The Best Video of All Time, Courtesy of Willie Nelson
- Ken Tucker says George Strait‘s true precursors are gentleman crooners Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold, but he goes on to note that even those comparisons don’t quite fit: “Strait is his own man, ornery and independent in a quiet but firm way. Neither Reeves nor Arnold, for example, ever recorded a song about killing a killer as genial as ‘Arkansas Dave.’”
- In the previous article Tucker says “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” is the best track on Twang, but in his latest column, Chet Flippo puts his chips on “El Rey.”
- Listen to Brennen Leigh perform “Set ‘Em On Fire” from last night’s Mean Eyed Cat Songwriter Night.
- Next Tuesday, The Wailin’ Jennys will release their new album Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House. It’s the first to include Heather Masse in the Jennys line-up and it also includes eight previously unreleased tracks. Listen to four of the tracks on the group’s MySpace.
- Brandon Rhyder on his new Walt Wilkins-produced album, which he plans to release early next year:
“I had this dream of not using studio musicians but my own band, of putting this record together with songs that wouldn’t have been hits in the national arena but hits where we’re at — playing in shows where fans appreciate what we’re doing,” Rhyder said.
- New video: Jake Owen – “Eight Second Ride”
- For you Randy Rogers Band fans, a Galleywinter member posted videos of a couple of new songs — “Interstate” and “Fort Worth Was a Fabulous Waste of Time” — from the group’s show at Nutty Brown last week, where they drew a record-setting crowd.
- Despite the success of Rattlin’ Bones, Kasey Chambers told The Washington Post‘s Moira E. McLaughlin that she and husband Shane Nicholson have no intention of writing together again soon: “‘We always said we want to take time off of the duo thing. We want to get to the point where we miss that,’ Chambers said.”
- Kevin J. Coyne listed 10 essential Pam Tillis songs and two hidden treasures at Country Universe.
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Johnny Knoxville submits the new Willie Nelson video for “Shoeshine Man” as his entry for best video of all time. I initially thought the producer had spent entirely too much time on Willie’s bus, but everything made sense when the credits rolled. Funny stuff. (via Still Is Still Moving)
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August 7, 2009 at 11:47 am
Sorry, the best track on ‘Twang’ is “Arkansas Dave.”
August 7, 2009 at 11:58 am
“El Rey”? Stop whatever you’re smoking Chet.
August 7, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Chris,
Careful, wouldn’t want some bitter “songwriters” to hear that Bubba Strait actually can write a song…
August 7, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Matt B: My dog could co-write a hit with Dean Dillon.
August 7, 2009 at 2:25 pm
That video is so funny. Reportedly, Willie made the video when Lana and David Anderson were off shopping; sister Bobbie made a cameo appearance, but other than that, it’s all Willie.
August 7, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Opry Alert! The talented, beautiful, and feisty Sunny Sweeney will be performing on both the Friday and Saturday Night Opry’s! Ever since Sunny fired a substance abusing band member on stage at a concert during Fan Fair, you can now get an extra long Robert Earl Keen style bumper sticker that says “Forget About Texas, Don’t Mess With Sunny!” (lol)
Friday Opry notables: Charlie Pride, Darryl Worley, and Jim Lauderdale. Saturday Opry notables: Charlie Pride, Hal Ketchum, David Nail.
Opry Schedule: http://www.opry.com/TicketsAndInformation/ThisWeek.aspx
Also, The Quebe Sisters Band will be hosting the Saturday night E.T. Record Shop Midnite Jamboree! I can pretty much guarantee Marty Stuart and Connie Smith will be there (if Marty’s in town).
Link: http://www.etrecordshop.com/mj.htm
Thanks for the Brennen Leigh link. I’m really looking forward to her new album! Go Brennen!
Heather Masse has become one of Garrison Keillor’s favorite female vocalist regulars on A Prairie Home Companion (along with Andra Suchi) and her voice is amazing. She puts Carrie Underwood to shame! (If this doesn’t bring out TexasVet, nothing will! lol)
Don’t forget about the Pam Tillis song “After A Kiss” from the 1999 “Happy Texas Soundtrack” album and the fun music video that went with it. The movie wasn’t much but the soundtrack is a good bit of fun.
August 7, 2009 at 4:37 pm
“Ever since Sunny fired a substance abusing band member on stage at a concert during Fan Fair, ”
Beg pardon? I hadn’t heard about this before. Is there a synopsis or video of this online somewhere?
August 7, 2009 at 4:58 pm
“Arkansas Dave” was written by Bubba alone.
August 7, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Sam, here’s a first hand report from a Canadian buddy of mine who attended Sunny’s show during fan Fair:
“On Tursday night my friends and I saw Joanna Cotton, and then on Friday it was Jaida Dreyer followed by Sunny Sweeney. Enjoyed both nights, but a strange thing happened early during Sunny’s show. I was expecting to hear a few new songs, and a lot of my favorites from “Heartbreaker’s Hall of Fame, but after about 3 songs, she told one member of her band to take his stuff and get off the stage. She fired him right then and there! She really didn’t explain except to apologize to the audience, but she did make some reference to him being a bit drunk. Anyway, with him gone (and some words exchanged between them…he thought it was a joke at first), the set had to be changed, so I didn’t hear any of my favorites except for one song. Everything was new and there were some gems in there, but it was still a bit disappointing. Oh well.”
Other reports tend to indicate the fired musician was intoxicated on something other than alcohol, but I haven’t heard anything conclusive. Sheesh…
August 7, 2009 at 7:35 pm
“Arkansas Dave was written by Bubba alone.”
I’m sure it will be a HUGE hit.
Looking forward to some of his cuts with other artists in town.
Also enjoyed his singing on the Pure Country soundtrack. I’m sure he bagged that gig on merit, too.
:)
August 7, 2009 at 7:49 pm
JD must be one of the ‘bitter’ songwriters.
Just because Bubba got a CUT because he’s George’s son, that doesn’t mean the song doesn’t stack up well with other songs.
August 7, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Tony Brown has been producing George since “Pure Country” in 1992, not “Strait Country” in 1981. Thankfully, the “other Ken Tucker” made that mistake, not me. ;)
August 8, 2009 at 6:57 am
Like I said hotshot, I’m sure it will be a HUGE hit. Dillon’s got nuthin’ on Bubba, when you stack ‘em up…
August 11, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Keep plugging Brennen. . . and will someone help her release her new album?
I hate record labels, but there are sometimes I REALLY miss the independents – when they would PROMOTE artists. . . .