Category Archives: Texas

Cream of the Crop – Twang Nation Top Americana and Roots Music Picks of 2012

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TNtoppicks2012It seems like I say it every year – so here goes, another bumper year for Americana releases blah blah. but it’s true!
I’ve been sitting on a list of about 50 releases all of which could easily be included in a top 10 list of the best of 2012
until the last final minute of the deadline i set for myself to keep from crapping up my holidays. i had to make a stand.
Here it is.

I finally threw the arbitrary “Top 10” structure out the window and doubled down and made it a top 20 21. The selections are lasted in arbitrary order and are not most best to least best. They all stand on their own as some of this year’s. or any year’s, finest examples of songwriting and performance excellence.

A quick word on the exclusion of mainstream heavyweights like Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers and their upstart competitors the Lumineers didn’t make the cut. Cards on the table, for all my rooting for mainstream acceptance of the genre I’m still a music snob. Like most other genres, I genuinely think that once a person mines the Americana field below the mainstream examples that is where they will discover the real riches lie. This is my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Here’s a a happy, healthy and twangny 2013! thanks to all of you for reading, following,commenting. And to all the great musicians that reward us every day with riches that I personally am unworthy of.

Chris Knight – Little Victories
Malcolm Holcombe – Down the River
Darrell Scott – Long Ride Home
Corb Lund – Cabin Fever
Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale – Buddy and Jim
Iris Dement – Sing The Delta
Dwight Yoakam – 3 Pears
Turnpike Troubadours – Goodbye Normal Street
John Fullbright – From the Ground Up
Shovels & Rope – O’ Be Joyful
The White Buffalo – Once Upon a Time in the West
Justin Townes Earle – Nothing’s Going to Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
The Trishas – High Wide & Handsome
Gretchen peters – Hello Cruel World
Lindi Ortega – Cigarettes & Truckstops
Patterson Hood – Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance
Chelle Rose – Ghost of Browder Holler
Derek Hoke – Waiting All Night
Shooter Jennings – Family Man
BlackBerry Smoke – The Whippoorwill
Nick Cave / The Bootleggers / Warren Ellis – Lawless (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Song Review: Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis – “Border Radio” ·

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If there is such a thing as a Texas-based Americana music version of Conway and Loretta then Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis are it. But instead of rumors of romantic involvement Bruce and Kelly have been married for 15 years, and have 4 kids, so romantic interest is assured.

Each has their own celebrated solo careers. His penning #1 hits for George Straight, the Dixie Chicks and as a solo artist and occasionally helping out his brother Charlie Robison. Her as a successful solo artist and excellent duet partner.

They have decided to combine their considerable talent and to celebrate Valentine’s Day a bit early on their release “Cheater’s Game” out February 12.

The album is result os the staggering talent of these two and the help of fans who contributed to
wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to produce and promote the effort. Cheater’s Game is split between original songs and covers of Hayes Carll, Don Williams and Robert Earl Keen. The title of the release is from a song Robison penned with The Trishas members Savannah Welch and Liz Foster which was featured on their excellent latest “High, Wide & Handsome.”

The couple infuse The Blasters’ “Border Radio” a upbeat Tex-Mex groove that makes for perfect road music spiced with lovely harmonies, slide guitar, fiddle, and ..is that a cowbell!!

Unheard Townes Van Zandt To Be Released

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According to a post at The Grateful Web  unheard Townes Van Zandt releases, that have been locked away as a result of multiple label acquisitions of the initial Poppy Records recordings, will finally see the light of day with support from Zandt’s estate on February 5, 2013.

Omnivore Recordings will release Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions and Demos 1971-1972, a  two-CD set of previously unavailable music from Towns’  spanning the studio albums High, Low & In Between and The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. One disc features outtakes and alternate takes/mixes of tracks  like To Live Is To Fly, presented in both alternate take and demo form, and the classic Pancho & Lefty, a mix made alongside the known version, but without the strings and horns of the commercial version. There will also be songs included that have never released until now.

If the music wasn’t enough (and it is!)  the release will offer unseen photos and comprehensive liner notes by musicologist Colin Escott (Hank Williams: The Biography.)   Escott  writes “alternate versions add an entirely new dimension, like seeing someone you thought you knew so well in a new light. The new songs are simply good to have when it seemed the barrel was empty. And so here are more than two hours of Townes Van Zandt — music unheard since the engineer peeled off a little splicing tape to seal the box 40 years ago.”

Pre-order here

Track listing:

Disc One: Studio Sessions
1. T for Texas
2. Who Do you Love
3. Sunshine Boy
4. Where I Lead Me
5. Blue Ridge Mountains
6. No Deal
7. Pancho & Lefty (Alternate 1972 mix without strings and horns)
8. To Live is to Fly
9. You Are Not Needed Now
10. Don’t Take it Too Bad
11. Sad Cinderella
12. Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold
13. White Freight Liner Blues
14. Two Hands
15. Lungs
16. Dead Flowers

Disc Two: Demos
1. Heavenly Houseboat Blues
2, Diamond Heel Blues
3 To Live is to Fly
4. Tower Song
5. You Are Not Needed Now
6. Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold
7. Highway Kind
8. Greensboro Woman
9. When He Offers His Hand
10. Dead Flowers
11. Old Paint
12. Standin’

 

Top 5 Billy Joe Shaver Songs

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Few people alive have the amazing life that Billy Joe Shaver has had. With staggering  highs and bleakest of  lows it reads like a passage from the Old Testament.Along with doling out some near smiting outside a bar in Lorena, TX

Billy Joe Took some time a few years ago recall some of it for me.

In celebration of Mr. Shaverplaying the beautiful Great American Music Hall tonight I’ve put together videos of what I consider his top 5 songs.

One or two featuring his talented son Eddie, who left us too soon, on guitar.

These are in no certain order and hardly close to being complete list of this legendary man’s best. Please share your favorites in the comments section.

 

 

 

Honky Tonk Heroes

Old Five And Dimers Like Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiuwUa9oZs

Georgia on a Fast Train

I’m Gonna Live Forever

I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal

Billy Joe Shaver – Georgia on a Fast Train

George Strait Announces His Final (Maybe) Tour

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George Strait is getting ready to ride into the sunset, at least on his tour bus.

The superstar that keeps the traditional country music flame burning announced Wednesday at a news conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum that he will head out on his The Cowboy Rides Away tour next year. Strait will play 21 dates in 2013, then 20 more in 2014 to put a finish on a stellar 30 plus year live career.

Strait says he wants to go out while still in fighting form but leaves the door open for a comeback.  “I always had it in the back of my mind when I turned 60 that it might be time to start thinking about it. I also never wanted to show up for a tour when nobody came. I believe I made the right decision. Only time will tell. In 2016, I might say ‘What a dummy!” If that’s the case, maybe I’ll reconsider, but at this particular time, I’m pretty sure I won’t.”

Strait will start and end the tour in his home state. The first leg will kick off Jan. 18 in Lubbock, Texas, and end June 1 in San Antonio. Dates for 2014 will be announced later. Four-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year  Martina McBride will open for the tour in 2013.

I’ve ner see Strait before, but I am a fan. looks like I need to pony up this time around.

The Cowboy Rides Again — 2013 Tour Dates

January 18:  Lubbock, Texas (United Spirit Arena)
January 19:   Oklahoma City, Okla. (Chesapeake Energy Arena)
January 25:   Salt Lake City, Utah (Energy Solutions Arena)
January 26:   Nampa, Idaho (Idaho Center)
January 31:   Sacramento, Calif. (Power Balance Pavilion)
February 1:   Fresno, Calif.  Save Marcht Center)
February 2:   Las Vegas, Nev.  MGM Grand Garden Arena)
February 15:   St. Paul, Minn.  Xcel Energy Center)
February 16:   Grand Forks, N.D.  The Alerus Center)
February 22:   Buffalo, N.Y. First Niagara Center)
February 23:   Hartford, Conn.  XL Center)
March 1:   Knoxville, Tenn.  Thompson-Boling Arena)
March 2:   Lexington, Ky.  Rupp Arena)
March 17:   Houston, Texas  (Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo)*
March 22:   Greenville, S.C. (Bi-Lo Center)
March 23:   Greensboro, N.C. (Greensboro Coliseum Complex)
April 5:   Albuquerque, N.M. (The Pit)
April 6:   Las Cruces, N.M.  (Pan American Center)
April 12:   N. Little Rock, Ark. (Verizon Arena)
April 13:   New Orleans, La. (New Orleans Aren)
June 1:   San Antonio, Texas (Alamodome)

Americana Music Conference & Festival Picks

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Below you’ll find my picks for the 2012 Americana Music Conference showcases. This was one of the the toughest  years to winnow down the performances I’m going to attend. And I still did a poor job! There is too many great acts playing at the same time. Such an embarrassment of riches!

But there is hope! Unlike the misery of traversing the stages at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass where you’re lucky to catch parts of shows at more than one stage, and or even to make it alive in some cases, the Americana Festival has buses to get us to the venues.

Of course I can’t make all the shows unless am able top perfect that time bending and beer making contraption I’ve been working on (SOON!) but you van catch any of these performances and not go wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, September 11

The 5 Spot
$2 TUESDAYS /Twang Nation Social Club -  Hosted by Derek Hoke : feat.Melody WalkerAlanna ,
Royale Joshua Black Wilkins, Marsha & The Martians (Angel Snow & Robby Hecht) Late Night with Los Colones9pm
$2 cover/$2 Yazoo pints #UnofficialAMA

Mercy Lounge
Somebody’s Darling w/ Buffalo Clover – The High Watt #UnofficialAMA
The Billy Block Show featuring Yo Ma Ma, Erica Nicole, Chelle Rose, Allie Farris, Caroline Rose and The Cumberland Collective  #UnofficialAMA

Two Old Hippies 401 12th Ave. South
The Alternate Root Presents a Pre-AMA Triple-Play of Music with Amelia White, Julie Christensen and Tommy  Womack & The Rush To Judgment #UnofficialAMA
Showtime: 6:00-8:00 pm
No Cover ~ Special Treats
615-254-7999

Wednesday, September 12

Puckett’sGrocery, 5th & Church

5pm & 7pm Allen Thompson Band CD Release Party,
Dinner & show before the AMA Awards at 5 . Later show 7 #UnofficialAMA

The Basement
11:00 Blue Mountain
12:00 Shovels and Rope

The Station Inn
11:30 Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson

The Rutledge
10:00 Gretchen Peters
12:00 Delta Rae

Mercy Lounge
10:00 Corb Lund
11:00 This Wheel’s On Fire: A Tribute to Levon Helm

The High Watt
10:30 Whitehorse

Cannery Ballroom
10:00 Star Anna
Thursday, September 13

The Basement
8:00 Lydia Loveless
9:00 Angel Snow
10:00 Sons of Fathers
11:00 The Deep Dark Woods
12:00 Black Lillies

The Station Inn
10:00 Mary Gauthier
11:00 Richard Thompson

Mercy Lounge
8:00 Turnpike Troubadours
9:00 Billy Joe Shaver
10:00 Steve Forbert
11:00 John Fullbright
12:00 Jason Boland & The Stragglers

The High Watt
10:30 Eilen Jewell
11:30 Julie Lee
Cannery Ballroom
8:00 Blue Highway
9:00 Sara Watkins
10:00 Paul Thorn
11:00 Punch Brothers (with a Sara Watkins cameo?)

Friday, September 14

Sheraton Hotel lobby – 623 Union St.
Wanda Jackson
12:30-1:10pm

Amy Black,  Susan Cattaneo, Rose Cousins and Rod Picott
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

The Basement
9:00 American Aquarium
11:00 Chuck Mead and His Grassy Knoll Boys

The Station Inn
8:00 Red June
9:00 Della Mae
10:00 McCrary Sisters
11:00 Steep Canyon Rangers
12:00 Humming House

The Rutledge
8:00 Mandolin Orange
9:00 Mindy Smith
11:00 Belle Starr

Mercy Lounge
8:00 Jimbo Mathus & The Tri-State Coalition
9:00 Holy Ghost Tent Revival
10:00 Dylan LeBlanc
11:00 Darrell Scott
12:00 Reckless Kelly

The High Watt
9:30 Two Gallants

Cannery Ballroom
9:00  Amanda Shires
10:00 Robert Ellis
11:00 John Hiatt

Saturday, September 15

The Basement
9:00 Chastity Brown
11:00 The Pines
12:00 Chris Scruggs

The Station Inn
8:00 Brennen Leigh
9:00 Phoebe Hunt
10:00 Marvin Etzioni
11:00 Rodney Crowell

The Rutledge
8:00 Felicity Urquhart
9:00 The Wood Brothers
10:00 Kevin Gordon
12:00 The Trishas

Mercy Lounge
8:00 Lera Lynn
9:00 honeyhoney
10:00 Tift Merritt
11:00 Buddy Miller & Lee Ann Womack

The High Watt
8:00 Jill Andrews
9:00 Derek Hoke

Old 97′s Celibreate 15th anniversary of Classic ” Too Far To Care” with Deluxe Edition, Tour

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Dallas’ own Old 97′s will celebrate the 15th anniversary of their pivotal alt.country album “Too Far To Care” with a Deluxe reissue will feature a scad of bonus tracks, and a national tour where Rhett and the boys will perform the album in full.

American Songwriter posts that “the reissue features three unissued bonus outtakes (“Beer Cans”, “No Doubt About It”, “Holy Cross”) a rare promo track (“Northern Line,” off the Nothing To Attract You EP) and a second disc will contain They Made A Monster: The Too Far To Care Demos with 11 previously unreleased demos from the Too Far To Care sessions. They Made A Monsterwill also be released as a stand-alone LP (w/download card) and also as a stand-alone digital version.”

Old 97’s Too Far To Care 15th Anniversary Tour Dates w/Those Darlins supporting:

DATE: CITY/STATE VENUE
August 23 Houston, TX House of Blues
August 24 Dallas, TX House of Blues
August 25 San Antonio, TX Sam’s Burger Joint
August 26 El Paso, TX Tricky Falls
August 28 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom
August 29 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
August 30 Santa Ana, CA The Observatory
August 31 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
September 1 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
September 2 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
September 4 Seattle, WA The Showbox @ The Market
September 5 Vancouver, BC Venue
September 6 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre
September 7 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
September 8 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
September 10 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
September 11 Omaha, NE The Slowdown
September 12 Columbia, MO The Blue Note
October 14 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Festival

Old 97’s Too Far To Care 15th Anniversary Tour w/Salim Nourallah supporting:

DATE: CITY/STATE VENUE
October 16 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
October 17 Madison, WI Capitol Theater
October 18 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
October 19 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
October 20 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
October 22 Boston, MA Royale Night Club
October 23 New York, NY Webster Hall
October 25 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
October 26 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
October 27 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
October 29 Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom

Railroad Revival Tour Ticket Giveaway

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As part of my own Twang Nation train redemption series we bring you an opportunity to win a pair of tickets to a Railroad Revival Tour show at a stop of your choice.

Railroad Revival Tour is celebrates a pivotal age of American transportation and the more recent musical spirit best exemplified by the Festival Express. That tour chartered a Canadian National Railways train to transport Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, The Band, Buddy Guy and others to Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary, during the summer of 1970. The Railroad Revival Tour is a truly a uniques experience as travels town to towns aboard 16 vintage, 1940’s railcars, setting up open air, pop-up concert venues in parks, fields and lots around the railroad tracks where they stop.

Last year’s inaugural journey, featuring Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show, was a huge success and 2012’s version, featuring Willie Nelson & Family, Band of Horses, Jamey Johnson and John Reilly & Friends, is shaping up to be even bigger and better!

This year’s train route kicks off at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia surrounded by the historical steam locomotives and railcars of years past. The train then heads to Memphis, home of the legendary Stax Records and Elvis (and BBQ!.) Returning to the tour’s (and my) home state of Texas, the train will stop in the historical railroad town of Old Town Spring before heading west to Tempe, San Pedro and a finale where it began last year in Oakland, CA.

Now how do you enter the contest? Easy! Head over to the Twang Nation Facebook page and enter a caption for this pic. Rules: Post your caption on the image and the one with the most “Likes” at 1 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday August 1st will be claimed the Winner. Twang Nation reserves the right to settle a tie.
Make sure to “Share” the Facebook post with friends and family to increase your “Likes”.

Robert Plant Elopes With Patty Griffin (Not!)

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UPDATE: Plant’s U.K.-based manager says was being “cheeky” when he used the word “eloped” to describe his home life. “Robert has not married Patty Griffin,” she tells us. “He was just referring to the fact that he’s been residing in Texas.”

Rock legend and recent Americana emigre Robert Plant, has taken his Austin Austin residency seriously.

Led Zeppelin and Band of Joy front man revealed in an interview last Wednesday with the U.K.’s Independent
that he has secretly tied the knot with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and Band of Joy member Patty Griffin.

“I eloped and ran off to Texas,” Plant told the newspaper.

No word on if the couple has been seen at the local Whole Foods product isle and whether Griffin can keep her hands off his lemon.

Jason Isbell Engaged to Amanda Shires

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Anyone subscribed to Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires twitter accounts know they are both very adept at using twitter to draw in their fans.

They would also know that over the last several months there was a courtship going on, many times from separate states. As of yesterday Isbell promised to make her an honest woman by tweeting “Happiest day of my life. @amandashires said yes!” along with this sweet pic. Later on Shires tweeted “Loveliest day ever.” I should have known something was up when Isbell tweeted a few hours before the announcement “Damn right I’m listening to Supertramp.”

Here’s to the happy couple from Casa Twang. Here’s to many years of love, happiness and great, collaborative music!

Here’s the happy couple together onstage last month at Alys Stephens Center in Birmingham, Ala. covering Townes Van Zandt’s “”Pancho & Lefty.”