Honkytonk
MPFree – WWJDD?
No, we’re not talking about Jesus! Check out the extra “D” – it stands for “Doe”… as in JOHN DOE, the X and KNITTERS member, actor and alt. country/roots rock solo artist. John Doe has a new solo alum, Keeper, to be released on August 30th, 2011. To get a sneak peek, preview a new [...]
Tee-Vee Alert – Willie Nelson on Travel Channel – 10 PM
The new Travel Channel reality show Truck Stop Missouri is featuring Willie Nelson TONIGHT (August 24th, 2011) at 10:00 PM Eastern. Willie Nelson is coming to Midway and preparations are in full swing but that’s not all that’s happening. Rain is on the way, as well a big bike rally with some rowdy customers to [...]
Enter the House of Cash in October
Set to coincide with the release of Bootleg 3 is a new Johnny Cash scrapbook, edited/assembled by John Carter Cash (Johnny and June’s son), entitled House of Cash: The Legacies of My Father, Johnny Cash. That’s a heavy title to live up to, but it looks to be a pretty heavy book, both literally [...]
Johnny Cash – Bootleg 3: Live Around the World – Oct. 11
On October 11th, 2011, reissue label, Columbia/Sony Legacy is releasing Johnny Cash – Bootleg 3: Live Around the World. The big headline is that of the 50 tracks on the two CDs, 39 songs are legitimately previously unreleased, including one concert Johnny gave for the troops in Vietnam (an experience that touched Johnny deeply and [...]
MPFree – Jeff Bridges
If only every great album were promoted with this ferocity. Gotta admit, I’m a little “meh” over the music. I love me some Jeff Bridges and some T. Bone Burnett, but this music either need to grow on me or I’m a little bored by it. I was listenin’ to some Milton Brown and the [...]
MPFree – Muddy Roots 2011 Compilation Vol. 2
Muddy Roots Music Festival is an event in Cookeville, Tennessee on September 3rd and 4th, featuring Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Country, and Punk bands that honor American roots music, but play “with the energy of punk rock”. This compilation gives all of us potential concertgoers a chance to hear songs from every artist on this year’s [...]
Fake News About Real Country Music
A story from a pretty feisty blog, Country California, has been burnin’ up the interwebs. At the risk of ruining the fun, know that this here’s a FAKE NEW STORY, like The Onion or The Lampoon, or any of those “clever” things Retro’s always laughing at, while she’s rubbing her superior education in my face. [...]
Farm Aid Fix – Text “FARMAID” to 80888 to donate $10
Farm Aid, for the unconscious, er, unaware, is a concert that country icon, stone-cold Outlaw badass and 420 ambassador Willie Nelson has been throwin’ for over 2 decades to help family farms. For some reason, America loves “farming” of the factory variety, but in much the same way the Mom ‘n’ Pops can’t fight against the [...]
Happy Birthday to Buck Owens and Porter Wagoner
Both born today, Porter Wagoner, Countrypolitian King, TV host and devote of the sequined and embroidered Nudie Suits, in 1927 and Buck Owens, the architect of the Bakersfield Sound and pal of Don Rich, in 1929. Here they are, pickin’ and grinnin’, each in their own special way. R.I.P., guys. (h/t for the Buck vid to Bloodshot Records) [...]
Quotable Cash
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” -Johnny Cash (quote via Legacy Recordings [...]
Free Steve Earle Song
From angry young upstart to Americana elder statesman, Steve Earle is alive, well, and spreading the gospel of his heroes, such as the late, lamented Townes Van Zandt. He’s giving away a free track from his latest album “I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive”, as well as a sample chapter of his upcoming [...]
Jack White Pays Homage to Buddy Holly – in Texas, No Less
Don’t defund NPR, they’re the only ones who give a &%$# about Americana. Yes, they really fawn over the most twee, simpering neo-folk, but they also have the most robust offering of contemporary music that sounds COUNTRY, and not like the Bon Jovi-with-banjo Nashville loves so much. End rant. Enjoy Jack White, courtesy of NPR, playing solo, [...]
Virtual Americana Music Festival – Part 3
Wanda Jackson – the Queen of Rockabilly!
Virtual Americana Music Festival – Part 2
More poking around online to hear the artists who played the Americana Music Festival… Exene Cervenka | myspace | She of X, The Knitters and a solo career. Despite being recently diagnosed with MS, she continues to tour and record. Her music never fails to challenge and inspire and her distinctive voice cuts through you. [...]
Free Reverend Horton Heat, John Doe, Sadies and Dave Alvin
#rockabilly
Found a free-to-download sampler from the profoundly great Yep Roc label, while cruising around Amazon:
Best Of Yep Roc Singles
Virtual Americana Music Festival + Free Music Links
I’m plumbing the list of performers who played the Americana Music Festival to see who “pops” for me. Here’s the first part: Hayes Carll | facebook | Winner, Best New & Emerging Artist; listen to “She Left Me for Jesus” on his . You can hear a little of (very) early Tom Waits, Rodger Miller, [...]
Americana Music Awards 2010 + Free Music
From all accounts, sounds like most of us missed a barn-burner of an awards show. The AMERICANA MUSIC AWARDS, held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium (the original home of the Grand Ole Opry) on Sept. 9th, honored Rosanne Cash, for her album The List, in which she covers songs identified by her father, Johnny Cash, as the most significant songs ever written. Buddy Miller won for best instrumentalist of the year. Rockabilly Queen, Wanda Jackson earned a Lifetime Achievement award, presented to her by her most recent collaborator, Jack White.
[RKH Reads Jan. 30th] TWITTERY Week In Review
#rockabilly I read about 500 different blogs and newsfeeds and post whatever I find interesting in the whole Retro Kustom Honkytonk universe on Twitter and my Google Reader/Share feed. I’ve been light on blog posts – so sue me! Technical difficulties, blah blah. But the reposts from other blogs have been pretty fast and furious. [...]
World Wide Bluegrass – 24/7
It’s 2 am… do you know where your bluegrass is? Log on to the site World Wide Bluegrass and you’ll always find some mandolin and fiddle music waiting for you. And if that doesn’t sate, PopMatters has compiled their “Best Bluegrass Albums of 2009″ with loads of audio samples.
Haiti’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Haiti’s connection to Alan Lomax, American musicologist.
Oh Country, Where Art Thou Ass Men?
Fleshmaps.com has compiled amusingly telling pictographs charting the frequency various body parts are venerated in song, broken down by genre. With Trace Adkins serving as the enlightened exception, I’ve learned there are very few country songs about la belle derriere. Pourquoi? And, musicians out there, how do you rectify this situation? (via BoingBoing) Trace Adkins [...]
Cash On Delivery – New Johnny Cash Album Firmed Up
Update on JOHNNY CASH – AMERICAN VI: AIN’T NO GRAVE
Luther Plays the Boogie… and Knits
Luther Perkins, perhaps one of country music’s most innovative guitarists, was an integral part of the Johnny Cash story….. To help kill the time while performing on the road, Luther Perkins took up knitting. Not only did Luther knit this sweater for his wife, Margue, he knitted booties for the Statler Brothers to wear on [...]
Snoop and Willie – O.G.s
Official video for “My Medicine” – Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson duet about their love of a certain leaf… Insanely wrong on any number of levels (pro-drug/pro-prostitution song dedicated to Johnny Cash, for example), but in spite of all judgement, I found myself along for the ride. Must be insane in my membrane. Hat tip: [...]
Guitar Porn: Junior Brown Wanks It
Hat tip: OC WEEKLY Video of Junior Brown working it out on his patented “guit-steel”. Much like Brad Paisley, Junior Brown is known to a larger audience for a kind of goofy, novelty approach to country music (such as his first hit, “Highway Patrol”, but to those who pay attention, can bust out some down [...]
