New Cory Morrow Album in 2008

Coming this Spring in April or May will be a brand new album coming out by one of my favorvite artists Cory Morrow. Cory is one of the top artists in Texas. He has yet to put out a bad album.

Here is a track listing in no set order:
- Ready To Rain (Morrow, Liz Rose)
- Said And Done (Morrow, Walt Wilkins, Lee Brice, Doug Johnson)
- I Can Wait (Morrow)
- My Baby And Me (Morrow, Gattis, Chris Hennesse)
- O Lord You Devil (Morrow, Radney Foster)
- Love Finds Everyone (Morrow, Walt Wilkins, Lee Brice, Doug Johnson)
- Ten Mile Road (Morrow, Ken Agee)
- He Carries Me (Morrow, Liz Rose)
- Worth It (Morrow, Walt Wilkins)
- Radiate (Morrow)

I can't wait this will sure to be one one of the top albums of 2008.

Check out info on Cory online at these locations:
Official Web Site
My Space Site

Bob Schneider Live At Gruene Hall

One of my favorite places to see live music is the legendary Gruene Hall in Gruene/New Braunfels, Texas. It's a combination of things from the atmosphere, the old wood floors, the history, the size, and the acoustics all combine to create a special live music experience. Now when you combine that with great talent you have something real special! Last night was no exception when I went to Gruene Hall to see Bob Schneider with Zack Walther and the Cronkites (a great up coming artist from the New Braunfels area) opening. Now let me start by saying two things if haven't been to Gruene Hall then make plans to go and second if you have not seen Bob Schneider then you have been missing out. While I have seen Bob many times, every time is a little different. Going to a Bob Schneider show you will see the most deverse show you have ever seen one minute you will hear some folk/bluegrass music the next hard rock, then a little rap, some electronic music, ragge, and funk. It's all there for your musical tastes. Check Bob Schneider's web site to see when he will be in your area. Also want to make plans to go to Gruene Hall check out their web site for the upcoming schedule.
Click here for Bob Schneider's site
Click here for Gruene Hall site

Best of 2007 Series: Live Shows

As we enter the last week of 2007, I am going to post a series of Best of 2007 lists. The first up in the series is "Live Show". If you know me, know I am a live music junkie! There is nothing like seeing live music and is one of the best ways to support musicians. With all the good shows I go to in a year, which is probably 100 plus a year, it is hard (with all the beer consumption) to remember all the show but I have complied a list of 20 shows that stand out to me. So they are.

TOP 20 LIVE SHOWS OF 2007
1. Jeff Tweedy - The Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
2. Wilco - Austin City Limits Music Festival - Austin, TX
3. Son Volt - Floores Country Store - Helotes, TX
4. Spoon - Austin City Limits Music Festival - Austin, TX
5. Reckless Kelly - Jack's Patio Bar and Grill - San Antonio, TX
6. The National - Austin City Limits Music Festival - Austin, TX
7. Robert Earl Keen - Gruene Hall - Gruene, TX
8. Rodney Crowell - County Line Bar BBQ - San Antonio, TX
9. Ryan Bingham - Rolling Oaks Sports Bar and Grill - San Antonio, TX
10. Mike McClure and Scott Miller - Gruene Hall - Gruene, TX
11. Cory Morrow - Floores Country Store - Helotes, TX
12. Mike McClure - Floores Country Store - Helotes, TX
13. Adam Hood - Rolling Oaks Sports Bar and Grill - San Antonio, TX
14. Bob Schneider - Gruene Hall - Gruene, TX
15. Ruben V - County Line Bar BBQ - San Antonio, TX
16. Band of Heathens - Sam's Burger Joint - San Antonio, TX
17. Bleu Edmondson - Holligans - San Antonio, TX
18. Two Tons of Steel - Gruene Hall - Gruene, TX
19. Zack Walther & The Cronkites - Tavern In The Gruene - Gruene, TX
20. Kenny Wayne Shepard - House Of Blues - Las Vegas, NV

Where Does R.E.M. Rank All-Time?

This morning I was scrolling through my DirecTV guide and on a DirecTV exclusive channel called the 101 they had R.E.M. live concert. Well as a long time R.E.M. fan I turned it on and while I was watching I started thinking where R.E.M. ranks on the all-time rock band list. You have the likes of Bob Dylan, the Beattles, Rolling Stones as the top of the list but who follows does R.E.M. rank in the top 10, top 20? I think after 27 years of great music R.E.M. I think they rank up near the top. I would rank them one of the top 5 bands in the last 20 years. I am going to think about this for a while and come up with a All-time Rock band list and put it in a future blog. Check out the poll on the right side and let me know what you think!

Okkervil River - Golden Opportunities Mixed Tapes

One of my new favorite bands, Okkervil River has released a live album of cover songs called "Golden Opportunities Mixtapes" These songs, all but one original are all cover songs, were recorded while on tour "at various radio stations, concerts, and empty hotel stairwells" between 2006-2007 .

Golden Opportunities Mixtape (songwriters in partntheses):
1 April Anne (John Phillips)
2 Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Randy Newman)
3 I Want to Know (Charles F. Olsen/Ed Sanders)
4 Do What You Gotta Do (Jimmy Webb)
5 I Can Here to Say I'm Going Away (Serge Gainsbourg)
6 The Blonde in the Bleachers (Joni Mitchell)
7 Antarctica Starts Here (John Cale)
8 Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas (Will Sheff)
9 Solo (Sandy Denny)

You can download it for free (including digital artwork and liner notes) via Okkervil River's website.

The White Stripes: 'We may never tour again'

Say it ain't so!!! The White Stripes of one of the bands I was looking forward to seeing at the ACL this past September but then they cancelled their whole 2007 tour. My one hope was eventually they would come back and make up some of those dates once Meg got better. That however looks like may never happen. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, when asked about the band's future Jack White said "I don't know, I guess it's up to Meg. The Beatles did it (quite touring but continued as a band). I'm joking, but if we didn't ever tour again it wouldn't matter to me."

Click Here for the full story

50th Grammy Nominations

The 50th Grammy Nominations were announed today! Here a few of the nominations:

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)
Timebomb - Beck
Only Mama Knows - Paul McCartney - Track from: Memory Almost Full
Our Country - John Mellencamp - Track from: Freedom's Road
Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen - Track from: Magic
Come On - Lucinda Williams - Track from: West

Best Rock Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Rock, Hard Rock & Metal songs. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)
Come On - Lucinda Williams, songwriter - (Lucinda Williams) - West
Icky Thump - Jack White, songwriter - (The White Stripes) - Icky Thump
It's Not Over - Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson & Brett Young, songwriters -(Daughtry)
The Pretender - Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Chris Shiflett, songwriters - (FooFighters)
Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen, songwriter - (Bruce Springsteen) - Magic

Best Rock Album
(Vocal or Instrumental. Includes Hard Rock and Metal.)
Daughtry - Daughtry - [RCA Records]
Revival - John Fogerty - [Fantasy]
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - Foo Fighters - [Roswell/RCA Records]
Magic - Bruce Springsteen - [Columbia]
Sky Blue Sky - Wilco - [Nonesuch Records]

Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)
Alright, Still... - Lily Allen - [Capitol Records]
Neon Bible - Arcade Fire - [Merge Records]
Volta - Bjork - [Elektra/Atlantic]
Wincing The Night Away - The Shins - [Sub Pop]
Icky Thump - The White Stripes - [Third Man/Warner Bros.]

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)
The Calling - Mary Chapin Carpenter - [Zoe Records]
My Name Is Buddy - Ry Cooder - [Nonesuch Records Inc./Warner Music Group]
Washington Square Serenade - Steve Earle - [New West Records]
Children Running Through - Patty Griffin - [ATO Records]
Orphans - Tom Waits - [Anti]

Check out all Grammy nominations

New Wilco Tour Dates

The best live band in the world as well as my favorite band Wilco, has announced some new tour date for 2008. If you are within a 3 hours radius of one of these show you need to go because you will not be disappointed!

02-22 Cleveland, OH - Lakewood Civic Auditorium
02-23 Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre0
2-24 New Haven, CT - Schubert Theater
03-02 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
03-03 Mobile, AL - Mobile Civic Center
03-04 New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's
03-05 New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's
03-07 Houston, TX - Verizon Theater
03-08 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
03-09 Des Moines, IA - Val Air Ballroom
03-18 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
03-19 Brisbane, Australia - The Tivoli0
3-20 Byron Bay, Australia - East Coast Blues Festival
03-22 Auckland, New Zealand - New Zealand Festival
03-23 Wellington, New Zealand - Front Room
03-26 Melbourne, Australia - Palace Theatre

Visit Wilco's web for ticket info

San Antonio Live Music Series

If you live in or around San Antonio come out on Wednesday's for some live music!!

Check out www.samsburgerjoint.com for more info.

Cool New Band

I subscribe to emusic and last month I downloaded 5 free tracks by this band called Ha Ha Tonka. After listening to them I was a new fan of this indie rock band from Springfield, Missouri. They have great four-part harmonies mixed with some alt-country and rock. I have recently downloaded there full lenghth album called "Buckle in the Bible Belt" and it rocks.

Check out their song "St. Nick On The Fourth in a Fervor"


Check them out at www.hahatonkamusic.com or www.myspace.com/hahatonka