No Country For Old Men

No Country For Old Men” is on of my favorite Corman McCarthy books and the Coen brothers (Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Brother Where Art Thou) are some of my favorite film makers, so you know I’m anticipating thier adaptation of this book about a drug buy gone wrong in rural West Texas. The film stars Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Woody Harrelson.

It was recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival to great reviews.

Jason Isbell New Album Details

From Billboard.com – Former Drive By Truckers guitarist Jason Isbell will release his solo debut, “Sirens of the Ditch,” July 10 via New West. The 11-track set features guest turns by DBT principals Patterson Hood, Shonna Tucker and Brad Morgan, plus Hood’s father David and Spooner Oldham.

“Sirens of the Ditch” was tracked at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and Muscle Shoals session musicians will join Isbell on the road this summer, beginning July 9 in a city to be announced. Beforehand, the artist will play warm-up shows June 20 in Little Rock, Ark., June 21 in Memphis and June 22 in Chicago.
You can hear three tracks, “Dress Blues”,”Try” and “Grown” from the new CD on Isbell’s MySpace page. Damn that boys got a voice that can melt butter!

Here is the track list for “Sirens of the Ditch”:

“Brand New Kind of Actress”
“Down in a Hole”
“Try”
“Chicago Promenade”
“Dress Blues”
“Grown”
“Hurricanes and Hand Grenades”
“In a Razor Town”
“Shotgun Wedding”
“The Magician”
“The Devil Is My Running Mate”

“Dress Blues” by Jason Isbell

Lone Star 92.5

Has Clear Channel lost it’s little rigid, corporate mind?

The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram’s Cary Darling (great name!) has an interesting article on a local radio station with went from the old tried-and-true classic radio format to an alt-country mix, an example playlist contains the Drive-By Truckers, Johnny Cash and Robert Earl Keen, coupled with a low-key PBS style of corporate sponsorship instead of the hyper-audio-effects whiplash-inducing commercials that make most terrestrial radio hard to take seriously. Even thier web-site shows images of Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Tom Petty. Nice!

XM and Sirius satellite radio and it’s more niche formatting (think radio in the 70s) has displayed enough relative success at pealing off listeners that Clear Channel is throwing the dice and taking some calculated chances. D.js. are seen as more than playlist parrots and more like the musical authorities with their own crates of vinyl they schlep to the station and with tales about the music and the artists.

I still think Clear Channel is an example of everything wrong with a corporate media giant, but I will take my hat off to them for treating listeners and the music with respect and not simply a spreadsheet list of product and consumer.

Lone Star 92.5’s Commercial Featuring Wille Nelson

Stephen King Thinks Ryan Adams Kills

It seems Ryan Adams has a famous, and creepy, fan that might be able to match him in creative output.

Pitchfork reports that horror-meister Stephen King has penned a bio/homage (below) for Adams and a excerpt has been posted on Amazon.com for his upcoming release “Easy Tiger.”

The complete work:

It was, Ryan Adams says, this girl he’s been spending time with; the title of this album is her fault. “She wanted to go out to dinner at eight; I wanted to go right away. She said, ‘Easy, Tiger.’ And that hit me. It stuck with me to the point where I called up Neal [that would be Neal Casal, guitarist of The Cardinals] and left a message on his answering machine with those two words. ‘Don’t forget this,’ I said, ’cause I want to use it.'”

Adams laughs and adds, “I think he’s still got that message.”

And I understand that. Some things you just save, because they’re worth playing over again.

I think there are really only two kinds of pop music CDs these days. There are the ones you listen to only once or twice, maybe downloading the single good song to your iPod or computer; then there are others that grow stronger, sweeter, and more necessary each time you play them. Gold was that way; Cold Roses was that way; so was Jacksonville City Nights. I won’t say Adams is the best North American singer-songwriter since Neil Young…but I won’t say he isn’t, either. What I know is there has never been a Ryan Adams record quite as strong and together as Easy Tiger; it’s got enough blue-eyed, blue-steel soul (with the faintest country tinge) to make me think of both Marvin Gaye and the Righteous Brothers. Probably ridiculous, but true. And the songs themselves are beautiful– the lyrics tightly focused and brief, the feeling one of melancholy calm that will probably be a revelation to fans that remember the old, sometimes angry Ryan Adams.

He agrees that the tone of Easy Tiger is different– not dark, just different– and suggests in passing that it may have something to do with both sobering up and growing up (he’s 32). Then he goes on to talk about the process, which is clearly something close to his heart. “I write on a manual typewriter,” he says. “I get up, I have a cup of coffee, I sit down at the typewriter. I never spent a useless day behind a typewriter.”

I say amen to that, but he’s already going on.

“It’s like– I don’t know, sometimes it’s like chasing a pretty girl on the beach. And things I never thought I could do…I can do.”

I mention how prolific he is, aware that I might be touching a sore point. After all, there are plenty of critics who seem to think that’s a bad thing. Adams, however, just laughs.

“Yeah, yeah, in America people give you shit for working hard,” he says. “But…it’s process, that’s all. I process things. I went into the dream business. If people need ’em, I’ve got extra.”

He talks enthusiastically about all the unreleased material he hopes to set free in a box set, maybe at the end of the year (“If people hear it all, then they’ll get the connections,” he says), but that’s then. Now there’s this, maybe the best Ryan Adams CD ever. And I know you want to listen to it right away. But slow down. Take your time. This album asks for that, and it will reward your full attention.

In other words– easy, Tiger.

–Stephen King

Dale Watson’s “Justice For All” #1 video on last weeks CMT Pure 12 Pack

“Justice For All” is currently #1 video on last weeks CMT Pure 12 Pack video count down. If their not careful I’ll start saying nicer things about them. Oh, Bucky Covington and Toby Keith are numbers 2 and 3 respectively. Forget about the nice things. And congratulations to Dale for his recent marriage.

Todd Fritsch Headlines “The Wrangler’s Gala” – June 2

Houston, TX (May 4, 2007) – Texas recording artist Todd Fritsch will support his local library by entertaining attendees of The Round Top Family Library Annual Wrangler’s Gala on June 2 at the Emma Lee Turney Art Center (Round Top, Texas).  “Round Top’s population is tiny, just 77 folks live there,” says Texas singer/songwriter and cowboy, Todd Fritsch.  “But the Family Library has a huge impact on area residents as it serves all of the surrounding communities, not only with books,movies, on-line access and in-house programs, but also with outreach reading and music programs at local schools.”

Todd counts “Where The Red Fern Grows,” which he read in fifth grade, as among his all-time favorite tomes, and while his busy life doesn’t allow for much “down time” these days, Todd believes that reading is the key to learning. “It’s the best way to educate yourself,” says Fritsch.  “If you want to know something, go read about it.  Read as much as you can, wherever you can – books, newspapers, online.  This is one cause that I’m really proud to support.”

Miranda Lambert Makes The Cover of No Depression – Hell Reports Snow

I don’t know what it is, the end times, global warming, whacked mojo…but Miranda Lambert seems to be winning the hearts and minds of Nashville pop lovers as well as the alt.country crowd. I mean she’s on the cover of the yall’ternative bible “No Depresssion” for crips sake! (Yeah that her swinging her hair all rocking out like.) First the white trash American Idol (I mean that in a good way), a performance at the ’05 CMA Awards and now ND?
I mean ND has indy darlings The Shins on the last cover. What are they trying to do? Rise from relative obscurity and sell magazines?

I mean what’s next? Toby Keith on the cover of Spin? Carrie Underwood on the cover of Playboy? Okay, I could actually imagine that last one.

Good on the fellow Texan on all the good vibes and good on No Depression for risking their hipster cred to feature great music!

Miranda Lambert In The New York Times

The New York Times has a cool write-up on Miranda Lambert. Lambert talks about the influences for her new album – “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” – gives credit to Gretchen Wilson for opening the career door for her and is compared to some mighty company:

Ms. Lambert, 23, cites the usual outlaw influences — Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard — as well as the well-regarded singer-songwriters Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, Jerry Jeff Walker and Guy Clark. In essence, Ms. Lambert is an alt-country singer operating covertly in the mainstream. “Dwight Yoakam, the Dixie Chicks — I think there’s a way to be really cool and mainstream, too,” she said.

Marty Stuart Announces Late Night Jam Lineup

Country Standard Time reports – Marty Stuart will host his annual Late Night Jam to benefit MusiCares during CMA Music Fest on June 6 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives (Kenny Vaughan, Harry Stinson, Brian Glenn) will perform and host the unstructured marathon of live music with guest performances this year by singer/songwriter Neko Case, Muzik Mafia founder John Rich (Big & Rich), Eric Church and Ashley Monroe,Charley Pride, Pam Tillis and Porter Wagoner.

“I try never to lose sight of the fact that Nashville is considered Music City,” said Stuart. “When it is time to book the Late Night Jam, it is always my goal to make every form of music welcome. That’s why the Ryman is such a great setting for this concert. It is the Mother Church. Every year, I always feel like its the best we’ve ever had, and this year proves to be no different.”

Marty Stuart’s 6th Annual Late Night Jam has raised more than $70,000 to date for MusiCares, the philanthropic arm of The Recording Academy.

That same week, Stuart will release “Compadres: An Anthology of Duets,” which includes a lifetime of musical collaborations with friends such as Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Steve Earle, George Jones, BB King, Mavis Staples and others. He will also debut an historic museum exhibit titled “Sparkle & Twang: Marty Stuart’s American Musical Odysse” at the Tennessee State Museum that week featuring treasures from the late Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Elvis and more.