Twang Nation – The Best In Americana Music
Americana & Roots Music & Culture
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]
Merry Christmas Y’all!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebg7vC-X-wM[/youtube]
That bastion of righteous irony, Stephen Colbert, will celebrate the impending consumer slump this Sunday with A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All.
Colbert fights the “war on Christmas” with this surreal bit of spiked nog that sxews Christmas specials of the past. Think Andy Williams in a cabin in rural Michigan and the town nearby has a gas leak that’s making eveyone act strangley. The strangeness is offered by the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, John Legend, Toby Keith, and Feist.
I have to say, I’m not a big fan of Toby Keith, but after seeing him do a send up of, well, himself singing a song about Santa dropping nukes from his sleigh on heretics who don’t believe in Jesus or Santa, who Keith explains are actually the same person, Keith might have a new fan.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTzbm5E_qq4[/youtube]
Ever wonder what Cheech and Chong would sound like if they were a couple of rednecks from Tennessee with a partiality for Jim Beam and PBR instead of Acapulco Gold? Ever wonder what Daniel Lawrence Whitney (Larry the Cable Guy, not Joe the Plumber) would sound like if he weren’t a retarded douche bag? Dunlap (Jonathan Shockley) and JackieBroyles (Travis Harmon), known collectively as the satirical duo Red State Update, might meet your hysterical hillbilly wishes.
Stand outs are “Jackie’s Mama,” “Impressions” and “Illegal Immigration.” There were moments while listening to How Freedom Sounds on my iPod on a crowded plane headed to Nashville that I had to stop the piece from laughing so hard it was hard to breath. Red State Update’s strength is how authentic they seem. Jackie Broyles’ lovable gruffiness and Dunlap’s delusional dolt are dead on, and how deceptively simple the material is without being condescending or just reaching for the witless fart joke. One thing missing from this release is the cutting and hilarious political material they’re known for from thier web site. Mainstream acceptance maybe? Heh, good luck!
I’m not sure why comedic parody teams always seem to need to include songs on album releases. The songs are not funny enough to justify suffering through. Here we get the songs Dumbass Party, Iraq (I Don’t Wanna Go) and a tortured veRsion of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” with RAPPING! (Two exceptional hilarious songs that are part of a longer routines is “Get Outta My Store Hippie,” “Noodles, Powder, Water and Meat” and “Stripper Without A Kid.”) All these could have been cut to make room for more of the pure gold found on the rest of this release.
Red State Update: Sarah Palin Goes Rogue
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3d0jdbF254[/youtube]
Stacy Chandler at Hickory Wind has posted her husband Geoffrey’s matrix of a vision of an alt-country video game detailing artists, settings and powers. A sample:
Artist: Ryan Adams
Setting: A back alley behind Quizno’s at 4 a.m. or The Austin City Limits stage
Powers: Two fighting modes – “Greasy dopemups mode†where he can just sit there and take all kinds of damage
–or-
“Rage filled dopemups mode†where he gets a phone and the opponent is suddenly holding an answering machine to be the target of a blistering verbal assault
Hilarious!
Two things I hate is reality TV that doesn’t involve bounty-hunting and trucks driving on ice and and musicians from other genres that think Country Music is some slum where they can make some easy money on the gullible fan base. Needless to say, I hate CMT’s “Gone Country.”
Of course I haven’t seen the program yet since it premiers tonight and I’m not high enough on the media food chain to warrant a preview, but I’ll chance it. the show features Carnie Wilson, Maureen “Marcia Brady” McCormick, Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider , Sisqo of “Thong Song” fame, Julio Iglesias Jr., “American Idol” runner-up Diana DeGarmo and Boston bad boy Bobby Brown. That’s right THAT Bobby Brown.
In spite of Carnie Wilson’s lineage to brilliance and Julio Iglesias Jr.’s tie to Willie via his daddy, there’s not a serious contender in the sordid bunch. What we have is The Surreal Life- Nashville Bound!
The producers are banking on the difference with these cohabiting “celebrities” which is that beyond simply extending their faded fame for at least seven episodes, the one that can endure the most public humiliation will cut a single produced by host John Rich of Big and Rich, the Nashville comedy duo that have sold jillions of units and gives this team of competitors hope.
I mean, if Big and Rich can do it why can’t Sisqo?
These people have about as much chance as being legit country musicians as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie have in being farm hands.
Bon Jovi, Jewel, Jessica Simpson and Beyoncé are all stiffing around the Nashville salt lick for easy money and fans that they and their management must think are fools with tons of soon-to-be-parted money.
As a passionate fan of the country genre to which this blog attests, I suggest the celebrities try rap. Yes, you too Sisqo.
Ray Wylie Hubbard is one of my country music heroes and he’s one funny son of a bitch! Here Hubbard tells about the inspiration behind his classic song “Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother”. This was filmed at Jerry Jeff Walker’s Birthday Bash at the Paramount Theater in Downtown Austin Texas. You can see Jerry Jeff laughing behind him. Classic!
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=E24C4NY0ga8[/youtube]
Blake and the fine folks at “It Burns When I Pee” closed oot 2007 with another fine podcast featuring the Handsome Cash, lead guitar and lap steel player for the German country band “Hank Cash” (twang is universal, baby!)Â talking about, and playing some cuts off the bands newly release CD.
Then there is the reularly debauched tomfoolery (Jeb & Billy) and above the fray great tunes (Christian Williams, Lefty Frizzell, and David Allan Coe).
Think of it like the Grand ‘OL Opry with a Mosh Pit.
There is also details about ordering IBWIP’S 1st ever compilation cd “Pee-A-Palooza” which helps support the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabam.
This brits just don’t get it! When ya gotta Dolly, ya gotta Dolly!
The BBC reports that Diane Duffin, a country music fan from Leeds has been banned from playing music in her home for playing Dolly Parton tunes “around the clock.”
The Leeds city council applied for an interim anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) after neighbours complained about repeat
performances of tracks including Parton’s “Nine to Five”.
Ms Duffin was banned from playing music from 11pm to 7am and previously had her CD player, TVs, DVD players, CDs and other equipment confiscated from her home.
A neighbour had complained that on one day alone the Tammy Wynette track D.I.V.O.R.C.E was played 20 times.
An application for a full Asbo will be made at a two-day hearing to begin on 24 October.