session five

“Steel, transposed”

August 2nd, 2026.

curation by Alia Smith and Sha Frasier.

tea brewed by Otis Gordon.

an exploration of the plaintive reverberations of the pedal steel guitar through space and time.

born from the Hawaiian lap steel and evolving into an auditory emblem of country music, the pedal steel has since permeated diverse folk, alternative, and ambient forms of music-making that transcend both genre and geography.

5.1 Country Tropics
Country Tropics — album artwork

by Old Saw

2021 · 4 tracks · 38 min apple music spotify
  1. 1
    Dead Creek Drawl
    8:21
  2. 2
    The Mechanical Bull at Our Lady of the Valley
    13:07
  3. 3
    Dirtbikes of Heaven, Grains of the Field
    7:32
  4. 4
    Chewing the Bridle
    9:15
5.2 Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks
Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks — album artwork

by Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno

1983 · 12 tracks · 49 min apple music spotify
  1. 1
    Under Stars
    4:30
  2. 2
    The Secret Place
    3:30
  3. 3
    Matta
    4:20
  4. 4
    Signals
    2:47
  5. 5
    An Ending (Ascent)
    4:26
  6. 6
    Under Stars II
    3:23
  7. 7
    Drift
    3:09
  8. 8
    Silver Morning
    2:39
  9. 9
    Deep Blue Day
    3:59
  10. 10
    Weightless
    4:35
  11. 11
    Always Returning
    4:04
  12. 12
    Stars
    8:00
5.3 the expansive country

by Alia Smith

10 songs · 47 min apple music spotify
  1. 1
    A Child in a Sylvan Field
    Harold Budd
    By the Dawn's Early Light
    19913:36
  2. 2
    The Game of Love
    Daft Punk
    Random Access Memories
    20135:22
  3. 3
    I Want to Be Sunao
    Akiko Yano
    Love Life
    19914:56
  4. 4
    恋は桃色 (Koi wa Momoiro)
    Haruomi Hosono
    Hosono House
    19732:48
  5. 5
    Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)
    The Beach Boys
    single
    19703:20
  6. 6
    Murmullo
    Buena Vista Social Club
    Buena Vista Social Club
    19973:51
  7. 7
    Fresh As a Sweet Sunday Morning
    Bert Jansch
    L.A. Turnaround
    19743:57
  8. 8
    It's So Nice (To See Old Friends)
    Minnie Riperton
    Perfect Angel
    19744:44
  9. 9
    A Meeting by the River
    Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt
    A Meeting by the River
    199310:08
  10. 10
    Parker w/ JCC E DJ edit
    Chuquimamani-Condori
    Edits
    20254:29
5.4 the classic country

by Alia Smith and Sha Frasier

15 songs · 48 min apple music spotify
  1. 1
    Pleading
    Pete Drake
    The Fabulous Steel Guitar Sound of Pete Drake
    19622:03
  2. 2
    She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)
    Gary Stewart
    Out of Hand
    19752:49
  3. 3
    If I Needed You
    Townes Van Zandt
    The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
    19723:44
  4. 4
    That's How I Got To Memphis
    Tom T. Hall
    Ballad of Forty Dollars & His Other Great Songs
    19693:02
  5. 5
    Outlaw Shit
    Waylon Jennings & The .357's
    Waylon Forever
    20085:30
  6. 6
    Green Velvet
    Lloyd Green
    The Hit Sounds
    19663:42
  7. 7
    I Love You So Much It Hurts (feat. The Jordanaires)
    Patsy Cline
    Showcase
    19612:14
  8. 8
    Stand By Your Man
    Tammy Wynette
    Stand By Your Man
    19692:37
  9. 9
    Big City
    Merle Haggard
    Big City
    19812:59
  10. 10
    You Must Not Be Drinking Enough
    Earl Thomas Conley
    The Heart of It All
    19884:11
  11. 11
    I Just Can't Neglect You
    Art Lown
    Piper Oz the Hound
    19762:44
  12. 12
    You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
    The Byrds
    Sweetheart of the Rodeo
    19682:33
  13. 13
    The Swimming Song
    Loudon Wainwright III
    Attempted Mustache
    19732:27
  14. 14
    These Days
    Jackson Browne
    For Everyman
    19734:46
  15. 15
    I Will Always Love You
    Dolly Parton
    Jolene
    19742:56
5.5 the alternative country

by Sha Frasier and Alia Smith

11 songs · 44 min apple music spotify
  1. 1
    Sad and Beautiful World
    Sparklehorse
    Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot
    19953:32
  2. 2
    In Love with a View
    Mojave 3
    Excuses for Travellers
    20006:09
  3. 3
    Autumn
    Tobacco City
    Horses
    20253:42
  4. 4
    Knockin
    MJ Lenderman
    single
    20233:23
  5. 5
    Dash 7
    Wilco
    A.M.
    19953:29
  6. 6
    Methamphetamine
    Son Volt
    The Search
    20074:04
  7. 7
    One PM Again
    Yo La Tengo
    I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
    19972:25
  8. 8
    TLC Cage Match
    MJ Lenderman
    Boat Songs
    20223:52
  9. 9
    How Can You Live If You Can't Love How Can You If You Do
    Wednesday
    Twin Plagues
    20213:02
  10. 10
    Hold On Magnolia
    Songs: Ohia
    Magnolia Electric Co.
    20037:51
  11. 11
    A Little Rain
    Tom Waits
    Bone Machine
    19922:59

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