Interview w/ Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory

Last Sunday in Chicago an amazing show went down featuring Six Gun Britt, Last False Hope, and one of the fastest rising bands in country, Hellbound Glory. Afterward Jashie P. of Outlaw Radio Chicago (and Last False Hope) sat down with Hellbound Glory’s Leroy Virgil for an interview. I have transcribed the meat of it below, but you can listen to it in is entirety on Episode 109 at savingcountrymusic.com/outlaw-radio.

Outlaw Radio broadcasts LIVE every Wednesday night at 8 PM Central on scrubradio.com, and each show is archived right here.

Leroy: I don’t know, I dig it man. I don’t write the songs just to sit there and sing them for my old lady and friends back in Reno. You know I write them because I want people to hear it, hear my story and what I think of the world, you know. And hopefully try to connect with people in some way. So yeah, I’m honored and extremely proud.

Outlaw Radio: It seems like the songwriting has gotten more intense and in depth from Scumbag Country to Old Highs and New Lows. Is there anyway to explain that at all, what happened in your life?

Leroy: Some of the songs on Old Highs are older than the songs on Scumbag. I’ve been writing country songs for so long, you have them stored away. I wrote “Hard Livin’ Man” when I was 19, and I wrote “Hank Williams Records’ when I was 21 and had recorded them prior, and yeah, I just didn’t like the recordings. So I wanted to put together all my best songs about a period in my life with a divorce, a heavy drug addiction, heavy drinking, and just a rough patch in my life. Old Highs is really looking back and saying “Man, I was really messing up.”

Outlaw Radio: Do you think you guys will ever kick it into the mainstream scene at all?

Leroy: I try not to think about it all that much man. Trying to write better songs all the time. My whole thing is I just want to write the best songs about my own life that I could possibly. So whether it sounds Nashville or anything like that, its just me. In terms of just the craft of songwriting, I don’t want to sound like anybody. I want to make my own sound, my own words, sing my own stuff. We get a lot of comparisons to Hank Williams III because of the lyrical content, but to be honest with you I’ve been writing about drugs and booze since I was 16 because drugs and booze have always taken a pretty big part of my life. Now that I’m older, I’m not trying to settle down, but there’s more to life than just being self destructive, and there’s more to life than writing about that sort of stuff. You know, trying to learn to think about things a little more deeply.

Outlaw Radio: You’ve got a kid on the way you told me yesterday so congratulations on that. What does your wife think about you being on the road and everything else.

Leroy: My wife is just the coolest woman. She’s a music fan. She’s a fellow lost soul like me. Any talk of quitting music she’s like “no fucking way.”

Outlaw Radio: This is a question I ask most first-time interviewees. What do you think of the state of so called country music right now?

Leroy: I think it’s all about the songs, I don’t care whose singing them so much. If its a good song its a good song. A lot of these Nashville hits that come out, if it was just some dude playing an acoustic guitar and singing in your living room you’d say “Man, that’s actually a pretty good song.” One thing I will say is, where’s the outsider, other than Jamey Johnson? Having said that Alan Jackson can bring me to tears man. He’s just a guy writing about his own life. That is what country music is supposed to be about.

Outlaw Radio: What on the horizon for Hellbound Glory?

Leroy: I’m writing all sorts of new stuff. For the Hellbound Glory thing, and stuff on my own, maybe a little bit more laid back. Hellbound Glory is gonna go in and start recording a new album. I’ve got so many songs just sitting around. We just don’t have the money to record all the songs basically. We’re limited by our funds. Because if we had the money we’d have a new album out about every six months.

Outlaw Radio: Is there any label interest in you guys?

Leroy: We’ve talked with a few labels and its not really panning out right now. Who knows if we want to go with a label?

Hellbound Glory Heads East

Ever since I got my dirty little hands on a copy of Old High and New Lows I’ve been an outright whore for Reno’s Hellbound Glory, but prefaced my enthusiasm by say they need to make it back east. Well now Leroy Virgil and the boys have called my bluff, and built up enough of a head of steam to hopscotch the Rockies a cruise all the way to South Carolina. Hot damn!

Come August 20th they’ll be heading out and won’t stop till they hit the coast. On their way they’ll hook up with some other great acts, including Six Gun Britt and Last False Hope in Chi Town, The Flat Tires in North Carolina, and Aran Buzzas in Montana.

Recently Hellbound has been enjoying some good strong mainstream press and exposure, including a favorable review from my favorite country writer Juli Thanki. And CM Wilcox recently debuted a new song “Malt Liquor”. Hey I thought Hellbound Glory was supposed to be our little scumbag secret? But I tell you what, if this small success keeps Leroy & Co. in beer and hot dogs, that means the music can keep flowing uninterrupted by day labor and dead end jobs, so I’m all for it!

You can find these dates, and ALL important concert dates where? All together class, “At savingcountrymusic.com/calendar.”

Review – Outlaw Radio Compilation Volume 1

I picture a post-Apolcolyptic scene: ghost towns full of crumbling buildings and rubble, smoke filling the sky and blocking out the sun, the result of a society that gave no value to art, heritage, and truth; a vast wasteland of grayness. Then all of a sudden in the midst of all the death and decay, there’s movement: a lone being protected by the elements by a big black, robotic-like suit. Maybe it is one of the few survivors, or an alien sent to investigate the fate of this once beautiful place.

He goes sifting through the rubble of a bombed out structure, looking for evidence of what went wrong. He finds a shelf whose contents of CD’s and DVD’s have been belched out onto the dusty, rubbage filled floor in a pile. A big black glove pushes aside CD’s by Brittaney Spears and Taylor Swift, DVD’s with pretty movie stars adorning their covers. Then he sees something curious: a black disc with crossed guns on the front. What is this? He pops it into a media player attached to the side of his helmet, and all of a sudden a new world is presented to him: The picture of a collection of artists fighting against society’s homogenization and creative vapidness unfolds through music. A resistance. Outlaws, fighting a rebel war against the mainstream, and carrying forth a long line of traditions from the past.

I normally hate compilations. This one is different. No, this does not have all the “hits” from our insurgent country scene that you’ve already heard compiled in some way to try to squeeze more money out of worn out songs. And it’s not the odds and sods and leftovers for other projects either. It is a collection on good, fresh, original, previously-unreleased material that is fun to listen to, and also acts as a primer for artists you may have heard of, but never heard their stuff.

But in another way this is so much more than that. This compilation DEFINES our movement. It gives it clear edges, and at the same time illustrates and celebrates our diversity. Our diversity is what makes us strong: men and women, gothic country w/ Those Poor Bastards, New Outlaw country with Roger Alan Wade, REAL bluegrass with the .357 String Band. Sure there’s maybe a few signed artists missing like Hank III, and the Bloodshot Record’s gang like Wayne “The Train” Hancock and Scott Biram. But you already know those guys. This is a jump start for the fresh blood, the up and comers.

I’ve got comments on specific songs below, but in closing let me just say that if you do not buy this compilation, you deserve to have your genitals dry up a whither.

1. The Dad Horse Experience–Gates of Heaven (Vinyl Version): How ironic is it that there’s more appreciation for American roots in EUROPE than in the US? Dad Horse might be one of many European bands we see crop up in the coming years. Love the German accent here, glad he didn’t try to hide it.

2. Old Red Shed–Another Round: Great song from a band whose about to put out their first album Country Fury on Arjuna Records. Get in on the ground floor with these guys and watch them rise, they’re great!!!

3. Black Eyed Vermillion & Andy Gibson–Death Don’t Have No Mercy: Not my favorite BEV track ever, but a great example for those who think Gary Lindsey is all blood and guts, just how soulful he can be. And Andy Gibson, well, he is the master. Our generation’s Tompall Glasser. Hats off!

4. Bob Wayne–Ain’t No Diesel Trucks in Heaven: INSTANT CLASSIC! Bob Wayne proves once again that he is the best lyric writer in underground country, and maybe in current country period with this Cash-eque song tastefully arranged and witty. Great song!

5. Rachel Brooke–Closer Still: BEST TRACK OF THE ALBUM! Amazing. Rachel’s voice is somewhere between sublime and perfection. I said in my review of A Bitter Harvest:“Rachel has a big bag of tricks, and though this album highlights some that have never been seen before, there are more that my ear yearns for that I know are lurking within her. She can tear into bluegrass.” Well this is Rachel tearing into bluegrass. A++

6. Ted Russell Kamp–My Heart Has a Mind Of Its Own: Shooter Jennings’s bass player is more than just Shooter Jennings’s bass player. This song highlights his tight songwriting skills and a strong, soulful, smoky voice.

7. Ronnie Hymes–Sea of Sin: Good song from the best artist on the Pint of Happiness Record Label.

8. Joey Allcorn–Gone, But Not Forgotten Blues: An excellent neo-traditionalist artists that seems so easily “forgotten,” and I am to blame as much as any. A solid track.

9. Those Poor Bastards–The Minister’s Doom: The Kings of Gothic country never cease to amaze me with how deep their bag of tricks is. This track isn’t for everybody, just like Those Poor Bastards isn’t. But it nonetheless exemplified Lonesome Wyatt’s adeptness at arrangement, and his expertise at setting a mood to tell a story in.

10. Dave Smith and the Country Rebels–Price to Pay: This song may come across as “too mainstream” for some, but I personally think we need more accessible artists in this scene, and Dave & The Rebels prove why. Fun, tight song.

11. Last False Hope–$2 Pints: Gothic punkgrass from the mastermind of the Outlaw Compilation himself: Jashie P and a few close friends. When I first heard this track, I was amazed at the complexity and depth of songwriting, and how clean and pro it sounded. I guess I had just always envisioned Jashie as more of a hack . Seriously, good song, and keep your eyes out for a full length release from them coming soon.

12. Izzy and the Kesstronics–Gotta Do What I Wanna Do: Nothing replaces seeing Izzy and the boys live. Their energy level and astuteness are mindblowing. But this track comes very close at bottling that live energy. It’s a goofy song, but it’s what they do. You may hate Izzy Zaidman, but the simple fact is he’s a better musician than you are, and probably gets laid more often too.

13. The Fisticuffs–The Ballad of Bill Blizzard: We can’t forget that we owe the roots of our roots to the folks in the British Isles over the pond. This is a band worth checking out if you like an Irish attitude with a punk approach.

14. The Boomswagglers–Run You Down: LOVE THIS SONG! Only reason this isn’t my favorite song on the album is because Rachel Brooke is hotter, but The Boomswagglers are one of the best kept secrets in this scene. Crude, dirty, lo-fi, but their songwriting prowess is undeniable, and this might be the best song they’ve ever cut. Hopefully these boys can keep their asses out of the pokey and we’ll hear much more from them in the future. This is one of those songs that you love the first time you hear, and you play it over and over. A++!!

15. Roger Alan Wade–Breakfast At Audrey’s: Just the name Roger Alan Wade adds legitimacy to this album, and this song adds a solid singer/songwriter track with endless soul. What I really like about this song is it is clearly just Roger and a mic. You can even hear him flip the paper the verses are on while he sings. Some artists spend thousands of dollars trying to bottle that raw sound, and Roger did it just by being himself. Good track!

16. Little Lisa Dixie–Cheating Games: If I was going to cheat on my music love Rachel Brooke, it would be with Little Lisa. This song has a good slow grooving rockabilly feel to it. Little Lisa has enough talent that she should take her music to the next level, and proves that WOMEN are a big and beautiful part of this music revolution.

17. .357 String Band–Restless Man Blues: Known for bluegrass, this is a pretty straight country-feeling tune. Not their greatest track ever, but a solid offering.

18. Six Gun Britt–Hard Habit To Break: Damn. Six Gun could melt a rock. She is just amazing, and this is a beautiful, sad song. Every time I hear Six Gun sing, it makes me angry. That’s right. Because in a perfect world she would be a superstar. Her talent is that worthy. And if her music wallows in obscurity for the rest of time, what an atrocity that would be. If you’re reading this right now, consider yourself deeply blessed, because you’re one of the few who knows who Six Gun Britt is.

19. Hellbound Glory–Livin’ On Pabst Blue Ribbon: Leroy Virgil is the fastest rising star in Insurgent country, and that is the fault of his unbelievably adept songwriting, built on a solid foundation of REAL country appreciation and study. All one hell of a backing band, and Hellbound Glory might be the best apostles for REAL country we have right now. Not Hellbound Glory’s best, but a good, fun song.

20. The Goddamn Gallows–Waitin’ Around to Die (live): Great cover of the Townes Van Zant classic spiced with the Gallow’s gotic circus freak sow punk billy grass that is all their own. SEE THESE GUYS LIVE BEFORE YOU DIE!

21. Joe Buck Yourself–Big River (live): This song comes from a recording Jashie P did of an entire Joe Buck concert in Chicago a while back. He played the whole show at the end of one of his podcasts, and I listened to it probably a dozen times, and it remains my favorite recorded Joe Buck experience, more than his albums. Joe Buck is just such a unique experience live, I think that is what his next release should be, a live CD.

22. Lucky Tubb & The Modern Day Troubadours–Thanks A Lot (live): Lucky has a spellbinding singing cadence that is all his own. It’s there in his recorded material, but even more present live. He’s dripping with talent, and puts the “traditionalism” back in neo-traditional. Good track. Love the steel guitar.

FAVORITES:

#5 Roger Alan Wade–Breakfast At Audrey’s

#4 Six Gun Britt–Hard Habit To Break

#3 Bob Wayne–Ain’t No Diesel Trucks in Heaven

#2 The Boomswagglers–Run You Down

#1 Rachel Brooke–Closer Still

Outlaw Radio Compilation in the Works

Man. If you like REAL/Underground country music, than this upcoming compilation from the Outlaw Radio Chicago podcast should get you pitching a tent in your music pants. This compilation is going to include ALL PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MATERIAL. And the names are a who’s who of the underground movement. Check out this laundry list of contributors:

• Bob Wayne and the Outlaw Carnies
• .357 String Band
• Six Gun Britt
• The Dad Horse Experience
• Izzy and the Kesstronics
• Lucky Tubb and the Modern Day Troubadours
• Ol’ Red Shed
• Ted Russell Kamp
• Dave Smith and the Country Rebels
• Black Eyed Vermillion
• Little Lisa Dixie
• The Boomswagglers
• Joey Allcorn
• Rachel Brooke
• Last False Hope
• Slackeye Slim
• The Fisticuffs

And there might be more to come from that!

At the moment it is slated to come out in April 2010, and the cost will ONLY be around $8.00. The idea is just to recoup the capitol to put out to make the CD’s, and help promote the artists, so this is not some for-profit hosing. Can you imagine pop country doing this? This again proves that Jashie P. of Outlaw Radio is a man of integrity and good ideas, and that as a community, the REAL country movement is stronger than most, if not all. Artists are ponying up the songs, Outlaw Radio is ponying up the dough and time to make it happen, and I’m sure you will pony up for a copy.

I’m usually not much for compilations, but this CD is already near the top of my list for most anticipated 2010 releases in an already VERY strong field.

Outlaw Radio is heard every Tuesday night at 9 PM Central, and all the shows are archived the next day at savingcountrymusic.com/outlaw-radio. This week Pearls Mahone will be co-hosting, and he will be debuting a song from the new Jayke Orvis project.

Six Gun Britt & Joseph Christ on Tour

Well unless you live in Florida, you’re going to miss this upcoming tour of two great unknown songwriters Joseph Christ and Six Gun Britt. But even us Florida-less souls can rejoice a little because it means Joseph and Six Gun are starting to branch out a little bit and flex their wings.

I think it is important to note, as much as we piss and moan about how talentless pop country is, nobody, no matter how much talent they have, deserves any amount of success, however that is measured, without hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. Hank III may have got a record deal with his name, but he got one of the most loyal fan bases in music by relentless touring over many years. The great songwriters and talented musicians of the REAL country scene must match their gifts with the gusto for perseverance for their music to receive the attention it deserves.

Hard work is the tool we are all born with, regardless of circumstance. It is the one thing we can all use to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. And it is what REAL country will need if we will ever rise up to take back the institutions that real country built. That’s why three small shows by a couple of lesser-knowns has me excited.

And for you Florida folks, don’t be the one smacking your forehead because you missed these shows.

Joseph Christ, in a video done by Judd Films:

Six Gun Britt, with a brilliant original song:

Conclusion: Six Gun Britt & American Idol

In my last post I talked about how singer/songwriter Six Gun Britt had decided to try out for American Idol. Inspired by her residents and co-workers at the nursing home she worked at in Kentucky, Six Gun Britt went out a grueling journey to Atlanta and back, and this was the conclusion in Six Gun’s own words:

“Well… It’s Friday and I’m back in Kentucky. Yesterday I stayed in line for HOURS to try out. After singing Britney Spear’s “Oopps I did it Again” for over an hour with the crowd, I finally got to go onto the field with a couple hundred people to try out. Unlucky for me, I was sent to the executive Producer’s Stand.

“I tried out with a set of 4 people. I sang my heart out with one of my favorite songs, Jolene, and told him why I was there. (About the whole Country music thing and for my Residents) , and he just smiled. After all 4 of us sang, he asked all of us to come to the table. The girl next to me sang soooo awesome, you couldn’t possibly believe the set of pipes this girl had on her. She was AMAZING! There was a guy next to me that didn’t sing as good. BUT!!!… here’s the kicker… After calling all of us to the stand he told all the girls that we weren’t quite what he was looking for and asked us to go to the door. The guy made it. Then it hit me… there were 4 lines of people in front of us also. Every line included one guy. And every guy was asked to stay and get a golden ticket. I finally realized why we weren’t what he was looking for! lol!

“But no big deal. I really had a blast. I do think the show is biased though in many ways. I witnessed it myself. I’m not a sorry loser at all, but it was obvious that there were certain people they were looking for… whether they could sing or not. Do I think that American Idol is crippling out Country music traditions? Yes I do. It’s a factor that’s incredibly hindering it. I wish I could have done more than I did, but a try country music singer (Classic country Hank, Jones, Jennings, Cash, or even Nelson) wouldn’t have even stood a chance with these people. It’s sad to say, but it’s true. You wouldn’t see them living to the beat of a pop culture tune either. And so I am sticking to my roots. That’s all I’ve got and that makes the most sense to me!”

“So lets live loud and keep up with trying to Save Country Music. Stick to our Roots and Tradition because we’re nothing without them! Thanks so much for the support and everything yall have done for me. Seeing yall support me like that meant more than me making it onto the show or not. Thanks again and take er’ easy! I love yall!”

Always,

SGB

I talked on the phone with Six Gun Britt yesterday, and she assured me that this will not break her spirits for pursuing music in the future.

Some people might think that all I do here is piss and moan about music that I hate, and overly-glorify music that I love, all according to my personal tastes. I’m not going to try to make an argument that I’m not biased, but my real desire for country music, and music in general is to see the cream rise to the top; for the most talented musicians, songwriters, and performers, to at least get the recognition they deserve.

Sure, pop country performers must have some talent, and must have done some work at some point to get where they are at. But it should be the priority of our culture to find the best and brightest of any field, whether it be music, country music, art, acting, sports, science, whatever it is, and shine the spotlight on them. Because those are the people that push the rest of us and inspire all of us to try to find and pursue and dedicate ourselves to the things that we do best; the one thing that each of us has that is unique and should be shared with the masses.

Long story short, in this instance, American Idol failed it’s viewers. Sure, it is not a surprise, but this doesn’t make it any less of a tragedy, and a tragedy that is played out virtually every day as concerns for money and fame override talent and excellence.

I have confidence that one day American Idol will have to look back and hang their head that they let Six Gun Britt slide through their fingers.

Six Gun Britt to Tackle American Idol

Yes I know, Fox Television’s American Idol is a Barbie and Ken-style prancing poodle popularity contest that promotes celebrity worship and rabid consumerism, and is causing a general decay and homogenization of our culture to a prim and prissy style of music that is heroically void of soul.

BUT, just indulge me for a second, and imagine a truly talented, REAL country Outlaw-style artist getting on there, and using the machine of POP, to expose millions to what REAL country music can be all about. I have had this little scheme in the back of my head for years: some highly talented artist wiggling their way on to that show, giving a voice and a face to this movement to take country music back.

Well Six Gun Britt at this very moment is trying to do that very thing. I am trying to not get too excited about this, or lump any undue pressure or expectations on her, but this whole idea has me pitching a tent in my music pants for sure. It is going to be very difficult, if the whole thing isn’t outright rigged, and if Six Gun doesn’t at least make it deep into the contest, we will all know it is rigged for sure. Six Gun Britt is one of the most raw talents our country has to offer. It is as simple as that.

Six Gun Britt has been working at a nursing home. In a recent bulletin from her, she said, ” Usually i’m not one to care about Main stream hit list shows, but after playing last Sunday at the nursing home ( during my breaks), my fellow co-workers and the residents really wanted me to go for it. I am doing this for my residents and yall.” Now if that is not as cool as all get out, I don’t know what is. Think of the smiles on those faces at a nursing home back in Kentucky if Six Gun makes it on to the show. That is what this is all about. That is what music is all about; uplifting the spirit and coping with sorrow; not selling pimple cream and purple pants. And Six Gun Britt and what she is trying to do embodies that spirit.

I know there will be some punks out there thinking Six Gun and the rest of us should not even recognize American Idol or give it our time, and I completely understand this point of view, and under normal circumstances, I would agree with it whole-heartedly. But this is a war, and if we can use the machines of POP to expose a REAL talent, or even to turn the tables of the machines themselves, I think it would be foolish not to.

But let’s not make this all about our disdain for pop country or American Idol. This is about a girl and a guitar, and a dream. It is about the bond Britt has made with people at a nursing home that she shares no blood with.

In the end she may not be America’s Idol, but Six Gun Britt and her story is about as American as it gets.

Go get ‘em Britt, this is one guy who is behind you 100%.

(Six Gun Britt is in Atlanta at the moment. Registration is on Tuesday and tryouts are on Thursday. I will keep everyone posted on how she does.)

The Avett Bros. and an Album Review

Above is a piece of poster art done by none other than Keith Neltner , Hank III’s poster and album cover artist, and member of the Metal Farm Magazine staff.

I don’t know a whole lot about the Avett Bros., except they’re from the Carolinas, and there seems to be a lot of fans of them out there who are also fans of Hank III. I haven’t really been properly introduced to their music. I want to say it seems a little more folky and poppy for my taste, but whenever I hear an Avett Bros. song played by someone else, I usually like it, like Six Gun Britt’s version of Beaches that was a hit in my Hellbetties Blog.

The reason I’m bringing up the Avett’s is because a good friend of mine and a hell of a musician, Justin Gordon is opening right now for them on tour. They’re heading through the south and Texas, so if you get a chance to see them, check it out. Following is a review I wrote of Justin Gordon’s Ten Dollar Guitar album. You may not like his music, but maybe you’ll like my review. He doesn’t have any of the Ten Dollar Guitar songs up on his profile right now, but I’m telling you it’s one of my favorite albums ever.

“Ten Dollar Guitar is full of the best songs you’ve never heard. It’s like a road mix of your favorite artists and albums all ripped and ready to go. It’s rough as a way to be true to its music, but it’s still thought out and refined in its own way.

Asking what genre Ten Dollar Guitar is like asking a rainbow its favorite color. Ten Dollar Guitar is Justin Gordon and a ten dollar guitar. The collaboration of country, folk, blues, and Latin influences is superlative and seamless. You don’t listen to Justin Gordon because you’re in the mood for country or blues. You listen to him because you’re in the mood for Justin Gordon.

The album gets the wheels spinning with ‘Gasoline,’ a witty tune full of country idiom and political persuasion without being preachy. Then he immediately shifts gears with ‘Bottomdweller,’ a virtual lullaby that emphasizes Justin’s songwriting range. Like most Justin Gordon tunes, the themes of the lyrics and rhythms are harmonious. I can’t imagine he’s ever written an unfinished song that just needs lyrics. His lyrics and the music seem to need each other.

The album is peppered with Latin junkets that really help drive an underlying theme. They include ‘Staircase to the Sky,’ ‘El Viento,’ ‘Aliens,’ and the albums masterpiece ‘Leon Trotsky Assassination Blues.’ ‘Staircase’ and ‘Aliens’ are tremendous bouts of storytelling, but Justin’s historical account of a Russian man’s murder in Mexico, told in a southern black blues style puts the multi in multiculturalism, all while Justin works the guitar like a carnival calliope.

The album also has it’s more mellow tunes whose hearts lie much closer to home, wherever Justin’s home might be at the time, and one of the album’s gems is ‘High and Lonesome,’ which says much with no lyrics, and whose simplicity incites cool reflection and nostalgic ease.

The album ends with ‘Kansas,’ and just like the state, it makes sweet beauty out of nothing. One of my favorite lyrics of the album comes from that song. “Now our shocks are sacked out with all of our shit.” You may have never been to Kansas, but if you’ve been young, you’ve been there.

If there is any criticism of the album, it might come from its production. But praise could come from there too. Justin recorded ‘Ten Dollar Guitar’ using a simple audio device and a computer, and did all the overdubs himself. Most of the takes were done from the back of his car on the road, and there was no studio mixdown. Its easy to understand how this recording style could become limiting, but it is hard to argue that this technique gives an antiseptic feel to the music or makes it feel untrue like so many studio produced albums today.

Oh, and did I mention the guitar he used was a ten dollar guitar?

Well if you ask me, I’d say Justin got a hell of a bargain, and if you buy this album, so will you. So pony up. “