Re: Bad Company quote, URL
I'm impressed too, Slim, but I can top that... I went to a funeral (of a young guy) where they played "I've Been to Paradise But I've Never Been To Me". The part about holding a baby in your arms and making love to your man that night was particularly, um, poignant. g Sophie === Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to use the Net and he won't bother you for weeks. _ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: Wedding Marches. (was: Re: Bad Companye)
At 19:36 27.04.99 -0500, you wrote: At the first of my first cousin's many weddings, this one held at the beautiful Paramus, New Jersey Steak Pit, the ceremony finished, the groom seemed to rush down the aisle, leaving her standing there. The fast thinking accordion player let loose with "What Now My Love, Now That You've Left Me". Actually, that would take 2 and a half years. That's beautiful, Barry. I think I detect a whiff of Guralnick in the prose? Sounds like Dixie realizing she's lost Elvis forever, even as he phones her from the Louisiana Hayride to tell her he loves her g. All this makes me think of weirdass wedding-music experiences. I've played a couple of weddings in the last year and I'm always kind of amazed that they don't mind that all we do is basically cheatin', drinkin' and car songs, etc And these were "nice" weddings, big budget jobs, etc. Just goes to show that very few people are really listening to the lyrics. I did "You Nearly Loose Your Mind" (ET), "Act Naturally" (Buck) and "Where Can She Be" (Ted The Talltops) in my own wedding, backed by The Derailers. It also took me half a year less than it took Barry's uncle before I could sing "What Now My Love, Now That You've Left Me". Tom E.
Rolling Stone Network: Live - Asylum Street Spankers
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 00:40:52 -0500 From: Vickie Lucero [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Organization: Propaganda Media X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 Subject: Rolling Stone Network: Live- The Asylum Street Spankers Status: Music the way God intended it. Asylum Street Spankers Mercury Lounge, New York, April 18, 1999 It takes considerable balls for a band to face a packed New York City club and play an entire show without a single mic or amp on stage. It takes even bigger cajones to ask that crowd to sit down on the grubby, cigarette-strewn floor for the length of two entire sets. But for the Asylum Street Spankers, it was just business as usual. The Spankers are a ten-member-strong collective of musicians from Austin, Texas, that specializes in a hybrid mix of swing, jazz, country and lounge. The band members, ranging in age from twenty to fifty-something, include (among others): a portly old ukelele and guitar player in overalls named Pops; an even older, skinny cat with a clarinet and cool beat poet's rasp; a blond siren with a huge tattoo on her back and voice that moves from Betty Boop to Bessie Smith in a heartbeat; a guy with a huckster suit, shades, kazoo and Sammy Davis Jr. vocal chops named Mysterious John; and a long-haired washboard-and-harmonica-playing loudmouth named Wammo. Then there's their real gimmick: everything, including vocals, is delivered completely sans amplification. "Music," proclaimed Mysterious John, "the way God intended it." That's assuming, of course, that God's got a stoner sense of humor bluer than Cheech and Butthead in a barrel of skin mags. The Spankers do a lot of things very well, but they excel at lowbrow bawdiness. Pops sang about funny cigarettes and Whitehouse politics, wherein "you gotta go down to go up." Wammo, who earlier had pointed out that his parents and family doctor were in the house, invited audience participation during a sing-along about his scrotum. Mysterious John hammed through a paean called "Fanny," which closed with the band leaping into the chorus of Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom." And during the last song of the evening, "Shave 'Em Dry," Christina Marrs grabbed her crotch through her long black dress and salaciously boasted, "I got fat from fucking!" Juvenile? Hell yes, but the Spankers pull it off like vaudevillian pros and back it up with serious musical talent. For every tribute to sex and drugs, there was a straight-up tribute to giants like Benny Goodman, Al Jolson, Django Reinhardt and Hank Williams. Several of the bandmembers took turns on lead vocals, but the standouts were Marrs and clarinetist Stanley "Cool Pops" Smith. Marrs stands out on one level as the lone female in the bunch, but it's her extraordinary vocal range that stole the show tonight. She would sing one song in twee sex-pot caricature, and belt out the next in a full-bodied, sultry roar which made it perfectly clear why the Spankers get along just fine without microphones. And when Smith took the spotlight to blow a solo, sing-speak a verse or even just snap his fingers to the beat of the stand-up bass and brushed snare drum, the shenanigans ceased and the Spankers snapped into class. It was announced that Smith would be leaving the group in the immediate future, and his loss to the band will be a great one. That's not to say Smith's departure will cripple the band. Not by a long shot. As evidenced tonight, there's too much inventiveness in this group to go around for it to hang together by any single talent. The opening song, "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie," was all about Marrs' high, sweet voice and ukulele, until Wammo cupped his hands over his nose and mouth and began to scat like a warbled old 78 record being piped in straight from either Mars or 1925 while the band kicked in behind him. Things would only get weirder as the Spankers went on to play for two and a half more hours, but after that opening flash of inspired, lunatic brilliance, the rest was all gravy. RICHARD SKANSE (April 22, 1999)
Re: Twitty, Tucker, Atkins
ON Twitty, there's one with 25 cuts called something like Silver Anniversary collection with about everything you'd need including the rare gem "Guess My Eyes Were Bigger than My Heart", a fave among the crowds we play to. Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
Moths head to Poconos to redefine clear cutting.
We wanted to make sure the ski season was really over. MOTHS Saturday May 1 Pocono Brewing Company Route 611 Swiftwater, PA 717-839-3230 All we asked for was a maypole and a heart shaped hot tub. UPCOMING IN MAY Sat. May 8 Valentine's - Albany NY, Sat May 15 McGuire's - Atlantic City Tues. May 18 - Luna Lounge - NYC Sat May 29 - Bessie's - WEFestival Wilmington, NC http://www.smellygig.com http://www.moths.com
RE: Country Weekly magazine?
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Roy Kasten Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 7:35 PM To: passenger side Subject: RE: Country Weekly magazine? Neil wants to know Country Weekly is to People Magazine what People Magazine is to National Enquirer. Actually, if I am not mistaken, Country Weekly is owned by the Enquirer. Joyce
Re: Nanci Griffith info
Hey Neal, How about this: In your most professional voice, please ask Ms. Griffth why the heck she decided to ruin one of my favorite Richard Thompson songs - Wall of Death - by turning into a friggin' faux-march tune? What the heck *inspired* her to sing it the way she does on the CD or worse, when she performs it live?? Geez...I hate when that happens! stressfully yours, Kate Any one out there a Nanci Griffith buff? I'm fixing to interview her this week and need to do my homework. Most of the bio stuff found online tends to be outdated at this point. I thought I heard that she was retiring from the road soon. Is that on track? Neal Weiss
Re: New York
Jeff Copetas writes: I'd like to add Martin's Folly to the list of New York bands that play around there fairly often: 4/30/99 - Manitoba's And, yes, this is the bar that is owned by Dictators vocalist Handsome Dick Manitoba. Haven't been there yet myself but plan on making the required pilgrimage when we play again in NYC in June. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
RE: Wedding Marches. (was: Re: Bad Companye)
-Original Message- From: BARNARD [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 8:36 PM To: passenger side Subject: Re: Wedding Marches. (was: Re: Bad Companye) [Matt Benz] hmmm. Wish I coulda been more tacky, but we had One Riot One Ranger play "I Walk The Line" at our wedding. Now, I remember 3 Times A Lady by Lionel Richie being played at a wedding, which was certainly an odd choice, since it's about breaking up.
Re: Wedding Marches. (was: Re: Bad Companye)
A few years ago a young lady in some suburb of Atlanta called me and wanted to book the Convicts for her wedding reception. She didn't want to pay us, and had a list of "required songs", most of which were by Lorrie Morgan, and the rest HNC garbage. I told her we did not have a girl singer, and she wanted us to hire one. Then I explained to her in the nicest terms I could use our feelings toward Ms. Morgan and HNC in general, and never heard from her again. I guess we didn't meet their standards. BTW, we have played several weddings with great success, even with a vast repertoire of drinking, cheating, and breakup songs. Rule #1 - Do lots of Elvis covers. Guaranteed crowd pleasers. Slim
Great Lakes Twang Review Page is up!
The Great Lakes Twang web site now has a review page for Great Lakes-area Americana band's CDs, as well as twang-realted books and videos. Check it out at: http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/Stage/9596/review.html Mitch Matthews Gravel Train/Sunken Road
Alejandro Beaver in Newport
Ho-hum, another great, great show from Alejandro Escovedo last night. This time around, Al's orchestra includes former Son Volt/Richard Buckner/Freakwater sideman Eric Heywood on pedal steel, the incredible Hector Munoz on drums, and, of course, Joe Eddy on lead guitar, plus bass and cello. No David Pareles on fiddle, unfortunately. Eric definitely gives the band a little more of a country feel, but otherwise, it was classic Al: bare and beautiful one minute, punk and dissonant the next. They played all the originals off the new record, plus a fine, haunting cover of Sex Beat. They played a couple of new songs, and also did the acoustic in-the-middle-of-the- crowd thing (the highlight being Sad Dreamy -- or The Big 1-0 -- at my request thankyouverymuch) which is always wonderful. Al told some pretty funny stories about past escapades in Cinti and Dayton (before Troy Campbell and co. moved to Austin and became the Loose Diamonds, they were based in Dayton and called the Highwaymen). Beaver was solo and it was cool to hear his songs stripped down. He has a really unique voice and is a great songwriter -- Forget Thinkin' was one of my fave songs of last year. (If you don't have his debut, go directly to Miles of Music and buy it, do not pass go, do not collect $200). I hope to see him with a band next time around. Nice guy too. Beaver is playing solo shows up in Oxford on Friday Saturday, go check him out if you're in the area. Iris Dement/Stacey Earle this past Sunday, Al Beaver last night, Prospect Hill Ass Ponys on Friday, James McMurtry and Los Straitjackets on Saturday, Dick Dale and Holsum on Tuesday, life is good Dave *** Dave Purcell, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Northern Ky Roots Music: http://w3.one.net/~newport Twangfest: http://www.twangfest.com
re: roadtrip ideas
jacy warwick (my vote for the coolest name on the list) wrote: anyone have any suggestions/reccomendations of cool spots, good shows, great places to eat, the coolest 'Home of the Largest __'monuments, whatever Check out www.roadsideamerica.com, "your online guide to offbeat tourist attractions." Cool site. Dave *** Dave Purcell, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Northern Ky Roots Music: http://w3.one.net/~newport Twangfest: http://www.twangfest.com
Re: Wedding Marches. (was: Re: Bad Companye)
On Wed, 28 Apr 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: BTW, we have played several weddings with great success, even with a vast repertoire of drinking, cheating, and breakup songs. Rule #1 - Do lots of Elvis covers. Guaranteed crowd pleasers. Ha! Sage advice indeed. I was a DJ on commercial radio and in nightclubs throughout the mid-80's in central Indiana (Lafayette to Indianapolis). I also picked up side gigs as a wedding/party DJ. Easy money, but kinda agonizing. If the going got tough or the dance floor was empty, I'd hear the voice in my headelvis, Elvis, ELVIS. Voila', packed floor, mucho energy. I'll always love the "Big E" if not for just svaing my hired professional ass on numberous occasions. NP: Sloan - Navy Blues JC
Same Old 97s?
Picked up the new Old 97s record "Fight Songs" yesterday and I dig it alot. But I think those early reviews about it being a radical departure are a bit overstated. There are new song structures and more multi-tracked vocals and harmonies on great new tunes like "Oppenheimer", "Murder" and "19". But their signature sound is still there in the galloping beats and weird "strangled" guitar sound on many of the tracks. Rhett Miller croons a bit more on the album but still sorta sounds like an alt-country Robert Smith. A mid-tempo tune like "Busted Afternoon" is in the same vein as "Salome". The early word that the band had forsaken the alt-country landscape for some estimation of pop is a bit off the mark as well. There are a few "poppier" numbers like those listed above, but they definitely didn't spring a full "Summerteeth" on us. Sounds like the same Old 97s to me. Any thoughts? --Slonedog
Clip: Twangcast
From today's Nashville Digest. Congratulations, Mike! Cyber Country Internet 'Station' Redefining Country Broadcasting BY REBEKAH GLEAVES Everybody has an opinion on what s wrong with country radio today. General consensus seems to be that country music has lost its soul that it sold out to slick production and pop music-type marketing. Everybody has an opinion, but only a few are actually producing alternatives. Fortunately, these few include Mike Hays. Hays, born in Pulaski, Tenn., and now living in Lawrence, Va., operates Twangcast, an Internet-based radio "station" which plays assorted country music with a particular emphasis on relatively unknown artists and classic country hits. "There s a whole lot of music going unheard," says Hays. "I have a background in country and commercial radio, and I ve found that a lot of good music can t be played in a commercial setting." So far, listeners seem to be responding to Twangcast in consistently growing numbers. According to Hays, 3,000 listeners tuned in to Twangcast in January. By February, that number had grown to 4,000. March brought 6,000 people tuning in, and Hays is predicting 8,000 people will listen to Twangcast by the end of April. At this rate, Hays says his Internet broadcasting organization is on track to reach 10,000 people by June. However, these numbers can be misleading in, for Hays, a good way. The aforementioned figures represent only those tuning in solely to the full Twangcast site. But people can also elect to have the service playing as background music throughout the day, and these numbers are not being monitored. Listeners seem to be drawn to Twangcast s unusual playlist. Because it is not limited by ratings, Twangcast is able to play music from artists who typically are never heard on country radio, be they emerging upstarts or classic country masters. "It s a crying shame that Mandy Barnett and Heather Mills are not being played on country radio. But country radio has its head so far up its ass that no one is playing those artists," says Hays. Twangcast also regularly features artists like Ferrin Young and Dale Watson, and will venture into commercial country music only far enough to play non-single album cuts from Nashville artists like Alan Jackson, Sarah Evans and Lee Ann Womack. But Hays claims the bulk of the new music he features is made by artists currently based in Austin and songs recorded by traditional country performers. "I can play the people beyond their prime," says Hays. "Those that don t have the tight butts and belly-buttons you need to make it commercially." It seems that no one even misses these entertainers. Boasting a slogan that reads, "We play the best twang Nashville never heard," Hays has plenty to keep himself and his listeners busy. Currently, Twangcast has no advertisers, but Hays says that as the listener numbers increase, advertiser interest is likely to as well. "If the listeners come, the advertisers will follow. We ve had some interest from advertisers already, but we just now have the statistics to show them," says Hays. As the stats rise, certainly advertisers will take notice. And as more country fans denounce the genre in its current state, perhaps country radio will too. Until then, Twangcast can be found at www.twangcast.com.
Re: Same Old 97s?
On Wed, 28 Apr 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Picked up the new Old 97s record "Fight Songs" yesterday and I dig it alot. But I think those early reviews about it being a radical departure are a bit overstated. There are new song structures and more multi-tracked vocals and harmonies on great new tunes like "Oppenheimer", "Murder" and "19". But their signature sound is still there in the galloping beats and weird "strangled" guitar sound on many of the tracks. I'll buy that. Songs like "Jagged," "Indefinitely," and "Let The Idiot Speak" are very much in the mold of what they've done before. There's a bit more musical subtlety employed, but Fight Songs is still very much a 97s record. The songs are also damn good, which for me anyway, is the bottom line.--don
Rappin' Radney
Saw Radney Foster @The Mercury Lounge in NYC last night. As I suspected, it was an industry showcase gig. Many people`murming things like "this is an important album for radney" blah, blah, blah. I really wasn't sure what to make of the show. He played hopped up versions of "Just Call Me Lonesome" and "Nobody Wins," but the new stuff through me for a loop. It wasn't so country and it kinda smacked of middle of the road CMT kaka. Maybe it jusy wasn't a good show. Can anyone enlighten me? -John ___ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
Re: Most Albums sold, via RIAA
Forgive me if this post is a little outdated, as I've been moving and have been trying to keep up with the P2 digests. But, OK, something's wrong here. You mean Aretha Franklin, or the Temptations, or Ray Charles, or James Brown isn't on the list? What's going on ... is it a case of poor accounting methods up until the 1960s? Or are the record companies as scummy as we think they are? I simply refuse to believe those artists haven't sold more than 20 million units in their careers. Ron Warnick NP: Johnny Paycheck, "The Real Mr. Heartache" (a little hard to find, but well worth it)
trivia help
Hello all, I'm trying to answer a trivia question someone threw at me... Which Louis Jordan tunes made the country charts during the 1940's? Apparently, there were three. Back in the Saddle Again, Babs
Re: trivia help
In a message dated 4/28/99 11:47:40 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Which Louis Jordan tunes made the country charts during the 1940's? Apparently, there were three. yep, at least in the top 40. "ration blues," #1 for three weeks; "deacon jones," the b-side (#7); and is you is or is you ain't (ma' baby), #1 for 5 weeks. all charted in 1944. source: billboard. bill f-w
Re: Clip: Twangcast
Thanks for the clipping Jon, even with the mistakes and typos it's great publicity. I'm still looking for this Lawrence VA I am supposed to live in and who the heck is Heather Mills? And you'd think a Nashville based writer could spell Faron Young's name right. All the same, nice to be recognized for doing what I believe in. Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
Re: Clip: Twangcast
Congratulations Mike!! Even with the misspelled names, you got some great quotes in there, especially the industry evaluation. Geezare they all double-jointed? g Will those radio tombstones read "I dug the hole that WEB radio filled in" a. best, Kate and who the heck is Heather Mills? And you'd think a Nashville based writer could spell Faron Young's name right. All the same, nice to be recognized for doing what I believe in.
Re: Rappin' Radney
On Wed, 28 Apr 1999 11:29:30 EDT, john friedman wrote: Saw Radney Foster @The Mercury Lounge in NYC last night. As I suspected, it was an industry showcase gig. Many people`murming things like "this is an important album for radney" blah, blah, blah. I really wasn't sure what to make of the show. He played hopped up versions of "Just Call Me Lonesome" and "Nobody Wins," but the new stuff through me for a loop. It wasn't so country and it kinda smacked of middle of the road CMT kaka. Maybe it jusy wasn't a good show. Can anyone enlighten me? -John John, Radney's new album isn't going to be "CMT kaka". I have only heard one song off of the album and it is worth the price of the disc alone. His new album isn't going to be promoted country radio either from what I have heard. ___ Get your free, private email at http://mail.excite.com/
alt-literature
Just received an event announcement from the SUNYBuffalo-based "poetics list"; thought the description of one of the readers might tickle and intrigue P2ers (well, except perhaps the Objectivists)... * * * Beth Murray began writing poetry after receiving her MFA in photography. She has two letterpress chapbooks-Spell and Into the Salt-and has been published in Volt, Fence, Mirage #4/Period[ical], No Roses Review, Tinfish, and Proliferation.Her writing retrofits urban legend with the spooky rituals of Gnostic dualism, as with jangled moans and a steady hand she churns up the American lyric and the old oaken bucket.She's like a one-woman Anthology of American Folk Music. * * * carl w. Received: from hub.tg.globeandmail.ca [199.246.69.20] by ccmail.globeandmail.ca (ccMail Link to SMTP R8.30.00.7) ; Wed, 28 Apr 1999 10:47:45 -0400 Return-Path: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: from defer.acsu.buffalo.edu([128.205.7.58]) (2751 bytes) by hub.tg.globeandmail.ca via sendmail with P:smtp/D:aliases/R:inet_hosts/T:smtp (sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]) id [EMAIL PROTECTED] for [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Wed, 28 Apr 1999 10:46:07 -0400 (EDT) (Smail-3.2.0.101 1997-Dec-17 #5 built 1998-March-10) Received: (qmail 22927 invoked from network); 28 Apr 1999 14:33:37 - Received: from listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu (128.205.7.35) by defer.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 28 Apr 1999 14:33:37 - Received: from LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU by LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 1.8d) with spool id 4387947 for [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Wed, 28 Apr 1999 10:33:34 -0400 Approved-By: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: (qmail 15145 invoked from network); 27 Apr 1999 17:08:20 - Received: from mail5.sirius.com (205.134.253.72) by listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu with SMTP; 27 Apr 1999 17:08:20 - Received: from [205.134.242.42] (ppp-asfm09--042.sirius.net [205.134.242.42]) by mail5.sirius.com (8.9.2/8.9.1) with ESMTP id KAA98959 for [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Tue, 27 Apr 1999 10:08:18 -0700 (PDT) X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Message-ID: l03130300b34b9f282484@[205.134.242.176] Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 10:08:16 -0700 Reply-To: UB Poetics discussion group [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sender: UB Poetics discussion group [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Hillman and Murray at SPT To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Early Bird Calendar
couple of questions: RELS: The Ex and Tortoise,... You mean together? RELS: Hattifatteners (Syd Straw and Cat Power's Chan Marshall) I thought the Hattifatteners were a God Is My Co-Pilot sideproject? carl w.
Re: Same Old 97s?
Has anyone else noticed that the opening track of the new Old 97s (Jagged) is incredibly similar (read: exact same chord structure) to The Bottle Rockets $1000 Car, all the way down to the electric guitar tone. Call me nitpicky, but... J
Re: Rappin' Radney
On Wed, 28 Apr 1999, Darren Stout wrote: Radney's new album isn't going to be "CMT kaka". I have only heard one song off of the album and it is worth the price of the disc alone. His new album isn't going to be promoted country radio either from what I have heard. That's not surprising, 'cuz it sounds like he's left country music behind -- it's Radney's "adult rock" record, and no doubt the plans are to work it to AAA radio. Who knows, they might even like it -- it's certainly bland enough. I've tried to listen to it a coupla times, and have yet to find a memorable tune. It definitely has that nondescript, vaguely rootsy sound favored by the adult rock crowd, and there's even a duet with the equally nondescript Abra Moore. I'm not sure if I'm the one to ask about it though, 'cuz most music of that ilk bores me -- as rock music, it's too tame, too polite, and too sterile, and as roots music it's pretty rootless.--don
Blue Chip Radio Report, 04/26/99
THE BLUE CHIP RADIO REPORT Country Music News, Charts, Show Prep, Sales Info April 26, 1999 Bill Miller Editor Publisher The Blue Chip Song of the Week: "Nashville Casualty Life" by Lee Roy Parnell. Writers: Kinky Friedman. Producers: Kacey Jones. Label: Kinkajou Records. Parnell's best-ever vocal, fine guitar licks and a splendid lyric. From the excellent tribute album, "Pearls In The Snow (The Songs of Kinky Friedman)", which jumped 9 slots to # 15 on Gavin's Americana chart this week. BMG picks up distribution tomorrow. Ray Stevens has prostate cancer. The singer/comedian is optimistic about a complete recovery. Doctors feel they caught the cancer in its early stages. His summer series in Nashville, The Ray Stevens Show, has been cancelled as a result of the illness. Blackhawk's Van Stephenson told Country Weekly that his cancer treatments have been successful and that he's healthy again. Cledus T. Judd recently had a procedure to correct a defect in his heart. To celebrate, Cledus plans a parody of Chad Brock's "Ordinary Life" on his next album. The title will be "Coronary Life". George Richey has asked he be dismissed from the lawsuit filed by four of Tammy Wynette's daughters. The widower's logic is that he is not a doctor, so a medical malpractice lawsuit would be misdirected. Jo Dee Messina won Act Of The Year at the Boston Music Awards show last Thursday. Has Barbra Streisand gone country? New hubby James Brolin is said to be an avid country fan and has led Barbra to the light. Here's some inside skinny. You may remember when we reported that Streisand and Vince Gill did a session together a few weeks ago on the west coast. The great one was so pleased with the session that she looked for other country material. The grapevine says Barbra fell in love with a song off an old George Strait album, "We Must Be Loving Right" (written by Clay Blaker Roger Brown), and called Tony Brown to L.A. to produce the tracks last month. Those who have heard the final mix say there's some fine steel guitar mixed in with the orchestra. It's expected to be on her fall album, along with the Vince Gill duet. Welcome to our new subscribers, including Lynn Stewart from WIL/fm in St. Louis; Gary Major, PD at WNAI/am in Louisville KY; Christophe von Goufein from R.P.L. Radio in France; Janet Bozeman with Sony Music; Jeny Duke with The Music City News; and, Freddy Fender. They say her Denver CO fans were shocked to see Faith Hill with long, brown hair and a ponytail a few days ago. Quite a change. Meanwhile, our Tattoo Police report that hubby Tim McGraw is sporting a new tattoo on one of his biceps. It says "Faith". The old standard of 3 single-for-radio releases from an album seems to have fallen by the wayside. These days one can expect four or five releases. For superstars, six releases seems to be the trend. The record companies lead the effort to get more gross dollar return out of each album investment. With the productive life of an artist becoming shorter and shorter, the labels want to squeeze out every dollar of profit before leading the artist to pasture. The upside is that smart producers and artists will be looking for more top-flight songs (read "not co-written by the artist") since they may have to go six deep into an album for releases. The downside is that the not-so-smart producers and artists won't go looking for 6 power songs. The result will be less competitive releases, less chart action, and a quicker contract termination from the label. Dixie Chicks will be doing some of the stops on the Lilith Fair tour this summer. Fund raising problems have slowed plans for the Country Music Hall of Fame's new building in Nashville. Shedaisy is composed of 3 sisters. They have performed in the past as The Osborn Sisters and as The Violets. Travis Tritt expects to be touched by a couple of angels in the coming months. Tritt filmed an episode of the TV show "Touched By An Angel" in Salt Lake City last week. Closer to home, he and Theresa are expecting to paint the baby's room blue before he enters the world in June. David Letterman's stage manager, the legendary Biff Henderson, has been in Nashville taping some stuff for a May episode of Late Night. BR5-49 will be one of the artists featured. In a deft casting move, Jo Dee Messina is scheduled to play a musician on this Friday's (4/30/99) episode of "Nash Bridges" on CBS. By the way, when is someone going to do a radio parody of the show and call it "Nashville Bridges"? Rumor has it that David Ball is about to re-enter our cosmic orb. Garth Brooks has sold 4.4 million copies of "Garth Double Live", according to the New York Daily News. John Michael Montgomery's new album, "Home To You", is due May 25th. It marks the first time that JMM has worked with producer Garth Fundis. Also due May 25th is Mary Chapin Carpenter's next release. "Party Doll and Other Favorites" is
Re: Early Bird Calendar
Carl Wilson writes: RELS: Hattifatteners (Syd Straw and Cat Power's Chan Marshall) I thought the Hattifatteners were a God Is My Co-Pilot sideproject? More to the point, I thought Syd Straw had moved back to Vermont. --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Rappin' Radney
Don Yates replied to Darren Stout: Radney's new album isn't going to be "CMT kaka". I have only heard one song off of the album and it is worth the price of the disc alone. His new album isn't going to be promoted country radio either from what I have heard. That's not surprising, 'cuz it sounds like he's left country music behind -- it's Radney's "adult rock" record, and no doubt the plans are to work it to AAA radio. My thoughts exactly, the more I hear the record. I think he's moving over over to that market since his last record didn't do too much sales wise, did it? Too bad because I think LABOR OF LOVE's his best record- plenty twangy, and a must for any Kim Richey fans out there. (She's on 5 or 6 tracks prominently) And the new songs sounded pretty darn good in a miserable dourpour at Stubb's the Thursday of SXSW- better than I expected, FWIW. Who knows, they might even like it -- it's certainly bland enough. I've tried to listen to it a coupla times, and have yet to find a memorable tune. It definitely has that nondescript, vaguely rootsy sound favored by the adult rock crowd, and there's even a duet with the equally nondescript Abra Moore. I'm not sure if I'm the one to ask about it though, 'cuz most music of that ilk bores me -- as rock music, it's too tame, too polite, and too sterile, and as roots music it's pretty rootless.--don. Well, I'm not as taken with the sound of the new record as the old ones, but if Radney finds success in the adult rock market,more power to him. He's still got the look, anyhow. g b.s. n.p. Lee Ann Womack s/t
Del-Lords update (attn. Dave Purcell)
After the flurry of Del-Lords/Kempner talk yesterday, I asked Ed Petterson ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) for an update: "The Del Lords thing is finally coming out in June on Restless. My credit is on the CD is "Event Catalyst". I kinda' like that. 20 tracks including 3 unreleased songs and stuff from the first two records previously unavailable on CD. The cover of "Folsum Prison Blues" is worth the price of admission." Ed also said his next CDs are a power-pop debut CD from The Strangely's called "Swinging From Chandeliers," which he describes "a big, Power Pop thing with a 60's vibe." He also plans to re-record his solo debut CD "Desperate Times," and retitle it "Guilty, With an Explanation." That is all. Jim Catalano
Re: Beastie Boys as AOTD
The _real_ AOTD are, um, They Might be Giants. Yeah, definitely, TMBG. Or perhaps Sepultura. A band we just blurbed on the web site said, "Thanks for comparing my voice to Peter Holsapple. I usually get that guy from TMBG." He sounded relieved. Jeff
Re: Gwil Owen address?
At 12:19 AM 4/25/99 -0400, you wrote: Awhile back, someone posted this address: Rambler Records, P.O. Box 90685, Nashville, TN 37209 for tapes by Gwil Owen (writer of songs recorded by Toni Price, Joy Lynn White et al.). Being a fan of those songs, I mailed off a note asking for a list of what he had for sale. It was returned to me marked "Returned to sender/Not deliverable as addressed/Unable to forward". I've searched CDNow and Amazon with no luck. Does anyone know of anywhere else I can get his music? Yep! Miles of Music. Gwil's got a brand new CD Magnetic Heaven which has several pop gems on it including the title track. If Jerry Curry doesn't love this song there is no hope for him. Also, tapes are available of Last Man On The Moon and Phoenix. Jeff
Re: Rappin' Radney
It definitely has that nondescript, vaguely rootsy sound favored by the adult rock crowd, and there's even a duet with the equally nondescript Abra Moore. That was the song that I thought was so great. Did you hear Radney's last album? I think this song is a lot more promising than anything on it. ___ Get your free, private email at http://mail.excite.com/
Re: Del-Lords update (attn. Dave Purcell)
Sweet! Thanks for the news, Jim... Dave [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: After the flurry of Del-Lords/Kempner talk yesterday, I asked Ed Petterson ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) for an update: *** Dave Purcell, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Northern Ky Roots Music: http://w3.one.net/~newport Twangfest: http://www.twangfest.com
Re: Rappin' Radney
On Wed, 28 Apr 1999, Darren Stout wrote: That was the song that I thought was so great. Did you hear Radney's last album? I think this song is a lot more promising than anything on it. I don't remember that one doin' a whole lot for me either. The last album of his I really dug was his solo debut, Del Rio Texas 1959.--don
Re: Clip: Twangcast
hey Mike, congrats, keep it up. Kind of reminds me of what FM radio used to be like, way back when... Elena Skye
Re: Oliver Lake - Fred Hopkins-- Julius?? Hello!!
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 27-Apr-99 RE: Oliver Lake - Fred Hopk.. by Kristen [EMAIL PROTECTED] Not their best, but it gives me a will to live some days is WSQ's Ellington record. Helps me soar sometimes. That may get played next week, but I think I'll stick with a Duke recording as his 100th birthday is tomorrow. Maybe something from _And His Mother Called Him Bill_, a tribute to Billy Strayhorn and my favorite Ellington album. I know a couple who put Charles Gayle records on for their infant son. He loves dancing to aggressive saxophone music. That kid's going to lead an interesting life. Carl Z.
Re: trivia help
Which Louis Jordan tunes made the country charts during the 1940's? Apparently, there were three. yep, at least in the top 40. "ration blues," #1 for three weeks; "deacon jones," the b-side (#7); and is you is or is you ain't (ma' baby), #1 for 5 weeks. all charted in 1944. source: billboard. bill f-w Welll...to be precise, these three songs made Billboard's "Most Played Juke Box Folk Records" chart, in the year it was inaugarated, 1944. and to quote from Joel Whitburn's "Top country singles 1944 -1988" - "In 1944, after the unprecedented success of Al Dexter's 'Pistol Packin' mama' the year before, Billboard began taking the music seriously enough to start its first tabulation of best-selling 'folk' music. The magazine wasn't too certain about what, exactly, constituted 'folk' music and frequently included black hot string combos such as the Four Clefs in that category." Other RnB performers on the chart that first year included Nat King Cole and Lucky Millinder, but by the following year's charts, RnB had pretty much disappeared. The name of the chart was changed to Country Western in 1949. None of which proves or disproves the popularity of black music with white audiences at the time. Allen Baekeland *** Boot Heel Drag can be heard on CJSW 90.9 FM , Calgary,AB Tuesdays at 6:30 PM MST and on realaudio at www.cjsw.com.
Re: trivia help
At 12:55 PM 4/28/99 EDT, Bill wrote: yep, at least in the top 40. "ration blues," #1 for three weeks; "deacon jones," the b-side (#7); and is you is or is you ain't (ma' baby), #1 for 5 weeks. all charted in 1944. Which was the first year of Billboard's country chart and the same year that nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald charted high on the country charts. After this year, though, I haven't found any such apparent rb/jazz genre crossing, not a one. Does anyone know if this was due to some initial charting procedural error that was later rectified, or were Nat and Ella and Louis actually being played back to back with Rex Griffin, Ernest Tubb and Red Foley on "country" stations, a programming choice that ended the very next year? I also think this would have been before the widespread notion of one-format-based radio stations, which makes it all even more confusing... --david cantwell
Happy Birthday, Duke
Not their best, but it gives me a will to live some days is WSQ's Ellington record. Helps me soar sometimes. I think I'll stick with a Duke recording as his 100th birthday is tomorrow. Maybe something from _And His Mother Called Him Bill_, a tribute to Billy Strayhorn and my favorite Ellington album. Yep, that one is sublime, especially their rendition of Strayhorn's "Blood Count", which Bill had written on his deathbed in the hospital only months before. That instrumental number conveys sadness, defiance, anger and acceptance all in the same breath. Another fine late period Ellington album is "Blues In Orbit", which is one of the most listenable jazz records in print from any era. Highly recommended. Twang content: heard a terrific version of Duke's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" last weekend by Hank Thompson. An unabashed Ellington freak, Kip
Re: Clip: Twangcast
hey Mike, congrats, keep it up. Kind of reminds me of what FM radio used to be like, way back when... Elena Skye No way you are old enough to remember that, are you? If so, all my fantasies out the windowg Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
Re: Jackson Browne All the Time.
In a message dated 4/28/99 1:57:37 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: The Road the Sky Radio is launched at http://members.xoom.com/JBRadio playing Jackson Browne music 24 hours a day. If this was broadcast to Kosovo the war would end in less than 24 hours, but I bet it would violate the Geneva Convention. Slim
Electric Shaver
After one listen, it's already my favorite Shaver album since Tramp On Your Street. He's still recycling some old songs, but the new tough versions of "When The Word Was Thunderbird" and "Lately I've Been Leanin' Toward The Blues" are definitely worth having, and there's lots of other highlights, like "Try and Try Again" (where Billy Joe is seized by near-evangelical fervor), the bluesy acoustic rendering of "New York City," the blistering roadhouse stomp of "You Wouldn't Know Love (If You Fell In It)," the lilting, tex-mex flavored "Manual Labor," the bluesy love ballad "I'll Be Here," the rowdy dancehall sound of "Way Down Texas Way," and the sweet acoustic country of the album closer, "She Can Dance." The only real misstep is the somewhat-silly "People and Their Problems," but ragging on one song seems like quibbling when the rest of the album's so strong. Billy Joe's craggy voice keeps sounding better with age, and Eddy plays with some welcome restraint, even when he's tossing out some scorching licks. And don't be misled by the album's title -- it ain't nearly as electric as that raucous live album from a few years back. There's some lovely acoustic tunes, along with some more fiery numbers. Overall, it's a near-perfect blend of country, blues and rock 'n' roll, and unlike some of the other combinations of the above offered up by more genteel types, Billy Joe's roots-music brew delivers a helluva kick. You sure won't find it on your local radio station sandwiched between Bruce Hornsby and Shawn Mullins. Electric Shaver's due out next Tuesday May 4th on New West Records.--don
Re: Happy Birthday, Duke
I think Carl ought to start his show Black, Brown, and Beige! There's one piece, and you've programmed on hour. Heck, just put on the whole Carnegie Hall concert from 1943, and you've got two incredible hours. Then the show can finish up with covers of Ellington from Leon Rausch, Johnny Gimble, Stephanne Grappelli, Louis Prima, Django Reinhardt, Vassar Clements... Man, this radio stuff is easy! Heh heh heh ~Greg ___ Get your free, private email at http://mail.excite.com/
Barkers CD release extravaganza (Memphis/St. Louis/Chicago)
contents: nothing but self-promotion. This is the last time, I swear. I just got back from the CD manufacturer with a carload of CDs! We are loading up the van for a short trip up the Miss (pruned to 3 dates, but we'll be coming back in July). A few P2'ers have told me they're coming to one show or another, and I want to encourage that sort of behavior to the maximum allowed by law. We are going to Memphis tomorrow, playing at the High Tone if I'm not mistaken, then to St. Louis to play our Big CD Release Show (at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room) with Tinhorn, who are also making that their Big CD Release Show. Saturday night we are at Lounge Ax in Chicago with the Webb Brothers. All y'all who are in town, please introduce yourself. And buy a CD! $10 cheap. If you've never heard [of] us, point your browser at http://www.mp3.com/thebarkers and listen to a song or two. Thanks, Bill Gribble
CALLING ALL NANCI GRIFFITH FANS
Are you out there? I'm looking for a *huge* Nanci Griffith fan who can also articulate in words why. This is like an open casting call. If you are this person, e-mail me OFFLIST ASAP. Neal Weiss
Re: Twitty, Tucker, Atkins
Hey there, Tera On Twitty - now here's a performer who had more #1 hits than Elvis and still isn't in the Country Hall of Fame. Why? What's the hold-up? Mike Ireland mused, "The only reason I can think of is it must be the hair." and thanks for the advice, folks Later... CK ___ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Clip: Old 97s from Allstar
Old 97's Throw Left Hooks On Fight Songs After rising through the ranks of the alt.country movement to become one of its brightest hopes, the Old 97's are in a bit of a quandary these days: do they stay loyal to the sound or follow their pop instincts to break through to a wider audience? It's a dilemma similar to that of Wilco, who have veered further into Beach Boys-ish territory of late, and Old 97's singer/ guitarist Rhett Miller understands the impulse. The band's new, forth album, Fight Songs, released Tuesday (April 27) on Elektra, is unapologetically hooky. In fact, some fans who have heard one of the new album's catchiest songs, "19," mistook it for Weezer. "Well, better Weezer than the Rembrandts," laughs Miller, who also writes all of the band's songs. "[The pop] is pretty obvious. It wasn't even where we were going. I was playing ['19'] at a soundcheck, and I had the verse, and [guitarist] Ken [Bethea] goes, 'Man, that's a good song -- you should write that.'" At the time, Miller was trying to pen songs for other artists. "I'd come up with that for someone else, thinking the Old 97's would never do it," he says. "We'd never done a song that was a straight 2/4, three-chord approach. It was usually over a shuffle or a waltz rhythm. So that was weird, but I'm happy with it." That's not to say that all of Fight Songs sounds like a different band. On the contrary, "Crash on the Barrelhead" bears an unmistakable country twang, and the shuffle beat of "Indefinitely" is reminiscent of songs like "Salome" and "Timebomb" from their 1997 album Too Far to Care. Still, the move towards blatantly infectious pop is intentional. And although Miller is cautious about alienating his alt.country fanbase, he's just as insistent on being allowed to pursue his muse, in much the same way Jeff Tweedy of Wilco has been defending his recent albums (allstar, March 10). "People think there are these rules," he says. "But I didn't make them. Jeff Tweedy didn't make them, and [we] can't be expected to adhere to them. "It's funny," he continues, "when we finished the record, I gave Frank Black a copy of it and John Doe a copy of it -- because who has more integrity than those two guys? -- just to make sure everything was cool, and that we weren't selling out, or whatever we're gonna get accused of. And they loved it. They said, 'If there's a song you can take to radio, go.' They both said, 'Money is freedom.'" Although the band -- which also includes bassist Murry Hammond and drummer Philip Peeples -- has long been based in Dallas, Miller recently moved to L.A. to be with his girlfriend. "I'm an American Airlines Advantage Gold customer," he laughs. "I fly back a lot for rehearsals, I fly back a lot for gigs, I'm constantly flying. But $270 gets me home, and if the gig pays well then it's not that big a deal." He figures to be doing even more flying when the Old 97's hit the road in support of Fight Songs. "The label would like us to be an opening act on a big tour, like R.E.M., but in addition to that we'll be doing a lot of headlining club shows," says Miller. "We're a hard opening act. I remember there was a long time when we'd be opening for Son Volt here and there, and they didn't like it." Indeed, the sheer, sweaty energy of an Old 97's show has long been a bane to any act that follows them. "That's just what we do," says Miller. "So I guess if it's R.E.M., they're not really running a risk of us, you know, upstaging them." - John Bitzer
7 of 9 Meets Jimmie Davis
I won't be the only one to have caught this, but for the record, Star Ship Voyager's Seven of Nine and Doc Hologram just performed "You Are My Sunshine" in perfect 2-part harmony, the first clear indication of the survival of twang for the next 400 years, and an early indication of interest in country music by cyborgs and projected image, unles you count..no, nevermind... (And I always thought that instrument Spock played was based on the Appalachian autoharp.) Barry
Re: Tortoise/The Ex and Hattifatteners
The first answer is reallly short: All I know about the Hattifatteners is what I read in ICE magazine, which says only what I said. Tortoise and the Ex: now this is an extremely cool record! This Dutch outfit called Koncurrent makes these records when bands are passing through. They put Tortoise and the Ex in a studio to improvise for two days and these are the songs they came up with. I like them better together than I like the Ex alone for listenability, and the Ex just sparks the hell out of Tortoise. It's fascinating. Music food for the brain as well as the spirit. It's being distributed here by Touch and Go I;m pretty sure. I feel really lucky it came on a day I wasn't just piling things up to listen to "sometime." Linda RELS: The Ex and Tortoise,... You mean together? RELS: Hattifatteners (Syd Straw and Cat Power's Chan Marshall) I thought the Hattifatteners were a God Is My Co-Pilot sideproject? carl w.
Re: Hatch Show Prints Twangfest
At 04:12 PM 4/26/99 -0500, you wrote: We are selling Twangfest 3 Hatch Show Prints this year. They will be available at Twangfest or from the Twang Gang after Twangfest. Also, we'll have several autographed Hatch Show Prints (from various artists) available at the Twangfest on-line auction. We'll be posting more details about the auction within the week. Also there are Hatch Show Print posters from the No Depression, um, Miles of Music party at the Broken Spoke which are also for sale. Also, also, and I hope I am not spilling an beans here, but I just received a splendid poster from the same company which celebrates the 5th Anniversary of Sound Asleep Records! Way to go Jerker. Jeff
Re: Scott Kempner
At 10:45 AM 4/27/99 -0700, you wrote: Great quote Dave. This reminds me, has any of that Little Kings stuff ever been made available for public consumption? I wanna know too - the only thing I do know is that on the Dion solo compilation that came out a few years ago The Little Kings play on the two (maybe three) new songs on it - but it's Dion all the way (aint nothin' wrong with that!). -ldk Also, I ahven;t gotten the new Neil Young tribute that came out, but on the Miles of Music description it says the Del-Lords play on it, but I think it's not - it's only Eric Ambel (again, nothing too wrong with that). Is Kempner on it too? Cribbed right from the Innerstate records notes. I plead guilty of littering, I guess. Jeff
Re: Joe, Marc'sBrother
At 11:21 PM 4/26/99 EDT, you wrote: At one time a friend of mine from Memphis, Rick Clark, was their producer. Power pop is what they like to be known as. Is this the same Rick Clark who is putting together Genefest? Jeff
Albini Rant
Since the Dingo Ate May Baby, er virus destroyed my files Ihave now lost the legendary Albini article with his breakdown of why bands on majors are screwed by *The Man.* If anyone has a copy, can you send it to me off-list? About every 8 minutes I remember something else I had on my hard drive, live the grainy real audio of the South Park christmas episode. That was some funny stuff. Albini, live it, know it. Jeff
Re: Albini Rant
Jeff, the last I saw the Albini text was when Purcell posted it way back, at least 18 months ago?... Maybe Dave still has the reference. --jr.
Re: Clip: Old 97s from Allstar
So the new Old 97s record has a lot of hooks, pop or otherwise. I'll confess that's what hooked me in the first place, on Wreck Your Life and Hitchhike to Rhome. Rhett's got a knack for writing these infectious tunes, with smart, witty, generally good-humored wordplay, and then singing them using the same assets. And while there were some very good tunes on the third record, to me at least, his writing lost some of its sunny cleverness. I know "sunnyness" and "good-natured" aren't generally positive things to say about a band, but, somehow, with "early" Old 97s, it was refreshing, endearing and just different. The frequently unhappy or dark topics just add to the creative dissonance. Anyhow, I'm hoping "Fight Songs" has some of that fresh innocence fueling its pop hooks, because I like this band a lot. Yeah, yeah, some of you with large memories will be remembering when I criticized Chet Atkins' production of Bobby Bare's 60s stuff, because of the dissonance between the "smooth" production and the grittier vocals and subject matter. Um, that's different. -- Terry Smith
Re: 7 of 9 Meets Jimmie Davis
Barry has witnessed the future, and it is now: an early indication of interest in country music by cyborgs and projected image, unles you count..no, nevermind... Oh, go ahead and say it: Brooks and Dunn, right? They're obviously androids, doesn't everyone know that? -jr.
Re: 7 of 9 Meets Jimmie Davis
(And I always thought that instrument Spock played was based on the Appalachian autoharp.) There's a guy in Homestead, PA who actually makes those things! Tom Moran
Re: Albini Rant
At 9:33 PM -0500 on 4/28/99, BARNARD wrote: Jeff, the last I saw the Albini text was when Purcell posted it way back, at least 18 months ago?... Maybe Dave still has the reference. I don't remember the exact search phrase Mr. P used, but if you search for "Albini" and "fucked" in your favorite search engine, you should find the page and some mighty interesting banner ads as well. Bob
Re: Joe, Marc'sBrother
In a message dated 4/28/99 8:46:12 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Is this the same Rick Clark who is putting together Genefest? I'll have to ask him. He is living in NashVegas now, but still gets to Memphis a few times a month. Nancy
Re: Albini Rant
Someone posted it to Postcard a week or two ago. Do a web search for "your friends are already this fucked." That should find it. mike dougherty
Re: Joe, Marc'sBrother
I don't think so... the Rick Clark putting together the Genefest is Gene Clark's younger brother. Cheryl ` From: Jeff Weiss [EMAIL PROTECTED] At 11:21 PM 4/26/99 EDT, you wrote: At one time a friend of mine from Memphis, Rick Clark, was their producer. Power pop is what they like to be known as. Is this the same Rick Clark who is putting together Genefest? Jeff
Re: Albini Rant
By popular demand... The Problem With Music by Steve Albini excerpted from Baffler No. 5 Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying shit. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end, holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed. Nobody can see what's printed on the contract. It's too far away, and besides, the shit stench is making everybody's eyes water. The lackey shouts to everybody that the first one to swim the trench gets to sign the contract. Everybody dives in the trench and they struggle furiously to get to the other end. Two people arrive simultaneously and begin wrestling furiously, clawing each other and dunking each other under the shit. Eventually, one of them capitulates, and there's only one contestant left. He reaches for the pen, but the Lackey says, "Actually, I think you need a little more development. Swim it again, please. Backstroke." And he does, of course. I. AR Scouts Every major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "AR" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire," because historically, the AR staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly. These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave. Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat, is one of them. Terry Tolkin, former NY independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go is one of them. Al Smith, former soundman at CBGB is one of them. Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine and contributor to Rip, Kerrang and other lowbrow rags is one of them. Many of the annoying turds who used to staff college radio stations are in their ranks as well. There are several reasons AR scouts are always young. The explanation usually copped-to is that the scout will be "hip" to the current musical "scene." A more important reason is that the bands will intuitively trust someone they think is a peer, and who speaks fondly of the same formative rock and roll experiences. The AR person is the first person to make contact with the band, and as such is the first person to promise them the moon. Who better to promise them the moon than an idealistic young turk who expects to be calling the shots in a few years, and who has had no previous experience with a big record company. Hell, he's as naive as the band he's duping. When he tells them no one will interfere in their creative process, he probably even believes it. When he sits down with the band for the first time, over a plate of angel hair pasta, he can tell them with all sincerity that when they sign with company X, they're really signing with him and he's on their side. Remember that great, gig I saw you at in '85? Didn't we have a blast. By now all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum. There is a pervasive caricature in popular culture of a portly, middle aged ex-hipster talking a mile-a-minute, using outdated jargon and calling everybody "baby." After meeting "their" AR guy, the band will say to themselves and everyone else, "He's not like a record company guy at all! He's like one of us." And they will be right. That's one of the reasons he was hired. These AR guys are not allowed to write contracts. What they do is present the band with a letter of intent, or "deal memo," which loosely states some terms, and affirms that the band will sign with the label once a contract has been agreed on. The spookiest thing about this harmless sounding little "memo," is that it is, for all legal purposes, a binding document. That is, once the
Re: Clip: Twangcast
In a message dated 99-04-28 17:14:10 EDT, you write: hey Mike, congrats, keep it up. Kind of reminds me of what FM radio used to be like, way back when... Elena Skye No way you are old enough to remember that, are you? If so, all my fantasies out the windowg Mike Hays hey, I have two older brothers, dude! I used to sleep curled up against their door when I was tiny and scared to be in my room alone. I heard a lot of great music. Elena
Re: Rappin' Radney
If one you can be "very" lukewarm about anything, that's how I felt on hearing the record the 1st half dozen times-- and no twang! A couple of songs (it's been months ago now) grew on me, but the song 'The Lucky Ones' is a pop gem from the git-go, IMHO of course.--jb Don Yates wrote: On Wed, 28 Apr 1999, Darren Stout wrote: That was the song that I thought was so great. Did you hear Radney's last album? I think this song is a lot more promising than anything on it. I don't remember that one doin' a whole lot for me either. The last album of his I really dug was his solo debut, Del Rio Texas 1959.--don
Calendar Update: The Wrights
Sorry I missed this one: May 8: John and Ellen Wright at Borders, 8 p.m. You've heard me rave about them before--bluegrass pickin', Ralph Stanley stories and all 'round fun. Linda
Danni Leigh
Sony-Nashville news release 4/28: Danni Leigh is now signed to Monument and will be working on a new album for fall '99 release. Tera
Jim Lauderdale Tape Offer
Three months ago, there was a thread here about "getting" Jim Lauderdale. A few of us fans felt like Jim hadn't really gotten his due as both a great writer and performer. At that time, I mentioned that I'd made a "best of" Jim Lauderdale tape for a friend, and that maybe what I needed to do was compile another one, and make it available to the list. At that time, Jerald Corder and I started corresponding off-list, and we decided that we cooperate on making a tape for distribution to anybody who was interested. Soon after, Jerald suggested we also do a tape of songs written by Jim that were covered or performed by others. After Jerald put it all together, there's now two tapes of those songs. I've got all five of Jim Lauderdale's LP's, but Jerald is the repository for Jim Lauderdale material, whether performed by JL or by others. Jerald has put together three cool tapes of Jim Lauderdale material. The first is a "best-of" Jim Lauderdale, with tracks not only from his 5 studio albums, but songs from an unreleased album, prior to PLANET OF LOVE, and some singles from promotional records that Jerald's picked up. It's a nice collection, 90 minutes long, with a fair amount of it from out-of-print or hard to find records. The second and third tapes are from various artists, too many to list them all here but a mix of alt and standard country types, and of course several from Lauderdale-loving George Strait. These covers fill two 90 minute cassettes. So, here's the deal. If you're interested in any or all of these tapes, send me an e-mail to this address. *DON'T REPLY TO THE LIST*, but reply to me here at my home address, [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'll send back a complete list of songs and artists on the covers tapes. Jerald's wife has done a nice job making up cool-looking j-cards for the cassettes, and if I wasn't already involved with this thing, I'd sure want copies. I'll want you to send me blank 90 minute cassettes to dub the music onto, and a buck to cover postage. That's it. This is a chance to find out more about one of the great, underrecognized talents in country music. Write me off list if you're interested in getting a copy of these cassettes. We're not expecting a flood of responses, BTW, but we'll adjust if so. g I'll give everybody till Monday May 3rd to respond. b.s. "Time begins on Opening Day" -Thomas Boswell
Re: Danni Leigh
At 01:21 AM 4/29/1999 Tera wrote: Sony-Nashville news release 4/28: Danni Leigh is now signed to Monument and will be working on a new album for fall '99 release. Cool. I sure liked her first record. Doesn't seem all that long ago it was just released, eh? g b.s. "Time begins on Opening Day" -Thomas Boswell
Re: Blue Chip Radio Report, 04/26/99
BLUE CHIP SPOTLIGHT ALBUM: "Chalee Tennison" by Chalee Tennison. Produced by Jerry Taylor. Label: Asylum. Fifteen seconds into cut 1, my first thought (clean version) was "Gee, not another Reba clone". But fifteen minutes into the album, you realize that this is a solid collection of tunes by a fine vocalist. Besides, the song selection is better than any Reba album. Good stuff. Has this been released yet? Is this artist mainstream (considering the Reba association) and if anyone has heard this, would you mind posting your opinion? Thanks, Tera (Tennison is coming round my way in May with the Alan Jackson show and I'd like to know a bit more about her) 4/26Steve Wariner, Tareva Henderson 4/27Sherrie Austin 4/28Candy Hemphill Christmas, Tareva Henderson 4/29T. Graham Brown 4/30David Ball TWANG T.V.: 4/26...Lorrie Morgan Sammy Kershaw on "Prime Time Country", TNN 4/27...John Anderson, Merle Haggard and Trisha Yearwood on The George Jones Show, TNN 4/28...Jo Dee Messina on "CBS This Morning" 4/28...Dolly Parton on Howie Mandell 4/28...Hank Williams Sr "Century Of Country"/"Honky Tonk Nights," TNN 4/29...Sara Evans on Donny Marie 4/30...Jo Dee Messina on Nash Bridges, CBS 5/3.Jo Dee Messina on Donny Marie 5/4.Collin Raye on "Politically Incorrect", ABC 5/5.Jo Dee Messina on "CBS This Morning" 5/5.Academy of Country Music Awards 5/5.Dixie Chicks on Jay Leno, NBC 9/22...CMA Awards, CBS * Check local listings for all shows, especially syndicated programs and "Austin City Limits". Special thanks to Katie Pruett at SuperStar Country KYNG/fm in Dallas/Ft. Worth TX and her work on the station's website, http://www.superstarcountry.com , a source for many of the Twang TV listings. THE BLUE CHIP ADULT COUNTRY CHART (25-49 demographics) 4/26/99 LW TW Title Artist - - --- 1 1 I'll Think Of A Reason Later . ..Lee Ann Womack 4 2 Gone Crazy . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Jackson 5 3 Wish You Were Here . . . . . .. Mark Wills 3 4 Ordinary Life . . . . . . . . . . . .. Chad Brock 6 5 You Won't Ever Be Lonely . . . Andy Griggs 7 6 Everytime I Cry . . . . . . . . . . Terri Clark 9 7 Two Teardrops . . . . . . . . . . .. Steve Wariner 10 8 Please Remember Me . . . . .. Tim McGraw 11 9 Anyone Else . . . . . . . . . . . . Collin Raye 15 10 Write This Down . . . . . . . . . . George Strait 12 11 Hands Of A Working Man . . .. Ty Herndon 13 12 Can't Get Enough . . . . . . . . . Patty Loveless 14 13 Maybe Not Tonight . . . . . . . . Kershaw Morgan 16 14 Drive Me Wild . . . . . . . . . . . . Sawyer Brown 17 15 I'm Leaving . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aaron Tippin 18 16 Stranger In My Mirror . . . . . .. Randy Travis 19 17 Hillbilly Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . .Montgomery Gentry 2 18 How Forever Feels . . . . . . . . Kenny Chesney 22 19 With You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Lila McCann 21 20 She's Always Right . . . . . . .. Clay Walker 25 21 One Honest Heart . . . . . . . .. Reba McEntire 26 22 Man! I Feel Like A Woman . ..Shania Twain 29 23 Whatever You Say . . . . . . . .. Martina McBride 27 24 Your Own Little Corner . . . . . .Blackhawk 30 25 A Night To Remember . . . . . Joe Diffie 34 26 Tonight The Heartache's . . Dixie Chicks 33 27 Hello L.O.V.E. . . . . . . . . . . . John M. Montgomery 8 28 Love Ain't Like That . . . . . . . . Faith Hill 35 29 Little Goodbyes . . . . . . . . . .. Shedaisy 31 30 I Was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...Neal McCoy 32 31 I Will Be There For You . . . . . Jessica Andrews 37 32 Who Needs Pictures . . . . . . . Brad Paisley 36 33 Single White Female . . . . . . .Chely Wright 40 34 Angels Working Overtime . . . .Deana Carter 39 35 I Know How The River Feels . . Diamond Rio *** 36 Somethin' 'Bout A Sunday . . ..Michael Peterson 38 37 Slave To The Habit . . . . . . . . Shane Minor *** 38 Fool, I'm A Woman . . . . . . . . Sara Evans *** 39 Boy Oh Boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Wilkinsons *** 40 Amazed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lonestar DROPPED: Brooks Dunn, Clint Black, Warren Bros., Vince Gill NASH-ROCK (a.k.a "Young Country") (Teens, 18-24 demos) LW TW Title Artist - - --- 1 1 I'll Think Of A Reason Later . . .Lee Ann Womack 4 2 Gone Crazy . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Alan Jackson 5 3 Wish You Were Here . . . . . . ..Mark Wills 3 4 Ordinary Life . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Chad Brock 6 5 Drive Me Wild . . . . . . . . . . . ..Sawyer Brown 8 6 Please Remember Me . . . . .. .Tim McGraw 7 7 Hands Of A Working Man . . . Ty Herndon 9 8 Every Time I Cry . . . . . . . . . . Terri Clark 10 9 Anyone Else . . . . . . . . . . . Collin Raye 16 10 Man! I Feel Like A Woman . ...Shania Twain 11 11 Two Teardrops . . . . . . . . . . . .Steve Wariner 12 12 You Won't Ever
