Saving Country Music

Usually when actors and artists from other music genres make a move to get some of that sweet, sweet nectar from the voluptuous and lucrative pop country tit, it’s my job to pull down their pants and laugh at their privates for “going country.” I’ve seen probably two dozen websites and “E news” reports saying that Hollywood starlet Gwyneth Paltrow has “gone country.” In truth, this is not the case.

Yesterday the single “Country Strong” was released to the inbred, collusive entity which is “country radio” to promote the upcoming movie of the same name starring Gwyneth and perfume magnate Tim Mcgraw. Vince Gill and Patti Griffin also appear in the song.

But this is just one song from a soundtrack. Nobody is reporting that Gwyneth has any intention or desire to get into country music as a career of any sort. Gwyneth is ACTING. Yes her LA/New York lifestyle probably does not lend to her having any genuineness behind singing country, but she’s simply playing a role, just like Jeff Bridges was in Crazy Heart. Many pop country stars are doing the same exact thing, but DO try to pass it off as genuine. I’m finding it hard to get mad at Paltrow, especially since she had the guts to do her own singing in the film.

What I am finding curious is the premise of this movie itself, and the marketing scheme behind it. Apparently Jeff Bridges, oh, I mean Gwyneth Paltrow, plays a “washed up country singer.”

Huh, tastes familiar.

Just like Music Row, the movie industry is generally bankrupt for new ideas, and when something hits it big, it is copycatted ad nauseum. Nashville used to make albums and hope that they could fit songs into movies to help promote them. Now sometimes movies are created around the songs as an advertising vehicle, so that the movie can be crossed marketed on radio, and the songs cross marketed in the movie. This by definition is homogenizing of culture, and generally leads to bad art. As the movie is not set to be released until December 22nd, I think the timing of this release is telling. Also the movie was originally called Love Don’t Let Me Down until it was changed to the title of the radio single.

As for the song, I’ve heard worse. (hear some of it in this video) Maybe I’m getting soft but it doesn’t make my stomach turn like most stuff found on country radio, though it is heroically generic, and I hear the sharp-edged note changes that usually mark a performance run through Auto-tune.

As I said in my last article, we shouldn’t judge a movie until we see it, but this has the markings of being the gender marketing equivalent of She-Ra to Crazy Heart’s He-Man.

I wonder if He-Man was ever accused of being racist for sporting the iron cross?

Anyway, to dispel and controversy over the movie, co-star Tim McGraw who plays Paltrow’s husband and manager, released the following video that he said would explain everything:

But he admits he has never watched it.

Hank Williams III appears in The Wild & Wonderful Whites of West Virginia in commentary scenes, as well as in music performances with Jesco White shot outside of Hank Jr’s cabin. But in a video interview with “Superskum,” he said about the project:

“Well I really don’t support that movie man. I mean, they promoted more the dark side–the addiction, the bad stuff–they didn’t really promote the creative side of the Whites. And this is no disrespect to Jesco and the family at all. Its more of the people that made it should have concentrated a little bit more on the creativity, and the good vibes that the White family bring to the table. Yeah, we all have problems with addiction, but they made that a little too dark for me. I’ve only seen a couple of clips of it, just enough to rub me raw.” (see the full interview below)

When the promo for the white movie first came out (which includes a brief appearance from Hank III), some people wondered if the movie exploits the Whites. Some have also cited Johnny Knoxville’s involvement in the movie as a concern, though Knoxville was mostly a behind-the-scenes business-arena partner, and did not participate in the filming, directing, or on-site production.

I had my own concerns about the movie promo when it came out, but cautioned it was just an advertising tool to garner interest in the movie, and that we should wait to see the full movie before passing judgment. The film earned a favorable review from me once I had a chance to see it, and in my opinion, it was not as exploitative as possibly the promo video might imply.

Have YOU seen the movie? What is YOUR opinion?

You can also see FREE extra footage from the movie from Amazon:

Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia Extra - Whites’ Strife

Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia Extra - Meet the Whites

Hank III.com has just announced tour dates of the East Coast, more might be coming. As of right now, there is no support band announced. What I have been hearing is that after the problems on the last tour with Izzy Cox, there will be no more Hank III openers. Hopefully this is not true, or not true forever.

Remember all of these concert dates, and the dates of all REAL country artists can now be found on the official Saving Country Music Calendar at www.savingcountrymusic.com/calendar, where you can also see some new dates for Justin Townes Earle, Peewee More, and others.

Also I have confirmed that Hank III’s contract with Curb Records will not be up until December 31st, 2010. This is different from what Hank III was saying right after the release of The Rebel Within, that would be only “three or four months.” That means there will be no new music at least until 2011.

• Aug 26 The Masquerade Atlanta, GA
• Aug 27 Firestone Orlando, FL
• Aug 28 The State Theater St. Petersburg, FL
• Aug 29 Level Melbourne, FL
• Aug 31 Culture Room Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Sep 01 Freebird Live Jacksonville, FL
• Sep 03 Ground Zero Spartanburg, SC
• Sep 04 The National Richmond, VA
• Sep 05 9:30 Club Washington DC
• Sep 07 Chamelon Club Lancaster, PA
• Sep 08 Music Hall Brooklyn, NY
• Sep 10 Crocodile Rock Allentown, PA
• Sep 11 Palladium Worcester, MA
• Sep 12 Northern Lights Albany, NY
• Sep 15 Altar Bar Pittsburgh, PA

The Folk Singer is the exact right movie for this very moment in time. It courageously reaches down to the deepest measure of the human soul and spirit and mines what cannot be expressed in words. It says what we are all thinking, but were incapable heretofore of saying. You watch this movie and say, “See, THAT is what I mean.” And when your quizzed to put what ‘THAT’ is in concise terms, your only recourse is to simply say, “See the movie.”

It is a film for people who ‘get it,’ who are tormented in a world that doesn’t. Sin and faith are all over this movie, but not always in the religious context we’re all used to. It’s more about how it’s a sin not to pursue your one God given talent or calling, and how you have to have faith that by pursuing that talent, everything will work out. Like Reverend Deadeye says, “The Lord will provide.” But in a dying culture faith seems so faint, and at such war with reason.

The Folk Singer is a journey. It follows Possessed by Paul James aka Konrad Wert, a One Man Band raised by Mennonites and a preacher father, as he tours through Texas and Louisiana, the whole time being eaten alive by the knowledge that his better half is 5 months pregnant, and playing music, and least in its current form, will not provide. On this journey he meets up with other one man bands, mainly Scott H. Biram, whose lightheartedness contrasts with Konrad’s dark place, as well as Reverend Deadeye, Tom VandenAvond, and Ghostwriter.

One man bands are like the soldiers on the front line of cultural decay and homogenization. As the old world crumbles around them they scream into the noise and demolition, cursing progress with Stoic and stern faces. They are like troubadours working in the middle of a battlefield or the crash of a tidal wave, fearlessly chronicling the passing of beauty and reason, illustrating society’s foolishness with brutal art, doing so out of some sense of duty, with little concern for their own life or limb.

This movie has many deep themes, one being brotherhood. Many questions are posed. Few if any are answered. But there is a sense of camaraderie knowing that others have those questions, that you are not alone. As Scott Biram is quoted from the movie, “You can rejoice in one another’s sharing of pain.” One Man Bands connect with their audience in a deeper, more personal way than full bands do because they have to give so much more of themselves. That same deep connection is harnessed by this movie, delivering the audience right into the moments.

At first this movie was hard to read. It has a documentary feel, but clearly its progression and some of the scenes had been thought out beforehand, so it takes a bit for your brain to settle in as it doesn’t know if to be in documentary or drama mode. Really it should be in neither, or both. Also in the beginning scenes, everyone seemed a little tense, like they didn’t know how to act with cameras pointed at them. Eventually they settle down and the film flows smoothly.

The cinematography is top notch. Everything you see in this movie is dirty, old, and dying. There are numerous spontaneous music performances. Konrad Wert takes his fiddle out and accompanies each of the people he meets along his way in song, and this populates a soundtrack that is worthy of its own review.

I also think that it is important to point out that M.A. Littler, the force behind this film is based in German, again proving that the Europeans are light years ahead in chronicling American roots culture. I’m happy that someone is stepping up to the plate, but there should be a film like this coming out every few months, from people right here in The States. But kudos to Littler for doing what few Americans have the courage or persistence to do.

The argument has come up here and many other places lately about people saying they hope that underground music doesn’t become popular, or more popular than it is. They want to keep it exclusive. They want to keep their favorite artists starving so that the good art keeps flowing. For those with that misguided notion, The Folk Singer is the cure.

Two guns up.

This film is not easy to obtain, but you can purchase, download, or get more info about it by CLICKING HERE.

Trace Adkins has ended months of speculation of why he left one of Nashville’s most notorious major labels, that being Capitol Record’s Nashville subsidiary.

“They’re broke.” Adkins explained bluntly in an interview with Yahoo News. “Everybody knows that. I mean, it’s in the Wall Street Journal every other week. They don’t have any money. And that desperation, that feeling permeates the entire company. I don’t care (who you are), you cannot insulate yourself from that, and to me it was just a downer. It was not a good environment to try to operate in for me.

Trace left the label to sign with The Ford Truck Man Toby Keith’s Show Dog Universal label. Capitol is the home of country acts like Eric Church, Darius Rucker, and Keith Urban, and is owned by EMI out of the UK. Adkins says the company did not have enough money to extend his contract and record his new album.

“The label’s country division chief, Mike Dungan, “just straight-up told me, much to his credit, ‘I can’t do that. I’m telling you right now that if I go to those guys over there across the pond and tell them I have to cut you this check, they’re going to tell me no,’” Adkins recalls.”

Capitol made headlines nearly a year ago, when they sued a charity organization for using a Trace Adkins appearance on a compilation CD. At the time Adkins was on tour with Toby Keith.

As per normal, Capitol Records Nashville could not be reached for comment, but The Ford Truck Man Toby Keith, whose always willing to pony up his opinion, said the following videos would help clarify the situation:

On July 12th, two members of the roots induced band The Goddamn Gallows were arraigned on sexual assault charges that fellow band mates, friends, and others at the party goers where the supposed offense occurred say are completely false. Drummer Uriah Baker aka “Baby Genius” and merch man Quentin Price have been in jail ever since. Bond was set at an unattainable $300,000 for both men, who both have prior offenses. Quentin Price also had a outstanding warrant in California. You can read more about the story HERE, or watch TV coverage.

Band mates, friends, and fans are fervently trying to raise money for their defense. Donations are being accepted at brokedowngallows.chipin.com/baby-genius-and-quentins-defense-fund. Also a defense fund compilation CD has been put together by Farmageddon Records, that can be obtained by a $20 donation at newrootsorder.com.

Baker’s and Price’s next court date is July 27. To stay up to date with this story, you can follow it on Facebook at Free Uriah & Quentin, or also on the Saving Country Music message board HERE.

Track list for the compilation:

#1. Black Eyed Vermillion - Helping Hand
#2. Graham Lindsey - Emma Rumble
#3. Highlonesome - The Rain Is A Fallin’
#4. Jayke Orvis - West Wind
#5. J.B. Beverley & The Wayward Drifters - Lonely Road
#6. Owen Mays - Keep The Jackals At Bay
#7. The Calamity Cubes - Eternal Fall
#8. Dog Bite Harris - Tales From The Road
#9. The Perreze Farm - Funeral Home
#10. Those Poor Bastards - Judgment Is Coming
#11. Slackeye Slim - I Wanna Be Your Zombie
#12. Viva Le Vox - Wayward Ones
#13. .357 String Band - Ride Again
#14. All Bets On Death - All My Hero’s Are In Hell
#15. Joe Buckyourself - Devil Is On His Way
#16. ANTiSEEN - White Trash Bitch
#17. The Motherfuck’n Saints - What’s It Meant To You
#18. Sawyer Family - New England
#19. King Sickabilly - Song’s For The Lost
#20. Al & The Black Cat’s - Follow Me
#21. The Strikers - Dark City
#22. The Othermen - Everybody Do A Dance
#23. The Arkhams - Bad Luck
#24. The Soul Reapin’ 3 - Drag You Down
#25. The Goddamn Gallows - In League With Satan (Baby G Vocals)
#26. James Hunnicutt - In Full It Shall Be Paid

On Friday night I was treated to Western swing heaven as Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel brought his Bob Wills musical A Ride With Bob to my neck of the woods. (You can read my review of the show on the 9513.)

The show featured a couple of guest artists, one being Ruby Jane, and we all know how I feel about Ruby Jane. The other was The Quebe Sisters, a total throwback Western swing fiddle trio of three sisters, accompanied by acoustic guitar and standup bass. If you like the old sound, theses girls are right up your alley. And when I say old, I mean OLD. This ain’t your grandpa’s country, this is your GREAT grandpa’s country. Get Some!!!

I first heard about the Quebe’s in a discussion a while back about if Taylor Swift was a good role model for young girls. No discussion, the Quebe’s are. This was my first time seeing them live, and they raised the roof. Magnificent arrangement of vocal harmonies and instrumentation make them a sight to see. Old school entertainment is their bag. If artists like Lucky Tubb and BR549 stir something inside of you, The Quebe Sisters will be right down your alley.

I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about the Quebe Sisters from me in the future, but for now let’s let the music do the talking. Here they are performing on the Marty Stuart Show:

Last week when I posted a link to Johnny Cash’s American Recordings Outtakes I posted a sign of Johnny shooting the bird. Not the first time I’ve posted that picture, but after some inquires and a few conversations over it, it’s come to my attention that maybe the story behind Johnny Cash’s middle finger is not as well-known as I’d thought.

That sign specifically comes from the Cash-themed restaurant/bar/venue The Mean Eyed Cat in Austin, but it is an artists rendition memorializing a gonzo moment in country music history.

The finger photo itself was shot at a Cash concert in 1970 at California’s San Quentin prison, however the picture remained relatively obscure until 1998. At the time Johnny was working with legendary producer Rick Rubin on his American Recordings albums. Rick revitalized Cash’s career, introducing him to a new generation of fans spanning multiple genres. Commercially and critically the albums were successful. The second American album Unchained (included the song “Mean Eyed Cat”) won the 1998 Grammy for Best Country Album.

But could you hear Johnny Cash’s music on the country radio? Not so much.

Rick Rubin started his career as the DJ for The Beastie Boys, and later on went to work with groups like Slayer, Metallica, and Tom Petty. Rick had never dealt with being snubbed by radio, but when he took on his first country artist, he learned country was a different animal. Rubin called country radio a “trendy scene,” and decided to fire a shot right at music row.

Rubin dug deep and pulled out $20,000 to take a full page ad out in Billboard. The ad featured the famous Cash bird flipping, and the caption: “American Recordings and Johnny Cash would like to acknowledge the Nashville music establishment and country radio for your support.”

“We hope it will open the eyes of the country community and hopefully they’ll say, ‘The guy did win’” said Rick, “And he’s making records considered the best in country and maybe we should readdress the situation.

Willie Nelson loved the ad and hung it up in his bus. “John speaks for all of us. Everyone who comes in has to see it.”

George Jones loved the ad too and made one of his own to promote his song “Wild Irish Rose” showing George surrounded by basketballs, footballs and baseballs and the caption, “If radio had any, they’d play this record.”

“All of us older artists feel that way. Radio gives us one of the biggest insults there is when they don’t play our music. If no one is going to stick up for us, we’ll have to do it ourselves.”

The picture of Johnny Cash and his protruding middle digit has now become iconic, and can be found on T-shirts and stickers and all over the internet. I acknowledge that many like it simply for the rawness, but to me it symbolizes the struggle of REAL country artists. Many assert that traditional country fans don’t like modern pop country simply because it’s popular, and only like “obscure” country because it isn’t. Johnny Cash proved a few of important things:

1. Just because something is popular, doesn’t mean it is the best.

2. Country radio is/was out of touch with what people wanted and is showing no leadership, or as George said, “balls.”

3. Most importantly, and most dangerously for country radio, Johnny proved that you can be successful without country radio’s support.

PS: If anyone has the George Jones “balls” ad, please send it along.

Source: Karen Thomas, USA TODAY

In one respect, we live in a blessed time in country music. If it was 1986, the superpickers of our generation would be stuffing a sock down the front of their spandex tights as hair designers kink their bangs and perm their mullet, getting them ready to go on stage and pull some ungodly bad bubblegum butt rock out of a Korean replica flying V guitar. But instead, it’s hip if you have fast fingers to pick up a banjo, or a mando, or a violin, grow a beard, and kick it old school. Thank God.

The fact that I hadn’t even heard of Trampled by Turtles until about 10 days ago proves just how crowded the landscape is with superpicking pseudo bluegrass bands, but the Turtle’s album Palomino quickly sets them apart. It was suggested to me in a discussion about the best albums of the year so far, and after some spins, I agree wholeheartedly it deserves to be in the discussion.

At some point it is just humanly impossible to play your instruments any faster, and this album has that element which is usually the quickest to be ballyhooed about these such bands. But it also has soul. Some were worried that this album would be too slick for me. What, you think The Triggerman can’t be a little classy? No reason to be ashamed of top notch production and mastering, and in fact when you can get away with it and yet still retain the dirt and devil in the music like Trampled By Turtles has done, you deserve extra kudos.

Some were worried I’d get spooked because the band plays sitting down. I actually think this is a genius move, totally unintuitive but making perfect sense at the same time. By sitting, it makes the audience take the music more seriously. It forces you to listen more, and to listen with your ears instead of your eyes. And in a very deep way it ties the music to the past. Its wickedly brilliant.

I think I know what makes this album, and the Turtle’s sound so special. Bluegrass nerds with bigger pocket protectors than mine will probably poke holes in my theory, but what I think is at the heart of the matter is bridging elements of West Coast bluegrass with traditional bluegrass.

Traditional bluegrass is dance music, with straightforward chord progressions and accessible tones. West Coast bluegrass is usually played much slower, and is more artsy, with more complicated chords and more emotional tones and themes. Problem with straightforward traditional bluegrass is it can get boring and predictable to the ear after a while. Problem with West Coast is it can lack the pep and danceability, while sometimes taking itself too seriously or building on ill-conceived notions of bluegrass traditions.

Tramples by Turtles is the best of both worlds: Deep, emotionally soulful-driven songs, but with high energy, and a very strict adherence to the bluegrass rules from a technical standpoint. The Bill Monroe shuffle is there. And the slow songs are 3-time waltzes, as they should be, but again, with more emotional chords to really make you really feel them. For all the stupidly-fast songs on this album, the slow waltz “Bloodshot Eyes” might be the standout track. Makes sense they could split the difference, as the Minnesota-based band resides between Washington State and West Virginia.

I can anticipate some people will grumble that this band is just a cleaner version of their favorite band they’ve been listening to for years. Yes they have a little mainstream support and a pretty CMT video (see below). But these guys have been working in obscurity for six years themselves, and can’t be blamed for finding a little success with this album, which peaked at #1 on the US Bluegrass charts. Palomino is an accomplishment, and any prejudicial stance against it is only robbing music enrichment from your life. Yes, this album is one of the best so far this year.

Two guns up!

Eddie Spaghetti, frontman for sometimes rock, sometimes country band The Supersuckers has signed a multi-album deal with Bloodshot Records, with a new album coming soon.

From Spaghetti:

“I am officially a signed artist again. I have taken my pen to paper and made a deal with the devil and it is my pleasure to announce that I, Eddie Spaghetti, have signed on to do a few records with the incredible label that is Bloodshot Records. While the band continues their break throughout the summer, I will be recording my third solo record. In fact I will be in there in about a week.”

“I am excited to start this new relationship with a label as quality, as high caliber as Bloodshot. They have an amazing track record and their staff seems super ready, willing and more than able to get my shit out there in a way it has yet to be. I have a great batch of songs that I am ready to hit the studio with. Some covers, some not. Joining me for this recording will be none other than the amazing Mr. Scottzilla Churilla. He’ll be pounding the “dead skins” like the mo-fo that we all know him to be. Also helping me out with some tasty guitar licks will be the incredible “Metal” Marty Chandler. Who will be channeling his fabulous country guitar work into my new thang. (So, unless Dan Thunder Bolton shows up and puts some magic on it, we’ll have three fourths of the Supersuckers on this thing. Nice!) I don’t have a title for this record yet and I reckon I could use a few suggestions.”

Eddie and the Supersuckers put out possibly the best straight country album by a rock band in 1997 with Must’ve Been High, which featured appearances by Willie Nelson and Kelley Deal. They also played as Willie’s backup band on an appearance of The Tonight Show, and have a very rare but very good EP with Steve Earle as well.