The Importance and Soul of the Local Musician

The local musician has gone international. This has contributed to music parody, but possibly more damning it has contributed to the death of the local music scene. Back in the day to become a serious music artist, you first had to tackle your local scene, then become big regionally and go from there. That fed a music farm system.

When you consider yourself some type of high fallutin’ music critic, you get asked many times what your favorites albums of all time are. I would honestly say that Happy Birthday, Sabo! by the long since defunct band Royal Fingerbowl sits in my top 3 albums of all time, and can reside in the very top spot depending on the current mood. Happy Birthday, Sabo! is an album of sheer madness.

I had a dream last night that I woke up from a long sleep and was the only writer left in the country music blogsphere that hadn’t succumbed to the cult of personality of Shooter Jennings and could actually write an objective review. Then I realized that I was wide ass awake. I feel the need to offer some perspective. And my perspective on “The Deed & The Dollar” is that it’s “just okay.”

Yeah, that’s right. I said it. I don’t care if T-Bone Burnett, or anybody else with a famous name produced your album. What I am concerned with is if it is good. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying T Bone Burnett is a bad producer. It’s just at some point hype far exceeds substance, and I think we have passed that point with the “T-Bone Burnett” name.

One of the reasons the the Country Music Hall of Fame is one of the most revered and respected Halls in all the land and specifically in music is because it is so hard to get into. It is always better that you look at a list of Hall inductees and wonder why certain names are not in, instead of looking and wondering why certain names are.

As the new music reality continues to take shape, where one big mono genre serves the masses and micro genres crop up to serve the rest, the shape of the way live music is delivered to people is adapting as well. House concerts have gone from a kitschy trend to a legitimate way for artists to connect with attentive fans. For the upcoming festival season of 2012, a new trend is emerging: the micro festival.

Is this a great bluegrass album? Of course not. But a great bluegrass album would also not be a vehicle to introduce a generation of people to Del McCoury, Kris Kristofferson, and bluegrass music in general. Is it the album that Dierks set out to make without commercial consideration or label meddling? I kind of think it is.

Yes, there’s always been stupid songs, but I fail to find the historical precedence of when they have been celebrated to this extent. Did Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” or Roger Miller’s “Chug-a-Lug” walk away with hardware on awards night? What the hell is wrong with me not wanting to be embarrassed by country music?

For those fans of Hank Williams III that wished he’d stayed or go back to his early 2000′s neo-traditionalist country style and release more material reminiscent of that era, you may have just received your wish. And for the Hank3 fans that are worried that his post-Curb career will be marred by incessant album releases of rehashed material, your concerns have just been validated.

Late Monday night, local indie Ameri-fusion band “The Sandusky’s” announced their intentions to record a new album at a local studio in March. It will be the band’s third release, and the working title for the new album is Here With Me. They have decided to fund the project with the new online threshold pledge system called Kickstarter.

Diamonds & Gasoline has a lot of the common earmarks of a Red Dirt album, and a lot of a good freshman album, even though officially it is their 2nd release. I really like this album, but moreover, I really like their potential, and am excited to see what the Turnpike Troubadours have to offer in the future.

Hank Williams III might be known best for his hellraising attitude on and off the stage, but he’s not afraid to show his sweet side when it comes to Tennessee’s furry friends. As part of his continued support for the Happy Tails Humane, a no kill animal shelter located in Franklin, TN, they have released a new video showing Hank3 spending some down time with his semi-famous pets

American Idol introduced Jason “Wolf” Hamlin as one of this year’s contestants on the episode that aired Sunday night. If you reacted positively to seeing Jason “Wolf” Hamlin on American Idol and said “Well hell, I kind of like this guy. I may actually watch this stupid show this year!” just understand that is exactly what the folks in Hollywood wanted you to say.