Collaborations you would like to see

Earlier today I was listening to the new Kristofferson album Closer To The Bone and it struck me how stylistically similar it is to Todd Snider's latest album The Excitement Plan. Couple that with some other recent listens that include the excellent collaborative albums of Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle, and the Gretchen Peters & Tom Russell album One To The Heart, One To The Head (which are both fantastic albums BTW). That got me to thinking about how killer it would be if Kris Kristofferson and Todd Snider made a collaborative album together. Man I would love to hear that.

What are some of your favorite collaborative albums, or ones you'd like to see happen?

Kris Kristofferson - Live in Hultsfred 2004

Ok, on to some "thinking man's" country, or rather, some "working man's" Dylan.

Kristofferson is a living legend, a man who can put more story, power and emotion into a 3 minute song than most novelists can put into 300 pages. This set is an intimate, low-key, acoustic affair. Just Kris, an acoustic guitar and those lyrics....ahhh man, those lyrics. Really hard say much about this other than Kristofferson is on, the crowd is great, and it's killer. It's just something you need to listen to....especially on this sunday morning coming down. Download it.

Kristofferson has a new album coming out at the end of the month called Closer To The Bone. You can pre-order it on that link. Can't wait for it! Kris will also be appearing in the upcoming Ray Wylie Hubbard scripted movie Last Rites of Ransom Pride.

And thanks to my buddy (and Kristofferson fanatic) Jan for sending this my way many months ago.

MP3 @ 128

Kris Kristofferson - Live in Hultsfred 2004

Random news: Ransom Pride Trailer, Todd Snider Book, Chris Knight Pre-Order, etc...

Just some random tidbits here:

• Last Rites of Ransom Pride (outdated and non-representative of the real movie) trailer is now online and viewable, this is the movie that stars Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam, and script by Ray Wylie Hubbard (more info on the site) EDIT: According to Judy Hubbard this is not the trailer for the movie, rather a scene that was shot last year to drum up support for the movie. The real movie is set to debut at this year's Toronto Film Festival in September. More info here. Here's to hoping an official trailer comes out soon.

• Todd Snider divulged in a recent interview with Paste that he is working on a book based on his infamous stories. Said he gave the writer Dennis Cook a copy of the Moondawg's Tavern boot, a few phone numbers, and told him to find the "real story". Book is going to be called "Almost Everything I Say Is True"

• Chris Knight announced The Trailer Tapes II will be released this September, but....BUT!...you can pre-order now and get an immediate download & get the physical CD in the mail (some have already gotten their's, and early reviews are that this thing is as good as the first Trailer Tapes)

• Good news for you Backsliders fans out there. Chip Robinson (lead singer of The Backsliders) has a new one coming out in November on Red River Records called Mylow, which can also be pre-ordered and they will feature custom packaging, signature, and early shipment

• Speaking of, Red River Records is run by Kasey Anderson, who has announced an EP of four additional songs taken from the session for his Way Out West album released earlier this year. EP will be available on August 25th, and pre-orders get access to an exclusive bonus track

News: Ray Wylie Hubbard talks about his upcoming movie

Yes that's right....movie. Now he's not starring in this movie (sadly, cause he would make a great cantankerous old cowboy), but he wrote the screenplay, and if it's anything like his music you know it's going to be fucking good. It's a late era western, set in 1911 and who did he get to star in it? Well 2 of my favorites Kris Kristofferson and Dwight Yoakam to name a couple. Also stars W. Earl Brown of Deadwood, and strangely.....Jason Priestly. I can not fucking wait for this movie.....it is the thing I am most excited about in 09!

Read more about The Last Rites Of Ransom Pride here

Now the reason for this post, is this great interview where RWH talks about the movie, and he then plays a song from the movie.....and damn I'm loving this song.....can't wait for his next album, whether it's a soundtrack to this movie or a real album.....can.....not.....wait!!!!

Todd Snider - Todd Sings Kris

Todd Snider, always one to wear his influences on his sleeve, recorded this collection of Kristofferson songs in 2005 and made them available to members of his listserv/fan club. What you get here are sparse, studio quality, earnest tributes to one of Todd's musical heroes. There is really not much to say here, just that it's good, and if you don't have it you should. For more info see Eighteen Minutes.

MP3 @ 160

Todd Sings Kris

Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Kimmie Rhodes, & Kris Kristofferson - Outlaw Country Live From Austin TX

In Honor of my favorite show on saturday nights, I present to you a recording of one of my favorite episodes of Austin City Limits.


Recorded in 1996, this honky tonk supergroup gave us a performance much like what you would expect this gathering to sound like on any one of their front porches. They sit around joking singing songs back and forth, trading licks....trying to one up the next guy. Highlights on this disc include well all of it, but specifically the middle part where they play a game of one upmanship with spiritual songs, the all-together sing along of "on the road again", and my favorite.....Waylon's "I'd have been out of jail". Give it a listen or two.

Austin City Limits

Buy It Here

EDIT: Download Link Removed