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Roots Country of the 1980s

Sep 7, 2026 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Music

With Dan Buskirk

✽✽ Laborwave Special! ✽✽

11:03 AM		The Tailgators Rock and Roll 'till the Cows Come Home Swamp Rock Wrestler 1985
11:14 AM		k.d. lang Big Boned Gal Absolute Torch and Twang Sire 1989
11:17 AM		Rosanne Cash My Baby Thinks He's a Train L. Preston 1981 Columbia 1981 1980
11:20 AM		Johnny Cash Don't Go Near the Water Boom Chicka Boom Mercury Nashville 1988
11:23 AM		John Doe & Dave Alvin Little Honey Dave Alvin BORDER RADIO soundtrack Enigma 1987
11:27 AM		Rodney Crowell Many a Long & Lonesome Highway Keys to the Highway Columbia 1989
11:35 AM		The O'Kanes Tired of the Runnin' J. O'Hara, Kieran Kane Tired Of The Runnin' Columbia 1988
11:39 AM		The O'Kanes Diddy All Night Long Imagine That Columbia 1990
11:41 AM		Carlene Carter I Fel in Love Carlene Carter, Howie Epstein, Benmont Tench, Perry Lamek I Fell In Love Reprise 1990
11:45 AM		Marty Brown High and Dry High and Dry MCA Nashville 1991
11:50 AM		Townes Van Zandt Ain't Leavin' Your Love Townes Van Zandt At My Window Sugar Hill 1987
12:01 PM		High Sheriff Ricky Barnes & The Hoot Owls In My Dreams Cupid/Barnes Lost Track of Time Okra 1988
12:04 PM		High Sheriff Ricky Barnes & The Hoot Owls Big City Give Me Back My Baby Jeb Loy Nichols Bone Country Okra 1990
12:08 PM		Randy Travis Diggin' Up Bones Storms of Life Warner Brothers' 1986
12:10 PM		Junior Brown Broke Down South of Dallas 12 Shades of Brown Demon 1990
12:14 PM		Chris Gaffney and the Cold Hard Facts King of the Blues s/t ROM 1990
12:21 PM		Evan Johns & The H-Bombs Storm's Been Blowin' By s/t Jungle 1986
12:25 PM		Ricky Skaggs Lovin' Only You Kentucky Thunder Columbia 1989
12:28 PM		Jo-El Sonnier Tear Stained Letter Richard Thompson Come On Joe RCA 1987
12:32 PM		Jimmie Dale Gilmore Just a Wave, Not the Water Butch Hancock Fair & Square Hightone 1988
12:40 PM		Steve Earle Guitar Town Steve Earle Guitar Town MCA 1986
12:44 PM		Steve Earle & The Dukes I Ain't Ever Satisfied Steve Earle Exit 0 MCA 1987
12:47 PM		Dwight Yoakam I Sang Dixie Dwight Yoakam Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room Reprise 1987
12:51 PM		Foster & Lloyd Crazy Over You Radney Foster/Bill Lloyd s/t V/A RCA 1987
12:55 PM		Lyle Lovett God Will Lyle Lovett Lyle Lovett Curb 1986

Chat is archived.

Howdy!

Good morning!

Saw k.d. in the early 90s at the Tower. She performed barefoot, great vocals.

Hey ESO! Yeah, wonderful performer, kd. i got to introduce her once from stage...

Sweet!

Any blasters, mojo nixon or beat farmers in this playlist, the girl from San Diego selfishly asks lol. No worries if not, you got Dwight coming up, and he’s part of the later Bakersfield sound, no?

Of course blasters are Downey but you get my drift

Dwight's first record was '86. I remember getting the indie version while I was college music director. Definitely some Dave alvin....

love the Beat Farmers, Mojo and the Blasters!

Oh yeah!!

This is my youth right here, knitters, x

Bring on the cowpunk. I'm beside myself w/joy!

Yup, hey, Amy Lee!

As I recall border radio wasn’t the best film, and I was a fan! Great soundtrack

Just saw John Doe at Jon and Peter's - still great

Happy laborwave everybody

Hey Dan and everyone! This looks and sounds like a great show! Sadly, I will be leaving soon to go look for the Lark Sparrow (a western bird very rare in the DC area) that's about 30 minutes from home

who knew you had country chops?

Hey rob and guelo!

And Bryon!

Hi Eso!

I have to scoot - going kayaking with the fam. But I’ll be back!

Happy Laborwave!

Have fun! Don't drink the water!

please play Satan is Real

Last time I did multiple listeners reported supernatural experiences.

I'm beyond thrilled. My hearts with the twang.

Good to hear! Does anyone play this era on radio anymore?

Hey Rob! Keep your eye on the sparrow...

There are spots.

I sure will, Dan!!

Another reason to love jazz, more time to leisurely cue up your next tune...

There is a commercial station I catch when I drive in PA that plays alot.

whoah it’s yeehaw dan buskirk

early for jazz, late for dan’s cowboy hour. what’s happenin here

Special programming all day!

https://wprb.com/laborwave-returns-all-day-on-monday-september-7th/

thanks comrade danno. i was sittin with james dupree the other day he said penn gave sun ra a church and he used to jam there with marshall. you know anything bout that ? im gonna look for records next time i’m at the central lib, i wanna see some photos

Ooh Nice! Any Monte Warden/Wagoneers?

Dan Dow was Ricky Barnes brother in law. he's behind Ricky's records Curt ran used kids. all of these guys are part of my story from hometown Columbus

The Church was a performance space on the Penn campus where Sun Ra used to perform. He played on XPN quite regularly back when it was a community station

Ricky and the Hoot Owls frequently played at a diner on high street

Ah! You know Columbus?

wow, i wish i couldve seen that. thanks dan !

born and raised been east 35 years

Dan Dow! That's the guy who owned Used Kids and ran Okra Records. We were pals in S.F. for a spell..

Diggin' Up Bones. Great tune. Heard some 80s FM Country radio thanks to mom. Some good ones back then. Some good recordings, session musicians.

The first band I played in was Ricky's sister law Patty on drums and Dan on lead guitar with me on bass we were the The Fire Eaters

Wha....?

I met Dan in Cincinnati ar Bogarts to see Elvis Costello

JUNIOR BROWN!!!! This one is a classic. He opened up the show w/Broke Down South of Dallas at Sellersville Theater the 2x I saw him.

Tuning the pegs waaaaayyyyy down.... then later he grabs the slide out of his suit jacket inside chest pocket... slyly and quickly... (imitates PO-leece siren weee hooo weee hoooo)

Those 80s Country lead guitar sounds. Set the guitars to Phaser, Flanger and sometimes stunning.

Sunny used to play Geno's Empty Foxhole back then.

Sunny guested on a Phil Alvin album.

Did the ROM label send out thousands of free software cds throughout the mid late 90s and go out of biz? Ha. Good bird / critter distractors for the garden. Hang the shiny silver cds on a string... glare for days.

Rom put out a great Sandy Bull record and a fine yodeler Randy Wrwin. Went outta business in '96...

Ricky had some great hits in the Country world but so so so glad he returned and stayed in Bluegrass. Carrying on the tradition of his mentor Mr Monroe

I gotta Ricky story....

Richard Thompson gets some 80s Country time thanks to this cover! They really got the arrangement down.

Ooo those guitar sounds. Gotta have them on this one Guitar Town. Often an encore for Steve

got a 2 pack habit and a motel tan...

Ok, this cat rocked harder than James Taylor on his best day…er, and IMHO Mellencamp tried to fill SE big (stylish) boots. Sorry

Really want to thank you for this show. Just loving it so much.

Thanks Amy! Figured these were sounds rarely plowed by PRB...

O gotta play more than one Steve

Been a while since I heard Jo-El S.

Lizbot next. Excellent

Tear-stained coaster…sniff, sniff

Country fan Dan?

Yes, old old mostly, but your picks superb, sir

Monthly live (mostly) rockabilly-ish/twang at Glenside, PA VFW. Always a good time. Next one 9/26: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558985540519

Thanks! Yeah, I was discovering all the classic stuff at the same time as I was hearing all these acts...

I did see John Hiyatt with that insane slide player, almost Ry Cooder, taping a Soundstage in Chicago.

Ricky used to hang with Dwight

pls do a show like this more often it was just fabulous

Another huge Steve Earle fan here.

He helped Bubbles. That's all you need to know.

Sonny Landreth, amazing player

Loudon Wainwright III opened of Richard Thompson, Amnesia album tour. Very cool combo

Hey! Devo Whip it! Video!

..thanks for your service ..

Thanks All Next Time!

That was great Dan!