great cover songs

Express Yourself LIVE

Alt Country Woman

I just stumbled across a gem on myspace. There is an very interesting music scene in Nevada City California. Maybe its not so surprising, but the music sounds like the town, a town coined in a song by Alt Country band "The Jayhawks" and their song "Nevada California" Its a place where people live a little slower paced, greener, gardening,traditional music playing,kind of life.
The gem I found was the music of a woman named "Alela Diane". The myspace is myspace.com/alelamusic
She has the most beautiful voice, a traditional/ folk sound. At times sounding like a mixture of Emmy lue Harris and Neko Case. She sings songs of life in California, and home.
Her father plays on her record, and is one of her influences. She said she grew up listening to her parents singing, and it is definitely in her blood.
You can download an amazing song from her myspace, its called "The Rifle". Sounds like her house may have burned down when she was a child and she put her memories to music. Haunting and beautiful song!
She lives not far from our studio here in Reno, Nevada, I hope to interview her sometime and maybe get a live studio performance for you. In the meantime, please check out her page, and her amazing music!

High On Stress release new CD

Minneapolis, Minnesota Roots Rock band "High On Stress" are releasing Their new CD "Cop Light Parade" in stores September 2nd. But if you go to cdbaby.com, you can buy it right now online!
Their cd release party is September 5th 2008 at the Fire line in Minneapolis with opening bands Romantica, The Snaps and Slim Dunlap. Its a 21 and over show, Only $6 at the door. Show starts at 9pm
High on Stress are influenced by bands like Uncle Tupelo, Johnny Cash, Wilco and Spoon just to name a few. Listening to the title cut from the cd, I can hear Whiskeytown, Uncle Tupelo. But they have a great sound of their own, just drawing at times on the Americana sounds of some of my favorite bands. Truth is, they are just a great rock band that would please the ear of just about anyone. One of my new favorite bands for sure.
Other songs on the album like "White Sugar" and "Abbey Rose" remind me of a mix of new and old stuff that I like, Sorta Lemonheads pop with Alt Country Whiskeytown sounds, with a Wilco like genius . But let your ears decide for themselves. You can hear samples of the Album "Cop Light Parade" on the bands myspace page myspace.com/highonstress
I dont see what they have to stress about, High on Stress a refreshing sound!

Send me your song for next weeks show

I've been getting a lot of songs from indie bands sent to me for the radio show. A lot of great stuff too. If you have a song you want played and your Alt Country, roots rock, Psychobilly, Hellbilly, anything close to that, hit me up on the email. tommyhardcore@gmail.com I will put a link to your web site on my blog, plus on the radio show, I will tell where to buy your music, upcoming shows and your website address. Its all for the love of music. Thanks to everyone, the response so far is killer. I do the show once a week and am working on making it a podcast

New Hank Williams lll CD

Hank Williams lll is releasing his new cd "Damn Right, Rebel Proud" on October 21st, 2008. The long awaited cd is finally here. The tracks on the album are as follows, The Grand Ole Opry Ain’t So Grand / Wild & Free / Me and My Friends / 6 Pack of Beer / I Wish I Knew / If You Can’t Help Your Own / Candidate for Suicide / H8 Line / Long Hauls and Close Calls / Stoned and Alone / P.F.F. / 3 Shades of Black / Workin Man.
Curb Records, Hanks old label, will be releasing a special collector's edition tin box set with three of Hanks previous albums on August 21st. Hanks new album "Damn Right, Rebel Proud" Is not from Curb Records, It is being put out by Hank as was his last cd, "Straight To Hell"

A radio show you should know about

For 18 years in Reno, Nevada, Uncle Dondo has been hosting "The Risky Biscuit Hayseed Hoot" Every Saturday morning. The 'Risky Biscuit Hayseed Hoot" Is two hour radio program. Dondo plays a mix of insurgent country, Americana: country, folk, bluegrass, singer/ song writter, twang, spoken word, humor etc. It's not just the music he plays that make it a great show, Dondo is truely one of the best DJ's ever to host a radio show.
I have been listening for 15 years, every Saturday morning. When I moved to Arizona to run the Colorado River for the summer of 1998, I didn't know what to do with myself every Saturday morning without his radio show. Now days, you don't have to worry about that. He has his show available for podcast on his website. http://web.mac.com/feralradio/iWeb/Site/Howdy!.html
Some of the artists he plays on his program include, Old Man Luedecke, Jimmy Buffett, Yonder Mountain String Band, Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith, Johnny Cash, Corb Lund, Slaid Cleaves, Robert Earl Keen, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Robbie Fulks, Billy Joe Shaver , Hank Williams and many many more.
Every March, he does a special tribute show to the great Edward Abbey. It has become a favorite here in Reno, Nevada. Dondo has moved up to Montana, but still broadcast his show every Saturday morning on 100.1 The X in Reno , Nevada. And the podcast of "The Risky Biscuit Hayseed Hoot" is available on his website. There is a link on my blog to the podcast. I highly recommend you check it out, if you hear it once, I bet you will become a regular listener. It is that good, He calls it "Free Range Radio.

Jason and The Scorchers to receive Lifetime Achievement award

Jason and the Scorchers are going to receive The Americana Music Association's lifetime Achievement award on September 18th at the annual Americana Honors and Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium on Nashville, Tn. They are going to play the show with their original lineup, Jason Ringenberg, Perry Baggs, Warner Hodges, and Jeff Johnson.
I think they are one of the earliest "Alt Country" Bands, Their first album came out in 1984, but "cow Punk" might better describe their sound.
Jason and the Scorchers’ first two albums from 1984 and 1985 have been re-released. You can buy it at Amazon.com for $16.98

click here to listen--- todd snider and the nervous wrecks live from memphis