Kasey Chambers Inspires Us with Storybook

You miss the old styled country vocals of Patsy Cline or Loretta Lynn? Well there's a contemporary artist who sounds quite similar, Australian Kasey Chambers. And on Monday July 30th, Sugar Hill Records releases her latest CD, STORYBOOK, a " fifteen song release of songs that inspired Kasey to become a musician".  There are several "iconic" songs from Gram Parsons (Return Of The Grievous Angel), James McMurtry (Too Long In The Wasteland), John Prine (Leave The Lights On), and Townes Van Zandt (If I Needed You) - among many others. Even Cyndi Lauper and True Colors; Chambers' vocals are something special with that song. My favorite, though, is Fred Eaglesmith's Water In The Fuel; but then there's Paul Kelly's Everything's Turning To White - quite the powerful song. And then Kelly joins her on Hank Williams' classic I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. An unbelievable duet.  Okay, there's something special with every song on this CD. Check it out. And for those in the Washington-Baltimore area she will be performing at the The Birchmere on August 10th and the Rams Head Onstage August 13th. Hope to see you there.

Elizabeth Cook Releases "Gospel Plow" EP

ELIZABETH COOK RELEASES “GOSPEL PLOW” EP ON JUNE 12TH AND APPEARS ON THE LATE SHOW ON JUNE 13TH NASHVILLE, TN – In 2011, Elizabeth Cook was asked to participate in Strawberry Music Festival’s Sunday morning gospel show. She reluctantly agreed, but by the time she was halfway through her set, she was surprised by how much she was moved by this music. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been; it reconnected her with music that was central to her Florida upbringing. She was moved enough to record a seven song EP of some of her favorite Southern Gospel songs (well, six Gospel songs and a cover of Velvet Underground’s “Jesus”). The EP, titled Gospel Plow, will be released on June 12th, the day before she appears on The Late Show with David Letterman. Cook and her band, husband Tim Carroll on guitar and Bones Hillman (Midnight Oil) on bass, will be hitting the road this summer, adding a touch of gospel to the proceedings. Full list of dates listed below. In addition to all of her duties of writing, recording and touring Cook also hosts “Apron Strings” on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country, channel 60 that airs Monday – Friday 10 am – 2pm eastern. June 7 - Station Inn – Nashville, TN  June 8 - Cosmic Charlie’s – Lexington, KY June 9 - Kirk Ave Music Hall - Roanoke, VA June 10 - Night Cat - Easton, MD June 12 – City Winery  (w/ Matthew Sweet)  – NYC June 14 - Mockingbirds - Staunton, VA June 16 – Todd Snider’s What the Folk Festival - Memphis, TN July 6 - The Shed - Maryville, TN July 7 - Rumba Cafe - Columbus OH July 8 - Beachland Tavern - Cleveland, OH July 9 - Sportsmen's Tavern - Buffalo, NY July 11 - Higher Ground - Burlington VT July 13 - One Longfellow Square - Portland, ME July 15 - Green River Festival - Greenfield, MA July 16 – Club Passim – Cambridge, MA Jul 18  - Infinity Hall - Norfolk, CT July 19 - Abbey Bar at ABC - Harrisburg, PA July 20 - Rams Head On Stage - Annapolis MD Aug 22 - Space - Evanston, IL Aug 23 - Historic Rose Bowl Tavern - Urbana, IL Aug 24 - Shank Hall - Milwaukee, WI Aug 25+26 - Minnesota State Fair - St Paul, MN

MyJoogTV Episode 12: Donna the Buffalo with Cirrus Vodka

Check out MyJoogTV's latest episode which features Donna the Buffalo paired with Cirrus Vodka - a potato vodka distilled in Richmond Virginia. The episode concludes with a live song from the night's performance at the Rams Head Onstage.

MyJoogTV Episode 12: Donna the Buffalo with Cirrus Vodka

MyJoog Events for December 2011

Here is our MyJoog calendar for December 2011 - hoping to film some MyJoogTV episodes with Donna the Buffalo and Steep Canyon Rangers at  Rams Head Onstage.

Donna the Buffalo - "The Sun" Music Hall Floyd, VA: Friday, December 02, 2011     Sierra Hull and Highway 111 - Reston Community Center Reston, VA: Friday, December 02, 2011     The David Mayfield Parade w. Boom Chick - Rams Head Onstage Annapolis, MD: Friday, December 02, 2011     Steep Canyon Rangers - Rams Head Onstage Annapolis, MD: Saturday, December 03, 2011     Donna the Buffalo - "The Sun" Music Hall Floyd, VA: Saturday, December 03, 2011     Ralph Stanley II - Lucketts Community Center Leesburg, VA: Saturday, December 03, 2011     Larry Keel & Natural Bridge - The Southern Café and Music Hall Charlottesville, VA: Saturday, December 03, 2011     Holy Ghost Tent Revival - Cafe Nola Frederick, MD: Saturday, December 03, 2011     Mike Bowers - Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Dickerson, MD: Sunday, December 04, 2011     Donna the Buffalo - Rams Head Onstage Annapolis, MD: Sunday, December 04, 2011     Black Box Revelation - Nightclub 9:30 Washington, DC: Thursday, December 08, 2011     Scythian - Nightclub 9:30 Washington, DC: Friday, December 09, 2011     Graham Colton (full band!) + Steve Moakler - Jammin' Java Vienna, VA: Friday, December 09, 2011     Honor by August - IOTA Club Arlington, VA: Friday, December 09, 2011     Honor by August - IOTA Club Arlington, VA: Saturday, December 10, 2011     Band of Horses - Nightclub 9:30 Washington, DC: Sunday, December 11, 2011     Noam Pikelny (of Punch Brothers) W/ TIM O'BRIEN AND Aoife O'Donovan - IOTA Club Arlington, VA: Sunday, December 11, 2011     JAMES WILSON of Sons of Bill - IOTA Club Arlington, VA: Thursday, December 15, 2011     Bill Kirchen’s Honkey Tonk Holiday Show - Jammin' Java Vienna, VA: Friday, December 16, 2011     Last Train Home w/ The Defibulators - IOTA Club Arlington, VA: Saturday, December 17, 2011     Up the Chain - Bulls and Bears Pub Hagerstown, MD: Saturday, December 17, 2011     Sons of Bill - Jefferson Theater Charlottesville, VA: Friday, December 23, 2011     Drive-By Truckers / Lucero - Nightclub 9:30 Washington, DC: Thursday, December 29, 2011     The Drive-By Truckers - Nightclub 9:30 Washington, DC: Friday, December 30, 2011     The Damnwells - IOTA Club Arlington, VA: Friday, December 30, 2011     The Drive-By Truckers / Booker T - Nightclub 9:30 Washington, DC: Saturday, December 31, 2011     First Night Leesburg - Tally Ho Theatre Leesburg, VA: Saturday, December 31, 2011     Little Feat - The Fillmore Silver Spring Silver Spring, MD: Saturday, December 31, 2011     The Infamous Stringdusters - Jefferson Theater Charlottesville, VA: Saturday, December 31, 2011

Paul Thorn & Patrick Sweany @ the Rams Head Onstage

Last night we attended the best concert of the year. Hands down. Paul Thorn with Patrick Sweany opening. Actually the night opened awkwardly as Sweany broke a string the very first song. But after a brief delay he showed why he is a rising star. His soulful vocals reflect a combination of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding and his guitar playing - pretty awesome. Expect a new CD from Sweany early next year. Can't wait.

Usually when an artist is pimping a new CD, you have to bear through the new songs to get to the older songs which made you follow the artist in the first place. That is what I was expecting for Thorn's Pimps & Preachers. Not this time. Yea, he played some old ones like Long Way from Tupelo and Burn Down The Trailer Park and Where Was I?; but his new songs were better than these classics. And as expected, the songs were laced with humor and morality lessons - particularly the lessons that make you think. For instance - "The more I learn they less I know" from I Hope I'm Doing This Right or the entire You Might Be Wrong, which brings up the interesting contradiction that with the diversity of religious thought - someone is wrong. And that coming from the son of a Pentecostal preacher. That also explains the title track - on one shoulder his father; on the other, his uncle - a pimp.He played practically the entire CD, Tequila Is Good For The Heart, Love Scar, Better Days Ahead and the hilarious I Don't Like Half The Folks I Love. The only disappointment is when the show ended - and it ended with classic Thorn as he walked off stage into the concert hall to personally thank fans for attending. Fortunately he's coming back to town next month, this time playing at the The Birchmere and then in October at the The 8X10 in Baltimore. I'm purchasing my ticket now.