My fist trip to Berkley since moving to the Bay Area was a great introduction to the town. After the beautiful, if congested, drive over the Bay Bridge at dusk, I headed to the Berkeley branch of Texas-based Half-Price Books (where I purchased a used copy of Gail Folkins' excellent Texas Dance Halls: A Two-Step [...]
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The fine folks over at the 9513 drew my attention to some good stuff this AM. LaundroMatinee has several videos from a Joe Pug live performance, including the unreleased songs "Not So Sure" and "Bury Me Far From My Uniform," and there's a video for "Old Enough," a new bluegrass-inspired single by the The Raconteurs [...]
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I've often contended that the thematic similarities between country music and hip hop (as well as punk) - poverty, faith, community, rebellion, redemption, love, an insanely loyal fan-base - have always been there bubbling just under the superficial stylistic surface. Juli Thanki over at PopMatters.com does a great job of fleshing out this concept in [...]
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Former Drive By Trucker Jason Isbell is readying the self-titled release of his second solo album. The release was recorded at the renowned FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala. and will be the first to feature the 400 Unit, which has been Isbell's band for over 200 shows in support of irens Of The Ditch. The [...]
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That bastion of righteous irony, Stephen Colbert, will celebrate the impending consumer slump this Sunday with A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All. Colbert fights the "war on Christmas" with this surreal bit of spiked nog that sxews Christmas specials of the past. Think Andy Williams in a cabin in rural Michigan and the town [...]
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Ever since seeing the darkly striking Australian western The Proposition I've been fascinated with the similarities between the Land Down Under and the American South and West of the nineteenth century, both good (confronting a wild frontier to achieve independence and establish a society) and bad (attacking and displacing an indigenous people.) Now due to [...]
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The lineup for Stagecoach, California's Country Music Festival has been announced. Along with the garden variety Nashville pop faire - Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire and Brad Paisley - the festival will feature more harder edged and rootsier artists - Miranda Lambert, Earl Scruggs, Jerry Jeff Walker, Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, Dale Watson, The Duhks, some [...]
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A get out to vote public service announcement featuring the great Johnny Cash. Earn your right as a citizen and VOTE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMHU3VRFGGE
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According to the Guardian and Paste Magazine it appears that Paul Westerberg, former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of alt-rock band The Replacements, wants to be Glen Campbell's "next Jimmy Webb." Webb penned 70's pop hits like "Up, Up, and Away" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" for Campbell. Those are reported [...]
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Been craving some fresh tracks from that "dirty old one man band" from Austin, Texas Scott H. Biram? Ivy League Sessions has the remedy for ails you friends. Three unreleased cuts fresh from the man an 18 Wheelercouldn't kill. Speaking of Austin, the good folks at the exceptional 9513 have a review of Melonie Cannon's new [...]
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Concept albums appear to have had their time in the sun. The days when an entire story, not just a series of songs that have a sense of cohesion but a full on story reflected as a somewhat linear narrative from song to song unfolding from two sides of vinyl or a cassette tape seem [...]
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Philly.com has a Q&A with Philadelphia's own roots group Hoots & Hellmouth. South Carolina's TheState.com has a Q&A with Patty Loveless who will be performing at the Newberry Opera House this Saturdsay October 25th. Howe Gelb talks to 3news in New Zealand music, politics and his place as the "reluctant godfather of alt-country." I recently reviewed the [...]
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Three-time Grammy Award-winner, Lucinda Williams, will make her October 23rd concert at the legendary First Avenue in Minneapolis available to all as a fee audio webcast. Fans can chat live while listening to the show by going to www.lucindawilliams.com where listeners can tune in as Williams performs her new album, Little Honey in its entirety, followed [...]
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Some things just go together..rice and beans…woman and trouble and, Unkown Hinson and Halloween! The self-proclaimed "king of country-western troubadours" will release his new live album "Unknown Hinson Live and Undead" on Halloween. Copies of this sure to be smoking (and hilarious) performance can be purchased when Hinson performs at the 3rd Annual Hallerween Extravaganze at [...]
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Dial up WNCW next Tuesday, Oct. 28, the station will be airing an hour-long special to announce the 2009 MerleFest lineup. The hour will be filled with the reading of the lineup, music from those artists and talk about the festival. The 22nd annual MerleFest will take place in Wilkesboro, NC, April 23-26, 2009. Tickets [...]
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HeadS up Twangers, "Johnny Cash's America" premieres tonight, Thursday night, October 23, 2008, at 9PM ET/10PM PT on The Bio Channel. The documentary explores the prominent themes of Cash's life including love of the land, freedom, justice, family, faith and redemption through exclusive interviews, photos and unreleased music and footage. Interviews include Cash's sister Joanne, son [...]
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There's a lot of things you can say about Shelton Hank Williams III, he's profane, his lyrics are simplistic, he advocates substance abuse and a destructive lifestyle - my money would be that he would look you in the eye, give you smile and spit on your shoes. The newest release by Hank III "Damn Right, [...]
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PopMatter.com's Jim Abbott spends some time with country music legend George Jones. The possum seems in good humor and is looking toward future entrepreneurial ventures. He also offers a few choice words about mainstream pop-country: "This new country needs to find a new title and quit stepping on country music like it's a steppingstone," Jones says of [...]
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The New York Times has a great piece on the second annual Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival in Starkville, MS. Cash fans may know Starkville for the song made famous on the live prison release "At San Quentin." The song tells the tale of Cash's after show journey through the town that night in May [...]
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PopMatters.com has a nice posting on Lucinda Williams' new Lost Highway release "Little Honey" and on Columbus, Ohio's Two Cow Garage. If you're in Nashville this Friday October the 17th totally blow off mall-country teeny-bopper Taylor Swift's show and head down to see Justin Townes Earle with Caitlin Rose and Chris Scruggs at the Exit/In. Rose's [...]
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