Category Archives: alt.country

J.D. Wilkes Allegedly Exposes the Little Colonial at a Christian Club

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Colonial J.D. Wilkes (aka Joshua Wilkes), Lead singer and manic evangelist for the Nashville based band th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, might have been channeling Jim Morrison from the famous 1969 concert at The Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami when a security guard allegedly saw Wilkes open his pants and pull out his genitals at a concert Friday night at Nashville’s Rocketown. Rocketown is a Christian teen club.

I for one hope the whole thing is a mistake but after seeing the Shack Shakers blistering and demented tent revival-on moonshine and peyote show twice in New York City I have one question for the owners of Rocketown, who the hell screens your acts?!

The Legendary Shack Shakers “Creek Cats” – @ Rocketown-  Nashville, Tn. 6-27-08

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RcR8yLUsaQ[/youtube]

The Bittersweets Readies “Goodnight, San Francisco,” Offers Free Download

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  • Nashville Tennessee’s The Bittersweets – Chris Meyers (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Hannah Prater (vocals, guitar) and Steve Bowman (drums) – are offering a song “Wreck” from their upcoming release “Goodnight, San Francisco” ( 9/9/08)  produced by Lex Price, Mindy Smith. Personally I take the title of their new release as a good omen for my new home.

“Wreck” mp3

  • The Americana Music Association has announced that Austin City Limits producer Terry Lickona will be their recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • Not sure how I feel about Johnny Cash Remixed (10/14.) If it’s anything like the Nina Simone or Blue Note remix releases it could be cool. Featuring Buck 65 and Moceon Worker and John Carter Cash involvement in the project makes me think it’s a step in the direction of very cool. Cash often jumped and defied genres his entire career so this release could make a certain amount of sense.
  • Right now I’m watching “The Last Waltz,” the Martin Scorsese’s film of the final concert of The Band, 1978, Thanksgiving Day in San Francisco. Featuring guest appearances by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, The Staples Singers, Dr. John and many more. Can muisc ever be this essential again? I doubt it.

Carrie Rodriguez’s New Release to Drop 8/5

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  • Austin-born, Berklee trained violinist-turned-fiddler/singer/song writer, and Chip Taylor protege, Carrie Rodriguez will release her second solo album “She Aint Me.” (8/5) The album is produced Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, Kaki King) and wrote with Gary Louris of the Jayhawks as well as Mary Gauthier, Dan Wilson and Jim Boquist
  • The 10th Annual Pickathon Roots Music Festival (August 1-3, at Pendarvis Farm on Mt Scott near Portland, OR.) will feature35+ artists appearing on five stages, including two late-night venues. Some artists featured are Justin Townes Earle, a reunited Bad Livers, The Gourds, Hackensaw Boys and Wayne “The Train” Hancock.
  • According to Billboard.com ZZ Top has inked a deal with Rick Rubin’s American Recordings imprint through Columbia. The veteran rock trio is planning to hit the studio with Rubin (Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond,  Slayer) producing, for an album more in keeping with “La Grange”-era ZZ Top than its pop-friendly ’80s sound, according to manager Carl Stubner. I can’t begin to express how happy this makes me!
  • Since I’ve been here in the scorched shit-hole that is Irving Texas (but hey, it’s my native shit hole) I’ve tuned into the Clear Channel owned Dallas KZPS – Lone Star 92.5 and found it’s almost completely reverted back to it’s classic rock format it had abandoned to experiment in the alt.country/roots format. So much for experimentation and those great Willie Nelson promos they recorded. Nevertheless I found my solice in the excellent KHYI 95.3 The Range. In one sitting I heard Chris Knight, George Jones. Eleven Hundred Springs. Yeah I know I’m a little late to this party but, hell, I’m just tickled to be here.

Hank III’s New Album Gets a Release Date

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  • I’ve heard it said, and agree, that alt.country and Americana is country music for liberals. Todd Snider is once again reinforcing that idea for me. “Peace Queer” is the name of the new Snider’s new release and it is being touted as “his most political record yet.” You can hear the first track off the album “Mission Accomplished.”
  • NineBullets.net has posted some tasty cuts from Chris Knight’s upcoming album, Heart of Stone (8/19.)
  • Hank III’s site has posted release date for his upcoming release “Damn Right & Rebel Proud” – October 21, 2008 From the III site: The album is again self produced and will shake the guns right offa your rack!  The first single will be “Long Hauls and Close Calls” – for which a video has also been produced that is full of muddin’, truckin’ and gunnin’! We thank our dysfunctional family for all of its support and patience in the release of this album.  Always get comfortable here, and the official Myspace site for all the news you really need.

Tracklist:

The Grand Ole Opry Ain’t So Grand / Wild & Free / Me and My Friends /6 Pack of Beer / I Wish I Knew / If You         Can’t Help Your Own /Candidate for Suicide / H8 Line / Long Hauls and Close Calls / Stoned and Alone / P.F.F. / 3  Shades of Black / Workin Man

“Saving Grace” Contest

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To celebrate the upcoming second season of TNT’s excellent “Saving Grace” starring Holly Hunter, Twang Nation has
the opportunity to give away 5 “Embrace Your Grace” t-shirts.

Send me your answers to the following “Saving Grace” trivia questions to contest(at)twangnation.com along with your mailing address. I will contact the first 5 correct responders ASAP. The shirts will be fulfilled by a third party. Good luck!

  1. What is the name of Grace’s dog?
  2. Grace sees an image on the markings of a cow.  What was it?
  3. When Grace is handcuffed to her bed, Earl feeds her what Mediterranean food?
  4. What is Earl’s signature line when he brings news to his “clients”?
  5. A.D.A. Morgan Byars does something to embarrass Grace and prove a point about her past.  What did she do?
  6. What hard personal decision did Leon Cooley face while on death row?
  7. Where does Grace go to smoke during work?
  8. When Grace’s school teachers, nuns, come to visit her, what did they say she wrote on the bottom of her shoes?
  9. What is the rivalry between Detective Butch Ada and Captain Kate Perry?
  10. What did Ham confess to Grace?

Gretchen Wilson “Work Hard, Play Harder” Song For “Saving Grace”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASq-UZnErB0[/youtube]

Escape From New York

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“I lived in New York for a while. But I’m a hothead. I wasn’t well-suited for the temperament of that town.” Tom Waits

As much as I despise mainstream country radio how could I stay in a city where there was not one terrestrial country music station? Since the demise of Y-107 on 2001 there has been no country music radio station in the New York City. New York City is country music`s second-largest sales market. I mean it’s a format that would result in a frikkin ATM machine for ratings and ads! 

Truth be told my wife finished school at about the time I had enough of 8 million people that can’t walk on a sidewalk in an orderly fashion or restaurant help that yell at you when you order . Some people call it urban charm, I call it social masochism.

It’s true many things about New York set me on edge, but I will miss some of it and it me and my family will always consider it our other home. I started this blog in New York City in part because I was a displaced Texan and was forced to define myself in contrast to the dominating East Coast environment I found myself living in. I also discovered artists that showed me that country music had as much fire and passion as anything coming from rap, punk or metal camps as well as cleaning most pop and singer/songwriter clocks. As a goodbye I want to mention some of the artists, organizations and places that helped my hang onto my Southern bred sanity while in the land of the Yankees and ever present scent of urine.

The Bowery Ballroom where I caught my last New York show, a sold-out Toadies performance that was as chaotic and brilliant as any show I had seen with the band in Dallas. Joe’s Pub where I was fortunate enough to see the late, great Porter Wagoner accompanied by Marty Stuart just before their collaboration “The Wagonmaster” was released. I also was able to see Wagoner and Stuart at Madison Square Garden when they opened for the White Stripes. Carnegie Hall where I saw George Jones with Kris Kristofferson opening the show and Irving Plaza where I also saw many fine performances. Special attention sent to Rockwood Music Hall and the National Underground for keeping Americana and roots muisc alive and thriving in the East Village.

 For Southerners much comfort come from what you put in your mouth, thanks to Hill Country Barbecue (also a great place to catch a show), Daisy May’s Barbecue and Brother Jimmy’s Barbecue. For Mexican food my respect goes to Arriba Arriba and the Rodeo Bar (another great place to catch a show.)

The bands, artists and fans are way to numerous to mention and I would leave out some great folks. Suffice it to say that there are many, many real country and roots music fans in Gotham. Keep the hillbilly flag flying ’til I get back kids, ya hear?

Now I’m in Texas again and readying myself and my family for out new home in San Fransisco. If anyone knows of great places to see live music, great artists I need to check out, and eat great ‘cue or Tex-Mex in the Bay Area give me a shout.

Del McCoury to Release “Moneyland”

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  • Del McCoury’s new release,  Moneyland (7/8), wants to raise awareness of serious economic issues facing Americans today through a thoughtful selection of six new (or newly recorded) songs, mixed with eight neglected gems and classic favorites that offer a hard-hitting look at today’s economic injustice. In addition to songs from the Del McCoury Band, the album features songs from Marty Stuart, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Bruce Hornsby along with the Fairfield Four, Chris Knight and others.
  • The Dallas Morning News’ Mario Tarradell opines on the mixed success of several pop country crossovers.
  • PopMatters.com really digs Alejandro Escovedo’s new release “Real Animal” (Back Porch). They also dig (though a tad less so) a newly discovered treasure for me Slim Cessna’s Auto Club’s “Cipher” (Alternative Tentacles)
  • Kathy Mattea performed at the Roseburg’s Stewart Park Music on the Half Shell summer free concert series.
  • From Country Hound – After an eight-year hiatus, Randy Travis is making his return to the Country Music industry with his new album, Around the Bend (7/15.)

George Jones to Release “Burn Your Playhouse Down”

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A collection of unreleased George Jones duets entitled “Burn Your Playhouse Down” (Bandit Records) will be released on August 19. The recordings range from the mid-70s with his ex-wife Tammy Wynette to the most recent recording from 2007 with his daughter, Georgette, the only child from the union of George and Tammy.

Seven of the recordings are extra songs, not included in The Bradley Barn Sessions that MCA Records released in 1994. Produced by Brian Ahern, the Bradley Barn recordings brought together superstar musicians and singers from both the country and rock world. Recorded during the worst ice storm in Tennessee history, the 1993 sessions, which took place over the course of several weeks, brought together Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Leon Russell and Marty Stuart – as the core of the studio band with Keith Richards, Mark Knopfler, Emmylou Harris trading off as instrumentalists and vocalists on many of the songs.

The top players in Nashville – Eddie Bayers, Mac McAnally, Jerry Douglas, Glenn Worf, Brent Rowan, Glen D. Hardin, John Jennings, Harry Stinson, Richard Bennett and many more made the icy trek every day to Mt. Juliet,  about 30 miles outside of Nashville. No one wanted to miss these historic sessions which paired Jones with a selection of superstars influenced by the artist they considered the greatest living country singer. Ahern produced the classic Jones hits as an acoustic project to give the songs a different feel than the originals.

The complete track list for Burn Your Playhouse Down includes:
• “Burn Your Playhouse Down,” Keith Richards
• “Window Up Above,” Leon Russell
• “Selfishness In Man,” Vince Gill
• “She Once Lived Here,” Ricky Skaggs
• “I Always Get Lucky With You,” Mark Knopfler
• “You’re Still On My Mind,” Marty Stuart
• “When The Grass Grows Over Me,” Mark Chesnutt
• “I Always Get It Right With You,” Shelby Lynne
• “Tavern Choir,” Jim Lauderdale
• “Rockin’ Years,” Dolly Parton
• “Lovin’ You, Lovin’ Me,” Tammy Wynette
• “You And Me And Time,” Georgette Jones

Dale Watson Interview

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Northeastern Pennsylvania’s The Weekender has an interview with Texas’ hillbilly king Dale Watson. Dale. As usual, rails on pop-country music and thinks his style of old-school honky-tonk should split from the country genre proper:

“It didn’t really focus on or strengthen the type of music that I like to keep out there,” he said. “I think country music — what was country music — has to go the route of bluegrass, which was considered part of country music, but they created their own festivals, awards and genres.”

If you prefer a more entertaining, and less sober, interview with Watson check out this one with Johnny Knoxville.