Nickel Creek Performance on Live & Direct Series

Nickel Creek Performance on Live & Direct Series

Check this intimate but vibrant performance and interview with the reunited newgrass super-group Nickel Creek, curated by 91.3fm WYEP & Produced by AltarTV.

Songs played are “21st of May” and “Destination,” both from their new album ‘A Dotted Line’ via Nonesuch Records.

Subscribe to the Live & Direct channel for more great performances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5EsSrDiN28

21 Performances To Catch at AmericanaFest 2014

The Hello Strangers perfrom at the Patterson Theatre in Baltimore

If you’re a fan of roots music there is only one place to be in the fall, and that’s Americanafest. The Americana Music Association will be presiding over this 15th Festival – along with its Conference and Awards Ceremony – in Nashville, September 16-21.

This is the premier industry event celebrating the music we love. Thousands of artists, fans and industry folks from all over the world will gather to talk biz, eat BBQ, drink local beer and, yes, hear the best music on the planet.

then get up the next morning and do it all over again (pace yourself, drink water!)

This year the increased the number of acts has grown to 160 (!) performing across 11 venues (!!) This might have given me more awesome choices, but I’ve yet to figure oy t that whole cloning myself thing. This makes seeing many performances, many happening at the same time, an impossibility.

But the upside is no matter where you find yourself you’re in for some of the best music going.

Over the years of attending this extraordinary event I’ve tried to dig deep in the bill and look for hidden gems that might I might miss on my initial scan. Some newer or more obscure performers are the ones that can often leave an impression and have fans talking for days after.

Though I like to see the big names as much as anybody, There are a few names that fly a little lower under the radar but will be well worth making time for.

See the full lineup here.

Caroline Rose – The Basement – Tuesday September 16, 2014 7:00pm – 7:45pm

Caroline Rose just came across my ADD addled mind and I’m better for it. Pop folk never sounded so fresh and vibrant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4cAnRTrKD0

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John Moreland – High Watt – Wednesday, September 17, 2014 11:00pm – 11:45pm

There’s nothing fancy about a John Moreland performance. He sits alone, mostly with an acoustic guitar spinning rich tales of the human landscape. His sparse, concise yet elegant style has him counting Lucero and Jason Isbell as fans and having his songs showcased on the biker drama, Sons of Anarchy

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Hannah Aldridge – Fanny’s House of Music “Americana Ladies Night Line-Up” – Thursday September 18, 2014 5:30pm – 8:30pm

A voice of the ages that can be heard from two blocks over (unmiced) Aldridge beings the goods and more on her sterling debut “Razorwire.”

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Banditos – The Rutledge – Thursday September 18, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

This Nashville-by-way-of Birmingham band is a potent blend of rock, country and soul that draws on many influences and squeezes greatness from every drop. Some of the tunes might seem “jammy” but they always right themselves and head straight for solid framework.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKzxzvyc35M

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Zoe Muth – Listening Room Café – Thursday September 18, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Zoe Muth’s sweetly plantive voice sings songs of hardscrabble love and life that can tear out your heart or rock your soul, often at the same time.

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Shinyribs – High Watt – Wednesday September 17, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Shinyribs is the pseudonym of The Gourds mastermind of madness Kevin Russell. Tightly arranged tunes, spiked with a heavy dose of whimsy, shows Russell reflecting a stew of influences from Bob Wills to the Texas Tornadoes.

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Jonny Two Bags – The Basement – Wednesday, September 17, 2014 11:00pm – 11:45pm

Sometimes punk rockers age and cross over to Americana. Sometimes their original band has always had a foot in the dusty road. The latter is the case for Jonny Two Bags. As the guitarist for the SoCal institution Social Distortion, Jonny Two Bags didn’t have to travel far to pull out his

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Whiskey Shivers – Station Inn – Thursday September 18, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

Newgrass? Naw, how bout thrashgrass. Whiskey Shivers heats up the already hot genre by pulling in an audience and making a performance a communal celebration that will have you to leaving your troubles at the door. They’ve even caught the ear of fellow Texas genre-hopper Robert Ellis who has produced their upcoming self-titled album.

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Otis Gibbs – Station Inn – Thursday, September 18, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Otis Gibbs is what a musician looks like that refuses to compromise. His songs are instantly relatable and yet poetic.The man effortlessly exudes that ever elusive quality of authenticity.

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Hello Strangers – Two Old Hippies – Friday, September 19 6:00 PM – 7:00pm

Sisters Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace hail from the foot of the Appalachian mountains, due north of the Mason-Dixon Line , in Mercersburg, PA. They ended up in Austin where they worked their craft in the rich music scene helped hone their harmony-rich folk and roots rock spirit.

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Jonah Tolchin – Third Man – Friday, September 19, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

Jonah Tolchin’s voice belies his years on earth. His neo-soul roots style transports you and breathes life into the past.

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Marah – The Basement – Friday, September 19, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

Marah are one of my favorite rocks bands, all ramshackle and passion fueled recklessness. Thier newest roots music production, ‘Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania’ takes all that’s great with the band and runs it through a copper wire od dark mountain folk.

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Cale Tyson – Listening Room Café – Friday, September 19 – 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Nashville by way of Texas classic country and Townes Van Zandt influenced Cale Tyson’s musical path. Tyson’s latest EP, “High On Lonesome” reflects that legacy with hints of Gram Parsons, Guy Clark and Willie Nelson.

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Jamestown Revival – Mercy Lounge – Friday, September 19, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

After seeing Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance, Jamestown Revival, at an LA Americana event honoring the Everly Brothers I was hooked. They arguably stole the show that night. This was a show that included Rodney Crowell and Bonnie Raitt get there early. JR might be somewhat off the radar but their popularity is growing.

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Cory Branan – High Watt – Friday, September 19, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm
Sharp songwriting and an aversion of the lazy trope has made Chuck Ragan and Lucero into fans of Cory Branan. Come see what all the fuss is about.


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Grace and Tony – Station Inn – Saturday September 20, 2014 8:00pm – 8:45pm

Grace and Tony come from a bluegrass and punk rock background respectively. Not just joining in matrimony they fused a hybrid style they describe as Punkgrass. Colliding the worlds of Charlie Poole and The Clash might have been a disaster for some, but they make it work thanks to a love of craft many of live performances in front of adoring fans.

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Lera Lynn – High Watt – Saturday September 20, 2014 9:00pm – 9:45pm

Texas-born Lera Lynn has a hard one to characterize. A little Dusty , a dash of Loretta, leads to a quality to her that make her rock-roots/soul style irresistible.

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Jason Eady – Mercy Lounge – Saturday, September 20, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Jason Eady’s is the odd man out here. He’s not Americana, he’s country..or at least he’s what country used to be , before it became Americana. Damn it just go see him!

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David Ramirez – The Rutledge – Saturday September 20, 2014 10:00pm – 10:45pm

Austin’s David Ramirez is the textbook definition of a troubadour. A songwriter hammering out hard tales with a guitar and a song. His extensive touring has gained him fans from coast to coast.

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Carolina Story – Listening Room Café – Saturday September 20, 2014 12:00am – 12:45am

With the official demise of the Civil Wars I invite you to turn your wistfully romantic ears toward husband and wife dup Carolina Story (Ben and Emily Roberts.) Though they can get a little more country (read twang) than TCW the Arkansas couple can also plumb the depths of a forlorn soul.

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Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons – The Basement – Sunday September 21, 2014 12:00am – 12:45am

Joe Fletcher’s solo debut ‘You’ve Got the Wrong Man,’ populated with soldiers, scammers, hangers-on, hellraisers, boozers and the woe-begone. Comparisons to Tom Waits would not be far off.

http://vimeo.com/98921881

Watch Out! Ben Miller Band “Life on Wheels” [VIDEO]

Ben Miller Band "Life on Wheels"

Fragments and glimpses of touring make up the video for Ben Miller Band’s new video for “Life on Wheels.”

This might seem obvious (and cheap!) but these video segments, compiled by BMB one-stringed washtub bass player Scott Leeper fits the rambling song perfectly. It also offers a view on how
hard life on the road can be. So next time your at a live show spring for a shirt or two. That could be the band’s gas money.

Nickel Creek Surprised With Platinum Records

Nickel Creek Surprised With Platinum Records

It took a while, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. Following their taping for an upcoming Austin City Limits Live the legendary newgrass trio of Nickel Creek was presented with the band’s first platinum record for its Sugar Hill Records debut, Nickel Creek. The band was surprised with special plaques to commemorate the accomplishment by Sugar Hill General Manager Cliff O’Sullivan and Sugar Hill Vice President of A&R Gary Paczosa (who also engineered Nickel Creek.).

“We wanted to be able to share in this moment with Chris, Sean and Sara and where better than this beautiful theater!” Cliff O’Sullivan shares. “Selling a million albums is a tremendous achievement and we are thrilled to be able to celebrate it with Nickel Creek and applaud the enduring success of the album, which is a cornerstone of Sugar Hill’s musical legacy.”

Nickel Creek, the self-titled album from the acoustic trio, was Certified Platinum by the Recording Industry of America earlier this month, having officially hit one million units of the record sold.

The trio reached another milestone this year as they celebrate twenty-five years of making music together. Currently on tour in support of their latest album, “A Dotted Line,” released through Nonesuch Records, the band continues to wow audiences with their live performances. This year’s tour wraps up in Aspen on Sunday August 31.

8-28 Mesa, AZ – Ikeda Theatre
8-29 Albuquerque, NM – Kimo Theater
8-30 Colorado Springs, CO – Pike’s Peak Center
8-31 Aspen, CO – JAS Aspen Snowmass

Music Review – The Ben Miller Band – ‘Any Way, Shape or Form’ (New West)

ben miller band

Performers like Konrad Wert (Possessed By Paul James) , Scott H. Biram and Hillstomp have been spectacularly creating Depression era country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and blues music for years by jolting the dusty form with a furious intensity and emotional directness that would make Marcus Mumford sob into his vintage hanky.

We can now add to that the Joplin, Mo. trio of Ben Miller, Doug Dicharry and Scott Leeper, collectively known as The Ben Miller Band.

Producer Vance Powell ( Wanda Jackson,Buddy Guy, Jack White) is just the right man to steward ‘Any Way, Shape or Form,’ TBMB’s debut for New West records, though the many influences that make up what the band calls “Ozark Stomp” and bring out the band’s best effort to date.

Opener “The Outsider” evokes Dock Boggs and split Lip Rayfield as Miller’s clawhammer banjo, Dicharry’s percussion and Leeper’s washtub bass kick up a foggy mountian moshpit accenting by a hot guest slide guitar break by Chad “Gravy” Graves. The spirit of John Lee Hooker is raised in the jump boogie of “You Don’t Know” with a nasty little guitar break in the middle, and in the greasy/sleazy ‘Hurry Up And Wait” which features Dicharry’s blazing washboard work. Things gear down on the melancholy “I Feel for You” which is given a a dreamy quality from the inclusion of Graves pedal steel and Dicharry’s mandoline. The inclusion of the vaudeville-jazz ditty “23 Skidoo”, a 1920’s slang phrase for getting while the getting’s good is an odd twist especially when it grows into a dramatic swell. “Burning Building” is an Appalachian-meets-garage rocker that would make Jack White give a pasty smile.

the treatment given to the traditional folk ballad “The Cuckoo.” The internal dialogue of the piece occurs in a fever dream of roots-psychedelic, stabbing guitar, musical spoons and furious percussion. “Twinkle Toes,” is a jaunty lock-down break-down sing-along featuring blistering dobro. “Life on Wheels” kicks off like a “Whiskey River” remake but quickly breaks another direction as harmonica brings to mind a whining train whistle. “No War,” is a lofty Phil Ochs-style topical folk song calling out corruption and ponders the metaphysical.

“Any Way, Shape or Form” is work of considerable scope executed into a whole of rambunctious cohesion. It leaves you wondering what else Ben Miller Band might have up their sleeves.

Official Site | Amazon | iTunes

four-half-rate

Whiskey Shivers To Release Self-Titled LP 9/23, Produced By Robert Ellis

Whiskey Shivers

I’m really looking forward to this self-titled release from Austin’s punkgrass band Whiskey Shivers. Now the reveals of the Homer & Jethro-inspired cover for the album ahs amped up teh anticipation.

I’ve yet to catch these boys live but I’ll make up for that when I catch a NorTex stop.

From the release:

“Whiskey Shivers isn’t just the five of us on stage, it’s everybody in the room,” (frontman and fiddle master Bobby) Fitzgerald says. “We try to bring everybody into the moment and get them to realize there’s no wall between us and the crowd. We’re all in this together, and we’re all here to have a good time. We’ll do our best to facilitate it, but it takes all of us to make it happen. When you start to feel that, you can’t help but feel a little attachment and become invested in the show. You realize, ‘Oh, I’m here to have good time too!'”

Despite their joyful demeanor, the guys in Whiskey Shivers aren’t pretending that life is always easy. Far from it, Fitzgerald explains. Their new self-titled album, out September 23 and produced by fellow roots music boundary-pusher Robert Ellis, is heavy with traditional bluegrass themes and imagery lamenting universal struggles – work, pain, sin, regret and death.

It’s in the contrast where Whiskey Shivers’ music shines. They infuse their songs with punk rock energy and a darkly comical light-heartedness, stretching the bluegrass genre to fit whatever they feel is right. For them, being happy is a conscious choice, and making fun of life’s struggles is part of their philosophy.

“We’re all going through s**t all the time. We recognize that life’s tough,” Fitzgerald says. “We try to write songs that recognize the hard times that we all share. When you put your problems out on the table where everyone can see them, it doesn’t really have the same power over you any more, and you can start to acknowledge it, separate yourself from it, and go on with your life. Try to take a night where you can forget about your problems and just feel good, have a good time with your friends, make new friends, and be part of a little community for a while.”

That sort of musical honesty is what brought together the ragtag group of string players from small towns around the country to Austin, TX, where Whiskey Shivers was formed when stand-up bassist Andrew VanVoorhees answered a dubious Craiglist ad from a man named “Bob” looking to form a bluegrass band.

The full lineup now consists of Bobby Fitzgerald (vocals, fiddle) from Dundee, NY, Andrew VanVoorhees (bass, vocals) from Prineville, OR, Joe Deuce (washboards) from Vider, TX, Jeff “Horti” Hortillosa (vocals, guitar) from Middlesboro, KY, and James Bookert (banjo) from Georgetown, TX.

Whiskey Shivers will hit the road hard this summer and fall, including sets at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville and a string of dates with the Legendary Shack Shakers. See below for a full list of dates.

Fitzgerald admits that it can sometimes seem impossible to maintain such a high level of energy night after night on the road. “Well, it can seem that way, up until the moment the show starts,” he says. “We could have a really tough day, driving through bad weather on no sleep, feeling like s**t, the sound is terrible, or whatever else is going on that day. And then as soon as we start playing, it all just kind of falls away. All of the sudden we’re having a good time again, and the momentum carries itself. That’s why we’re doing this, because we love it.”

TOUR DATES:
7/31 – Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
9/3 – Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlies #
9/4 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar #
9/5 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House #
9/6 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Café #
9/7 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick #
9/9 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom #
9/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café #
9/11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory #
9/12 – Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East #
9/13 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes #
9/14 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club #
9/15 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat #
9/16 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
9/18 – Nashville, TN @ Americana Music Festival
9/19 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Brass Rail
9/20 – Elgin, IL @ Second Space
9/25 – Houston, TX @ Continental Club
9/26 – Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
9/27 – Arlington, TX @ Levitt Pavilion
9/30 – Lafayette, LA @ Blue Moon Saloon
10/3 – Charlotte, NC @ Evening Muse
10/4 – Mt. Pleasant, SC @ Grove at Patriots Point
10/5 – Atlanta, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
10/6 – Knoxville, TN @ Barleys
10/9 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
10/10 – Buffalo, NY @ Sportsmans Tavern
10/11 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Founders Brewing Co
10/15 – Nashville, TN @ Loveless Barn
10/16 – Ozark, AR @ Mulberry Mountain
10/17 – Tulsa, OK @ Shrine
10/18 – Maryville, MO @ The Palms Bar and Grill
10/21 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark
10/22 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
10/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ Lee’s Liquor Lounge

Music Review: Old Crow Medicine Show – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues 7/11

Old Crow Medicine Show - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues 7/11

Like Willie did in the 70’s with the rednecks and hippies, Old Crow Medicine Show brought Affliction shirt bro-country fans and amply bearded roots-music hipsters together. Except on this sizzling Friday evening in Dallas it wasn’t the burgeoning Outlaw sound the crowd came to hear, it was a reflection of yesteryear served up with contemporary punch. Perhaps a new Outlaw sound.

The band hit the stage running promptly at 9. The moseying tale of incarcerated delight, “Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer,” kicked off the evening resulting in joyous hoots and hollers from the capacity House of Blues crowd.

New tunes selected from their excellent recent release “Remedy” meshed seamlessly with road tested classics from their extensive repertoire. Like the medley mash-up of Bootlegger’s Boy/8 Dogs/White Face, it all fit like a hand-made quilt albeit from your crazy Aunt Betty.

New selections also set the occasion, front-man Ketch Secor to inform the crowd that “Sweet Amarillo,” the latest collaboration between OCMS and Bob Dylan, was to be played live for the first time in the Lone Star State. This being a song about a Texas city being played in Texas that went over with great appreciation.

Many selections came from the band’s 2009 release “Tennessee Pusher.” Crowd favorites like Caroline, Alabama High-Test, , the double entendre toe-tapper Mary’s Kitchen and trailer-park party anthem “Humdinger” had the crowd singing along to every drawled syllable at lung-splitting levels. “If you’re not a folk singer we’re going to have a humdinger.” We were!

In the style of their namesake Old Crow live taps the showmanship of the crowd-beckoning horse and wagon snake oil entertainers. Except once enticed to gather, the miracle elixir the band dispenses soothes the soul and quenches the need for elusive authenticity, a characteristic most recently tied to punk rock. We hear in themes of struggle of poverty, the corrosion of war, and lure of temptation and the celebration of a good time as a live example of the twisted roots in of the common arts of punk, folk and country in all it’s DIY glory.

Showmanship didn’t mask a lack of masterful instrumentation. In true bluegrass style (except for the dreaded drum kit) of breakneck virtuoso playing and solo trade-offs did abound. There’s is no slacking in the band, no coasting. Each song is tight, even the loose ones, and executed with a rambunctiousness that makes it appear to be ready to swerve off a cliff and bust into moonshine-fueled flames.

Live the Old Crow Medicine Show makes their better-known acolytes Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers and The Lumineers look like greenhorns. Their recent success with Darius Rucker covering Wagon Wheel, joining the Grand ‘Ol Opry and becoming recipients of the Trailblazer Award at the Americana Honors & Awards Show makes this tour even sweeter.

And on this night Old Crow Medicine Show does what they do best. Remind is what great music sounds and looks like. And proves there’s a little hillbilly in all of us.

Set list:

Brushy Mountain Conjugal Trailer
Alabama High-Test
Caroline
Tennessee Bound
Firewater
Bootlegger’s Boy/8 Dogs/White Face
Sweet Amarillo
Mary’s Kitchen
Shit Creek
Humdinger
Ol’ Hairy Mole/Ruckus
Cumberland River
Saginaw, Michigan
C.C. Rider
People Get Ready
Tell That Woman
Warden
Dearly Departed
Carry Me Back To Virginia
Fall On My Knees/Tear It Down
Wagon Wheel
Cocaine Habit/Tell It To Me
Encore:
Long As I Can See The Light
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Listen Up! Alice Gerrard – “Boll Weevil”

Alice-Gerrard-

Alice Gerrard is a legend in roots music. Her 40-plus year music career began at Antioch College where her exposure to folk music and, after graduating, she moved to Washington D.C. She then pivoted her piano training into mastering the banjo and guitar and became part of the thriving folk and bluegrass scene.

Her careers includes collaborations with Hazel Dickens, her former husband Mike Seeger, The Harmony Sisters, filmmaker Les Blank, traditional fiddler and banjo player Tommy Jarrell, banjo player Matokie Slaughter, and others.

On Sept. 30th, 2014 on Tompkins Square will release Gerrard’s new album ‘Follow The Music.” The album is produced by M.C. Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger) and features members of Hiss Golden Messenger and Megafaun. ‘Follow The Music ” is the follow-up to 2013’s Kickstarter-funded “Bittersweet.”

On this, the occasion of her 80th birthday, please enjoy “Boll Weevil” from ‘Follow The Music. ”

Americana Music Association Releases First Half of 15th Annual AmericanaFest Bill

Americanafest

The Americana Music Association continues its tradition of showcasing some of the best in Americana and roots music by it’s partial roster of Americanfest performers released today.

Though the lineup doesn’t show any groundbreaking direction, I’m fine with that. There are lots of folks on the list that have been busting their hump for years and deserve this recognition rather then inserting acts to placate outsider accusations of one thing or another. Personally I’m happy to see Casa Twang favorites Howlin’ Brothers, Jamestown Revival, John Moreland, Lera Lynn, Marah and Ben Miller Band on the bill. And Texas is well-represented by Billy Joe Shaver, Sarah Jarosz, Jason Eady and Hayes Carll

The event is celebrating its 15th as the premier Americana event by welcoming 160 performers taking the stage at 11 venues including 3rd & Lindsley, The Basement, City Winery, High Watt, Cannery, Mercy Lounge, The Rutledge, Station Inn, Music City Roots, Downtown Presbyterian Church and Musicians Corner.

Three-time Americana Group of the Year, The Avett Brothers, will headline the event at Riverfront Parl on Saturday Sept. 20. Americana’s Music Festival & Conference registrations will have access. Tickets for the general public will go on sale Friday, June 27 at 10AMat www.ticketfly.com.

Check out THE Americanafest 2014 Spotify playlist.

The first half of Americanafest’s performing artist list includes:

Allison Moorer
Amy Ray
Angaleena Presley
The Avett Brothers
The Barefoot Movement
Ben Miller Band
Billy Joe Shaver
Black Prairie
Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay
Buddy Miller
The Cactus Blossoms
Carlene Carter
Caroline Rose
Chatham County Line
Chuck Mead
Danny & The Champions of the World
The Deadly Gentleman
Del Barber
The Deslondes
Doug Seegers
The Duhks
The Dustbowl Revival
Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo
Ethan Johns
The Fairfield Four
The Grahams
Grant-Lee Phillips
Green River Ordinance
Greensky Bluegrass
Gregory Alan Isakov
Greyhounds
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer
Hayes Carll
Howlin’ Brothers
Immigrant Union
Israel Nash
Jamestown Revival
Jason Eady
JD Wilkes & the Dirt Daubers
Joe Henry
Joe Pug
Joe Purdy
John Moreland
Jonah Tolchin
Jonny Two Bags
Josh Ritter
Joshua James
Lake Street Dive
Lee Ann Womack
Leo Welch
Lera Lynn
Marah Presents: Mountain Minstrelsy
Marty Stuart
Matthew Ryan
McCrary Sisters
Nathaniel Rateliff
New Country Rehab
Oh Susanna
Otis Gibbs
Parker Millsap
Paul Thorn
Pete Molinari
Quebe Sisters Band
Rhett Miller
Robbie Fulks
Robyn Hitchcock
Rodney Crowell
Ruthie Foster
Ryan Montbleau
Sam Outlaw
Sarah Jarosz
Sean Rowe
Shakey Graves
Suzy Bogguss
Todd Snider & Friends
Tom Freund
Tony Joe White
Trigger Hippy (feat. Jackie Greene, Joan Osbourne, Steve Gorman, Tom Bukovac & Nick Govrik)
Whiskey Shivers
Willie Watson

The 15th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference occurs September 17-21, 2014 in Nashville, Tenn. The 13th annual Americana Honors & Awards Show on Sept. 17 at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Record Store Day 2014 – Americana and Roots Music Picks

Gram Parsons - Alternate Takes from GP and Grievous Angel

It’s that time again twangers. Yes, Record Store Day 2014 is upon us. The annual celebration of local record stores that leaves behind clowns and balloons and replaced them with long lines and limited edition slabs of vinyl.

This year’s RSD2013 releases offer some great selections from the roots and Americana side of the fence. Steve Earle townes album stripped back to it’s solo guitar base? Yes! Alternate Takes from Gram Parsons’ pivotal GP and Grievous Angel albums? Oh yes! Unreleased Hank Williams from the 1950 The Garden radio spot programs? Hells yes!

Head to your local indy record store on April 19th early and scoop up some of these limited edition goodies below.

Check the RSD14 full list and remember to tweet a pic of your bounty to my twitter account and I’ll share it with those that dared to stay home.

Print

Big Mama Thornton – Sassy Mama
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Vanguard
– A scorching 1975 live set from Big Mama including “Rolling Stone,” “Lost City,” and “Mr. Cool.”

Joan Baez – “Blessed Are”
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Vanguard
Baez’s seminal 1971 double album is presented here in an ‘exact replica’ gatefold package. Included are “Blessed Are,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Salt of the Earth,” and many more.

The Allman Brothers – “Selections from: Play All Night: Live at the Beacon Theatre 1992”
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Legacy
Double vinyl release of live songs previously only available on DVD.

Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin – Songs from Common Ground
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Yep Roc
Four song 12″ featuring the Alvin Brothers playing the songs of Bill Broonzy

Blue Rodeo – “Diamond Mine”
Label: Rhino
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release
25th anniversary reissue, first time on blue and green colored vinyl

Neko Case & Jason Lytle – “Satellite of Love”
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: Brink
Take a trip into space with musicians Howe Gelb, Neko Case, Victoria Williams, John Covertino (Calexico), and many more in this limited edition 7 inch vinyl. Includes songs Satellite of Love, Mars Cassette Waltz, and Untethered Space Walk from the award winning animation comedy film Mars (Starring Mark Duplass of The League and Safety Not Guaranteed).

Johnny Cash – With His Hot and Blue Guitar
Format: 12″ Blue Vinyl
Label: ORG Music
Release type: ‘RSD First’ Release
More Info:
Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar is the debut album of country singer Johnny Cash. Released in 1957, it was the first LP ever issued on Sam Phillips’ Sun Records label. Currently out of print, the album is being remastered and reissued on an exclusive blue color vinyl for Record Store Day. This limited edition pressing of 3,000 units will be numbered with a foil stamp on each jacket.

CENTRO-MATIC – Redo The Stacks
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Navigational Transmissions
Reissue of the band’s first album, originally released in 1996. This version is remastered and artwork has been redone and hand painted to match the original version.

The Civil Wars – Live at Eddie’s Attic
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Columbia
Nine songs recorded live in Decatur, Georgia in April 2009.

Court Yard Hounds – Amelita
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: New West Records
12″ vinyl of the new record with bonus 7″

Drive-By Truckers – Dragon Pants EP
Format: 10″ Vinyl
Label: ATO
B-Sides and outtakes from the new album English Oceans

Steve Earle – Townes: The Basics
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: New West Records
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
In 2009 Steve Earle released an album of Townes Van Zandt songs. It began as solo guitar and vocal tracks recorded in October 2008 in New York City. Other instruments were added later in subsequent sessions for the album in New York, Nashville and Los Angeles. Those original recordings – The Basics – were released on a limited edition bonus CD with the Townes album and are available here for the first time on vinyl.; HAND NUMBERED

The Everly Brothers – Roots
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Rhino
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
“Roots” showcases the harmonies of the Everlys with covers of songs by performers who had been influential on the duo’s career. Songs by Jimmie Rodgers, George Jones, Randy Newman and Merle Haggard plus traditional standards offer laid-back, tasteful, acoustic-oriented arrangements with superb vocals that convey qualities of innocence tempered by experience. Originally released in 1968, “Roots” is one of the finest early country-rock albums.

Mary Gauthier/Sam Baker – When A Woman Goes Cold/Ditch
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release

Gram Parsons – 180 Gram: Alternate Takes from GP and Grievous Angel
Label: Rhino
2LP vinyl release of audio sourced from “The Complete Reprise Sessions” released in 2005. Contains a postcard insert at the request of Gram’s daughter, Polly Parsons, for the Hickory Wind Ranch Recovery Community. Foil numbering.

TRACK LISTING: SIDE ONE: “She (Alternative Version)”, “That’s All It Took (Alternative Version)”, “Still Feeling Blue (Alternative Version)”, “Kiss The Children (Alternative Version)”, “Streets of Baltimore (Alternative Version)” SIDE TWO: We’ll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning (Alternative Version)”, “The New Soft Shoe (Alternative Version)”, “Return of the Grievous Angel #1 (Alternative Version)”, “In My Hour of Darkness (Alternative Version)”, “In My Hour of Darkness (Alternative Version)”, “Ooh Las Vegas (Alternative Version) SIDE THREE: “I Can’t Dance (Alternative Version)”, “Sleepless Nights (Alternative Version)”, “Love Hurts (Alternative Version)”, “Brass Buttons (Alternative Version)”, “Hickory Wind (Alternative Version)” SIDE FOUR: “Brand New Heartache”, “Sleepless Nights”, “The Angels Rejoiced Last Night”

Waylon Jennings/Sanford Clark – Zia Records Presents: Audio Recorders Archive Vol. 1
Format: 7″ 45 – Limited to 500 copies on “GOLD” wax for Record Store Day
Label: Zia Records
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release

Lake Street Dive – What I’m Doing Here/Wedding Band
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: Signature Sounds
Single 45 in a picutre sleeve, unreleased tracks

Ray Lamontagne – “Supernova”/”Pick Up A Gun”
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: RCA
First single from the album Supernova coming May 6th. Produced by Dan Auerbach.

Jon Langford & Skull Orchard – “Days & Nights”/”Here’s What We Have”
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: In De Goot Records
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release

Langhorne Slim & The Law – “Animal”/”Space Girl”
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: Ramseur Records
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release

Lydia Loveless – “Mile High”/”Blind”
Format: 7″ Limited edition on colored vinyl. B-side is exclusive Ke$ha cover.
Label: Bloodshot
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release

Jessica Lea Mayfield – “Make My Head Sing”
Format: Pink Cassette of the full album
Label: ATO Records
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release

Doug Paisley – “Growin Souls/”Lies Lead To Lies”
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: No Quarter
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release

Dolly Parton – “Blue Smoke”/”Home”
Format: Blue 7″ Vinyl
Label: Masterworks
Tracks from the forthcoming Dolly Parton record

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – “Jack Elliott”
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Vanguard
Ramblin’ Jack’s Vanguard debut, notable also for the appearance of Bob Dylan (credited as Tedham Porterhouse) on harmonica. It includes such staples as “Roving Gambler,” “Diamond Joe,” and “Black Snake Moan.”

Songs: Ohia – Journey On: Collected Singles
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Secretly Canadian
Release type: ‘RSD First’ Release
More Info:
Almost 20 years after Jason Molina’s voice first rang out from Ohio, in this brave new world of streaming, the discussion surrounding the resurgence of vinyl rarely includes the 7”.

Southern Culture On The Skids – Party at my Trouse
Format: 7″ Vinyl – SCOTS collaboration with B-52s frontman Fred Schnieder
Label: Yep Roc
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release

Various Artists – The Folk Box 50th Anniversary
Label: Rhino
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
50th Anniversary Edition of the Elektra Records (in cooperation with Folkway Records) Vinyl Box Set 4-LP set containing 83 tracks featuring artists such as Pete Seeger, Dave Van Ronk, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton and Judy Collins and many more. Vinyl cut from the original 1964 master tapes. Limited edition with foil stamp numbering. Bonus exclusive 7″ Vinyl included featuring Judy Collins’ rare version of Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Keep It with Mine” backed with Tom Paxton’s recording of “The Last Thing on My Mind” for Record Store Day only. Includes a 48 Page booklet including Forewords from legendary Producer Jac Holzman and Co-Producer Ted Olson. Out of print for over 40 years.

Various Artists – The Newport Folk Festival 1963–The Evening Concerts, Vol. 1
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Vanguard
Fans at RecordStoreDay.com and VanguardRecords.com voted for this re-issue of Newport’s 1963 installment, remastered from the original tapes by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering and features performances from Mississppi John Hurt, Joan Baez, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and, yes, Bob Dylan. Presented in ‘exact replica’ package.

“The Barnyard Song” (Sam Hinton), “Must I Go Bound” (Sam Hinton), “The Arkansas Traveller (Sam Hinton), “C.C.Rider” (Mississippi John Hurt/Pete Seeger), “Stagolee” (Mississippi John Hurt), “Spike Driver Blues (Mississippi John Hurt), “Coffee Blues (Mississippi John Hurt), “Diamond Joe” (Ramblin’ Jack Elliott), “Walk Right In” (Rooftop Singers), “Un Canadian Errant” (Ian and Sylvia), “Woke Up This Morning” (The Freedom Singers), “Oh, Freedom” (Joan Baez/Theodore Bikel), “Te Adore, Ate Amanha” (Joan Baez), “Wagoner’s Lad” (Joan Baez), “Blowin’ In The Wind” (Bob Dylan), “We Shall Overcome” (The Freedom Singers)

“Doc Watson – Southbound”
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Vanguard
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
Fans at RecordStoreDay.com and VanguardRecords.com voted for this re-issue of Doc’s classic 1966 album, remastered from the original tapes by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering. Presented in ‘exact replica’ package.

“Walk On Boy”, “Blue Railroad Train”, “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “Alberta”, “Southbound”, “Windy and Warm”, “Call of the Road”, “Tennessee Stud”, “That Was The Last Thing On My Mind”, “Little Darling Pal of Mine”, “Nothing To It”, “Riddle Song”, “Never No More Blues”, “Nashville Picking”

The Wild Feathers – “Got It Wrong/Marie”
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: Warner Bros.

Hank Williams – The Garden Spot Programs, 1950–Extended Play
Format: 10″ Vinyl
Label: Omnivore Recordings
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
All recordings previously unreleased! From a 1950 radio show sponsored by Texas’ Naughton Farms Nursery, and brought to brown 10″ vinyl with the help of Williams’ daughter Jett.

SIDE ONE: “The Garden Spot Jingle” (Show 4), “I Don’t Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes) (Show 10), “Lovesick Blues” (Show 4), “Closing/Oh Susanna” (Show 10) SIDE TWO: “Farther Along” (Show 10), “Mind Your Own Business” (Show 9), “Fiddle Tune” (Show 4), “Closing/Oh Susanna” (Show 11)

Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys – Transcriptions
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Real Gone Music
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release
More Info:

Ten sides from Bob Wills’ legendary Tiffany Transcriptions, which were recordings made available only to radio stations in the late ’40s. The Tiffany Transcriptions are generally considered to be the best recordings that the King of Western Swing ever made, as the lack of commercial restrictions allowed his incredible band–and vocalist Tommy Duncan–to stretch out. Wills made over 300 transcription sides for Tiffany; only about half of them have been reissued on vinyl or compact disc. This 10-track album not only includes ten songs that have never been heard or seen anywhere since they appeared on the transcription discs some 65 years ago, but also features packaging designed to mimic the look of the original transcriptions, with a cutaway hole in front to show the vintage Tiffany logo on the vinyl, which is pressed in red as some Tiffany transcriptions did come in red vinyl. The back cover also includes vintage graphics from the period.

“I’m an Old Cowhand”, “Long Eared Mule”, “Put Another Chair at the Table”, “I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes”, “Don’t Fence Me In”, “Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Age”, “Black and Blue Rag”, “Have I Stayed Away Too Long”, “Moonlight on the Ganges”, “What Is Life Without Love”