Category Archives: alt.country

It Burns When I Pee Episode #26 – “peeHarmony.com”

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Just when you thought it was safe to listen to country music podcasts It Burns When I Pee comes back around to put the fear in ya! Episode #26 has Norma Jean and Blake discussing online dating, coming up with new terms for oral sex, and making a few phone calls including one to Blake’s mom.  For Pete’s sake leave that poor woman alone!

The crew also  interview with the talented singer/songwriter Kara Clark and be playing a couple of her songs along with songs from Highlonesome, Robbie Fulks, David Allan Coe, Misery Jackel, and a song from Wayne “The Train” Hancock’s new album Viper of Melody.

Norma Jean will even read some fan feedback…SOBER!

Country Singer Vern “The Voice” Gosdin Dies

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  • Singer Vern Gosdin, who recorded country music hits like the award-winning “Chiseled in Stone” during a 30-year career, has died. He was 74. Gosdin reportedly had a history of strokes and suffered the latest one a few weeks ago and was under hospice care and died late Tuesday at a Nashville, Tenn. hospital. The 9513.com offers a fine tribute to the man.
  • Birthday Boy Willie Nelson will join relative young’uns Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp on a U.S. summer tour of minor league baseball parks, beginning July 2 at the GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., and wrapping Aug. 15 at the Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton, Calif.
  • The San Francisco Chronicle has posted a review of the John Prine / John Ritter  Apr 25th Warfield performance.
  • And in painful crossover news Def Leppard has been confirmed to perform on the CMT Music Awards on June 16. The Britsh pop-metal has-beens…er…band have recently been involved in the Music Row marketering wet dream collaborations with Tim McGraw earlier this year on the song “Nine Lives” and appearing with Taylor Swift on CMT Crossroads. What’s next? Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach doing coutry music…oh wait…

Has Shooter Jennings Abandoned Country Music?

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I am briefly interrupting my New Mexico rehabilitation…er..vacation to ponder the rumor around the iterwebs that Shooter Jennings has given up country music to focus on his new band called Hierophant. An ancient Greek term the role of the hierophant in religion is to bring the congregants into the presence of that which is deemed holy. Hierophant has been described as John Lennon meets Radiohead.

Jenning’s website features a clock radio with the band name and the words “Wake Up!”

It is rumored that Jennings was “..tired of being something he’s not.” So based on this new band description what is he? A British experimental pop musician?

I don’t know if the abandoning country music rumor is true, but after listening to his latest studio release “The Wolf” and with the release this month of a Shooter Jennings Greatest Hits (after only three albums!) I have to acknowledge that his heart sure doesn’t see to be in it anymore.

Let’s just hope that Hierophant is better than Stargunn was.

Jamey Johnson Uncovered

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Playboy.com’s Uncovered is a new video feature showcasing musicians performing covers of songs in some of the world’s most legendary music bars. Uncovered launches with Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Jamey Johnson sitting in Loser’s, just off Nashville’s Music Row, and singing Waylon Jennings’ “Dreaming My Dreams With You” which is featured on Johnson’s latest album, That Lonesome Song, which was just certified gold this week.

You might not want to watch this at work.

Gretchen Peters and Tom Russell – Guadalupe

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With “One To The Heart, One To The Head” Gretchen Peters and Tom Russell have made what I consider the album of the year so far. (Twang Nation review)

Here’s the video for Russell’s song Guadalupe which appears on the album as well as Russell’s own solo record dropping later this year. (hat tip to the 9513.com for bringing this to my attention.)

[blip.tv ?posts_id=2031834&dest=-1]

William Elliot Whitmore Hell or High Water Video

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  • New releases by Texas singer/songwriters Slaid Cleaves (Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away), Wayne “The Train” Hancock (Vipers of Melody) and Dale Watson (The Truckin’ Sessions Vol. 2 ) are in stores and online today.
  • HearYa.com gives thier view on Steve Earle new Townes Van Zandt covers album Townes.
  • 77square.com posts a conversation with Wayne “The Train” Hancock about his latest album Vipers of Melody.

Introducing the new video by William Elliot Whitemore for his song Hell or High Water (thanks to ninebullets.net for bringing this to my attention.) Twang Nation Review of Whitmore’s newest release Animals in the Dark.

[myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=55794026[/myspace]

Tom Russell Blogs on New Release

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El Paso based renaissance man and Americana forefather Tom Russell will be posting a series of writings on his blog, each tied to a song on his forthcoming new release. The first post in this series is for the song East of Woodstock, West of Viet Nam and deals with his time teaching school in Nigeria during the Biafran war.

Russell is recording his new record with members of Calexico and Bob Dylan’s drummer from Unplugged, Winston Watson at Wave Lab studios in Tucson, AZ. Gretchen Peters and Barry Walsh will also appear contributing backing vocal and keyboards respectively.

The album will include 12 new Russell originals; the scheduled release date in the U.S. on Shout Factory! Records is September 22.

Russell did a few new songs from the release when I saw him earlier this year in Berkley, CA. and based on those I think this is going to be a great one.

[myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=55055947[/myspace]

Patterson Hood Readies Solo Album/Tour

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Murdering Oscar (and other love songs), the second solo outing for the Drive By Trucker front man Patterson Hood, will be released June 23, 2009 on Ruth St. Records.

The release has been 15 years in the making and was produced by Hood and long-time DBT producer David Barbe (Sugar). Most of his DBT partners in crime join him on the album as well as Don Chambers, Will Johnson and Scott Danbom from Centro-matic/South San Gabriel. This is also the first time Hood’s father David Hood, famed Muscle Shoals bass player, joins him on a record.

The album was recorded at Chase Park Transduction Studios in Athens, GA and will also be released on 180 gram vinyl. The vinyl release will include three exclusive bonus tracks. An a cappella version of “Range War” will also be available exclusively with iTunes. “Pollyanna” and “Pride of the Yankees” are available to preview on his Myspace page.

Hood and his supporting band the Screwtopians will start the first leg of their tour in Nashville and end with a headlining slot at AthFest in Hood’s hometown of Athens, GA. Joining Hood on tour will be Brad Morgan (drums), John Neff (guitar/steel), Scott Danbom (keys/fiddle), Will Johnson (guitar) and David Barbe (bass), who has not toured since his days with Sugar. Will Johnson will open the shows.
Tour dates:
June 18 Nashville, TN Grimey’s in-store
June 18 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
June 19 Louisville, KY Headliner’s
June 20 Chicago, IL The Metro
June 22 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
June 23 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
June 24 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
June 25 Washington, DC The Black Cat
June 27 Athens, GA AthFest