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Hiram and Huddie



Last Updated: 12/6/2009

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Status: Single
City: Austin
State: Texas
Country: US
Signup Date: 7/30/2007

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Saturday, December 26, 2009 
A big thanks to Jessica Contreras for takin the time to video tape all of these. These are just a few of VERY many!


The tapes below include The Weary Boys, Keith draggin a guy out of the Rhythm Room by his foot 2:50 into "Lose One More Baby" from the Weary Boys and Reverend Peytons Big Damn Band

Stay tuned to Hillgrass Bluebilly for concerts & events, we will be releasing some Jesse Dayton, Jake LaBotz, Flathead, ADMF & Route 66 Killers videos soon.























1:50 AM 
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009 
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Thursday, December 10, 2009 

THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS
Nominee Spotlight- CONCEPT ALBUM

 

BAND NAME: Hillgrass Bluebilly Records & Entertainment / Founders are Keith Mallette & Ryan Tackett

 

WEB SITE: dirtyfootfamily.com

 

ARE YOU SIGNED OR SELF-RELEASED? We are a label, although we have "signed" a few artists on this compilation Hiram & Huddie. Hiram & Huddie is our debut release as a record label, and with this nomination, I believe we are on the right track!

 

NAME OF LABEL: Hillgrass Bluebilly Records

 

HOMEBASE/COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Austin, Texas - United States. Hillgrass Bluebilly has 5 franchised chapters, focusing on the "Entertainment" portion of our company. Texas (Headquarters), Arizona, Indiana, Florida & Louisiana: Hillgrass Bluebilly Records & Entertainment is focused on creating events, concerts (shows), in the listed states....(we're growing)

 

NAME OF NOMINATED ALBUM: Hiram & Huddie: A Double Tribute to Hank Williams & Leadbelly

 

ARTISTS ON THE ALBUM:Scott H. Biram, William Elliott Whitmore, Possessed by Paul James, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Soda, Truckstop Honeymoon, Bob Log III, Tom VandenAvond,  C.W. Stoneking, Jawbone, Flathead, John McKelvy, Wayne "The Train" Hancock

 

WHERE WAS THIS ALBUM RECORDED? most of the album were recorded in Austin, Texas, the rest was recorded in the hometowns of the contributing artists....

 

WHICH GENRES BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC? Honestly, we describe it as "Hillgrass Bluebilly". To be more specific, Country-Blues / Country / Blues / Hillbilly-Folk / Americana / Bluegrass / -

 

DESCRIBE THE CONCEPT AND THE INSPIRATION OF THIS ALBUM: THIS ALBUM IS GEARED TO RE-INTRODUCE NEW BABIES - BABY BOOMERS TO AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC. SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN LOST & WITHOUT A "HOME-BASE" FOR 50+ YEARS. THIS TIMELESS CD CAPTURES THE TRUE AUTHENTICITY OF THE INVOLVED ARTISTS, WHILE PAYING TRIBUTE AT THE SAME TIME. NOT EVERYONE CAN DO THIS AND PULL IT OFF WITHOUT BUTCHERING IT OR DISCREDITING HANK & LEADBELLY. NOT JUST ANYONE CAN TAKE A HANK WILLIAMS AND LEADBELLY SONGS & ESSENTIALLY MAKE THEM THEIR OWN, WITH THEIR OWN SOUND & REFLECTING THEIR OWN STYLE OF WRITING. HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY FOUND THE MEN (and ladies) THAT CAN! KEITH & RYAN CAME UP WTH JR & RL: A DOUBLE TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CASH & R.L. BURNSIDE, AND THATS HOW WE WOULD BREAK IN OUR RECORD LABEL AND DO THE ARTISTS WE LOVE SOME GOOD. HOWEVER, TO BUILD ANY KIND OF BUSINESS, WE HAVE TO PAY DUES AND START FROM THE GROUND UP. HANK WILLIAMS & LEADBELLY (HIRAM & HUDDIE) WAS OUR ANSWER.

 

IN THE ERA OF THE .99 SINGLE, WHY WRITE A CONCEPT ALBUM? IN EARLY 2005, WHEN WE 1st CAME UP WITH THIS TRIBUTE/CONCEPT ALBUM, HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY FOUNDERS, KEITH MALLETTE & RYAN TACKETT DECIDED THAT WHAT THEY HAD CREATED WITH HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY ENTERTAINMENT IN PHOENIX, WAS IN HIGH DEMAND (of heart & ears) & LOW-SUPPLY (of fans, show-goers & supporters), AND NEEDED TO SPIDERWEB ACROSS THE WORLD. WE WOULD NEED TO PAY DUES BY PROMOTING CONCERTS AND EVENTS TO CREATE A FAN BASE OF OUR OWN, TO SUPPORT AND BACK A RECORD LABEL. IF WE COULD DO THIS, THERE WOULD BE NO STOPPING US, OUR BANDS, OUR SHOWS, OUR CROWDS AND OUR BRAND. WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THE MEN THAT LIVE THE TALE TO TELL, THE LIGHT WILL SHINE ON TRUTH AND YOU WILL UNDOUBTABLY FOLLOW IT. WHEN YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE & HEAR, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HELP BUT BECOME A FAN. BECAUSE ITS JUST SO UNDOUBTABLY GOOD! RYAN PROFESSED TO KEITH "HEART OVER SKILL" and "DON'T TRY AND SELL ME SOMETHING". SO KEITH SCOUTED ,AND WHAT WE FOUND, HAS NOW CHANGED OUR LIVES FOREVER. TAKING WHAT HANK WILLIAMS & LEADBELLY ACCOMPLISHED BY ESSENTIALLY RECORDING THEIR LIVES, HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR MOST EVERYTHING WE HERE ON THE RADIO TODAY. CREATING THIS "CONCEPT", WE BELIEVE WILL STEER FOLKS BACK TO FINDING A LOVE FOR AMERICAN ROOTS.....WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. NOW WE HAVE INTRUDUCED THE WORLD TO THESE VARIOUS ARISTS ON "HIRAM & HUDDIE"....NOW IT'S UP TO THEM TO TAKE IT FROM THERE.....

 

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE CONCEPT ALBUMS? "Mermaid Avenue" from Billy Bragg & Wilco

 

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO CREATE A BODY OF WORK THAT’S UNITED BY A SINGLE NARRATIVE OR THEME VS. CREATING A NON-CONCEPT ALBUM? It has taken us over 4 years to get "Hiram & Huddie" completed, the album is geared to back a movement (Hillgrass Bluebilly), while re-introducing the WORLD to American Roots Music, something that has since fell to the bottom of the stream, the undercurrent, while the monopolization of main-stream seems to "go with the flow" with folks.....

 

IS IT HARDER TO MARKET THAN A TRADITIONAL RELEASE? This is our debut release, so if this is going to be the hardest album to market, we can live with that. We believe we are pouring our heart & soul into this, so it's basically hard to compare to current projects we are working on. We put everything we got....into everything we do.

 

IS IT IMPORTANT THAT YOUR FANS UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT? Yes, MOST definatley! If they do not understand the concept of this album, I'm afraid they will not undertand Hillgrass Bluebilly as a whole.

 

WILL YOU BE RELEASING ANOTHER CONCEPT ALBUM? Yes. J.R. & R.L: A Double Tribute to Johnny Cash & R.L. Burnside

 

DID FANS HELP FUND THIS PROJECT? No. But we could surely use their help by purchasing the album digitally, so we can order another run of physical copies.

 

DESCRIBE YOUR AUDIENCE: The working class.

 

WHAT MAKES YOUR FANS UNIQUE? Our fans stick with us through the think & thin. Like us, they are working class. The founders, Keith & Ryan, currently clean pools & install cable/internet/phone. Our fan base does not stop there though, from Blues Society members to folks that just happen to stray into a venue, the night Hillgrass Bluebilly holds an event. The music does the walkin & talkin for us!

 

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO PLAY? The Rhythm Room is Phoenix, AZ - Johnny Brenda's in Philedelphia and the annual DEEP BLUES FESTIVAL in Minniapolis, MN

 

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BANDS’ MOST EXCITING MOMENT TO DATE? This nomination we recieved for dang near 5 years of VERY hard work.

 

WHAT’S IN THE WORKS FOR 2010? Signing more bands, releasing more albums, creating more franchised chapters of Hillgrass Bluebilly.

 

FINISH THIS SENTENCE: THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS….. cut-throat. A labor of love.

 

WHAT IS YOUR DEFIINITION OF SUCCESS? Living and learning, but have hopefully learned while there is still time to live.

 

WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE YOUR FANS? Coldplay, Chris Issak, Fugazi, Bad Religion, DMX, Z-RO, Propagandhi, Band of Horses and Feist

 

NAME SOME ARTISTS YOU CHAMPIONING: Honestly, the artists you find on Hiram & Huddie and artists you find playing Hillgrass Bluebilly events.

6:30 PM 
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Saturday, December 05, 2009 

 

Dear Keith,
 
On behalf of Music Resource Group and our distinguished judging panelists, it is our pleasure to congratulate you and Hiram & Huddie: Various Artists - Hillgrass Bluebilly Records on being nominated in the Concept Album Category for the record Hiram & Huddie: A Double Tribute to Hank Williams Sr & Leadbelly in the 9th annual Independent Music Awards program.
 
The IMAs have a number of new, high profile marketing initiatives in the works to connect our Nominees and Winners to increased audiences and revenue opportunities.
 
So we’re working feverishly behind the scenes to ensure that this announcement is just the start of what will be an exciting year for all of our IMA artists.
 
Kicking off the marketing activities is the launch of The IMA Vox Populi Jukebox, which is up-and-running on the Independent Music Awards site. We will be actively pushing music fans and industry gatekeepers from around the globe to Vox Pop Jukebox to discover The IMA Nominees and vote for their favorites.
 
While the results of this ‘People’s Choice’ poll do not affect the judges decision, The IMA Vox Pop Winners will also benefit from special marketing support. So send your fans, family, press, etc. to the Jukebox to cast their votes and to discover some great new artists.
1:30 AM 
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Friday, December 04, 2009 

Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
HIRAM and HUDDIE WAS JUST NOMINTATED FOR THE INDEPENDANT MUSIC AWARDS - ALL FAMOUS JUDGES VOTED ON IT 
http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/

BEST CONCEPT ALBUM
HIRAM & HUDDIE
HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS

Judges:
TOM WAITS
M. WARD (monsters of folk) & Zooey Deschanel (actess/musician),
Ricky Skaggs
The Black Keys - both Dan & Patrick
Suzanne Vega
editor-in-cheif of Revolver Magazine
an editor for Rolling Stones Magazine
music supervisor for MTV
editor-in-cheif of Filter Magazine
Melinda Newman, writer for Los Angeles Time, Associated Press, Hollywood Reporter, MSN.com
Kevin Lyman founder of the WARPED TOUR
Director of the Kerville Folk Festival
Director of Music Rights for ABC Television
Vice President of Rock the Vote
and many many more........

it's not hard to see that this a pretty big deal, this will open doors for MAJOR magazine write-ups, music in TV & Film......the list goes on

althought he judges are voting on this, they allow fans to vote on it too! So lets take this opportunity to spread this to all the dirtyfoots across the world. So lets all promote the fuck out it. PLEASE GO VOTE NOW

http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/  make sure ya give it a "5" rating

Love ya
KEITH - HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS & ENTERTAINMENT

FUCK YES
They announce the winners in January 2010
12:33 AM 
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Saturday, October 17, 2009 
HIRAM & HUDDIE VOLUME 1 (HANK) & 2 (LEADBELLY): A DOUBLE TRIBUTE TO HANK WILLIAMS SR & LEADBELLY IS AVAILABLE DIGITALLY, EVERYWHERE.

THIS ALBUM IS GEARED TO RE-INTRODUCE NEW BABIES - BABY BOOMERS TO AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC. SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN LOST & WITHOUT A HOME FOR 50+ YEARS. THIS TIMELESS CD CAPTURES TRUE AUTHENTICITY OF THE INVOLVED ARTISTS, WHILE PAYING TRIBUTE AT THE SAME TIME. NOT EVERYONE CAN DO THIS AND PULL IT OFF WITHOUT BUTCHERING IT OR DISCREDITING IT. NOT JUST ANYONE CAN TAKE A HANK WILLIAMS AND LEADBELLY SONG & ESSENTIALLY MAKE IT THEIR OWN, WITH THEIR OWN SOUND & REFLECTING THEIR OWN STYLE OF WRITING. HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY FOUND THE MEN (and ladies) THAT CAN!

IN EARLY 2005, HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY FOUNDERS, KEITH MALLETTE & RYAN TACKETT DECIDED THAT WHAT THEY HAD CREATED WITH HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY ENTERTAINMENT IN PHOENIX, WAS IN HIGH DEMAND (of heart & ears) & LOW-SUPPLY (of fans, show-goers & supporters), AND NEEDED TO SPIDERWEB ACROSS THE WORLD. WE WOULD NEED TO PAY DUES BY PROMOTING CONCERTS AND EVENTS TO CREATE A FAN BASE OF OUR OWN, TO SUPPORT AND BACK A RECORD LABEL. IF WE COULD DO THIS, THERE WOULD BE NO STOPPING US, OUR BANDS, OUR SHOWS, OUR CROWDS AND OUR BRAND. WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THE MEN THAT LIVE THE TALE TO TELL, THE LIGHT WILL SHINE ON TRUTH AND YOU WILL UNDOUBTABLY FOLLOW IT. WHEN YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE & HEAR, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO HELP BUT BECOME A FAN. BECAUSE ITS JUST FUCKING GOOD! RYAN PROFESSED TO KEITH "HEART OVER SKILL" and "DON'T TRY AND SELL ME SHIT". SO KEITH SCOUTED (MYSPAAAAACE) AND WHAT WE FOUND, HAS NOW CHANGED OUR LIVES FOREVER.

RYAN & KEITH CAME UP WTH JR & RL: A DOUBLE TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CASH & R.L. BURNSIDE, AND THATS HOW WE WOULD BREAK IN OUR RECORD LABEL AND DO THE ARTISTS WE LOVE SOME GOOD. HOWEVER, TO BUILD ANY KIND OF BUSINESS, WE HAVE TO PAY DUES AND START FROM THE GROUND UP. HANK WILLIAMS & LEADBELLY WAS OUR ANSWER.

ATTENION: WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A TRIBUTE ALBUM THAT NEEDS TO REFLECT YOUR SOUND, WE BELIEVE IT WILL BE A GROUND BREAKING CD THAT WILL MAKE PEOPLE SEE THE LIGHT AND TELL A STORY ALL THE SAME OF A VERY DIM, DISPAIRING WORLD IN AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC OLD & NEW. IT WILL HELP FIND A NEW HOPE FOR SHOW-GOERS, YOU & HOPEFULLY HELP AID THE WORLD IN FINDING LOST HOPE IN LIVE MUSIC FROM THE HEART.

4 YEARS LATER, MARCH 3, 2009, HIRAM & HUDDIE IS RELEASED, HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS IS BORN. SO MANY PAINSTAKING DECIONS TOOK PLACE, SONGS WERE ACCEPTED, SONGS WERE REJECTED. SOME BANDS DIDNT SUBMIT IN THE DUE TIME FRAME, SOME CAME ON BOARD MOMENTS (literally) BEFORE SIGNING ON TO OTHER RECORD LABELS (ANTI- & SideOneDummy). WHEN YOU HAVE A MOUNTAIN OF GOLD, 4 YEARS IS NOT A LONG TIME TO EXTRACT IT, SORT THROUGH IT, POLISH IT & SELL IT TO THE PUBLIC. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID!

THIS IS ALL OUT THERE FOLKS, HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY HAS DECIDED TO SPEND OUR LIVES, MONEY & TIME TO BECOME A MAIN CONTACT TO BRING IT TO YOU. WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR YOU TO TAKE IN A NEW BAND, HAVE A LOOK AT WHO WE ARE DOING SHOWS WITH IN ALL OF OUR FRANCHISED CHAPTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND GO SEE THEM WHEN THEY COME TO YOUR TOWN. YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED & YOUR TIME & MONEY WILL BE WELL-SPENT WHETHER YOU ARE A SAD & HEARTBROKEN LOVER, OR ON A DATE WITH YOUR MATE. 

YOU CAN FIND THIS ALL YOUR OWN WITHOUT US, THAT OK. BUT IF YOU BUY HIRAM & HUDDIE, LISTEN TO, LIKE & GO SEE THE ARTIST LIVE IN PERSON & DO NOT EXACTLY GET YOU HEARD ON OUR ALBUM, WE WILL GIVE YOU YOUR MONEY BACK. WE GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND SOMETHING NEW & PAY TRIBUTE TO ALL OF OUR FUCKING PASTS, FAN OR BAND.

LONG LIVE HANK WILLIAMS SR & LEADBELLY - THE HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY ERA HAS BEGUN -

JR & RL WILL BE INITIATED AFTER WE SELL 10,000 COPIES OF BOTH HIRAM & HUDDIE. SO SPREAD THE WORD, HIRAM & HUDDIE IS ON SALE DIGITALLY EVERYWHERE RIGHT FUCKING NOW! IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PHYSICAL PURCHASE IN MARCH 2010, EXACTLY 1 YEAR AFTER ITS DIGITAL RELEASE.

4:17 PM 
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Friday, September 25, 2009 
 
NOW BOOKING TOM & SODA
Howdy folks, Hillgrass Bluebilly is NOW BOOKING for Tom VandenAvond & Soda startin now and on into 2010 & beyond. 

WE NEED TO FILL IN SOME DATES FOR THESE BOYS. SODA WILL BE TOURING AFTER HIS REUNION SHOW WITH WAX. TOM WILL BE ON TOUR / RECORDING (ALONG WITH SODA / FOR HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS) THROUGHOUT THE REST OF 2009.

BOOKING FOR TOM VANDENAVOND ONLY:
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2009
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
SUNDAY October 4, 2009
MONDAY October 5, 2009

BOOKING FOR TOM & SODA - PACKAGE SHOW:
FRIDAY OCTOBER 9, 2009
SATURDAY OCTOBER 10, 2009
SUNDAY OCTOBER 11, 2009
MONDAY OCTOBER 12, 2009
TUESDAY OCTOBER 13, 2009
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14, 2009
FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2009
SATURDAY OCTOBER 17, 2009
SUNDAY OCTOBER 18, 2009
TUESDAY OCTOBER 20, 2009
WEDNEDAY OCTOBER 21, 2009
THURSDAY OCTOBER 22, 2009
FRIDAY OCTOBER 23, 2009
SATURDAY OCTOBER 24, 2009
SUNDAY OCTOBER 25, 2009
MONDAY OCTOBER 26, 2009
TUESDAY OCTOBER 27, 2009
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28, 2009
THURSDAY OCTOBER 29, 2009


Feel free to send in seperate submissions for dates featuring TOM VANDENAVOND, SODA, THE BOOMSWAGGLERS & MARIO MATTEOLI through March 2010
 
TOM VANDENAVOND - HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS
 
 
TOM VANDENAVOND
 
Tom VandenAvond embodies everything that makes alt-country awesome. He's got a surly, drank-too-much-last-night-and-now-I-gotta-perform attitude, a killer take-no-shit slogan ("You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas"). One can hear wisps of such late greats as Jimmie Rodgers or even Huddie Ledbetter in VandenAvond's songs, which alternate between good ol' country and low-key folksy ballads about murdering cops in churches and other lurid subjects.
 
His vocals are rich with twang and as raw as whiskey, and he could quite possibly match Tom Waits someday for grit, as he croons out subdued menace at times. But even when VandenAvond spins a yarn in "Lost on the Bottle" about possibly engaging in alcohol-fueled spousal abuse ("Some days I got mean things on my mind/There's an odd chance I might treat that woman unkind/If she don't pay me mind she might wind up in the pines"), you get the feeling it's sung with a playful wink.
 
LISTEN & LOOK AT TOM VANDENAVOND's MAYSPACE PAGE BY CLICKING HERE!
 
DISCOGRAPHY
2005 - SELF TITLED - TOM VANDENAVOND - HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS
2007 - A GAMBLERS PRAYER
2008 - A BROKEN HOME COMPANION
2009 - THE RIGHT TIME
2010 - HIRAM & HUDDIE - DISC 1 & 2: A DOUBLE TRIBUTE TO HANK WILLIAMS SR & LEADELLY - HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS
2010 - A SCHEDULED RELEASE FOR HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS
 
FILM APPEARENCES 
2009 - THE FOLKSINGER - featuring SCOTT H. BIRAM & POSSESSED BY PAUL JAMES - SLOWBOAT FILMS
 
LIVE PERFOMANCES
Keith Mallette 512-300-4136
 
SOUND/STAGE
1 mic
1 mic cable
1 mic stand
 
HOSPITALITY
*Room/Place to stay
*Meal
optional - $50 room & meal buy-out
optional - 1 pint of Jim Beam or Makers Mark
 
 CONTACT
 hillgrassbluebilly.booking@gmail.com



SODA AND HIS...
  
 
 
SODA...
 
 Soda (and his million peice band) is an ingenious creation who assimilate the American music lexicon and bend it into new and wonderful shapes. Their nearest competition would be The Pogues, although they sound nothing alike. The Pogues famously took old Irish drinking songs, traditional ballads, and the mystique of the Emerald Isle and shot it through the veins of punk rock. Soda & Co. are doing the same for Americana. Soda's gruff and mysterious voice recalls the haunted Tom Waits, and his tales of lying women and sinners and early death bring to mind the warped world of Nick Cave. SODA is moved by the pure love of folk, blues, and punk like Frankenstein's monster was moved by a jolt of lightning.

Soda used to light up the frets in the kinetic pop punk band Wax, and among the many other members are more than a few seasoned hardcore punks. Theirs is the twilight world of dirt roads and mysterious groves of trees and the open prairie full of strangers on the outskirts of town. It's dusty and greasy, tender and cold-hearted all at once. "Lakeshore" is a sad-eyed waltz, a goodbye letter from a man who just can't be bothered to try anymore. "Christine" features some plucked and reverbed guitar and shuffling rhythms and some crazy blowing on a mic'd harmonica. These 10 tracks are all vignettes of American gothic, stories of the cold landscape of the great empty spaces, played by a fantastically crowded band. On slower numbers, like "Sinnerman" the multitude of musicians create their own thread in the tapestry of the song. Far from playing all over each other, they open up the space in the music."
 
"The Big, Strange Sound." --LA Weekly


1930s Dust Bowl folksongs, '40s big band music, and '50s rockabilly got into a barroom brawl; and SODA and his band is the beautiful mess that resulted from it.

 
DISCOGRAPHY
THE PIONEERTOWN SESSIONS w/ LISA MARR 2003
SODA & HIS MILLION PEICE BAND 2004
TRAIN OF LOVE: A JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE 2004 - CMH RECORDS
BACKYARD CITY ROCKERS - VARIOUS ARTISTS - 2005 - SMELVIS RECORDS
SODA AND HIS PAWN SHOP 3 2006
ECLECTIC BLUEGRASS COLLECTION - A PICKIN SERIES - CMH RECORDS
HIRAM & HUDDIE - DISC 1 & 2 - VARIOUS ARTISTS: A DOUBLE TRIBUTE TO HANK WILLIAMS SR & LEADBELLY - HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS
 
WAX
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO - 1992
13 UNLUCKY NUMBERS - 1995 -Interscope/Atlantic
 
MUSIC IN FILM:
 
Wax
Wax was a San Jose, California rock band best known for the MTV "buzz clip" song and video "California," directed by Spike Jonze. The video depicted a man on fire calmly running in slow motion, and was quickly banned from daytime airplay on MTV.
The band released their first album, What Else Can We Do?, on Caroline Records in 1992. Their surf-inflected punk rock was compared to the Ramones and Pixies, and in 1995 the band issued its major-label debut, Thirteen Unlucky Numbers, on Interscope Records. Wax licensed the song "Who's Next" to Nike for a commercial which featured Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. The band failed to gain either critical or commercial success, and soon faded from view. Singer Joe Sib later joined the band 22 Jacks, which also featured punk mainstay Steve Soto of the Adolescents and Agent Orange. Guitarist Soda once fronted Soda & His Million Piece Band, an L.A.-based Pogues-esque rock band who specialized in punk-inflected Americana and blues, and later the LA-based Americana Rock group Rose's Pawn Shop.
 
Recent activity
In July 2009 Wax reunited, announcing the release of Hangin' On, a 7" vinyl record featuring four unreleased songs that were originally intended to appear on 13 Unlucky Numbers. The idea was inspired by Record Store Day and all proceeds will be donated to UCP Wheels For Humanity and will be released on SideOneDummy. It was also announced that Wax will be playing their first show in fourteen years at Riot Fest in Chicago, with Naked Raygun and Rights of the Accused, at The Metro on October 9, 2009.

LIVE PERFOMANCES
Keith Mallette 512-300-4136
 
SOUND/STAGE
1 mic
1 mic cable
1 mic stand
 
HOSPITALITY
*Room/Place to stay
*Meal
optional - $50 room & meal buy-out
optional - 1 pint of Jim Beam or Makers Mark
 
 CONTACT
3:58 AM 
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Saturday, July 04, 2009 

Current mood:  blessed
 Hiram & Huddie Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. How could so many of my favorite obscure/unknown primitive blues and country artists be on one collection? This is like some unholy alliance between Voodoo Rhythm (Possessed by Paul James, C.W. Stoneking, Bob Logg III) and Bloodshot Records (Wayne "The Train" Hancock, Scott H. Biram and cover art by none other than Jon Langford.)

But no, this is from a new record company Hillgrass Bluebilly, which hopefully will be conquering the world pretty soon (or have a lot of fun trying.)

This is a double-album tribute to Hank Williams and Leadbelly, performed with plenty of respect if not that much reverence. Liberties are taken, but Hank and Leadbelly are beacons of liberty. There's straightforward honky tonk from Hancock, lo-fi backwoods moans from Possessed by Paul James, crazy stripped down blues stomping from Logg. And Birham's version of "Lost Highway" sounds like a 1950s car radio re-mixed on Jupiter.

A nice surprise for me here was a tune by Flathead -- an Arizona band I interviewed for No Depression about 10 years ago. (Another Bloodshot connection here. They had a song on the great Straight Outta Boone County compilation.) They do a jumping version of "Pick a Bale of Cotton" on the Leadbelly disc. (There's a hidden track on this track -- Wayne Hancock and his wife Gina doing "Goodnight Irene")
3:58 PM 
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Saturday, July 04, 2009 
Hiram & Huddie. A tribute album.

Now, to be honest, I am not a fan of tribute albums. Indeed, there are always some good takes on songs, but there are just as many, if not more so, shitty takes on great songs when it comes to tribute albums. I don't mean to be a crank about it, but it's true. Sometimes even top notch players turn in crappy takes on legendary tunes. That's the way it seems to go with tribute albums.

Still, I had to give this one a shot. A tribute album to both Hank and Leadbelly? I couldn't say no to that if I wanted to.

Here comes the amazing part. It's good. It's damn good. Every single track is good at the very least. Sure, my bias toward Scott H. Biram is still putting his two contributions here at the head of the pack, but you've also got Wayne Hancock, Jawbone, William Elliott Whitmore, C.W. Stoneking, Soda, Possessed By Paul James, and others all paying tribute and doing justice to the songs of two legends.

I've played this through several times so far, and never had to skip a track, never rolled my eyes, never wondered "What in the hell is that supposed to be?" If all tribute albums were put together and came off like Hiram And Huddie this might not be so special, but what we have here is a true gem of an album worthy to stand side-by-side with the original tunes that inspired it.

Enough of me, click the link above and go get yourself some Hiram & Huddie.

Posted by Kent Gowran - Blood, Sweat & Murder blogspot
12:49 PM 
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Wednesday, July 01, 2009 
The New Sound Of The Old Ways

Left Lane Cruiser and Restavrant to headline Hillgrass Bluebilly Records & Entertainment Annual Summer Tour.

Tapping into the same musical DNA that sowed the seeds of country music in the 1920s, Delta blues in the '30s, and rock and roll in the '40s, Hillgrass Bluebilly Records & Entertainment is looking forward while keeping a keen eye on the rearview mirror. Working with a variety of artists, all with similar musical sensibilities yet signed to a number of different labels (including their own), this loosely knit confederacy has been attracting attention for it's ongoing mission to re-introduce the world to American roots music. To that end, the second edition of their annual summer tour turns the spotlight on two two-man bands, Left Lane Cruiser and Restavrant. The tour rolls through....

JULY 1 - EMOS - AUSTIN, TEXAS
JULY 2 - OFF
JULY 3 - RUDYARDS - HOUSTON, TEXAS
JULY 4 - FINNEGANS WAKE - ALEXANDRIA, LA
JULY 5 - OFF
JULY 6 - ROBBIE O'CONNELLS - DAYTONA BEACH
JULY 7 - BEACHSIDE TAVERN - NEW SMYRNA BEACH
JULY 8 - THE GARAGE - ST. PETERSBURG, FL
JULY 9 - WILLS PUB - ORLANDO, FL
JULY 10 - PASTIMES PUB - SARASOTA, FL
JULY 11 - STAR BAR - ATLANTA GEORGIA
JULY 12 - 4620 REINVENTED - KNOXVILLE, TENN
JULY 13 - OFF
JULY 14 - RIOT ROOM - KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
JULY 15 - MOJO'S - COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
JULY 16 - DEEP BLUES FEST

Left Lane Cruiser have been hailed as new torch-bearers for the fractured blues most recently finessed by the late R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, but the Indiana duo go well beyond the traditional stylings of those legends, churning out an even rawer, more pounding sound.

Restavrant, hailing from Los Angeles by way of Victoria, Texas, "use expired license plates for drum parts and bodily drag truly addled hillbillyism into the digital age. They engineer a sloppy collision between Hasil Adkins and DJ Assault that boils down to beat, guitar and rooster-..at-sunrise screaming, and behind them the drunkest dancers fall obediently in line." (The Echo)
The pairing of these two acts on one stage promises to be an evening of unrepentant stompin', hollerin' and drinkin' until sunrise or last call, whichever comes first.

The first release on Hillgrass Bluebilly Records, Hiram & Huddie: A Double Disc - Double Tribute To Hank Williams Sr. & Leadbelly, was released in March 2009. This unique compilation features William Elliott Whitmore (..ANTI-Records), Scott H. Biram - (Bloodshot Records), Wayne Hancock (Bloodshot), Bob Log III (Fat Possum / Birdman Records), Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band (SideOne Dummy Records), Truckstop Honeymoon, C.W. Stoneking, Possessed by Paul James, Jawbone and more covering songs made famous by these two pioneers. A follow-up album, JR & RL: A Double Tribute to Johnny Cash & R.L. Burnside, is scheduled for release in 2010. In the interim, the label has four release scheduled for the second half of 2009.

Hillgrass Bluebilly Entertainment, headquartered in Austin TX, has spread it's own roots to five cities across the South, Southwest and Midwest, where official "chapters" have sprung up (Phoenix, AZ; Ft. Wayne, IN; Alexandria, LA; St. Petersburg, and Sarasota, FL). These chapters help promote shows by the bands affiliated with Hillgrass Bluebilly when they come through town as well as like-minded homegrown talent. As many as eight more chapters are slated to launch in the next 18 months.

"Hillgrass Bluebilly will turn the world of music upside down."
— John Carter-Cash
4:20 AM 
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