The Best Of 2008...Artist Discoveries

If you're gonna check out any of these folks, make it Dustin Welch, Justin Townes Earle and Joe Pug. They're all kind of at a similar point in their careers where very good things are going to happen for them / to them soon. Make no mistake, all of these artists are worth your time but a few of them don't have records out yet so just be patient and go see them live.

Leo Rondeau (myspace) Country/Folk/Americana
Joe Pug (myspace) Singer/Songwriter
Roger Alan Wade (myspace) Singer/Songwriter moving effortlessly from touching to ribald
A.A. Bondy (myspace) Singer/Songwriter
Tim Hus (site) Canadian Cowboy
American Graveyard (myspace) Alt-Country Rock
Flatcar Rattlers (myspace) large band 21st century bluegrass/jamgrass
Dustin Welch (myspace) high energy Americana Rock
Justin Townes Earle (myspace) Singer/Songwriter with a flare for the nostalgia of the past
The Diesel Kings (myspace) Rockin' Country

The Best Of 2008...Live Shows In and Around ATX

Mark Jungers & Friends @ Gruene Hall 2008.02.28
Eleven Hundred Springs @ The Continental Club 2008.02.29
Mike McClure @ The Star Of Texas Fair And Rodeo 2008.03.04
Stoney Larue & Ray Wylie Hubbard @ The Star Of Texas Fair And Rodeo 2008.03.04
The Railbenders, Texas Sapphires & Fundamentalists @ The Scoot Inn 2008.03.11
Eddie Spaghetti & The Railbenders @ The Mean Eyed Cat 2008.03.12
Hayes Carll & Scott Nolan @ Stubb's BBQ 2008.04.08
Todd Snider & The Cheatham Street Warehouse Band @ The Cheatham Street Warehouse 2008.04.16 Max Stalling @ The Cactus Cafe 2008.04.30
Austin Homegrown & The South Austin Jug Band @ Momo's 2008.05.09
Ryan Bingham @ Threadgill's 2008.06.22
Roger Alan Wade @ The Saxon Pub 2008.07.02
Roger Alan Wade @ The Mean Eyed Cat 2008.07.03
Roger Alan Wade @ The Saxon Pub 2008.08.13
Corb Lund @ The Cheatham Street Warehouse 2008.09.02
Guy Clark @ The Texas Union Ballroom 2008.09.18
Deke Dickerson @ The Continental Club 2008.09.20
Reid Wilson @ The Mean Eyed Cat 2008.09.25
The Gougers @ The Cheatham Street Warehouse 2008.10.25
Brock Zeman @ Gruene Hall 2008.11.16
Austin Homegrown @ Donn's Depot 2008.12.06
Mike McClure & Scott Miller @ The Cactus Cafe 2008.12.10
The Gunhands @ The Mean Eyed Cat 2008.12.11
Justin Townes Earle @ The Cactus Cafe 2008.12.14

The Best Of 2008...Official Releases

Alt512's Top Seven:
Justin Townes Earle The Good Life
Tim Hus Bush Pilot Buckaroo
Brock Zeman Hundred Dollar Difference
Joe Pug Nation Of Heat (EP)
Hayes Carll Trouble In Mind
Adam Carroll Old Town Rock N Roll
South Austin Jug Band Strange Invitation

The Best of the Rest:
Jason Boland & The Stragglers Comal County Blue
I See Hawks In L.A. Hallowed Ground
The Gunhands Country Strange
Todd Snider Peace Queer (EP)
A.A. Bondy American Hearts
Justin Townes Earle The Good Life
Reckless Kelly Bulletproof
Fred Eaglesmith Tinderbox
Peter Cooper The Mission Door
Scott Miller For Crying Out Loud
Eleven Hundred Springs Country Jam
James McMurtry Just Us Kids
Mike McClure Did7
The Dedringers Sweetheart Of The Neighborhood

Last Stand of the South Austin Jug Band

Sort of. They have one other show in town on New Year's Eve but odds are you might already have plans...

Anyway...Tonight, December 17th, at Momo's at 10p. I reckon it's going to be crowded with all the SAJB fans out to get a final helping. Get there early.

Merry Christmas From The Gunhands

Check out the Gunhands' (site, myspace) Christmas tune "Pepe Claus" (mp3).

Or check out the whole show here: http://www.archive.org/details/gunhands2008-12-11.matrix.flac

Stream from Archive.org

Robert Earl Keen "Marfa After Dark" Free Download

From REK's site, recorded in Marfa, TX back in January of 2008.

http://www.robertearlkeen.com/index.php?page=marfa_download

01 Intro (Ms. Chloe Keen).mp3
02 Jesse With His Long Hair Hanging Down.mp3
03 Willie.mp3
04 Marty and Bill Intro (talking).mp3
05 Ride.mp3
06 Border Intro (talking).mp3
07 A Border Tragedy.mp3
08 The Annux (talking).mp3
09 Long Chain.mp3
10 Rich Intro (talking).mp3
11 Lonely Feeling.mp3
12 Tom Intro (talking).mp3
13 Mariano.mp3
14 A Joke (talking that is funny).mp3
15 The Great Hank.mp3
16 Panhandle Intro (talking).mp3
17 Panhandle Rag.mp3

Thoughts On The End Of The South Austin Jug Band

I am going to miss the South Austin Jug Band. I missed the old SAJB when Will and Willie left the band in the middle of 2007 and now I'm going to miss the new SAJB.

In any form, I was never let down by a SAJB show whether there was a hundred people in the crowd or fifteen. I can't say that about many bands.

The "South Austin Hug Band", although gone from the newer lineups, always maxed out the value for your entertainment dollar. I don't know if the guys in the band care about their legacy, but like other Austin bands that were gone from the scene after a prolific run, their legacy of great songs and great players will live on in my cd player and iPod for a long, long time.



In case you're interested, there are thirteen live shows housed in the Live Music section of archive.org. Enjoy.
http://www.archive.org/details/SouthAustinJugBand

My favorites are http://www.archive.org/details/sajb2006-11-04.sbd.flac from the Nutty Brown and http://www.archive.org/details/sajb2007-05-26.sdb.flac from Will's last show.

South Austin Jug Band Hangs 'Em Up

	from	South Austin Jug Band
date		Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 2:55 PM
subject		End of an Era

End of an Era

It’s been almost a decade of my life. I remember how it formed. I had a weekly gig at Momo’s on Sunday nights with James Hyland and the Half Ass Band (that really was our name, we rocked 50% of the time). The drummer and bass player quit and I had to scurry to put a band together to play my weekly gig. I loved playing Sunday nights at Momo’s and I was determined to keep the gig and make it work. Sunday nights? Are you serious? Who goes out on Sunday night? I really believed in the ole “if you build it, they will come.”
The first call I made was to Will Dupuy. We had never hung out at this point, but he gave me his phone number at one of my weekly gigs. It was written on the back of somebody else’s business card and it was hardly legible. I’m glad I held on to that card. I called him up and asked if he could play Sundays and if we could get together and go over the songs. I had been using punk rock bass players who were “learning” country music, now, Will was steeped in country music. It was the first time I played with a real country bass player and it was very refreshing. We had a lot in common and got along very easily. My previous bass player would often mix up the order of his 1-5 progression and it was pretty awful at times. Will was a great find.
An early review of my first band described me as “gangly and self-assured” and looking back I couldn’t agree more. We were starving and awful, but damn we were determined, and we were having fun trying to learn and get better. We had Champ Hood at our fingertips, Toni Price, Derek O’Brien, Scrappy Jud, Rich Brotherton, Casper Rawls, and the Walter Hyatt catalogue. We had a deep well of talent to listen to and learn from, all in Austin, TX. I took full advantage.
Will took the gig. He sat in at Momo’s on a Sunday Night and played city bass. (That’s what I call the electric bass) He was great, he told me he had an upright bass and thought it would work great. He also mentioned that he was staying on the sofa of a musician named Matt Slusher. Matt was just learning the mandolin and Will thought he should sit in with us. Do it.
So that was the first formation of the South Austin Jug Band. Willie Pipkin, Warren Hood, (both from the half ass band, they were the good half…), Will Dupuy, Matt Slusher, and myself. Looking back and counting, there have been 7 different configurations of the jug band. 7. Here they are in order.

1. Matt Slusher, Willie Pipkin, Warren Hood, Will Dupuy, James Hyland

2. Matt Slusher, Willie Pipkin, Dennis Ludiker, Will Dupuy, James Hyland

3. Brian Beken, Willie Pipkin, Dennis Ludiker, Will Dupuy, James Hyland

4. Brian Beken, Willie Pipkin, Dennis Ludiker, Matt Mefford, James Hyland

5. Brian Beken, Dennis Ludiker, Matt Mefford, James Hyland

6. Brian Beken, James Gwynn, Dennis Ludiker, Matt Mefford, James Hyland

7. Brian Beken, Robb Kidd, Dennis Ludiker, Mat Mefford, James Hyland

The point of all of this is to announce that we are turning the page and putting to rest the South Austin Jug Band. Our last Austin show will be New Year’s Eve, and then after a short tour through Colorado we will be taking a well-deserved rest. So in the spirit of Obama and change and anything else, we all enter into an exciting new part of our lives. What will we all do?

Nothin’. For a little while…

I can only speak for myself but I have to let ya know I have no other skills than writing songs and performing them, so I imagine that’s what I’ll get back to doing…

Thank all of you for your openhanded support. And Thanks to all of the musicians listed above, they are all gallant knights. I have witnessed some of the most amazing things in my life because of music. I got to play on stage with two of my biggest heroes, Lyle Lovett and Todd Snider, I watched Lance Armstrong’s children dance around him at our feet, I saw a man die as I sang “Live Forever”, I got to climb mountain tops, I saw Willie Nelson play at Red Rocks, I saw Richard Thompson sing 1952 Vincent Black Lightning at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, I shared a dressing room with Dale Watson in Amsterdam, had the Mayor of Austin designate April 12th as South Austin Jug Band day, played the Kennedy Center, Golden Gate Park, sent songs into outer space through XM radio, played 5 Austin City Limits Music Fests, played Golden Gate Park, wrote an album in the Chelsea Hotel in NYC, played that album in NYC with my Dad in the audience, and got to record vocal tracks with Willie Nelson’s microphone.
Nobody ever told me music wouldn’t take me anywhere, and I want to thank my family and everyone around me for that. They were never discouraging, ever. But nothing came easy, there was so much sacrifice. We always kept our integrity. Integrity doesn’t pay, but damn, the sleep is great and the respect of my peers is priceless.

Here’s our final shows

Dec 10 Momo’s Austin, TX 10pm
Dec 11 Continental Club Houston, TX 10pm
Dec 12 Cheatham Street Warehouse San Marcos, TX call for start time

Dec 17 Momo’s Austin, TX 10pm
Dec 18 Dan’s Silverleaf Denton, TX 10pm
Dec 26 Poor David’s Pub Dallas, TX call for start time

AND THEN

DECEMBER 31st New Year’s Eve Momo’s Austin, TX w/ Dustin Welch

Paul Oveisi, I would like to publicly warn you that I will be purposely trying to get this crowd DRUNK and to please have the bar staff stocked and the cabs ready to take people home. ☺ You the man.

And Thank you to Momo’s, I got this gig because my brother was the bartender. I want to thank him, and John Korioth who hired both of us and Paul for not firing me once he bought the bar, he let us grind it out and build something and to him I am eternally grateful. And thanks to my Mom and Dad for life! Alright, I’m done.

Thank you.

James Hyland

I Love Everybody.


And Colorado, we’ll see you in January. Get your tickets to SkiJam 2009

Quotes From The Show, Part VII

"If you didn't like that soundcheck, you can find us at rogermarin.com."
-Dan Walsh, 2008.11.16, Gruene Hall

http://www.archive.org/details/brockzeman2008-11-16.matrix.flac

more bz at gruene hall

brock zeman @ gruene hall

dan walsh @ gruene hall

Slow Couple of Months, ACL Recap and Other Odd-and-Ends

Sorry there hasn't been much activity here recently but it's been a slow 6 weeks since the ACL Festival - which rocked. I'll recap my ACL Saturday briefly which for me blew the doors off any single day of ACL I've been part of: Kicked things off in the sun at the AT&T stage with the Old 97s. Caught some of the Fratellis set before moving back to AT&T for the Drive-By Truckers. Caught some chair time before Robert Earl Keen and John Fogerty at the AMD stage. Closed the night out with Beck back at the AT&T stage. I was drained at the end of all that and actually didn't attend any of Sunday's festivities.

What else has been happening? The OKOM live music scene has been a little slow in the 512 for a month now. I only saw a few/taped shows
http://www.archive.org/details/gougers2008-10-23.matrix.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/reidwilson2008-09-25.matrix.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/reidwilson2008-10-10.spcmc20.flac

The Martindale Chili Cookoff sucked. OK, I'm supposed to say that because the Martindale folks want to keep it small and a relative secret. In reality, it was awesome. I went down with some friends for some chili, beer (it's BYOB) and bands-o-plenty. The highlight was my introduction to the Beaumonts (think of some David Allen Coe but intentionally funny and smart). I can't wait to see them again. Anyway, there was plenty of good music from Mark Jungers and others (names escape me at the moment). Really enjoyable afternoon and evening spent in Martindale.

The lack of other activities has been a little disappointing...Not to worry. There's plenty of good stuff coming soon. The Beaumonts (will devote more time to them soon) are at the Hole In The Wall tonight (11/12). Terry Allen is at the Saxon Friday (11/14). Brock Zeman is at Gruene Hall, The Triple Crown and Riley's Tavern (Sunday 11/16, Monday 11/17 and Tuesday 11/18, respectively). And....Holy crap. The Supersuckers are at the Scoot Inn next Friday (11/21). That will rock. And then one my favorite events of the year - the Triple Crown Anniversary Party - is Sunday the 23rd.

Couple of album notes, in case I haven't mentioned them or have mentioned them and forgotten:
Waylon Forever - Skip it. Put in Waylon Live and be move along.
Peter Cooper/The Mission Door - Check it out if you like Todd Snider. I really love a bunch of the tunes on this record.
Scott Miller/Appalachian Refugee - Awesome set of demos from ASM. Buy it if you can find it.
Wow. I think that's all the stuff I've checked out lately.

Finally, I have a few bands to check out next time your on the town in Austin:
American Graveyard (myspace)
The Flatcar Rattlers (myspace)
The Beaumonts (myspace)

That's all the info I have to share. Take care. See ya down the road.

Download Todd Snider's Peace Queer From The Man Hisself. Do It Now.

http://www.toddsnider.net/store/product/1/Peace-Queer

Add the digital download to your basket and check out. Just that simple. You won't be disappointed.

"Is This Thing On?" and the spoken version "Is This Thing Working?" are both fantastic.

Deke Dickerson At The Continental Club 2008.09.20

Deke Dickerson stopped by the Continental Club Saturday September 20th on his way back to California after an extended tour of the states. He and the band (Chris "Sugar Balls" Sprague and John Flynn) sounded excellent and treated the crowd to 90+ minutes of great rockabilly. Enjoy.

http://www.archive.org/details/dekedickerson2008-09-20.matrix.flac

Joe Pug's Video For Hymn 101

Here's the video for Joe Pug's Hymn 101 directed by Sam Molleur. He'll be on tour this fall so get out and see him if he's coming to your town. You won't be disappointed.

Site
Myspace

9/10 South Bend, IN *
9/18 Chicago, IL Park West >
10/3 Chicago, IL The Hideout (w/ full band)
10/5 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage
10/10 Indianapolis, IN Radio Radio #
10/11 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls &
10/12 Westhampton, NY Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center ^
10/14 Buffalo, NY Univ. of Buffalo Performing Arts Center ^
10/15 Harrisburg, PA Whitaker Center^
10/23 New York, NY CMJ Music Marathon @ Arlene's Grocery
11/1 Ames, IA The Maintainance Shop +
11/2 Dubuque, IA Jansen Music Hall at Clark College+
11/14 Columbia, MO Bluebird Music and Arts Festival

* with Robert Randolph
> with Kasey Chambers
# with Justin Townes Earle
^ with Susan Tedeschi
& with Railroad Earth
+ with Pieta Brown

Joe Pug - Hymn 101 from Sam Molleur on Vimeo.

The Goings-On in The ATX This Week

Monday and Tuesday are looking slow but then the rest of the week rolls around and there's no shortage of good stuff happening.

Wednesday 9/10
Adam Carroll, Mark Jungers and Danny Santos are playing a song swap at Threadgill's North from 8-10p.

Thursday 9/11
Woodsboss is playing the happy hour (630-9p) slot at the Continental Club.
The Fundamentalists are playing at Threadgill's North from 8-10p.

Friday 9/12
Cross Canadian Ragweed is playing at the Nutty Brown Cafe waaay out in far southwest Austin.
Christian Kjellvander and the South Austin Jug Band are playing at the Parish on 6th starting at 9p.
The Lost Bayou Ramblers are at the Continental Club at midnight.

Saturday 9/13
The Mean Eyed Cat hosts it's 4th year anniversary gig with Texico (8p) and Austin Homegrown (930p).
Mario Matteoli and the Lost Bayou Ramblers are at the Continental Club starting at 10p.

The Devil Makes Three Youtube Clips From Stubb's 2008.08.27

Awesome set from the Devil Makes Three (site, myspace) at Stubb's. It took 3+ years to get them back but it happened and it was 100% worth it. They sounded great. The old tunes sounded sublime and the new ones rocked the house. The crowd was really into everything. Here are a couple of youtube videos that I took last night. Enjoy. Go out and see these folks!

"Bangor Mash" which was the final encore song


Not sure on the title of this'n. "Feel Alright", maybe?

Happenings This Week In The ATX

A few big shows in Austin this week at a few of our favorite venues.

Wednesday 8/27 The Devil Makes Three (site, myspace) @ Stubbs
DM3 make their return to Austin to Stubb's (inside) after a 3 year absence. If you don't know who these guys are you are missing out.

Thursday 8/28 Corb Lund (site, myspace) @ Threadgill's South
The Canadian cowboy returns to Austin and has the Band Of Heathens opening the show for him.

Friday 8/29 Damon Bramblett (myspace) @ The Dry Creek
Friday 8/29 Chris Knight (site, myspace) & Corb Lund @ Gruene Hall

Hard pressed to go wrong with any of these events, folks. Do yourself a favor and get out to see some live music.

Huge Friday Night Goings-On In The ATX

Lots happening in Austin Friday night August 15th.

Damon Bramblett is at the Dry Creek Cafe at 8p
Joe Ely & Joel Guzman are at Threadgill's South at 10p (Colin Gilmore opens at 9p)
1100 Springs & Doug Moreland are at The Continental Club at 10p and midnight, respectively
Mark David Manders is at the Tavern in the Gruene (New Braunfels) at 8p

Quotes From The Show, Part VI

"Austin is a great place until you need cocaine on a Monday."
-Unknown, Trophy's, 2008.08.11

The Return Of Roger Alan Wade

I really loved both of Roger Alan Wade's (myspace) shows when he was in Austin back in July at the Saxon and Mean Eyed Cat. I've been listening to the recordings of the shows nonstop and really love his songwriting and sound.

He's coming back!

The Saxon Pub.
Wednesday
August 13th
2008
8p

If you missed him the first time, take this opportunity to atone for your sins. 100% worth it. I guarantee it.

The Goings-On in The ATX This Week

Wednesday 8/6 Sonny Landreth @ Blues on the Green in Zilker Park
Thursday 8/7 Sonny Landreth @ the Continental Club
Friday 8/8 Damon Bramblett @ the Dry Creek Cafe
Saturday 8/9 Austin Homegrown @ Donn's Depot

Gonna try to get out and tape a couple of these shows. Should be some good ones.

Jon Dee Graham Benefit Wednesday 7/30

Continental Club Austin, TX
10p
Wednesday July 30th

Benefit for Jon Dee Graham who was in a single car accident Saturday night.

-Featuring-

South Austin Jug Band @ 10p
and
Dustin Welch And Friends @ 12a

Admission is 10$ and I hear 50% of that goes to JDG. Come on out and show JDG some support!!

More Joe Pug

We here at alt512 saw Joe Pug (site, myspace) last week here at Antone's in Austin and were really impressed especially by the songs that we're on the EP. We hope he comes back to Austin soon.

Here's some of his stuff on youtube...

"Unsophisticated Heart"

"Hymn 101"

Introducing Joe Pug & His Nation Of Heat EP

Got an email from this guy's press agent Sharyn and after a listen felt obligated to share with you. His name is Joe Pug (myspace) and he's from Chicago. Got a bit of The Boss, John Prine and Paul Simon rattling around in there. I think you'll dig it.

You can download his EP here:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/0udrfo
Or you can stream it from ReverbNation.

Reid Wilson & His So-Called Friends

Axiom: Patience is a virtue.
Reid Wilson & His So-Called Friends (myspace, archive) are finally a go to have their live recordings hosted on archive.org's Live Music Archive and I couldn't be happier about it. There are a few shows up there and we here at the alt512 are looking to upload a few more in the coming days and weeks. Until then, enjoy this gem from Jovita's in March of 2008.

http://www.archive.org/details/reidwilson2008-03-07.matrix.flac

The band as always consists of:
Reid Wilson Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Josh Verrnier Drums
Lew Card Mandolin, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals
Jason Daly Lead Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals
Kevin Fox Bass, Background Vocals

Roger Alan Wade in the ATX

Roger Alan Wade (site, myspace) played at the Saxon Pub last night. I knew of his connection to the Jackass franchise but I guess I never realized it's at least partially because he's Johnny Knoxville's cousin. Anyway, in attendance last night were a big chunk of my friends from the Stillwater Pioneers, Gunhands, Rattlesnake Deer and Reid Wilson's band as well as Dale Watson and Knoxville himself.

RAW really tore it up last night playing great song after great song and really, dare I say, inspiring the crowd. I was really blown away as that was the first time I'd seen him live. He doesn't tour nearly enough (I know, I know...it's Austin and I'm music-greedy).

After the Saxon, a bunch of us went down to the Broken Spoke to hear Dale Watson (also has a Jackass/Johnny Knoxville) connection and Dale called Roger up to play a couple of songs with him and his Lonestars. They started off with a cover of Billy Joe Shaver's "Just Because You Asked Me To", his own "Reckless Kind" and another of his own whose title escapes me at the moment. It was incredible to see not only his performance of those songs (for the second time that evening) but also to see Dale's band just create the accompaniment for a couple of songs they'd probably never heard before. Wow. The things you can only see in Austin. And Johnny Knoxville was right up front through it all with his video camera rolling (and buying a dozen beers at a time for himself and his friends).

Oh yeah, Roger is still in Austin. He'll be at the Mean Eyed Cat tonight July 3rd. I have a feeling it's going to be a big time so come on out friends and neighbors. The beer'll be cold and tomorrow's a holiday.

Roger Alan Wade's All Likkered Up


Dale Watson's Hollywood Hillbilly

Quotes From The Show, Part V

The Band Intro Edition of Quotes From The Show

"Give it up for my buddy John Silva on the drums. That's Long John Silva on the drumset. This is Cody Foote. His daddy was Houston Oiler. He plays bass. Give it up. Cody Foote. My partner Jamie Wilson on acoustic guitar from Yancy, Texas by San Antonio where the folks know what real picante sauce should taste like. On lead guitar. He can out-work, out-drink, out-pick, out-play out-pray and out-lay any one of them Nashville stars, that's Lance Smith from Houston on the lead guitar. Lance Smith. On the fiddle, from the South Austin Jug Band that's Shakin' Brian Beken. Y'all give it up for Brian on the fiddle."
-Shane Walker from the Gougers, 2008.06.24

Shit Howdy! It's Austin Homegrown Live

Here's a great show from Austin Homegrown (myspace) at Momo's from May 9th, 2008. Homegrown is a very enjoyable mix of americana, country, rock, soul and blues that comes together nicely on some of their originals like "Sail Wide Open", "Blue Sky Day" and "Her Smile" as well some choicely picked covers of the Boss, Woody Guthrie and Willis Alan Ramsey (covers that mostly follow my guidelines for choosing covers for your band). Enjoy this show and go out and see these guys some time!

Download The Dedringers Record. Free. Now.

The Dedringers (myspace) are offering up their new record, Sweetheart Of The Neighborhood, free to all to download in advance of the cd release in July. Do it now. Don't wait.

Here's the link: http://www.mcam.com/download/

3 Song Trifecta

I was on my bike on the way home from the gym last night and three consecutive songs came on my iPod that I felt were appropriately placed. All three had a geographic and emotional theme be that theme leaving home, hating a place as an extension of a person or relationship or loving a particular place.

The songs, in order, were:
"Caddo County" by Verlon Thompson (site)
"Leavin' Tennessee" by Cross Canadian Ragweed (site)
"New Braunfels Homesick Blues" by the Gougers (site, myspace)

Just, fyi, none of these songs are official, I guess. "Caddo County" is on Verlon's Live At The Ivey's cd. "Leavin' Tennessee" is on a CCRW recording I got from cotapers.org. "New Braunfels Homesick Blues" used to be available their Bootlegs Volume 1 via their snocap but that appears to be inoperable now.

Here are some youtube links for you though.
"Leavin' Tennessee"
"New Braunfels Homesick Blues or "New Braunfels Homesick Blues"

Happenings This Week In The ATX

The fine folks at alt512 highly recommend all of these shows...check out the schedule above for the full listing.

Monday (6/9) Mike McClure (songwriter, producer, guitar hero, formerly of the Great Divide) @ The Cactus Cafe
Thursday (6/12) Reid Wilson & His So-Called Friends @ the Mean Eyed Cat
Thursday (6/12) Gurf Morlix & Sam Baker @ the Cactus Cafe
Friday (6/13) Damon Bramblett @ the Dry Creek Cafe
Friday (6/13) Ryan Bingham @ Threadgill's
Saturday (6/14) Mark Jungers @ South Park Meadows After Dark
Saturday (6/14) Danny Schmidt @ a House Concert somewhere in town
Saturday (6/14) La Tampiquena @ the Circle Country Club

A CD Recommendation

Reckless Kelly (site, myspace) has a new record coming June 24th called Bulletproof. I caught an advance listen today and let me just say it's a really great sounding record. Great new songs and just a fantastic record.

Buy the record. Go out and catch a show. They're in Austin on the 24th of June for the cd release show at Antone's. The Gougers (site, myspace) open up. Don't miss out.

Quotes From The Show, Part IV

"Scott Miller's only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time who only Scott can see and hear. And so Scott finds himself leaping from town to town trying to put right what once went wrong and hoping each time his next leap will be the leap home...back to Knoxville."
-Shane Walker, 2008.05.17

Happenings This Week In the ATX

Friday (5/23) at the Continental Club Dustin Welch (myspace) kicks things off at 10p followed by the Lost Bayou Ramblers (site, myspace). Highly recommend both of these bands.
Satuday (5/24) at Threadgill's South, Corb Lund (site, myspace) brings it back to the ATX.

And of course, it's also Memorial Day weekend which means I will be hunkered down in a theater at some point catching up on the latest installment of the Indiana Jones series. I can't wait.

Gonna be a great weekend, Austin. Get out there and see some live music.

Two New Records You Need

Read reviews of these two records on any Americana or Country music site. But I'm not reviewing them. I'm endorsing them. I wouldn't steer you wrong. Just finished one listen to each and I can say with some certainty that I'm going to have them on my iTunes all day long. And probably all day tomorrow too. What records, you ask?

James McMurtry's Just Us Kids (site, myspace, order the record)
Eleven Hundred Springs' Country Jam (site, myspace, order the record)

You won't regret it.

There's Danny Schmidt And Then Then There's Everyone Else

Being an Austinite, I have the privilege of seeing Danny Schmidt (site, myspace) perform on a fairly regular basis. I know Paste had that reader poll last year about the best living songwriters. Generally, I tended to agree but there were some that just left me shaking my head. I would bet that 99% of the folks who voted on that poll have never heard a single note of any Danny Schmidt song. In a perfect world Danny would get the recognition he's due as an genius songwriter.

Danny's poet-perfect word choice, multi-layered narratives, gentle yet powerful melodies and superb guitar work all mesh perfectly to create art that jumps off the record or rushes up off the the stage and directly engages the heart and mind. I've not seen someone before combine all the tools of the singer/songwriter so perfectly. No one.

Steve Earle said "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." I feel that same way about Danny Schmidt. And I'll stand in the Paste Magazine editor's office and say it.

There's no changing that. Making comparisons to other songwriters, living or dead, is wholly unfair to those on both ends of the comparison. Danny is that good.

"Knowing that to imitate the living Is mockery And to imitate the dead Is robbery There are those Who are beings complete unto themselves"
-Johnny Cash, From the Nasvhille Skyline liner notes

Check out a few of Danny's newer songs on this recording from the Cactus Cafe.
http://www.archive.org/details/dannyschmidt_paulcurreri2008-04-09.sbd.flac

Specifically....
#10 Better Off Broke
#12 Southland Street
#15 Swing Me Down
#21 Serpentine Cycle of Money
#23 Company Of Friends

Reason #18 Why I Heart The Cactus Cafe

The Cactus Cafe (site) in UT's campus union building is one of the best places to see an acoustic show. I discovered a new reason to love them last night. Max Stalling (site, myspace) was performing with his guitar player, Bryce Clarke, in an intimate acoustic setting. There wasn't a packed house (they had the tables out instead of rows of chairs) and the crowd was laid back and appreciative of the performance. Half way through the first set, a pair of ladies took seats in the back of the house and immediately started yelling out requests (for some songs that had already been performed). The Cactus' acoustics are such that even a small noise gets amplified, let alone a yell. On top of the obnoxious requests, one of them decided to "whoooooooooooooot" her way through the next couple of songs which lead up to the set break. During the set break, my wife and I debated leaving due to the presence of the obnoxious ladies who don't know how to conduct themselves in an intimate setting such as last night. Fortunately, the Cactus' manager Chris took care of things and did not allow them back in for the second set. A thousand thanks to you, Chris, a thousand thanks.

I'm not against showing enthusiasm for an artist or a song but there is a time and place for everything. The Cactus is not Gruene Hall or Stubb's or Antone's. The Cactus is more like going to church.

And, yeah, Max's show was excellent. Check him out when you get a chance...band or no, you won't be disappointed.

A Humble Request to Live Music Archive Patrons

To anyone downloading or streaming shows from the Live Music Archive (site):

If you listen to something and you like it, give it a rating and a few words about your feelings on the show. On the flip side, if you don't like something, rate that too. Feel free to rate the artist's performance or the recording quality itself. Rate them separately, rate them together. It doesn't matter. But, damn it, just rate it. That's how other folks can figure out what's good and what's not.

Thanks in advance.

A Live Music Archivist

Deke Dickerson @ The Continental Club

Deke Dickerson (site, myspace) brought his rockabilly/surf show to Austin backed by Austinites Billy Horton on bass and Lisa Pankratz on drums. The trio put on a great set at the Continental Club last Thursday, April 24th. Have a listen. Really enjoyable set made moreso by Deke having to apologize to Lisa for the songs on the setlist.

http://www.archive.org/details/dekedickerson2008-04-24.matrix.flac

Will Kimbrough @ The Stingaree Music Festival

Will Kimbrough (site, myspace) had a set at Hayes Carll's Stingaree Music Festival in Crystal Beach, Texas over the weekend. I've always loved Will solo stuff especially tunes like "Piece of Work", "I Don't Like It" and "God Send". He really comes through on this set with a few newer ones like "Another Train", "Hill Country Girl" and "Wings That You Can't See" and wholly reaffirms his status as a great solo performer and fantastic songwriter.

If you don't listen to anything else, check out the last track which is the aforementioned "Wings That I You Can't See."

http://www.archive.org/details/willkimbrough2008-04-20.spcmc20.flac

Quotes From The Show Part III

"Thank you for being you. We hope that you live forever. We would argue that you already have if that not be your wish. Too late. You're screwed."
-Shane Walker (of the Gougers), 2007.06.07

Quotes From The Show Part II

"Folk music is just kind of a short abbreviated name for thievery."
-Danny Schmidt, 2008.04.09

"It's hard for us to imagine because we come from a civilized place, America, where here you just learn the guitar and the money comes in."
-Paul Curreri, 2008.04.09

The Goings-On in The ATX This Week

Lots of great shows in the line-up this week in Austin. Check the calendar above for the full details but I'm planning hitting about 1/2 of what's on the calendar.

Here's the deal(s) for me at least:
Monday 4/7 is a day of mowing the lawn but if you like Waylon Jennings
830p @ The Saxon Pub is the Waymores (Waylon tribute band)

Tuesday 4/8 is FREE FREE FREE HAYES CARLL
5p @ Waterloo Records w/ free Shiner
8p @ Stubb's BBQ (inside), Scott Nolan is playing after Hayes (and he's definitely worth hearing)

Wednesday 4/9 I may check out Danny Scmidt
830p @ The Cactus Cafe, tickets are 7$

Thursday 4/10 is my day of rest

Friday 4/11 has plenty of options but I'm going to Flipnotics
8p Damon Bramblett @ The Dry Creek Cafe
9p Brock Zeman & Dan Walsh @ Flipnotics on Barton Springs
9p Butch Hancock @ The Cactus Cafe

Saturday night 4/12 I'm checking out the Gougers
10p @ Cheatham Street Warehouse

To borrow a quote James William Buffett, "if I don't die by Thursday, I'll be roarin' Friday night."

Have You Heard Of The Dedringers?

I ask this question because if not, you need to know these guys. Sean Faires and Jonny Burke are the front-men for the Dedringers (site, myspace) and both possess a certain musical gift that goes well beyond each of their 22 years. They share equal parts of the spirit of TVZ and the inspiration of Dylan coupled with an electric sound that puts them well beyond any band I've seen so early in their career (even though the two of them have been playing and performing together for several years).

Their first full length record should be out soon. By soon, I mean that I don't know when it'll be out but hope it's soon.

Here are the recordings from Jonny's and Sean's 21st birthdays, respectively both at the Triple Crown in San Marcos. Lots of special guests. Enjoy.

Jonny's 21st Birthday
















Sean's 21st Birthday

The Gunhands' Country Strange

I love the idea of the first full record that a solo artist or band puts out. More than any other time in an artist's or band's career, the first record is the one that's been bottle up for the longest, brewing, waiting, being honed nightly onstage and in practice. The songs that make the record are the ones that are extra-special; the arrangements have lingering been in the back of someone's mind for a long time. The words have resonated for years in bars, clubs, garages and backyards before finding their way onto the tape and ultimately the cd in your player. Nothing is an afterthought.

In my all-time favorite records list (I know, I sound like John Cusack and High Fidelity), there are a staggering amount of 'first records': John Prine, Warren Zevon, Guy Clark, TVZ, Todd Snider, Steve Goodman, Mike McClure, Matt King, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Earle and on and on. The bar is indeed high but getting to the line and putting it all out there that first and giving everyone a listen is about as gutsy as it gets. These are the sorts of things I contemplated while I listened to the Gunhands' Country Strange (site, myspace).

Having heard most of these songs live at some point over the last two years, I find myself most enjoying the 'extras' that aren't normally part of the band: the piano on "Pinball", the fiddle on "Mama Loves Jesus" and "Fixer-Upper", the pedal steel on "Ashville", the banjo on "Overpass Cowboy". Beyond that, I just really like the core sound of the Gunhands...drums, bass, guitars and mandolin. Simple and effective.

As for the songs themselves, they have seen the scrutiny of other artists and the crowds and come out bearing an originality and unique voice born of experience, be it of a life hard-lived seeking redemption or of lost love.

The highlight of the record is the hidden track "She'Ole" written by Senor Benavidez. Have a look here for the full explanation of "She'Ole".

[wikipedia]
Sheol (pronounced "Sheh-ole")^[1], in Hebrew שאול (Sh'ol), is the "abode of the dead", the "underworld", "the common grave of humankind" or "pit".^[2] In the Hebrew Bible, it is a place where both the bad and the good, slave and king, pious and wicked must go at the point of death.^[3] Sheol is the common destination of both the righteous and the unrighteous dead, as recounted in Ecclesiastes and Job.
[/wikipedia]

Suffice to say it's a fantastic tune pulling in some great thematic elements and really hammering the point of the song home.

I don't like to pick apart song arrangements or track order too much, so I'll close this review by saying that there's not a track on this record thats in need of a fast-forward or next-track button. This is a great record and very enjoyable listen, even after a few times through. Buy this record. And if you get a chance, getcherself to a Gunhands show though. See what it's all about. You'll find a band that's a part of what you find on Country Strange, but you'll also find a whole helluva lot more.

The Gunhands are:
Richard Benavidez on vocals and acoustic guitar
Lew Card on mandolin, vocals and occasionally electric guitar
Matt Felton on bass
Dave Litrell on drums
Nathan Mayes on vocals, electric guitar, and acoustic slide

Rendering All Other Bands Obsolete: The Supersuckers

If you like good old rock and roll and you like some country thrown in for good measure, you probably like the Supersuckers (site, myspace) - the self-proclaimed greatest rock and roll band in the world. On special occasions, they'll throw together the Big Show which is a chunk of their rock set and a chunk of their country set. There are several excellent sounding recordings on archive.org. One of my favorites is this show from October 1, 2004 in Denver at the Bluebird Theater. From country classics like Cash's "Mean Eyed Cat" and the Rev's "Liquor Beer & Wine" to Supersuckers favorites like "Pretty Fucked Up" and "Rock And Roll Records", the Supersuckers tear it up at the foot of the Rockies for 2+ hours on this fantastic show and equally excellent recording.

I particularly enjoy how they jump so seemlessly from one genre to the other without skipping a beat. Jordan Shapiro sits in on this set playing pedal steel. Jim Dalton and Tyson Murray from the Railbenders show up later in the set to accompany Eddie Spaghetti and crew on "Sweet Caroline" and "OD'd In Denver".

If you get the chance, check out the Supersuckers live. Rock and roll or country, They won't disappoint.

Recommended Listening...The Railbenders in Austin

If you're not familiar with the Denver country band the Railbenders (site, myspace, archive), you really should take a few minutes and have a listen. They're a really great group of musicians with a very unique sound fronted by Jim Dalton on vocals and led on electric guitar by Tony Nascar (fastest guitar in the West apparently), all propped up by Graham Haworth on drums and Tyson Murray on the upright bass.

This show, on this eve of Austin's South By Southwest music festival, finds the Railbenders electric flavor of country is joined by special guest Jordan Shapiro on pedal steel. The covers are sublime but the originals are really where the Railbenders are at their finest, especially on tunes like I70 Westbound, Leavin' Song, Country Song and Drivin' Back To Denver.

Enjoy...

Quotes From The Show Part I

I've been toying with this idea for a while...documenting quotes from musicians during (or after the show). Here's the inaugural entry.

"I'm higher than gas prices."
-Reid Wilson, 2008.03.07

"Reid Wilson says 'good night'!!"
-Reid Wilson, 2008.03.07

Reid Wilson & His So-Called Friends @ Jovita's

Reid Wilson & His So-Called Friends (myspace) threw down a rather enjoyable set Friday night March 7th at Jovita's in Austin. The So-Called Friends consist of Reid on acoustic guitar and vocals, Josh Vernier on drums, Jason Daly on lead acoustic guitar, Lew Card on mandolin and electric guitar and Kevin Fox on the upright bass.

Their music is country but not what you hear on the radio. Let's call it classic or insurgent country, especially on tracks like 'Country Music Revolution'. Reid's cover of Butch Hancock's 'West Texas Waltz' does great justice to a song and an artist who don't get their dues. Have a listen for yourself.

Note: the hum in the recording goes away right before they start 'West Texas Waltz'.

Scott Nolan & Joanna Miller @ Sam's Town Point

This is a fun show from Winnipeg's Scott Nolan (site, myspace) and Joanna Miller at one of the best dive's in Austin, Sam's Town Point (site, myspace). This show includes special guest Bart Willis (site) of Southside Tattoo (which isn't a band name).

A barometer a band is the ability to convert the casual listener to attentive fan. I can say with some certainty that Scott & Joanna did just that on this night. I got lots of questions from the folks at Sam's about who they were, where they were from, usually followed by 'damn, they're awesome.' And when are they coming back.

Bart is no slouch either. Enjoy this show. Support these guy by buying a record going to a show or getting a tattoo.

A Country SxSW

If you're going to be in Austin for SxSW and are looking for some Country, Roots Rock, Alt-Country, Americana, we've culled through the websites, myspace artist pages, blogs and paper press to come up with a lot of great mostly free options. You can see the complete list on the google calendar at the top of this page. Without further adieu, here are the highlights.

We'll update this with more stuff as we figure out some of the other stuff going on...

Tuesday 3/11:
Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros at the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo (5$)
The Railbenders at the Scoot Inn (free)

Wednesday 3/12:
The Railbenders & Eddie Eddie Spaghetti at The Mean Eyed Cat, 5p. (Tickets are 15$ and on sale Saturday 3/8 @ 10a @ the Mean Eyed Cat)
Palo Duro Records Showcase at Waterloo Records (free)

Comboplate Booking's South X Soup Fest at Guero's (free)
Guitartown/Conqueroo/Drew Glackin Memorial at Mother Egan's (free)
South X San Jose at Hotel San Jose (free) (Bare Jr, N. Mississippi All Stars, Felice Brothers)

Friday 3/14:
Twangfest at Jovita's (free)
Sin City Social Club at Maria's Taco Express (free)
Bloodshot Records Day Party at Yard Dog Art Gallery (free)
South X San Jose at Hotel San Jose (free) (Hayes Carll, Mason Jennings, David Garza, Billy Joe Shaver)

Saturday 3/15:
Twangfest at Jovita's (free)
Mean Eyed Cat Bootleg BBQ with BSOJC (free)
GreenHouse Americana Showcase (20$)
South X San Jose at Hotel San Jose (free)

Sunday 3/16:
Dale Watson at Ginny's Little Longhorn (free)
The Oaks Non-SXSW Party at the Oaks in Manor (free)