EXTRA 09 11 08 return to the road, but they certainly haven’t been forgotten by their friends and fans in radio land. “Comal County Blue,” the first single and title track from his newest CD, not only hit No. 1 on the Texas Music Chart in the last week of August, it was cited as the fastest growing single of the year from an indie-label artist. Not a bad get-well present at all. Collins makes European inroads news calendar releases artist q&a chart click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read Keen tribute hits stores Texans on Imus Ranch Record Robert Earl Keen has been an undeniable influence on an entire generation of Texas singer-songwriters. Most of that generation’s brightest stars paid their tribute in person back on Jan. 8 at the MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colo., covering Keen Photo Courtesy Conqueroo tunes for a special show in honor of their shared hero. Thanks to the newly founded Right Avenue Records, the night’s performances were preserved and will be released on a doubledisk CD Live is Good this fall. Acoustic performances of Keen songs by genre standouts including Cory Morrow, Stoney LaRue, Reckless Kelly, and Randy Rogers will fill the first disc, while the second captures Robert Earl’s full-band electric show from the same night. The release marks the first ever recording to be officially released from the MusicFest at Steamboat, preserving the original, organic recordings without overdubs or studio enhancements. Even notoriously cranky radio legend Don Imus apparently has a softer side, not to mention a talented group of friends. Sept. 16 marks the release of the Imus Ranch Record (New West), a multi-artist compilation benefiting Imus’ non-profit cattle ranch where children suffering from life-threatening illness are invited to enjoy a little genuine cowboy experience. The project is unique in that Imus actually hand-picked songs for the guest artists to interpret, and a Texas flavor pervades: Willie Nelson takes a crack at the jazz standard “What A Difference A Day Makes,” Lucinda Williams sings “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys” and Delbert McClinton rocks out to Eric Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally.” Even the late great Doug Sahm is in on the act, with Dwight Yoakam covering his “Give Back the Key to My Heart.” Boland scores hit from sidelines Fans of Texas/Red Dirt mainstay Jason Boland have had to do without his live shows for a while; as Texas Music Extra reported in the July 31 issue, Boland was diagnosed with a career-threatening vocal chord polyp in late July, which required surgery and ample time to heal. Boland and his backup band, the Stragglers have yet to Texas-based singer-songwriter Austin Collins has spent the last few years carving out a niche for his brand of melodic altcountry in his home state. Apparently he has picked up some overseas admirers along the way; German record company Blue Rose Records recently announced their agreement to re-release both of Collins’ albums (his debut Something Better and this year’s Roses Are Black) for the EXTRA PUBLISHER/ S T E WA R T R A M S E R EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITORS LY N N E M A R G O L I S C I N D Y R O YA L RICHARD SKANSE A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R ART DIRECTOR CODEY ALLEN T O R Q U I L S C O T T- D E WA R www.txmusic.com WEB SITE DESIGNER MAILING ADDRESS W I L LT H I N G PO BOX 50273 AUSTIN, TX 78763 SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-877-35-TEXAS OFFICE: 512-638-8900 E-MAIL: [email protected] COPYRIGHT © 2008 BY TEXAS MUSIC, L.L.C. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. R E P R O D U C T I O N I N W H O L E O R PA R T I S P R O H I B I T E D . European market. The move puts Collins (a Fat Caddy Records artist stateside) in good company with some fellow Texans already popular across the pond: Alejandro Escovedo, James McMurtry, Steve Earle, and Old 97’s are also distributed in Europe by Blue Rose. TSU honors jazz alumni Houston is more often known for Southern rap than classic jazz, but Texas Southern University wants everyone to know about its successful jazz alumni. On Sept. 6, six honorees were inducted into Texas Southern University’s KTSU Jazz Hall of Fame and honored at a fundraiser at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The recognized alumni include trumpeter, composer and arranger Barry Hall, jazz flutist Hubert Laws, jazz singer Anita Moore, pianist and composer Joe Sample, former TSU Jazz Ensemble director Lanny Steele and saxophonist Kirk Whalum. For more information about the honorees, visit www.ktsufm.org. New Future Clouds CD in forecast Austin’s Future Clouds and Radar will release Peoria, the follow-up to their acclaimed 2007 self-titled debut, on Oct. 21 on their own Star Apple Kingdom label. Compared to the band’s first album, a 27-track opus that sprawled across two discs, the new album is a mere eight songs long — but that doesn’t necessarily mean frontman Robert Harrison and the rest of his psychedelic crew have scaled back on their artistic ambition: a press release announcing Peoria notes that in addition to the record coming out next month, there’s also a film (presumably also titled Peoria) due in spring 2009. Life is sweet for Greencards news calendar releases artist q&a chart click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read the end of her performance, “I have chills!” When asked what debuting on the Opry stage meant to her, Jessica said, “The moon and the stars.” She also sang “Remember That,” the second single from her album. Hamming it up for HAAM Photo by Aaron Farrington Acoustic bluegrass trio the Greencards recently signed with Sugar Hill records and headed to the studio in late August to start work on their fourth record. In addition to the new label, they’re working with producer Jay Joyce, who’s worked with such artists as Patty Griffin and Alternate Routes. According to the press release, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Kym Warner had this to say of the new alliance. “As the Greencards enter into a new phase of pushing musical boundaries, we are very excited to have signed with a label capable of moving with us. Our new album is already underway, and with producer Jay Joyce we are experiencing a focused creativity like never before. We look forward to a long and productive partnership with Sugar Hill Records.” Look for the new record to release next spring. Simpson performs on Opry Jessica Simpson made her debut at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry on Sept. 6, three days before the release of her first country album, Do You Know. The blond songstress opened the show with her current single, “Come on Over,” exclaiming at On Sept. 3, Austin Mayor Will Wynn, along with musicians, organizers and others involved with the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), held a “friendly-reminder” event at Austin City Hall to alert Austinites and musicians about the upcoming HAAM Benefit Day on October 7. Wynn introduced radio and TV public service announcements that detail the importance of HAAM services to Austin musicians. Participating business throughout the city will hold special events and promotions bringing attention to HAAM’s services, and will donate at least 5% of the proceeds to the organization. Visit www.healthallianceforaustinmusicians.org. Mr. Jones goes to Washington George Jones has a very special date scheduled for Dec. 7: That’s the night he’ll receive one of the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors awards at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. Introduced in 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors are given every year to a handful (typically five) artists from across the entertainment spectrum; previous honorees include Steven Spielberg, Robert Redford, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Steve Martin and Jones’ country music peers Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton. “Since I was a young man, I have just done what I love and that is sing country music, and I never dreamed that something this special would happen to news calendar releases artist q&a chart click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read me,” Jones said in a statement. “I am completely humbled and will be proud to accept the award.” ACL aftershows announced Big balls in Manchaca Ryan Bingham, Eleven Hundred Springs, Cody Shaw, Matt Skinner and Glenn Moreland are all scheduled to make appearances at Doug Moreland’s sixth annual Cattelacs Calfry CookOff on Sept. 22 in Manchaca. Of course, Moreland himself will also perform — when he’s not busy showing off his chainsaw-carving skills or sampling the calf fries (which, for the uninitiated, are fried bull you-know-whatsits). A panel of celebrity judges will help decide on who’s got the best, er, balls in town. Corn dogs, coleslaw and beans will also be served for the more faint of heart and stomach. Tickets are $15 and benefit the Manchaca Optimist Club and Toys for Tots (and a donation of an unused toy gets you $5 off your admission). The gates open at 3 p.m. and the music kicks off at 5 p.m. Free For All reunion Paul Minor, Austin Music Hall of Famer and one of the mainstays of the local music scene, will host the Three Stage Throwdown at Hole in the Wall on Sept. 12. The bill features a lineup of artists who aren’t strangers to the legendary music club on The Drag, having played Minor’s weekly Sunday night showcase, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Free For All, many times over the years. This time on a Friday, the original, iconic stage at the front of the club will feature Andrew Duplantis (of Son Volt) and the Superego Allstars (Minor’s band of Austin veteran players). The back room stage will have Summer Wardrobe and Moonlight Towers, and Nick Kraus and his Austin Torpedoes will light up the night on the outside stage. Minor releases his new CD The Marfa Project at Lambert’s Sept. 19. Photo by Brent Humphreys The seventh annual Austin City Limits Music Festival is just around the corner. Cross your fingers for cooler temps, and get ready for three days, eight stages and more than 130 bands (more than 25 of the acts are from Texas) invading Austin’s Zilker Park Sept. 2628. If that doesn’t sound like enough music for one weekend (or if you don’t have your hands on tickets for the festival), there’s more to be had. Several festival bands are scheduled to perform before- or after-shows at local venues. Stubb’s will host Manu Chao, Gnarls Barkley, CSS, Butthole Surfers and the Black Keys. La Zona Rosa has G. Love and Special Sauce and indie darlings Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band along with Jenny Lewis and M. Ward. Veteran rockers David Byrne and Brian Eno will play the Paramount, as will the Swell Season. And, Emo’s gets a slew of festival favorites with Drive-By Truckers, Heartless Bastards, Okkervil River and José González. Jakob Dylan follows up his Friday ACL set with a show at Antone’s on Saturday night. For full details of these shows and the festival itself, visit www.aclfestival.com. And, stay tuned for the next issue of Texas Music Extra which will feature a Q&A with longtime Austin City Limits producer Terry Lickona and previews of festival artists. news calendar releases artist q&a chart click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read calendar SEPTEMBER 12-14 17 Texas Gatorfest Cavender Chevrolet Music Series Fort Anahuac Park with Cory Morrow and Kyle Park Anahuac The County Line www.texasgatorfest.com San Antonio www.countyline.com Mike Blakely’s TexAmericana Fandango with Guy Clark and more Luckenbach Dance Hall 95.9 FM The Ranch Texas Music Series with Roger Creager and Josh Abbott 8.0 Restaurant and Bar www.luckenbachtexas.com Fort Worth www.959theranch.com Kevin Fowler plays the Bud & BBQ Country Music Festival at SeaWorld in San Antonio Luckenbach Country Music Festival SeaWorld San Antonio, Sept. 13-14 Ready for a whale of a festival? SeaWorld San Antonio continues its 20th birthday celebration with the Bud & BBQ Country Music Festival on Sept. 13-14. Enjoy Texasstyle barbecue and ice cold Anheuser-Busch beer while listening to the likes of Amarillo native Kevin Fowler and Miley’s dad Billy Ray Cyrus. All performances are included with regular park admission and SeaWorld pass members get in free. Wristbands are available at the park’s main entrance with seating on a first-come, firstserved basis. Sept. 13-14. SeaWorld, San Antonio, 6:308 p.m. For more information, visit www.seaworld.com 13 24th Annual Kolache Festival 18 Downtown Square KGSR Unplugged at the Grove with Caldwell Gary Clark, Jr. and Eve Monsees www.burlesoncountytx.com Shady Grove Austin www.kgsr.com 18-21 Oktoberfest Addison Circle Park Addison www.addisontexas.net 19-21 Gary Clark, Jr. plays at KGSR’s Unplugged at the Grove Sept. 18 YO Social Club Membership Appreciation Celebration YO Ranch Mountain Home www.yosocialclub.net All About Uptown Festival with Brave Combo and the Killdares Fairmount Street Jazz By The Boulevard Music & Arts Festival with Buddy Guy and more Will Rogers Memorial Center Fort Worth www.fortworthjazz.com 20 Kenneth Threadgill Concert Series with Guy Clark and more Municipal Auditorium Greenville www.greenville-texas.com Dallas www.allaboutuptown.com End of Summer Psychedelic Festival with Amplified Heat Ruta Maya Austin www.rutamaya.net Guy Clark performs in Luckenbach and Greenville this month news calendar click here to read click here to read The Derailers Guaranteed to Satisfy (Palo Duro) Playing the Derailers’ new record Guaranteed to Satisfy for the first time is like settling down on your old comfy couch after a long day’s work — it’s comfortable, and it’s just what you expected. For a band that’s made a name for themselves with their unique rockabilly sound, this album brings more of the same, even in light of some personnel changes. From the boot-scootin’ “Bad, Bad Girl” to the insightful “The Blood of a Man” to the clever “Wallflower,” it delivers songs that move you and songs that make you wanna move. The group even slipped in “You Carried Me,” a slow, romantic tune with a background of beautiful strings. All in all, the Derailers have shown with this album that sticking with what’s familiar is surely satisfying. AMANDA PALM Okkervil River The Stand Ins (Jagjaguwar) Austin indie band Okkervil River delivers the sequel to last year’s The Stage Names with another round of the lyrically intelligent yet playful pop tunes that have become their trademark. “Lost Coastlines” features a bouncy duet that pairs lead singer Will Sheff with Jonathan Meiburg, recently departed for his own Shearwater project. The seafaring theme quickly shifts to a preoccupation with celebrity and fame in “Starry Stairs” (“they ask for more, what do you think this fan club is for”) and “Pop Lie.” And while the smart lyrics could pass for a collection of short stories, they’re not too pretentious to have some fun. Songs like “On Tour with Zykos” and “Calling and Not Calling My Ex” tease with funny titles that obscure dark lyrics. Okkervil River seems poised as next in the line of great acoustic guitar-fronted, indie-rock bands in the tradition of The Cure and Spoon. CINDY ROYAL releases artist q&a chart click here to read click here to read Britt Lloyd Band The Ink (Smith Music) Like Cross Canadian Ragweed or Phil Pritchett, the Britt Lloyd Band hangs out so far on the “rock” side of country-rock that they’d probably be labeled as straight-up rock if they resided anywhere else but Texas. Lloyd & Co. consistently favored tight, crackling electric guitar tunes on their ‘05 debut, Unlabeled, and their follow-up both embraces and expands that sound. “That Kind” earns its first-single status with a crunchy, catchy groove that would’ve sounded right at home on mid-‘90s mainstream rock radio while other tunes nod toward older sounds. “Just Go” is a Bob Seger-ish anthem, and the chugging roller-rink organs on “Trust Song” reach all the way back to Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers. The band never tries to re-invent the wheel, but they solidly uphold their reputation as talented yet unpretentious rockers. ETHAN MESSICK Paul Minor The Marfa Project (Minor Productions) Prolific Austin singer-songwriter Paul Minor headed west for inspiration on his latest release The Marfa Project. Old-time rock ‘n’ roll is weaved with country undertones on tracks like “Devil May Care” and “Here I Am.” “Out of My System” (co-written with Mario Matteoli) adds a bluesy, honkytonk element. But, it’s Minor’s deftness with the paradoxical turn of phrase that’s most endearing, as in the melancholy “Afterthought,” particularly when he’s coming to terms with love and regret (“I won every self-defeating battle that I fought, I put you before me as an afterthought”) or just being cheeky (“I might need a little space, but I ain’t no astronaut”). CINDY ROYAL new releases Sep. 9 Sep. 9 Sep. 9 Sep. 9 Sep. 9 Sep. 16 Sep. 16 Sep. 16 Sep. 16 Sep. 16 Sep. 16 Sep. 16 Sep. 23 Sep. 30 Sep. 30 Jessica Simpson Jackopierce Okkervil River Hal Ketchum Patty Griffin Redd Volkaert Kyle Park Various Artists Eli Young Band Tejas Brothers Paul Minor John Evans Randy Rogers Band Wade Bowen Roy Orbison Sep. 30 Sep. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 7 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 14 Oct. 14 Oct. 14 Oct. 14 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 21 Oct. 21 Asylum Street Spankers Monte Montgomery Brandon Jenkins George Strait Jolie Holland Sixpence None the Richer Bleu Edmondson Rich O’Toole J.D. Souther Todd Snider Lucinda Williams Future Clouds and Radar Sorta And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Oct. 21 Lee Ann Womack Oct. 28 Josh Grider Band Do You Know? Promise of Summer The Stand Ins Father Time Live From the Artists Den Reddhead Anywhere in Texas The Imus Ranch Record Jet Black and Jealous Tejas Brothers The Marfa Project Lucky 14 Randy Rogers Band If We Ever Make It Home The Soul of Rock and Roll (Box Set) What? And Give Up Show Biz? Monte Montgomery Faster Than a Stone Classic Christmas The Living and the Dead The Dawn of Grace Live at Billy Bob’s In a Minute or Two If the World Was You Peace Queer Little Honey Peoria Sorta Festival Thyme (EP) Call Me Crazy JG3 (EP) Columbia Nashville www.jackopierce.com Jagjaguwar Curb Records ATO/Artists Den Telehog Records Rockin’ P Records New West Records Universal South Smith Music Minor Productions Smith Music Mercury Nashville Sustain Monument/Orbison Records/Legacy Yellow Dog Eminent Smith Music MCA AntiNettwerk Smith Music Smith Music Slow Curve Aimless Records Lost Highway Star Apple Kingdom Summer Break Richter Scale/Justice Records MCA JoshGrider.com A Sorta farewell Dallas’ much-lauded Sorta will release its eponymous swansong on Oct. 21 on Summer Break Records. According to lead singer and songwriter Trey Johnson, the album — the band’s fifth — was nearly completed by the time of guitarist and keyboardist Carter Albrecht’s tragic death on Sept. 3, 2007, and all of Albrecht’s parts were left untouched when the band reconvened to finish it off. Sorta will perform a handful of CD release shows in late October, after which Johnson, bassist Danny Balis, guitarist Chris Holt, pedal steel player Ward Williams and drummer Tom Bridwell will disperse to work on separate projects. A posthumous solo album by Albrecht is due out soon, too. “Carter’s album,” promises Johnson, “will melt you.” news calendar releases artist q&a chart click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye. I really take a lot of inspiration from those guys. I don’t sing in a soulful way, but I’m very much inspired by the emotion in their voices, the playfulness at times and the urgency and fiery delivery in their voices. And, also old-time singers like Dock Boggs whose voice is actually bordering on unpleasant [laughs]. There’s a lot of singers like Lou Reed and Dylan who are somewhat that way. But especially in the old-time music, you have people like Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Dock Boggs and Clarence Ashley that had voices that were almost unpleasant to listen to. There was an edge to their singing that was kind of disturbing, and I like that. Your lyrics read like literature. How do you make heady concepts accessible in a pop Okkervil River song? Really, my primary goal is to make a pop song Okkervil River is that’s fun, that touches the listener ideally in a known for smart pop songs frequent- way like a Motown song or a Bowie song or a ly laced with literary Stones song would touch them. On top of that, references (even the if the ideas in there are thought of as interestband’s name comes ing too, that’s great. That’s gravy. But, the primary goal is to make something that’s enterfrom a short story taining. I really don’t want anyone to think by Russian author that I am intentionally trying to hide behind an Tatyana Tolstaya). But, lead singer and idea that they are some kind of high-flung litPhoto by Steve Gullick erary exercise. I really do try to stay sincere songwriter Will with myself about what I am trying to do. I Sheff wants people to know that they are as really just try to talk to people the way that I much about whim as wit. With the release of like to be talked to. I just try to be as direct as What does the departure of Jonathan The Stand Ins — just a year after and as a I can. response to their last CD and launching a Meiburg to Shearwater mean for the YouTube channel featuring covers of their band? Having other artists cover your songs on new songs performed by artists they’ve met I don’t know. I think that’s the kind of thing YouTube before a CD even comes out is a while touring — they prove they’re not afraid that’s exaggerated. I talk to Jonathan conpretty novel idea. Which cover was your to do things differently. Embarking on a 26city North American tour before taking off to favorite? It’s hard for me to separate myself from the Europe at the end of October and Japan in 2009, Sheff took a moment away from pack- Carl Newman one (“Lost Coastlines”) because ing his bags to talk about change and inspira- I was playing on it [laughs]. That was fun. I have personal reasons to say that so many of tion. them were good. I really like the Jack Ladder one (“Starry Stairs”), and I especially feel This new album has been positioned as compelled to stand up for that one because he the sequel to last year’s The Stage is so obscure and unknown to anyone who is Names. How do they compare? If you listen, you’ll notice there’s a subtly pro- even one of our fans. I thought he really did a nounced sonic difference in terms of the way fantastic job. that they were recorded and mixed, and even the performances. I think that there is a the- Who did the most unexpected interpretation? matic difference, having laid out a lot of the themes on the The Stage Names that permit- I guess I would say Bon Iver (“Blue Tulip”). He ted us to tackle them again on The Stand Ins pretty much wrote an entirely different song with the same lyrics. And his song is fully his and show different and sometimes opposite sides of them. In some ways you can think of creation, fully comes from his musical world. I thought that it was wonderfully irreverent and The Stand Ins as a rebuttal to some of the ideas on The Stage Names. There’s a chance also very respectful in a deeper way. to revisit characters. Shannon Wilsey (the Your vocal style sometimes approaches porn star who committed suicide in 1994) is crooning, but with an edge. Who inspires talked about in the song “Savannah Smiles” you vocally? and is revisited in the song “Starry Stairs.” The nautical theme that was in the song “Girl I guess soul singers inspire me a lot, and I don’t think that you hear that in my vocal in Port” is revisited in “Lost Coastlines.” style. But my favorite singers are soul singers: Q&A stantly. He talks to the band constantly, and we very much inform what each other is doing musically. We’re inspired by each other’s style, and there’s a lot of talking that goes on back and forth. He’s so central to what we’ve done and will continue to do. Where are you most excited about visiting on your upcoming world tour? We’re going to Japan next year. That is what I am most excited about. I’ve never been to Asia at all. I’m very, very excited for that. You tour so much and live in New York part of the time. Do you still consider yourselves an Austin band? Absolutely. All the other band members live in Austin. And all the belongings that I own are in a storage space in Austin. I go there all the time, and I spend more time there than anywhere else. When I’m not on tour I’m either in Brooklyn, or I’m in Austin, so I feel like I’m a resident of both places. CINDY ROYAL news calendar releases artist q&a chart click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read click here to read CHARTS: myspace Country 9/11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 8/28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Artist Dixie Chicks George Strait Miranda Lambert Dierks Bentley Gary Allan Eli Young Band Willie Nelson Cross Canadian Ragweed Jack Ingram Randy Rogers Band Pat Green Kevin Fowler Shooter Jennings Roger Creager Johnny Solinger Wade Bowen Jason Boland Brandon Rhyder Cory Morrow Trent Willmon Johnny Cooper Aaron Watson Bleu Edmondson Stoney LaRue Ryan Turner Points 122,398 110,758 102,232 93,400 60,024 35,127 30,699 29,103 25,644 25,613 22,308 22,209 19,861 14,677 13,124 11,398 10,602 10,208 9,132 9,064 8,085 8,046 6,578 5,207 5,003 Rankings for the MySpace chart are determined by a point system factoring in the number of profile views, song plays and friends on the artists’ official MySpace pages. 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