TWANGIN'! - THE NEWSLETTER: Number 1
April 1, 1999 -- No Foolin!
Cheryl Cline, Editrix
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more stuff like this go to: http://www.steamiron.com
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Twangin'! The Newsletter: Wha--?
--Cheryl Cline
I don't know what caused it, but something in me finally snapped.
After letting Twangin'! limp along for so long I decided it was
do or die -- revive the thing or let it go. I couldn't quite bear
the latter. But the former is rather daunting, after letting it
fall into such a mess. So my plan is to start it up slowly, at a
level I can handle. What you see on your screen is it: a
smallish, newsy, bulletinlike object, something another fandom in
another universe calls an "ensmalled" fanzine.
Twangin'! The Newsletter will be published frequently but
irregularly as an e-mail newsletter. A hardcopy version will
follow, but less frequently, since I have to do it all myself --
and it's more expensive to produce. I'll throw the e-zine up on
the Twangin'! website, and, as you'll see as you scroll down,
some of it is destined for departments there, such as the
Twangin'! Who's Who.
Writers are wanted; news is wanted; leads to interesting websites
are wanted; advertisers are wanted. Writers will be paid cash
money, payment negotiable. Contact me at the above e-mail
address.
Anything else?
Okay, then. On we go. --CIC
-----Live Review -----
"Geezerpalooza" January 23, 1999
The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
By Ted Samsel
Well, I finally made it to the Birchmere. I'd never been to the
old site, but the new one is one of the more comfortable music
halls I've been to. To some, this may be a drawback in that the
place is so nice. I know folks who insist on a certain frisson of
danger when they go out on the town; personally, I try to avoid
either ass-kickin' or having my ass kicked. Call me a wuss if you
like, but that's the way it is. Nonetheless, it was a trifle
disorienting to have such pristine restrooms in a place where
denizens of roadhouses and honkytonks as Guy Clark and Terry
Allen were playing.
I'd heard Guy live before back in Austin, probably at the
Armadillo beer garden or maybe at Soap Creek Saloon in another
life. My Samoan abogada (also a displaced Texan) and I took in
this show after visiting a Peruvian restaurant across the road
(they were out of guinea pig, so we had some excellent ceviche
instead). Primed with the Birchmere's excellent red ale, we took
our table and waited for the show to begin.
Guy and Terry came on stage, introducing themselves as The Rockin
Tacos and commenced to fill the next three hours with songs, wit,
lies, eternal truisms and damn lies. Guy Clark is a world-class
song writer whose songs are never mawkish or insincere; they have
an edge to them that speaks of his innate craftsmanship, a theme
which has resonated throughout his career. Terry Allen, on the
other hand (and a bronze sculptor by trade, by the way),
juxtaposes the sacred and the profane (a common theme in West
Texas) with a dark humor worthy of a jazzed-up Ambrose Bierce,
seldom belittling the subjects of his songs. They traded songs,
played backup for each other at times, and sang of various bad-
asses, characters, honky-tonk scenes and loved ones. It seemed
that we were nowhere near the Beltway and back in our home state
of Texas during this performance. Guy's song "Out in the Parking
Lot" (where the real honky-tonk action is, watching "neon light
shining on the gravel") and many of their other songs made this
seem quite real. In fact, a couple of jokes were made about the
current broujaja, which shall remain unmentioned, but Guy caught
himself and said,
"We best stop this. This is like bringing coals to Newcastle."
Guy also mentioned that they played in Houston earlier in the
tour and some shaven headed young feller with 30 piercings in
each visible orifice and tattoos on his arms, body, face and who
knows where else was awed by the show and came up to 'em and
said:
"Wow, this is like, GEEZERPALOOZA!"
GC: We weren't sure what to say so we let him rattle on.
TA: He said we must be older than his Dad.
GC: We weren't sure how to take this
TA: So we had to kill him.
(Peals of laughter)
It was quite the night.
-----!!!!!BUY THESE INSTANTLY!!!!!-----
Bad Livers - INDUSTRY AND THRIFT (Sugar Hill)
Recommended by: Brad Bechtel
Danny Barnes and Mark Rubin have come out with an amazing
amalgamation of acoustic, electric and otherworldly Americana.
This time out they're all over the musical road, swerving between
a metal version of Jimmie Skinner's "Doin' My Time" and the
klezmerizationality of "A Yid ist Geborin inz Oklahoma". They're
relaxed throughout, their performances evincing a rapport that
could only come out of two truly demented individuals who've
spent a long time together in small smoke-filled places filled
with potential alcoholics.
Highlights include "I'm Convicted" (scary or sympathetic? I can't
tell), a beautiful reading of Merle Travis' "Cannonball Rag," the
reflective "Anna Lee," and the opening song "Lumpy, Beanpole &
Dirt." My only complaint about this CD is the paucity of liner
notes - I'd like to know which members of the "extended musical
family" played which additional instruments.
It's already high on my list of best releases for 1998 and I've
only listened to it once. Highly recommended!
Produced by Lloyd Maines, available on SugarHill Records
(http://www.sugarhillrecords.com).
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Rosie Flores -- DANCE HALL DREAMS (Rounder)
Recommended by Cheryl Cline
I love Rosie Flores. She's a stylish guitarist, an enthusiastic
performer, a songwriter of some talent, and she's a capital-G
"Gal." People (including Jonny Whiteside in his liner notes to
this CD) always compare her to Wanda Jackson or Rose Maddox, and
their influence is obvious not only in Flores' music, but in her
attitude and style. In a completely natural and almost
understated way, she takes the torch from these women and runs
with it. She has the same hard-driving, yet feminine approach to
country, steeped in twang and tradition, rebellious and a
romantic to the bone. Her collaborations with Jackson and with
Janis Martin, her cover of "The End of the World," her musical
beginnings in all-girl bands -- even her teaming up with Ray
Campi to make an album of that most romantic of country forms,
the male/female duet -- make it clear that whatever else she may
be, Rosie Flores is very much a gal's Gal.
This CD is more of the Flore's pure mix of rockabilly, honky-
tonk and heartfelt country songs, almost all of them written or
co-written by Flores. There's the uptempo twangin' roots rock of
"Little Bit More," there's the bluesy rockin' rave-up "'59
Tweedle Dee," there's the Wanda Jackson Cover "Funnel of Love,"
and there's the sad, wistful tune "Who's Gonna Fix it Now," a
daughter's tribute to a father. There's iron under that
wistfullness, and there's backbone in these dance hall dreams.
Rosie's got the right stuff. The Gal Stuff.
----- BOOKS-----
Hank Williams: The Complete Lyrics. Including the lost lyrics to
country classics and the first publication of lost songs by the
King of Country Music. Don Cusic, Editor. St. Martin's Press,
1993. 152p.
Recommended by Cheryl Cline
Now here's a simple but brilliant idea. The complete lyrics of
Hank Williams. What's to review? What's not to like? I just want
to note the book's existence. It's been out for quite a while,
but since it wasn't on Oprah's list it's a tad more obscure than
it should be -- you know, there are lots of very good books out
on country music, most of them published by independent or
university presses, and they hardly get mentioned at all,
anywhere. One good place to read in-depth reviews of books on
country music is THE JOURNAL OF COUNTRY MUSIC, but I ask you,
WHERE CAN YOU EVEN FIND THIS MAGAZINE? HUH? I saw it at Barnes &
Noble once and the shock was almost enough to...
Where was I? Oh yeah, this nifty little tome has been out for a
while, but I only came across it recently and was instantly
charmed. Not only is it a good reference book -- the complete
lyrics of Hank Williams, what an outstanding idea -- and not only
is Don Cusic's introductory essay on Williams' life and lyrics
eminently worthwhile, but the book's actual physical design makes
it something you want to hold in your hands, leaf through, and
admire. It's a wonderful example of popular book artistry and
craft, and makes me remember why I love those cloth-and-paper
things so dang much. It kills me sometimes that so much energy is
wasted making beautifully designed books about angels from Venus
abducting recovering frog-lickers, when such energy can be put to
far, far better use making books like Hank Williams: The Complete
Lyrics.
-----Humor/Cooking-----
Is it an electric ukelele? Not quite!
Go to...
http://www.steamiron.com/eats/kilowatt-cook.html
...and take a gander at Reddy Kilowatt on the cover of Crossroads
Cookery...
then make yourself a Poi Cocktail!
-----Web site of the Week-----
http://www.dannybarnes.com/bio.html
Danny Barnes, of Bad Livers fame and much more, has put up a web
page with lots of cool stuff on it. Along with the usual bio,
reviews, discography blah blah blah, there's a series of essays
by Barnes, with titles like "How Musicians Are Lied To," "There's
Actually Lots of Cool Shit Happening, Stop Whining," and "You Can
Quote Me On That: A big long list of short little sayings," the
latter of which includes:
-- Music is good!
-- There's a guy backing down the interstate. Now that's always a
bad idea.
-- Some folks see a banjo and think, "request time."
-- Motorcycle, flyfish, sail, garden.
Related websites:
Fellow Bad Liver Mark Rubin's Website: http://markrubin.com/
The Bad Livers website Itself: http://www.hyperweb.com/badlivers/
These sites are not only informative, they're cranky like their
host. Did I say cranky? I didn't mean *cranky*. If you're at all
familiar with Mr. Rubin, you know the guy's got ka-RAS-ma.
-----Film Recommendation-----
DILL SCALLION: Or, What Else I Did at South By Southwest
By Barry Mazor
Yes, folks, there is also a top-level independent-oriented film
festival and interactive multimedia conference at SXSW before the
music even gets started, and partly overlapping it. I saw some 16
or 17 new feature films before hitting the honky tonks.
The one you'll want to know about was DILL SCALLION, a sometimes
hilarious pseudodocumentary that does for today's country music
world what THIS IS SPINAL TAP did for arena rock and roll. This
concerns the rise and fall of a Texas school bus driver who hits
it big in Nashville for 15 minutes and has to go home; his
instant fame and hits are partly due to the Scallion Shuffle, a
dance craze he invents by breaking his leg on stage. The bass
player (who claims to be Minnie Pearl's illegitimate son Bubba
Pearl -- well, there's a tag on his hat, anyway) -- breaks Dill's
leg again every day after that, to keep things moving. It's
knowing, funny stuff, and even delivers some good country songs
so you can tell the horrible parody ones apart from 'em. Sheryl
Crow of all people was involved in delivering the score -- though
background music, not those country songs. The hero's played by
Billy Burke, and Henry Winkler does a memorable turn as a Hebraic
Nashville label chieftain. Directed by Jordan Brady. Likely to be
distributed soon.
-----Obituary: Charles Sawtelle-----
Charles Sawtelle, bluegrass guitarist, member of Hot Rize and its
alter-ego band, Red Knuckles & the Trail Blazers, died in
Nashville March 20, 1999, after a long struggle with leukemia and
complications following a bone-marrow transplant. He was 52 years
old.
Hot Rize formed in 1976, named after the "secret ingredient" in a
popular jingle for Martha White Self-Rising Flour (which
sponsored Flatt & Scruggs' segment on the Grand Ole Opry). The
band released their first, eponymous, album on Flying fish in
1979. Along with Sawtelle (guitar, vocals), the band featured Tim
O'Brien (mandolin, fiddle, vocals), Pete Wernick (banjo, harmony
vocals), and Nick Forster (bass, vocals). The same musicians,
under transparent pseudonyms, also played in a country-swing band
called Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers, which released two
albums, RED KNUCKLES AND THE TRAILBLAZERS in 1982, and SHADES OF
THE PAST in 1988. Sawtelle, playing bass, was known as "Slade."
After Hot Rize (and thus Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers as
well) disbanded in 1990, Sawtelle formed Charles Sawtelle and The
Whippets, and teamed up with Peter Rowan in the Panama Red Riders
and other projects, and continued to be a popular fixture on the
bluegrass festival circuit. He also produced albums by bluegrass
and folk artists, and appeared on albums by Beppe Gambetta and
Tom Rozum, among others.
Hot Rize (and Red Knuckles) reformed in 1996 for a successful
reunion tour, and continued to play together, partly as a way to
help Sawtelle pay hospital bills. According to his friend and
bandmate Pete Wernick, Sawtelle had recorded tracks with some of
his favorite musicians at his studio for a solo album, and in
recent months was reviewing tapes of Hot Rize performances from
1996, toward putting together a live album featuring both bands.
There will be no funeral; but a memorial event will be held April
11 in Boulder, Colorado. Condolences to the family may be sent
c/o Joan Wernick at P.O. Box 955, Niwot, CO 80544. They will be
forwarded to the family.
-----New Twangin'! Who's Who Listings-----
Justin Trevino
Style: Texas Honky Tonk / Classic Country
Began Performing: 1985
Stomping grounds: Austin, Texas
Playing pure Texas country and honky tonk in the classic
tradition, Justin Trevino has played professionally since he was
13 years old, releasing his first album when he was 17 (KING OF
CLUBS). He has worked with Kitty Wells, Leona Williams, and
Justin Tubb, as well as Austin stalwarts Don Walser and Cornell
Hurd.
Musicians:
Justin Trevino - Lead and harmony vocals, lead and rhythm
guitars, bass, mandolin
Guests on Texas Honky Tonk: Johnny Bush (drums, vocals); Scott
Walls (pedal steel guitar); Rick Price (pedal steel); Howard
Kalish (fiddle); Ted Lacey (piano); Cody Nichols (piano); Lisa
Pankratz (drums); Kathy Timm (vocals).
Contact/Booking/Mail Order:
Neon Nightmare Records
Phone: (512) 357-6498
E-mail: hhfc1.airmail.net OR [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Aaron Fox)
Web: http://http://roar.music.columbia.edu/~cecenter/Justin.html
Discography:
Texas Honky Tonk. Neon Nightmare, 1998.
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Big In Iowa
Style: Roots Rock
Formed: 1996
Stomping grounds: Ohio
"Big In Iowa is a straight-ahead, down-home roots rock band that
believes in sweet harmonies, sing-along choruses and jangly
guitar chords."(Album Network) "Big In Iowa has a jangly country
feel, similar to recent bands like the Jayhawks, or the classic
sound of Buffalo Springfield." (Richard O. Jones, Journal-News)
Band Members:
Bob Burns - Lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Ken Glidewell - Bass guitar, vocals
Rick House - Guitar, slide, mandolin, vocals
Jeff Wilson - Drums, vocals
Contact Addresses:
Booking/Management: Under A Rock Management
Phone: (513) 868-7064
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Rick
Waring)
Web: http://www.biginiowa.com/
Label: Blue Rose Records (Germany)
RAUHECKSTR. 10 74232 ABSTATT / GERMANY.
Phone: +49-(0)7062-955444, Fax: +49-(0)7062-64375.
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web: http://www.bluerose-records.com/
Discography:
Twisted-1998 (Blue Rose Records-BLU CD0069)
Blue Rose Collection Vol. 4 (track #1 "Is This Love?"), 1998
(Blue Rose Records BLU CD0072)
Totally Adult TuneUp Sampler (disc #1, track #15 "Is This
Love?"), 1998 (The Album Network #31)
Musik Express Sounds Sampler (track #4 "September Song"),1998
(Musik Express Vol. 22)
This Note's For You Too!-Neil Young Tribute ("Cinnamon Girl"),
Jan 1999 (Inbetweens Records)
-----Announcement: T W A N G F E S T 3!-----
It didn't seem possible: a bunch of musicians, writers, DJ's, and
music fans who had only corresponded by e-mail put together a
two-day music festival in St. Louis, MO in June 1997 that ended
up attracting hundreds of attendees from not just the city itself
but all around the country. The two-day blowout featured 10
Americana/alternative-country bands scattered all across the US,
a huge barbeque complete with live music, and the opportunity for
a community that had previously been completely based in
cyberspace to mingle and get to know each other in the flesh.
In June 1998, they did it again. This time: three nights, fifteen
bands, and a related two-disc CD compilation, with Kimmie Rhodes,
Mike Ireland & Holler, and Robbie Fulks providing the star power.
It was, as the kids say these days, da bomb.
Twangfest 3 is June 10-12, 1999, again in St. Louis, again at the
fabulous Off Broadway. While the rest of the lineup is still
being nailed down, the star power is in place. This year's
headliners are:
Thursday: The V-Roys (E-Squared Records)
Friday: Damnations (Sire Records)
Saturday: Dale Watson (Koch Records)
For the full line-up and more info, go to Twangfest Central:
http://www.twangfest.com/
OR send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----Announcement: New Releases-----
Rebel Records Releases Its First Full-Length Performance Video
Rebel Records, the first all-bluegrass label in the world,
celebrated another milestone last month with the release of its
first full-length performance video, RICHARD BENNETT & BLUE
TOWNE.
The 53-minute video features J.D. Crowe alumnus and guitar player
extraordinaire Richard Bennett leading his band, Blue Towne,
through 12 songs pulled from his first two Rebel albums, WALKIN
DOWN THE LINE and A LONG, LONESOME TIME. Recorded live at
Kentucky's historic Sipp Theater, and interspersed with studio
clips from recording sessions at Planet 3 Studio, the video
provides an up-close look at one of the most respected guitar
players in acoustic music today. Joining Richard as "Blue Towne"
are Wanda Barnett - fiddle, Dean Osborne - banjo, Randall Barnes
- bass, and Phil Leadbetter - dobro. The project was produced by
Burgess Hurd, and directed by Tom Adler. Executive producer was
Dave Freeman. A second Rebel video, which will spotlight the
talents of bluegrass veteran Larry Sparks, is already in
production, and is slated for release this spring.
Available through County Sales, at (540)745-2001, or visit
them on the web at http://www.countysales.com.
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Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun. Raise A Ruckus! Hightone Records.
Available April 20.
With special guests Flaco Jimenez, Accordion, Al Gomez and Louis
Bustos, The San Antonio Horns, Tommy Detamore, steel guitar,
Bobby Flores, fiddle, Louise Kirchen, duet vocal on True Love's
the Treasure, Clay Blaker, harmony vocal & acoustic guitar.
Hightone Records: http://www.hightone.com
Band website:
http://www.crosstownarts.com/CrosstownArts/client_music/kirchen/kirchen.html
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Laurie Lewis. Laurie Lewis and Her Bluegrass Pals. Rounder 11661-
0461-2.
Street Date: May 4, 1999
"This album is a kind of homecoming for Laurie Lewis, a return to
the music that claimed her heart as a teenager and set her on
course as a musician. Today she's one of bluegrass music's
established stars, a virtuoso picker, fine singer, dynamic
bandleader, and unique storyteller. Laurie Lewis and Her
Bluegrass Pals -- Tom Rozum, Todd Phillips, Craig Smith and Mary
Gibbons, all talented musicians in their own right -- emphasize
the joy of playing bluegrass in a band setting: five people
singing and playing acoustically to create a rich and ever-
changing musical fabric." --Neil V. Rosenberg, from his liner
notes
Available on CD. Rounder Records: http://www.rounder.com
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Lynn Morris. You'll Never Be the Sun. Rounder 0458
"I've always loved Lynn Morris' singing. Well-tuned and
countrified, understated and 5% quirky, Lynn knows how to trust a
song and let her feelings flow into her voice without pretending
or manipulating her audience. This is Lynn's finest recorded work
to date, and her singing here is even better, spunk and backbone
adorned with soft West Texas grace. And the band -- mandolinist
Jesse Brock, fiddler Ron Stewart, and bassist/duet partner
Marshall Wilborn -- plays with more energy and musicality than
ever before. If you're at all like me you'll be playing this disc
over and over." --Jody Stecher, from his liner notes.
Available on CD and Cassette. Rounder Records:
http://www.rounder.com
---End of Twangin'! - The Newsletter #1 - Adios & Good Night---
