A Truer Christmas

I believe Vaughn planted the bug for this one back during the Truer Halloween post. Let me just say this, this was no easy task my friend. I found out 2 important things will compiling this: 1. There are a shit ton of christmas albums, 2. Most of them suck (as a matter of fact the cover I made reflects what I felt like doing after about the 14th listen to some crappy over produced rendition of "insert christmas song here". But I think I came up with something workable. I tried to seperate them a little so the sadder songs (christmas tearjerkers my friends) are towards the back, but some of them (like the Dwight Yoakam "santa can't stay") I couldn't decide whether they were tragic or funny. You will also come to realize I have a special love for surf music in my heart (I had to try hard to keep from puttin a ventures song on here, and the next to final draft DID INDEED have a ventures song on it). A couple of the songs were mandatory (like the "Merry Christmas From The Family" & "Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy") but I tried to veer away from the traditional stuff. One thing on here that bugs me though is the censorship of the otherwise excellent "Oklahoma Christmas". I couldn't for the life of me find an uncensored version, doubt their even is one. I kept the song on the mix though cause hell it's still a funny song and since it's censored, you can play this mix in front of the little ones without getting on Santa's bad list....too much.

01-Dwight Yoakam-Run Run Rudolph
02-Reverend Horton Heat-Jingle Bells
03-Adam's House Cat-Santa's Out of Rehab by Christmas
04-Southern Culture On The Skids-Merry Christmas Baby
05-Robert Earl Keen-Merry Christmas From The Family (Live)
06-Asylum Street Spankers-Red Nosed Reindeer Blues
07-Los Straitjackets-God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
08-Buck Owens & Susan Raye-Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy
09-Old 97's-Holly Jolly Christmas
10-Reverend Horton Heat-Santa On The Roof

11-Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison-Oklahoma Christmas
12-John Prine-Everything Is Cool
13-The Refreshments-My Christmas Baby
14-Ry Cooder-Christmas In Southgate
15-Robert Earl Keen-Happy Holiday Y'all
16-Dwight Yoakam-Santa Can't Stay
17-Buck Owens & Susan Raye-All I Want For Christmas is My Daddy
18-Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison-Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk
19-Clarence White-Silver Bells
20-Squirrel Nut Zippers-Gift Of The Magii

21-Roger Miller-Old Toy Trains
22-Steve Earle-Nothing But a Child (Demo)
23-The Band-Christmas Must Be Tonight
24-John Prine-Christmas In Prison
25-Red Star Belgrade-Xmas Day

MP3 @ VBRs

A Truer Christmas

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 10-6-07

Here's a nice little Gillian and David set to tide you over till the (finally) put a new album out. Word is have been working on it and on this very show here is a new song (Knuckleball Catcher). You even get to hear a little Emmylou & Gillian harmonizing on this set (God I love it when they do that). I also love the picture I used for the artwork of this. An actual picture from the show as they were preparing to take the stage. Just an awesome picture that evokes all those country rock promo shots from the late 60's and early 70's.

MP3

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2007

Sam Baker - Live at The Anchor Inn 12-4-07

In case the other one wasn't enough for you, here's more Sam Baker. With more songs, more stories, same low levels. What that means is that while there is no disputing the awesomeness of this show (and it is indeed awesome), just like the other one you will need to crank the volume to fully appreciate it. I love that this one has more songs and more banter though. You can tell he is a lot more comfortable in front of an english speaking audience. I bet he's even more comfortable in front of a texas speaking audience :P. Love the fact that Psychic is on here too. Probably my favorite song off his new one.

Also am I the only one who thinks he looks like a cross between a beardless Willie Nelson and a muscleless Triple H?

http://www.sambakermusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sambakermusic
Buy his stuff here


MP3 @ 128
Sam Baker - Live At The Anchor Inn

Re-Post: Christ Knight - Ottersum Netherlands 2-4-07

Had a request to repost this. Sorry, no artwork as this was before I started making artworks for everything. It's still a pretty killer show though. Check out his "Trailer Tapes" album from this year (though it's old recordings) while your at it.

1. Becky's Bible
2. Rural Route
3. Enough Rope
4. Intro/Pretty Good Guy
5. The River's Own
6. John Wilkes Booth
7. Crooked Road
8. Devil Behind The Wheel
9. The Summer of '75
10. House and 90 Acres
11. Down The River
12. To Get Back Home
13. It Ain't Easy Being Me
14. A Train Not Running
15. Framed
16. Hard Ages

Here is the original post
And video post of the same show

MP3
Chris Knight - Ottersum

Eliza Gilkyson - St. David's Episcopal Church 12-4-07

Time to get in that christmas mood people, and I'm not talking about going shopping. This is a nice little set from Eliza that is almost gospel sounding. Don't worry, it's not preachy though. I guess playing in a church, it's bound to happen though......sounding gospel-like....not being preachy. Anyway, the sound on this is great, and she runs through some good original material and some good christmas material. Her backing band (Will Taylor & Strings Attached) run through some good christmas....ahem...HOLIDAY songs as well. Including Dreidel, Dreidel which strikes me as odd since they are play in a church. But hey, maybe that song's from the old testament :P


MP3
Eliza Gilkyson - St. Davids Episcopal Church

Steve Earle - Radio Sessions 2002-2007 (Is There Anybody Out There)

I put this together from 4 different radio shows I had. The outcome is a pretty damned good listen if say so myself. Starting in 2002 in support of Jerusalem, going into 2005 in support of Revolution, and ending with two shows from this year one in preperation, and one in support of Washington Square Serenade. Some nice older tunes on here too. All in all it's a pretty nice set of tunes, mostly acoustic and laid back with the occasional record scratching on the last show....still don't know how I feel about that, but it's not near as bad as it seems like it should be. There are some very interesting interview segments throughout as well.

Also look for Steve in an upcoming play based on Howard Zinn's "People's History of The United States" (a great read if you haven't read it).

MP3

Download Steve Earle - Radio Sessions 2002-2007 here

Sam Baker - Paradiso Amsterdam 12-1-07

Hot off the presses here, and just had to share cause I know alot of you folks out there are digging this guy as much as I am. This is a pretty good boot, HOWEVER the mix is a little low, so you will probably need to crank it up a little bit. Beggars can't be choosers though and this delivers from one of the most gifted songwriters I have heard since Todd Snider. If you haven't already, check out his new album "Pretty World" (he plays most of those songs on this show) especially if you are a fan of "texas-centric" troubadour songwriters in the vein of Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark. Sam is not an imitation of those guys, and he's not trying to be....but what he does is add another flavor to that style of songwriting that is unique to him and there is no denying that. He has a way with phrasing that makes every word that floats out of his mouth bury itself deep into your grey matter and take up residence. A wonderful addition to pantheon of texas troubadours if there ever was one.

Check out his debut album from 2004 "Mercy" while your at it.

MP3

Sam Baker - Paradiso Amsterdam