Friday Night Music Playlist

A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala

Friday night isn’t always about cashing your paycheck and making circles on the courthouse lawn. It’s also a time to reflect on the stumbles and triumphs of a week past.

Rosemary and Goat Cheese Strata

Friday night isn’t always about cashing your paycheck and making circles on the courthouse lawn. It’s also a time to reflect on the stumbles and triumphs of a week past.

Friday night isn’t always about cashing your paycheck and making circles on the courthouse lawn.

It’s also a time to reflect on the stumbles and triumphs of a week past. It’s a time to slough off daily routine and get down to the business of living fully.

These songs come from North Carolina folk, country, bluegrass, gospel, blues, rock, and jazz artists. They accompany nearly every kind of Friday night: the lonesome, the joyful, the pensive, the amorous, and yes, the raucous.

And, when weather permits, they sound even better outdoors, where neighborhood dogs and bullfrogs can join in on the chorus.

The soundtrack

Click the song title to purchase the song through iTunes.

Phil Cook and his Feat, “Sparrowander”
Sons of Ralph, “Never Again”
The Tender Fruit, “Weighted Down” (not available)
Mark Holland, “That’s What the Blues Can Do”
The Old Ceremony, “Wither on the Vine, Pt. 2”
Benji Hughes, “Waiting For an Invitation”
The Dead Tongues, “The Desert”
Captain Luke, “Poke Salad Annie”
Bowerbirds, “Northern Lights”
Mount Moriah, “The Letting Go”
Avett Brothers, “Murder in the City”
Ironing Board Sam, “Life is Like a Seesaw”
Jason Kutchma, “I Believe Everything Is Gonna Be Alright”
Snuzz, “Carving Pumpkins”
Max Indian, “Big Picture”
The Merlefest 20th Anniversary Jam, “White Freightliner Blues”
Malcolm Holcombe, “Down in the Woods”
Mountain Goats, “Your Belgian Things”
Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz, “Girl Talk”
Gospel Jubilators, “I Am a Pilgrim”

* If you don’t like track 5, don’t blame the author.

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Django Haskins is an author and songwriter based in Durham. He leads the pop-noir band The Old Ceremony, whose most recent album was released on Yep Roc Records in September 2012. Read more at djangohaskins.com.