I had my first experience hearing someone be fooled by an AI artist in real time. A woman requested this at my local bar and I knew immediately it wasn’t from 1953 as anyone with ears should have. Shame on @bandcamp.com for allowing this slop to distract from real artists they claim to support.

Ain’t No Man Alive Can Handle Me, by Bertha Mae Lightning

track by Bertha Mae Lightning

dumpstergrooves.bandcamp.com

RIP Max Eider. A cool older friend recommended The Jazz Butcher when I was 15 and the comp Draining The Glass has been a sacred musical text to me ever since. I was lucky enough to see them in 1999 and will never forget it. This video seems fitting since it’s so unpretentious and max is on lead vox

D.R.I.N.K.

YouTube video by BrianDmage

youtu.be

I’m not a big #recordstoreday guy but I couldn’t resist the Son Volt reissue. Hearing demos of those songs that have always seemed eternal and like they were manifested into existence is kind of unnerving. I consider Trace to be among the few musical sacred texts of my life.

Now that Fat Bear Week is over is Hegseth going to host Fat Generals Week on Fox News? Maybe Linda McMahon can make a call and it can be an exclusive PPV event.

I don’t know if anyone in Western Mass even follows me here but I’m selling a collection of bluegrass vinyl if there is somehow anyone interested. I’d rather not take the time to ship it but I guess I can if someone’s willing to spend the money. I’ll sell individually if I’m unable to move the lot.

Classic Bluegrass/Old Timey/Folk Vinyl Collection 100LPs - cds / dvds / vhs - by owner - electronics media sale -...

This collection is chock full of bluegrass classics and lots of reissues of early country and old timey as well as some mountain music field recording type comps. Included are several original King,.....

westernmass.craigslist.org

Greenfield Mass #nokings. More clown wigs than Trump hats. One sad little rusted old truck surrounded by the resistance.

Picked this up from a friend for 15 cents when we were drunk. There are many other songs with the same title and several versions of a couple of those but none as good as this country disco banger. Of course I’m biased toward New England country artists and also obscure ones so your mileage may vary

Sharlene Hooper "Not Tonight I've Got A Heartache"

YouTube video by wilburscott

youtu.be

After two solid crowds for the March and April meetings of Twang Club the Voo has booked me for 2nd Thursdays through August. I think this time I’ll focus on Horny Country inspired by the Loretta song Spring Fever. Way more fun than my first idea of songs about flowers.

Continuing to do my part to provide a small bit of musical distraction from the demise of democracy. Let’s get twangy and weird and drunk. Planning on more cowpunk and Western swing this time.

I was thinking today that maybe the burgeoning progressive alternative to the tea party should be the Town Hall Party. Then I remembered why that sounded so familiar.

Johnny Cash at Town Hall Party 1958/ Part 1

YouTube video by Katzeleine

youtu.be

After years of being a hardcore honkytonk purist my ears softened to string sections in some country records from the 70s back but I just do not understand the resurgence in recent years. I’m not sure if it’s the producers or the artists making the call but they still make most songs sound cheesy AF

It better not freaking snow this time.

Tonight someone said I was “here for the vibes” and that is my new goal in life. To always be there for the vibes. Fuck everything else.

If the US stops making pennies does that mean it’ll now be “a nickel for your thoughts”. I thought he was going to do something about inflation.

Just picked up this Carl Perkins record. It came out on a tiny label in 67 between his UK rediscovery in the mid 60s and re-rediscovery in the 70s. This is one of 4 great originals. Some tracks remind me of a less funky Tony Joe White, others a modernized TN Ernie Ford with a little Roger Miller too

Carl Perkins - Home (That's Where The Heart Is)

YouTube video by Tom Page (Real Country)

youtu.be

Fork off Elon. thehill.com/regulation/c...

Spoon

YouTube video by Andrew Parker

youtube.com

I know the world is on fire but all the more reason to hang out and listen to country records in Western Mass. Think of it as the “answer song” to Valentine’s Day. 2/15 8pm at The Voo in Turners Falls. No cover. Country song bingo if anyone wants to play.

I kinda thought it would take until at least the second episode of the trumpocalypse limited series before the planes would start falling out of the sky. Usually the zombies have to take over before that happens. Oh wait.

Hard to hear that Wayne Hancock is having such a rough time. There are no words for what Thunderstorms and Neon Signs meant to me when I was in high school. I don’t have a lot of extra $ to contribute but I have a DJ gig coming up and will be taking donations to send to his gofundme.

Donate to Keep Wayne on the Road: Winter Relief Fund., organized by Sebastien Bordeaux

Help Wayne Survive Winter Hello, I’m Sebastien Bordeaux, and I've h… Sebastien Bordeaux needs your support for Keep Wayne on the Road: Winter Relief Fund.

gofund.me

Fair warning to anyone in New England DO NOT trust the tire inflation machines at Cumby’s. I set the machine to inflate my tires to the correct amount of 33 and 35 and they were all up to 40 when I brought my car in thinking one was low because my alert went on.

Two things that get me excited about a record are “recorded in 10 days” and “co-producer Shooter Jennings.” More records should have those two things going for them.

BrooklynVegan@brooklynvegan.bsky.social · 2y ago

Charley Crockett signs to Island, announces new LP (watch the trailer), touring www.brooklynvegan.com/charley-croc...

Last week was a terrible week to be a federal employee but this weekend was a great weekend to be in Western Mass. Two awesome shows, friends old and new everywhere I went, great beers at Floodwater and shawarma from the food truck in Shelburne Falls and ribs from North Village Smokehouse. Hell yeah

More like “More Sparks with Farts.” I look forward to the addition of fart lighting as the newest event at the greenfield winter carnival. #westass

Excited to finally try the new west coast IPA from Incandescent Brewing in Bernardston, MA. I can’t think of another western mass beer that has a crisper combo of citrus and bitterness with a cleaner finish. The best west coast IPAs around here usually lean towards piney, grassy or dank. #beersky

The rare exception to Betteridge’s law of headlines. Also, duh.

MassLive@masslive.bsky.social · 2y ago

The Forgotten Half: Is Western Mass. really ignored by Beacon Hill? | Bay State Briefing

Not sure what my dad did to necessitate writing this to my mom but it feels like a good sentiment to put out there now.

It’s nice to see Western Mass finally taking steps to act more regionally. We’ve been held back for so long by the provincial thinking of all these small towns fighting for funding scraps from the state and duplicating efforts that would be more successful when combined together. More of this please

Pilot program would add downtown coordinator for Shelburne Falls, Turners Falls and Northfield

Three Franklin County communities — Turners Falls, Shelburne Falls and Northfield — are set to be part of a pilot program adding a shared rural downtown coordinator position to lead revitalization eff...

recorder.com

RIP Melba Montgomery one of my favorite country singers. Too often thought of as just a duet partner not only did she release many incredible solo records she wrote a ton of her own songs including the first song in this video the B side of her second release. Good luck getting it out of your head.

Melba Montgomery — Happy You, Lonely Me / I'm No Longer in Your Heart (~1962)

YouTube video by k8track

youtu.be

Speaking of Ringo this is one of the best things I’ve found so far while going through my parents letters from the 60s. My dad was working at the Library of Congress at the time not long before being called up for Vietnam. My great grandfather included this clipping and a note that read…

A new Gary Louris song is always a cause for celebration but a stripped down Gary Louris song with Gary Louris harmonizing with Gary Louris even more so. youtu.be/Z5rs6tRVT8g?...

Getting Older (Official Video)

YouTube video by Gary Louris

youtu.be