There are many ways to describe the work of master singer-songwriter John Paul White. If forced to distill to a single word to describe his aesthetic it would be bittersweet.
So, to learn that White’s upcoming third solo release is entitled “The Hurting Kind” made perfect sense. The king of melancholy is back in the saddle.
Then you hear the single ‘The Long Way Home’ (listen below) from the album and, damn if it isn’t jaunty, defiant even. The cover displays White in his usual dark suit casual dapper persona and tassel of hair, his briskly strummed acoustic guitar strides right into a backbeat and, what’s that, pedal steel! But just behind the sonic rhinestones are weary miles of separation from loved ones, and hope and longing intertwin to lead him back to hearth and home. I’ve read that this song brought White’s youngest child to tears. That’s the power and humility of art.
I have no inside knowledge of this, but it’s been a theory of mine that the isolation of the road was once os the main reasons the Civil Wars called it a day at the height of their popularity. We all see the glamour of the working musician with no thought to the grind that it can be,
But this is no woe-is-me lament. This is a song with a higher intention. To celebrate and focus, on the big portrait of the loved ones that make the cookie-cutter hotels and stale-beer bars tolerable.
‘The Hurting Kind’ is out April 12 on Single Lock Records. Pre-order it here.
The Hurting Kind Tracklist:
01. The Good Old Days
02. I Wish I Could Write You a Song
03. Heart Like a Kite
04. Yesterday’s Love
05. The Long Way Home
06. The Hurting Kind
07. This Isn’t Gonna End Well (featuring Lee Ann Womack)
08. You Lost Me
09. James
10. My Dreams Have All Come True
2018 is now in the pages of history and as America shifts (lurches?) into an uncertain future. Americana and roots music, unlike many other genres, continues to be true to its legacy and addresses our times with art that refuses to chase the charts and churn out reflexively commercial product and, lucky for us, refuses to treat the audience as mindless consumers.
That’s not to say that Americana and roots music is merely a barometer for political and social conditions and change. No sane person wants their favorite artists to be righteous yet starve. As the music industry continues to reflect changing consumer demands artists are also finding opportunities to reach audiences and generate revenue in movies and video games.
Some albums I’m personally looking forward to because I’ve heard some cuts, or on my faith in the artist, are Hayes Carll’s “What It Is,†Feb. 15: Dale Watson’s Call Me Lucky and Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song†, all on February 15th, Mandolin Orange’s “Tides of a Teardrop” on February 1st, and Joshua Ray Walker’s “Wish You Were Here” on January 25th as well as Son Volt’s “Union’ on March 29th.
As more dates come throughout the year I will be updating the list. If you know of an actual release not listed yet please leave it in the comments.
As always I appreciate your visiting the site and hope you join me in another great year for Americana and roots music.
January: Jan. 18th: Danny Burns – “North Country” Jan. 25th: Lula Wiles – ‘What Will We Do’ Jan. 4th: Balsam Range – “Aeonic†Jan. 18th: Alice Wallace – “ Into the Blue†Jan. 18th: Ronnie Milsap – “Ronnie Milsap: The Duets†Jan. 18th: Greensky Bluegrass – “All for Money†Jan. 18th: The Steel Woods – “Old News†Jan. 18th: Whitehorse – “The Northern South Vol. 2†Feb. 22: Vandoliers – “Forever”
February: Feb. 1st: Mandolin Orange – “Tides of a Teardrop†Feb. 1st: Abigail Lapelle – “Getaway” Feb. 8th: Gurf Morlix – ‘Impossible Blue’ Feb. 15th: Hayes Carll – “What It Is†Feb. 15th: Dale Watson – “Call Me Lucky†Feb. 15th: Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song†Feb. 15th: Joey McGee – “El Camino Real” Feb. 15th: Kalyn Fay – “Good Company” Feb. 22nd: Dearling – “Silver and Gold” (EP)
Feb. 22nd Vandoliers – “Foreverâ€
Feb. 22nd – Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell – ‘Songs of Our Native Daughters’
March:
March 1st: Mary Bragg – “Diamonds as Camouflageâ€
March 1st: The Cactus Blossoms – “Easy Wayâ€
March 1st: Dave Ernst – “Hickory Switchâ€
March 2nd: The Honey Dewdrops – “Anyone Can See”
March 7th: Townes Van Zandt – “Sky Blue”
March 8th: Patty Griffin – “Patty Griffin”
March 8th: Clara Baker – “Things To Burn”
March 22nd: Allison de Groot & Tatiana
March 22nd: Orville Peck – “Pony”
March 22nd: Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon – “Solstice”
March 29th: Son Volt – “Unionâ€
April:
April 2nd: John Paul White – ‘The Hurting Kind”
April 5th: Molly Tuttle – “When You’re Ready.”
April 5th: Megg Farrell -“Megg Farrell”
April 12th: Shovels & Rope – “By Blood”
April 12th: Taylor Alexander – “Good Old Fashioned Pain”
April 19th: Daniel Norgren – “Wooh Dang”
May:
May 3rd: Pete Seeger – ‘The Smithsonian Folkways Collection’
May 3rd: Caroline Spence – “Mint Condition”
May 10th: The Shootouts – “Quick Draw”
May 24th: Willard Gayheart – “At Home in the Blue Ridge”
June:
June 14th: Hank Williams – ‘Health & Happiness Show’
June 21st: Buddy and Julie Miller -‘Breakdown on 20th Ave. South’
June 28th: Chuck Mead – “Close To Home”
August 16th
The Messenger: A Tribute to Ray Wylie Hubbard
August 23rd
Esther Rose – ‘You Made It This Far’
Erin Enderlin – ‘Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night’
Tanya Tucker – ‘While I’m Livin’ ‘
Vince Gill – ‘Okie’
Dalton Domino – ‘Songs From the Exile’
Jason Hawk Harris – Love & the Dark
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys – ‘Toil, Tears & Trouble’
Leslie Stevens – ‘Sinner’
Croy and the Boys – ‘Howdy High-Rise’
Seth James –
Midland – ‘Let It Roll’
September 7th
The Highwomen – Self-Titled’
Terri Hendrix – ‘Talk To A Human’
Jason Tyler Burton – ‘Kentuckian’
Paul Cauthen – ‘Room 41’
Cut Throat Francis – ‘This Garden’s Never Gonna Grow’
Ana Egge – ‘Is It the Kiss’
NRBQ – ‘Turn On, Tune In’
Amy Speace – ‘Me and the Ghosts of Charlemagne’
These Wild Plains – ‘Thrilled To Be Here’
Trailerpark Idlers – ‘Ghost Town Nights
September 13th
Jeremy Ivey – ‘The Dream And The Dreamer’
September 27th
Hot Club of Cowtown – ‘Wild Kingdom’
October 4th
The North Mississippi Allstars – “Up and Rollingâ€
October 13th
Cody Jinks – ‘After The Fire’
North Mississippi Allstars – ‘Up and Rolling’
Corb Lund – ‘Cover Your Tracks’
Jonah Tolchin – ‘Fires for the Cold’
Marti Brom – ‘Midnight Bus’
Ted Drozdowski – ‘Learn To Love The Moon’
Jeremy Ivey – ‘The Dream And The Dreamer;
Janiva Magness – ‘Change In The Weather: Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty’
October 18th
The Milk Carton Kids – ‘The Only Ones’
Darin Aldridge & Brooke Aldridge – ‘Inner Journey’
Driftwood Soldier – ‘Stay Ahead Of The Wolf’
The Drunken Hearts – ‘Wheels of the City’
Rory Ellis – ‘Inner Outlaw’
EmiSunshine and The Rain – ‘Family Wars’
Jimmy “Duck†Holmes – ‘Cypress Grove’
Jake La Botz – ‘They’re Coming For Me’
New Copasetics – ‘Twang-Ucopia’
David Newbould – ‘Sin & Redemption’
Karen & the Sorrows – ‘Guaranteed Broken Heart’
Zachary Lucky – ‘Midwestern’
October 25th
Allison Moorer – ‘Blood’
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – ‘Colorado’
Craig Cummings – ‘Absolute Surprise’
Karen & the Sorrows – ‘Guaranteed Broken Heart’
Van Morrison – ‘Three Chords and the Truth’
Jackson Stokes – ‘Jackson Stokes’
Zack Walther Band – ‘The Westerner’
November 20th
Bill Scorzari – ‘Now I’m Free’
January 31st
Dustbowl Revival – ‘Is It You, Is It Me?’
Roots music virtuoso Sierra Hull has announced her ‘Christmas Time Is Here’ tour. Each of the four tour stops she will partner with Toys for Tots and/or a local food bank– “seeking to ease the stress of the holidays for the less fortunate.” Each attending fan who donates an unwrapped toy, canned foods, or makes a monetary donation to the local food bank on-site will receive a free signed Weighted Mind (Hull’s latest release, a GRAMMY-nominated record) poster while supplies last. Together, with her band (Justin Moses, Kai Welch, Eddie Barbash, Ethan Jodziewicz, and Jamie Dick), Hull aims to bring Christmas joy to all– those attending the shows and those in need this December. See below for details on how to give in each market:
Dec. 7 — Sheldon Concert Hall — St. Louis, MO
(Toys for Tots, canned food, and monetary donations accepted
for St. Louis Area Foodbank)
Dec. 8 — Franklin Theatre — Franklin, TN
(Toys for Tots, canned food, and monetary
donations accepted for Second Harvest Food Bank)
Dec. 20 — Tangled String Studios — Huntsville, AL
(Monetary donations accepted for Food Bank of North Alabama)
Dec. 21 — Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts — Franklin, NC
(Toys for Tots, monetary donations accepted for Macon County Care Net)
For tickets and more information, please visit sierrahull.com.
Southwestern spirit chaser Ryan Bingham will release his sixth studio album “American Love Song” on February 15th, 2019.
That will mark a four year stretch between his latest and the criminally overlooked “Fear and Saturday Night.” That’s a long time for fans, like me, to wait. Though there was a pretty sweet live album to hold me over.
Like Bingham’s last three albums “American Love Song” will be released on his own label, Axster Bingham Records. The album is co-produced by Austin music legend Charlie Sexton, fresh off his extraordinary portrayal of Townes Van Zandt in Ethan Hawke’s “Blaze.” The album was recorded at Austin’s Arlyn Studios and Public Hi-fi. Additional recording was done at Matter Music in Los Angeles.
Listen to Bingham play his ode to personal strength “Wolves” live on The Off Camera Show. (That glorious voice!) “Wolves” is available to download now with all pre-orders.
Bingham is currently touring across America on a sold-out solo acoustic tour. He hits the road with a full band in March in Salt Lake City, UT. See full dates below.
Bingham has also announced his own curated music festival “The Western.” The festival looks like a winner right out of the gate featuring the Old 97s, Margo Price, Jamestown Revival, and Colter Wall already booked. The event will feature an exclusive “Campfire Jam,” highlighting an acoustic song-swap with Bingham and Price.
The festival will take place April 12th and 13th, 2019 at the storied outdoor venue Luckenbach, TX. Visit www.thewesternfestival.com for more information.
Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song” Tracklist:
1. Jingle and Go
2. Nothin Holds Me Down
3. Pontiac
4. Lover Girl
5. Beautiful and Kind
6. Situation Station
7. Got Damn Blues
8. Time for My Mind
9. What Would I’ve Become
10. Wolves
11. Blue
12. Hot House
13. Stones
14. America
15. Blues Lady
U.S Tour 2019 (Full Band)
March
19 – Salt Lake City, UT
21 – Phoenix, AZ
23 – San Diego, CA
24 – San Luis Obispo, CA
26 – Santa Cruz, CA
28 – Los Angeles, CA
29 – San Francisco, CA
30 – Petaluma, CA
April
2 – Denver, CO
3 – Lincoln, NE
4 – Springfield, IL
5 – Chicago, IL
6 – Minneapolis, MN
7 – Milwaukee, WI
9 – Kansas City, MO
12 – Luckenbach, TX – THE WESTERN
13 – Luckenbach, TX – THE WESTERN
16 – New Orleans, LA
17 – Atlanta, GA
19 – Philadelphia, PA
20 – Boston, MA
21 – Washington, DC
22 – Asbury Park, N
23 – Brooklyn, NY
How do you tour in support of a seminal album when its main influence has been dead for 45 years?
Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman are currently on the road trying to answer that very question.
Friday last at the lovely Majestic Theatre the Founding Byrds members came together to recreate the magic that began as a chance encounter when Hillman happened upon Gram Parsons
standing in line at a Beverly Hills bank, “Probably drawing from his trust fund” Hillman quipped alluding to Parson’s family citrus business trust fund that reportedly paid him as
much as $100,000 a year.
Though considered as a mere salaried sideman by the band’s record company, when the Byrds’ Columbia recording contract was renewed in 1968 only original members Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman where asked to ink the deal. it was Parson’s singular obsession with country music history that charmed the other members into moving recording digs from persuading the other members to leave Los Angeles to Nashville thus guaranteeing a more straight-ahead twang affair.
The $45 t-shirt at the merch table concerned me that this could be merely a cash grab. The show soon put that fear to rest. No opener necessary, the first set served as a reminder that the Byrds flirted with country and roots music before Parson’s arrival. Joe Hayes “A Satisfied Mind,†made famous by Porter Wagoner, was a particular delight with McGuinn playing electric 12-string and Hillman picking the bass. As the show progressed McGuinn, Hillman, Stuart, Kenny Vaughn and Chris Scruggs all members took up acoustic, electric and steel guitars, bass and mandolin with equal aplomb. Vocal duties were also shared as McGuinn sang “Mr. Spaceman,†Hillman “Old John Robertson†and Stuart took the lead on Haggard’s “Sing Me Back Home.†The harmonies were sublime on with Stuart and drummer Harry Stinson adding backing behind Hillman and McGuinn.
As can be expected at a 50th-anniversary show, reminiscing abound. McGuinn recounted that famous two=song set at the Opry. On March 15th 1968, the band were invited to appear on the Grand Ole Opry, which was then still at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Singer-songwriter future outlaw country pioneer Tompall Glaser introduced the group, who were scheduled to play a Merle Haggard cover and a track from the upcoming album. After performing Sweetheart’s opening track, Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,†which featured the iconic Lloyd Green on steel guitar, Gram Parsons broke decorum and announced that instead of the planned “Sing Me Back Home,†they were going to play yet another track from the LP. He then dedicated their performance of “Hickory Wind†to his grandmother.
After an intermission, the second set began with Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives doing two songs, “Country Boy Rock And Roll†and “Time Don’ Wait.†Choosing Stuart and the Superlatives as a backing band was a shrewd move. Few bands have the pedigree and the chops to pull off such a monumental occasion.
Today Twang Nation is proud to exclusively premiere the video for Grain Thief’s “Colorado Freeze” from their full-length debut “Stardust Lodge.” (out now – order below) The song is perfect road song and the video fitfully follows the band as they perform on their tour bus on the way to visit a Colorado amusement park. The VHS camcorder gives the whole thing a nice washed-out grainy aesthetic.
Grain Thief is a 5-piece americana string band from Boston, MA. The group comprises Patrick Mulroy (guitar, vocals), Zach Meyer (mandolin, vocals), Michael Harmon (bass, vocals), Tom Farrell (lead guitar), and Alex Barstow (fiddle).
Prior to the formation of the band, Grain Thief was used as a moniker for Mulroy’s solo project from 2011-2014. Mulroy toured the East Coast sporadically after recording two EPs and moving back to Boston from Washington, DC where he had worked in a Korean Restaurant and played bass in a heavy metal jam band called Thundertyts.
In Boston, he continued to use the name Grain Thief and brought in a revolving group of drummers, percussionists, guitarists, and bass players. Rhode Island born Tom Farrell joined the coalition early on as a lead guitar player–he and Mulroy met in a dark basement in Brighton somewhere around 2008. For a time, the band featured 2 drummers, with Farrell on bass allowing Mulroy to play his newly purchased blonde telecaster.
After much prodding, saxophonist, Zach Meyer reluctantly joined the band on mandolin. The two had met through a mutual friend in the Cambridge competitive beer-drinking scene and vaguely knew that the other could play an instrument. However, this quartet (Mulroy, Meyer, Farrell, and South Shore Joe Angellis on drums) would not last. Dissatisfied with the project’s direction, Mulroy dissolved it.
The new Grain Thief reformed almost immediately at Meyer’s apartment in Lower Allston, where the 3 former members (Mulroy, Meyer, and Farrell) worked on acoustic arrangements of some new and old songs to prepare for a one-off show in a converted Brooklyn warehouse.
Meyer’s then roommate was future fiddle-player Alex Barstow. Barstow was trained as a classical violist, but was soon dragged into jamming on old time tunes by Meyer who grew up in the old-time fiddle community in Washington state. Barstow never made it to that show in Brooklyn, but he did wind up at the band’s next rehearsal and first two shows at the Rosebud Diner in Davis Square.
Meanwhile, acquaintance of the band and recording engineer Mike Harmon was building a studio out by Wachusett Mountain in Central Massachusetts. Mulroy, a carpenter, seeing the opportunity to score some free recording time for his fledgling band, spent countless hours with Mike building out the studio. However, the free recording time would never come to pass, as Mike would soon join the band. With Mike’s bass, third vocal harmony, and Trident series 65 console, the band was now complete. Their union was solidified after Mulroy accidentally dropped Harmon’s 1939 Kay Bass down the stairs, snapping the headstock clean off, resulting in a costly repair and lifelong friendship.
Their debut EP Animal was recorded and released in November 2015. The record showcases the band’s roots in folk, bluegrass, and old time music. In 2017, the band began a residency at the Burren pub in Somerville and continues to entertain the Wednesday crowds to this day. From their perch in Massachusetts, the band has toured heavily in New England and made forays in the West, South, and East Coast.
The recording of Animal’s follow up Stardust Lodge began in April 2016 and finished a year and a half later. Mulroy’s lyrical approach to the album is met equally with songs of loss and regret, and the struggles of the everyday working man with a satirical twist. The arrangements and instrumentation represent a departure from Animal’s bleak simplicity with the band showing a bit more leg. With a new record out and shows booked throughout the country, the band has a long road ahead to cruise.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the song, Mulroy has this to say:
“The song was co-written by myself (Patrick Mulroy) and a good friend, Connor McGinnis, a Nashville songwriter, formerly of the Zuni Mountain Boys, who is currently working on a new record down there.
He started the song, and I finished it is the short answer. It’s sourced from both of our memories of old flames and cold mornings. It deals with looking back on mistakes or memories from far into the future after the dust has settled.”
The song is the first single off of our record Stardust Lodge, which came out on August 24th.
In preparation for the release, the band did a 7 date tour of Colorado, hitting all four corners. They filmed the video on the road, and at various stops along the way– our bass player Mike handled the editing duties.
Just as the weather turns crisp and the Halloween candy gluts the store isles you know that Record Store Day Black Friday event is right around the corner. The event, that results in indy record store around the world making a good chunk of their yearly take, has been expanded to take place over two days, Black Friday (November 23) and Small Business Saturday (November 24).
Among the vinyl delights offered is a Legacy Edition of The Byrds – landmark “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” with lots of goodies to top off the album’s 50th anniversary. Also offered is Lone Justice – The Western Tapes 1983, early Marvin Etzioni produced demos of these alt.country pioneers.
Check the full list at the Record Store Day site. I’ll be buying a stack from the good people at Dallas’ own Good Records. Remember to tweet a pic of your bounty to my twitter account and I’ll share it with those foolish enough to stay home.
The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Legacy Edition) – 4 x LP
By the time Sweetheart Of The Rodeo was released in 1968, The Byrds had already changed the sound of rock music twice; from jangling folk-rock to experimental acid-rock, they constantly sought to push the boundaries of what rock music could be. The 1967 departure of David Crosby left a creative void filled quickly by country music-loving Gram Parsons, whose addition led Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and company to record an album comprised mostly of authentic country material in Nashville, with the aid of local session aces (including future Byrd Clarence White). For the first time on vinyl—and on the heels of a 50th anniversary tour of the album by original members McGuinn and Hillman—this Legacy Edition of Sweetheart Of The Rodeo showcases this country-rock masterpiece alongside 28 bonus tracks, including demos, outtakes, rehearsal versions and tracks by Parsons’ pre-Byrds outfit, The International Submarine Band.
Bobbie Gentry – Ode To Billie Joe – LP
Ode to Billie Joe is the 1967 classic debut album by singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard charts, and was the album that displaced the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band from its 15-week reign at the top. This deluxe 180g LP reissue on Elemental Music was cut and mastered by the renowned audiophile mastering engineer Kevin Gray direct from the original tapes, with packaging that includes all original artwork and liner notes.
SIDE A 01 Mississippi Delta (3:05) 02 I Saw An Angel Die (2:56) 03 Chickasaw County Child (2:45) 04 Sunday Best (2:50) 05 Niki Hoeky (2:45)
SIDE B 01 Papa, Woncha Let Me Go To Town With You (2:30) 02 Bugs (2:05) 03 Hurry, Tuesday Child (4:52) 04 Lazy Willie (2:36) 05 Ode To Billie Joe (4:15)
Robert Johnson – Cross Road Blues/Ramblin’ On My Mind – 10″ Vinyl
Eric Clapton is quoted as saying that “Robert Johnson to me is the most important blues musician who ever livedâ€. A special 2018 Black Friday offering of Robert Johnson’s iconic 1936 recordings of “Cross Road Blues†/ “Ramblin’ On My Mind†reproduced on the Vocalion label with sleeve as a 10″ single.
Blind Lemon Jefferson – Black Snake Moan/Matchbox Blues – 10″ Vinyl
Blind Lemon Jefferson, “The Father of Texas Blues,†was the best-selling malevblues artist of the 1920’s, recording 92 sides for Paramount Records and one released 78 for Okeh Records: “Black Snake Moan / Matchbox Bluesâ€. Jefferson produced an original, driving, unpredictably advanced guitar style and a distinctive booming high-pitched, two-octave voice that no one could imitate. Legends of his prowess as a bluesman abound among the musicians who heard him, and sightings of Jefferson in different regions of the United States are plentiful. B.B. King stated, “His touch is different from anybody on the guitar—still is. He was majestic and played just a regular little six-string guitar with a little round hole. It was unbelievable to hear him play. And the way he played with his rhythm patterns, he was way before his time, in my opinion. Blind Lemon was my idol.†A special 2018 Black Friday offering of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s 1927 Okeh recording of “Black Snake Moan†/ “Matchbox Blues†is reproduced on the original label with an Okeh sleeve as a 10-inch 78 single.
Ray LaMontagne – Spotify Singles – 7″ Vinyl
Limited edition glow in the dark 7†vinyl of Ray LaMontagne’s Spotify Singles session recorded at Sound Stage Studios. Features live recordings of “Such A Simple Thing†and a cover of “Blue Canadian Rockies†originally performed by Gene Autry
“Such A Simple Thing” and “Blue Canadian Rockies” recorded at Sound Stage Studios Nashville
Lake Street Dive – Freak Yourself Out – LP
A new EP of five songs recorded during the Free Yourself Up sessions!
1. Daryl 2. Young Boy 3. Jameson 4. Angioplast 5. Who Do You Think You Are
Lone Justice – The Western Tapes 1983 – 12″ Vinyl
Musician and producer Marvin Etzioni first saw Maria McKee and Ryan Hedgecock in a club in 1982, playing George Jones and Hank Williams covers. He convinced them they needed original material. After working and writing, the band added Dave Harrington (bass) and Don Willens (drums), the band worked up material with Etzioni and cut 5 of the 6 tracks at the famed Record Plant. An earlier session provides the 6th track. The Western Tapes: 1983 exhibits the genesis of this highly-infl uential band. While the original demo version of “Drugstore Cowboy†has appeared on various compilations, the remainder of the other tracks from the sessions have remained in the can. Two of the tracks appear in their earliest demo form and wound up landing on the classic 1988 Lone Justice debut, “Working Late†and “Don’t Toss Us Away†(written by Maria’s half-brother, Bryan MacLean of the classic band, Love) which would eventually become a top 5 smash for Country superstar Patty Loveless. Released in conjunction with the band, the EP was mastered by Bernie Grundman (who also cut the 45 RPM lacquers). It’s a look into where they started and foretells where they would go.
As Etzioni (who would later join the band) says in his liner notes: “With countless hours together, it was a fun and innocent time. I believed we were creating a 21st century country band.â€
They created much, much more. PLAY LOUD AT 45 RPM!
Side 1: 1. working late 2:45 2. don’t toss us away 4:29 3. drugstore cowboy 2:54
Side 2: 4. i see it 2:22 5. train song 2:55 6. how lonesome life has been 2:06
Kacey Musgraves – High Horse Remixes
High Horse Remixes (not available on any physical configuration)
SIDE A: High Horse (Kue Remix)- DJ Kue
SIDE B: High Horse (Violets Remix)- Violents
Hank Williams – The First Recordings, 1938 – 7″ Vinyl
The first EVER recordings made by the legendary Hank Williams. This Record Store Day Black Friday 7″ red vinyl single celebrates the 80th anniversary of their recording, and the labels duplicate the labels on the original acetate.
Side A “Fan It” (F. Jaxon) – Hank Williams
Side B “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (I. Berlin) – Hank Williams & Pee Week Moultrie
In the late 60s, the American rock band the Byrds were ripe for a change. The band’s fifth LP, The Notorious Byrd Brothers proved to be another sterling example of the band’s established psychedelic experimentation, but it also incorporated jazz, pop and the roots music leanings of folk and country rock. This stylistic elasticity made the band a perfect vessel for genre experimentation. The departures of band members David Crosby and Michael Clarke from the group in late 1967 left a directional void that was happily filled by their newest member Gram Parsons, and his trad country sensibilities.
Though Sweetheart of the Rodeo had disappointing sales on release (see below) the record proved to be highly influential on subsequent generations of musicians. Kind of like an Americana version of the VU debut ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico. ‘
Among those who took the contemporary take on the traditional sound heart was Marty Stuart, then a teenage bluegrass prodigy and later a hitmaking country star. Stuart owns the 1954 Fender Telecaster that previously belonged to the late Clarence White, who played guitar on the “Sweetheart†album; Stuart will play that guitar on the celebratory tour.
Founding Byrds members Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman are currently on the road with Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives — guitarist Kenny Vaughan, bassist Chris Scruggs and drummer Harry Stinson – to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.â€
Below are 5 things you may not know about the historic album.
1. Roger McGuinn floated the idea of including “experimental synthesizer music” on the album.
Chris Hillman revealed to journalist Richie Unterberger in 2000 that fellow band member Roger McGuinn
“…had thoughts of making the album after Notorious Byrd Brothers a double album that would cover everything from traditional folk to electronic synthesizer music.” But Hillman admits he doesn’t regret the decision not to include it on the album as it would “…make no sense.”
“It would have been an interesting separate project, but like I said earlier, either I didn’t understand what he (McGuinn) was doing, or I just didn’t like it. And he had that Moog synthesizer, of course, then, it was like owning a computer in 1955. It took up the whole room. It made a lot of noise. It wasn’t really musical. It was like a toy, a gadget. But it was interesting, I respect him. He was following something that intrigued him, and he likes electronics.”
2. The cover of the Sweetheart of the Rodeo was not an original work done for the album.
The exquisite folk-art album cover was made up of images from a 1932 Joseph Jacinto Mora poster, The American Cowboy Rodeo created for a 1940s California Rodeo Travel Poster.
3. The record was a flop when it was originally released in 1968.
Despite receiving generally favorable reviews from the critics, and regular play on underground FM stations, the country-rock style of Sweetheart of the Rodeo was such a radical departure from the band’s previous sound that large sections of the group’s counterculture audience alienation by the traditional style, resulting in the lowest sales of any Byrds album up to that point.
In an email from Roger McGuinn to Rick Campbell in 2008 “Our rock audience felt betrayed and the country community was wary of ‘hippies’ infiltrating their territory. I remember seeing the ‘Sweetheart of the Rodeo’ cover on a bulletin board at a country radio station in Los Angeles. I was overjoyed . . . until I got closer and saw written in red DO NOT PLAY – THIS IS NOT COUNTRY.”
4. SotR was not the first time The Byrds had delved into country music on an album.
On their second album “Turn! Turn! Turn!” the band included a cover of Red Hayes, Jack Rhodes’ “Satisfied Mind”, a 1955 country and western hit for Porter Wagoner, which had been suggested by The Byrds’ bass player, Chris Hillman.
In an email from Roger McGuinn to Rick Campbell in 2008 “The Byrds had experimented with country music as early as our second album ‘Turn! Turn! Turn! with tracks like ‘Time Between, ‘Satisfied Mind’ and ‘Girl With No Name’, but it wasn’t until Chris Hillman met Gram Parsons at a bank in Beverly Hills and brought him over to our rehearsal studio that we decided to go to Nashville and record an entire album of country material. We were in love with the genre and as sincere as we could possibly have been, in recording those songs.
5. Skeeter Davis supported the band after a “rebellious” Opry performance.
While in Nashville recording SotR, the Byrds were invited to appear on the Grand Ole Opry, at the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium on March 15th, 1968. Singer-songwriter Tompall Glaser, who would become part of the “outlaw†moment the following decade, introduced the group, who were scheduled to play a Merle Haggard cover and a track from the upcoming album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. The band broke with the Opry’s history of strict bands playing approved setlists by instead performing Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,†which featured the iconic Lloyd Green on steel guitar and would be the opening track on Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Gram Parsons announced that instead of the planned “Sing Me Back Home,†they were going to play yet another track from the LP. He then dedicated their performance of “Hickory Wind†to his grandmother.
After their relatively rebellious performance and a chorus of boos from a visibly upset audience, they had one supporter, singer Skeeter Davis.
Roger McGuinn remembers “We walked out the back door with our tails between our legs, and Skeeter (Davis) caught up with us and said, “You Byrds don’t be afraid of these people: they’re just not caught up yet.” I told her later, “You were the only one who stood up for us. You were there for us, and I’ll never forget you for that.”
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo Tour Dates
Sept. 9 /// Folly Theatre /// Kansas City, MO
Sept. 12 /// Historic Gillioz Theatre /// Springfield , MO
Sept. 17 /// Albany, NY /// Hart Theater @ The Egg
Sept. 18 /// Albany, NY /// Hart Theater @ The Egg [Sold Out]
Sept. 20 /// Hopewell, VA /// Beacon Theatre [Sold Out]
Sept. 23 /// New York, NY /// Town Hall
Sept. 24 /// New York, NY /// Town Hall [Sold Out]
Sept. 26 /// Boston, MA /// The Emerson Colonial Theatre
Oct. 1 /// Louisville, KY /// Brown Theatre
Oct. 3 /// Akron, OH /// Akron Civic
Oct. 8 /// Nashville, TN /// The Ryman Auditorium
Oct. 10 /// Roanoke, VA /// The Jefferson Center
Oct. 15 /// Durham Performing Arts Center /// Durham, NC
Oct. 21 /// Byers Theatre /// Atlanta, GA
Oct. 23 /// EKU Center For The Arts/// Richmond, KY
Oct. 30 /// Carnegie Music Hall Of Homestead /// Munhall, PA
Nov. 9 /// Majestic Theatre /// Dallas, TX
Nov. 10 /// Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater /// Austin, TX
American contemporary street artist and graphic designer Shepard Fairey is best known for his viral designs featuring wrestler Andre the Giant and his “Hope” poster featuring Barack Obama.
Last Saturday Fairey unveiled a 15-story mural of Johnny Cas in downtown Sacramento, CA., just over 25 miles from where his historic Folsom Prison performance took place. Fairey stated on his Instagram account that the event was to commemorate …”the 50th anniversary of Cash’s Live at Folsom Prison album, and I hope that this art will ignite a conversation around the need for incarceration reform.”
I was lucky enough to be living in New York City in 2007 when Lucinda Williams hit multiple venues to play her entire discography in reverse order. I caught “Essence” at Irving Plaza which, as extraordinary as that was, paled in comparison to the performance of ‘Car Wheels On A Gravel Road’ a few nights later at Town Hall.
Williams was joined on stage by Steve Earle and Jim Lauderdale, two key members of that grueling recording session. They joined a band, which included Williams’ current guitarist extraordinaire Doug Pettibone, to revisit an album that arguably is one of the most influential and groundbreaking albums that shaped what we now call Americana music.
Now others will be able to experience that magic as Williams will hit the road starting this Fall to celebrate her landmark masterpiece by playing it in its entirety. Williams will then perform a second set which will showcase other songs from her storied career.
Most tickets for the upcoming tour will go on sale Thursday, August 23rd. Find them at her website.
Here are the Car Wheels on a Gravel Road 20th Anniversary Tour dates:
November 2 – Collingswood, NJ @ The Scottish Rite
November 3 – Northampton, MA @ The Calvin Theatre
November 5-6 – Boston, MA @ The Paradise
November 7 – New York, NY @ The Beacon Theatre
November 9 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
November 10 – Norwalk, CT @ Wall Street Theater
November 11 – Lebanon, NH @ Lebanon Opera House
November 13 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
November 14 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
November 16 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
November 17 – Berwyn, IL @ FitzGerald’s *
