Galleywinter holds a Q&A with Matt Hillyer, lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter of Texas’ best country band working today Eleven Hundred Springs. Hillyer talks about his influences, Texas musicians and juke joints, the stories behind some of EHS songs and the band’s upcoming Lloyd Maines produced release Country Jam (Palo Duro Records)

20. What do you see as the main difference between the music you’re making and the stuff you hear on mainstream radio?

We’re trying desperately to get back to the heart and soul of country music. You’ve got to get the blues back in to it. That heartfelt feeling that rings true for everyone. We’re trying to keep the formula simple in hopes it will be classic…or at least pay tribute to something classic.

(via the 9513)

If you find yourself in the Dallas area on May 31st get over to the Granada Theater to catch EHS for their CD release party and 10 year anniversary.

Country Music Hall of Fame member in (1966) Eddy Arnold died on May 8, 2008, in Franklin, Tennessee, just one week short of his 90th birthday.

Arnold  brought country music into the 1940’s pop world then inhabited by crooners like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby
was second only to George Jones in the number of individual hits on the country charts and is the all-time leader
in an overall ranking for hits and their time on the charts. From 1945 through 1983 he had 145 charted songs, including 28 number-one hits.

The fine folks over at the 9513 are recounting the events from this years 3 day Stagecoach Music Festival at Indio CA
(right down interstate 10 from Palm Springs.)

I hope to catch Stagecoach next year because it offers a wide array of talent that country music all at one geographically beautiful venue.

If your reading this in the Charlottesville, VA area and are a Gary Allen fan you will want to head over to cvilleMUSE.com to try and win two box tickets and a free parking pass to the upcoming Gary Allan show at the Charlottesville Pavilion, this Thursday, May 8th.

Just leave a comment below on their contest page with your real email address. cvilleMUSE.com will randomly select the winner of the 2 tickets and the free parking pass at 10AM on Thursday morning!

CMT’s Chet Flippo again shows his impeccable taste by using his current Nashville Skyline to shower deserved accolades on this year’s Hall of Fame inductee Emmylou Harris.

“I can’t think of a person who has done more good for country music than Harris.” says Flippo. Amen brother. I don’t know how you keep such great taste amidst the land of $500.00 jeans and glittery guitars.

Harris’ new release All I Intended To Be (June 10 - Nonesuch Records) will be her first solo release since 2003’s Stumble Into Grace and was recorded in Nashville over a four-year period with her longtime producer Brian Ahern. Te release will contain both original material and some of Harris’ all-time favorite songs, featuring guest vocals by Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and Buddy Miller.

(via 9513)

EMI Music Marketing and Twangnation.com are giving you the chance to win a copy of the new CD/DVD collection Classic Chris Ledoux.

Honoring his authentic and lasting legacy of cowboy songwriting, recording and performing, Capitol Nashville/EMI will release Classic Chris LeDoux, a new CD/DVD and digital collection of his top recordings and videos, on April 29. Among the 16 audio tracks and 16 videos on the new collection are LeDoux’s “Bang A Drum” with Jon Bon Jovi, “Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy” with Garth Brooks, and the music video for “Ridin’ For A Fall,” making its commercial release debut.

Prize Details:
Three (3) Grand Prize Winners will receive a prize including: One (1) copy of the new Classic Chris Ledoux CD/DVD
Closing Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Midnight EST
Draw Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Justin Townes Earle continues to blaze a trail, and the Grand Ole Opry moves a step toward relevency (inviting Sunny Sweeney was a also a plus) by inviting Earle to perform Friday, May 2nd on the 8pm show, also on a bill will be Brad Paisley, Mark Wills and Mountain Heart.

If you find yourself in Nashville do yourself a favor and catch what is sure to be a great performance.

PopMatters.com has a nice review of George Strait’s newest release Troubadour. It’s another huge release from the gentleman mega star and PopMatters appears to agree.

If there’s something Troubadour is about, it’s songs. Strait performs them in an efficient, un-flashy way. His humble singing imparts more depth than is first apparent, but at the same time is utilitarian. The mission is communicating these songs to listeners.

PopMatters gives Joe Nick Patoski’s book Willie Nelson: An Epic Life a middling review of 5 out of 10. I’ve just started to book and will withhold judgment until finishing.

It’s that time again friends, when decent folks flee to the hills and the rowdys take over town drinking,  firing their pistols in the air and bringing the finest real country podcast on the planet.

Episode 14 of It Burns When I Pee features an in-studeo interview with Dave Sisson of The Gin Palace Jesters and Three Blue Teardrops, hear some tasty tunes from The Steeldrivers, The Devil’s Own, The Misery Jackels, and Carmen Lee, and get raunchy with more Hee-Haw meets Jerry Springer-style comedy.

Go get IBWIP and lord help us all.

It’s been a while since I posted on Austin’s own Sunny Sweeney, so allow me to make ammends by letting ya’ll know Sunny has added a new song “You’re My Hotel, He’s My Home” (co-written with Adam Hood) to her set list and posted the lyrics on her MySpace blog. (via the 9513)

Go out and see Sunny when she come to a town near you.

Sunny Sweeney at Ernest Tubb’s records in Nashville