Austin’s Singer/songwriter James McMurtry has never been shy about making a bold statement with his unique Americana/ Rock style. To help revive Democracy (and remind us all what that looks like) McMurtry has made his new song “Cheney’s Toy” available for free.

McMurtry and Lightning Rod Records are encouraging fans to use the free mp3 to create their own videos and post them online. McMurtry will choose the best videos and post them on his official MySpace page and website. If needed, fans can create videos using slideshow applications at RockYou.com. Creators of each of the top five video creators will receive t-shirts and autographed copies of McMurtry’s new album, Just Us Kids (in stores April 15, 2008). McMurtry’s choice for the best overall video will also receive an 8 Gb Apple iPod nano with video capabilities. Fans can send links to their videos to mcmurtryvideo@gmail.com.

Fan-made videos of “We Can’t Make It Here” have been viewed more than 170,000 times on YouTube.

James McMurtry - “We can’t make it here” 

Dolly’s new video “Better Get To Livin’” her forthcoming album “Backwoods Barbie” featuring Amy Sedaris. It’s a bit poppy for my taste but it’s Dolly for chrissakes!

My favorite line of the song? “Well, I’m not the Dalai Lama, but I’ll try - To offer up a few words of advice” Get it? Awesome!

For all those of you out there that think that country music is the de-facto soundtrack for the G.O.P.

Here’s some really early Dwight for you guys. Happy Friday!

20th Century Fox has set a Walk the Line: Extended Cut DVD for release on 3/25. The film will feature 17 minutes of additional footage and the 2-disc set will also include audio commentary with co-writer and director James Mangold. The Johnny Cash Jukebox  feature offers 8 extended musical sequences from the film with new introductions, including Lewis Boogie, Get Rhythm, You’re My Baby, Jukebox Blues, Rock and Roll Ruby, That’s Alright Mama, Jackson  and Cocaine Blues and there is 2 more deleted scenes with optional commentary, the film’s theatrical trailer and 7 behind-the-scenes featurettes (Becoming Cash/Becoming Carter, Sun Records and the Johnny Cash Sound, The Cash Legacy, Folsom: Cash and the Comeback, Ring of Fire: The Passion of Johnny and June, Cash and His Faith and Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line).

The Village Voice and Rob Trucks feature Bloodshot Records recording artist and 70’s sleaze revivalist, the Deadstring Brothers in their feature “Possibly 4th Street” expositions. This is a piece where musicians are invited to perform live and impromptu somewhere in New York City and to experience the immeadiacy and electricity of being ignored by snooty pedistrians.

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!

The fine folks at the 9513 have done a fine job of reviewing the new Willie Nelson cut “Gravedigger” from Willie’s forthcoming release “Moment of Forever” (Lost Highway - January 22nd) and I have to admit though a Dave Mathews penned and Kenny Chesney produced song doesn’t look promising to me on paper, I’ll be damned if the Texas Yoda doesn’t pull it off!

A big “screw you” to Universal Music for blocking their video’s from YouTube!