Upcoming release: Caroline Herring – Lantana March 4 2008

Caroline Herring’s Lantana Reestablishes Singer as Preeminent Storyteller
Austin Music Award Winner for “Best New Artist” Returns with Album that Re-images the Gothic South

Nashville, Tenn.—Caroline Herring confidently returns to the forefront of the American roots music scene with her new album Lantana, due March 4th, 2008 on Signature Sounds Records. The Mississippi-born, Atlanta-based singer/songwriter took the producing helm for the first time on the new record, co-producing with long-time collaborator Rich Brotherton (Robert Earl Keen).

Intimate, powerful and honest, Lantana is a masterpiece of understated intensity and in many ways an artistic re-birth for Herring. After making a name for herself in Mississippi as band member and co-founder of the now renowned Thacker Mountain Radio music series, Herring moved to Austin, TX. Herring quickly took the town by storm, releasing the critically acclaimed debut album, Twilight. She won “Best New Artist” at both the 2002 SXSW Austin Music Awards and also from the Austin American Statesman. Herring soon after released an equally impressive follow-up, Wellspring.

Though Herring had established herself as an authentic, original voice, Herring paused to focus on marriage and motherhood as she continued to tour and play festivals nationally and internationally. The insights she gained over these few years are profoundly apparent in the songs of Lantana. Herring’s songs represent the experiences of women who have not only faced the challenges inherent in a rural South childhood, but also the heartrending and often complex experiences of adult women who feel pressured to choose between tradition and career ambitions. The songs show that the results can be both awe-inspiring and sometimes even devastating.

“I just got to the point where I knew I had to write songs again,” Herring says of re-launching her career. “Music is my life-blood, even as the career of the singer/songwriter is most unusual, especially in the South where the jobs of women are often mother first, wife second. There’s a line in one of my songs about a woman who lives in a backroom and begins to disappear. I didn’t want that to be me.”

With a new batch of songs in hand, she returned to Austin to record Lantana with Rich Brotherton, who had produced Wellspring. The album is made up entirely of Herring originals, save her artful interpretation of two traditional songs. Because Herring had the chance to sit with the songs for a while, she developed clear ideas about the overall feel of the album. Lantana is clearly grounded in the acoustic traditional sounds of her early work. With Brotherton behind the soundboard, his and Herring’s collaboration made for a quiet masterpiece.

In many ways Lantana is Herring’s re-imaging of the Gothic South, with a rich alto voice that soothes the listener even as she addresses difficult subjects. Herring has a journalist’s eye for detail, a poet’s sense of scale and language, and a life-long Southerner’s understanding of the issues that shape the culture below the Mason Dixon line. Herring tackles poignant themes of womanhood in “Fair and Tender Ladies”, “Stone Cold World” and “Song For Fay.” Herring also expertly throws her hat in the ring of the long-standing murder ballad tradition, this time representing Susan Smith in the song “Paper Gown.” Herring’s commitment to uncovering the truth in her songs led fellow artist Dar Williams to call Herring “the elusive real thing.”

There is no artifice on Lantana. It’s an album full of delights, lyrically and musically. And just like Caroline Herring, her new album is the real thing.

Caroline Herring’s Website
Caroline Herring’s MySpace

Video of the Week – Todd Snider: You Got Away With It

Dreamtime Podcast: Episode 48 – That Fateful Day: The Lost Songs of Hank Williams

ENTIRE BLOG POST HERE: http://www.dreamtimepodcast.com/2008/01/episode-48-that-fateful-day-lost-songs.html
Direct link to mp3.

Subscribe to the Dreamtime podcast

Sometime in 2008, we should see a CD collection of new Hank Williams songs – or at least songs started by Williams before his death on that fateful New Years’ Day in 1953 – a compilation produced by Bob Dylan and possibly including at least one Dylan contribution. The still not officially announced project is using as its lodestone a portfolio of 35 unrecorded songs that were found in Williams’ briefcase after his death, many with complete lyrics, but all without music. According to reports, back in 2004 Sony/BMG and the administrators of the Hank Williams estate approved “the idea of Bob Dylan taking a run at putting music” to those lyrics, as one of the lawyers put it, and the songs were sent off to Dylan.

The project apparently went on a back-burner for the next few years, or Dylan was unhappy with whatever results came from his doing the work solo, because nothing more was heard about the Briefcase Songs* until 2007 when Paste Magazine published an interview with Dominic Suchyta, a bassist with the band Steppin’ In It a friend of Jack White. Suchyta noted that he had recently backed White, the man who seemed to be Dylan’s new best friend in 2007, on a Williams song called You Know That I Know for the Dylan project.

You know that I know that you ain’t no good
You wouldn’t tell the truth if you could
Lying is a habit you practice wherever you go
You may fool the rest of the world, but you know that I know

“… it was a Hank Williams lyric sheet that Jack put to music and edited a bit,” says Suchyta. “[Dylan] sent most of or all of the unfinished tunes and [Jack] picked this one to finish.”

According to Suchtya, other participants recording the Hank Williams songs include Willie Nelson and Norah Jones, and later reports have added Lucinda Williams and Alan Jackson to the group. Suchtya also speculated in the interview that Dylan himself had recorded at least one tune for the project during the 2006 Modern Times sessions, a guess that was later reported as fact in follow-up articles. But whether Dylan actually has recorded any of the Briefcase Songs – or will be recording any of them during the recording sessions he’s rumored to have planned for 2008 – still remains to be seen, or to be heard.

There’s a nice parallel between the Briefcase Songs and the two Mermaid Avenue collections, the 1998 and 2000 albums showcasing a group of till-then unheard lyrics of Woody Guthrie, with music provided by Billy Bragg and Wilco. As readers of Dylan’s Chronicles: Volume One remember him writing,

“On one of my visits, Woody had told me about some boxes of songs and poems that he had written that had never been seen or set to melodies – that they were stored in the basement of his house inConey Island and that I was welcome to them…I found the house…One of Woody’s kids, Arlo…told the babysitter to let me in. Arlo was probably about ten or twelve years old and didn’t know anything about any manuscripts locked in the basement….Forty years later, these lyrics would fall into the hands of Billy Bragg and the group Wilco and they would put melodies to them, bring them to full life and record them. It was all done under the direction of Woody’s daughter Nora. These performers probably weren’t even born when I had made that trip out to Brooklyn”.

Dylan – as well as Bruce Springsteen and even Guthrie’s son, Arlo – all reportedly later campaigned to get their hands on Woody’s lyrics. But Nora Guthrie ultimately made the decision to turn the songs over Bragg, who she contacted on her own. Although one published report has it that there was a falling out between Nora Guthrie and Dylan that influenced her decision, it’s more likely that her comment in the liner notes of Mermaid Avenue that she wanted to bring Woody’s music to a younger generation of listeners is closer to the truth. Certainly if Dylan, Springsteen, or even Arlo had taken on the job, it would have been a much different project, and would have had a vastly different audience.

When I first heard about the Dylan project in 2007, I thought the Hank Williams songs were from the rediscovered “Lost Songbook,” that came to light in 2006, after two collectors – and the proprietors of the Honky Tonk Hall of Fame – revealed in the Chicago Sun-Times that they had purchased it. But that tattered, brown notebook is something different – containing twenty handwritten, unpublished Hank Williams lyrics and song fragments from 1947 through 1949, seventeen of which were never recorded.

While nobody disputes its legitimacy, the provenance of that notebook is much murkier than the songs from Hank’s briefcase. A woman claiming to have “some Hank Williams things,” produced the notebook, even though she mistakenly thought it had belonged to Roy Orbison. However, the two collectors recognized the songbook as the same one photographed for the book Hank Williams: Snapshots From the Lost Highway, and purchased it for a reported $1500.

You can read the rest of the Dreamtime’s blog post by clicking here

George Strait in Concert – circa. 1984

Take a listen to this concert that was performed by George Strait at the Lone Star Cafe in NYC in 1984. Ah, the good ol’ days

http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/dt/george-strait-concert/20050891-2607.html

Classic Video of the Day

You’ll have to click here to see it on youtube as Sony has disabled embedding (grrrr!) but its well worth the extra click -

Vern Godsin – That Just About Does It

Hillbilly Haiku House Concerts prepares to host Krista Detor – Jan 16

Here at TCB we think the House Concert craze is the best thing to happen to Independent Music since Internet Radio! We’re making a commitment in 2008 to share as many of the upcoming shows as we can. If you are hosting a house concert and would like us to mention it here at TCB please drop us a line at info@takecountryback.com and we’ll help spread the word!

This in from the good folks at Hillbilly Haiku (Lebanon, Tennessee)

Hey Friends, 

 Less than two weeks to D-Day. That’s Detor – as in Krista Detor – Day!

Her label, CoraZong, will be publicizing her appearance at the Bluebird on Jan. 16 along with our house concert, so I anticipate maxing out our capacity for this evening of incredible music. If you know you are coming, please reserve your spot now by RSVPing. Shoot me an email at hillbillyhaiku@gmail.com and I will get you on the list.

Fresh from charting in Europe, a successful midwestern theater tour in Wilderness Plots, XM Radio live Christmas show, and a PBS special, this Indiana artist makes a rare Nashville appearance. Her musical intensity has been compared to that of Leonard Cohen, Kate Bush, and Laura Nyro, even Norah Jones meets Tom Waits!

MusicDish:
Like a poet and a playwright, she makes songs out of crystalline moments. . . her talent and the content of her songs are what set her apart.

FolkWax:
Detor’s portraits are finely painted..a million miles above moon, spoon and June.

Hope to see you here in our living room on the 19th!

Rick and Denise

A perfect combination – Texas Music and BBQ

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Overnights Authentic Texas Flavor

Palo Duro presents A Taste of Texas Music in every shipment

Austin, TX - January 8, 2008 “I was born hungry; I want to feed the world.” said Stubb as he learned the secrets of great barbecue. With their new overnight smoked barbecue service that brings Texas and its unbeatable authentic flavors right to your doorstep, Stubb is closer to fulfilling his goal. Stubb’s is now delivering unmatched quality smoked barbecue to homes nationwide. Try out Stubb’s famous Brisket that uses only the best part of an all natural beef brisket cut (called “The Flat”), which is then hand rubbed with Stubb’s secret spices and smoked for over 14 hours in an oak and hickory pit. If that doesn’t suit your fancy, go for the Baby Back Pork Ribs that’ll give you a meaty, bite-off-the bone experience that’ll have you talking for days. If you’re still craving more, indulge in the Peppered Pork Tenderloins for a juicy flavor, or one of our famous combos that will take your taste buds straight to the heart of Texas.

The ready to ship barbecue is smoked following Stubb’s legendary recipes dating back to 1968. When the barbecue has reached its perfect smoky perfection, it is pulled off the pit, flash frozen, shrink wrapped and sent via UPS to your doorstep. All the meats are wrapped in Stubb’s logo stamped butcher paper like the old Texas tradition, placed inside a reusable cooler and finally wrapped with a printed “Certified Stubb’s” outer seal to lock up this authentic Texas treasure. Already cooked, the meats are ready to heat and serve. One can feel the Love and Happiness behind these recipes; the pleasure of getting the right amount of smoke and the joy that people all over the nation feel when trying these great Texas treats. Plan your Sunday barbecue around Stubb’s newest flavors, put on some great music and enjoy this legendary tradition.And Palo Duro Records spices up every order with A Taste of Texas Music, a special 6-song CD sampler representing some of the finest of Texas music. The first installment of the series, available exclusively from Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, features music from Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros, Lost Immigrants, Two Tons of Steel, Darryl Lee Rush, Miles from Nowhere and Eleven Hundred Springs. Styles represented range from Americana to Southern rock, a true reflection on the diverse nature of Texas Music.

If you are ready to feel the true flavor of barbecue and smell the aroma of oak and hickory wood smoke that your brisket was cooked in, then you are ready for a Stubb’s barbecue experience. Get ready to fill up your plate with great authentic Texas barbecue. For more information, please visit www.stubbsbbq.com or call 1-800-BAR-B-CUE (227-2283).

SoundExchange’s Motion Sledge-Hammered

http://satelliteradiotechworld.blogspot.com/2008/01/soundexchanged-motion-sledge-hammered.html

Today, Chief Copyright Royalty Judge, James Scott Sledge, Denied SoundExchange’s motion for a rehearing ‘“to reconsider the definition of Gross Revenues set forth at pages 28-31 of the [Initial] Determination; and, in light of recent predictions that approval of the XM/Sirius merger is imminent, reconsider its unwillingness to assess the impact of a merger as part of its [Initial] Determination.”’ Seeing that both sides aren’t particularly happy with the rate determination, the Copyright Judges must have done a good job.

SoundExchange based its motion on the need “to correct a clear error or prevent manifest injustice” in regard to the definition of Gross Revenue, and on new evidence with regard to the merger. The judges rejected SoundExchange’s arguments for the same reason it rejected them in the initial determination: insufficient evidence.

SoundExchange claimed that the initial determination excluded numerous categories of revenue that would result in a significantly reduced effective royalty rate. Judge Sledge found that “SoundExchange does not provide a shred of evidence concerning the nature or magnitude of leakage suggested by its own proposed revenue exclusions and how those exclusions might compare to any exclusions found in the agreements that comprise the benchmark marketplace.”

SoundExchange was also concerned that a merged entity might structure itself differently to reduce the effective royalty rate. SoundExchange failed to provide any evidence showing how or in what magnitude the rate might be effected by “gaming the system”.

The judge hammered SoundExchange in his conclusion stating that, “In the absence of an adequate showing of new evidence, SoundExchange’s argument amounts to nothing more than a rehash of the argument that the Judges considered in the Initial Determination.”

Sneak preview: Tift Merritt: Another Country (free mp3)

The lovely Tift Merritt has a new album coming on February 26 but we’ve got a sneak listen for you now!

TCB reviewed Tift’s Bramble Rose back in 2002 (review link)

We will be having a giveaway for this release -stay tuned for details and we’re hoping to catch up with Tift in an interview in the near future.

Free MP3 Download: Keep You Happy

Audio Streams

Another Country

Broken

After two records and a Grammy nomination, Tift Merritt took hiatus with a piano in Paris and was rewarded with an unbridled inspiration and a wealth of her most accomplished songs to date. On February 26, Concord Music Group’s Fantasy Records will release Merritt’s Another Country. 

Merritt’s debut Bramble Rose earned spots on both Time Magazine and the New Yorker’s year-end Top Ten lists. Tambourine, her sophomore album, was Grammy nominated for Country Album of the Year and earned numerous accolades from press and fans. She has appeared on “The Tonight Show” and “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and shared the stage with Elvis Costello, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams, Willie Nelson, and Nickel Creek. Her Austin City Limits television performance was released on DVD in October of 2007.
              Another Country was written by Tift Merritt, produced by George Drakoulias, and recorded by David Bianco. The players include guitarists Charlie Sexton and Doug Pettibone and Tift’s longtime band, Zeke Hutchins (drums), Jay Brown (bass) and Danny Eisenberg (keyboards). 

Merritt will also host her very own public radio program starting in early ‘08. A program of artist-to-artist radio interviews entitled “The Spark” will debut on Marfa, Texas Public Radio on January 27, 2008. Merritt’s very first guest is Nick Hornby.

Country Music Hall of Fame Member Ken Nelson Dead at 96

 http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1579191/20080107/owens_buck.jhtml

Ken Nelson, former head of country A&R for Capitol Records and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died Sunday (Jan. 6) at his home in Somis, Calif., 13 days short of his 97th birthday. He had not been ill prior to his death, his daughter Claudia Nelson told CMT.com.In his prime during the ’50s and ’60s, Nelson produced such artistically pivotal acts as Hank Thompson, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and Wanda Jackson and is credited with helping define the distinctive Bakersfield Sound through his low-key studio guidance.

According to The Encyclopedia of Country Music, a publication of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Kenneth F. Nelson was born Jan. 19, 1911 in Caledonia, Minn. Raised in a Chicago orphanage, Nelson developed a early interest in music and even worked briefly as a singer before turning to radio. He joined the staff of Chicago’s giant WJJD in the late 1930s and eventually ascended to the post of music director. Although his interest at the time was in classical music, his job also required him to oversee WJJD’s massively popular live country show, Suppertime Frolic.

Nelson’s experience in working with WJJD’s country roster led to a job in 1948 with Capitol Records in Hollywood, where he was initially put in charge of the transcription department. In 1951, he was named head of the label’s country artist and repertoire division. His big break came when he produced Thompson’s 1952 hit, “Wild Side of Life,” which topped the country charts for 15 weeks.

In the ensuing years, Nelson also produced hits for Ferlin Husky, Wynn Stewart, Tommy Collins and Jean Shepard, among others. He was also one of the co-founders of the powerful West Coast music publishing company, Central Songs, and a prime mover in the creation and growth of the Country Music Association.

Nelson retired from Capitol in 1976 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. At his request, his daughter said, he will be cremated and there will be no memorial service.