Bluegrass, Blue Prince, and the Blues
Kirk answers a bunch of listener questions on topics like bluegrass guitar, the music of Blue Prince, good apps for training theory skills, Robert Fripp's "Frippertronics," a mysterious sound on a Gene Clark song, different types of music notation, and the legacy of the blues. All that, and a trio of terrific singer/songwriters stops by the studio to help answer a question about lyrics.Come see Triple Click Live! Friday, July 11 at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR. Tickets HereKirk has new music for sale on Bandcamp: Music For Podcasting and his original score for Arydia: The Paths We Dare TreadThanks to The Wailin' Jennys for coming on the show! Stay tuned for a full-length interview episode this summer, and go see them live if you can. They are amazing.7/27/2025 Update: Several people wrote in with theories about the "Lady of the North" sound, and Kirk has been convinced it's an electric violin.FEATURED/DISCUSSED:āWhite Trash Weddingā by The Chicks from Home, 2002A live performance of āWhite Trash WeddingāāSimonās Themeā by Trigg & Gusset from the Blue Prince original soundtrack, 2025Kirkās recent essay about Blue Prince and musicTwo good free music sites: musictheory.net and muted.ioāWhat Am I Here Forā by Jade Bird from Something American - EP, 2017āAcross The Seaā by The Wailinā Jennys from Bright Morning Stars, 2011āLady of the Northā by Gene Clark from No Other, 1974Bass legend Lee Sklar on YouTubeMark Lager's 2024 No Other retrospective in Under The Radar MagazineThe terrific Wonder of Stevie podcastTantacrulās tremendous video about the history of music notationāHammond Songā by The Roaches, 1979Chords of Orion video explaining and re-creating FrippertronicsāThe Heavenly Music Corporation IIā by Robert Fripp and Brian Eno from No Pussyfooting, 1973āSt. James Infirmaryā rec. Joseph āKingā Oliver, 1930āCross Road Bluesā rec. Robert Johnson, ~193xāDown Hearted Bluesā rec. Bessie Smith, 1929Two versions of "Wedding Song" by AnaĆÆs Mitchell from Hadestown, 2018Kirkās essay about musical creation and āThe SparkāOUTRO SOLO: Rob Reich, prolific bay area multi-instrumentalist, died unexpectedly a few weeks ago at the age of 47. It's an unfathomable loss. Rob recorded an outro solo for Strong Songs back in its very first year, so we're including it in this episode as a tribute to him and his generous musical spirit. Read more about Rob here.----LINKS-----š° SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!Patreon | Paypalš HOMEPAGEstrongsongspodcast.comš MERCHstrongsongspodcast.com/storeš¬ KIRK'S NEWSLETTERnewsletter.kirkhamilton.comš· SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: @Kirk_HamiltonBluesky: @kirkhamilton.comš¬ STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVERstrongsongspodcast.com/discordš§ STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTSSpotify | Apple Music | YouTube Musicšø KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTSkirkhamilton.com/gearš¶ KIRK'S MUSICkirkhamilton.com/musicšØ SHOW ARTTom Deja, Bossman Graphics--------------------JUNE 2025 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONSThomas McIlheranAndyLisa CrottyRick KeelerElizabeth CulverMeryl AllisonRobyn MetcalfeCesarCorpus FriskyBen BarronCatherine WarnerDamon WhiteJay SwartzRushDaniel Hannon-BarryChristopher MillerJamie WhiteChristopher McConnellDavid MascettiJoe LaskaKen HirshMelanie AndrichJenness GardnerNathaniel BauernfeindPaul DelaneySami SamhuriJeremy DawsonAccessViolationDave FloreyJUNE 2025 HALF-NOTE PATRONSIan StedingMargaret McReynoldsAlison DuganPrincess of WhalesDave DouglassSuzanne CrawfordPhantomMareKym GriffithRachelAruni JayatillekeRyan GillenTBDaniel KaberonWiggy HashWhit SidenerJulie KellmanSimon HellmanBeaClaudia CartyDaniGlenn JacksonChristopher Selby SpinkPhilip KellyDaniel NervoKevin StaffordLawrenceSy JacobsirritableIan PiddAndrew HoferJordan GatenbyMelissa KuhnsAshleySeattle Trans And Nonbinary Choral EnsembleKevin MarceloSamantha CoatesJamesJeffDan CutterJoseph RomeroOl ParkerJohn BerryDanielle KrizClint McElroyMordokās Vape PenInmar GivoniMichael SingerMerv AdrianJoe GalloLauren KnottsDave KolasHenry MindlinMonica St. AngeloStephen WolkwitzRand LeShayMaxeric spMatthew JonesThomasAnthony MentzJames McMurryEthan LaserBrian John PeterChris RemoAaron WilsonDent EarlCarlos LernerMisty HaisfieldAbraham BenrubiLee R.Callum WebbDick MorganBen SteinGrettir AsmundarsonSean MurphyRandal VegterKellen SteffenKaya WoodallRobert Granatdave malloyAlan Maassjohn halpinPeter HardingDavidKayla RussellJohn BaumanMartĆn SalĆasStu BakerSteve MartinoDr Arthur A GrayGary PierceMatt BaxterLuigi BocciaE Margaret WartonTim SheehanCharles McGeeCatherine ClauseEthan BaumanKenIsWearingAHatJordan BlockAaron WadeJeff UlmDavid FutterJamieDeebsPortland Eye CareRichard SneddonJanice BerryDoreen CarlsonWendy GilchristLisa TurnerPaul WayperMiles FormanBruno GaetaKenneth JungAdam StofskyZak RemerRishi SahayJeffrey BeanJRRJAilie FraserRob TsukJosh SingerAmy Lynn ThornsenAdam WKelli BrockingtonVictoria Yumino caposselaSteve PaquinDonald MackieDavid JoskeBernard KhooRobert HeuerDavid NoahGeraldine ButlerMadeleine MaderJason PrattAbbie BergDoug BelewDermot CrowleyAchint SrivastavaRyan RairighMichael BermanLinda DuffyBonnie PrinsenEoin de BurcaKevin PotterM Shane BordersDallas HockleyJason GerryNell MorseNathan GouwensLauren ReayEric PrestemoncbalmainAngela LivingstoneDiane HughesMichael CasnerLowell MeyerStephen TsoneffJoshua HillPascal RuegerRandy SouzaClare HolbertonDiane TurnerTom ColemanDhu WikMelmaniacEric HelmJonathan DanielsCaro FieldDave SharpeNaomi WatsonDavidAlexanderJeff PattersonChris KGavin DoigSam FennTanner MortonAJ SchusterJennifer BushDavid StroudBrad CallahanAmanda FurlottiAndrew BakerAndrew FairL.B. MorseBill ThorntonBrian AmoebasBrett DouvilleJeffrey OlsonMatt BetzelNate from KalamazooMelanie StiversRichard TollerAlexander PolsonJustin McElroyArjun SharmaJames JohnsonKevin MorrellColin Hodo