Music Magazine

TOP ALBUMS AND SONGS OF APRIL 2011 (Compiled by from FOLKDJ-L) Radio List)

Posted on the 04 May 2011 by Notlobmusic @notlobmusic

FOLKDJ-L is an electronic discussion group for DJs and other people interested in all folk-based music (bluegrass, old-time, traditional balladry, traditional international music, singer-songwriters, etc.) on the radio. With over nine hundred subscribers from all corners of the earth, we're a lively bunch with a unique perspective on folk music. Take a look at our digest archives and sign up for a folkdj-l subscription if what we do is of interest to you. Thanks for stopping by!

The following report was compiled by and received from Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L radio playlists.  I have indicated participating northeast radio host/producers names in bold.  Don't see your favorite program listed?  Maybe they are not aware of FOLKDJ-L. 

TOP ALBUMS AND SONGS OF APRIL 2011
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L radio playlists
Based on 12939 airplays from 150 different DJs
  1: "Paper Airplane," Alison Krauss And Union Station [Rounder, new] (116)
  "Paper Airplane"
  "Dust Bowl Children"
  "Dimming Of The Day"
  "Lay My Burden Down"
  "My Love Follows You Where You Go"
  "On The Outside Looking In"
  2: "Darkling & The Bluebird Jubilee," Joe Crookston [Milagrito, 3/11] (99)
  "Good Luck John"
  "Mercy Now"
  "Darkling And The Bluebird Jubilee"
  "Everything Here Is Good"
  "I Sing"
  3: "Hope," Abbie Gardner [Self, new] (66)
  "Walkin' Cane"
  "Hope"
  "Break It Slow"
  "Comes Love"
  4: "Rare Bird Alert," Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers [Rounder, 3/11] (55)
  "You"
  "Atheists Don't Have No Songs"
  "King Tut"
  5: "Rose City Ramble," Lauren Sheehan [Self, new] (53)
  "Dirty Rat Swing"
  "In The Wee Midnight Hours"
  "Chilly Waters"
  6: "Bright Morning Stars," The Wailin' Jennys [Red House, 2/11] (52)
  "Bright Morning Stars"
  "Bird Song"
  "All The Stars"
  7: "The Very Best Of Stan Rogers," Stan Rogers [Borealis, 7/10] (49)
  "Field Behind The Plow"
  "Free In The Harbour"
  "Northwest Passage"
  8: "Steady As She Goes," Hot Tuna [Red House, 4/11] (46)
  "Children Of Zion"
  "Mama Let Me Lay It On You"
  "Angel Of Darkness"
  "Goodbye To The Blues"
  9: "Man Of Many Moons," Danny Schmidt [Red House, 2/11] (45)
  "Houses Sing"
  "Man Of Many Moons"
  "I've Mostly Watched"
 10: "So Beautiful Or So What," Paul Simon [Hear, new] (44)
  "Afterlife"
  "Dazzling Blue"
  "Questions For The Angels"
  "Rewrite"
 10: "Speeding Ticket And A Valentine," Blame Sally [Ninth Street Opus, new] (44)
  "Bird In Hand"
  "Throw Me A Bone"
 12: "Land Like A Bird," Amy Speace [Thirty Tigers, new] (43)
  "Ghost"
  "Battened Hatches"
  "Half Asleep And Wide Awake"
 13: "Kicking The Beehive," Susan Werner [Sleeve Dog, 3/11] (38)
  "Sleeping On A Train"
  "Irrelevance"
  "On The Other Side"
 14: "Time Ain't Got Nothin' On Me," Mark Dvorak [Waterbug, 1/11] (37)
  "Middle Years"
  "Bluebells In Kentucky"
  "It'll Be Better When It's Better"
 15: "Roses At The End Of Time," Eliza Gilkyson [Red House, new] (35)
  "Death In Arkansas"
  "Vayan Al Norte"
  "2153"
 15: "Small Source Of Comfort," Bruce Cockburn [True North, 3/11] (35)
  "Call Me Rose"
  "Bohemian 3-Step"
  "Iris Of The World"
 17: "Break In The Clouds," Elephant Revival [Ruff Shod, 11/10] (32)
  "Point Of You"
  "Break In The Clouds"
  "Cosmic Pulse"
 17: "High Atmosphere," Diana Jones [Proper American, 4/11] (32)
  "High Atmosphere"
  "Don't Forget Me"
 17: "Now You Know," Justin Roth [Self, new] (32)
  "Love's Not Through With Me Yet"
  "Spaghetti Junction"
  "Surrender"
 20: "Downhauler," Marc Douglas Berardo [Horizon, 8/10] (31)
  "Quiet Places"
  "Passing Through"
  "Ruby"
 20: "Help My Brother," Gibson Brothers [Compass, 2/11] (31)
  "Safe Passage"
  "Frozen In Time"
  "Help My Brother"
 20: "Starlight Hotel," Zoe Muth And The Lost High Rollers [Signature, new] (31)
  "Whatever's Left"
  "Let's Just Be Friends For Tonight"
  "I've Been Gone"
 23: "Heaven Below," Peter Mayer [Blue Boat, 4/10] (30)
  "Rainbow"
  "Church Of The Earth"
 24: "Fired Up," Michael Cleveland And Flamekeeper [Rounder, new] (29)
  "Dixie Special"
  "Maine Line"
 25: "Bessarabian Breakdown," Jim Guttmann [Kleztone, 3/10] (28)
  "Philadelphia Sher"
  "And The Angels Sing"
 25: "The Heart Of A Waiting Boy," Patti Casey [Long Shot, 2010] (28)
  "Gander In The Stubble"
  "Spread Joy Over This Land"
 27: "Daybreak," Sierra Hull [Rounder, 3/11] (27)
  "Easy Come, Easy Go"
  "Best Buy"
  "What Do You Say?"
 27: "Lorraine," Lori McKenna [Signature, 2010] (27)
  "All I Ever Do"
  "Lorraine"
 29: "Cackalack," Jonathan Byrd [Waterbug, 1/11] (26)
  "Cackalack"
  "I Was An Oak Tree"
 29: "Lonesome Whistle," The Roys [Rural Rhythm, new] (26)
  "Coal Minin' Man"
  "Nothin' I Can Do About It Now"
  "That's What Makes It Love"
 31: "Celilo Falls," Rachel Harrington [Skinny Dennis, 2/11] (25)
  "You Don't Know"
  "Goodbye Amsterdam"
  "House Of Cards"
 31: "City Of Refuge," Abigail Washburn [Rounder, 1/11] (25)
  "Divine Bell"
  "Chains"
 33: "Kickin' Up Dust," Grasstowne [Pinecastle, new] (24)
  "Blue Rocking Chair"
  "I Don't Worry About You Anymore"
 33: "Roadside Attractions," Marcia Ball [Alligator, new] (24)
  "Everybody's Looking For The Same Thing"
  "That's How It Goes"
 33: "Unruly Heart," Ari And Mia [Self, 12/10] (24)
  "Freight Train"
  "Pig's Foot/Grub Springs"
 36: "Fly Down Little Bird," Mike Seeger And Peggy Seeger [Appleseed, 3/11] (23)
  "Dodger Song"
  "Old Bangum"
 37: "Barton Hollow," The Civil Wars [Sensibility, 2/11] (22)
  "Barton Hollow"
  "20 Years"
 37: "Horse Latitudes," Jeffrey Foucault [Signature, new] (22)
  "Horse Latitudes"
  "Everybody's Famous"
  "Starlight And Static/Idaho/Tea And Tobacco"
 39: "Call It My Garden," Carrie Elkin [Red House, 2010] (20)
  "Iowa"
  "Jesse Likes Birds"
 39: "One Foot In The Honky Tonk," James Reams And The Barnstormers
[Mountain Redbird, new] (20)
  "In The Corner At The Table By The Jukebox"
  "Bailing Again"
 41: "Fall For Beauty," Lynn Miles [True North, 10/10] (19)
  "Little Bird"
  "Save Me"
 41: "The Once," The Once [Borealis, 9/10] (19)
  "Coming Back To You"
  "Sail Away To The Sea"
 41: "Otter Creek," Ken Kolodner And Brad Kolodner [Fenchurch, 1/11] (19)
  "Otter Creek"
 44: "Frank Solivan And Dirty Kitchen," Frank Solivan And Dirty Kitchen
[Self, 8/10] (18)
  "Paul And Silas"
  "Driftin' Apart"
 44: "The Holy Coming Of The Storm," Cahalen Morrison And Eli West [Self,
11/10] (18)
  "Since You Took Your Leave"
 44: "New Amsterdam," Spuyten Duyvil [Self, new] (18)
  "Coal Train"
  "Shady Grove"
 44: "These Old Roots," The Honey Dewdrops [Self, 9/10] (18)
  "Nobody In This World"
 44: "We Still Love Our Country," Carrie Rodriguez And Ben Kyle [Ninth
Street Opus, 2/11] (18)
  "Unwed Fathers"
  "If I Needed You"
 49: "Almost Home," Larry Sparks [Rounder, new] (17)
  "Almost Home"
  "Blue Mountain Melody"
 49: "Down Home," Josh Williams [Pinecastle, 2/10] (17)
  "Blue Railroad Train"
  "Dream Of Me"
 49: "Red Horse," Red Horse [Red House, 7/10] (17)
  "If These Walls Could Talk"
  "Wild Horse"
 49: "Stem The Tide," The Paul McKenna Band [Greentrax, new] (17)
  "Again For Greenland"
  "Silent Majority"
 49: "Story Of The Rifle," Mason Porter [Self, 2010] (17)
  "Girl From The North Country"
  "Wayfaring Stranger"
 54: "Stretched On Your Grave," Runa [Self, 3/11] (16)
  "Newry Highwayman"
 55: "Folk-Worn Prose," Shaun Cromwell [Melon Patch, 11/10] (15)
  "Rise And Fall"
  "Gristmill"
 55: "Follow Me Down," Sarah Jarosz [Sugar Hill, new] (15)
  "Come Around"
  "Ring Them Bells"
 55: "Okra And Ecclesiastes," Grant Peeples [Gatorbone, 2/11] (15)
  "Last Great Buffalo Hunt"
 55: "Pioneering Women Of Bluegrass," Hazel Dickens And Alice Gerrard
[Smithsonian/Folkways, 1996] (15)
  "Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar"
 55: "Reverie," David Wilcox [What Are, 11/10] (15)
  "End Of The World"
  "Let The Wave Say"
 55: "Words Through The Seasons," Alicia McGovern [Self, 10/10] (15)
  "Heavy As The Wing"
  "I'll Keep Tryin"
 61: "Big Bang!," Coco & Lafe [Skyhunter, new] (14)
  "Big Bang"
  "I Love You More"
 61: "I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive," Steve Earle [New West, new]
(14)
  "Waitin' On The Sky"
  "I Am A Wanderer"
 61: "Long Surrender," Over The Rhine [Great Speckled Dog, 2/11] (14)
  "Only God Can Save Us Now"
 61: "Mountain Home," Owen Temple [El Paisano, new] (14)
  "Mountain Home"
  "Medicine Man"
 61: "Totes For Goats," Burning Bridget Cleary [BBC, 3/11] (14)
  "King And The Fair Maid"
 66: "Blessed," Lucinda Williams [Lost Highway, 3/11] (13)
  "Blessed"
 66: "A Different Story To Tell," Art Gomperz Band [All About Murray, 2010]
(13)
  "Beg Steal Or Borrow"
 66: "Factory Second," Neil Getz [Agillator, 2/11] (13)
  "Factory Second"
 66: "In A Groove," Terry Baucom [Dualtone, new] (13)
  "Do You Wrong Kind Of Girl"
 66: "Saint Monday," Michael Fracasso [Little Fuji, new] (13)
  "Saint Monday"
 66: "What I Know," Tom Rush [Appleseed, 2009] (13)
  "All A Man Can Do"
TOP SONGS OF APRIL 2011
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L radio playlists
Based on 12939 airplays from 150 different DJs
1. "Dimming Of The Day" (23)
  by Alison Krauss And Union Station
  from "Paper Airplane"
1. "Good Luck John" (23)
  by Joe Crookston
  from "Darkling & The Bluebird Jubilee"
3. "Bird In Hand" (20)
  by Blame Sally
  from "Speeding Ticket And A Valentine"
3. "Paper Airplane" (20)
  by Alison Krauss And Union Station
  from "Paper Airplane"
5. "Dust Bowl Children" (18)
  by Alison Krauss And Union Station
  from "Paper Airplane"
6. "Bright Morning Stars" (17)
  by The Wailin' Jennys
  from "Bright Morning Stars"
6. "Houses Sing" (17)
  by Danny Schmidt
  from "Man Of Many Moons"
8. "Hope" (16)
  by Abbie Gardner
  from "Hope"
8. "Walkin' Cane" (16)
  by Abbie Gardner
  from "Hope"
10. "Lay My Burden Down" (14)
  by Alison Krauss And Union Station
  from "Paper Airplane"
11. "My Love Follows You Where You Go" (13)
  by Alison Krauss And Union Station
  from "Paper Airplane"
12. "Dirty Rat Swing" (12)
  by Lauren Sheehan
  from "Rose City Ramble"
12. "Everything Here Is Good" (12)
  by Joe Crookston
  from "Darkling & The Bluebird Jubilee"
12. "Mercy Now" (12)
  by Joe Crookston
  from "Darkling & The Bluebird Jubilee"
15. "Children Of Zion" (11)
  by Hot Tuna
  from "Steady As She Goes"
15. "Darkling And The Bluebird Jubilee" (11)
  by Joe Crookston
  from "Darkling & The Bluebird Jubilee"
15. "I Sing" (11)
  by Joe Crookston
  from "Darkling & The Bluebird Jubilee"
15. "Man Of Many Moons" (11)
  by Danny Schmidt
  from "Man Of Many Moons"
15. "You" (11)
  by Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
  from "Rare Bird Alert"
20. "Coming Back To You" (10)
  by The Once
  from "The Once"
20. "All I Ever Do" (10)
  by Lori McKenna
  from "Lorraine"
20. "Break It Slow" (10)
  by Abbie Gardner
  from "Hope"
20. "Miles To Go" (10)
  by Alison Krauss And Union Station
  from "Paper Airplane"
20. "On The Outside Looking In" (10)
  by Alison Krauss And Union Station
  from "Paper Airplane"
25. "Afterlife" (9)
  by Paul Simon
  from "So Beautiful Or So What"
25. "Sleeping On A Train" (9)
  by Susan Werner
  from "Kicking The Beehive"

TOP ARTISTS OF APRIL 2011
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L radio playlists
Based on 12939 airplays from 150 different DJs
1. Alison Krauss
2. Joe Crookston
3. Abbie Gardner
4. Eliza Gilkyson
5. Danny Schmidt
5. The Wailin' Jennys
7. Lauren Sheehan
8. Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
9. Stan Rogers
10. Bob Dylan
11. Amy Speace
12. Hazel Dickens
13. Hot Tuna
14. Blame Sally
14. Paul Simon
16. Susan Werner
17. Bruce Cockburn
18. Gibson Brothers
18. Mark Dvorak
20. Jonathan Byrd
20. Justin Roth
22. Hazel Dickens And Alice Gerrard
22. John McCutcheon
24. Diana Jones
24. Lori McKenna
24. Patti Casey
27. Elephant Revival
27. Michael Cleveland And Flamekeeper
27. Peter Mayer
30. Rachel Harrington
31. Zoe Muth And The Lost High Rollers
32. Jeffrey Foucault
32. Marc Douglas Berardo
34. Sierra Hull
35. Ari And Mia
35. Greg Brown
37. Emmylou Harris
37. Jim Guttmann
37. The Roys
40. Abigail Washburn
40. Grasstowne
40. The Honey Dewdrops
40. Pete Seeger

TOP LABELS OF APRIL 2011
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L radio playlists
Based on 12939 airplays from 150 different DJs
1. Rounder
2. Red House
3. Signature
4. Compass
5. Sugar Hill
6. Columbia
7. Waterbug
8. Smithsonian/Folkways
9. Appleseed
10. Milagrito
11. Rural Rhythm
12. Warner
13. Greentrax
14. Borealis
14. Vanguard
16. Rebel
17. Ninth Street Opus
18. True North
19. Flying Fish
20. 30 Tigers
21. Fogarty's Cove
21. Rhino
23. Green Linnet
23. Nonesuch
23. Philo
26. Hear
27. Capitol
27. Folk-Legacy
29. Bear Family
29. Blue Boat
29. Shanachie
29. Sony
33. Horizon
34. Hightone
34. New West
36. Proper American
37. Kleztone
37. RCA
37. Reprise
40. Alligator

FOLK DJs - APRIL 2011
Compiled by Richard Gillmann from FOLKDJ-L radio playlists
Based on 12939 airplays from 150 different DJs
Al Kniola (WVPE-FM, IN)
Allan Nelson (BBC, U.K.)
Amanda-Lynn Stubley (CHRW-FM, ON)
Andrew Doerr (KCSB-FM, CA)
Angela Page (WJFF-FM, NY)
Arthur Berman (CiTR-FM, BC)
Arthur Dean (WCNI-FM, CT)
Betsi Meissner (KXCI-FM, AZ)
Bill Hahn (WFDU-FM, NJ)
Bill Revill (WESU-FM, CT)
Bill Stuart (WFIT-FM, FL)
Blair Larsen (KUSU-FM & UPR, UT)
Bob Blackman (WKAR-FM, MI)
Bob Gregory (WRFL-FM, KY)
Bob McWilliams (XM, KANU-FM & KPR, KS)
Bob Weiser (WBRS-FM & WOMR-FM, MA)
Brad Edmondson (WVBR-FM, NY)
Bradley Kolodner (WICB-FM, NY)

Brenda & Roman Tacik (CJTR-FM, SK)
Bruce Cameron (2MCE-FM, Australia)
Bud Johnson (syndicated, AK)
Caroline Doctorow (WPKM-FM & WPKN-FM, CT)
Charlie Backfish (WUSB-FM, NY)
Chrisana McGill (WSPN-FM, NY)

Cindy Funk (WYSO-FM, OH)
Clytia Fuller (KZSC-FM, CA)
Colin Fielding (3INR-FM, Australia)
Craig Huegel (WSLR-FM, FL)
Dan Alloway (KTEP-FM, TX)
Dan Ross (KACI-FM, OR)
Darla Novak (KZFR-FM, IL)
David John (KTRU-FM, TX)
Denis McKay (VOX-FM, Australia)
Dennis Brunnenmeyer (KVMR-FM, CA)
Diane Crowe (WMCB-FM, MA)
Diane Karl (KBOO-FM etc, OR)
Dick Hermans (WHDD-FM, CT)
Don Jacobson (KBOO-FM, OR)
Donna Mavity (WTUF-FM, GA)
Doug Dick (WVGN-FM, VI)
Ed McDonald (WVMR-FM etc, WV)
Frank Gosar (KLCC-FM, OR)
Frank Hoppe (KCSN-FM, CA)
Gaye Auxier (WDBX-FM, IL)
Gene Shay (XM & WXPN-FM, PA)
Gerd Stassen (EVW, Germany)
Gerry Goodfriend (CKUT-FM, QC)
Ginger Hopper (KBCS-FM, WA)
Graham and Barbara Dean (WBCR-LP, MA)
Greg Schatzmann (CJLX-FM, ON)
Harlon Joye (WRFG-FM, GA)
Henry Hallett (KXCI-FM, AZ)
Jean Geiger (KBCS-FM, WA)
Jeff Boudreau (WCUW-FM, MA)
Jeff Eads (WNKU-FM, KY)
Jeff Robson (CJUM-FM, MB)
Jenny Flux (2AIR-FM, Australia)
Jeremy Butler (WUAL-FM & APR, AL)
Jim Blum (WKSU-FM etc, OH)
Jim Dubinsky (WUVT-FM, CA)
Jim Fisher (WGCS-FM, IN)
Jim Gilliland (WRUW-FM, OH)
Jim Marino (CFMU-FM, ON)
Jim Rogers (WIUP-FM, PA)
Joe Colvin (WYSO-FM, OH)
Johanna Halbeisen (WXOJ-FM, MA)
John & Maureen Rumsey (KVMR-FM, CA)
John Adams (KVMR-FM, CA)
John Bommarito (WFHR-FM, MI)
John Kalb (WSCL-FM, MD)
John Mazza (WNHU-FM, CT)
John McLaughlin (WMUC-FM, MD)
John Platt (WFUV-FM, NY)
John Trout (WYEP-FM, PA)
John Weingart (WPRB-FM, NJ)
Johnny Bazzano (KRCB-FM, CA)
Jon 'Chip' Colcord (WNEC-FM, NH)
Jon Stein (WTBQ-AM, NY)
Judith Gennett (KPSU, OR)
Jürgen Kramer (ZuSa, Germany)
Karen Impola (KUNI-FM, IA)
Karen Rakos (KEUL-FM, AK)
Kate McNally (NHPR, NH)
Ken Batista (WYEP-FM, PA)
Ken Campbell (WSKG-FM, NY)
Ken Connors (WJSJ-FM, FL)
Kevin Elliott (WEFT-FM, IL)
Kevin Vance (KALW-FM, CA)
Larry Hillberg (KVMR-FM, CA)
Larry Hoyt (WAER-FM, NY)
Laurel Paulson-Pierce (KRBS-FM, CA)
Laurie DesJardins (KVMR-FM, CA)
Lee Larcheveque (WMUA-FM, MA)
Len Holton (KUAR-FM, AR)
Leonard Epstein (KRFC-FM, CO)
Lilli Kuzma (WDCB-FM, IL)
Lyle D. Skinner (CJUM-FM, MB)
Maggie Ferguson (WXOU-FM, MI)
Mark Michaelis (WGDR-FM, VT)
Mark Pedersen (WOJB-FM, WI)
Mark Tobler (WTUL-FM, LA)
Mary Katherine Aldin (KPFK-FM, CA)
Mary Sue Twohy (XM)
Menachem Vinegrad (Upper Galilee-FM, Israel)
Michael Alzo (WSLU-FM, NY)
Michael Benson (WPKN-FM & WESU-FM, CT)
Michael Stock (WLRN-FM, FL)
Mike Kelsey (WFHB, IN)
Mitch Park (Kidnappers, New Zealand)
Naomi Soule and Terry Moses (KCLC-FM, MO)
Noah Zacharin (CKLN-FM, ON)
Norm Mast (WVPE-FM, IN)
Norman Whitman (WYSO-FM, OH)
Paul Hartman (WTMD-FM, MD)
Paul Stamler (KDHX-FM, MO)
Peter Fraissinet (WVBR-FM, NY)
Peter Kernast and John Bates (WTSR-FM, NJ)
Peter van Zeijl (Dollard Radio-FM, The Netherlands)
Randall Auxier (WDBX-FM, IL)
Ray Baumler (WRUR-FM, NY)
Rich Warren (WFMT-FM, XM & syndicated, IL)
Richard Gillmann (KBCS-FM, WA)
Richard Gordon (WNHU-FM, CT)
Richard Howard (KZMU-FM, UT)
Robert Resnik (VPR, VT)
Ron Olesko (WFDU-FM, NJ)
Roz Larman (KPFK-FM & syndicated, CA)
Sharon Downes (2MAX-FM, Australia)
Simon Dillon (Phoenix FM, Australia)
Sonja Hedlund (WJFF, NY)
Sonnie Brown (KCBX-FM, CA)
Sonny Ochs (WRPI-FM, NY)
Steve Brockway (KRFC-FM, CO)
Steve Clarke (CHES-FM, ON)
Steve Edge (CITR-FM, BC)
Steve Harris (KRCC-FM, CO)
Steve Jerrett (KOPN-FM, MO)
Stu Weaver (WFCF-FM, FL)
Sue Kessell (WNUR-FM, IL)
Susan Forbes Hansen (WHUS-FM, CT)
Susi Lanagan (PBS-FM, Australia)
Tamara Lewis (KBCS-FM, WA)
Taylor Caffery (WRKF-FM, LA)
Terry Fatseas (2MCE-FM, Australia)
Todd Tyson (The Point-FM, VT)
Tom Bingham (WCVF-FM, NY)
Tom Funk (KGLP-FM, NM)
Tom Pittman (KOOP & KUTX, TX)
Valerie Cormier (CITR-FM, BC)
Wanda Fischer (WAMC & syndicated, NY)

These lists are compiled and posted to the FOLKDJ-L web site every month (since October 1997). The archive of past Top Album lists is available at http://folkradio.org (the official FOLKDJ-L web site) and also, in an extended version, at http://nwfolk.com (my personal web site).

The process of compiling the Top Albums list is automated (I do hand correct some obvious errors and typos). The results are based on playlists posted to FOLKDJ-L during the calendar month. I wrote a pair of programs that work with the Eudora
email program's filtering feature. One program parses each playlist as it comes in and adds it to a spreadsheet. The second program processes the spreadsheet into a readable report.

Playlists have to include artist, song and album name (label is optional) and be in a reasonably regular format for my program to be able to parse them. My programs wind up identifying roughly two-thirds of the songs actually posted.

The Top Albums list is sorted in descending order by number of plays recorded for each album. Within an album, the more popular tracks that were played are shown. If a single DJ is the only one mostly playing an album, the count of plays is adjusted downwards; otherwise the raw counts are used. The top 70 albums are listed. A more detailed explanation is available at nwfolk.com/topfolk/.

Richard Gillmann 
http://nwfolk.com

Back to Featured Articles on Logo Paperblog