Jessica Cassyle Carr at Alibi.com holds a Q&A with Denver based former 16 Horsepower frontman and current Gothic Americana singer/songwriter David Eugene (aka Wovenhand.)

The Arizona Daily Star gives us a peak at the A-list alt.country artist packed tribute album for the Hacienda Brothers leader Chris Gaffney. Joe Ely, Los Lobos, Dave Alvin, Tom Russell, James McMurtry, Robbie Fulks, John Doe, Dave Gonzales and members Calexico and more  appear. The Hacienda Brothers‘ final album, “Arizona Motel,” came out last June, two months after Gaffney’s death.

I’m a huge fan of the Psychobilly/Gothic sideshow that is Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers so I was pleased that LeighAbsinthia over at the Hank III cussin’ board brought to my attention JD Wilkes roots music side project, along with his wife Layne Hendrickson. Ladies and gentleman I bring you The Dirt Daubers.

The Dirt Daubers – “Sugar Baby”

Hank Williams III will appear at the Grand Ballroom At the Regency Center,  San Francisco on Sat, Feb 28, 2009.  See you there!

Straight from the wrong side of the tracks (www.hank3.com) comes news that Hank Williams III has some early 2009 tour dates in support of his latest offering Damn Right Rebel Proud. Those Poor Bastards will support. Let the hell raising begin.

Feb 15 – New Orleans LA – House of Blues

Feb 17 – Houston TX – Meridian

Feb 18 – Austin TX – Antones

Feb 20 – Ft Worth TX – Longhorn Ballroom

Feb 21- Lubbock TX – Jakes

Feb 22 – Albuquerque NM – Sunshine Theater

Feb 23 – Tempe AZ – The Marque

Feb 24 – San Diego CA – 4th & B

Feb 26 – Las Vegas NV – House of Blues

• Yallwire, Sidewalk Records, and Epiphone are giving fans a chance to win the Damn Right Rebel Proud Prize pack featuring an Epiphone Guitar, Custom III Sector 9 Skate Deck, New Album from Hank III Damn Right Rebel Proud on limited edition Vinyl & CD.

• No Depression reports a March 24 release of Keep Your Soul: A Tribute To Doug Sahm on Vanguard Records. Some of the artists coerting the legendary Texas musician is Los Lobos, Alejandro Escovedo, Dave Alvin, Delbert McClinton, Charlie Sexton, the Gourds, Jimmie Vaughan, Terry Allen (with Joe Ely), Greg Dulli, Freda & the Firedogs, Joe “King” Carrasco with the Texas Tornados, and Doug’s son Shawn Sahm (teaming with Doug’s longtime bandmate Augie Meyers). The disc’s tracks cover all periods of Sahm’s career, from the heyday of the Sir Douglas Quartet to Sahm’s solo outings and up through his later tenure in the Texas Tornados.

• The Americana Music Association now has an Amazon storefront featuring lots of alt.country, roots and yes, Americana goodies just in time for Christmas. stock up kids, those CDs won’t buy themselves!

• Philly.com has a Q&A with Philadelphia’s own roots group Hoots & Hellmouth.

• South Carolina’s TheState.com has a Q&A with Patty Loveless who will be performing at the Newberry Opera House this Saturdsay October 25th.

• Howe Gelb talks to 3news in New Zealand music, politics and his place as the “reluctant godfather of alt-country.”

• I recently reviewed the excellent Hank III release “Damn Right Rebel Proud.”  Some other folks seemed smitten by the release as well (here, here, here, here, and here.)

First off -  Happy Birthday Dale Watson! Bubba you’re the Deal Deal!

The Villiage Voice has some choice (and funny) words about the new Lee Ann Womack release “Call Me Crazy.” “PowerPoint presentation in Music Row Pandering 10…” Ha!

Chris Parton over at the CMT blog has a brief, but still cool, observation of the Nashville Hank III show.

It seems that Willie Nelson has asked the King of Country Western Troubadours Unknown Hinson and Billy Bob Thorton’s band The Boxmasters to open some shows for him starting November 21 and ending around December 9. This should be a great show so get out therre and see it if you can. On a releated note Unknown Hinson and the Boxmasters will be  crashing on Regis and Kelly on oct 17. Damn, I wasn’t ware those boys could get up that early!

Dale Watson – Country My Ass

• I’ve heard it said, and agree, that alt.country and Americana is country music for liberals. Todd Snider is once again reinforcing that idea for me. “Peace Queer” is the name of the new Snider’s new release and it is being touted as “his most political record yet.” You can hear the first track off the album “Mission Accomplished.”

• NineBullets.net has posted some tasty cuts from Chris Knight’s upcoming album, Heart of Stone (8/19.)

• Hank III’s site has posted release date for his upcoming release “Damn Right & Rebel Proud” – October 21, 2008 From the III site: The album is again self produced and will shake the guns right offa your rack!  The first single will be “Long Hauls and Close Calls” – for which a video has also been produced that is full of muddin’, truckin’ and gunnin’! We thank our dysfunctional family for all of its support and patience in the release of this album.  Always get comfortable here, and the official Myspace site for all the news you really need.

Tracklist:

The Grand Ole Opry Ain’t So Grand / Wild & Free / Me and My Friends /6 Pack of Beer / I Wish I Knew / If You         Can’t Help Your Own /Candidate for Suicide / H8 Line / Long Hauls and Close Calls / Stoned and Alone / P.F.F. / 3  Shades of Black / Workin Man

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will present an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait of a great American musical dynasty in Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, Co-Presented by SunTrust and Ford Motor Company, a more than 5,000-square-foot exhibition opening on Friday, March 28, 2008, and closing on December 31, 2009.

“The Williams family story may seem familiar,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “However, this exhibit will take the visitor inside the family to revisit the life and impact of Hank Williams, examine the struggles and musical successes of his only son, Randall Hank Williams, and study the direct descendants, who are now striving within a new generation of artists, all measuring themselves by the example of Hank Williams.”

The exhibition has benefited enormously from the blessing and cooperation of the family, including Randall Hank Williams, now known as singer-songwriter Hank Williams Jr.; Lycrecia Williams Hoover, Hank Jr.’s older sister and the only member of the family with clear personal memories of Hank Williams; and singer-songwriter Jett Williams, who discovered her Williams parentage in the 1980s. Lending their own stories and family mementoes are Hank Jr.’s eldest children, singer-songwriters Shelton Williams, now Hank III, and Hilary and Holly Williams.

AKA Hank III. Happy 35th!

For some Christmas is not a snowy, candy-coated wonderland. Some folks find themselves on Christmas eve. sitting and staring at some lame stop-animation reindeer, topping off a 5 ft PBR can Christmas tree and putting the stamp on that alimony check to send off to your ex in Texas. Well friends, I got something to put the jingle back in your bells.

The 10th episode of “It Burns When I Pee” offers a talk with that merry elf-from-hell Joe Buck, from Hank III’s Damn Band, as he discusses everything from playing with a legacy legend, his time with The Legendary Shack Shakers, the sorry state of Nashville and how to bake the ideal pumpkin bread. That last one is a lie…

Christoph Mueller talks about his love of authetic country music and about some of the projects he is currently working on. Then that online Daisy-Duke Cheyenne helps stuff fans stocking with tons of great music from folks like Creech Holler, Slackeye Slim, Honky Tonk Special, Justin Otto, and lots more goodies for the tube-sock hanging over the space-burner.