Live From The Backroom

It seems more and more as though the “Late Night Talk Shows” are exploring into the Texas Music and Americana Scene. With the likes of Randy Rogers on the Jay Leno Show and on Conan, Eli Young, Hayes Carll, and Ryan Bingham to name a few. And it seems as though David Letterman has caught on and invited Ray Wylie Hubbard to perform “Mother Blues”.

Sharing the stage with his son Lucas, Hubbard finishes the song in perfect Hubbard fashion, by thanking all of the Band members as well as Mr. Letterman and giving this masterpiece of a quote. “And the days that i keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good day’s…It’s been a damn fine day!”

Check out his performance below.

I have often classified/self-diagnosed myself with AD/HD, which sometimes works to my advantage, and sometimes it doesn’t. Multi-tasking is a breeze but completing the task at hand is something I truly struggle with. In the “Texas Music” scene, I often run across musicians who suffer from or self-diagnose or have actually been to a doctor and diagnosed with AD/HD or some other form of attention disorder. Having a conversation with someone else who’s mind struggles to not blurt out “Chocolate” in the middle of a sentence talking about bicycles and clouds, is 1. hilarious and 2. exhausting. Kimberly Dunn is one of those people who’s personality and wit led us directly into that tailspin of an interview in which nobody really knows how we got there or where its headed.
Here is a clip of her in studios recently performing “When Did We Stop”. And don’t forget to check out her website here.

–Corey

I spent some time up stairs here at the station this afternoon and ran across box after box of vinyl records. Everything from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album to Neil Diamond, Seals & Crofts, and even Chicago.  Just seeing the history reminded me of how music influenced my life from a very early age. Listening to that same thriller album on a PlaySkool tape player equipped with only play, stop, and forward….(evidently “reverse” was an option, much like power windows) for hours on end swinging on a rickety metal swing set in my backyard.

On occasion a certain artist or group will come through the studios, that if just for a moment, takes me back to that time in life. When bills didn’t exist and my only worry was school and what time it would be over. Shooter Jennings recently stopped in studios and for about 20 minutes, took me back to that time.

Practiacally born on his father’s tour bus, Jennings’ musical career began at an early age of 5 playing drums and them piano at age 8 and by 14 was backing his father. As an adult, Jennings left Nashville, Tennessee to seek his fortunes in Los Angeles. He assembled and performed with Stargunn, a southern rock band who, through three distinct phases, sounded like a hybrid of Lynyrd Skynyrd, David Bowie, Guns n’ Roses and The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies. Stargunn performed at local clubs for six years, built an avid following, and earned praise from the local music press.

Jennings portrayed his father in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. He is the host of Shooter Jennings’ Electric Rodeo, a two-hour weekly music show on Sirius Satellite Radio‘s Outlaw Country channel. His second solo album Electric Rodeo was released on April 4, 2006, followed by The Wolf on October 23, 2007. This album was followed in 2009 by his first compilation album, Bad Magick: The Best of Shooter Jennings and the .357′s.

In 2011, following a move to New York, Shooter, with childhood friend and master pianist Erik Deutsch, formed “The Triple Crown”, a new backing band for his forthcoming country album. The album Family Man, his first self-produced outing, was released March 13, 2012.

–Corey–

From Capital Records all the way to little ole’ Floydada Texas, Green River Ordinance has spent the past decade on the road across America supplying music lovers with a heavy dose of harmonies. With influences from The Rolling Stones to Merle Haggard, GRO’s music is possibly the biggest that has ever set foot in our studios.

Composed of Josh Jenkins, lead vocals Jamey Ice, guitar Joshua Wilkerson, guitar Geoff Ice, bass Denton Hunkeron drums. Green River Ordinance has shared stages with Bon Jovi, Train, Counting Crows, Gavin DeGraw and other headliners; earned press coverage from CNN, Billboard and Alternative Press and got their music played on 56 network and cable shows along with three films.

GRO is currently on their “Under Fire” North American Tour which began Feb. 29 in Houston and makes stops in Birmingham, Nashville, Washington, Boston, New York and Columbus Ohio.  Check out the rest of their tour dates on their website greenriverordinance.com.

And enjoy this video shot in studios recently.

–Corey–

Gas prices are on the rise, more folks are taking “Staycations” and fewer are taking “Vacations”, and 70 mile per hour winds in February… just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse… I find this! “The Stache Act (Stimulus to Allow for Critical Hair Expenses) aims to earn a well-deserved $250 annual tax deduction for every Mustached American for expenditures on mustache grooming supplies.” Well who couldn’t use an extra $250 bucks for some sort of salve/lotion or whatever it is that is used to properly maintain a mustache. “Given the clear link between the growing and maintenance of mustaches and incremental income … mustache maintenance costs qualify for and should be considered as a deductible expense …,” Dr. Yeutter wrote.

I have nothing left for the above paragraph….

Well considering today’s video comes from an artist who bares a modest goatee maybe he’ll become the first person I personally know who receives this incredibly awesome tax cut. Trent Langford (lead man for No Dry County) stopped by recently and performed “Roses”, which may or  may not be released on the next album so soak it up right here. And go grow a mustache!

–Corey–

Known to some as the “Mustache Man”, Grady Spencer could be the Hub City’s best kept secret.  Spencer’s music is not from the same loin as most on the Texas Music Scene.  It’s the smell of mountain air  in the midst of a dust storm.  Grady Spencer and the Griswulds are a little bit Jack Johnson, Van Morrison, Joe Purdy, and Ray LaMontagne with simple effective lyrics about the things that we too often take for granted.

“I rarely listen to a lot of what people call Texas Music.” Says Spencer “With the exception of a few, Brandon Adams is one and I listen to Adam Hood a lot. I think the album that he just released is amazing.”  Inspired by jazz and blues and bands like The Black Keys, Spencer remains true to an art form dominated by computers and audio manipulation. “When we go into the studio to record, we try to do things as live as possible.”

No place is this more evident than in his current portfolio. From solo album entitled “The Seminole Optimists Club” to his current offering, “Sunday’s Ships” which was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Alan Crossland at Route 1 Studios in Acuff, Texas.

If you find yourself in the “Hub” on a Friday or Saturday night and you spend enough time in the Depot District, you might just be lucky enough to find Grady and the Griswulds hanging out, “doing what they do”. If not be sure to check here for show dates and times. Can’t wait?… You can purchase “Sunday’s Ships” here.

–Corey–

Yes that is the name of the actual tour that is currently being created by an all female line up including Pauline Reese, Kylie Ray Harris, The Rankin Twins and Bri Bagwell, and Kimberly Kelly.  (and evidently our friend Will Green makes random cameo’s as the baby)

They have evidently designated each other with nick-names like…

The Rankin Twins “the sunshine”

Kylie Rae Harris “the soul”

Kimberly Kelly “the sense of humor”

Bri Bagwell “the sass”

Pauline Reese “the show stopper”

So if you also have a baby and are looking for something to do in 2012… Why not drop the baby off and go watch this!

Find out more on their facebook page HERE

–Corey