Witchita, Kansas based Bloodshot Records recording artists Split Lip Rayfield are gearing up for the group’s fifth studio album “I’ll Be Around” is its first collection of new material since 2004’s “Should Have Seen It Coming”and their first since losing their friend and collaborator Kirk Rundstrom to cancer. Lawrence Kansas’ Lawrence.com reports that the album is “vintage Split Lip: blazing-fast banjo  licks balanced by high-lonesome ballads and a healthy sense of humor.”

Split Lip Rayfield – Aces High(mp3)
Split Lip Rayfield – Heart of Darkness(mps)

Split Lip Rayfield – Red Neck Tailgate Dream

Why does a Chicago based, blues/bluegrass/punk, Bloodshot Records band Devil in a Woodpile cover classic Zeppelin? Because they’re damn good at it!

If you’re in the New York City area for the CMJ be sure to head out to Union Pool in Brooklyn next week for the Bloodshot Records showcase. No invites or badges needed, but you will need a ticket. $8 advance / $10 door, free w/CMJ badge – come early for FREE beer & tacos – Sponsored by Blurt Online & Oskar Blues Brewery.

Saturday Afternoon, October 25
Union Pool – 484 Union Ave. at Lorimer in Brooklyn
12:30 doors
1:00 – 1:40: Dexter Romweber Duo
1:50 – 2:30: I’m Not Jim
2:40 – 3:20: Ben Weaver
3:30 – 4:10: Ha Ha Tonka
4:20 – 5:00: Cordero
5:10 – 5:50: Charlie Pickett
6:00 – 6:40: Justin Townes Earle

That “Dirty ol One Man Band from Texas: Scott H. Biram will be wheeling his First Church Of The Ultimate Fanaticism selling his brand of sanctified chicken-fried country blues music this spring and will be over in the UK in late May with some possible central Europeon dates in Early June.

Check him out at a chicken coop near you if you dare!

Fri 3/21/08 Riley’s Tavern Hunter, TX

Sat 3/22/08 Red Eyed Fly Austin, TX

Sat 3/29/08 Double-Wide Dallas, TX

Thu 4/10/08 Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ w/Hillstomp

Fri 4/11/08 Plush Tucson, AZ w/Hillstomp

Sat 4/12/08 Casbah San Diego, CA w/Hillstomp

Sun 4/13/08 Safari Sam’s Hollywood, CA
w/ Wayne Hancock, 50 Cent Haircut, Hillstomp (SHB plays 3rd)

Tue 4/15/08 The Crepe Place Santa Cruz, CA

Wed 4/16/08 Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, CA w/Hillstomp

Thu 4/17/08 Axe & Fiddle Cottage Grove, OR w/Hillstomp

Fri 4/18/08 Dante’s Portland, OR w/Thee Loyal Bastards & Hillstomp

Sat 4/19/08 El Corazon Seattle, WA w/Hillstomp & Bob Wayne & His Outlaw Carnies

Mon 4/21/08 The Filling Station Bozeman, MT w/Hillstomp

Wed 4/23 Bar Deluxe w/Hillstomp

Fri 4/25/08 Bender’s Tavern Denver, CO w/Hillstomp, Rev. Deadeye

TBA (Possibly Lincoln, NE)

Bloodshot Records will be holding their 4th annual Yard Dog Party and official SXSW showcase. Their artist will be performing at many other showcases and parties around Austin. A partial schedule follows:

Bloodshot Records – Annual SXSW Party at Yard Dog- Friday afternoon March 14th
Yard Dog Gallery, 1510 S. Congress

(bands NOT in order):

Firewater
Bobby Bare Jr.
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
The Waco Brothers
Ha Ha Tonka
Justin Townes Earle
Deadstring Brothers
Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hands
The Silos (in tribute to Drew Glackin)
Andre Williams

Bloodshot Records Official SXSW Showcase
Saturday Night, March 15th
Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River at 7th St):
1am                  The Waco Brothers
Midnight            Firewater
11pm                Deadstring Brothers
10pm                Justin Townes Earle
9pm                  Ha Ha Tonka
8pm                  Mark Pickerel & His Praying Hand

Chicago-based alt.country stalwart Bloodshot Records has signed Justin Townes Earle to a multi-album, world-wide deal. His debut full-length album, The Good Life is slated to hit stores in Spring 2008. Justin will make appearances at SXSW and tour with The Felice Brothers in March and April. Justin’s previously self-released EP “Yuma” will become available to wide release through Bloodshot soon.

The Good Life is produced by RS Field, who has made his mark on critically acclaimed albums by Billy Joe Shaver, Sonny Landreth, Webb Wilder and Buddy Guy. Recording is underway at House of David studios, the legendary room that has hosted sessions with George Jones, Yo La Tengo, Elvis Presley, Neil Young and countless others. Joining Earle in the studio are a cast of all-star players including longtime cohort Cory Yountes (Bobby Bare, Jr) on banjo and mandolin, pedal steel player master Pete Finney (Dixie Chicks, Patty Lovelace), bassist Bryn Davies (Patty Griffin, Guy Clark), drummer Bryan Owings (Buddy Miller, Shelby Lynne), keyboardist Skylar Wilson and fiddle player Josh Hedley.

Bloodshot Records artists Ha Ha Tonka, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and The Silos are gearing up for the annual CMJ Conference here  in New York. Ha Ha Tonka and The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir play their official CMJ showcase on October 19^th at the Cake Shop before joining the Silos and select friends of the label at the annual Bloodshot Records Party, taking place at Union Pool in Brooklyn on Saturday, October 20^th.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19TH
Cakeshop – 152 Ludlow, 212/253-0036
8pm   Ha Ha Tonka
9pm   Scotland Yard Gospel Choir

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH
Union Pool – 484 Union Avenue at Skillman Avenue, Brooklyn, 718/609-0484
12:30               Doors Open
1:00 – 1:30       Carolyn Mark*   (Vancouver BC)
1:45 – 2:15       The Panderers*  (LA CA)
2:30 – 3:00       Bone-Box*        (Manchester UK)
3:15 – 3:50       The Silos       (NY NY)
4:05 – 4:45       The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir  (Chicago IL)
5:00 – 5:40       Ha Ha Tonka     (Springfield MO)
5:55 – 6:40       Centro-Matic*   (Denton TX)

$10 admission / Free with CMJ badge
Beer from Oskar Blues Beer – Grilled treats for everyone!

Ha Ha Tonka is a great new band from Springfield MO. newly signed to the mighty Bloodshot Records. Their album Buckle in the Bible Belt is available now.

Coming off summer tour dates with The Slip and gearing up for a fall tour supporting Lucero, post-punk-alt.country innovator and Andre The Giant look-alike Bobby Bare Jr will be performing a special daytime Musicfest NW show today with members of the Decemberists appearing as his backing band! Bobby and his crack pickup band will support Cat Power at a special daytime Musicfest NW show. Touring in support of The Longest Meow, his critically acclaimed album on Bloodshot Records,  Bare Jr also announces a special reunion of his crack band in previous years, Bare, Jr, which takes place on November 23rd at The Exit in Nashville, TN.

I really hope there are “Texas as Fuck” t-shirts at the shows!

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The “Texas as Fuck” World Tour ‘86 starts next week in Roanoke, VA on August, 8th!! Funny thing is…heh!..it’s just the North Eastern and Mid Western United states really.

But I did make some great new women’s Underwear featuring an “ass-load of Texas” to help commemorate the event! I’ll also have some new “Get Off My Property” tees and I’m hoping to secure an order of the 2003 recording of Scott H. Biram’s Rehabilitation Blues EP before I leave. This is a CD made only for those of you who have everything else I’ve recorded. It was recorded while I was bed-ridden in 2003 after “the big wreck.” It’s only me and my acoustic and it’s a limited edition pressing. It ain’t the best I’ve done, but give me your money anyway. I need a new roll of duct tape and some velcro. The Black Diamond Heavies will be joining me on several dates 8.13-8.23. Come check them out. They are great friends of mine and I’m looking forward to rockin’ the fuck out with them! Keep your fingers crossed that US Justin is there with the Reverend John Wesley “James Leg” Meyers, ans Good Ol’ Van Winkle Campbell. Also, we will be touring together in the UK during October ‘07 with a few dates in the Netherlands and France on the tail end. Be there if you can! Some higlights of the upcoming August USA tour will be my show with friends, Nashville Pussy in Asbury Park, New Jersey on August, 10, and Chris Johnson’s Deep Blues Fest in River Falls, Wisconsin on August, 18th. There are so many great acts on the bill including Robert Belfour, John Schooley, Black Diamond Heavies, Mark “Pork Chop Holder”, William Elliot Whitmore, Hillstomp and so many more.
You can see more about this event at www.myspace.com/deepbluesfestival
and at www.deepbluesfestival.com.
Don’t miss the Minneapolis show the next night!!
Anyway, we’ll see y’all soon.
Sleaze out,
SHB