Plaintive and evocative, this ballad imagines what life was really like for the heartbroken Hillbilly Shakespeare. It’s the title tune of an entire concept album about the music and the legend of Hank Williams. Dean Miller guest stars on the lively track “Are You Ready for Some Hanky Panky.”…
Americana Music PR
The Boot Premieres New Track From Leslie Tom (Feat. Larry Nix)
Hank Williams fans, listen up: Singer-songwriter Leslie Tom has assembled a tribute album of sorts to the country icon, and she’s premiering one of its songs, “Hank You Very Much,” with The Boot. Readers can press play below to hear the track.
“Hank You Very Much” — which features Tom’s labelmate, Larry Nix — is a twangy ode to Williams that weaves nods to the legend’s songs into a story about a girl who’s broken up with her beau, John, and is ready to, in Tom’s words, “go back to Texas and hit a honky-tonk and hear good country music.” Tom tells The Boot there are a total of 14 of Williams’ song titles mentioned in the lyrics.
“I’m driving back to Texas / I’m on my lost highway / Got those honky-tonk blues / I want to hear a jukebox play,” Tom sings in the chorus of “Hank You Very Much. “When fiddles and a steel guitar get close enough to touch / I’ll say ‘Hallelujah, Hank you very much!'”
Tom tells The Boot that she and co-writer Linda Koehl wrote “Hank You Very Much” in about two hours. Williams and his music are obvious influences on the song, “but so is every heartbreaker [we] ever suffered.”
“Hank You Very Much” will appear on Tom’s upcoming album, Ain’t It Something, Hank Williams. The 10-track record of both originals and covers reflects Tom’s own life, but intertwines her own stories with those inspired by Williams’ life of love, heartache, addiction and loss. Tom recorded the project at Cinderella Sound Studios in Nashville; it features Lloyd Green on steel guitar, as well as the Infamous Stringdusters‘ Andy Hall on dobro, and was produced by John Macy.
The Vinyl District Profiles Great Peacock
“I clearly remember the first vinyl record purchase I made.”
“I had just graduated high school and wasn’t what I would call a ‘music aficionado’ by any means. It took a friend of mine dragging me to Criminal Records in Atlanta, GA, to show me what it was all about. He was a music nerd–the guy with a terabyte or so of music saved to multiple hard drives at his house. He became my music liaison; he knew my tastes and helped me extrapolate beyond them and find new music that I’d be interested in. So, what records did I walk out of the store with that day? Album by Girls and the National’s High Violet. Both are responsible for shaping my tastes, and both are still in heavy rotation today. In fact, I think I’ll go put them on right now.
I lived in Athens, GA, for seven years, and would constantly kill time thumbing through the collections at Wuxtry and Low Yo Yo. Those two hold a special place in my heart, as I cut my teeth as a musician in Athens. The folks who worked there were all musicians and they were all super inclusive and supportive of the local scene, which is something that tips me off as to whether a certain store is worth spending your time and money in. Are you getting the High Fidelity treatment or do you feel welcome? Record stores are by their nature (maybe not the Amoebas of the world) small businesses that survive by serving the local community. It should feel like a local coffee shop, not a Starbucks. Also, I’m obligated to mention that Peter Buck worked at Wuxtry back in the day. Doesn’t get any more gangster than that.
Americana Highways Praises The Rose Petals’ New Video
Americana Highways presents this video premiere of The Rose Petals’ song “Welcome to the Big Top” from their new album Americana Grenadine. The album was recorded and mixed by Dan Destiny at Mystic Trip in Los Angeles, and mastered by Rachel Field at Resonant Mastering in Seattle.
The video was directed by Hamilton Boyce with title illustrations by Amy Huber.
“Welcome to the Big Top” is Peter Donovan on lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Zach Jones on bass, keys, and backing vocals; Curran McDowell on drums and percussion; Elijah Ocean on lead vocals, lead guitar, and harmonica with additional keyboards by Dan Destiny.
PopMatters Premieres Single from the Rose Petals
American Grenadine is the debut album from Los Angeles’ the Rose Petals. Out on 23 April, the LP has been over a dozen years in the making. Songwriting duo Peter Donovan (All the Real Girls) and Elijah Ocean had been acquainted since 2008 but only after Donovan made a cross-country tour visiting the graves of US presidents in 2016 did the pair finally realize their dream of working together. With songs about 11 presidents, the album is often reminiscent of the sweet jangle rock of R.E.M. and the Gin Blossoms.
The new single, “Welcome the the Big Top,” is about Warren G. Harding, who occupied the White House from 1921 to 1923, becoming a widely popular figure in his brief tenure. After his death, a series of scandals came to light, which damaged his standing in Americans’ eyes. In addition to extramarital affairs and violating prohibition, there was the teapot Dome, which ultimately saw his Interior Secretary going to jail after taking bribes.
The Rose Petals create a mini-history lesson for listeners amid the track’s three minutes and change.
The Boot Premieres New Track From Forthcoming Ross Cooper Album
Country artist and former professional cowboy Ross Cooper is premiering his song “Old Crow Whiskey and a Cornbread Moon” exclusively for readers of The Boot.
“Old Crow Whiskey and a Cornbread Moon” is a smooth, classic country ballad that explores blue-collar America and gratitude. “In short, “Old Crow Whiskey and a Cornbread Moon” is about being appreciative for what you have,” Cooper tells The Boot. “About being thankful even when things may not be going your way. Celebrating what you do have instead of worrying about what you don’t, and realizing that it doesn’t take much to be happy.”