Head West out of New Orleans and through Texas to the great Southwest. Hear music from the arid desert landscapes of Arizona and New Mexico, and listen to conversations with musicians from the area. Guitarist Duane Eddy helped invent surf music from his home base of Phoenix – hundreds of miles from any beach – and the Tucson band Calexico mold indie-rock styles with Mariachi music. Also writer and musicologist Jack Loeffler describes the sound of the Southwest from his home in Santa Fe.

For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health — June is the month for weddings, and American Routes has lots of different takes on matrimony from Cab Calloway, Tammy Wynette, Hank Williams, Etta James and more. Plus a sweet proposal and a look at what makes a good wedding band – the music not the gold. Tune in to American Routes, and we’ll get you to the chapel on time…