A novelty voice is not required to get airplay on Boston's NPR music station

...but it sure seems to help. The artists/songs presented here are in heavy rotation on Boston NPR affiliate WUMB, which is licensed to UMass Boston.

Talent and artistic merit aside, it is apparent that the WUMB music director uses as a criterion what I call "voice weirdness." These certainly are not classically trained voices one hears at the Met!

The banners are from the WUMB playlist archives.

Listen, if you dare (I suggest listening with heavy duty ear plugs in the vicinity of a dozen leaf blowers).

Iris Dement

Go On Ahead and Go Home (from Sing The Delta)

,,,and of course Mr, DeMint

Greg Brown Bones Bones (from Hymns To What Is Left)

John Hiatt

Homeland (from The Open Road)

The Tallest Man On Earth

Love Is All

Anais Mitchell

Dyin' Day

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nichols

Have Mercy On Me (from Wreck & Ruin)

From the nasal alt-country branch...
Video not available, listen to this audio clip from Amazon.

 

Patty Griffin

Mad Mission (from Living With Ghosts)

(she should have kept her day job at Table Talk making pies)