I’ve been meaning to blog this for a while, but there’s a cool mp3 search engine that lets you find and play tunes right on your Linux laptop computer. SeeqPod. Just go there, search on artists/titles, and crank it up.
If I’m late to the SeeqPod party, excuse me. I’d never heard of it except that daily I read one of the best bloggers ever to touch fingertips to keyboard.
Thanks, Scott!
-k-
Nearly a year has passed since the kick-ass alt.country group1 The Siderunners played their final show. Today, I was tickled to learn via the Evil Genius Chronicles that the Siderunners are making MP3s of their final live shows available for free download.
I became a huge Siderunners fan after hearing them on several EGC Clambakes, and I’ve blogged about them many times right here. I even received some comments from the band members. One of the highlights of my blogging life was when the ‘Runners e-mailed me a few MP3s of some unreleased songs, while I not so patiently awaited the release of their last CD.
Thanks for the memories, Siderunners. And for the release of the final tour shows.
-k-
[stags]music, Siderunners[/stags]
Technorati Tags: siderunners
1
It isn’t every day that one awakens, goes to his computer, and is presented with a headline like this:
Talent Scout Ken Nelson Dies at 96.
I made a half-assed tweet1 about the event early today. I don’t mean to make light of Mr. Nelson’s death in any way. I was taken aback at the headline, and on reading Mr. Nelson’s obituary, discovered that:
Ken Nelson, a longtime talent scout at Capitol Records who produced dozens of No. 1 country music hits and helped push Buck Owens and Merle Haggard to country stardom in the 1960s, has died.
Buck Owens and mighty Merle Haggard; two country legends I’ve loved through the years. And then, this:
Nelson is credited with helping to define the country genre’s twangy “Bakersfield sound,” after he showcased the country singers working in and around Bakersfield in the 1950s.
Once again, music after my own heart. And he was ahead of the times, as witness this:
Nelson was praised for letting artists use their own bands in recording sessions instead of using studio musicians, something that led to a diversity of sounds.
Buck Owens, a singer and guitar player originally produced by Nelson, once described Nelson as “one of the smartest men in the music business. He found artists who wrote their own songs, had their own bands and knew what they wanted to do.”
He was years ahead of his time. He was alt.country when there was no alt in country, because there was no need for the alt. I’m sorry that I hadn’t heard of him and his accomplishments until now.
RIP, Ken Nelson.
-k-
[stags]music, country music[/stags]
[tags]kennelson[/tags]
1
Chris Yale, that is. I just ordered his new CD Well Enough Alone. I’d heard and dug his music on Dave’s podcast. I also met him at Dave’s Birthday Bash last summer.
I could have downloaded the album from DigStation and had it immediately, but I prefer to order direct from the artist if at all possible, under the assumption that more money goes to the artist in that fashion. DigStation has previews of each song on the album, and iTunes-like, lets you buy individual tracks at $0.99 per each.
Instead, I went the PayPal route directly off Chris’ website, and await the postman’s arrival.
Reviews, impressions, and doubtless encouragement to buy your copy, will follow.
-k-
[stags]Music, Chris Yale[/stags]
[tags]chrisyale[/tags]
Singer-songwriter Michelle Malone, a longtime favorite of local music fans, says she is “extremely honored and excited” to be on the Grammy ballot for Best Contemporary Blues for her most recent album, “Sugarfoot.”Voting by members of the Recording Academy is underway now to determine the final five nominees in each category. Grammy nominations are scheduled to be announced during a Dec. 6 press conference.
Win, lose, or draw, I love her music anyway. But, doggone, I hope this happens. Best wishes, Michelle!
-k-
[stags]music, Michelle Malone[/stags]
[tags]MichelleMalone, Grammy[/tags]
Porter Wagoner, legendary country singer who never donned a rhinestone suit that didn’t become him, has passed away at age 80.
My first recollection of him is watching his TV show, which started in 1960, and ran for 21 years. I watched at my grandparents’ house when we were there visiting, early in the show’s run. At my age then, I thought my Granddad and Grandma were hopelessly out of touch, and I couldn’t wait until the show was over. As I got older, and hopefully a little wiser, I grew to appreciate the show, and to enjoy both Porter’s suits and his music. Porter had this to say about the show:
“Some shows are mechanical, but ours was not polished and slick,” he said in 1982.
Even when I wasn’t the biggest fan of the show, it for sure wasn’t mechanical. I later came to appreciate that if you have good songs, performed well, that’s about all you need.
Porter’s record deal was with RCA; as all contracts go, his came to an end, and I hadn’t seen nor heard about him for a good long time. As he said about record labels:
“I stopped making records because I didn’t like the way they were wanting me to record,” he said. “When RCA dropped me from the label, I didn’t really care about making records for another label because I didn’t have any say in what they would release and how they would make the records and so forth.”
Amen. But earlier this year, he signed with ANTI-records, a label featuring primarily alt.rock acts. I don’t know much of anything about alt.rock, I just know that if you want real country music today, it likely carries the label alt.country. His deal with ANTI lead to what would be his final album:
Wagoner’s final album, “Wagonmaster,” was released in June and earned him some of the best reviews of his career. Over the summer, he was the opening act for the influential rock duo White Stripes at a sold-out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
“The young people I met backstage, some of them were 20 years old. They wanted to get my autograph and tell me they really liked me,” Porter said with tears in his eyes the day after the New York show. “If only they knew how that made me feel _ like a new breath of fresh air.”
Amen again.
Rest in Peace, Porter. Thanks for not compromising your music, and for being a class act’s class act.
-k-
[stags]RIP, PorterWagoner,music[/stags]
[tags]porterwagoner[/tags]
There was an interview with country music legend Merle Haggard in yesterday’s Washington Post dead tree edition. The Hag turned 70 last April, and is still going strong.
The highlight of the interview, faithfully transcribed, about country radio:
Radio doesn’t want substance. If a song actually had an opinion, that’s the first thing they’d throw in the trash.
He has a new album: The Bluegrass Sessions. I think I’ll check it out, the chances of hearing any of the songs on radio being nil and all.
-k-
[stags]MerleHaggard[/stags]
[tags]merlehaggard[/tags]
Dale the Movie airs on CMT1 on Tuesday, Sept 4, at 8PM Eastern. Preview show at 7PM, featuring Brooks& Dunn2.
We’ll laugh, we’ll smile, we’ll cry.
Gentlemen, arm your Tivos. Mine already is.
-k-
[tags]dalethemovie, CMT[/tags]
Last Saturday, SWMBO and I had the distinct and once-in-a-lifetime pleasure of being in attendance for Dave Slusher’s 40th birthday celebration. Though Dave’s actual birthdate is in August, the celebration was held on Saturday, so that Michelle Malone could come and perform for the revelers.
And what a time we had; there were mounds of food1, a keg of Yuengling2, and a selection of dessert items, chips, salsa, dips, and those types of party fare.
The food was wonderful; a mound of pulled pork, South Carolina style, baked beans, a bushel of coleslaw which earned both SWMBO’s and my seal of approval, and the magnificent Horry County concoction called chicken bog. In attendance was a certified barbeque judge, and a two-time champion of the Horry County Bog-Off; I didn’t get their verdicts on the fare; I just know I went back to the table several times. I must admit to looking for barbeque sauce; I saw a tub of something red, and thought “Ahh, sauce.” Then I realized the tub contained salsa, whereupon I remembered that South Carolina barbeque is served in a vingear and spice based dressing, which was tangy and in no need whatever of any additional condiments. And chicken bog is on our list of something to prepare for ourselves.
Dave picked the songs for Michelle Malone’s set, and nearly everything that I thought “I hope she plays … ” was played, including SWMBO’s and my favorite Butter Biscuit. Michelle can literally sing anything; you’ll hear blues, folk, country, pop, and rock. And she sounds good irrespective of the number or type of musicians backing her up. Head out to her website, buy yourself some CDs, and see for yourself. I bought 3 more CDs after the show, to add to my MM collection of 9 others.
I switched to bottled water for the last hour or so of the party, not wanting to be in any client relationship with Horry County’s finest, and SWMBO and I headed back to our hotel, and returned home yesterday, as I’ve already documented.
I missed the telecast of the Brickyard 400 whilst driving home yesterday, but that’s all right. The green flag flies someplace every weekend; celebrating a birthday milestone with someone you consider family happens only once.
-k-
[tags]evilgeniuschronicles, michellemalone[/tags]