Watch Out! Sturgill Simpson ‘Living The Dream’ on Conan

 Sturgill Simpson 'Living The Dream' on Conan

Sturgill Simpson took to the Conan O’Brien show last night stage to preach the gospel of outlaw country to the audience,

He and his cracker-jack band delivered a tight version of his blue-collar existentialist cut, “Living The Dream.”

“Living The Dream” is from his album ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.’

21 Performances To Catch at AmericanaFest 2014

The Hello Strangers perfrom at the Patterson Theatre in Baltimore

If you’re a fan of roots music there is only one place to be in the fall, and that’s Americanafest. The Americana Music Association will be presiding over this 15th Festival – along with its Conference and Awards Ceremony – in Nashville, September 16-21.

This is the premier industry event celebrating the music we love. Thousands of artists, fans and industry folks from all over the world will gather to talk biz, eat BBQ, drink local beer and, yes, hear the best music on the planet.

then get up the next morning and do it all over again (pace yourself, drink water!)

This year the increased the number of acts has grown to 160 (!) performing across 11 venues (!!) This might have given me more awesome choices, but I’ve yet to figure oy t that whole cloning myself thing. This makes seeing many performances, many happening at the same time, an impossibility.

But the upside is no matter where you find yourself you’re in for some of the best music going.

Over the years of attending this extraordinary event I’ve tried to dig deep in the bill and look for hidden gems that might I might miss on my initial scan. Some newer or more obscure performers are the ones that can often leave an impression and have fans talking for days after.

Though I like to see the big names as much as anybody, There are a few names that fly a little lower under the radar but will be well worth making time for.

See the full lineup here.

Caroline Rose – The Basement – Tuesday September 16, 2014 7:00pm – 7:45pm

Caroline Rose just came across my ADD addled mind and I’m better for it. Pop folk never sounded so fresh and vibrant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4cAnRTrKD0

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John Moreland – High Watt – Wednesday, September 17, 2014 11:00pm – 11:45pm

There’s nothing fancy about a John Moreland performance. He sits alone, mostly with an acoustic guitar spinning rich tales of the human landscape. His sparse, concise yet elegant style has him counting Lucero and Jason Isbell as fans and having his songs showcased on the biker drama, Sons of Anarchy

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Hannah Aldridge – Fanny’s House of Music “Americana Ladies Night Line-Up” – Thursday September 18, 2014 5:30pm – 8:30pm

A voice of the ages that can be heard from two blocks over (unmiced) Aldridge beings the goods and more on her sterling debut “Razorwire.”

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Banditos – The Rutledge – Thursday September 18, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

This Nashville-by-way-of Birmingham band is a potent blend of rock, country and soul that draws on many influences and squeezes greatness from every drop. Some of the tunes might seem “jammy” but they always right themselves and head straight for solid framework.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKzxzvyc35M

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Zoe Muth РListening Room Caf̩ РThursday September 18, 2014 10:00pm Р10:45pm

Zoe Muth’s sweetly plantive voice sings songs of hardscrabble love and life that can tear out your heart or rock your soul, often at the same time.

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Shinyribs – High Watt – Wednesday September 17, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Shinyribs is the pseudonym of The Gourds mastermind of madness Kevin Russell. Tightly arranged tunes, spiked with a heavy dose of whimsy, shows Russell reflecting a stew of influences from Bob Wills to the Texas Tornadoes.

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Jonny Two Bags – The Basement – Wednesday, September 17, 2014 11:00pm – 11:45pm

Sometimes punk rockers age and cross over to Americana. Sometimes their original band has always had a foot in the dusty road. The latter is the case for Jonny Two Bags. As the guitarist for the SoCal institution Social Distortion, Jonny Two Bags didn’t have to travel far to pull out his

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Whiskey Shivers – Station Inn – Thursday September 18, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

Newgrass? Naw, how bout thrashgrass. Whiskey Shivers heats up the already hot genre by pulling in an audience and making a performance a communal celebration that will have you to leaving your troubles at the door. They’ve even caught the ear of fellow Texas genre-hopper Robert Ellis who has produced their upcoming self-titled album.

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Otis Gibbs – Station Inn – Thursday, September 18, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Otis Gibbs is what a musician looks like that refuses to compromise. His songs are instantly relatable and yet poetic.The man effortlessly exudes that ever elusive quality of authenticity.

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Hello Strangers – Two Old Hippies – Friday, September 19 6:00 PM – 7:00pm

Sisters Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace hail from the foot of the Appalachian mountains, due north of the Mason-Dixon Line , in Mercersburg, PA. They ended up in Austin where they worked their craft in the rich music scene helped hone their harmony-rich folk and roots rock spirit.

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Jonah Tolchin – Third Man – Friday, September 19, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

Jonah Tolchin’s voice belies his years on earth. His neo-soul roots style transports you and breathes life into the past.

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Marah – The Basement – Friday, September 19, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

Marah are one of my favorite rocks bands, all ramshackle and passion fueled recklessness. Thier newest roots music production, ‘Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania’ takes all that’s great with the band and runs it through a copper wire od dark mountain folk.

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Cale Tyson РListening Room Caf̩ РFriday, September 19 Р10:00pm Р10:45pm

Nashville by way of Texas classic country and Townes Van Zandt influenced Cale Tyson’s musical path. Tyson’s latest EP, “High On Lonesome” reflects that legacy with hints of Gram Parsons, Guy Clark and Willie Nelson.

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Jamestown Revival – Mercy Lounge – Friday, September 19, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

After seeing Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance, Jamestown Revival, at an LA Americana event honoring the Everly Brothers I was hooked. They arguably stole the show that night. This was a show that included Rodney Crowell and Bonnie Raitt get there early. JR might be somewhat off the radar but their popularity is growing.

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Cory Branan – High Watt – Friday, September 19, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm
Sharp songwriting and an aversion of the lazy trope has made Chuck Ragan and Lucero into fans of Cory Branan. Come see what all the fuss is about.


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Grace and Tony – Station Inn – Saturday September 20, 2014 8:00pm – 8:45pm

Grace and Tony come from a bluegrass and punk rock background respectively. Not just joining in matrimony they fused a hybrid style they describe as Punkgrass. Colliding the worlds of Charlie Poole and The Clash might have been a disaster for some, but they make it work thanks to a love of craft many of live performances in front of adoring fans.

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Lera Lynn – High Watt – Saturday September 20, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

Texas-born Lera Lynn has a hard one to characterize. A little Dusty , a dash of Loretta, leads to a quality to her that make her rock-roots/soul style irresistible.

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Jason Eady – Mercy Lounge – Saturday, September 20, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Jason Eady’s is the odd man out here. He’s not Americana, he’s country..or at least he’s what country used to be , before it became Americana. Damn it just go see him!

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David Ramirez – The Rutledge – Saturday September 20, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Austin’s David Ramirez is the textbook definition of a troubadour. A songwriter hammering out hard tales with a guitar and a song. His extensive touring has gained him fans from coast to coast.

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Carolina Story РListening Room Caf̩ РSaturday September 20, 2014 12:00am Р12:45am

With the official demise of the Civil Wars I invite you to turn your wistfully romantic ears toward husband and wife dup Carolina Story (Ben and Emily Roberts.) Though they can get a little more country (read twang) than TCW the Arkansas couple can also plumb the depths of a forlorn soul.

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Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons – The Basement – Sunday September 21, 2014 12:00am – 12:45am

Joe Fletcher’s solo debut ‘You’ve Got the Wrong Man,’ populated with soldiers, scammers, hangers-on, hellraisers, boozers and the woe-begone. Comparisons to Tom Waits would not be far off.

http://vimeo.com/98921881

Watch Out! Elvis Costello with Rihannon Giddens – ‘Married to My Hack’ [VIDEO]

The New Basement Tapes - Married To My Hack

RollingStone.com has premiered “Married to My Hack,” from the upcoming “Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes”

The just shy of two-minutes track of marital resignation features Elvis Costello on lead vocals and Carolina Chocolate Drops’ Rihannon Giddens on backing vocals. Costello channels Dylans croaked spoken-blues as Giddens monas an scats over a ramshackle junkyard symphony that would make tom Waits crack a crooked smile.

“Married to My Hack” and “Nothing to It” are instant downloads for preorder on iTunes and Amazon.

On November 21st Showtime will air a documentary about the making of the album, “Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued,” directed by Sam Jones.

Related news, Legacy Recordings will release “The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11” A six-disc collection of teh storied Dyman/Bnad seesions offering an astounding 138 tracks o November 4th.

Track list for the deluxe edition of “Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes”

1. Down on the Bottom
2. Married to My Hack
3. Kansas City
4. Spanish Mary
5. Liberty Street
6. Nothing to It
7. Golden Tom – Silver Judas
8. When I Get My Hands on You
9. Duncan and Jimmy
10. Florida Key
11. Hidee Hidee Ho #11
12. Lost On The River #12
13. Stranger
14. Card Shark
15. Quick Like A Flash
16. Hidee Hidee Ho #16
17. Diamond Ring
18. The Whistle Is Blowing
19. Six Months in Kansas City (Liberty Street)
20. Lost on the River #20

Showtime will air a documentary about the making of the album, Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued, which filmmaker Sam Jones directed, on November 21st. It will show the making of the record and compare it to Dylan’s original sessions with the Band.

In other Basement Tapes news, the complete recordings of Dylan’s original 1967 sessions are due out as a six-disc, 138-track box set – The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 – on November 4th. Rolling Stone premiered one of the tracks, an alternate take on “Odds and Ends,” which is streaming here.

Listen Up! Hal Ketchum – ‘I’m the Troubadour’

Hal Ketchum - Photo Pete Lacker

Hal Ketchum has known the road as a veteran of the Texas honky-tonk circuit. He’s also known commercial success a with his 1991 certified gold release “Past the Point of Rescue.”

Ketchum has also known hardship. In June 1998, Ketchum was diagnosed with a neurological disorder called acute transverse myelitis, an ailment of the spinal column, which left Ketchum without the use of the left side of his body. As a result he had to relearn basic tasks, including how to walk and play the guitar. He also took some time to find his way back to music.

Ketchum tells Billboard. “I just kind of lost my powder for a while,” “I just didn’t feel like playing or writing. One day I just said, ‘This is a gift that God has given me, so I better get back to it.'”

“It’s an amazing gift to be able to come back this strong,” says Hal Ketchum in an interview with Billboard, who premiered the title track to his new album ‘I’m the Troubadour’ today. “I feel like it’s the best record I’ve ever made.”

The album, out October 7 on Music Road Records, marks a significant personal triumph for the legendary songwriter and Grande Ole Opry member, who spent the last several years living in a cabin in Wimberley, TX away from the pressure of the music industry, where he could focus on his health as he dealt with the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, including bouts of paralysis and blindness that had also taken a toll on his mental state.

Though he’s best known for hit country singles like “Small Town Saturday Night” and “Past the Point of Rescue,” which have led to more than 5 million album sales, it sounds like Ketchum has decided to enter music this tome from the eclectic Americana back door. His new cut ‘I’m the Troubadour’ (below) blends rock, folk, soul and Cajan elements to create a splendid amalgam.

That newfound creative freedom from genre restrictions and commercial pressure, a result of his partnership with Music Road Records, was just the inspiration Ketchum needed to break free from what he described as a “deep level of depression” that had put him in a “dark place” as he struggled with health problems.

““I had pretty much thrown in the towel. I wasn’t interested in putting out another big country album. IÂ’ve done that. I’ve been there, man,” he says. “I finally said to myself, ‘I can still do this. I can still write.’ This record was a really beautiful departure for me. I think itÂ’s going to be refreshing for people who havenÂ’t heard me in a while to know that the old manÂ’s still swinginÂ’.””

His new album follows 2008’s ‘Father Time,’ will be released Oct. 7 on Music Road Records.

Preorders are available.

Music Review – The Ben Miller Band – ‘Any Way, Shape or Form’ (New West)

ben miller band

Performers like Konrad Wert (Possessed By Paul James) , Scott H. Biram and Hillstomp have been spectacularly creating Depression era country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and blues music for years by jolting the dusty form with a furious intensity and emotional directness that would make Marcus Mumford sob into his vintage hanky.

We can now add to that the Joplin, Mo. trio of Ben Miller, Doug Dicharry and Scott Leeper, collectively known as The Ben Miller Band.

Producer Vance Powell ( Wanda Jackson,Buddy Guy, Jack White) is just the right man to steward ‘Any Way, Shape or Form,’ TBMB’s debut for New West records, though the many influences that make up what the band calls “Ozark Stomp” and bring out the band’s best effort to date.

Opener “The Outsider” evokes Dock Boggs and split Lip Rayfield as Miller’s clawhammer banjo, Dicharry’s percussion and Leeper’s washtub bass kick up a foggy mountian moshpit accenting by a hot guest slide guitar break by Chad “Gravy” Graves. The spirit of John Lee Hooker is raised in the jump boogie of “You Don’t Know” with a nasty little guitar break in the middle, and in the greasy/sleazy ‘Hurry Up And Wait” which features Dicharry’s blazing washboard work. Things gear down on the melancholy “I Feel for You” which is given a a dreamy quality from the inclusion of Graves pedal steel and Dicharry’s mandoline. The inclusion of the vaudeville-jazz ditty “23 Skidoo”, a 1920’s slang phrase for getting while the getting’s good is an odd twist especially when it grows into a dramatic swell. “Burning Building” is an Appalachian-meets-garage rocker that would make Jack White give a pasty smile.

the treatment given to the traditional folk ballad “The Cuckoo.” The internal dialogue of the piece occurs in a fever dream of roots-psychedelic, stabbing guitar, musical spoons and furious percussion. “Twinkle Toes,” is a jaunty lock-down break-down sing-along featuring blistering dobro. “Life on Wheels” kicks off like a “Whiskey River” remake but quickly breaks another direction as harmonica brings to mind a whining train whistle. “No War,” is a lofty Phil Ochs-style topical folk song calling out corruption and ponders the metaphysical.

“Any Way, Shape or Form” is work of considerable scope executed into a whole of rambunctious cohesion. It leaves you wondering what else Ben Miller Band might have up their sleeves.

Official Site | Amazon | iTunes

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Music Review: Cory Branan – “The No-Hit Wonder” (Bloodshot Records)

CORY BRANAN- The No-Hit Wonder

Nashville in the 70’s was a place of wandering, dusty minstrels tripping into town from distant small towns with little more than cheap guitars, grand dreams and a reverent yet defiant attitude regarding the power structure of Nashville music industry. The ripples where felt and absorbed back into the system and the result was the “Urban Cowboy” era. This was not an innovative time. Now that Music Row has again fell into lockstep with the sound of the cash register the bustling community of East Nashville is rekindling those early days.

In many respects Cory Branan’s “The No-Hit Wonder,” is the face of this rekindled spirit. Smart, sonic landscapes offering a deep stratum that delivers a bounty of country, pop (“Missing You Fierce”) and Southern soul (“Missing You Fierce”) gems as each song is sifted through. The record also benefits from having some of the finest backing musicians working – John Radford (Justin Townes Earle, Luella and The Sun), Sadler Vaden (The 400 Unit, Drivin and Cryin), Audley Freed (The Black Crowes) and Robbie Turner (Waylon Jennings, Charlie Rich.) as well as being supported by some of Americana and indy rock’s best talent.

No better example of that is the opener “You Make Me” which features none other than Jason Isbell on back-up vocals. A song for his new bride it strikes a fine balance of romance, rock-heat with ear-worm hooks as Isbell provides just the right amount of guitar and vocal support.

The title cut recalls hard times for a troubadore that burns bright instead of belly-aches as Craig Finn & Steve Selvidge of The Hold Steady providing further retained support. “The Only You” Shows the nuance of Branan’s craft – “I hear you got another boy and he looks a lot like me / And this one come with some kind of guarantee / Well I got me another girl and she looks like you at 23 / And while she sleeps I trace the places where your tattoos used to be.” This playful poignancy is straight from the book of Kristofferson.

Branan vocal style like Ryan Bingham with better range. This is most apparent in the Bakersfield-by-way-of-Uncle-Tupelo “Sour Mash.” Another furiously paced number that wears it’s hillbilly pedigree proudly, featuring more subtle accompaniment by Tim Easton. “C’mon Shadow” is a ragtime jubilation masking heartbreak that’ll have you tapping a toe and crying in your beer.

“All The Rivers In Colorado” is pure jukebox gold. A barroom weeper of tears and waterways made even more delightful with Caitlin Rose and Austin Lucas lending background vocals. “Daddy Was A Skywriter” is a Cajun-spiced tune about finding your way in this world with the guidance and love from mama and daddy.

“The No-Hit Wonder” is a work both expansive in influence as it is grounded in history. Smart song-craft, road-tested instinct of instrumentation and an ear for the attentive hook is it’s flesh and bone. This is not a stright-up country record in contemporary or classic terms. Its an Americana record – and all that comes with that gloriously, messy label.

And a damn fine one at that.

Official Site | Buy

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George Strait Will Release Live “Cowboy Rides Away” Album September 16th

starit cowboy

I was lucky to be one of 104,793 people packed AT&T Stadium for the final show of George Strait’s Cowboy Rides Away Tour.

it just blows me away how easy he makes it look no matter the size of the venue.

If you weren’t able to attend the event not to worry, this was too big a deal not to capitalize on. A 20-track live album recorded of the event will be released September 16th and a two-hour “George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away” concert special airing Aug. 29 exclusively on CMT. (check local listings).

The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium Track Listing:
1. Check Yes Or No
2. The Love Bug (with Vince Gill)
3. Fool Hearted Memory (with Jason Aldean)
4. Arkansas Dave (with Bubba Strait)
5. Cowboys Like Us (with Eric Church)
6. That’s What Breaking Hearts Do
7. Marina Del Rey
8. Here For A Good Time (with Sheryl Crow)
9. I Can Still Make Cheyenne
10. Jackson (with Martina McBride)
11. A Showman’s Life (with Faith Hill)
12. Murder On Music Row (with Alan Jackson)
13. The Chair
14. Give It All We Got Tonight
15. Run (with Miranda Lambert)
16. I’ll Always Remember You
17. Ocean Front Property (with Kenny Chesney)
18. Troubadour
19. All My Ex’s Live In Texas (with Jason Aldean, Ray Benson, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow,
Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride)
20. The Cowboy Rides Away

Music Review: Billy Joe Shaver – “Long In The Tooth” [Lightning Rod]

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe Shaver will laws be a welcome sight at Casa Twang. Shaver was the first interview I conducted of this blog and his generosity and great stories fueled me to keep at this because there is still great music comes from the
adventurous kind.

Shaver’s ’s latest work, “Long In The Tooth,” shows he’s still got some adventures to partake in.

Though done in the style that Nashville pop-stars like to slag as “Grandpa music,” ”Long In The Tooth” has Shaver digging deep in the soil of 70’s Outlaw Country. A movement that Shaver helped cultivate, and that those Music City marionette’s claim allegiance to.

billy joe shaver- Long In The Tooth

Shaver penned all 10 songs and they’re is all you’ll need for a state of the state. Politics, war, religion, class divide, love, heartache, and yes, the sad state of the country music.

The first cut Hard To Be An Outlaw” features Shaver’s old pard and character witness, Willie Nelson, this is a
hat-tip to the Country Gold OGs as both a nostalgic lament and a scrappy swipe at Music Row pop-country. “The Git Go” is a loping study in fatalism/destiny lament covering class disparity in politics made even more forlorn by Mickey Rafael’s mournful, nuanced harmonica.

“Music City USA” features a more jaunty, and optimistic view of Nashville as a place where dreams, a great music, can still be had.

Love is alive on this album. “I’ll Love You as Much as I Can” is a sweet waltz sang to a longtime sweetheart. “I’m in Love” is reworked from 1998’s album “Victory,” and, though a tad more world-weary, it’s still pure poetry.

Another contemporary Outlaw of sorts, Todd Snider, goosed Shaver into making this album by making him realize he still has a lot to give. We are lucky he did. Nobody would fault Billy Joe Shaver if he took to pasture and rested on his many laurels. But by the sound of “Long In The Tooth” he’s not ready to pack in that guitar just yet.

Official site | Buy Long in the Tooth

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Watch Out! Ray Benson (feat. Willie Nelson) – “It Ain’t You” [VIDEO]

Ray Benson & Willie Nelson2

the newest video for “It Ain’t You” from Asleep at the Wheel front-man Ray Benson’s latest solo release “A Little Piece” (Bismeaux Records.) The vide is a video scrapbook of Benson and Willie Nelson’s 40-plus year friendship. A friendship that started when Willie suggested AATW move from their hometown in Philadelphia to Austin, Texas in 1973.

Ray and Willie duel on “It Ain’t You” and, as it is an old Waylon Jennings co-write, it recognizes the influence all three have had on the Texas music scene from a rear-view mirror if age and wisdom.

Ray Benson says of the song/video:

“When Sam, co-producer of my solo CD, played me this song written by Waylon Jennings and Gary Nicholson, I was amazed that no one had ever recorded it! It’s definitely an undiscovered gem and strikes an emotional response with many people. After listening, I called up my pal Willie Nelson and asked if he would sing the song with me. He agreed and we went out to Luck, TX and recorded his vocal.”

“Willie is 81 years young and I’m close to turning 64. The song is about growing old and yet feeling and acting young…it felt so appropriate for us to do. The video has captured the feeling of the song with its slow motion effects, an inside look at the backstage concert preparation and a peak of our long history together as friends. Hope you all enjoy it.”

Enjoy this lovely tune from two masters trading wistful recollections. The cut also features some of Willie’s signature jazz-tajanzo guitar licks.

Buy “A Little Piece.”

Watch Out! Grace Askew – “Cinnamon” [VIDEO]

Grace Askew - Cinnamon

Common sentiment has you believe that TV singing competitions are a cultural wasteland not worth our attention.

Grace Askew is proof that sometimes paying attention pays off.

“The Voice” Season 4 contestant Grace Askew delighted when she did a excellently brash cover of Lee Hazlewood’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,'” made famous by Nancy Sinatra

Twangers, ya know I like it greasy. If you give me swampy and greasy at the same time you’ll have a hard time sending me home.

Recorded at the legendary Sun Studio, “Cinnamon” is a woozy slice of what Askew has coined “bluntry” (blues+country, or perhaps stoned country) Labels aside, it’s a greasy, swampy delight made more so by Askew’s marble-mouthed delivery in her native Memphis country grammar.

Shot in an abandoned house , with single-source light saturated clack-and-white, Askew dances as she sings this sexually-charged come-on.

Askew embodies a potent blend of charisma and authenticity that makes her a force to keep your eye on.

“Cinnamon” is from Askew’s debut newest release ‘Scaredy Cat

Official site.