Rick Fines Archives | Folk Roots Radio

Folk Roots Radio Episode 560: Our Favourite Albums of 2020

Dec 27 2020

We’re getting close to the end of 2020, which means it’s time to announce our favourite albums of the year. After the challenging year we’ve all had, it’s tempting to just want to put 2020 behind us and move on to 2021 to what will, hopefully, be a much better year for everyone. And yet, despite everything, 2020 has actually been a great year for recorded music – especially for those us who tend to focus on music that artists release independently, or via small and boutique record labels. Many artists have actually been making excellent use of the lockdown time forced on them by the coronavirus pandemic to record some wonderful ‘Covid Tune’ singles, EPs and in some case, even full albums. We’ve had great fun sharing them with you this year. We’ve also been doing our best to keep up with regularly scheduled releases. It gives us great pleasure each year, once we have put holiday radio episodes to bed, to consider our favourite albums of the year. One of the best things about doing a radio show is getting loads of great music to listen to each week. One of the hardest things to do is to take all that fabulous music and narrow it down to your ten favourite recordings of the year. You can check out The Top 10 on Episode 560 of Folk Roots Radio. We’ll be playing more of our favourite albums on upcoming episodes of Folk Roots Radio. If you don’t see an album you really loved, that’s likely because it didn’t make it up on our radar because we didn’t receive a copy. Please consider sharing your favourite albums in the comments – we might even spin them on a future episode of the show. Listen to The Top 10 on this episode, and check out the full playlist and the rest of our long list below. Enjoy!

Rick Fines - Solar Powered Too - Folk Roots Radio Interview

Dec 23 2020

We included an excerpt from our excellent interview with Rick Fines, discussing his wonderful new album “Solar Powered Too”, in Episode 550 of Folk Roots Radio. We’re now very pleased to make the full conversation available. Enjoy!

When Canadian roots and blues artist Rick Fines started work on his new project “Solar Powered Too”, his intent was simple – to make a new recording at his solar powered cottage in the Kawartha Highlands as a follow-up to his very well received “Solar Powered” album from 2006. Initially intended to be just a guitar and voice solo recording, this album has grown into something rather special with some nicely judged guest appearances from some of his friends and a beautifully sympathetic production from Rick with Alec Fraser. Truly a joy for the ears, this is one of those albums you put on, and listen right through to the end. An album that needs to be heard and one that we think will bring comfort to many during these strange, strange Covid times. Solar Powered Too deservedly found a place in Our Favourite Albums of 2020. To learn more about the music of Rick Fines, visit rickfines.ca. Music: Rick Fines “Below The Surface”, “Laundry On The Line”, “Worry Be The Death Of Me” and “Never Let Go” from “Solar Powered Too” (2020, Self).

Folk Roots Radio Episode 550: feat. Rick Fines – Solar Powered Too & More New Releases

Nov 13 2020

Canadian roots and blues artist Rick Fines joins us on Episode 550 of Folk Roots Radio to chat about his truly fabulous new folk blues album “Solar Powered Too” which started out as a straightforward guitar and voice album, to be recorded at his solar powered cottage in the Kawartha Highlands, before turning into something rather special. It’s a really great interview – we can only bring part of it to you on this episode, but we do hope you’ll check it out, as we’re sure this album will feature in our favourite albums of 2020. We’ll be releasing the full interview very soon, so stay tuned for that. As always, we wrap up the episode with more new releases and this time around we hear from JJ Shiplett, Maybe Babs, Justin Farren, Kennedy Road, Brian Blain, The Mastersons, David Gillis, Donal Hinely and Dan Tuffy. Check out the full playlist below.

Folk Roots Radio Episode 547: feat. Steve Poltz (Covid Times) & More Releases

Oct 26 2020

We’re pleased to bring you another one of our Covid Times interviews on Episode 547 of Folk Roots Radio. As you know, the coronavirus pandemic has completely upended the lives of people who make their living through music. This time around we catch up with zany singer-songwriter and humorist Steve Poltz to learn more about his life during these strange, strange times – while checking out a wonderful new lockdown single, appropriately entitled “Quarantine Blues”. As always, it’s a great conversation. We wrap up the episode with new music from Rick Fines, Rube & Rake, Clare Follett, Carmanah, Hamish Napier, Aoife Scott, Terra Lightfoot and Dione Taylor. If you like the music you hear on Folk Roots Radio, don’t just stream the music – BUY the music, and then you’ll really make a difference to artists income during a period when live shows are hard to find. Check out the full playlist below.

Jul 12 2015

Episode 203 of Folk Roots Radio featured an interview and impromptu session with Edmonton Alberta’s Rebecca Lappa recorded at the Folk Music Ontario Conference this past October. Though still just a teenager, Rebecca is already a prolific songwriter, having written over 200 songs in her career so far. All four of the albums she has released to date have been nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for “Young Performer of the Year”. Her most recent album, 2014’s “Ode to Tennyson” uses as its source material, the collected works of English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Rebecca shows amazing drive for someone so young. It’s a great interview and definitely worth checking out. As usual, we also included a good selection of new music alongside our mystery theme and guilty pleasure.

Oct 06 2014

Folk Roots Radio on October 4 (Episode 169) featured interviews with Ottawa-based singer-songwriter Lynne Hanson about her new album “River Of Sand”, and California-based film & TV composer turned singer-songwriter Ernest Troost about his recent album “O Love”.