So you wanna be a rock and roll star? If only it were so simple. Songwriter and film-maker Chris Valenti learned the hard way. He recorded Emotional Wreck, his debut cd, manufactured 1,000 copies and, well, stacked 800 of ‘em in the corner of his apartment. What might have been a discouraging experience for some […]
Josh Rouse: Straight From the Horse’s Mouth
Below is a press release from Rouse’s press people…I’ve had 4 beers and didn’t feel like editing so here it is…straight from the horse’s mouth. And yeah, I’m a big fan but I don’t currently have $99.99 to spare…even with that damn stimulus check. May 9, 2008 (Nashville) – This month acclaimed singer songwriter Josh Rouse […]
National Record Store Day – Good Records, Dallas TX
Being a fan of free in-store performances, vinyl and many of the bands from Denton, Dallas & Ft. Worth Texas, this national holiday provided me with a chance to enjoy these treasures all at once. There didn’t seem to be a downside to this day of celebration, as even with Christmas, there is always the […]
National Record Store Day on April 19th!
Mothers and fathers get their own days, so why not independent record stores? Across the country records stores will be celebrating with exclusive releases and live performances. See below for a list of very cool exclusive releases and some select performances taking place at my favorite indie record shops. For a list of participating stores […]
SXSW 2008: The Scene
I’m delirious from lack of sleep, I can barely stand due to the soreness burning through my legs, I’ve got a blister raging on my big toe and a small scratch has mysteriously appeared on my left hand. Ahh, it must be another Sunday morning at SXSW. Now, many of our colleagues in the media […]
Sean Costello, 1979-2008
It was only weeks ago that I added Sean Costello to my ‘Best of Winter ’08’ playlist. His blues-rock record ‘We Can Get Together’ (released in February of this year) is remarkable and truly sits near (if not at) the top of the list in its genre so far this year. Today we learned the […]
Alejandro Escovedo and the E Street Band!
Oh, to have been in Houston last night… If you read my recent post on Alejandro Escovedo’s Sunday night performance at SXSW, you know what a fan I am of the man. If you followed my entire South-by “highlights reel,” you also know that the Replacements are my all-time favorite band. What I haven’t yet […]
Griffin House: Flying Upside Down
In this day and age, Singer-Songwriters are often compared to other similar artists from both past and present. For Nashville-based performer Griffin House (offical / myspace), the chief comparison seems to be Josh Ritter or Ryan Adams. Griffin’s latest offering, Flying Upside Down (April 29 – Nettwerk) opens with the track “Better Than Love†and […]
SXSW 2008 – John’s Sunday Night Highlight: Alejandro Escovedo
For all intents and purposes, SXSW turns into a pumpkin at 2 a.m. Saturday night, but true aficionados know that it ain’t really over until the legendary Alejandro Escovedo leaves the Continental Club stage after his unofficial closing night show on Sunday. We knew going in that this year’s set was going to be something […]
The Country Corner, a New Blog
AOL Music recently released a new country music blog they are calling Country Corner. If other AOL Music blogs like Spinner and PopEater are any indication Country Corner should be a formidable player for coverage of country music benefited by its shiny look and feel. While it covers way more mainstream country than we care […]