Category Archives: alt.country

Bloodshot Records 11th annual CMJ (weasels!) BBQ

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Yeah those weasels at the CMJ denied yours truly a press pass to attend their precious conference (don’t they know that tens of people worldwide read this blog?!) but who cares there’s only one show I want to  go to anyway and it’s open to the public and CHEAP! from the label:

BLOODSHOT 11th annual CMJ BBQ
Saturday, November 4th @ Union Pool in Brooklyn (Williamsburg)
Sponsored by KDHX, eMusic, and Oskar Blues Brewery.

Tickets $10 or $7 with a CMJ badge.
Public welcomed and encouraged.  No invite needed!!!
Beer, BBQ and goodies provided
Doors at noon, music PROMPTLY AT NOON!!

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (Chicago IL) (chamber folk punk)
Mark Pickerel (Seattle WA)
The Silos (NYC)  New CD in Feb 2007
Deadstring Brothers   (Detroit MI)
Scott H Biram   (Austin TX) (That dirty ‘ol one-man band-Twang)
Bobby Bare Jr  (Nashville TN) 
THE MEAT PURVEYORS  (Austin TX)   LAST SHOW EVER!!!!!(RIP dammit-Twang)

Shut Up & Sing – Dixie Chicks

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Some people give me grief for posting about the Dixie Chicks. These people can kiss my ass. The Chicks were anti-Bush before anti-Bush was cool. Anyhoo, the new movie “Shut Up and Sing” from two time Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple and Cecelia Peck that chronicles the lives of the Dixie Chicks from 2003 to the start of their 2006 tour.

All the highs, lows and death threats that occurred just before and for the three years following “the incident” are all here. The personal attacks, personal growth, a changing world, making music, having babies, receiving death threats, and even a fair amount of laughter.
I did then, do now and always will back my girls from Big D.

also check out the Chicks on VH1 Storytellers.

Wayne Hancock -Rodeo Bar -New York City (10/25)

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Coming to a city built on attitude and pretense Wayne “the Train” Hancock would have none of it. Instead he won over the packed and adoring crowd at the Rodeo Bar with his signature brand of straight-up hillbilly swing in support of his current Bloodshot Records release “Tulsa.” Wayne Hancock is the real deal. No attitude, image consultation or arrogant disdain for his fans. Wayne was a genuine gentleman when I introduced myself and shook his hand (as was his smoking band – Eddie Biebel on lead guitar and the rhythm slappin’ Jake Erwin on Doghouse Bass.)

Rebellion by way of tradition is part of the typical Hancock MO. A tough ex-Marine, Hancock has likened himself to a stab wound in the Nashville fabric of country music. Playing his standard 2 1/2 hr plus show and good-naturedly hamming it up with his band and taking shouted requests from the refreshingly rowdy Manhattan crowd (Yeeehaw booooeeey!) Hancock and his band tore up the stage with a Texas-sized attitude. Hancock covered most of his career, burning through versions of “That’s What Daddy Wants”, ” Highway 54″, “Flatland Boogie” All songs done without a net , no set list, songs called out on the fly or taken from the audience. Near the break Mr. Mark O’connor joined the band onstage for a few songs and a killer version of the fiddle classic “Orange Blossom Special.”

Wayne’s voice has some of the same characteristics as Hank Williams, grandson Hank III likes to say that Hancock sounds more like Hank than Hank did, but Hancock is far too modest to take that compliment to heart. Wayne said in a recent interview: “I always say that’s a nice compliment, when people say that, but could you keep your voice down a little bit?” he says, laughing. “That’s kind of a silly thing to say. How can you sound better than the person who sang it? You can’t. It’s a nice compliment, but it’s like, ‘Geez, man, get a life. Is there a bull’s-eye on me or what?’”

But the sound and style are there, there’s no doubting it. For some of the best in no-bullshit Texas honky-tonk music done with style, passion and grace you can’t do any better than Mr. Wayne “the Train” Hancock.

Jay Farrar + Anders Parker = Gob Iron

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Alt.country fans hold on to youre hats. Gob Iron(British slang for harmonica) is a collaberation between Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo) and Anders Parker (Varnaline) and their new release “Death Songs For The Living” will be released on October 31 through Transmit Sound/Legacy.

Each track off their upcoming record offers a different take on a song by early American folk singers like Stephen Foster and the Reverend JM Gates.

Jay and Anders, along with Mark Spencer, will head out on tour this November and
December. Anders will open the night (in support of his new self-titled LP out Oct. 31), Jay will follow with a solo set and the evening will close with a Gob Iron set.

They play Northsix in Brooklyn on November 8th, one day before Jay sings a Bob Dylan song at Avery Fisher Hall. All tour dates below…

GOB IRON | 2006 TOUR DATES
November 3rd, 2006 The Parish Austin, TX
November 5th, 2006 Park West Chicago, IL
November 7th, 2006 Paradise Boston, MA
November 8th, 2006 Northsix Brooklyn, NY
November 9th, 2006 Avery Fisher Hall New York, NY The Music of Bob Dylan – benefit for Music for Youth Foundation – Jay will perform one song
November 10th, 2006 Black Cat Washington, DC
November 11th, 2006 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
December 2nd, 2006 Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA
December 3rd, 2006 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
December 4th, 2006 Slim’s San Francisco, CA
December 5th, 2006 The Troubadour West Hollywood, CA
December 6th, 2006 Fox Theatre Boulder, CO

Presale is available.

Merlefest 2007 Line-up Announced

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From the Merlefest press release: Wilkes Community College will present MerleFest 2007, the 20th annual festival in celebration of the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson, on its campus in Wilkesboro, NC on April 26 – 29, 2007. Those joining Doc Watson and Merle’s son Richard Watson for MerleFest 2007 will include:

Blue Highway; Sam Bush; Cherryholmes; Elvis Costello; John Cowan Band; Donna The Buffalo; Jerry Douglas; The Duhks; Béla Fleck; Paul Geremia; John Hammond; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; Del McCoury Band; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet; Darrell Scott; the Legendary Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends; Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives; Pam Tillis; The Waybacks; and many others.

MerleFest 2007 has also confirmed appearances by Susana & Timmy Abell;
RG Absher & Extra Measure; Alberti Flea Circus; The Belleville Outfit
(formerly DesChamps Band); Ira Bernstein; Spencer Bohren; Roy Book Binder;
Laura Boosinger; The Carolina Chocolate Drops; T Michael Coleman; Crooked
Still; Deer Clan Singers; Dixie Dawn; Robert Dotson; Benton Flippen Band;
The Flowers Family; Pat Flynn; Forget-Me-Nots; Ruthie Foster; Gospel Jubilators; Mitch Greenhill; Buddy Greene; Dianne Hackworth; George Hamilton IV; Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz; Orville Hicks; Bob Hill; Willette Hinton & the Hinton Family Band; Clint Howard; The Infamous Stringdusters; The InterACTive Theater of Jef; Reverend Robert Jones; Jim Lauderdale; Jack Lawrence; Mark Lippard; Jeff Little; Brack Llewellyn; The Local Boys; The Lonesome Sisters; The Lovell Sisters; Bill Mathis; Thomas Maupin; Andy May; Curly Miller & Carole Ann Rose; NC Thumb and Finger Style Guitar Players, Inc.; Nashville Bluegrass Band; Dirk Powell Band; Red Stick Ramblers; Roan Mountain Hilltoppers; Robinella; Jim Rooney; Tom Sauber; Shana Banana; Larry Skipper; Joe Smothers; Steep Canyon Rangers; Tut Taylor; Joe Thompson & Bob Carlin; Toubab Krewe; Happy Traum; Uncle Earl; The Waybacks; Charles Welch; Pete & Joan Wernick; Cyndi Wheeler; Wilkes Playmakers; Tony Williamson; and The Worthless Son-In-Laws. All bookings are subject to change without notice due to circumstances beyond the control of the festival.

Tickets go on sale on November 14th!

Wayne “the Train” Hancock in New York

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Neo-traditionalist and purveyor of honky-tonk, western swing, blues, Texas rockabilly and Juke Joint Swing, Wayne “the Train” Hancock is bringing his tour in support of his Bloodshot Records latest “Tulsa ” to the
Big Apple. October 26th at the Rodeo Bar.

Sure it’s not as cool as having one of your CDs taken aboard a space shuttle, but it is pretty great!

See ya’ll there!