Martin Anderson
Music Director & HostEschewing his mother’s taste for easy listening music early on, Martin Anderson was raised on his dad’s love for jazz, his brother’s Beatles/classic rock LP’s, and the bluegrass and Top 40 radio of the D.C. area. He began volunteering for the University of Delaware’s WXDR/WVUD eclectic overnight and morning mixes in 1989. Upon graduating with an American History degree, he moved to Eugene, Oregon, he spent the 90’s working in natural foods, environmental causes, and above all, public radio. He hosted various folk, world, Triple-A, and other shows at KLCC, and started a “Miles of Bluegrass” show at KRVM.
After two years working underwriting sales and various music and public affairs programs at KHSU in Arcata, CA, Martin joined WNCW in 2001 as your weekday morning host. He loves interviewing the many talented musicians who come to Studio B, stretching out with the many styles ‘NCW embraces, and reflecting listener requests, events of the day, and our beautiful Southern Appalachian landscape. As Music Director, he books our live sessions, and keeps in touch with the record labels and promoters that send us new music. When not at the station, he enjoys gardening, hiking, traveling, history, and raising his daughter on good music and more.
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As you might expect, this is some exquisite pickin’ from two of the best in the business! Recorded live on April 7, 2024, at Nashville’s American Legion Post 82, this new album features the acclaimed duo performing 20 traditional bluegrass and folk songs. They particularly highlight some favorite tunes of Doc Watson, Tony Rice, and Clarence White, but also perform covers from the likes of Bob Dylan and Blaze Foley. -
You may have heard of Nicholas Edward Williams, thanks to his American Songcatcher program we air every other Tuesday morning at 7:51am, which explores traditional folk, blues and country songs and their impact. Or perhaps thanks to his creation of ReString Appalachia, dedicated to getting quality instruments back in the hands of those who lost them due to Hurricane Helene and other natural and economic disasters. Or perhaps it’s his own music performances, of which our friend David Holt has said: "With tasteful guitar arrangements and a voice that draws you right in, Nicholas’ recordings roll along like a mountain stream.” Now he is part of The New Quintet, which includes Cody Ray (Guitar, Lap Steel, Vocals), Emma Dubose (Fiddle, Vocals), Jade Watts (Upright Bass, Vocals) & Gordon Inman (Clarinet, Vocals). They play the Jones House Cultural Center in Boone on Friday, and Zadie’s Market in Marshall on Saturday. -
Peak of the WeekHow can a band last for some 56 years and keep its legacy so strong? By maintaining its identifiable groove and sound, and by doing so while evolving with different members over the years. Such is the case with Little Feat, formed by Lowell George, Bill Payne, Richie Hayward, and Roy Estrada back in 1969. -
Australian-born guitarist Anne McCue first brought us some great blues-oriented grooves back in the early ‘00s, and now she’s taking us on more of a technicolor trip, a la Robyn Hitchcock and of course ‘60s acts like The Beatles. "It’s a genre entire of itself, an amalgam of swirling psychedelia and lyrics focusing on the wonder of life." (Minor 7th Magazine.) McCue, composed , arranged, engineered, and produced this one. -
As a skilled guitarist, songwriter, and producer, Mose has collaborated with notable artists like Melissa Carper, Hannah Juanita, Sweet Megg, and Eliza Thorn. This new one of his comes out on July 17th, and covers a wide spectrum, from his love for Hank Williams, to Cajun, Bluegrass and Blues. -
“When I was a young aspiring singer in the early 1960s, one of the Classic Blues Queens of the 1920s and 1930s, Victoria Spivey, took me under her wing and mentored me”, says the other blues legend in the spotlight here, Maria Muldaur. Yes, Spivey (1906-1976) had a huge reputation in mid-20th-century blues, jazz, and folk music, and she was still around Greenwich Village as Muldaur was absorbing that incredible scene. Taj Mahal and Elvin Bishop are also on this new tribute, along with Neil Fontaro (piano), Danny Caron (guitar), Johnny Bones (sax), Steve Height (bass), Beaumont Beaullieu (drums), New Orleans band, Tuba Skinny, and more. -
This duo led by Australian Dan Parsons & Canadian Tracy McNeil is described as blending sixth sense harmonies with sun-dappled folk-rock. It’s a rich Laurel Canyon Southern California sound, specifically, thanks to the production work of Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist Dan Horne, who’s produced for Mapache, Beachwood Sparks, and Circles Around the Sun. See if this new discovery is a good addition to your summer soundtrack. -
From his colorful characters, to the jaw-clenching descriptions of the challenges of modern-day America, to the subtle, dry wit that helps us cope with said challenges; any James McMurtry song does a good job at explaining what so many WNCW fans love about the singer/songwriter/guitarist. Get to know this latest collection from the 63-year-old sage. -
Peak of the WeekAndrew Marlin & Emily Frantz started performing together in 2009 in coffee shops and restaurants of Chapel Hill and other NC towns under the name Mandolin Orange. They now have their second album under the Watchhouse name, and an extensive tour of North America that comes back to us over Labor Day weekend for the Earl Scruggs Music Festival. They are certainly a grassroots success story that’s been driven by Marlin’s poignant songwriting, that has earned them a reputation for creating music that “redefines roots music for a younger generation” (Washington Post), with songs that touch on the unknowable mysteries, existential heartbreak, and communal joys of modern life. -
As you might expect, this is some exquisite pickin’ from two of the best in the business! Recorded live on April 7, 2024, at Nashville’s American Legion Post 82, this new album features the acclaimed duo performing 20 traditional bluegrass and folk songs. They particularly highlight some favorite tunes of Doc Watson, Tony Rice, and Clarence White, but also perform covers from the likes of Bob Dylan and Blaze Foley.
