Bob Wayne’s Big Push & Century Media

Last October, I stepped onto Joe Buck’s legendary motorhome for an interview, and during our conversation he dropped the bomb that he’d signed to Century Media and was going to be working on a record with legendary producer Jack Endino.

This was big news, because Joe Buck was about the last person I envisioned signing to a record label. The only person more unlikely was Bob Wayne. In the first song on his first album, Bob says “As far as selling out goes I ain’t even looking for a deal.”

Weather he was looking for it or not, a deal found him, and as announced first on Outlaw Radio Chicago Episode 100, it was with Century Media as well. Since that news it looks like Joe Buck will NOT be moving forward with Century, though he is still going forward with the Jack Endino project. But Bob Wayne rolls on.

Last week Century sent out a press release and released a couple of videos of Bob being backed by the .357 String Band (see below). And it doesn’t end there. He’s also announced a tour with Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, and he’s now working with Coffin Case. There’s rumors of movie projects and video shorts, and word is Wayne Hancock makes an appearance on the new album Outlaw Carnie due out October 26th. Our little Bob Wayne is all growns up, and things are clicking for him finally.

If there’s a hitch, it’s that some Century Media faithful are crying foul. Century is a pure heavy metal label, and has been for years. One reason I’m hearing that the Joe Buck deal didn’t go down is that Century was planning to open a new division or imprint, and Joe Buck was part of that plan until Century decided not to go in that direction. Joe Buck and Bob Wayne together maybe on a sub-label would have seemed more plausible. But to the casual Century fan, I can see how this signing and media push could come out of left field. Think of how insurgent country fans would feel if Bloodshot started signing metal bands.

As I’ve been saying for years, Bob Wayne is one of the best pure songwriters in country today. He’s spent years paying his dues touring tirelessly for little money. If people want to hate his music simply because it’s not metal, that’s their loss. And for the record, Bob Wayne was playing metal in the metal band Stickman when some of these whiners were still shitting their Pampers.

Century has decided to go in this direction because the fandom of punk and metal music is shifting to roots based music. Century doesn’t want to be left in the cold. Having said that, there’s two sides to Bob Wayne, and the promotion videos only show one, leaving out the Cash-esque superlative songwriter. Doesn’t help that the audio quality is sub-par as well. Still, if you’ve been a Bob Wayne fan like me, head over to YouTube and let Bob, Century, and the close-minded metal nerds know what YOU think about the Devil’s Son.

Interview w/ The Shack Shaker’s JD Wilkes

Pound for pound, possibly the most underrated personality in music is the frontman and founder of the Legendary Shack Shakers, one Colonel JD Wilkes.

Don’t take my word for it. Ask Jello Biafra of Alternative Tentacles and The Dead Kennedays who called JD Wilkes, “the last great Rock and Roll frontman.” Robert Plant is also a big fan, personally endorsing their albums which are no slouch either, and handpicking JD and the band as openers on a European tour in 2005.

Yet when I went to see them on Saturday at Dallas’s famed Granada Theater, they were playing first out of three bands. The Granada might be the best place to see live music . . .ever. And after their set in the crowd, in the bathrooms, at line at the bar, and on a big screen where between bands The Granada projects their Twitter feed, people were raving about the Shack Shakers, and bewildered why they were booked first.

After their set I sat down with Col. JD Wilkes about why the secret isn’t out about them, about his side project The Dirt Daubers, his new album Agridustrial and about his involvement in the Lower Broadway scene in Nashville from about 1995-2005.

Triggerman: I’ve been tracking you for a while. I saw your movie Seven Signs. In the last few years, you seem to be taking some sort of intellectual. . . you’re coming across as an intellectual figure. Not pushy or pointy nosed, but more just letting the stories tell themselves.

The Colonel: I don’t want to come across as too intellectual cause its just rock n’ roll. Country music has always been working class music. I think it should retain a lot of that quality, and shouldn’t lose sight of it’s origins too much. We’re trying to push forward and create new things, but still embracing the past. That’s where the whole title Agridustrial is, is we’re pushing in new directions sonically, but at its core is a good old fashioned country song, hopefully, even though the trappings are a bit more abrasive and crunchy at times. At the heart of it is a country music melody. We don’t want to intellectualize it too much, but sometimes you have to point it out to people, given what is happening nowadays with corporate country and pop culture.

Triggerman: You’ve has some pretty big endorsements over the years, Robert Plant and Jello Biafra, yet tonight you’re playing first (out of three bands). There’s something inside of me that thinks, “This band should have a better following than it does.”

The Colonel: That’s just a sign of the times. The only way for a band like us to break into the mainstream is if we get lucky with a song placement on TV or something like that. That’s really the only way to break into the mainstream now that the major labels are in shambles. Every time someone steals a song from us, they’re keeping us in place, and maybe that’s where they want us because that’s “tragic.” We just have to get lucky now. All these cool people can drop our names all they want. We were born too late. Nowadays you gotta be rap, bubblegum, or some sort of Disney band… Being on our own label actually allows us to make more money. We own everything now so the labels aren’t sticking it to us anymore. One of the good things about the new digital era, you can control things better now if you want to go into your own business.

Triggerman: You’ve got a side project as well, I believe your wife’s involved in it. Called the Dirt Daubers, and it’s kind of taking that to an extreme, you’re just playing straight up, good old mountain music. How did that come about?

The Colonel: I’ve always appreciated the roots of what we do. Sometimes I think the roots of it get lost in the rock n’ roll aspect. It’s just a way of breaking it down and making it a little more obvious. I also just indulging my appreciation for mountain music, string band music, jug band music, hot jazz. I just love that stuff and want to be a part of it. I feel sometimes the sheer volume of the Shack Shakers diminishes it at times. I want to be able to purely touch base with that.

Triggerman: I’ve always been curious about the underground scene that existed on Broadway in Nashville between ’95 and 2005 or whenever. It seems like it has diminished significantly in the last few years. But there was a solid time there was a very rich scene of music down there. So how do you fit in?

The Colonel: BR549 started it all. There was a resurgence in that Lower Broadway scene. Before that it was basically run down old titty bars and saloons. And then it started to become this tourist destination. And it was wild, and it was an interim period where it was pretty lawless down there too. There was chicken wire in The Bluegrass Inn for real. It was free to get it, and it was free to leave, so you had to keep them in their seats playing four hour shows for $30 and free beer. It was thankless but it was like boot camp so the bands that played down there got real good and learned how to work the crowd, they learned how to connect with audiences and keep them entertained. That’s why we’re so clownish, we’re products of that lower Broadway boot camp. Keeping the yokels entertained. It might work against us now because everyone is so very serious in music now.

The first wave on Lower Broadway before The Bluegrass Inn opened up, we played at Wolfy’s across the street. The other side of the street was what was hopping. Across the street The Bluegrass Inn, which would later become the Mecca other than Robert’s. Robert’s and The Bluegrass Inn were the main places you wanted to see real music go down you went there. The Bluegrass Inn was called The Wagon Burner, and it was a singer/songwriter place. So when Joe Buck and Layla bought that place, they turned it into this straight up hillbilly hangout. And that’s when things really got moving. I basically lived in there. Survived on beer and weighed like 100 pounds. I was squatting in a barber shop at one point. It was very very raw, very primitive and feral and lawless. We were all in the same boat and had a great scene there.

At some point we had to get out of the honky tonk scene there to be taken seriously by the press and the people there. We sort of staged a coup. We made a really good record (Cockadoodledon’t) and started playing these showcases outside of Lower Broadway. We stared to infiltrated the more yuppie bars, like upscale LA hipster bars: the people that wouldn’t typically go down to Lower Broadway, they look down their nose at the yokels. We had developed this amazing show though down there, so we took it out of context, and we blew the roof off. It was like training for years and winning the Olympics.

Basically we exploded onto the scene, signed by a manager, signed by a booking agency, and signed by Bloodshot Records in a matter of like a week. We were very hungry and ambitious and pissed in a way. Because these hipster scenes infuriated us in a way and made us wanted to play harder. We were used to playing for folks, and now were were playing for snobs, so you had to work twice as hard to crack that nut. And we always would because ultimately you can’t say no to the beat, you can say no to those riffs and songs.

Audio Interview – Joe Buck

In the last year or two, many new artists and bands have sprung up in the Outlaw/ Underground country movement, many new fans, podcasts, etc. But this all would not be possible if it wasn’t for the hard work of a few musicians, the trunk of the tree from which these new branches have sprung so to speak.

One of these artists is Joe Buck. From sharing a stage and sleeping quarters with BR549 at the beginning of the neo-traditionalist movement, to becoming a venue owner on lower Broadway in Nashville, to being a sideman for JD WIlkes and Hank III, to now being the essence of the crossroads between punk and country, it is not hard to say that this whole movement would have a different flavor if not for Joe Buck.

This is just as much an interview as it is my attempt to document and preserve the few artists that are the very heart of insurgent country. If Music Row had it’s way, these people would disappear from the public consciousness, and the music they have devoted their lives to would be forgotten. It is our job to make sure their legacies are carried on to the next generation.

And Joe Buck is far from just being another musician, he has superlative wisdom and insight, and a unique perspective on life that deserves as much attention and preservation as the music he creates.

Just like my interview with Andy Gibson was, it is long, and is not for the faint of heart, but the hardcore fan. I mixed in some music as well when possible. The interview was conducted on Oct. 22nd, 2009, in Joe Buck’s motorhome, in the parking lot of a venue called Johnny B’s in Medford, OR, before a show also featuring The .357 String Band and The Slow Poisoner.

It’s about an hour long, so come back and give it a listen when you have the time.

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Download or open with media player.

Joe Buck’s Upcoming “Demon in my Head”

As first reported here, the Music City Madman Joe Buck, the former guitarist for Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers and bassist for Hank III has signed with Century Media Records, and will be releasing his first official solo album through them.

Well now I can report that the album will be called Demon in my Head after the song of the same name, and is slated for an “early Fall” release. The album was recorded in Seattle at the Soundhouse Recordings studio over 10 days earlier this month, and the producer was the legendary Jack Endino who has produced albums for Nirvana, Zeke, Soundgarden, High on Fire, and hundreds more. Donny Paycheck of Zeke might have some involvement in the project as well. Also, it is confirmed that Keith Neltner will be doing the album art for the project.

From Joe Buck: “Its gonna give us a nice push and I’m really excited about it. I’ve got something to say. . . It ups the ante.”

The album will include new songs, as well as a few “hits” from his previous DIY releases. Just like his earlier releases, Joe Buck plays every note himself. Judd Films was on location during the studio recording to get footage for an upcoming EPK for the album, and was kind enough to share some exclusive photos with the rest of us.

And prior to being in Seattle to record, Joe Buck was in California, recording with his old buddy “Captain” Sean Wheeler of Throw Rag, so keep your eyes peeled for that project in the future as well.

Joe Buck Signs w/ Century Media Records

The Music City madman Joe Buck Yourself, former bass player for Hank III and former member of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, has signed a record deal with Century Media Records. In an interview with the one man band before his show Thursday night (10-22-09) with The .357 String Band, Joe talked to about signing the deal.

“Its gonna give us a nice push and I’m really excited about it. I’ve got something to say.”

Joe articulated his distaste for how most record labels conduct their business, but felt comfortable that Century would be a good fit. Buck will start recording in mid January in Seattle. The album will include new material, though a few new versions of old songs from his previous self-released albums might show up as well.

“I’m looking forward to it. It ups the ante. Especially when I was working with Hank III, this was always an afterthought.”

I spoke to Joe Buck for over an hour before the show, and the man was dropping wisdom like bunker busting bombs. Stay tuned for a transcript and audio from that interview.

And keep your eyes on the Joe Buck camp for big things. Something tells me his obsessive tour schedule, his unmatched energy on stage, and his underrated songwriting prowess are finally about to pay off for him in spades.

Following is Joe Buck’s “Bitter is the Day,” the song he played for his third encore Thursday night, performed as a tribute by Buck friend James Hunnicutt:

Legendary Shack Shakers “Cockadoodledon’t” & Joe Buck

You might be asking yourself as you saunter up to this album review, “Now why would he be reviewing an album from 2003?” Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers have put out three other albums since Cockadoodledon’t (the band’s only release on Bloodshot Records) and it is hardly old enough to tag it as a “vintage” review.

Well the truth is though I’ve been a fan of the Shack Shakers on the periphery for years, I have never owned one of their albums. And if you’re going to start buying a band’s music, you might as well start near the beginning of their catalog. But I also chose this album because of its significance in the grand scheme of the Nashville underground country scene at the time.

In 2003 there was (and to some extent still is) a large group of musicians and friends hanging around Nashville, all with a similar mindset about music and the current music trends. Some were from bands like BR549 and Hank III’s “Damn Band.” Some were just pickers drifting from project to project. One of them was a goofy looking guy named Joe Buck, who played for change on Broadway in Nashville until he got a small break playing at Robert’s Western World for tips in the early 90′s. Slowly he would work his way up the ladder, and even co-owned “Layla’s Bluegrass Inn” for a stint, before splitting up with the bar’s namesake and forefitting his interest.

Later as many of you may know Joe Buck would go on to play bass for Hank III and eventually settle in as a legendary one man band, but where it all started on a National level for Joe Buck was on the Shack Shaker’s Cockadoodledon’t.

No Joe Buck isn’t just a player on this album, he is virtually the ONLY player on this album. Joe Buck plays ALL the guitar, ALL the bass, ALL the drums, and some banjo, mandolin, and accordion for good measure. There are a few cameos by other players, including Donnie Herron of BR549 and a few others. But for the most part, the songs are all Colonel JD Wilkes (the Shaker’s legendary front man), but the music is all Joe Buck.

In some ways trying to record the Shack Shakers experience and have it in any represent what they do live is like trying to save time in a bottle. But try you must, because the music is just too darn good not to. And with a little recording wit, and a bag of tricks bigger than the bag they can use on stage (incl. live roosters, and a toy-box full of kid instruments), JD Wilkes and Joe Buck infect the speaker cones in a similar way that they do the hips and hind quarters during the live version.

The music is rampant and wild, though surprisingly well-balanced in regard to tempo, and never seemingly wild just for wild’s sake. Well, almost never. Choreographed madness let’s call it. And for such upbeat songs, the music has a lot of country soul.

Joe Buck’s musicianship is not particularly standout in the album, but it is always solid. JD Wilkes would stand out in an insane asylum. The blend of music is all unique to Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers: punk, country, blues, pyschobilly, call it whatever. It is high energy, rowdy music from the country. Get some.

The album includes some old blues covers like “Shake Your Hips” and an almost ska-like, Lux Interior-esque version of “Bullfrog Blues.” There are plenty of high energy boot stompers like “Snakerag Holler, “Clodhopper,” and “Hoptown Jailbreak,” as well as a few well-written originals like “Blood on the Bluegrass.”

This album ain’t gonna drop a tear in your beer, it’s like dropping a white cross when your bouncing between white lines on the highway. It’s for anyone who likes to have a good time to good music. Just make sure to buckle up, it’s a wild ride.

(Another interesting note: former Hank III guitarist Duane Denison is now the guitarist for the Shack Shakers)

Buy or Download Cockadoodledon’t

Black Eyed Vermillion Releases Full Album

Austin, Texas band Black Eyed Vermillion, comprised of Hank III screamo man Gary Lindsey, and at any time Stevie Tombstone, Killene Tombstone, Bircho Birch on drums, Joe Buck, Andy Gibson, and Fritz from Whiskeydick (and others), have released their first full length album “Hymns for Heretics”.

The first time I heard Black Eyed Vermillion it made me appreciate Gary Lindsey from a whole different perspective. Yes, the elements of punk and heavy metal are there with Gary’s signature rasped, screaming voice, but this album and The Black Eyed Vermillion sound have so much more: deep movements of blues, bluegrass, folk and country, and even swing. If you thought all Gary Lindsey could do was scream and bleed on himself, you will be astonished with the amount of soul and creativity in his music.

This blurb from their MySpace site tells a little about how the band was formed:

“BLACK EYED VERMILLION was originally conceived in the back of a tour bus by Gary Lindsey and Joe Buck of Hank (III’s Damn Band) and Assjack. After moving to Austin Texas, Lindsey crossed paths with fellow expatriated Atlantan Stevie Tombstone and Tombstone’s bassist (and wife) Killene. Adding the Arkansas madman Bircho Birch on drums formerly of “Trusty” completed the lineup. In 2008, Vermillion and Joe Buck Yourself were on tour in Texas where they played a show with local legends, Whiskey Dick. Everybody got along so well that Fritz and Johnson decided to join up and are now backing B.E.V. for some live shows! Black Eyed Vermillion combines all the elements of roots music (Blues, Swing, Bluegrass) with the dark anger of punk and grindcore. The result is a primal and haunting sound both decadent and reverent. This (Hymns for Heretics) is their debut cd released on 1332 Records.”

The CD can be purchased or downloaded on CD Baby, and you can also preview the whole album there.

Black Eyed Vermillion has released a couple of EP’s in the past, and unfortunately some of my favorite songs are on those and not this release, including “Box O Pine.” But I really like what I’ve heard so far, and this album really epitomizes the diversity of their style. Track #3 “Hard Time Believin’” is an outright swing song, while #12 “One Foot in the Grave” is a bluegrass tune. There are also a few “interludes,” or non-song tracks which I always appreciate in an album. The album finishes up with “Bitter,” a song some of you might recognize from Joe Buck.

Once I get a good listen I might offer up a full on review here, but “Hymns for Heretics” is a nice little late summer surprise release that is definitely worth looking in to.

Hillstomp

The thing I like about the one man bands like Joe Buck and Scott H. Biram is the abominable amount of energy they put into their music. It is rare to see an individual member of a band with as much energy as a one man band, or a one man band that doesn’t have the same energy as a whole band combined.

But consider what could happen if you put two one man bands together in a two piece, meaning two powerhouse musicians with a whole band’s worth of guts, energy and talent together. Some might worry this combination would give you a rip in the fabric of the universe, but in truth what you get is Portland, Oregon’s Hillstomp.

Hillstomp is made up of John Johnson, who plays a modified drum kit made of buckets and cans and other hapless objects that get the shite beat out of them, and Henry Kammerer on guitar, who also plays a little banjo and cigar box guitar (like in the video example below). But both are multi-instrumentalists, and in a Hillstomp set you might see John playing guitar as well, and Henry banging on stuff.

Hillstomp is predominately blues, but all of those heavy handed influences of punk, country, and bluegrass are there as well. Much attention in Hillstomp’s music is paid to setting a groove in that very addicting North Mississippi Trance Blues style. Their music is almost impossible to stand still to, and sticks to your bones like heroin. You mix that with the up-tempo energy of punk and the sinful, soulful themes of country and bluegrass and Hillstomp is a potion that will set your hair on fire.

There is a reason that most two piece bands trying to cover the whole spectrum of sounds of a full band usually don’t work, and reasons why this one does, mainly the energy they bring to the music, but also a decent amount of attention paid to how they arrange each song. It might seem like two animals beating on instruments and screaming, but setting and maintaining a groove is really what sets Hillstomp apart. If that means that the drummer John Johnson has to start off a song by chucking out the groove on the guitar, while Henry is the one banging on stuff, then so be it. It looks like chaos, but in a musical sense Hillstomp has a wise approach to building a tune and setting a groove.

When I saw these guys at Pickathon they brought the house down. When they started playing, there were maybe 10 people who had showed up in the barn they were playing at to see them. By the end of the show, people couldn’t get in the doors the place was so packed. John Johnson busted a bucket he was playing with such enthusiasm.

I’d been hearing about Hillstomp for months from people saying I had to see this band, and I kept missing them when they came through town. Now I understand the hype. When you leave a Hillstomp show, you leave a Hillstomp disciple. Videos and recordings only do it so much justice. Mark my words, Hillstomp is getting out in front of people more and more, and in six months, this could be one of the hottest bands out there in the underground scene, if they aren’t already.

In other words, you need Hillstomp in your life.

Hillstomp Albums:

• One Word
• After Two But Before Five
• The Woman That Ended the World

Johny Wrong’s Hootenanny (part 2-Wayne & Joe)

Last up at The Mesa Theater was Wayne “The Train” Hancock, and then the after-party with Joe Buck playing at Quncy’s down the street.

Even though there had been three stellar bands playing before without one electric bass between them, when Wayne Hancock walked out and started doing his thing, you could tell why he is one of the top tier, preeminent songwriters and performers in REAL country music today, and why he has held that distinction for 15 years. He was at the top of the bill of a talent packed night, and that is exactly where he belonged.

Like his nickname implies, Wayne “The Train” Hancock is a machine. Twenty years from now he will be churning out fresh songs if his heart is still pumping, and he will still be working his rhythm guitar like a jackhammer, making you feel the music square in your chest. Wayne is not retro, he is hillbilly royalty and relevant as tomorrow, yet simple and true as you and me. Wayne Hancock IS music. Without music, Wayne would die. And without Wayne Hancock, the music would die. He is responsible for what a lot of us think when we think of what REAL country music is. He is one of the forefathers, one of the trunks where all modern REAL country music branches from, yet he is completely unassuming, just working the music like hard cold steel day after day.

And the band, what can I say? Damn the endless touring and inconsistent money, if you slap bass or wail steel, playing for Wayne Hancock is your holy grail. Huck Johnson is as good as any slap bass player in existence, it is as simple as that.

And James Hunnicutt, my word. I never thought Wayne would ever find someone of the same caliber to replace Eddie Biebel on lead guitar, but Wayne just might have gotten struck by lightning twice. James is the real deal, with that flawless and effortless-feeling way with a guitar that leaves your jaw drooping into your PBR. Wherever your going, however you want him to go, and at whatever tempo, James Hunnicutt will get there and make it look incredibly easy. He was a superb find for Wayne, and I hope to see James paying with Wayne for years to come.

My only criticism would be with the steel guitar player, Bob Hoffnar. It is not that he is a bad player, in fact he is probably better than most from a creative and technical standpoint, but he was a little too much flash and not enough substance for me. Most steel players will spend the majority of the time with the bar on the strings and finger picking through their solos, with maybe at the end of the solo doing some tricks involving bouncing the bar or striking the strings heavily. But this is what Bob did most of the time, with little straightforward finger picking. He was also too low in the mix, though problem B might have been because of problem A.

Another highlight of the night is when Wyatt of Mad Max and the Wild Ones got up and played three songs with Wayne. He was no James Hunnicutt but the kid held his own and more, and the crowd went nuts for him. This also added to the whole “one big family” dynamic of the whole night.

After this the younger people in the crowd headed down to Quincy Bar just down the street for the Joe Buck after party. This was sort of an interesting experience, and not because Quincy’s was rumored to be a gay bar. It certainly was not a gay bar on that night, and the jury is still out if it ever is or was, but the weirdness mainly had to do with Joe Buck’s set.

It started out with high drama regarding the sound, with Joe Buck and the sound men getting into it, which is always a tense thing to experience. Then when Joe Buck finally started playing, sound be damned, he only played a couple of songs when Captain Sean from Throw Rag came out singing in a loungy-esque rockabilly/punk style. Apparently he knows Joe Buck, and they even have a CD together.

The act actually wasn’t half bad, but I had come for the Joe Buck experience, and after Captain Sean left, Joe Buck only played two more songs before the bar was closing. I got a solid glimpse of what a Joe Buck set could be, the rabid, unparalleled intensity. But I was hoping for the full experience.

Overall I would give the whole night an A+. It had it’s down time, which you will get with so many bands sharing a stage and so many different styles vying for attention, but Johny Wrong did an excellent job organizing and pulling this night off. I can only hope that his “1st Annual” isn’t just wishful thinking, and that this becomes a solid yearly event that gains the national attention that it deserves. It certainly was one of the most memorable nights of music I have ever experienced.

(PS: I will have interviews with Wayne Hancock and James Hunnicutt that I recorded coming soon.)

Bucket City Brings You The Music

We talk about the artists in insurgent country all the time, but I also like to pull the curtain back and give props to the behind the scenes people who work their arses off, lot’s of times for moderate pay if any pay at all, to help bring the music to you. People like Hank III’s steel guitar player Andy Gibson who does recording for other bands and artists, or Wayne “The Train” Hancock’s wife Gina Gallina who does booking for Wayne and Bob Wayne.

One of the hardest working outfits out there trying to bring REAL country, punk, and generally good underground acts to your town is the Bucket City Agency. Look at the kind of talent their stable boasts:

.357 String Band
Joe Buck
Antiseen
T-Model Ford & GravelRoad
Cicada Omega
Creech Holler

And there’s many more where that came from.

Bucket City is also booking the upcoming Fall tour for A Bitter Harvest with Rachel Brooke and Lonesome Wyatt.

Christian Brooks is the mastermind behind Bucket City, as well as the drummer for Creech Holler. The whole thing started kind of accidentally. Brooks was tired of getting booked on bad gigs with Creech Holler, and decided to take over those duties himself. Then he met Joe Buck while playing in a band opening for Hank Williams III, and Joe and Christian became friends. When Joe Buck was off doing a solo tour between Hank III tours, Joe asked Christian to help him book some gigs on the West Coast and on the way back home. Brooks saw a need that needed filling and soon there were many other bands on board.

I’ve seen the name Christian Brooks come up a number of times, and not just with Creech Holler. I was first introduced to him through an amazing Swedish documentary about the underground music scene in Nashville. Christian, along with Joe Buck, Hank III, And Jason from Jason and the Scorchers give some of the most amazing commentary about the state of country music today.

I know the audio is out of sync, but that is Christian at the beginning of this video talking about Nashville and country music:

(you can find the rest of the documentary by navigating the YouTube menu at the bottom)

Couldn’t say it any better myself.

Christian Brooks and Bucket City are another great example of the people sweating behind the scenes, that don’t get applause and encores and stacks of fan mail, but are vital to getting the music out in front of people.

And for that, I want to give him a standing ovation.

The Triggerman is On The Move

My heroic dry spell of shows is about to come to an end my friends, because I am hitting the road and bearing down on various ports of call to take in some of the best good ole country music this fine country has to offer! Gas prices? Meh, my plan is to keep the tank full by knocking off every Dairy Queen on my route.

Gimmie all your money and a Butterfinger Blizzard to go, OR THE TEXAS TOAST GETS IT !!!

FIRST STOP: JOE BUCK AND WAYNE HANCOCK IN COLORADO.

When I first saw that the somewhat odd, but severely tantalizing combination of Joe Buck and Wayne “The Train” Hancock were touring together, I knew I had to include this in my life. I have never seen Joe Buck solo, only slapping bass for Hank III, and you add the King of Juke Joint Swing and that is one big musical Hunger-Buster I gotta take a bite of!

And to add another wrinkle of intrigue to this night, apparently the venue Wayne Hancock is playing at decided that Joe Buck and his catch phrase “Fuck You Motherfuckers” was too racy, so Joe Buck was forced to find a bar down the street to play at. No worries, because the two places are very close and Wayne is going to wait until Joe is finished playing, but when I called my Colorado peeps and asked them about the Joe Buck bar, they said. “Oh, that’s the ‘Straight After 8′ bar. I said the what? And then they explained.

So yep, long story short, Joe Buck will be playing what passes for a gay bar in the town of Grand Junction, CO.

Where biker’s stare at cowboys, who are laughing at the . . . oh wait. And no, I won’t be touching Dieter’s monkey that night, so save the jokes, but I ain’t missing Joe Buck for anything.

SECOND STOP: BILLY JOE SHAVER AT LUCKENBACH, TX.

That’s right, after I kick it new school old school, I’m going to kick it old school old school, with one of the original Outlaws, disputably one of the last REAL living Outlaws (I’d put Coe on that list too), in the most legendary Outlaw venue that ever existed: Luckenbach By God Watashin Tecumsech Shotgun Willie TEXAS!!!

There are only a few men you can talk about how there may have never been an Outlaw movement if it wasn’t for them, and Billy Joe Shaver is one of them. Shaver is my favorite Texas songwriter. Sure, Townes Van Zandt might have been the best wordsmith, Ray Wiley Hubbard may be the most wild. But Billy Joe Shaver is the full package if you ask me. He can turn a phrase, is a consummate performer, AND has an ear for music.

THIRD STOP: PICKATHON IN PORTLAND, OR

This event is so big, it will have it’s own article in the future. But in three weeks from now, I will be attending a festival where Dale Watson, Justin Townes Earle, Big Sandy and this Fly-Rite Boys, Hillstomp, Paleface, Samantha Crain, The Hackensaw Boys, and many many others will be playing! If you want to see the full list of performers you can go to pickathon.com.

So fasten your seatbelts, because in the coming weeks I should have tons of great audio, interviews, and reviews coming your way.

And for the love of all things good, plot my course and wherever I’m headed, stay off the roads and lock your daughters up. Because the Triggerman is on the move.

Bloodshot Bill

On Outlaw Radio tonight (Tuesday), Jashie P will be featuring the greatness of the one man band. A lot of you might know about people like Hasil Adkins from Boone County, really the father of the country/rock/punk one man bands. Then there’s Scott H. Biram from Texas, and Hank III’s old bass player Joe Buck, and the list goes on from there.

But one of my favorite one man bands, and if not the best, then certainly the most unknown or underrated is The Canadian Cat, Bloodshot Bill. Apparently banned from the United States for undisclosed reasons, this guy combines the energy of Joe Buck, the machismo of Elvis, the rockabilly guitar prowess of The Reverend Horton Heat, the enthusiasm of The Avett Brothers, and a vocal style and arrangement all his own. Put it all together and you don’t have a one man band, you have a monster. Check it out:

His albums are hard to come by; a lot of his stuff he’s only released on 7″ vinyl. And unless you live in a country that proudly presents the maple leaf, you aren’t going to see him live anytime soon. (Actually there’s a countdown clock on www.bloodshotbill.com saying he can come back to the US in 897 days). But nonetheless, if you enjoy high energy music with that vintage kick, then you need to have Bloodshot Bill in your musical landscape.

Outlaw Radio can be heard at 9 PM central on www.punkandbeansradio.com, and all shows are archived later HERE.

Reinstate Hank Videos New and Old + Joe Buck

Hardcore Lutheran has officially entered the Reinstate Hank Video Contest (see previous blog posts for contest details) :

See people it is that simple, just let the camera roll and speak your mind. And if you don’t have a camera, you can just email and I WILL SEND YOU ONE! Simple as that.

Also Restless in Amsterdam got this footage of Joe Buck signing the petition in Amsterdam:

I don’t know if this qualifies as AN Official Reinstate Hank Video entry, I have appealed that decision to the Board of Curmudgeons and am awaiting a final verdict, but it is a very cool video nonetheless. Joe Buck had signed the petition before, but it was cool that he would do this for a video record. Great job Restless!

There is also another video that I think is very important to the Reinstate Hank movement that used to be on YouTube, but was then pulled, probably by the Grand Ole Opry. I just found it again through the MySpace video channel. This video marks, at least publicly, the beginning of the Reinstate Hank movement. There Hank III was, basking in the irony of celebrating the birthday of Hank Williams Sr. in an institution that has refused to rightfully honor his legacy for over 50 years, and couldn’t help but to say something.

It also shows that, like Hank III has said many times, he tried to be courteous and political at the beginning, to persuade the Opry nicely to do the right thing. Also notice that when Hank III mentions Reinstating Hank between the two songs, EVERYONE in the crowd cheers. There’s no silence. No boos. Nobody in that crowd thought it was a bad or even a strange idea, or even thought that it was inappropriate for Hank III to suggest it.

You can’t find ANYBODY who is a Hank Williams fan, a country music fan, or even a fan of the Grand Ole Opry who thinks that Hank shouldn’t be Reinstated.

Hank III at the Grand Ol Opry

This video is also significant because this was Joe Buck’s chance to play on the Opry stage. He’s talks about what this meant to him in this video:

You can watch the rest of that documentary HERE.

This was also the same night Hank III walked off the stage and refused to sing “I Saw the Light” with Hank Jr.

So this video of Hank III at the Opry is important to say the least, and it is good to see it back.

The Honky Tonk Hustlas (Country Music Anarchy)

Pop country has corrupted the airwaves of our country, and everyday like a bad rash it spreads out across the landscape poisoning the minds of would-be country music fans. Perch a cowboy hat on top of pop, take some glamor shots, and with a pretty face and a passable voice you too may be able to make a million dollars wizzing on the traditions of the country’s music.

But up in the hills, down in the valleys, nestled by the watersides, and inspired by the greatness of the mountains and the vastness of the desert, REAL country music still lives in the hearts of us all that still believe in it.

And it also lives in the Honky Tonks. Not the ones with the strobe lights, thumping remixes, and guys with spiked bleached hair snorting cocaine off the back of the toilets. I’m talking about the ones with the dirty bathrooms. The ones that the smell of the place sticks in your clothes after you leave.

The Honky Tonk Hustlas are that real deal, hard working country band that we all crave. These three guys from the Hank Williams hometown of Montgomery, Alabama have a good, classic sound, and original songs with lyrics steeped in the sin of the south.

The band is made up of T Junior singin’ and pickin’, Stemp who plays the same upright bass that his granddad played back in the 50′s, and Grady who is a multi-instrumentalist and plays lead guitar and mandolin during shows

They sent me a copy of their CD Hallways of the Always.



I was immediately impressed with the effort they had put just in making the CD look good. That may seem superficial, but these dudes have put a lot of time and effort into promoting themselves, and I always like to see that kind of effort from a band.

I opened up the cover and was even more impressed to see the name of Andy Gibson in the credits. Hank III’s steel guitar player is also a home studio owner and operator, and I cease to be amazed where his name pops up, and wherever it does, you know it is attached to quality.

I asked The Hustlas about working with Andy, how they met him, etc:

“Well it was really chance getting to meet up with Andy. We’d been playing together for a little while, don’t really know how long (maybe a couple months), when we had the opportunity to play a show with Bob Wayne. The first time we played with Bob we were mainly doing some cover tunes of old country songs and maybe a couple of originals…. maybe, but a few months later we hooked back up with Bob and his crew for another show together.Since the last time we’d played a show with Bob we’d hit a creative streak, written a few songs and made a rough demo that we gave to Bob after the show. Bob seemed to dig what we were doing and said we needed to hook up with Andy and make a CD.

He told us he’d talk to Andy and give us a call about recording. We kinda figured that we might not hear anything back but sure as shit when Bob Wayne says something he damn sure means it. The next thing we knew we were heading up to Tennessee to cut a CD with Andy. Andy is 100% professional when it comes to recording and he knows how to get the work done when it gets down to the business of making a CD. He’s also one badass multi instrumentalist musician that could probably play the shit out of a rock if you could fit some strings on it. It was a good experience getting to work with Andy and we learned a lot about making an album just by watching him work his magic.”

Looking at The Hustlas calendar, I noticed that they not only have another date coming up with Bob Wayne, but they also will be playing with The .357 String Band, Joe Buck, and the The Misery Jackals.

“The main thing about us though is that we just fucking love playing country music, period. We do things our way and hopefully folks will dig what we’re doing cause it’s real and isn’t some shit made up for a soccer mom’s listening pleasure. If we was doing this to get rich we’d have given this gig up a long time ago but we play cause it’s in our blood and that’s what we love to do.”

The Honky Tonk Hustlas are the REAL DEAL for sure, so listen to em, add them on MySpace, and support them by buying their music or going to see them if they’re in your neck of the woods.