WANDA ALT-COUNTRY MUSIC BLOG.

Alt-Country Music blog. New and Used. Outlaws Welcome.  Wanda on Facebook

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John Prine & Steve Goodman : Nine Pound Hammer (Live 1973)

Okay okay- John Prine is one of the coolest folk singers ever- how he manages to look like he has just woken up moments before performing is a very admirable look here at Wanda Alt Country.

Teaming up with his sidekick Steve Goodman (R.I.P) - this is a rollicking, great vibe singalong i think about scoring hashish somewhere- i could be wrong! A CLASSIC TRACK.

From Prines’ amazing classic album released in 1973, SWEET REVENGE.

"Nine Pound Hammer"

This nine pound hammer Is a little too heavy Buddy for my size Buddy for my size So I'm going on the mountain Just to see my baby And I ain't coming back No I ain't coming back [Chorus:] Roll on buddy Don't you roll so slow Well, tell me how can I roll When the wheels won't go Roll on buddy Pull you load of coal Tell me how can I pull When the wheels won't roll It's a long way to Harlan It's a long way to Hazard Just to get a little brew Just to get a little brew And when I'm long gone You can make my tombstone Out of number nine coal Out of number nine coal

John Prine

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MALCOLM HOLCOMBE - ANOTHER BLACK HOLE

Everyone here knows we love Malcolm Holcombe- so when he drops a new album we are very excited.

This guy is prolific and hungry - always giving 100% and his new album, Another Black Hole is delivered with the same amount of vitriol, gusto and passion as his previous fantastic albums.

To be honest, his Pitiful Blues album from 2014 is one of our favourites - really helped us through a dark time ....so we always fall into the trap of comparing his new albums to that masterpiece.. . (i know ,i know) also it must be stated what we love MOST about Holcombe is his powerhouse live performance experience - like when we first stumbled upon his performance of Pitiful Blues on Balcony TV Ireland .... just Malcolm and a guitar scratching out songs about subject no one wants to talk about- with his latest offering Another Black Hole- Malcolm polishes it up - gets a red hot band and lays it down in a much more rocking way.

Sure the subject matter is still dark as hell but the sound this time is predominately more straight, an apt follow up to his previous RCA SESSIONS ALBUM ..rootsy and bluesy and rollicking- heck one of the tracks almost sounds like an old school Rolling Stones groove.... our favourite part of the album arrives with the last two songs September, and Way Behind - these are those Townes Van Zandt inspired moments of dark beauty which we enjoy on another level.

Another Black Hole is a bloody fantastic album by an artist that keeps delivering A Grade music...how long is it before Malcombe receives the praise he deserves....”RIGHT NOW WE THINK- WHAT”S THE HOLD UP PEOPLE”.

Another Blackhole ITUNES

Another Blackhole VIBEDECK

Malcolm Holcombe FACEBOOK

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JOHNNY CASH - GIFTED AND POSSESSED WITH BIG RIVER.

Sometimes i forget how freaking cool Johnny Cash was.... here he is with BIG RIVER, released as a single by Sun Records in 1958 - Johnny Cash : gifted and possessed.

Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry, And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky. And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River. Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die. I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota). And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl. Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport, And I followed you, Big River, when you called. Then you took me to St. Louis later on (down the river). A freighter said she's been here but she's gone, boy, she's gone. I found her trail in Memphis, but she just walked up the block. She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone. Now, won't you batter down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on. Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans. Go on, I've had enough; dump my blues down in the gulf. She loves you, Big River, more than me. Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky. And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River. Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.

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THE POGUES - DIRTY OLD TOWN.

It’s St Patricks day so we thought we would feature our Irish heroes The Pogues.

Do they need any introduction??Me thinks not.

SO happy St Patrick day Shane MacGowan and the gang.

A classic song DIRTY OLD TOWN.

Pogues – Dirty Old Town .

I met my love by the gas works wall

Dreamed a dream by the old canal

Kissed a girl by the factory wall

Dirty old town, Dirty old town

Clouds a drifting across the moon

Cats a prowling on their beat

Spring's a girl in the street at night

Dirty old town, Dirty old town

I Heard a siren from the docks

Saw a train set the night on fire

I Smelled the spring on the smoky wind

Dirty old town, Dirty old town

I'm gonna make me a good sharp axe

Shining steel tempered in the fire

Will chop you down like an old dead tree

Dirty old town, Dirty old town

Dirty old town, Dirty old town

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Name change to WANDA ALT-COUNTRY and the first lady of Alt-Country WANDA JACKSON.

Just a quick note to say we have changed our name from Dashvilled to Wanda Alt Country and good news is we will be getting back into regular postin’.

Here to celebrate our new identity is the first lady of Alt-Country herself WANDA JACKSON WITH HARD HEADED WOMAN.

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LISTEN UP: OUR MAIN MAN MALCOLM HOLCOMBE HAS A NEW RECORD COMING OUT-THIS IS VERY EXCITING - CAN YOU TELL FROM THIS ENTHUSIASTIC BLOG POST TITLE WE ARE EXCITED .....

Okay well Robert DeNiro went from being Martin Scorsese’s RAGING BULL to Anne Hathaway’s  INTERN ... i feel lost inside ...

Good news is that our favourite here at Dashvilled  MALCOLM HOLCOMBE’S  brand new album “ANOTHER BLACK HOLE”  IS COMING OUT FEBRUARY 19th, some good things don’t change.

THIS GIVES US REASON TO CARRY ON.

HELL YES.

Thankyou and goodnight Anne.

By the way we don’t get paid to write this crap- we believe in his music.

Available from his own online store HERE.

SCREW ITUNES. SUPPORT REAL MUSIC.

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DARREN CROSS - Just Got Along (la la le).

Its compulsory that we keep an eye on prolific Australian folk musician  Darren Cross  AND to report that he has just put out a fantastic new song - Its called  ‘Just Got Along (la la le)’.

The tracks got a real - Neil Young “I’m a Folk Singer God Damn It” ™- swagger to it that fits nicely here at Dashvilled...... it really freezes our lake.

The filmclip was filmed in Paris at Place de la République about 5 months ago which makes it all a lil bit  incy wincy creepy- considering Paris will never be the same again - and it really adds to the message of the song  – Ross Clelland from the Music.com.au put it in his review of Darren’s track “the video was – self-evidently – made on the streets of Paris pre-Bataclan, and somehow that adds to the melancholy of things lost, as you can’t quite look at the surroundings the same way just now". 

Darren eloquently lays the story straight it on his Tumblr account:

‘I filmed this film clip for my new Darren Cross song 'Just Got Along (la la le') in May this year at the Place de la Republique, in Paris, France . No big deal at the time- a beautiful flowing and perfectly timed clip - filmed while we were over in Paris to play some shows for friends (also with Jep and Dep). We had a great time.We love Paris and made some wonderful new friends. I am not trying trivialise these terrible events that have just unfolded in Paris but releasing this video now- with a strangle twist of coincidence- watching it today , the message of peace seem positively weighted, relevant and needed RIGHT NOW. We were staying right near the Le Carillon 2 minutes walk away- it was our local for the few weeks we lived in Paris- so the timing of all this seems indescribable and shocking. I had this clip completed 2 months ago but didn’t really know what to do with the clip , until now. Sometimes music and timing transcend understanding. So Strength, compassion and empathy to all my friends and the people in Paris and everywhere. Thoughts are with the victims and families .Times are getting strange.This is a song of peace for the people’.

Darren is putting the finishing touches on his debut album that will be released next year - with special guest Dave Mudie from Courtney Barnett band on the drums..... will keep our eyes peeled for that!

Go Jib Jab yourself.

XX

Facebook.

Bandcamp.

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LONG LIVE THAT SPIRT. Rodney Crowell - Bluebird Wine (Heartworn Highways).

In this day and age when everything musical is recycled and almost metaphorically gentrified even before it can take a breath on its own- stripped of any real emotion and beauty that would of given its relevance and power in the first place- imitated and auto-tuned by some smartphone swiping smartass in their 20′s or early 30′s - with their newly acquired Etzy credit card crunched Nudie rhinestone dazzled and tassled up cowboy jacket and smokey the bear hat- served up to us desperate punters as a hollowed shell of approximation by some cleverly disguised multinational record company taking a slice of the music then giving Apple Music most of the share, can we take a minute to remember the movie that all those hipster country and western kiddies want to be  Heartworn Highways ... and in particular the amazing Rodney Crowell rendition of Bluebird Wine- with none other than Guy Clark, Steve Earle in the merry stoned out jam band with an orchestral cluster of harmonious vintage acoustic chiming guitars- damn if Townes Van Zandt had made an appearance in this version it would be the HOLY GRAIL.

These men from Texas and Tennessee spirt's- drug addicted, alcoholic, supreme hillbilly musicianship struggle and attitude make some of the more successful 70′s ‘Outlaw” pioneers seem like creamy cheesy filled cheese puffs.

SO LONG LIVE THIS SPIRT AND MOVIE.

It will out live all of the pale photocopied copy versions that we will have to listen to nowadays- and hopefully I'm wrong- isn't the world fucked up enough right now for some songwriters with attitude , rebellion and clarity to come and shake things up again????

I HOPE.

AMEN.

PEACE.

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POST TO WIRE JUKEBOX.

Cross-pollination is a glorious thing- so today in an uprecedented act of comradery - i present our brother from another mother- from Down-Under / Americana music specialist blog -Post To Wires- Jukebox Mixcloud.

Featuring some fantastic tunes- such as Bert Jansch & John Renbourn, Link Wray, Sonny Boy Williamson, The Delines, Kinky Friedman , Bo Diddley, Patty Griffin, John Hulbert, Elyse Weinberg and  Jonathan Tyler  - it really is a fantastic listen!

Recently the chief writer of the Sydney based Post To Wire site, Chris Familton published an amazing interview with the rising ‘Americana Poster boy star’ Jason Isbell - which is a very open and insightful read. ( Read no bullshit™ ).

Interview here.

So please feel free to check out  these fine forms of entertainment- thats about enough praise from me ....my- “i’m a nice guy tank” - is almost empty!

See you at the bar.

Post To Wire Jukebox Vol. 2 by Post To Wire on Mixcloud

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Stephen Stills ‘4 + 20′ Live on the Dick Cavertt Show.

I could listen to this song 200 times in a row.

Such beauty and grace and grit.

Is it perfect?

I think so.

 This song still rips through my experience with utter power and personal reverence. I am not a hippy....I AM NOT A HIPPY.

Stephen Stills of course is from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the song is from their ground breaking album from 1970  Déjà Vu .A fucking amazing album.

There is an even more amazing version on youtube-live at Big Sur 1969 but they wont let me embed it. Wankers.

Goodnight.

"4+20" Four and twenty years ago, I come into this life, The son of a woman and a man who lived in strife. He was tired of being poor and he wasn't into selling door to door And he worked like the devil to be more. A different kind of poverty now upsets me so. Night after sleepless night, I walk the floor and I want to know- why am I so alone? Where is my woman can I bring her home? Have I driven her away? Is she gone? Morning comes to sunrise and I'm driven to my bed. I see that it is empty and there's devils in my head. I embrace the many colored beast. I grow weary of the torment, can there be no peace? And I find myself just wishing that my life would simply cease.

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Ryan Bingham - Southside of Heaven.

As cliched as this sounds- i was driving along the open road of the freeway the other day and this song appeared on my shuffle- i forgotten how god damn great this song is - Ryan Bingham - ‘South Side of Heaven’, from his 2007 album Mescalito.

Ryan Bingham is also amazing live- he is almost too good! His band of merry session players holds it back - just enough- so its just bursting with great musicianship and taste- letting the star of Bingham to shine brightly!

You might know Ryan from his Grammy award winning song he wrote with T-Bone Burnett ‘The Weary Kind’- from the amazing movie ‘Crazy Heart’ starring the coolest actor ever Jeff Bridges...anyway - Ryan has put out a couple of records after that which are great as well!

He is on a world tour at the moment with a new album out.

He is even on twitter.

Don’t let his good looks fool you!

Going back to driving now. 

Ciao.

When I die, Lord Oh, won't You put my soul up on a train Won't You send it southbound Give a cool blues man name

'Cause I've been lost on them back roads And many times, I've gone blind Losing faith in my family Had drew me out my damn mind

But on the south side of heaven Won't You take me home 'Cause I've been broke down for so long And Lord, it's getting cold

I've been a desperado in West Texas For so long, Lord, I need a change For ten long years This old place ain't seen a drop of rain

Now the wind blows everyday, Lord Oh, like a desert snow Like a lost bound train Running on cocaine and out of control

But on the south side of heaven Won't You take me home 'Cause I've been broke down for so long And Lord, it's getting cold

Long down the Louisiana byways Lonesome highways roll on Oh, won't You take me where the poor man lives It's where I call my home

Can't you see that breeze Nothing but a change in pace Money can't buy my soul 'Cause it comes from a hard earned place

But on the south side of heaven Won't You take me home 'Cause I've been gone for so long And Lord, it's getting cold

But on the south side of heaven Won't You take me home 'Cause I've been gone for so long And Lord, it's getting cold

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Need inspiration? Townes Van Zandt interview and live performance from 1970.

Townes Van Zandt is number one here at Dashvilled.

Sometimes having a shit day is made easier with this man and his music.Audio excerpt from a 1970 appearance on KPFT, Pacifica Radio in Houston, Texas, as he was interviewed by radio hostess, Juliet Brown. Includes a live performance of Nothin' . 

Not only an amazing songwriter but a real funny character as well.

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John Moreland’s new album ‘High on Tulsa Heat’.

John Moreland, an independent Alt-Country/Americana singer-songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma’s new album ‘High On Tulsa Heat’ is a breath of real, polluted air- a refreshing display of beautiful heartbroken , burnt out tales of his journey with amazing guitar playing.

There’s something in the way John Moreland ropes me in on ‘High on Tulsa Heat’ his 6th studio album....you can just tell he is the real thing- when i hear his song ‘Cherokee’ i feel like i’m at the Greyhound bus terminal in Houston, Texas, drinking black coffee- boarding the bus to the highway to Atlanta...just feels like i can trust him and his songs...rare these days.

 Cherokee by John Moreland

The guitar playing on ‘High on Tulsa Heat” is out of this world- a real unique style that is almost addictive to anyone who loves the guitar picking of Townes Van Zandt or Guy Clark- flows effortlessly with grace and melody and masterful tones.

American Flags in Black & White by John Moreland

Don’t get me wrong , im a big fan of these guys but when i hear Sturgill Simpson i hear the Waylon Jennings show.

When i hear Jason Isbell i hear a Marine Corps First Sergeant screaming at me to polish my army boots and stand up straight!

When i hear John Moreland i hear a heartbroken old buddy of mine , drinking a six pack on the Greyhound bus from Houston,TX to Little Rock, AR spilling his guts about lost love and regret and in a beautiful, poetic and REAL way.This is what i wanna hear sometimes.

Buy his album from his bandcamp for 10 bucks. Screw Spotify.

Out now on Old Omens and (the amazing) Thirty Tigers.

https://johnmoreland.bandcamp.com/

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Willie Nelson - Always on my Mind - Live 1982.

Nothing better than tough guys getting heartbreakingly heartbroken.

Here’s the legend Willie Nelson back in ‘82.

This song needs no introduction....Always On My Mind.

Amazing live rendition here as well.

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Sturgill Simpson ‘Long White Line’ Live for L.R.Baggs.

Sturgill Simpson does not need any introduction these days after he blew up BIGTIME last year!

Here we find a fantastic rendition of ‘Long White Lines’ from his album ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music’ , performing for the best acoustic guitar pickup company in the god damn world: L.R.Baggs.

Great combo and the track is bloody fantastic as well.

Sturgill is a hard workin’ talented dude with a talented band backin’ him up - giving country music a good name- so rare in this day and age.

Buy Metamodern Sounds in Country Music from his store HERE -screw Itunes.

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Hard living Alt-Country troubadour BLAZE FOLEY Documentary ‘Duct Tape Messiah’.

Born Michael David Fuller 1949 –  1989 , Blaze Foley was a hard living Alt-Country Trouabour- the missing link between Townes Van Zandt and John Prine.

His song "If I Could Only Fly" became a hit in the interpretation of Merle Haggard, his song "Election Day" was covered by Lyle Lovett on his 2003 album "My Baby Don't Tolerate" and his song "Clay Pigeons" was covered by John Prine on his Grammy Award winning 2005 album "Fair and Square." 

A real songwriter’s songwriter.

I found out about this docomentary from a great Americana blog Post to Wire, always a great read.

“Blaze Foley who was shot dead at age 39 while defending an elderly friend. And even though the story ends tragically, people feel good after seeing the film. Which is not surprising, given Foley's persona: he was a walking contradiction in real life”.

Foley’s story is nothing short of remarkable! So without spoiling any of this amazing story - if you got some downtime i would highly recommending checking it on out.

Amazing song writer that lived on the edge- a true hard living, boozing songwriter, briefly running with our favourite legend Townes Van Zandt.

Check out the Duct Tape Messiah: Blaze Foley documentary HERE.

Duct Tape Messiah on Facebook.

f you like this film, you'll love the Deluxe Edition DVD which features a longer "director's cut" and 3 HOURS of additional archival performance footage, hilarious deleted animation, deep and insight interviews, Available from LostArtRecords.com