Category Archives: Radio

KHYI 100th Episode Contest – Wynonna & The Big Noise

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Wynonna & The Big Noise

Seems like only yesterday I was introduced to the KHYI morning DJ Chuck Taylor at the 18th annual Texas Music Revolution at South Fork Ranch. Soon after he and general station manager Joshua Jones asked to do a casual morning segment featuring a song of my choice as well as live shows I’d recommend. Oh and happenings at this little blog and on my sundry social media.

Coming up on our 100th episode of our little segment, Twang Nation Radio, and I am here to tell you it’s been a great ride. We’ve celebrated extraordinary music, solemn moments for passing legends and celebrated the miracle that is Nashville hot chicken.

Chuck has become not just an associate and parter in sonic escapades but a friend. I’m in awe of his tireless commitment to sharing great music and making KHYI the preeminent roots music stations in North Texas, In short, he kicks ass.

Enough of the weepy bits and on to the swag!

Leave a memory of Twang Nation Radio, performers you’ve discovered, concerts you’ve found out about, times you wanted to punch me for bad-mouthing Sturgill Simpson, for a chance to win the latest awesome release from Wynonna & The Big Noise. Signed and on vinyl no less. REALLY!

One winner will be picked at random Sunday, April 24th, Wednesday, April 27th 2pm CST. THIS CONTEST IS INTENDED FOR LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ONLY.

Wynonna & The Big Noise is the rootsy release by Wynonna Judd and her cracker-jack band. Special guests include Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Timothy B Schmit and Jason Isbell. It was produced by Wynonna’s hubby (and drummer) Cactus Moser, and includes songs written by the band, Julie Miller, Raphael Saadiq, John Scott Sherrill and Chris Stapleton.

Good luck, and thanks for listening/reading.

Grammys 2016 – Alabama Shakes , Punch Brothers, Mavericks, Jason Isbell, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Among Roots Nominees

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

58th-Grammy-Logo

The Recording Academy® announced nominations for the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards® in all 83 categories this morning. The nominees were selected from more than 21,000 submissions entered from the only peer-based music award, voted on by The Academy’s membership body of creators across all disciplines of music, including recording artists, songwriters, producers, and engineers.

Roots rock band Alabama Shakes has proven crossover appeal by a snagging a total of five GRAMMY nominations for their latest ‘Sound & Color.
Punch Brothers follow with 3 nominations. The Mavericks, Jason Isbell and Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell follow with 2 nominations apiece.

Lee Ann Womack is up for Best Country Solo Performance and Hayes Carll received a Best Country Song nomination for “Chances Are,” a great track on her album “The Way I’m Livin’.”

Roots super-producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton) is up for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and the GRAMMY voters again prove more open that genre specific award shows by nominating Ashley Monroe, Kacey Musgraves and current country / roots (deserving) darling Chris Stapleton for Best Country Album alongside mainstream favorites Sam Hunt and Little Big Town.

Gospel and soul legend and Best Americana Album recipient Mavis Staples was nominated for Best American Roots Performance for her version of ” Blind Lemon Jefferson’s ‘See That My Grave Is Kept Clean’ from her latest ‘Your Good Fortune’ EP.

Bob Dylan’s ‘Shadows in the Night’ is up for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and British pop-soul crooner James Bay is nominated for Best New Artist. Wilco and My Morning Jacket are both up for Best Alternative Music Album.

made a name for himself this year by melding his deep, melodic voice with simple, blues-inspired guitar riffs. He released his debut album Chaos and the Calm, which is also nominated for a Best Rock Album Grammy, this past March, earning comparisons to pal Ed Sheeran, whom he’s performed with before.

Final-round GRAMMY® ballots will be mailed Dec. 16 and the will be presented Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Best Country Album:
Sam Hunt, Montevallo
Little Big Town, Pain Killer
Ashley Monroe, The Blade
Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material
Chris Stapleton, Traveller

Best Americana Album:
Brandi Carlile, The Firewatcher’s Daughter
Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, The Traveling Kind
Jason Isbell, Something More Than Free
The Mavericks, Mono
Punch Brothers, The Phosphorescent Blues

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Brothers Osborne, “Stay a Little Longer”
Joey + Rory, “If I Needed You”
Charles Kelley, Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay, “The Driver”
Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”
Blake Shelton feat. Ashley Monroe, “Lonely Tonight”

Best Country Song
Lee Ann Womack, “Chances Are”
Tim McGraw, “Diamond Rings And Old Barstools”
Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”
Brandy Clark, “Hold My Hand”
Chris Stapleton, “Traveller”

Best Country Solo Performance
Cam, “Burning House”
Chris Stapleton, “Traveller”
Carrie Underwood, “Little Toy Guns”
Keith Urban, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16”
Lee Ann Womack, “Chances Are”

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical:
Jeff Bhasker
Dave Cobb
Diplo
Larry Klein
Blake Mills

Best American Roots Performance:

And Am I Born To Die
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, And Am I Born To Die
Track from: Béla Fleck And Abigail Washburn

Buddy Guy, Born To Play Guitar
Track from: Born To Play Guitar

The Milk Carton Kids, City Of Our Lady
Track from: Monterey

Punch Brothers, Julep
Track from: The Phosphorescent Blues

Mavis Staples, See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
Track from: Your Good Fortune

Best American Roots Song

All Night Long
Raul Malo, songwriter (The Mavericks)
Track from: Mono
Label: The Valory Music Co.; Publisher(s): Big Machine Music/Raul Malo Music

The Cost Of Living
Don Henley & Stan Lynch, songwriters (Don Henley & Merle Haggard)
Track from: Cass County
Label: Capitol Records; Publisher(s): Wisteria Music (GMR) admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Matanzas Music

Julep
Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert, Noam Pikelny, Chris Thile & Gabe Witcher, songwriters (Punch Brothers)
Track from: The Phosphorescent Blues
Label: Nonesuch; Publisher(s): Chris Thile Music, Money Baby Music, Noam Tunes, Silver Hammer Music, Paul Kowert

The Traveling Kind
Cory Chisel, Rodney Crowell & Emmylou Harris, songwriters (Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell)
Track from: The Traveling Kind
Label: Nonesuch; Publisher(s): Criterion Music o/b/o Coolwell Music/Almo Music Corp. o/b/o Poodlebone Music/Chisel Publishing

24 Frames
Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell)
Track from: Something More Than Free
Label: Southeastern Records; Publisher(s): Songs Of Emchant

Best Bluegrass Album

Pocket Full Of Keys
Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle Records

Before The Sun Goes Down
Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
Label: Compass Records Group

In Session
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

Man Of Constant Sorrow
Ralph Stanley & Friends
Label: Red River Entertainment

The Muscle Shoals Recordings
The Steeldrivers
Label: Rounder

Best Blues Album
Descendants Of Hill Country
Cedric Burnside Project
Label: Cedric Burnside Project

Outskirts Of Love
Shemekia Copeland
Label: Alligator Records

Born To Play Guitar
Buddy Guy
Label: RCA Records/Silvertone Records

Worthy
Bettye LaVette
Label: Cherry Red

Muddy Waters 100
John Primer & Various Artists
Label: Raisin Music Records

Best Folk Album

Wood, Wire & Words
Norman Blake
Label: Plectrafone Records

Béla Fleck And Abigail Washburn
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Label: Rounder

Tomorrow Is My Turn
Rhiannon Giddens
Label: Nonesuch

Servant Of Love
Patty Griffin
Label: PGM

Didn’t He Ramble
Glen Hansard
Label: Anti

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Go Go Juice
Jon Cleary
Label: FHQ Records

La La La La
Natalie Ai Kamauu
Label: KEKO Records

Kawaiokalena
Keali’i Reichel
Label: Punahele Productions

Get Ready
The Revelers
Label: The Revelers

Generations
Windwalker And The MCW
Label: MCW Productions / PK Productions LLC

The Civil Wars’ Joy Williams on Nashville’s Lightning 100

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Joy Williams - Lightening 100

Joy Williams helps out Lightning 100’s Wells Adams morning show on Nashville
Lightning 100 morning show and discusses her new baby, covering the Smashing Pumpkins, living in Nashville, displays decent skill in a lightening round.

She also talks about, and plays some cuts from, her band’s new chart-topping self-titled Civil Wars album.

There are a few references to the “not the most comfortable time” that she and John Paul White are currently going trough. She says “John Paul and I are in a season where it’s a little bit to be determined.” and “People don’t choose to go into those phases” and “I’m desperate to play these songs. I want to be out on the read” and “I hold out hope.”

Americana Honors & Awards Picks

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

One of the highlights of the Americana Music Festival and Conference is the Americana Honors and Awards program, which takes place at within the sacred walls of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. on Sept. 12. It’s a great event because not only do you have Buddy Miller leading a stellar house band and Jim Lauderdale, and tireless and engaging MC, deserving of the moniker “Mr. Americana,” but the performances are always some of the best I’ve had the good fortune to witness from those storied pews.

For the first time TV viewers get a new perspective. This year’s Americana Honors & Awards will be broadcast on AXS TV which will include live behind-the-scenes coverage.

The ceremony will also broadcast live on radio, satellite and the web via outlets including Nashville’s legendary WSM, SiriusXM’s “Outlaw Country” and NPR.org, respectively. As they did last year Austin City Limits, will broadcast an edited special ACL Presents on November 10, and Voice of America and Bob Harris’ BBC Radio 2 will broadcast overseas in the following weeks.

I’ve already opined on my views of the nominees, now it’s time to settle in for the ride. below find the nominees and my pick in bold.

Album of the Year
Here We Rest – Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive – Steve Earle
The Harrow & The Harvest – Gillian Welch
This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark – Various Artists

Artist of the Year
Gillian Welch
Hayes Carll
Jason Isbell
Justin Townes Earle

Emerging Artist of the Year
Alabama Shakes
Dawes
Deep Dark Woods
Robert Ellis

Song of the Year
“Alabama Pines” – Written by Jason Isbell and performed by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
“Come Around” – Written and performed by Sarah Jarosz
“I Love” – Written by Tom T. Hall and performed by Patty Griffin
“Waiting On The Sky to Fall” – Written and performed by Steve Earle

Instrumentalist of the Year
Buddy Miller
Chris Thile
Darrell Scott
Dave Rawlings

Duo/Group of the Year
Carolina Chocolate Drops
The Civil Wars
Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
Punch Brothers

Americana Music Festival Announces Confirmed First-Round Performers

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Though we might not always see eye to eye the Americana Music Association know how to put on a party. The Americana Music Festival & Conference is annually held in Nashville and this year will mark it’s This 13th year. Each year it occurs in Fall and this year it will run September 12-15. The event has loads of the best Americana music, media and industry people you could ever care to meet. All that and somehow they keep letting me back in!

The AMA has just released an early list of performers a slated to appear. They are:

American Aquarium – Amy Helm – Andrew Combs – Angel Snow – Anthony da Costa – Bearfoot – Belle Starr – Bill Kirchen – Billy Joe Shaver – Black Lillies – Blue Highway – Blue Mountain – BoDeans – Brandi Carlile – Brennen Leigh – Buddy Miller – Buxton – Caitlin Harnett – Chastity Brown – Corb Lund – Cory Branan – Darrell Scott – The Deep Dark Woods – Della Mae – Derek Hoke – The Dunwells – Eilen Jewell – Felicity Urquhart – Fort Frances – Gretchen Peters – Holy Ghost Tent Revival – honeyhoney – Humming House – Immigrant Union – Jason Boland & The Stragglers – Jill Andrews – Jim Lauderdale – Jimbo Mathus & The Tri-State Coalition – John Fullbright – John Hiatt – Jordie Lane – Julie Lee – Kasey Anderson and the Honkies – Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Kevin Gordon – Lera Lynn – Lydia Loveless – Mandolin Orange – Mary Gauthier – The Mastersons – Max Gomez – McCrary Sisters – Mindy Smith – Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers – Phoebe Hunt – Punch Brothers – Reckless Kelly – Richard Thompson – Robert Ellis – Rodney Crowell – Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside – Sara Watkins – Shovels & Rope – Sons of Bill – Sons of Fathers – Star and Micey – Starr Anna – Steep Canyon Rangers – Steve Forbert – Teresa Williams and Larry Campbell – Tift Merritt – Turnpike Troubadours – Two Gallants – Wheeler Brothers – Whitehorse – The Wood Brothers – The World Famous Headliners

Be sure to keep your eye on the Americana Music Association official site for more additions and information.

See you there (and bring $, beers are on you!)

The National Barn Dance Documentary Coming to PBS this Fall

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Before the Internet, hell before TV, radio held great sway over American culture and nothing introduced Great Depression and World War II era Americans to country and roots music like national “barn dance” packages like the Grand Ol’ Opry and the Louisiana Hayride. These programs drew on a rural and Southern cultural heritage of the listeners and made millions for thier spnsors. I was not aware of the National Barn Dance broadcast from Chicago on WLS-AM which was  a direct predecessor of many of these country music radio shows including the Grand Ole Opry.

This Fall PBS and ITVS will present The Hayloft Gang: The Story of the National Barn Dance (1924 – 1960.) Narrated by Garrison Keillor (no stranger to radio and roots music himself) will document of the history of the program and will feature “rare performance footage, home movies, and candid photographs with firsthand accounts from fans and performers. Interviews with historians, folklorists, and media experts reveal historical and cultural perspectives of this unique period in America’s history.”

The National Barn Dance launched the careers of Gene Autry, Patsy Montana, Bradley Kincaid, George Gobel, Pat Buttram, Andy Williams, and Lulu Belle and Scotty. Produced and directed by Stephen Parry with supervisory producer Bob Hercules,The Hayloft Gang will premiere on PBS nationwide beginning September 1, 2011

In addition to the national broadcast, The Hayloft Gang Video Contest allows participants and viewers to experience a fresh take on the popular music of the times. Audiences can watch performance videos, interpret the songs themselves, and upload their videos for prizes. Participants will urge friends and family to vote for them via email, Facebook, and Twitter. To coincide with the broadcast, the contest launches at on August 15th, 2011. Winners will be announced in October.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_TI1o0XEa8[/youtube]

News Round Up:WSM to Launch Live From The Loveless Cafe

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
  • Tune in tomorrow night to catch Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill perform together Wednesday’s Jay Leno Show. The pair on the West Coast participating in a series of All For the Hall benefit shows. Proceeds from the all-start line up, which also includes Melissa Etheridge, Dwight Yoakam, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift, will allow Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to expand. (The Boot)
  • Dr. Ralph Stanley’s autobiography Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times will be released on October 15 (BluegrassJournal.com)
  • The Americana brand continues to grow! Legendary radio station, WSM 650-AM, will launch a weekly Americana program called Music City Roots: Live From The Loveless Cafe. The on Oct. 14 debut show will feature  the legendary Emmylou Harris,  acclaimed duo Pam Rose and Mary Ann Kennedy, and emerging artists Annie Crane and Robin Ainger. Artists slated to performing in the coming months include Sam Bush, Radney Foster, John Cowan, Dexter Romweber, Dale Ann Bradley, Peter Bradley Adams, Mike Farris, Scott Miller and Webb Wilder. Each Wednesday evening broadcast will feature three to four artists in 30-minute segments, followed by a free-form “Loveless Jam” where all the artists and their bands will be invited to collaborate on the fly. WSM will air the show Wednesday nights from 7 – 9 p.m. live from the Loveless Barn in Nashville, TN. Ticket are on sale for performances.

News Round Up: Willie Twitters & A New Langhorne Slim Download

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
  • Check out the “twitterview”  – a cute way of describing an interview conducted on twitter –  between TheBoot.com and Willie Nelson as was gearing up for his MySpace free secret concert in Maui, Hawaii.
  • Speaking of the twitterverse (yeah, I’m gonna get mileage out of this), Charlie Robison won’t have to travel far to play a private living room concert for the winner of his twitter concert. The winner lives in Austin.
  • The Grand Ole Opry will bring back it’s special Opry Country Classics program this fall for an eight-week run beginning Thurs., Sept. 10. Already scheduled to perform are Moe Bandy, Terri Clark, Jimmy Dickens, Larry Gatlin, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, George Jones, Ray Price, Joe Stampley, Marty Stuart, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, and Tanya Tucker.
  • Rosanne Cash will be the subject of the Americana Music Association’s Festival and Conference 2009 Keynote Interview. The interview will be conducted by author/journalist Michael Streissguth – who has written books on Rosanne as well as her father Johnny, Eddy Arnold and others – will take place Thursday, September 17 from 10:45 until noon at the Nashville Convention Center.
  • Jack Ingram established a new Guinness World Record – most radio interviews in a 24-hour period. Ingram was  promoting his new disc “Big Dreams & High Hopes.” Ingram recorded 215 radio interviews within 24 hours, hitting most of the 50 states, Canada, Ireland and Australia. The previous record was 96.

No Guns in Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge

Posted on by — No Comments ↓
  • The debut single from Jamey Johnson’s forthcoming album is entitled “My Way will be available as a free download at www.jameyjohnson.com on August 3rd. On August 11, the digital e-single will be available for download at iTunes.
  • If you read this blog regularly then you know I’m a fan of 94-7 Badlands FM serving Americana and Red Dirt Music to the  Corpus Christi and coastal area of Texas (and streaming online!), but I have to say I am partial to Gina Gonzalez on Mid Days from 10am to 3pm. The girl plays some nice tunes!
  • Legendary Nashville Lower Broadway honky-tonk, and unofficial Ryman Auditorium green room, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge has laid down the law on packing heat in the bar. Tennessee has taken the genius move to allow firearms in bars so Tootsies had to take steps to keep the heeled from gaining entrance.  Frisking patrons and scanning with metal-detecting wands will now be part of entering the establishment. (CMT.com)

The New York Times on Those Darlins

Posted on by — 4 Comments ↓
  • The New York Times posts a great review of the riot grrrl-trad country group Those Darlins show at the lower East-Side’s Mercury Lounge.
  • Willie Nelson’s Facebook page is posting hints where this year’s Farm Aid will be held. So far we have:  The city for this year’s concert has a professional sports team named after an animal,  the concert will be in a state that is in the top 12 for number of farms  and it will be in a city & state where Farm Aid where Farm Aid has never been held.
  • Speaking of the Texas Yoda – Head over to Texas Music Matter to listen to Amazing Grace: The Willie Nelson Story – a winner of two National Headliners Awards including this year’s Grand Prize for Radio. Nearly a year in the making, the program features rare music plus interviews with, among others, Kris Kristofferson, Norah Jones, John Mellencamp, Ray Price, biographer Joe Nick Patoski, Willie’s best friend and closest confidante (his sister, Bobbie), and the Yoda  himself.
  • Country music legend (and daughter of country music legend Mel Tillis) Pam Tillis talks to the Vancouver Sun about the state of country music.