Monday, May 3, 2010

Free Music Alert: Duquette Johnston - Rugged & Fancy

Ok, so I know some of you are waiting for the Spring sampler. I know, it's late...I'm working on it now, and to make it up, it'll be a double.

Now on to some more free music that is unbad (actually it's pretty fucking great!). This is Duquette Johnston, and you can listen to all the songs prior to download to see if it's your thing or not. Recommended for folks who like Magnolia Electric Co., Scud Mt. Boys, and other lo-fi indie folk type stuff with catchy melodies.

Download and Stream here

Monday, April 26, 2010

Down By Downtown Festival in Roanoke, VA

As some of you may know, this is a Southwest Virginia based music blog. Now rarely do I talk about things happening in the area because well....rarely do things happen in the area. That has all changed here recently though, with good shows coming to town, radio support for Americana (yes folks we have station in Roanoke that caters to Americana located at 101.5 FM), great venues, and a budding local music scene.
Now most of this is new to me, and Roanoke is still a good hour away, but by-god it's a local music scene and it's my kind of music. Now all of this activity seems to be culminating this week with a festival that has the unfortunate name of Down By Downtown (Facebook link).
Down By Downtown kicks off this Wednesday in downtown Roanoke with shows at The Jefferson Center, my fave local venue Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, and Blue 5 Restaurant.

The festival lasts until Saturday and features many local talents along with some name acts. Personally I am most looking forward to Chris Knight and Cory Hunley this Saturday at Kirk Avenue Music Hall.

Click here for the full schedule

Now I don't know if I have any local readers in SWVA, but I like to think I do. So if you are in the area, or are going to be in the area, get downtown and check it out.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Let's get all hippy and meloncholy up in here...

.....since it is earth day afterall



That's Eliza Gilkyson doing her father's song Greenfields off her excellent live album Your Town Tonight

Free Music Alert: Golden Bones - Self Titled

What the hell is going on here? Two posts in two days! Am I over my blogggers block? Hopefully!

Here's a cool little album that was pointed out to me by Twangnation. The Golden Bones are a country-rockish group out of Brooklyn that remind me a lot of Frontier Ruckus, only with some very cool 70's style country rock harmonies. Recommended (but not limited) to anyone who like that old country rock harmony sound (i.e. CSNY, America, Manassas, etc...)

Download and Stream the album here

Magnolia Mountain - Redbird Green Vinyl Project

This evening I had the pleasure of hanging out with Mark and Jordan from Magnolia Mountain, a roots band based out of Cincinnati. Not only are they great guys, but they also make some damned fine music (see below:)




Now, I wanted to help them get the word out about a cool thing I think they are doing which is putting out their upcoming album on vinyl. Well I should say they are TRYING to put out their upcoming album on vinyl. That's where folks like you and me would come in. See they have a backer system in place where 25 bucks will not only get you a copy of the album on Vinyl (double album I might add), but also helps finance the making of said album! How sweet is that. There are other backer levels such as the $100 level which will get you a producer credit, the $300 level which will get you a homecooked meal and a private acoustic set, or the $1000 level which will get a song in your honor on a future Magnolia Mountain record.


The way I see it is if you are going to buy the album on vinyl anyway, might as well throw down now and be a backer. Better hurry though, there are only 18 slots available for the $25 vinyl album level. Go to the site either below or here for more info.



OfficialFacebook

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

From The Archives: A Truer Easter

Sorry about the lack of posts folks, just a weird time for me right now. In the meantime, enjoy some songs about Jesus that won't make you fall asleep in the pew!


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Who says songs about Jesus have to suck. Here's a good set of mostly straightforward gospel songs (mostly). First I want to talk about the cover image I used. Now these three crosses, exactly like those in the picture are all over this area....every road just about you will see them. They first started appearing around here in the mid to late 80's and there were many local legends about them. These legends state that a local millionaire had a near death experience during which he had a vision of God who told him he would spare his life if he spent the rest of it building these wooden crosses and placing them beside highways. Other parts of the legend state that some folks didn't take too kindly to these crosses being on their land or near their land or what have you and tried to tear them down. Supposedly one guys tractor suddenly caught on fire, one guy's boat engine died and he was stranded in a lake. One guy even supposedly had a heart attack whilst trying to remove the wooden crosses. There were also stories of lightning striking them but nothing happening, and them surviving forest fires, floods and hurricanes.
Now I don't know how true those last parts are, but a little research has confirmed that the man in question was indeed a succesful businessman from Craigsville, WV named Bernard Coffindaffer. He had a heart attack in 1982 which was when he recieved his holy vision and life's mission. Pretty interesting stuff I thought.

Here is an article about his death in the NY Times

There is even an organization that carried on his mission after his death called "Christian Crosses"

Here is some more history about Mr. Coffindaffer

Have a good Easter folks, and in the words of Billy Joe; "If you don't love Jesus go to hell"

01 Ralph Stanley - Sing Songs About Jesus
02 The Dillards - Somebody Touched Me
03 Johnny Cash - Wildwood in the Pines
04 Ray Wylie Hubbard - When She Sang Amazing Grace (Live)
05 Billy Joe Shaver - Jesus Christ Is Still The King
06 The Byrds - Jesus Is Just Alright
07 Old Crow Medicine Show - God's Got It
08 Uncle Tupelo - Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down
09 Link Wray - Backwoods Preacher Man
10 Tom T. Hall - Me and Jesus
11 The Gourds - Hallelujah Shine
12 Scott H. Biram - Only Jesus
13 Billy Joe Shaver - If You Don't Love Jesus
14 Slobberbone - Trust Jesus
15 The Meat Purveyors - Working on a Building
16 Jim Lauderdale - I Met Jesus In A Bar
17 Bobby Bare - Dropkick Me Jesus
18 Steve Earle - Elijah's Church
19 Scott Miller - Is There Room on the Cross for Me
20 Buddy Miller - This Old World
21 J. D. Souther - Jesus In 3/4 Time
22 Dillard and Clark - I Bowed My Head And Cried Holy
23 Earl Scruggs Revue -Gospel Ship
24 Ralph Stanley, Emmylou Harris - Great High Mountain
25 Johnny Cash - It Was Jesus
26 The Carter Family - Let the Church Roll On


MP3 @ 192
Download A Truer Easter here

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Free Music Alert: Ray Wylie Hubbard edition

In case you missed the Comment from Ray's wife Judy on the Stingaree post, she has put some rare treats from the Ray Wylie Hubbard vault up over at http://www.raywylie.com/vintageray.htm

It's about 4 songs from the 70's and 80's and has included information. I'm dying to hear that punk version of Portales she is going to put up. Like her, I love that song! I also love the note at the top about hunting people down if they are selling the tracks!!

Enjoy, and thanks to Judy (and Ray) for the tracks!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Fox Hunt - I'll Drink Cheap (Vid)

Sorry about the lack of activity around here. Just some personal shit going on, but never fear I'll get back to it shortly with a few big surprises I have in the works.

Right now I want you guys to know that the new Fox Hunt album IS OUT, and it's FUCKING GREAT!

There will be a proper review later, but for now.......Listen and order here, and enjoy this vid of one of the new songs.

Monday, March 1, 2010

From The Archives: Ray Wylie Hubbard - Stingaree 2007

Got a great comment from a 12 year old asking for this and it made my day. I love when young kids are passionate about music. So this is for the all the little 12 year old music lovers out there!

Of course this is well worth reposting in it's own right. Ray's set at the inaugural Stingaree Music Festival. This years Stingaree Festival is taking place May 29th - 31st featuring Hayes Carll, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and the one man buzz machine Ryan Bingham.
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I've made no secret of my love for Ray Wylie Hubbard, I will get to that in more detail in my RWH sampler post. But first here is a killer bootleg from the Stingaree Music Festival, or as Ray calls it "Hayesapalooza". This was the first stingaree festival, the brainchild of Hayes Carll (I love that guy too) to showcase some of his friends and favorite artists and held in his "base camp" town of Crystal Beach, Texas. And man what a lineup they had....I would have loved to have gone: Todd Snider, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Hayes Carll, Corb Lund, The Dedringers....man talk about a killer line up. This is the first of what I hope is many bootlegs from this festival.
And what a great one it is too....Ray Wylie puts on one hell of a show and has some of the best banter you will hear. This also contains probably THE BEST version of "Wanna Rock And Roll" I have heard to date.

MP3 @ 192

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