WSM starts new show - Music City Roots

The legendary Nashville radio station WSM, the broadcasting home of the Grand Ole Opry, has a new show, Music City Roots. It is broadcast from a new venue, The Loveless Barn, just outside of Nashville.

This week was Sam Bush and Mike Farris. The first episode was Emmylou Harris. Check out the website .

The Upcoming Lineup is unbelievable. You can also go to the WSM Website for on demand streaming

Sarah Jarosz appears on Prairie Home Companion

My friend Mark heard Sarah Jarosz on Prairie Home Companion last week and was blown away. This reminded me that I had a promo I was going to post about earlier this Summer. The problem was I got busy and moved and the post was never made. That was crime that needs to be rectified.

Sarah Jarosz is only 18 and she grew up in the Texas Hill Country, home to a songwriter or two I would say. What makes her unique is that she is a great musician as well as a songwriter. She is now studying at a conservatory in the Northeast and released an album this past Summer on Sugar Hill Records that includes a whose who of Modern Bluegrass stars. The album is entitled Song Up in Her Head and guests include Chris Thile, Darrell Scott, Stuart Duncan, Mike Marshall, Tim O'brien and Jerry Douglas along with Samson Grisman the progeny of David Grisman. It bares repeating that this is her debut album. I can't imagine what she will due for her next release.

She is a kindred spirit of Sara Watkins and Abigail Washburn. The future of Bluegrass never looked so good.

Listen to the Audio

Two Tons of Steel = One Ton of Fun

The band was named after the vintage restored Cadillac owned by lead singer Kevin Geil. This is appropriate considering Not that Lucky is a cruise through the Country and Rockabilly of the 50s delivered with a punk attitude. Two Tons of Steel certainly deliver a fresh interpretation of what a Honky Tonk band should be. This is their first since 2005’s Vegas and is already creating a buzz, debuting at number 8 on the Americana charts and is now number 4. They enlisted the expertise of the ubiquitous Texas musician and producer Lloyd Maines. Maines touch is evident on this masterpiece. Another notable contributor is Tom Gilliam, who plays on the title cut and wrote the ending track, “Bottom of the Bottle. “ All of the other songs on the album were written by Geil except for the brilliant cover of Fred Eaglesmith’s” Alcohol and Pills.”

The Punk attitude of this album really shows up when they use the thumping upright bass and fuzzy guitar riffs as on “Wanna Dance.” Make no mistake though this album is also a vintage Honky Tonk party. One listen to Not That Lucky will have you pouring sawdust on your hardwood floors and clearing the furniture. So call the neighbors and have plenty if PBR on hand because they will want to join the party. After all something this fun needs be shared and enjoyed by all, at least until the Cops arrive. Not that Lucky was released last month by the Texas label Smith Entertainment Group. Get your copy today but be sure to get the PBR first.

Stream on the Two Tons Website

This review also appears on Twangville

Roseanne Cash - The List

Read the press release below and tell me how this won't bw great. Then check out the track list and imeem link.

ROSANNE CASH TO RELEASE BRAND-NEW ALBUM, THE LIST,
ON MANHATTAN RECORDS ON OCTOBER 6TH, 2009

ALBUM FEATURES CASH'S CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATIONS OF
SONGS FROM A LIST OF ESSENTIAL COUNTRY SONGS
PASSED ON TO HER BY HER LEGENDARY FATHER

SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE ELVIS COSTELLO,
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, JEFF TWEEDY, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT


Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash will release her 12th studio album, entitled The List, on Manhattan Records on October 6th, 2009. This stunning work features Cash's contemporary interpretations of 12 classic songs culled from a list of essential country tunes that her legendary father Johnny gave her in 1973, and filtered through her own unique, sophisticated perspective.

Known primarily for her stellar songwriting, Cash showcases her incredible voice on The List -- her first-ever covers record. As a result, the album is Rosanne Cash like you've never heard her before as she embraces her heritage and sings for the pure love and beauty of these songs which have shaped who she is as an artist.

The idea for The List came about while Cash was on tour promoting her 2006 studio album, the critically heralded, Grammy-nominated Black Cadillac -- a reflective song cycle about the loss of her father, mother Vivian Liberto, and stepmother June Carter Cash. During the well-received multi-media event Black Cadillac: In Concert, Cash told audiences how, when she was 18, her father became alarmed that his daughter appeared to lack a deep understanding of country music (having been obsessed with The Beatles and steeped in Southern California rock and pop music). Johnny gave her a list of the "100 Essential Country Songs" and told her that it was her education and she should learn them all.

The track-listing for The List :
1. "Miss the Mississippi and You"
2. "Motherless Children"
3. "Sea of Heartbreak" (w/ Bruce Springsteen)
4. "Take These Chains From My Heart"
5. "I'm Movin' On"
6. "She's Got You"
7. "Heartaches by the Number" (w/ Elvis Costello)
8. "500 Miles"
9. "Long Black Veil" (w/ Jeff Tweedy)
10. "Silver Wings" (w/ Rufus Wainwright)
11. "Girl From the North Country"
12. "Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow"

Long Black Veil with Jeff Tweedy
imeem

Kieran Kane - Somewhere Beyond the Roses

An album doesn’t have to have great lyrics for me to connect with it. A good song doesn’t need to possess deep meaning for me to enjoy it. In fact there is nothing more formulaic and boring than a guy with an acoustic guitar pretending to hold the meaning of life. However, when I come across an album with lyrics that have a genuine and distinctive reflection on life I develop a spiritual connection that goes beyond the music. That is the way I feel about the new Kieran Kane release Somewhere Beyond the Roses. It would be great if it stopped there; but in this case the instrumentation and arrangement of the songs makes the album one of the top releases of the year. Kane has been cranking out the brilliance in the last several years both as a solo artist and with Kane, Welch and Kaplan. However, with this release Kane is playing his trump card.

To begin with it is hard to even adequately describe the style of his banjo playing it is so eclectic. He combines this on the songs with a Baritone Sax that hearkens back to the alternative rock band Morphine. Deanna Varagona (Lambchop) supplies this baritone sax, Richard Bennett (Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler) is on electric guitar, and Lucas Kane (Kane’s son and contributor to Kane, Welch, Kaplin) is on drums. David Olney provides backing vocals on “Don’t Try To Fight It” and Fats Kaplin plays steel guitar on “Unfaithful Heart”. The unusual banjo and Sax combination gives the music complexity even though the production is stripped down and raw. In almost perfect harmony with this minimalist yet edgy instrumentation the lyrics are infused with a raw spirituality. The spirituality is earthy. There is nothing esoteric about the lyrics. They are deep and infused with timeless truth.

Sample Tracks

Stephanie Schneiderman

Tony Furtado recently produced an interesting project, Dangerous Fruit by Portland, Oregon Indie Pop artist Stephanie Schneiderman. It is some masterful songs that are bent and twisted in some different directions. Fans of Feist should really like her. She is creating a Buzz in the Northwest.

Wolfmother New Album

I don't often hype metal but Wolfmother is worth the exception. They have only one album released in 2005 that was equally ground breaking and derivative. Then turmoil hit and they supposedly broke up. However, co-founder Andrew Stockdale is back with a new lineup and is set to release a new album. As the real driving force behind the Wolfmother sound I expect nothing less than another masterpiece and am excited for the release. You can already pre-order Cosmic Egg on iTunes.

Listen to "New Moon Rising" onMySpace

Mindy Smith - Stupid Love

The best way to understand the present state of Mindy Smith's career is to put that career in the context of how it really began. Mindy Smith was included in an all-star tribute album to Dolly Parton, Just Because I'm a Woman (Sugar Hill, 2003). However, in 2003 Smith was no All-Star, but there she was on an album with Allison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Kasey Chambers, Shelby Lynne and Norah Jones among others. Dolly Parton was so impressed with her cover of "Jolene" that she sang on the version recorded for Mindy Smith's 2004 debut album. In fact,the two of them remain close Friends. Fast forward to 2009, and you see a Mindy Smith taking a step away from those rootsy and acoustic beginnings and embracing a more diverse sound, and potentially a wider audience.

Widening your appeal can be a tricky proposition, often to create breadth an artist will sacrifice depth. Fortunately, there is nothing shallow about Stupid Love. There is a theme to the album. Love is tough and involves heartache and disappointment. However, there is enough good to make it worthwhile. Maybe that is why love is stupid. There is more heartache than happiness for humans when it comes to love. Is it really worthwhile? Is it worth all the heartache we go through in the search for true love? When you look at human behavior the answer seems to be yes. Mindy Smith seems to have noticed this also, and to her it seems to be stupid. How ironic! The fact that we are stupid enough to look for true love makes it all the more satisfying when we find it. It is the depth of her music that ha always made me connect with it. On Stupid Love I see a Mindy Smith that has widened her appeal in a way that will not weaken her connection with her existing fan base.



This review also appears on Twangville

Brendan Benson Power Pop Genius

Brendan Benson has taken a break from his side project ith Jack White, The Racoteurs. He is back to doing what he does best, making great Power Pop. Hooks and tunes you can listen to0 over and over. My Old, Familiar Freind is certainly familiar territory for this under appreciated Indie star.

Check out his letterman performance from earlier this week:

Radney Foster New Album

REVIVAL will be releasing on September 1st. I am a huge Radney Foster fan and this promises to be a huge release for him. Following on the death of his father, I have no doubt this will be an emotionally charged release:

Grant Langston - Stand Up Man

When I first looked at the CD and saw a song called “Shiner Bock and Vicodin” I thought it had possibilities. Then I listened to the song, which featured a naked guy in a wedding, and knew that Stand Up Man couldn’t miss. Then I remembered that Grant Langston was the guy who dared to do a Country cover of “Fat Bottom Girls” and even made it work. Talk about an oddity, a Honky Tonk Freddie Mercury song sounds more like a bad porno, but it is hilarious. “Burt Reynolds Movie Brawl” is a tongue in cheek reference to the obligatory donnybrook that always seemed to be included in Reynold's movies. In that song Langston referred to, “The guy in the L. S. U. T-shirt that looks just like Terry Bradshaw” and I almost drove my car in a ditch. Langston also provides a fresh perspective on aging in “The King of Sunset Hills,” which is the story of man who finds renewed vigor when he is sent to a retirement home as a “Thoroughbred champ turned out to stud… The doctors they cannot believe their eyes, he’s lost 14 pounds and his prostate’s the normal size.”

If humor was all there was, Stand Up Man would fall short. Fortunately there is so much more. The melodies and musicianship are great and there is a mix of traditional country and modern roadhouse sounds. I highly recommend this CD, but I don’t recommend going naked to weddings. Do us all a favor and save the nudity for the honeymoon.

Check out the title cut.



This review also appears on Twangville

Best of 2009 So Far ...

There is no better way to return and get things kicked up again than with a best of list. But a little healthy debate never hurt anything. I actually have fun doing it but the truth is rankings can change with moods or the weather. Plus the music industry is so prolific these days with all of the new media it is difficult to choose. So I just assembled the necessary tools and started ranking. In case you are wondering the essential tool needed for such an endeavor as this are, Shiner Bock Beer, Blanton's Bourbon, a dartboard, little pieces of paper in a hat, Corn Nuts, and a Moon Pie for energy. The results of this combination are below for you to read and then tell me what the hell I missed:

1) Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses - Roadhouse Sun
2) Buddy & Julie Miller - Written in Chalk
3) M. Ward - Hold Time
4) Wilco - The Album
5) Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree in the Ear
6) Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies
7) Elvis Costello - Secret, Profane and Sugarcane
8) Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles - The Stars are Out
9) Charlie Robison - Beautiful Day
10) The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
11) Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will be Taken Away
12) Bob Dylan - Together Through Life
13) Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day
14) Scot Miller & the Commonwealth - For Cryin' Out Loud
15) Hill Country Review - Self Titled
16) Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream
17) Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
18) Donna Ulisse - Walk this Mountain Down
19) Gina Villalobos - Days on Their Side
20) The Gourds - Haymaker!
21) Derek Trucks - Already Free
22) The Flatlanders - Hills and Valleys
23) Dallas Wayne - I'll Take the Fifth
24) Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit - Self Titled
25) Son Volt - American Central Dust
26) Chuck Mead - Journeyman's Wager
27) Todd Snider - Excitement Plan
28) Red Stick Ramblers - My Suitcase is Always Packed
29) Sarah Jarosz - Song Up in Her Head
30) Old Californio - Westering Again
31) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
32) Sara Watkins - Self Titled
33) Pter Holsapple and Chris Stamey - Here and Now
34) Kendal Carson - Alright Dynamite
35) Cracker - Sunshine in the Land of Milk and Honey
36) Mark Olson & Gary Louris - Ready for the Flood
37) Sam Roberts - Love at the End of the World
38) The Greencards - Fascination
39) U2 - No Line on the Horizon
40) Dierks Bentley - Feel that Fire
41) Wayne Hancock - Viper of Melody
42) Otis Gibbs - Grandpa Walked a Picket Line
43) Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Gru Grux King
44) Fiction Family - Self Titled
45) The Damnwells - One Last Century
46) Romi Mayes - Achin' in Yer Bones
47) Webb Wilder - More Like Me
48) Michelle Malone - Debris
49) Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
50) Patteron Hood - Mudering Oscar

Back in the Saddle adn headed to Charlotte

After taking a month off to due to my work load at the day job that pays my bills. Additionally, my wife and I have been finding a house in our new city Charlotte, North Carolina. (A move also resulting from the day job that pays my bills.) Now all we have to do is move. As a result, the worldwide AWT headquarters will be following along.

So as of Monday next week i will be back in the saddle with new content and in the process of moving my home base to the Queen City. Sorry for my absence but I assure it was needed, even if ti was unplanned.

Roman Candle - Live at Workplay Birmingham, AL May 24t

From the first moment Roman Candle took the stage playing "Eden is a Garden" and lead singer Skip Matheny demonstrated his average white American leaping ability, I felt it would be a special show. I was not disappointed. The performance was high energy but laid back. That may sound oxymoronic but if you were in attendance you would know what I mean. There was nothing pretentious about Roman Candle. Aside from the aforementioned leaps by the vocalist, there was no showing off. There was however plenty of good music. There is a spiritual side to Roman Candle that they deliver without the maudlin shoe gazing of your typical "high school emo band." (See link to "Why Modern Radio is A Ok") They manage to do it while having fun, which seems to be the exception in modern music. They played a good balance between their current release Oh Tall Tree in the Ear and their previous one, Wee Hours revue..

The highlight of the evening was when they played what I think is the best song of the year, "Why Modern Radio is A Ok." Another high moment was "Another Summer" from Wee Hours Revue. Their professionalism was much appreciated since the audience size was reduced dramatically because everyone in Birmingham went to the beach for Memorial Day. (So much for the bad economy.) The band's label success may have been recent but they are actually grizzled veterans. They began in Chapel Hill, North Carolina over 10 years ago and developed a loyal following there. They also worked with some of the area's top talent like Thad Cockerell and Caitlin Cary. Also, they regularly toured and recorded with Chris Stamey. According to Skip Matheny, who I spoke with after the show, they decided a different scene might be helpful and now live in Nashville. They have had hard luck with labels over the years but let's hope now is their time.

Listen to the year's best song below:

Reed KD a good find.

I received this Singer Songwriter album in the mail. Reed KD has been a good find check out Kelly's review over at Twangville.

Reed KD Review

Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses - Roadhouse Sun

I often wonder if record labels get stressed when an artist tries to top a great debut. After all sustainability can only be proven over time. Then again such anxiety just comes with the territory. Mescalito established Bingham and had critics crowing about his future. Expectations can be a burden, but Roadhouse Sun reveals a Ryan Bingham that is undaunted as his rough hewn voice moves from song to song in a follow up that actually tops its’ predecessor. This shouldn’t be a surprise since he is a former competitor on the Southwestern rodeo circuit. After all, some pencil necked A&R lackey or cynical critic is nothing compared to 8 seconds on the back of bull. In fact, if you are not familiar with Bingham’s story just pick up any Cormac McCarthy novel and you will get the picture. He is not the kind of person to be concerned with the opinions of others. He simply delivers raw emotion and honesty.

Roadhouse Sun is harder driving than Mescalito. In fact, the album title is an allusion to the mood of the album. Bingham is still a troubadour with lyrics that reflect the contemplation of a life spent on the road, yet the music is often ready for Saturday night. It is as if there is a battle going on between home sickness and wanderlust and home front is losing. However, it is precisely this tension that creates the almost perfect balance of Roadhouse Sun. The album is a trip that is both rewarding and fun. So it is time for everyone to forget their expectations of Ryan Bingham because he has arrived.



This review also appears on Twangville

The Winner Is ....

Earle Freeman of Carbon Hill, Alabama

Based on Earl's comment Naked Willie is the pre-ponytail Willie that has all of the element sof Outlaw Willie.

Earl contact me and get me your address and I will put it in the mail.

Congratulations!!

Jay Bennett - RIP

Sad news to report here is the lead from CBC:

Musician Jay Bennett dies at 45
Last Updated: Monday, May 25, 2009 | 3:11 PM ET CBC News
Jay Bennett, a former member of the band Wilco, died Sunday at his home in Urbana, Ill. The multi-instrumentalist was recording this fifth studio album when he died at age 45.

An announcement from Undertow Music Collective, which released one of Bennett's solo albums, reported the musician died in his sleep, adding, "Jay was a beautiful human being who will be missed."

The cause of Bennett's death is not yet known.

With Wilco, Bennett played on the albums Being There, Summerteeth, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, as well as their Mermaid Avenue collaborations with Billy Bragg, all between 1994 and 2001.

Free Naked !!!! - Naked Willie Giveaway

No I am not trying to convert this sight to Porn. I'm giving away the Naked Willie album. The folks at Apex Exposure are graciously supporting a giveaway of the album I featured right here on AWT a few weeks back.

Just leave a comment about your favorite Willie song or concert moment and I will announce the winner one week from today. Check back on Saturday May 30th and if you are the winner you can e-mail me your address.

I'll get the conversation started. My favorite Willie song is "Whiskey River." It may seem to be a strange selection, but I saw him play it live almost 20 years ago and it just embodied what makes Willie so unique. It was the highlight of that show.

Check out the EPK TV Player

AWT Fave Donna Ulisse on Sirius XM

Pres Release from Hadley Music Group:

Donna Ulisse's in-studio visit with Kyle Cantrell for the taping of his popular new Bluegrass Junction show "Track by Track" will air for the first time on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

Ulisse and Cantrell discussed and played all thirteen tracks off of her current release WALK THIS MOUNTAIN DOWN and also talked about Donna's early career in country music while on Atlantic Records. The broadcast schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. EST

Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 9:00 p.m. EST

Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. EST

The show will air on SiriusXM's Bluegrass Junction which can be found on channel 14 on XM and channel 65 on Sirius

Red Stick Ramblers - My Suitcase is always packed

The Red Stick Ramblers derive their name from where their hometown, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Their music is also derived from the cultural influences of their native region. Baton Rouge is located along a corridor that runs from New Orleans to Houston. Consequently the Red Stick Ramblers deliver an eclectic mix of Zydeco, Country, Bluegrass and Swing. They also deliver a shindig that is a festive Jamboree whether it is in Cajun country or anywhere else in the country for that matter. Their new album My Suitcase is Always Packed was released this week on Sugar Hill Records, and it is a perfect example of the diversity of influences that dwell in the collective soul of this band.

The album is aptly named as it takes the listener on a road trip of Honky Tonks, Cajun dances and Southern countryside. Along the way they find love and lose it and they get happy and get the blues. The Ramblers are accomplished musicians. In fact, Linzay Young, better known for his smooth vocal styling, has been nominated for fiddler of the year by Offbeat Magazine and he may not be the best fiddler in the band. In the end on the final song of the journey, “The Barnyard Bachelor” the Ramblers give us the moral of the story, “There is only room in the barnyard for just one rooster and that means no chicks for you.”

Check out Lazy Summer day from the new album:

Webb Wilder - More Like Me

Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em." This is the Webb Wilder credo. It is a credo that I have lived by since my college days in the late 80s when I first heard Webb Wilder. Back then Webb was doing the college bar circuit that included bands like Jason and the Scorchers all of which are to blame for my mis-spent youth. Nothing has changed since then for Webb though. Webb is the self-proclaimed last of the full grown men. His humor can take things like circus freaks and make a song about them (As he did in his early classic “Human Cannonball”). His music is Rock and Roll with a mix of Blues and Rockabilly. He is also the epitome of cool. In addition to being a prolific musician, Wilder is a filmmaker. He made a collection indie shorts collectively known as the Corn Flicks in the spirit of 70s B-movies. These movies are as hilarious as they are demented. Wilder was also a DJ for XM Cross Country before it became a fatality of the Sirius merger.

Mostly though Webb likes to Rock Hard, and his new album More Like Me has plenty of examples to prove it. The album begins with the Rockabilly throw down “Ju Ju Man.” It is no secret Webb is a fan of Link Wray and that influence is apparent on “Don’t Slander Me,” a song in which space aliens make an appearance. “Honky Tonkin’ (in Mississippi.)” is an electric blues number that will no doubt get the crowd moving. The ballads on the album are a mixed back. “Sudden Stop” is a very good number and a very unique song for Webb, but “She’s Nor Romantic” frankly could have been left off the album. Another notable cut is the Southern Boogie of “Still Water Runs Deep.” More Like Me is Wilder’s first album in five years. It is safe to say he hasn’t forgotten his credo and still knows how to have a good time. Look for him on tour and I promise you will have time worthy of a full grown man.

Sample at his Website

Sara Watkins Goes Solo

When you heard about Nickel Creek prior to their break up most of the focus was on mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile. Although Sean Watkins' guitar work also collected a following. In fact, Watkins and Thile have had similar solo success. Since they parted ways, Thile has garnered praise with the Punch Brothers and Sean Watkins has received similar accolades with Fiction Family. Still you can't make a wheel with just spokes. You need a hub to get it rolling. The hub of Nickel Creek was clearly Sean's sibling and fiddle player Sara Watkins. Chris and Sean were flash and athleticism. Sara was the class and elegance of the group and made their sound cohesive. Without question she has always shown a mastery of the fiddle. However, she was always quiet and in the background until she sang in that smooth and calming voice. It is her voice that gets overlooked. I remember a late night session at Merlefest when she broke into a beautiful hymn and I swear my heart stopped beating it was so powerful.

In making her first solo release she asked a few friends to help. Of course her brother and Thile showed up. For producer John Paul Jones, bassist for Led Zeppelin, volunteered. She could have stopped there, but for good measure she invited other Friends to join. The duo of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings pay a visit, as do Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, Elvis Costello drummer Pete Thomas, Tim O’Brien, Punch Brothers’ Chris Eldridge and Ronnie McCoury. Sara also demonstrates the breadth of her talent by writing 8 of the 14 songs included in the final product. You don't have to be a fan of Bluegrass or New Grass or any other kind of Grass to appreciate this album. The word of the day is elegant. For a definition buy the album.



This review also appears on Twangville

The Spiritual Power of Music

The Sunday Night Shout is a happening in Nashville that Mike Farris started in order to recover lost Gospel Soul and Funk songs. It turned in to a type of church and spiritual healing for the participants. They decided to record it live at the Station Inn. The album Shout Live released this week. Check out the EPK below:

Steve Earle - "Townes"

Steve Earle is set to release Townes, his follow up to Washington Square Serenade, on May 12th. The 15-song set is comprised of songs written by Earle’s friend Townes Van Zandt. It will also be available as a deluxe two-CD set. The fact that the two were so close means this will be more than your typical tribute album. It will be his interpretation of his freind.

Check out this sneak preview:

To Live is to Fly