Category Archives: Country Music

Americana Music Association Hold Auction

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The Americana Music Association are auctioning significant memorabilia items and ticket offers. All proceeds will support the not for profit association’s annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, which takes place in Nashville from September 16th – 19th, 2009. Some of the things up for sales are a Jason & The Scorchers 20 Year Birthday Celebration Autographed Hatch show print and tickets to Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt in the city of your choice.

South Florida’s Metromix recounts Alejandro Escovedo’s 30-plus years long career and his brush with death in 2003 as a result of contacting hepatitis C. Escovedo also discusses how living in Aaustin helps shape his eclectic musical style: “The bulk of my material is influenced by living in the Southwest,” he says. “There are spaces here I love very much. It’s a wonderful place to meditate on all sorts of subjects and things. And music from Texas always influenced me: Joe Ely, Ornette Coleman, Junior Walker, Arnett Cobb, Lightnin’ Hopkins. And then, you’ve got people like Roky Erickson and the Butthole Surfers. It’s an amazing place musically. It lends itself to imagination. You can get lost in the dreamlike quality of it.”Escovedo is currently on tour.

The Los Angeles Chronicle has a nice post on country music legend Kitty Wells‘ influence on women’s careers  in country music, her singles and career as a refection of women in domestic relationships of post-WWII America and how Roy Acuff believed how having a woman headline a live showcase was “financial suicide. ” Wells  is currently enjoying a retrospective at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum entitled “Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music, Presented by Great American Country Television Network,” which remains open until June 14, 2009

Charlie Louvin Reviewed on Pitchfork.com

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  • Pitchfork.com reviews legendary country singer Charlie Louvin‘s two recent Tompkins Square releases, the Grammy nominated Steps to Heaven and Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs. The 81-year-old Louvin will start a Spring tour starting at Los Angeles’ Spaceland on Feruary 7th.
  • PopMatters.com asks 20 questions of roots/jazz fiddler Casey Driessen where Driessen recounts taking his fist sip of beer, furnished by his then Berklee College of music roommate and fellow fiddler Carrie Rodriguez at the tender age of 21.
  • Roots singer/songwriter Patty Griffin was spotted at the Nashville’s Downtown Presbyterian Church working on her Buddy Miller produced new release which is expected soemtime in 2009. (The Tennessean)

Happy Birthday Ray Price!

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  • Cybergrass has a nice post on the Grammy nominated soul-bluegrass (soul-grass?)  band The Steeldrivers.
  • As part of a settlement of a legal battle Mother Maybelle Carter’s 1928 Gibson L-5 acoustic guitar, along with Bill Monroe’s F-5 mandolin and two of Johnny Cash’s guitars will continue to be displayed in the Country Music Hall of Fame. (Kingport Times News)
  • Happy Birthday to Country Music Hall of Fame Member, Texas Country Music Hall of Fame Member, and Grammy Award Winner Ray Price. Born Noble Ray Price in Perryville, Texas, on January 12, 1926, the country music will be honored at a reception from 11am until 1pm on his 83rd birthday, Monday, January 12. (via stillisstillmoving.com)

Ray Price Willie Nelson Merle Haggard – Night Life

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD9WuHtq7U8[/youtube]

Doyle & Debbie Return to Late Night with Conan O’Brien Tonight

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Doyle and Debbie (Bruce Arntson and Jenny Littleton), comedy’s answer to George Jones and Tammy Wynette, will return to national television  appearing on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien tonight, Monday, January 5th . The Late Night appearance will kick off a two night run in New York  at Joe’s Pub January 7 and 8.

Doyle and Debbie Show – Fat Women In Trailers

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtUkx0bcsZo[/youtube]

George Jones to Open Museum

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CMT.com reports that country music legend, Country Music Hall of Fame member and  Medal of Arts and  Kennedy Center Honoree has a museum in the works to display memorabilia- stage clothes, instruments, photos, fan created objects – he’s collected over his 50-plus year career. In addition to the items he keeps in his basement, his wife checks eBay for other memorabilia. He told CMT:

“We have a bit of a museum down in our basement right now, with all kinds of things from throughout my career — early records, guitars, clothes, various things that fans have made for me. We have a lot of framed photographs from throughout my career with other singers. I have a player piano from Gene Autry and a bunch of other stuff from him. One day, we’ll put all this stuff in a museum.”

I wonder if there will be a bar?

The 77-year-old member Possum is still going strong and will spend much of 2009 on tour, beginning Jan. 16 in Reno, Nev., and continuing through the spring and summer. For a full list of tour dates, visit GeorgeJones.com.

Folksinger Michael Johnathon’s WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour

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I’ve just  ran across the web site for “folksinger Michael Johnathon’s WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour” which bills itself as a “multi-media celebration of grassroots, Americana music” and “airs on 491 radio stations worldwide, XM Satellite Radio, online and on public television stations across the nation.” Cool! That said the site does offer some great audio archives featuring the likes of artists loke Chris Knight, The Grascals, The Del McCoury Band, James McMurtry, Justin Townes Earle, Kathy Mattea, Cadillac Sky, BR549 and Elizabeth Cook. Great stuff!

Naked Willie

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The fine folks at the 9513 have a couple of great posts I wanted pass along. First Vanessa Grigoriadis at Rolling Stone writes that aside from Willie Nelson’s project with Asleep at the Wheel, he has another album slated for early ‘09 titled Naked Willie. Like the Beatles 2003 release  Let It Be…Naked sans the original release’s Phil Spector “Wall of Sound” orchestral overdubs and embellishments, Naked Willie will contain Nelson’s RCA recordings from 1966 to 1970 without the original’s strings and “embellishments.” The release will be produced by Willie’s long time harmonica player Mickey Raphael.  “For the album cover,” says Raphael, “Willie took a picture of himself with his iPhone while he was in the bubble bath, and sent it to me.” (originally posted at Still Is Still Moving)

Second, after searching in vain for an original recording of Buck Owens’ 1979 duet with Emmylou Harris, “Play Together Again Again” the Whooping Llama blogger bought the original 45 online and made it available as a spacial Christmas gift to his (her?) readers.

It Burns When I Pee “Have Yourself A Very Burning Christmas”

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Episode #22 of It Burns When I Pee, the only podcast for covering genuine 100 proof country music,  is a naughty little release ready to stuff in your stocking.

Featuring the pin-up beautiful and talented Little Lisa Dixie Blake, Norma Jean and Creepy Guy burns the yule by playing tasty cuts from Eric Kinsey & His Tip Top Daddies, Nine Pound Hammer, Zane Campbell, and Mr. Chill & The Witnesses.

IBWIP  are also bringing back my favorite segment,  Norma Jean Watches Porn. They are replacing Earlene’s Sexy Time Advice segment with the new Creepy Advice segment.  What kind of show would it be without a IBWIP skit? In this episode the skit is titled, “IBWIP Meets Santa At The Mall”. Finally, the crew break out the presents and have the first ever IBWIP Gift Exchange.  IBWIP is better than that nasty sweater from your Aunt Edna!

Hank III Confirmed Tour Dates

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Straight from the wrong side of the tracks (www.hank3.com) comes news that Hank Williams III has some early 2009 tour dates in support of his latest offering Damn Right Rebel Proud. Those Poor Bastards will support. Let the hell raising begin.

Feb 15 – New Orleans LA – House of Blues

Feb 17 – Houston TX – Meridian

Feb 18 – Austin TX – Antones

Feb 20 – Ft Worth TX – Longhorn Ballroom

Feb 21- Lubbock TX – Jakes

Feb 22 – Albuquerque NM – Sunshine Theater

Feb 23 – Tempe AZ – The Marque

Feb 24 – San Diego CA – 4th & B

Feb 26 – Las Vegas NV – House of Blues