Category Archives: Bands

News Round Up: Cross Canadian Ragweed 4th Annual Red Dirt Roundup

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  • The line-up for Cross Canadian Ragweed’s 4th Annual Red Dirt Roundup has been announce,  and the roster is filled with names that make any Texas music lover proud – CCR, Charlie Robison, Robert Earl Keen, Johnny Cooper, The Gourds as well as the alt rock of The Wallflowers. The festival will be held on two stages at the Historic Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday, Sept. 6. on the former cattle pens – the “North Forty” fields just east of Billy Bob’s Texas. Check the Red Dirt Roundup site for ticket and time information.
  • The Americana Music Association conference is right around the corner (Sept 16-19) and it’s shaping up tto be a great one. Amy Speace is the newest addition to the already excellent roster (The Station Inn -  Sept 16 @ 10 PM) You can nor keep up with the AMA on twitter for up to the minute information about the Festival and Conference, including ticket giveaways and behind the scenes info. If you’re going drop me a line!
  • Southern-rock stalwarts  the Kentucky Headhunters will release The Kentucky Headhunters Live/Agora Ballroom – Cleveland, Ohio – May 13, 1990 (Mercury/UMe) on on September 22, 2009, the 20th anniversary of 1989 debut album, Pickin’ On Nashville.

Americana Music Association Partners with the Nashville Film Festival

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The Americana Music Association (AMA) will partner with the Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) to present two premiere screenings during the 10th Annual Americana Music Festival and Conference, September 16-19, 2009 in Nashville.

“Americana on Film” will take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Ford Theatre and include screenings of Behind the Confessions: Radney Foster’s Revival on Thursday September 17 from 12:00-2 p.m. with Foster in attendance and the Southeast Premier of 35 Years of Austin City Limits: Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel, Saturday, September 19, 1:30-3:00 p.m. with Austin City Limits producer Terry Lickona in attendance. (Thanks to Cybergrass)

News Round Up: Allison Moorer Heads Back to Nashville

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  • Country Rapper, Colt Ford,tweeted (twittered?) that he “… sat down today with DMC from the Iconic Group RUN-DMC. We are gonna do a song together. He is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Wow.” I hope Colt Ford can do for country/rap what RUN-DMC and Aerosmith did for rock/rap…oh wait. (Twang Nation review of Colt Ford’s  Ride Through the Country)
  • I’m a fan of Alabama native Allison Moorer (AKA sister of Shelby Lynne and better-half #6 for Texas legend Steve Earle as well as his opening act if you’ve been to any of his shows the last few years) and her earlier, more country flavored work. Moorer makes the song A Soft Place to Fall, off 1998’s Alabama Song a transcendental experience. The news that Moorer is coming back to Nashville at the end of the year to make a new album with producer R.S. Field is great news! Earle, how about you?
  • Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood returning as co-hosts of the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville this fall is not news. Call me when Caitlin Rose and Mojo Nixon are on the bill.

I was directed to this great video of  Kim Deal (The Pixies/The Breeders) and Kelly Deal (The Breeders) doing a cover Hank Williams’ I Can’t Help It (if I’m still in love with you)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o83kIRpkjD0[/youtube]

Music Review: The Bottle Rockets – Lean Forward [Bloodshot]

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br_lean forwardOne of the forebearers of the old school alt.country work ethic of play hard, play often, and play well.

The Bottle Rockets still contain the DNA of thier earlier incarnation of Chicken Truck, a straight up honky-tonk band that preceded the Rockets, and from their relationship with Uncle Tupelo in the 90’s. But while many of thier contemporaries  have either crashed and burned or abandoned the alt.country genre altogether for indy-rock cross-market gold (I’m  looking at you Tweedy!), guitarist/singer Brian Henneman,  guitarist John Horton, drummer Mark Ortmann and bassist Keith Voegele found their groove and honed their craft from years together and miles on the road.

Lean Forward is really two records in one. If you give it a casual spin it’s a tight and powerful rock and roll record that belies the craftsmanship by hitting you in the gut. On closer inspection the deceptively straightforward songs tell of everyday troubles while displaying a smart silver lining.

Wrong turns on tour are serendipitous events (The Long Way), Rolling-Stoned swaggering blues embrace inevitability in the face of good intentions (Shame On Me) and a Bo Diddley stomp-rocker about either a repo-man or a car thief (Nothin’ But A Driver) takes pride in his work.

Hard Times serves up a tasty slice of Southern funk and strikes a working-class Zen view of life – “Hard times, that’s nothin’. Hard times pass” and ending in resolve “I’m not broke down. I’m just out of gas.” Kid Next Door goes up with the Drive By Truckers’ Dress Blues and the Dixie Chicks Traveling Soldier as great slice-of-life songs that show the cost of war from a main street view.

The Bottle Rockets have been a criminally overlooked American rock band for seventeen years now and judging by Lean Forward it hasn’t bothered or slowed them down one bit

Official Site | MySpace | Buy

4_rate

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwZieRvf650[/youtube]

Willie Nelson Twitter Interview

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  • Willie Nelson will join TheBoot.com for a live “Twitterview” next Tuesday, Aug. 25, the same day as the release of his newest album American Classic. You can watch the live chat with Willie, starting at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, if you follow Willie Nelson and theBoot.com  on Twitter.
  • Joe Pug will be joining Steve Earle on his upcoming European tour. Pug’s  debut LP “Messenger” will be released in early 2010.
  • Austin’s jazz and western swing band Hot Club of Cowtown has released their new, Wishful Thinking.
  • The New York Time reviews a show at Joe’s Pub by Works Progress Administration (WPA). the expandable collective, featuring core members Luke Bulla (Lyle Lovett), Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) and Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) and on this night featuring Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek) pedal steel guitarist and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Greg Leisz (Bill Frisell, Dave Alvin, Lucinda Williams,  Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Whiskeytown, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and many more)
  • Chet Flippo sees compelling storytelling in videos by Toby Keith and Brad Paisley in his newest Nashville Skyline post. I see trite, if mildly clever,  symbolism  mirroring the trite song they represent. For shear technical and style excellence I still have to go with this one.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDtaJmrVfx8[/youtube]

Rounder Records Turns 40

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  • The Green Bay Press Gazette has a great interview with Justin Townes Earle. Earle talks candidly about his past addictions and is troubled relationship with his father. as well as his excellent new release Midnight at the Movies.
  • Robert Earl Keen’s Lost Highway debut “The Rose Hotel,” produced by Lloyd Maines, will be released on On Sept. 29
  • Rounder Records will celebrate their 40th anniversary on Oct. 12th at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN with performances from Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bela Fleck and Irma Thomas will join in this momentous celebration along with musical host Minnie Driver and special guests to be announced.
  • Shreveport-based , the Louisiana Hayride (1948 to 1960) will  be inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. In it’s day the country music showcase featured Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, George Jones, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
  • The grave of the late great Texas blues musician, Blind Willie Johnson, is  finally discovered. Johnson’s songs have been covered by everybody from Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton to Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.
  • Details magazine sits down with Native Texan and anti-Taylor Swift blond bad ass Miranda Lambert for some Q&A.
  • Nashville Scene‘s newest cover has  “Three Hot Acts Present a New Breed of Female Songwriter” featuring Caitlin Rose, Tristen Gaspadarek and Those Darlins.

The History of Emmylou Harris

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  • AOL’s Spinner has a nice feature on the lovely, but messy, honky-tonk riot-grrrls Those Darlins.
  • The Onion’s AV Club “head writer and hip-hop specialist”   Nathan Rabin continues his discovery of Country Music in his Nashville or Bust feature. The newest post is a nice historic summary of Americana chanteuse and Gram Parson protege Emmylou Harris. (via the 9513.com)
  • The always excellent Juli Thanki’s newest Torch & Twang column over at PopMatters.com tackles a subject near and dear to Ranch Twang’s heart – the history of Canadian artists in Country Music.
  • The legendary Ryman Auditorium will host Jim Lauderdale & Friends featuring Amy Grant, Vince Gill & The SteelDrivers. The performance will benefit Thanks USA. The concert is on Monday, November 9 at 7:30 pm and tickets on sale Friday, August 21 at 10 am ($49.50 & $39.50)
  • The Washington Post has a great feature on Loudon Wainwright III’s new release – “High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project.” Wainwright created the album to bring attention to Poole’s music and that he played a key role in the history of country music. on edit- NPR did a feature on the Poole tribute.

Wall Sreet Journal Covers Big Surprise Tour

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  • The Wall Street Journal talks to some of the performers on the Big Surprise Tour. The toue is traveling the East coast and  showcases the Old Crow Medicine Show, Justin Townes Earle, The David ­Rawlings Machine (featuring Gillian Welch) and the Felice Brothers.
  • Houston Presses’ William Michael Smith in his Lonesome Onry and Mean column tells of  his son leaving the petroleum engineering program at University of Houston to, over time, become a guitarist for Hayes Carll, looking down the stage and seeing Guy Clark (arms folded) and being heckled by David Allan Coe (My Son, the Guitar-Slinger)
  • Jennifer Aniston has signed on to signed on to produce and star in Goree Girls, a film about the Goree All Girl String Band, a country music group that had a popular 1940s-era radio show despite the fact that its members were all inmates at a Texas prison. (E Online)
  • Kevin Costner wants to help victims of Canada’s Big Valley Jamboree country music festival in Canada where his band “Modern West,” was set to perform.  Storms at the event injured 70 people and a 35 year-old woman died when the wind blew down a speaker on her.

Willie Nelson Premieres New Video for Shoeshine Man

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  • Willie Nelson premiered his new video covering Tom T. Hall’s Shoeshine Man (below) The song is not on his upcoming covers album American Classics so I have no idea whay he made this video, but he seems to be having a ball. The Texas Yoda has taken a page from the DIY codger goofing around in front of a video camera recently used by Neil Young for his video Fork in the Road.
  • The Americana Music Association announced the lineup for its 2009 festival,  Sept. 16-19 at around several of  Nashville’s best venues – The Mercy Lounge, The Cannery Ballroom, 3rd & Lindsley, The Station Inn and The Basement.  On the roster is Cross Canadian Ragweed, Angela Easterling, Asleep at the Wheel, The Bottle Rockets, Jim Lauderdale, Buddy Miller, Joe Pug, Charlie Robison, Marty Stuart, Patrick Sweany, Those Darlins and many more.
  • Popmatters.com has posted an mp3 for Chain, a cut off Vic Chesnutt’s upcoming release At the Cut (Constellation) to be released 22 September (US)
  • Randy Travis, Martina McBride and Ray Price join an International  line-up of over 60 International, UK and Irish acts performing on three separate stages at the UTV CountryFest ’09  August 1st – 2nd  at the Kings Hall in Belfast.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDtaJmrVfx8[/youtube]

Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar Collaborate on Jack Kerouac Inspired Album

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  • Gothic-roots band Builders and the Butchers premier their first ever music video Golden and Green (and they used one of my favorite fonts, Bleeding Cowboy,  for the opener. Cool!) The song is great and the video is an odd mash-up of an early 20th century gang post-heist, the 1963 film Children of the Damned and Narnia. (Spinner)
  • Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile‘s third album, Give Up The Ghost, will be released on Columbia Records this fall.  The album is produced by Rick Rubin. Carlile has announced the dates for her Give Up The Ghost Traveling Show beginning September 10th at The Depot in Salt Lake City, UT.   The tour will make stops at legendary venues across the country including Chicago’s House of Blues, New York’s Beacon Theatre and The Wiltern in Los Angeles.
  • Ricky Skaggs  will honor the man who introduced him to bluegrass. On Sept. 15, Skaggs will release Ricky Skaggs Solo (Songs My Dad Loved) on his own Skaggs Family Records featuring 13 tunes he was introduced to by his father, Hobert Skaggs. (Billboard)
  • Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Son Volt’s Jay Farrar are collaborating on an album inspired by legendary Beat writer Jack Kerouac. (Spinner)