Alternative Country

Image by JPhilipson via Flickr I would like to create a video for my song “Minnesota Got Colder” for Memorial Day and I thought I would give you a chance to participate. Since the song is about remembering those that we’ve lost, I figured this would be a great way to do that. If you haven’t heard the song, here it is. Click play and then read on below! Download audio file (Minnesota%20Got%20Colder.mp3) Lyrics / Download / Buy CD Here’s my idea… Using the song as a backdrop, I would like to...Read Full Story

I heard that it was a good idea to explain the meanings behind your songs to help people connect better with both the artist and the song, so I figured I would try it out. Today, i would like to tell you about the inspiration behind my song “How To Change The World”. Also, it gives me a chance to share a sketch about the song which was done by a fantasy football blogger freind of mine, Tom Van Wyhe. Change The World Sketch by Tom Van Wyhe Frustration The theme of this song comes from my...Read Full Story

About a month ago I was at a music conference in Las Vegas and I met some very talented musicians from all over the country. One of the artists i met was MJ Kroll, who – lucky for us – just happens to be from the Twin Cities. She is extremely down to earth, is a very talented songwriter and, from what she tells me, like to tip a few back from time to time (so she’ll fit in real nice with our crowd). Anyway, I thought it would be pretty cool to invite her down to Winona to share her music with...Read Full Story

Guest post: Treadmarkz is my brother-in-law, a Human Beatles Encyclopedia and the author of the weblog Treadmarkz.wordpress.com. Some Country music purists would probably say that anything that warrants the name “Alternative Country” is not really Country. But ultimately it is the domain of the fan to judge what an artist is or is not, to them. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Jennifer Dixon. A little country sensibility with a style that hovers along the cusp of blues, pop, jazz owing to a...Read Full Story

I never really heard of Charlie Pickett, or I should say I’ve never really heard any of his music, I remember hearing about him during the 80’s, but I wasn’t really into music back then. So when I came across a review of his new album, Bar Band Americanus, over at No Depression, I was a little impressed by what I read. I listened to a couple of tracks they had posted on the No Depression website, one was Overtown, it’s about a junky looking for a fix, going to get some of that Overtown Brown...Read Full Story

We’re Baaaacccckkk… The Lucero Message Board has made a triumphant return and the regular posters are beginning to wander back in. By next month everything will be back to normal. The May compilation was made while the message board was still down. This time around it included folks from the Drag the River message board as well. Unfortunately, I did not get in on the submissions for the May comp so I’m like you…a mere listener. One fella that has really stood out to me is Roger Alan Wade. He...Read Full Story

When I was a kid I knew Waycross, Georgia because it had a Burger King and when I was going up to see family we’d stop there. Waycross was also the hometown of the Burt Reynolds character, Stroker Ace. The latest thing to bring the fine town of Waycross to my consciousness is the Shut Eye Records artists, Hayshaker. Hayshaker features the husband and wife duo of CC and Laurie Rider sharing vocal duties with guitarist T.W. Lott and drummer Frank Sikes rounding out the quartet.Hayshaker made...Read Full Story

Dave Insley’s path to country music seems to be another version of a now fairly common story for many Texas honkytonk musicmakers: Blue collar working parents with an extensive country/western vinyl collection, skip forward to a kid playing in various country and rock bands, then and at some point finds himself trying to mesh punk rock and country into something he could call his own. Somewhere along the way the rock fades and the pedal steel swells aaand another punk rock vet turns honky...Read Full Story

Oh shit! Two days. Two Swedish bands. If it weren’t the fact that over the two years of ninebullets existence this might be the fifth Swedish band I’ve written about you could mistake me for Swedesplease. Well, there’s that and the little things like the fact that they wrote about Lancaster Orchestra’s cd, Never Cried Once When I Could Have, back in 2006 when it was new. New or not, ninebullets.net’s goal is to write about good music not just good new music…and to say Never Cried Once When I...Read Full Story

From an LSS myspace bulletin: Ladies and gentlemen, As our good buddy David Lee is currently tearing up his bicycling career all over the world, please meet the NEW guitarist for the Legendary Shack Shakers: Duane Denison. Duane first came to public notice through his work with Chicago indie rock icons The Jesus Lizard. But he has also worked with a wide variety of internationally acclaimed artists including Hank Williams III, Mike Patton/Tomahawk, Bobby Bare, the Silver Jews and Firewater...Read Full Story