Well, i figured i ought to get off my big white ass and cut you a new record. I am doing that in Santa Monica under the jurisdiction of the kind Butch Walker with the assistance of Jake Sinclair and some of the Black Widows (Darren, and Wes specifically). Tracks completed so far:
Ghost of the Good Girls
Are You Ready to Die
Hells Bell and Brown Liquor
Eastern Continental Divide
The Hardest Thing

That leaves five to go:
The Last Time
Forsaken Blues
Hurricane
Cant Say Goodbye
and ?

Maybe get a redo on a song from Lazy Excuse?
Maybe Whiskey in the van for the hell of it.

I think ill go have a lunch with my lawyer!

Well, thanks to Lindsay Windham, I dont have to ruin my manicure printing copies of the Shovels and Rope cd art. Presenting, for public purchase on I tunes, and via CD Baby, the new and improved Shovels + Rope by Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent.

Its the holidays, and we need the money so BUY YOUR COPY TODAY! Make us look like successes to our parents who may or may not think we should be doing something more constructive with our adult lives. Hope you enjoy!
ca

YIPPEE! I told you that I was making a record and that it was all done but it just wasnt out yet, and you thought i was a liar. Although you never said it, i could tell you thought i was blowing smoke up your ass. Even the people who went in and recorded it thought it had been a big scheme to con everyone and that there was no record. The smoking gun accused us of hiding the record in the same spot as the terrorists hid the WMD's and that which got out name on a black-list somewhere. Now, would i lie to you?

ANYWAYS!! Shovels and Rope is finally here! Some of the tracks are posted here and as soon as we get the artwork done, it will be available to sell by the BILLIONS ( or as Bush might say, the brizillions) so get thee ready.

The record is a bunch of songs about the same people in a crappy town. Its dark, like rays of light bursting through dirty black lace. The good guys are bad guys, the bad guys are the heros and a kid gets the death penalty. I mean dark. BUT, its beautiful. Sometimes it is stark, sparse and haunting. Other songs are lush, sweaty and haunting.
When we wrote the songs we used iconic imagery so to make it timeless... distant trains, hang mans scaffold, all that. Don't worry, its not all doom and darkness. Somebody makes it out alive to tell the story. I guess thats me!? and Mike? I hope you enjoy it.

I had nick named me mike and jacks 60's rock band the Papercuts. There is already a papercuts. shit. They are really good too since i stole their name, im putiin in my top-tops. check out the song 227 exit. or was it 217...

Let's be honest. We' re not foolin anyone here. I am in a lot a bands. Each thing is different and its getting confusing for everyone, ESPECIALLY ME! While the Gun Street Girls have been my primary vehicle for expression for the last few years, most Charlestonese are familiar with the Charleston Radio Pirates, Shovels and Rope and Cabaret KIKI as well. As summer approaches and music gets busier, i am modifiying my page to reflect all the things that i am involved it, you know, to keep it CLEAR.
The good news is that if you are a fan of music, you will have plenty of opportunities to see what i do right here in Charleston.
The sad news (at least for me) is that my sweet brother/ sister "Pouncin" Lee Barbour is moving to NYC to conquer the Yankees. Since his absence will leave a void that is impossible to fill, and since Ash left last year, and Evan the year before that.... the ORIGINAL Gunstreet Girl lineup is no more.
HOWEVER! Jack Burg (my drum-mate) aint goin NOWHERE! And Mike (bass-mate) is marryin me so he's no goin no were. And as long as Gerald is willing to don his worlds greatest grandpa cap for the cause, the GUNSTREET GIRLS will continue to sing about swamp magic, and king street bar fights, oh and love too.

SOOOOOO.... Dont be afriad of all the bandlings i have forged. The dates will all be listed here. The shows will be cheap (except KIKI who is high priced Hooker of a band!) the music will be good and the summer is gonna be HHHHOOOOOOOOTTTTT!

The Gun Street Girls--- Rock band, with loads of Organ solos and 3 part harmonies.

The (Charleston) Radio Pirates--- kinda like a country band, mostly old covers.

Cabaret KIKI--- Highly theatrical rock band with great costumes, dancing, and original music by Evan Bivins. These are the LAST SHOWS EVER starting May 14th.

Shovels and Rope-- Mike and me telling story songs as duet. Dark and spooky, sometimes really sweet. Concept album in tow.

The Butterbeans-- The girls from Radio Pirates play lots of fiddle tunes and sing sweet lady songs. This band plays on the back porch of the Pourhouse every other tues starting May 20th.

Tiny Papercuts-- Mike, Jack, and myself play nothing but 50's and 60's rock and roll. Shangri Las, Ronnettes, Roy Orbison... If the Outsiders were in Charleston, they would stay gold at OUR shows.

Jesse Janes-- This band kind of only exists in my brain. Its with Lindsay Holler, Jamie Resch and Emily Painter. We played a show or two, but everyone got busy. I am holding its place though, cause i am sure that its gonna pop back up one of these days. I love them so much.

I feel like i forgot one. If i did, its probably cause i have enough bands to be in. HA!
There, that should clear that up.

Its here, its queer and it looks good in false lashes. Its CABARET KIKI, from the dark corners of the minds of the Bivins Brothers, in all its glory. Its gonna take you out behind the theater 99 and get you pregnant. Its that dangerous.... I will be disappearing from the world until its over, as my alter ego, C Guillotine, devours my soul until i can wedge her back in her wardrobe for good. Come..... its gonna be a blood bath.

J Roddy Walston and the Business are one of my favorite rock bands in the world. I have bragged about them ad nauseum to many of my friends and you would be doin your self a service to go see them. You like Jucifer anyways, SO GO EARLY! If your tiny ears cant take the heat, bring some plugs. Who cares if its on a monday....

We departed for a simple 3 day jaunt in the SE last Thursday and were immediately plagued by bad luck.

I left all the cash at home.
We had no passenger side mirror.
Lee almost destroyed his leg, wrist and career at the first gas stop while we were tryin to rig a mirror.
Got to Athens and the tranny started to slip.

Free place to stay (thanks Stuart and Jason) one drunk roadie and 4 hours sleep...

Mr Transmission doesnt not recommend that we try to continue on w the van and trailer.
After much deliberation, left our shit in Athens and crammed 6 of us and the bare necessities to Nashville in a mini van.
Rain rain rain cold rain..... spirits low.
Managment reminds us that this is a big one.
lee cant stand up on his own.

NASHVILLE! MOMMA! Thanks for the comfy bed and the lasagna!! Dad, Sisters, not enough kisses for your kindness. Leslie are our brothers and they show out and rock hard. SO do the Million Sellers and the Black List Royals! We even have mutual friends.
Our world is so small.

Brad, the soundman at the End, is absolutely one of a kind. Thanks Bruce!

Rain Rain Rain one drunk keyboard player and soft beds for the lot of us.

Breakfast was on management at the Star Bagel where i saw an old friend and got a pep talk while the boys and my mom and dad drank coffee and talk to lee about his leg.

Take the Van back to Athens... rain rain rain.... Jason will deliver that van back to the rental place for us and we limp the old van to Augusta where the Soul Bar proves once again to be an OAISIS! We play one of the best shows we ever had and discover both the LIving Room Legends as well as the DEW HICKIES! The future is bright.

thanks to michelle, we sleep free again, and pretty comfotably. that is except for michelle who was sandwhiched bewteen roadie and gerald. jack popped the extra air mattress wrestling gerald. Alan our roadie was a perfect gentleman.

We made it home. Rain Rain Rain, and i am sleeping right now as i write this.

In my dream world, i am sustained simply by glory , rock and roll and romance. Whisky helps too. then there is my reality. I am a career waitress. maybe not a perfect one, but a pretty fuckin good one anyways. Here’s me workin for Anthony Bourdain, who i found very attractive, but at the time, i didnt know him from adam. cause i couldnt afford cable.

well, now i know who he is. in fact, he is my favorite f-n-b person. this is a man who will eat almost anything once, and that is something i truly respect. he likes the stooges, i like the stooges.

he tipped well.