Tag Archives: Dwight-Yoakam

Wanted! – Notable Americana and Roots Music Releases for 2020

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

2019 turned out to be another excellent year for Americana and roots music. Releases from John Paul White, Buddy and Julie Miller, Chuck Mead, Tanya Tucker, and many others were cause for celebration for the music we love. Roots radio continues to gain listeners and mainstream country radio continues to, occasionally, remember its roots and reflect the shift in tastes of a growing fan base.

But radio is just part of the story. We listened to this timeless music through the format du jour, streaming services. Spotify has several internally curated playlists for Americana and roots music ( The Pulse of Americana, Roots Rising,
Fresh Folk ) as well as my own semi-weekly playlist ‘Twang Nation Friday New Tunes Hayride Then there’s the vinyl boom which roots music artists and fans played a significant part.

2020 starts off right with releases from Gill Landry, Terry Allen, Maria McKee, Della Mae and Pinegrove with releases from John Moreland, The Lone Bellow, The Cadillac Three, and Aubrie Sellers releasing in February. Then there are yet-to-be-announced release dates for James McMurtry and others. Bookmark and check back to this list as we will update those dates and add other releases as we learn more.

Also if you know of a release not on the list feel free to add it below.

Thanks for keeping up with Twang Nation and happy 2020!

January
Jan. 10: Paul Kelly – Songs From the South 1985-2019
Jan. 10: Aerialists – “Dear Sienna”
Jan. 13: Maria McKee – ‘La Vita Nuova’
Jan. 13: Left Arm Tan – self-titled
Jan. 15: David Dondero – ‘The Filter Bubble Blues’
Jan. 17: Eleven Hundred Springs – ‘Here ‘Tis’
Jan. 17: Marcus King – ‘El Dorado’
Jan. 17: Marshall Crenshaw – ‘Miracle of Science’
Jan. 17: Pinegrove – ‘Marigold’
Jan. 17: The Innocence Mission – ‘see you tomorrow’
Jan. 17: Della Mae – ‘Headlight’
Jan. 17: Torgeir Waldemar – ‘Love’
Jan. 17: Fruition – ‘Broken at the Break of Day’
Jan. 17: Bill Fay – “Countless Branches”
Jan. 17: Dwight Yoakam – Blame The Vain (Vinyl Reissue)
Jan. 17: Buck Owens – ‘The Capitol Singles & Albums 1957-62’
Jan. 17: Buck Owens & Susan Raye / Very Best Of (Vinyl)
Jan.22: Vance Gilbert – ‘Good Good Man’
Jan.22: Gill Landry – ‘Love Rides A Dark Horse’
Jan 24: Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band – ‘Just Like Moby Dick’
Jan 24: Bonny Light Horseman – self-titled debut
Jan 24: Kailey Nicole – self-titled EP
Jan 24: Mrs. Henry Presents: ‘Live at the Casbah’
Jan 24: The Wood Brothers – ‘Kingdom in My Mind’
Jan 24: Bart Bugwig – ;Another Burn on the Astroturf’
Jan 24: The Haden Triplets – ‘The Family Songbook’
Jan 24: The Lil Smokies – ‘Tornillo’
Jan 24: Joy Mills Band – ‘Echolocator’
Jan 24: Kailey Nicole – self-titled
Jan 24: Steve Scott – ‘No Love For The Common Man’
Jan 24: Caitlin Sherman – ‘Death To The Damsel’
Jan 31: Dustbowl Revival – ‘Is It You, Is It Me’
Jan 31: Brian Johannesen – “Holster Your Silver”
Jan 31: Possessed By Paul James – ‘As We Go Wandering’
Jan 31: Tre Burt – ‘Caught It from the Rye’
Jan 31: Drive-by Truckers – ‘The Unraveling’
Jan 31: Cave Flowers – self-titled
Jan 31: Blackie & the Rodeo Kings – ‘King of This Town’
Jan 31: Sophie & The Broken Things – self-titled
Jan 31: Glenn Jones – ‘Ready For The Good Times’
Jan 31: Eric Brace & Last Train Home – ‘Daytime Highs and Overnight Lows’
Jan 31: RB Morris – ‘Going Back To The Sky’
Jan 31: Tomar & the FCs – ‘Rise Above’

February
Feb. 1: Glenn Jones Are You Ready For The Good Times
Feb. 7: Hank Williams – ‘Pictures From Life’s Other Side’
Feb. 7: John Moreland – “LP5”
Feb. 7: The Lone Bellow – “Half Moon Light”
Feb. 7: The Cadillac Three – “Country Fuzz”
Feb. 7: Aubrie Sellers – “Far From Home”
Feb. 7: Dom Flemons – ‘Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus’
Feb. 7: Miss Tess – ‘The Moon Is an Ashtray’
Feb. 7: Darling West – ‘We’ll Never Know Unless We Try’
Feb. 7: Elkhorn – ‘The Storm Sessions’
Feb. 7: The Steeldrivers – “Bad For You’
Feb. 7: Frazey Ford – ‘U kin B the Sun’
Feb. 7: Corinne Sharlet – ‘Deceiver’ EP
Feb. 7: Chicago Farmer – ‘Flyover Country’
Feb. 7: David Allen – ‘Regrets and Retribution’
Feb. 7: Flyin’ A’s – ‘No Holds Barred’
Feb. 7: Supersuckers – ‘Play That Rock n’ Roll’
Feb. 7: William Prince – ‘Reliever’
Feb. 7: Frank & Allie Lee – ‘Treat A Stranger Right’
Feb. 7: Lynne Hanson – ‘Just Words’
Feb: 14: Phil Madeira – “Open Heart”
Feb. 14: Tami Neilson – CHICKABOOM!
Feb. 14: Robert Vincent – ‘In This Town You’re Owned’
Feb. 14: Jeremiah Johnson – ‘Heavens to Betsy’
Feb. 14: Little Misty – ‘Old Ghosts’
Feb. 14: The Third Mind – self-titled debut
Feb. 21: Nora Jane Struthers – “Bright Lights, Long Drives, First Words”
Feb. 21: Arik Dov – ‘The Man’ ep
Feb 28: The Secret Sisters – “Saturn Return”
Feb 28: Sierra Hull – ’25 Trips’
Feb 28: Pam Tillis – new album
Feb 28: Waco Brothers – ‘RESIST!’
Feb 28: Chelsea Lovitt – ‘You Had Your Cake, So Lie in It’
Feb 28: Avi Kaplan – ‘ I’ll Get By’

March
March 6: The Panhandlers – Josh Abbott, John Baumann, Cleto Cordero and William Clark Green – self-titled
March 6: The Mastersons- ‘No Time for Love Songs’
March 6: Brandy Clark – ‘Your Life is a Record’
March 6: Jim Lauderdale – ‘When Carolina Comes Home Again’
March 6: Will Sexton – ‘Don’t Walk the Darkness’
March 6: Green Leaf Rustlers – ‘Within Marin’
March 6: Aoife O’Donovan – ‘The Bull Frogs Croon (and Other Songs)’ EP
March 13: Dave Simonett (from Tramped By Turtles) – “Red Tail”
March 13: Sam Doores (of The Deslondes and formerly Hurray for the Riff Raff) – self-titled
March 13: Anna Lynch – ‘Apples in Fall’ EP
March 13: Outlaw Billy Don Burns -‘The Country Blues’
March 15: Sons of the Pioneers – ‘The Lost Masters’
March 20: Delta Rae – ‘The Light’
March 20: Carla Olson – ‘Have Harmony Will Travel 2’
March 27: Lilly Hiatt – ‘Walking Proof’
March 27: Marie Miller – ‘Little Dreams’
March 27: Kim Richey – ‘A Long Way Back: the Songs of Glimmer’
March 27: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real – ‘Naked Garden’

April
April 3: Caleb Caudle – ‘Better Hurry Up’
April 3: The Nine Seas – ‘Dream of Me’
April 3: Ruthie Collins – ‘Cold Comfort’
April 3: Lisa Lambe – ‘Juniper’
April 3: Matthew McNeal – ‘Good Grief’
April 3: Christy Lynn Band – ‘Sweetheart of the Radio’
April 10: John Anderson – ‘Years’
April 10: Eliza Gilkyson – ‘2020’
April 10: Watkins Family Hour – ‘ brother sister’
April 17: Shelby Lynne – self-titled
April 17: The Reverend Shawn Amos – ‘Blue Sky’
April 17: Girl Skin – ‘Shade is on the other side’
April 17: The White Buffalo – ‘On The Widow’s Walk’
April 17: Joe Ely – ‘Love in the Midst of Mayhem’
April 20: Nicholas Jamerson – ‘The Wild Frontier’
April 24: Teddy Thompson – ‘Heartbreaker’
April 24: Sailing Stones – ‘Polymnia’
April 24: Lucinda Williams – “Good Souls Better Angels”
April 24: Whitney Rose – ‘We Still Go to Rodeos’
April 24: Corb Lund – ‘Agricultural Tragic’
April 24: Willie Nelson – ‘First Rose Of Spring’
April 24: The Lowest Pair – ‘The Perfect Plan’
April 24: Pam Tillis – ‘Looking for a Feeling’
April 24: Kyle LaLone – ‘Somewhere In Between’
April 26: Randy Rogers Band – ‘Hellbent’
April ?: Van Darien – ‘Levee’

May
May 1: Elijah Ocean – ‘Blue Jeans & Barstools’
May 1: Cayley Thomas – ‘How Else Can I Tell You?’
May 1: American Aquarium – ‘Lamentations’
May 8: Andrew Hibbard – self-titled
May 8: Liv Greene – ‘Every Bright Penny’
May 8: Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen – Hold My Beer Vol. 2
May 15: Chatham County Line – ‘Strange Fascination’
May 15: Chuck Prophet – ‘The Land That Time Forgot’
May 15: Jason Isbell – ‘Reunions’
May 15: Lesley Barth – “Big Time Baby”
May 22: Reckless Kelly – ‘American Girls’ & ‘American Jackpot’
May 22: Steve Earle & The Dukes – ‘Ghosts of West Virginia’
May 22: Jarrod Dickenson -“Ready The Horses”
May 29: Jake Blount – ‘Spider Tales’
May 29: Jaime Wyatt – ‘Neon Cross’

June
June 5: Sarah Jarosz – ‘World On The Ground’
June 5: Turkeyfoot – “Promise of Tomorrow”
June 12: Sammy Brue – ‘Crash Test Kid’
June 12: Pert Near Sandstone – “Rising Tide”
June 19: Grayson Capps – “South Front Street”
June 19: Neil Young – “Homegrown”
June 19: Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways
June 19: Blackberry Smoke – Live From Capricorn Sound Studios
June 19: Darlin’ Brando – Also, Too…
June 19: Don Bryant – You Make Me Feel
June 19: Kristen Grainger & True North – ‘Ghost Tattoo’
June 26: Corb Lund – ‘Agricultural Tragic’
June 26: Country Westerns – ‘Country Westerns’
June 26: Scroggins & Rose – ‘Curios’
June 26: Emily Duff – ‘Born On The Ground’
June 26: Will Hoge – ‘Tiny Little Movies’
June 26: Arielle Silver – ‘A Thousand Tiny Torches’

July
July 10: The Jayhawks – “XOXO”
July 10: Joshua Ray Walker – “Glad You Made It”
July 10: Margo Price – ‘That’s How Rumors Get Started’
July 10: Ray Wylie Hubbard – “Co-Starring”
July 10: The Jayhawks – ‘XOXO’
July 17: The Texas Gentlemen – “Floor It!!!”
July 24: Ted Russell Kamp – ‘Down in the Den’
July 24: Lori McKenna – “The Balladeer’
July 31: Charley Crockett – “Welcome To Hard Times”

August
August 2: The Avett Brothers – ‘The Third Gleam’
August 7: Steven Bruce – ‘Same Time, Same Place, Same Station’
August 14: Kathleen Edwards – ‘Total Freedom’
August 21: The Old 97’s -“Twelfth”
August 21: Mandy Barnett – ‘A Nashville Songbook’
August 21: Cidny Bullens – ‘Walkin’ Through This World’
August 21: Robert Gordon – ‘Rockabilly For Life’
August 28: Karen Jonas – ‘The Southwest Sky and Other Dreams’
August 28: Zephaniah OHora – Listening to the Music
August 28: Colter Wall – Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs
August 28: Justin Wells – The United State
August 28: Moe Bandy – A Love Like That
August 28: The Reeves Brothers – The Last Honky Tonk
August 28: Heidi Newfield – The Barfly Sessions
August 28: The Allman Betts Band – Bless Your Heart
August 28: The Northern Belle – We Wither, We Bloom

September
September 4: Carolina Story – “Dandelion”
September 4: India Ramey – ‘Shallow Graves’
September 11: Elizabeth Cook – “Aftermath”
September 18: Fred Eaglesmith & Tif Ginn – ‘Alive’
September 18: Otis Gibbs – ‘Hoosier National’
September 18: Brennen Leigh – ‘Prairie Love Letter’

October

Novenmber
November 6: Madison Cunningham – ‘Wednesday’
November 6: Jackslacks – ‘When Pigs Fly’
November 6: Johnnie & Jack with The Tennessee Mountain Boys – ‘Collection 1945-62’
November 6: Larry Keel – ‘American Dream’
November 13: Chris Stapleton – ‘Starting Over’

TBA
Carla Olson
Will Sexton
Cidny Bullens
Marshall Chapman
The Claudettes
James McMurtry
Amelia White – produced by Kim Richey

Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam Announce Summer ‘LSD Tour’

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam - LSD Tour

This summer Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam will come together for what is being called the “LSD Tour” (get it?) These three prominent singer/songwriters made names for themselves as pioneers of the wave that evolved the genre of country music by fusing it with the rock and punk of the day. This new vibrancy, along with electrifying live shows, resulted in a disruptive effect on Music Row’s stranglehold on the genre and drew a sharp contrast to the safe, sterile, industrialized cultural product they profited from much like The Outlaw movement had done a generation before.

This contrast between the old guard and these neo-traditional upstarts was struck most star key when Earle insightfully described the movement at the time as the“Great Credibility Threat of the ’80s”

I was lucky to see Williams and Earle share the stage at New York City’s Town Hall on the “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” portion of her tour playing her albums in full, but this is the first time Williams, Earle and Yoakam have shared the stage together so I would describe this as pretty badass.

SiriusXM will present the tour and recently announced a 24/7 channel curated by Dwight launching in late April titled “Dwight Yoakam and Bakersfield Beat – Where Country Went Mod “ featuring music from Yoakam’s extensive career and celebrates the Bakersfield sound.

The summer tour starts at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston on June 12, continues a run on the East coast, jumps to the West on August 1st play on The Masonic in San Francisco then concludes this leg with a Midwest swing through Chicago; Rochester, Michigan and Indianapolis. Hopefully there will be more dates added including a stop near me in North Texas.

Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, March 30 at 10 a.m. local.

The LSD Tour:
June 12 – Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
June 13 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
June 15 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
June 16 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of NH Pavilion
June 17 – National Harbor, MD @ MGM National Harbor
June 19 – Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Pavilion
June 20 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center
June 21 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
August 1 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
August 3 – San Diego, CA @ Open Air Theatre
August 4 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
August 10 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
August 11 – Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 12 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater
August 14 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 16 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
August 17 – Rochester, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
August 18 – Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn

Dwight Yoakam To Release Bluegrass Focused ‘Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars…’

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Dwight Yoakam

Never one to rest on his laurels country music pioneer Dwight Yoakam will pay homage to his home state of Kentucky with his upcoming ‘Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars…’ (September 23 – Sugar Hill Records)

For the album, Yoakam assembled a band of bluegrass luminaries to reinterpret 11-tracks from his extensive catalog.

The new album reflects the love for bluegrass music that Yoakam developed at an early age in Kentucky, and that has inspired him for many years thereafter. Yoakam’s choice to partner with Sugar Hill for this release speaks volumes about the seriousness of this endeavor; Sugar Hill and its sister label Rounder have long been at the forefront of bluegrass, roots, and Americana music.

This project was produced by nine-time Grammy winner Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton), Jon Randall (songwriter of “Whiskey Lullaby”) and Yoakam, recorded at both Southern Ground Studio (TN) and the legendary Capitol Records Studio B in Los Angeles and mixed by Chris Lord Alge. For the recording, the production team gathered together a world-class band of bluegrass’s current greats including Grammy winner and nine-time international Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year Bryan Sutton on guitar, Grammy winner Stuart Duncan on fiddle and banjo, 14-time Grammy winner Barry Bales on bass, Adam Steffey on mandolin (Alison Krauss), and Scott Vestal on banjo (Sam Bush). The LP also features harmony vocals by Jonathan Clark, Brian Whelan, Davey Faragher and newcomer Bryan Joyce.

Yoakam has recorded more than 22 albums and sold over 25 million copies worldwide with five reaching the #1 spot on Billboard. He is a 21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner. In 2013 he was awarded The Americana Music Association Award for Artist of the Year. He has collaborated with everyone from Beck to Kid Rock, ZZ Top, Hunter S. Thompson and Jack White. He has toured with the likes of Buck Owens, Johnny Cash and Hüsker Dü. His most recent album, 2015’s critically acclaimed Second Hand Heart is included in NPR’s “Best of 2015” which calls the album “as fresh as anything Yoakam has ever done.” It reached #2 on the Billboard Country chart with Rolling Stone saying the album featured “his best songs in years.”

In 1977, Yoakam left Kentucky for Nashville to embark on a music career but found that the Music City was moving away from traditional country roots to more pop-country. He found himself better suited to the post-Bakersfield movement and became one of the founding fathers of the “LA Cowpunk Scene” influenced by second-wave rockabilly and punk alongside X, Los Lobos, The Knitters, Rank & File and The Blasters.

Yoakam is currently on tour across the U.S. and will play Americanafest NYC on August 7 at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. See full list of dates below.

DWIGHT YOAKAM TOUR DATES

August 5—IP Casino Resort & Spa—Biloxi, MS
August 7—AmericanaFest at Lincoln Center—New York, NY
August 11—KC Live!—Kansas City, MO
August 12—Jaycee’s Bootheel Rodeo Grounds—Sikeston, MO
August 13—Battery Park at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino—Sioux City, IA
August 19—Julie Rogers Theatre—Beaumont, TX
August 20—Whitewater Amphitheater—New Braunfels, TX
August 26—ASU Convocation Center—Jonesboro, AR
August 27—Back Porch at the Creek—Knoxville, TN
August 28—Maymont Park—Richmond, VA
September 1—McGrath Amphitheatre—Cedar Rapids, IA
September 2—South Dakota State Fair—Huron, SD
September 3—Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel & Casino—Deadwood, SD
September 4—Vetter Stone Amphitheater—Mankato, MN
September 9—Turning Stone Resort Casino Showroom—Verona, NY
September 10—Penn’s Peak—Jim Thorpe, PA
September 16—Peppermill Concert Hall—West Wendover, NV
September 17—New Mexico State Fairgrounds—Albuquerque, NM
September 24—Deep Water Amphitheater—Manson, WA
September 30—Norsk Hostfest – All Seasons Arena—Minot, ND
October 1—Seven Clans Casino—Thief River Falls, MN
October 14—La Hacienda Event Center—Midland, TX
October 20—EnCana Events Centre—Dawson Creek, BC
October 21 & 22—River Cree Resort & Casino, The Venue—Enoch, AB
October 24—Art Hauser Centre—Prince Albert, SK
October 25—Canalta Centre—Medicine Hat, AB
October 27—Prospera Place—Kelowna, BC
October 28—Hard Rock Casino Vancouver—Coquitlam, BC
October 29—Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre—Victoria, BC
November 3—The Majestic Ventura Theater—Ventura, CA
November 5—Silver Legacy Hotel Casino—Reno, NV
November 6—Pauma Casino Showroom—Pauma Valley, CA
November 10—Buffalo Run Casion—Miami, OK
November 11—Bluesville Showroom at Horseshoe Casino—Robinsonville, MS
December 8—The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan—Las Vegas, NV

Third Man Records to Release Dwight Yoakam Blue Series “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day”

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Dwight Yoakam "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day"

It looks like Third Man Records will continue further down the Lost Highway they began earlier this year with the release of Margo Price’s breakout debut ‘Midwest Farmer’s Daughter’ with a release from a true country music icon – Dwight Yoakam.

As part of their next Blue Series the Nashville-based label/shop/live music venue will feature a true country music icon , Dwight Yoakam. Yoakam stopped by the studio with Jack White to record songs by one of Yoakam’s biggest non-country influences – “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day” (Boyce/Venet, popularized by The Monkees, as well as the flip-side “High On The Mountain of Love” written by Harold Dorman, popularized by Kenny Lynch, Charley Pride, Johnny Rivers, the Beach Boys and others.

“Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day” will be released June 10th on 7” vinyl and digitally on itunes.

Hear samples below and pre-order here.

Sony Music Nashville CEO Gary Overton is Right (And So What?)

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

GaryOverton

When Sony Music Nashville CEO Gary Overton told the Tennessean, “If you’re not on country radio, you don’t exist.” it caused a minor kerfuffle between country music bloggers and country artists, like Aaron Watson and Charlie Robison, that felt they , and country msuic’s integrity, were in his contemptuous crosshairs.

I even took it apon myself to decry Overton’s statement on Twitter and retweet links to essays taking him to task.

But after some reflection, I am willing to concede that Overton is correct in his statement.

First context.

Overton made his incendiary remarks while attending the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, where 2,424 attendees, exhibitors, panelists and sponsors came to discuss the future of the industry. That’s the Country Radio industry. Not the roots americana industry. Not the historical preservation of country music.

As with any trade convention quality was not the focus, unless there is a direct line between it and profits.

It’s about return on investment. Period.

No more clear symbol of this was the surprise appearance of Garth Brooks to announced the year’s Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees in both the Radio and On-Air categories.

Whether you like Brooks’ music, or believe he’s the beginning of genre cross-over hell and the end of everything that was good about country music (he wasn’t), with 8 Academy of Country Music awards and a RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) listing of as the best-selling solo album artist of all-time (surpassing Elvis Presley) with 135 million units sold, he is the the gold standard by which radio play, record sales and concert attendance is measured.

Jimmy Rodgers mights be the father of country music, but Garth is it’s first superstar.

This is the ontological existence of which Overton refers. The world made possible by Garth.

When your music is no longer a nuanced craft and becomes a replicable commodity, you exist. If your personality and looks are a marketers dream, you exist. If your income far exceeds the label’s output, you exist. If you’re willing to run that gilded hamster wheel ad infinitum until the end of your short days, you exist.

If you’re willing to use your talents to grease the music row production machine, to achieve potential fame and admiration of millions, you exist.

Short of that piss off.

It’s not all gloom. When an industry behemoth refuses to adapt to customer tastes and industry trends alternatives spring up.

The Nashville Sound led to Buck, Merle , Willie and Waylon. The Urban Cowboy fab resulted in Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett and kd Lang.

Though these rebels were never fully integrated into the machine itself they did send waves into record sales and radio execs had take notice.

Now the so-called Bro-Country fad has Kacey Musgraves, Brandy Clark, Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell rocking the mainstream country boat.

But like McDonalds facing a healthier eating public, or Budweiser facing a less people willing to swill their sun-par product, Music Row can only partially assimilate. The assimilation will also lead to the application of the Garth standard of success, of existence, so songs will be optioned and the same flavorless production sauce will be slathered over extraordinary songs rendering them worthy of mainstream radio play and consumptions of an always shifting, faceless and fickle demographic.

So Overton is correct. By the Garth standard of rendering cultural artifacts into mass consumption radio fodder, most musicians don’t matter. Thier work or image doesn’t fit into the already prefabbed sonic and stylized containers.

But luckily the Garth standard is not the only one that counts.

There the already mentioned Bakersfield /Outlaw standard of creatively seeing untapped opportunities and bucking (hehe) conventional (and played out) trends.

There’s the model of artists like Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Gretchen Peters, Vince Gill, Chris Knight, Guy Clark and others that straddle the commercial and artistry territories without compromise.

There’s the vibrant and thriving Americana model that cultivates and champions the best of country music, and country music sourced genres , new and older talents. And has created a thriving , and lucrative, community.

And then there’s the Hank III model of giving the finger to Music Row and bringing in a whole new demographic from the ground up, to build a loyal, enthusiastic and sustainable fan base.

Some say the Garth standard of mega sales, and celebrity status, is dead, or dying, in a music industry in transition.

I certainly have no crystal ball telling me where all this is headed. But I take comfort is knowing that Overton and his ilk are on their heels as their concept of existence crumbles beneath them.

Or as singer/songwriter, and one-time potential Voice contestant, Jason Isbell so eloquently tweeted:

“Of course major-label execs are saying crazy things these days. Have you ever heard the kinds of things people say when they’re dying? ”

BBC Lost Highway: The History of American Country

Posted on by — 4 Comments ↓

Lost-Highway-The-Story-of-Country-Music-Cover

If you haven’t seen the BBC’s “Lost Highway: The History of American Country’ then you’re in for a treat.

This four-part, four-hour documentary follows the musical lineage from the Bristol Sessions to Nashville, from Texas to Bakersfield, and brings it all together in a beautiful story of heritage and style any songwriter would love.

The history of it’s roots in mountain music, through bluegrass it’s first super star Hank Williams and honky tonkers. From the jazz fusion of Western Swing to the dominance of the adult-pop Nashville Sound through the extraordinary and game-changing emergence of female performers and the evolution of newer forms of the genre – country rock to alt.country and Americana.

Featuring contributions from Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Hank Williams III, Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, Dwight Yoakam and Dolly Parton among others. Lost Highway: The Story of Country Music is produced by William Naylor; the series editor is Michael Poole.

Sit back with your favorite drink and enjoy.

57th Annual Grammy Awards – Showing Our Roots

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Brandy Clark & Dwight Yoakam 'Hold My Hand'

The cultural trade show known as the 57th Annual Grammy Awards is now history. 83 golden antiquated media playback device replicas were handed out to some of the most talented musicians in the world.

But the event is anything but antiquated. The Grammys have been pushing the boundaries of social and streaming media for some time, improving every year and rivaling events like The Oscars and The Superbowl for social activity. The Grammys know how to create, and amplify, buzz.

Though I did not take part in the excellent Grammy social program as I had the past 4 years, I was graciously asked by Entertainment Tonight to live blog the event for ETOnline.com. and I did cover the pre-telecast (rechristened the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony) at the Twang Nation twitter feed. That’s nearly 8 hours of tweeting, blogging, posting in all.

But this is not a social marketing site. Its about the music, and there was lot’s of it. Much of it great.

First , the winners.

The big winner in the Americana and roots category was Rosanne Cash. Cash, who had been an awards presenter earlier in the day, took home awards in all the categories she was nominated in. winning who won best American roots performance, American roots song for ‘A Feather’s Not A Bird’ and Americana album for “The River and The Thread.” “Reagan was president last time I won a Grammy,” Cash beamed, referring to her win for
“I just showed up for work for 35 years and this is what happened.” Cash’s last win was in 1985 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me.”

Other notable wins were Mike Farris’ first nomination turned into a win for win for Best Roots Gospel Album.

Bluegrass supergroup, The Earls Of Leicester – Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Shawn Camp, Johnny Warren, Charlie Cushman and Barry Bales – won for Best Bluegrass Album for The band’s self-titled release. “We’re very humbled by this,” Douglas said during his acceptance speech. “These guys worked with me — I’ve wanted to do an album like this since the first time I picked up a musical instrument … This is what it’s all about — Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.” “Proud to bring Flatt & Scruggs to a new audience. I think we now have a mandate to do more.”

Nickel Creek and Punch Brother founder Chris Thile and bassist Edgar Meyer won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for their album, ‘Bass & Mandolin.’ The duo have been performing together sporadically for more than a decade. ‘Bass & Mandolin’ was also nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for the album track “Tarnation” and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

After an ripping performance of 8 Dogs 8 Banjos on the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony stage, Old Crow Medicine Show encored with a win for Best Folk Album, for ‘Remedy.’

“We started our 18th year of making music together this year, and we want to thank Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie for lighting the way,” singer/fiddler Ketch Secor said from the podium.

Glen Campbell won his sixth Grammy of his extraordinary career for Best Country Song. The ailing country legend won for “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” the bittersweet song Campbell penned with Julian Raymond for the 2014 documentary ‘Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,’ won against songs by Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw with Faith Hill.

Best Historical Album went to the excellent Hank Williams The Garden Spot Programs, 1950. Colin Escott & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer.

One of the most talked about surprises of the evening was Beck’s win for Album of the Year for his 12th album ‘Morning Phase.’ Though I could quibble about Beck’s moody-folk/pop masterpiece
winning a Best Rock Album award earlier in the evening (rock?) there’s no arguing that Beck is a musician with an artistic vision, with little apparent care for the charts and industry. A rare vision richly deserving the honor of a high-profile award.

Apparently after the win twitter spiked with ‘Who is Beck?’ Supposedly by people genuinely unaware of the artist. The rest was Kanye West.

The stand out performance was Best New Artist nominee Brandy Clark sharing the stage with her idol and recent tour mate Dwight Yoakam. The two performed a lovely rendition of “Hold My Hand” from the Best Country Album nominated ’12 Stories.’ Perched on a round stage with no extravagant light show, two simple guitars and two warm voices. It was the most low-key performance of the 2015 Grammys and the one that best personified what most matters, and is often lost, in theses events.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu9-3yC012g

New Americana and Roots Music Releases for 2015

Posted on by — 7 Comments ↓

The Lone Bellow - Then Came The Morning

2014 was another bumper crop year for Americana and roots music. We shared our favorites and you weighed in with more. 2015 shows no signs of easing up as stalwarts like Steve Earle and James McMurtry and young guns like The Lone Bellow and American Aquarium are planning releases.

The list below is not a definitive 2015 Americana release list, it’s all early months. But it’s as close as I can get with the information available at year’s close. The list is in chronological order based on release date, which mostly occurs on an planned Tuesday target which for some reason (none good) persists.

See one missing? Leave it in the comments.

Look for new things coming in the New Year at Twang Nation. It’s going to be a great year.

Have a happy, and safe, New Years. See you on the other side.

January 13TH
Justin Townes Earle – ‘Absent Fathers’
Cody Jinks – ‘The Adobe sessions’
Cody Canada & the Departed “Hippie Love Punk”

January 20th
The Waterboys – ‘Modern Blues’
Ryan Bingham – ‘Fear and Saturday Night’
Haley Cole – ‘Illusions’
Caitlin Canty – ‘Reckless Skyline’

January 27th
The Lone Bellow – ‘Then Came The Morning’
Paul Kelly – ‘The Merry Soul Session’
Punch Brothers – ‘The Phosphorescent Blues’

February 3rd
Bob Dylan – ‘Shadows in the Night’
Murder by Death – ‘Big Dark Love’
Hiss Golden Messenger – ‘Southern Grammar EP’
Gurf Morlix – ‘Eatin’ At Me’

February 10th
Father John Misty – ‘I Love You, Honeybear’
Robert Earl Keen – ‘Happy Prisoner’
Gretchen Peters – ‘Blackbirds’
Rhiannon Giddens – ‘Tomorrow Is My Turn’
Blackberry Smoke – ‘Holding All the Roses’
Owl Country – ‘Owl Country’
6 String Drag – ‘Roots Rock ‘N’ Roll’

February 17th
Phosphorescent – ‘Live at the Music Hall’
Steve Earle & The Dukes- ‘Terraplane’
Whitehorse – ‘Leave No Bridge Unburned’
Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band – ‘So Delicious’
Wrinkle Neck Mules – ‘I Never Thought It Would Go This Far’
The Mavericks – ‘Mono’

February 24th
Elvis Perkins- ‘I Aubade’
James McMurtry – ‘Complicated Game’
Steve Gunn & Black Twig Pickers – ‘Seasonal Hire’
Nora Jane Struthers – ‘Wake’
The Lowest Pair – ‘The Sacred Heart Sessions’
Elana James – ‘Black Beauty’

March 3rd
Ryan Culwell – ‘Flatlands’
Brandi Carlile – ‘Firewatcher’s Daughter’
Gill Landry – ‘Gill Landry’
Andrew Combs – ‘All These Dreams’
Caroline Spence – ‘Somehow’
Dorthia Cottrell – ‘Dorthia Cottrell’

March 10th
Joe Pug’s – ‘Windfall’
Tom Paxton – ‘Redemption Road’
Porter – ‘This Red Mountain’

March 13th
The Coal Creek Boys – ‘Out West’

March 17th
Liz Longley – ‘Liz Longley’
Stone Jack Jones – ‘Love & Torture’

March 24
Humming House – ‘Revelries’
Gabrielle Papillon – ‘The Tempest of Old’
Doc Watson, Bill Monroe + – Classic American Ballads from Smithsonian Folkways

March 27th
Allison Moorer – ‘Down To Believing’

March 31st
William Elliott Whitmore – ‘Radium Death’
Sarah Gayle Meech – ‘Tennessee Love Song’
Simon Joyner – ‘Grass, Branch & Bone’

April 1st
The Devil’s Cut – ‘Antium’

April 7th
Delta Rae – ‘After It All’
Folk Family Revival – ‘Water Walker’
Carl Anderson – ‘Risk of Loss’
Pokey LaFarge – ‘Something in The Water’
Ray Wylie Hubbard – ‘The Ruffian’s Misfortune’

April 14th
Dwight Yoakam – ‘Second Hand Heart’
Lowland Hum – ‘Lowland Hum’
Shinyribs – “Okra Candy”

April 15th
Lucia Comnes – “Love, Hope & Tyranny”
The Damnwells – ‘The Damnwells’

April 21st
John Moreland – ‘High On Tulsa Heat’
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers – ‘ Loved Wild Lost’
Jimbo Mathus – ‘Blue Healer’
Ryan Adams – “Live at Carnegie Hall’

April 27TH
Lewis & Leigh – ‘Missing Year EP’

April 28th
Charlie Parr -‘Stumpjumper’
Odessa – ‘Odessa’

May 4th
Shelby Lynne – ‘I Can’t Imagine’

May 5th
Mandolin Orange – ‘Such Jubilee’
Hannah Miller – ‘Hannah Miller’

May 12th
Jimmy LaFave – ‘The Night Tribe’
Eilen Jewell – ‘Sundown over Ghost Town’
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell – ‘The Traveling Kind’
Della Mae – ‘Della Mae’

May 19th
Darrell Scott – “10 – Songs of Ben Bullington”
Jamie Lin Wilson – ‘Holidays & Wedding Rings’

June 2nd
The Mike + Ruthy Band – “Bright As You Can”
Dawes – “All Your Favorite Bands”

June 9th
Sam Outlaw – “Angeleno”
The Deslondes – “The Deslondes”
Dale Watson – “Call Me Insane”
Courtney Patton – “So This Is Life”
Uncle Lucius – “The Light”
Chris Hennessee – “Greeting from Hennessee”
Sammy Kershaw – “I Won’t Back Down”

June 23rd
Beth Bombara – ‘Beth Bombara’
Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams – ‘Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams’
Richard Thompson – “Still”
Kacey Musgraves – “Pageant Material’

July 17th
Jason Isbell – ‘Something More Than Free’

July 31st
Daniel Romano – ‘If I’ve Only One Time Askin’ ‘

August 7th
Lindi Ortega – “Faded Gloryville”

August 11th
Angela Easterling – “Common Law Wife”

August 14
Rod Picott – “Fortune’
The Waifs – ‘Beautiful You’

August 21st
The White Buffalo – ‘Love and the Death of Damnation’

September 18th
Turnpike Troubadours – “Turnpike Troubadours”

September 25th
Patty Griffin – ‘Servant Of Love’

October 30th
The Yawpers – ‘American Man’
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell – “So Familiar”

NASHVILLE 2.0: The Rise of Americana to Air on PBS This November

Posted on by — 5 Comments ↓

Nashville 2.0

NASHVILLE 2.0 kicks off the “PBS Americana Music Weekend,” which pairs this documentary with an Americana music concert from PBS’ iconic Austin City Limits (ACL) series. In a special episode, ACL travels to Nashville to capture performance highlights from the 2013 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards. ACL PRESENTS: AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013 airs November 23rd on PBS in select markets (check local listings for broadcast dates and times)

The hour-long film was co-directed by Carol Stein and Susan Wittenberg (the duo behind 2011‘s Women Who Rock) and will feature a lineup of some of the best rising and veteran country, folk, rock and multi-genre artists prominent in building the Americana movement.

The special will incluse includes performances by, and interviews with, Alabama Shakes, The Avett Brothers, Billy Bragg, Laura Cantrell, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rosanne Cash, The Civil Wars, Elizabeth Cook, Rodney Crowell, Dawes, Jerry Douglas, John Fullbright, Shakey Graves, Emmylou Harris, The James Hunter Six, Jason Isbell , Amanda Shires, Jim Lauderdale, The Lone Bellow, The Mavericks, The Milk Carton Kids, Buddy Miller, Mumford & Sons, Shovels and Rope*, Richard Thompson, and Dwight Yoakam.

This is hardly an exhaustive list, and not all of these artists are from, or reside, in Nashville. Buy Music City has become the de-facto hub of the Americana Music industry.

For now.

Dwight Yoakam To Release ” 21st Century Hits: Best of 2000-12,” on October 1

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Dwight Yoakam

Fresh off his win for the Artist of the Year award win at the 12th Annual Americana Music Honors and Awards in Nashville comes the news of a spanking new Dwight Yoakam compilation.

New West Records will release the new Dwight Yoakam compilation, 21st Century Hits: Best of 2000-12, on October 1. The album spans a choice selection of songs Yoakam recorded while signed to New West Records, Warner Brothers and Koch between 2000-12.

Included are singles from five albums including Tomorrow’s Sound Today, Population Me, Blame The Vain, Dwight Sings Buck and 3 Pears as well as the cover the Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” as featured in the film “The Break-Up.” Also included is a never before commercially released duet with Michelle Branch, “Long Goodbye” and the Willie Nelson duet “If Teardrops Were Diamonds.”

Even after a three-decade long career, more than 25 million albums worldwide, 12 gold albums and nine platinum or multi-platinum albums and is a 21-time nominated Grammy award winner
Yoakam still appears to be at the top of his game as a standard bearer and trail-blazer.

Buy 21st Century Hits: Best of 2000-2012 (CD+DVD)

DWIGHT YOAKAM’S 21ST CENTURY HITS: BEST OF 2000-12 TRACK LIST
1. The Sad Side Of Town (Tomorrow’s Sounds Today)
2. Late Great Golden State (Population Me)
3. The Back Of Your Hand (Population Me)
4. If Teardrops Were Diamonds (with Willie Nelson) (Population Me)
5. Long Goodbye (with Michelle Branch) (Previously Unreleased)
6. Intentional Heartache (Blame The Vain)
7. Blame The Vain (Blame The Vain)
8. I Wanna Love Again (Blame The Vain)
9. Just Passin’ Time (Blame The Vain)
10. Crazy Little Thing Called Love (The Break-Up Soundtrack)
11. Close Up The Honky Tonks (Dwight Sings Buck)
12. My Heart Skips A Beat (Dwight Sings Buck)
13. Act Naturally (Dwight Sings Buck)
14. A Heart Like Mine (3 Pears)

Bonus DVD
1. Close Up The Honky Tonks
2. Intentional Heartache
3. Blame The Vain
4. Back of Your Hand
5. Late Great Golden State
* Bonus DVD also contains hi-res 24/96 audio playback of the album