Legendary Roots Music Documentary ‘Heartworn Highways’ 40th Anniversary Box Set To Be Released

Heartworn Highways 40th Anniversary Box Set

As posted on Pitchgork.com the classic and celebrated roots music documentary Heartworn Highways is getting the Record Store Day (April 16th) deluxe treatment. The 1976 documentary by James Szalapski chronicles the rise of late 70’s roots and country music.

Filming for the doc takes place in in Texas and Tennessee in the last weeks of 1975 and the first weeks of 1976. It features intimate and ofter astounding performances by Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowel, Steve Earle, Guy Clark, Steve Young, David Allan Coe, Larry Jon Wilson, and others.

Over the years, the film and soundtrack have been lauded by fans and musicians and has achieved cult status.

On Record Store Day (April 16), Light in the Attic will release a limited (1,000 copies!) 40th anniversary 1,000 copies set featuring the film, its soundtrack, and more seen below.

    – Limited to 1,000 copies worldwide
    – Proudly Made in the USA, Hand crafted custom wood box by Boles Studio, Bronx, NY
    – LP-sized 80 page book with exhaustive 20,000 word essay by Sam Sweet interviewing artists, documentary creators and crew, including ephemera and over 100 unseen photos taken during the making of the film
    – Cast of Characters by legendary Austin illustrator Kerry Awn (Armadillo World Headquarters, The Ritz)
    – Reproduction of original film poster (24”x36”)
    – DVD of original 1976 film with restored image and sound. This is the first time the film has been restored to its correct speed in a DVD format.
    – DVD includes 45 minutes of bonus features, including performances by Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and others.
    – Region Free DVD
    – Double LP of soundtrack on “whiskey” colored wax housed in a Stoughton tip-on gatefold jacket
    – Download card for full soundtrack

Record Store Day was founded in founded in 2007 as a way to help struggling independent music retailers. The annual event has done much to fuel the current vinyl boom by offering unique and limited run editions like this one.

Find trailers for the film and the box set below.

Twang Nation Podcast Episode 2

I am humbled by the responses to the first episode of my Podcast and the kind and encouraging emails, tweets and conversations from readers and musicians. So before the holidays kick into full gear I bring you, friends and neighbors,Twang Nation episode 2.

Fresh off  the interview with the Civil Wars, upstairs at the historic Fillmore theater in San Francisco, I wanted to include their extraordinary title song from the current album Barton Hallow. If there is a super group and mainstream representatives for the Americana/roots music genre it’s Joy Williams and John Paul White. Also Houston’s own brings his own sweet brand of honky tonk as a chaser for those bittersweet beers. Mat D and the profane Saints and Jeannette Kantzalis were kind enough to send me some great unreleased cuts to include on the episode. Also I have also decided to end to the Podcast with a classic country song, on this episode David Allan Coe’s classic barroom number You Never Even Called Me by My Name.

It continues to be fun. Thanks for listening and please share with friends and family and leave any comments or requests below.

Dale Watson – A Real Country Song
The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow
Robert Ellis – What’s In it For Me
Lydia Loveless – Steve Earle
Mat D and the profane Saints – Red Ball
A Brokeheart Pro aka (Jeannette Kantzalis) – When The Killing’s Done
Porkchop Express – War W00t
Rita Hosking – My Golden Bull
Possum Jenkins – New Brand Of Misery
Joe Whyte – Please Believe Me
Somebody’s Darling – Another Two-Step
David Allan Coe – You Never Even Called Me by My Name

Twang Nation Podcast Episode 2

Wall Sreet Journal Covers Big Surprise Tour

  • The Wall Street Journal talks to some of the performers on the Big Surprise Tour. The toue is traveling the East coast and  showcases the Old Crow Medicine Show, Justin Townes Earle, The David ­Rawlings Machine (featuring Gillian Welch) and the Felice Brothers.
  • Houston Presses’ William Michael Smith in his Lonesome Onry and Mean column tells of  his son leaving the petroleum engineering program at University of Houston to, over time, become a guitarist for Hayes Carll, looking down the stage and seeing Guy Clark (arms folded) and being heckled by David Allan Coe (My Son, the Guitar-Slinger)
  • Jennifer Aniston has signed on to signed on to produce and star in Goree Girls, a film about the Goree All Girl String Band, a country music group that had a popular 1940s-era radio show despite the fact that its members were all inmates at a Texas prison. (E Online)
  • Kevin Costner wants to help victims of Canada’s Big Valley Jamboree country music festival in Canada where his band “Modern West,” was set to perform.  Storms at the event injured 70 people and a 35 year-old woman died when the wind blew down a speaker on her.

It Burns When I Pee Episode #26 – “peeHarmony.com”

Just when you thought it was safe to listen to country music podcasts It Burns When I Pee comes back around to put the fear in ya! Episode #26 has Norma Jean and Blake discussing online dating, coming up with new terms for oral sex, and making a few phone calls including one to Blake’s mom.  For Pete’s sake leave that poor woman alone!

The crew also  interview with the talented singer/songwriter Kara Clark and be playing a couple of her songs along with songs from Highlonesome, Robbie Fulks, David Allan Coe, Misery Jackel, and a song from Wayne “The Train” Hancock’s new album Viper of Melody.

Norma Jean will even read some fan feedback…SOBER!

David Allan Coe and Shooter Jennings in Harp Magazine

A great conversation by a couple of bonafide country music outlaws reminiscing about the good old days. From the piece:

JENNINGS: Nashville’s never going to change. They’re always going to be the same. They play by the rules. And it’s all still a pop thing. Nashville controlled it in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. It was just the reckless people that did it their own way that broke out [into the mainstream].

COE: The greatest example of that is Charlie Rich. Charlie Rich was just coming off of Behind Closed Doors, which was the biggest fuckin’ record. And if you went up by Sony Records, they would tell you-you couldn’t walk in a building, you know. Because Charlie was in the building, they had the doors locked. Security had to check you out first before you could get in the building. Then they had the awards show. And he was supposed to read the winner of male vocalist of the year. And he just opened the envelope and read it and took his fuckin’ lighter out and set it on fire.

JENNINGS: When John Denver won.

COE: Yeah. He refused to announce this guy as male vocalist of the year. And I thought it was the greatest fuckin’ thing I ever saw in my life. And you know what? You never heard Charlie Rich’s name again ever. That’s how powerful that town is. I just think music should be good or bad, period.

Lone Star 92.5 Lone Star Fandango – ZZ Top, David Allan Coe, Hank Williams III, Shooter Jennings, Old 97s, Drive By Truckers

Speaking of great Summer concerts – Lone Star 92.5 presents a Lone Star Fandango with ZZ Top, David Allan Coe, Hank Williams III (not on his tour itinerary below), Shooter Jennings, Old 97s, Drive By Truckers and the Drams at the Smirnoff Music Centre, Dallas, TX on Sunday, July 15, 2007 01:00 PM

Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic

Willie NelsonIt’s that time again. Time for bbq, fireworks, sunburns and Willie’s picnic. This 4th of July, get yourself to the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas. Advance tickets will be available for $30; otherwise, they’ll cost $35 at the door.

So far, the following artists are on board: Willie Nelson & Family, Kris Kristofferson, Stoney Larue, Shooter Jennings, Del Castillo, Pauline Reese, Noel Haggard, Titty Bingo, James Hand, Jimmy Lee Jones, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Johnny Bush, The Geezinslaw Brothers, Ray Price, No Justice, Randy Rogers Band, Billy Joe Shaver, The Mother Truckers, Mike Graham, Leon Russell, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, David Allan Coe, Freddy Powers, Bonnie Bishop, Bill McDavid, and Heather Myles.