up if you’re listening on speakers. Adeem the Artist -- “I Never Came Out” (Cast Iron Pansexual) (8:23)Chris Housman -- “Blue Neck” (Single) (12:25)  McKain Lakey -- “Queer AF” (Somewhere) (22:15)Jessye DeSilva -- “Queen of the Backyard” (hover) (26:03) Sam Armstrong Zickefoose -- “Heart of Mine” (Spark In Your Smile) (34:01)  Cidny Bullens -- “Walkin’ Through This World” (Walkin’ Through This World) (37:19)Harper Grae -- “Caviar and Bars” (Single) (51:08) Austin Lucas -- “Drive” (Alive in the Hot Zone) (54:23) Next week’s topic: Juneteenth Pride w/ Terry Blade   Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

Lots of great music came out on May! Let's round' em up! Read the transcript for this here. Album of the Month: Maia Sharp -- Mercy Rising Maia Sharp’s Mercy Rising. You’ll see what I mean when you listen to “You’ll Know Who Knows You.” This is a really sexy song, something that to me has an ineffably queer, nay, lesbian, aesthetic. The whole album is incredible; a sort of Neil Young influence, yes, but so confident and experimental and uniquely Sharp’s. Travis Linville -- “See You Around” (I’m Still Here) (3:41)Johno Roberts -- “Reflections of Me” (Single) (6:58)Maia Sharp -- “You’ll Know Who Knows You” (Mercy Rising) (10:50)Volk -- “I Fed Animals” (Cashville) (14:50)Lindsay Ellyn -- “Pieces of Things” (Queen of Nothing) (19:16)Robert Finley -- “My Story” (Sharecropper’s Son) (23:16)Eddie 9-Volt -- “3 AM in Chicago” (Little Black Flies) (28:17) Next week’s topic: Queer Pride! w/ Adeem the Artist Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

This week, Kasey Anderson and I shoot the breeze about baseball, why we like it, and our favorite songs about baseball. Where else will you find Sam & Dave and Todd Snider in the same place? Kasey Anderson -- “Older Guys” (Let the Bloody Moon Rise) (9:59)Todd Snider -- “America’s Favorite Pastime” (The Excitement Plan) (13:43)Caroline Spence -- “Softball” (Spades & Roses) (23:57)Sam & Dave -- “Knock It Out of the Park” (Sweat ‘n’ Soul) (28:18)Two Cow Garage -- “Movies” (Brand New Flag) (32:15)Ultramagnetic MCs -- “The Saga of Dandy, the Devil, and the Day” (The Four Horsemen) (35:24) Vigilantes of Love -- “You Give It All Your Heart” (Live at the Be Here Now 2000-04-14) (51:04) Next week’s topic: May Music Roundup Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst

Here's a lot of brand new music that SOUNDS old, because honky-tonk is forever. You can find the transcript here! Charlie Marie -- “Soul Train” (Ramble On) (3:44)Soo Line Loons -- “What They Don’t Tell You” (Soo Line Loons) (7:41)Shootouts -- “Rattlesnake Whiskey” (Bullseye) (11:47)Steel Woods -- “I Need You (feat. Ashley Monroe)” (All of Your Stones) (14:52)Fiver With the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition -- “Yeah But Uhh Hey” (Fiver With the Atlantic School of Spontaneous Composition) (23:50)Ashleigh Flynn and the Riveters -- “Deep River Hollow” (Live From the Blue Moon) (29:46) Next week’s topic: Baseball! w/ Kasey Anderson Podcast intro by Alma Contra, music from Two Cow Garage’s “Stars & Gutters” Send me music via SubmitHub! Send me money via Ko-fi or Patreon. Find Rachel and her comic via https://linktr.ee/rachel.cholst