Let's fill the world with music

Seth James, Bobby Mack, Rick Richards and Jimmy Hartman playing blues at River Road Ice House in early 2014.

Ray Wylie Hubbard - "The Messenger" (via KUTX)

So this whole filling Facebook up with music thing has been nice. The ice bucket challenge was fun and for a good cause, but music will always trump charity in my book. One post has jumped out above all to me. Mutha Hubbard (Ray Wylie's wife) posted this when she was given the letter "H". It's pure Wylie magic.



Thanks KUTX for capturing this magic moment!

Drew Kennedy launches preview of new record

Drew Kennedy is among the members of our absolute favorite songwriters, and he has a new double-length live record "Sad Songs Happily Played" coming out on September 9th. It's available for pre-order now, or you can buy one of several pre-order packages on drewkennedymusic.com. I've heard several of these performed live recently, and can't wait to hear the rest of them.

You can listen to an 8-song preview now on livedk.com.

Wade Bowen hits the reset button


(press release)


PRE-ORDER NOW!!

If you haven’t heard of WADE BOWEN for one, - and to paraphrase Mr. Lyle Lovett, - that’s right you’re not from Texas and secondly – you’re about to.  Every story has a next chapter and for Wade Bowen, this new self-titled album, is it.  Wade Bowen marks a new beginning, the turning of the page to a place where the music becomes a little bit freer, a little bit looser, and a lot more intimate. This is the sound of catharsis, of Bowen released from major label bonds to find himself on his own again - ragged from the storm, but finally, back on shore.  In short, this is the Wade Bowen, the real thing.

A staple of the Texas Music charts, and a notorious road warrior, Bowen has sold over half a million album in his short career, sung duets with the likes of Will Hoge ("Another Song Nobody Will Hear") and Brandy Clark, (the duet of "Love in the First Degree" on the successful compilation "High Cotton: A Tribute to Alabama"), and been featured on compilations alongside the likes of Charlie Daniels, Old Crow Medicine Show, Eli Young Band and The Blind Boys from Alabama. His Wade Bowen Classic golf tournament has raised over 1 million dollars to benefit children's charities across central Texas.

“The focus was to talk about what I’ve been through. - to get personal,” Bowen says of writing these new tracks, “everything I’ve been through lead me to this.”  Of one of the album’s focus tracks, When I Woke Up Today (LISTEN BELOW), Wade remarks, “I just started analyzing the road and my passion to put up with so much to “make a dream fly!” I’m still here! It’s like I tell people, the road has tried to get rid of me but I’m still here!”



Sometimes, starting new, means going back to where you began in the first place, where music was played straight from the gut, for the sheer and beautiful joy of it. Wade Bowen was made without the burdens that come with big business or the pressures to fit in any kind of particular box. This is simple, American-made Americana, dreamt up on the road and played in the company of good friends.

TOUR DATES

8.11 / Los Angeles, CA / Troubadour
8.12 / San Luis Obispo, CA / Slo Brew
8.14 / Chico, CA / El Rey Theatre
8.15 / Boise, ID / Knitting Factory Concert House
8.16 / Sandpoint, ID / The Festival at Sandpoint
8.19 / Moscow, ID / John's Alley Tavern
8.20 / Seattle, WA / Tractor Tavern
8.21 / Portland, OR / Mississippi Studios
8.22 / Springfield, OR / Whiskey River Ranch
8.23 / Helix, OR / Wheatstock
8.24 / Salt Lake City, UT / The State Room
8.29 / Belton, TX / Central Texas State Fair
8.30 / Buda, TX / Buda City Park
9.05 / Nacogdoches, TX / Banita Creek Hall
9.06 / San Antonio, TX / R&J Music Pavilion
9.13 / Brenham, TX / Washington County Fair
9.17 / Lawrence, KS / Granada Theater
9.18 / Hays, KS / Singer's
9.19 / Kearney, NE / Shooter's
9.20 / Avon, CO / Strawberry Park
9.26 / Nashville, TN / Ryman Auditorium
9.27 / Kermit, TX / Kermit Celebration Days
10.03 / Austin, TX / The Belmont

Texas' disappearing dance halls

-via KVUE, Austin-

AUSTIN -- Some of the biggest stars in country music got their starts playing in small Texas dance halls.

But some of these Texas institutions are fading into the past while others thrive and remind the next generation of a time gone by.

"The day I got out of the army I started building the Broken Spoke. That was 1964, and I was 25-years-old," said James White, the owner of the Broken Spoke in Austin.

Mr. White is now 75. His beloved Broken Spoke still shines like the rhinestones on his red and black country western shirt.

He built a dance hall institution on two concepts: Cold beer, which was 25 cents a bottle in those days, and good music.

Acts like Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, George Strait, and Dolly Parton were regulars on Spoke stage. Their old photographs line the wall James White's memorabilia room.

"I had over 20 country music hall of farmers who performed here," said White.

That superstar power has kept the Spoke rolling.

Just 45 miles south the place that claims to be the oldest continually operating dance hall in Texas has cashed in on the star power, too.

Everybody who's anybody and many who started as nobody in the world of country music have graced the stage of Gruene Hall.

Manager Shane Roch said, "There's guys who play you know for free for tips on Sunday all the way up to Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett [and] Los Lobos."

read more (w/video)...

musicofnb on SoundCloud

Please visit our SoundCloud! We regularly bring you (with permission) songs we think you might want to hear.

Kayla Ray - Lonely Way of Dreaming

Smoke Wagon - Where Did I Go Wrong

Whiskey Rodeo - Old School Cool

Daniel Thomas Phipps - Ladder

Drew Kennedy - Rose of Jericho


Mark Allan Atwood & Brimstone - Crazy About Me


Aaron Stephens - Curtain Call


Tony Taylor - Sweet Redemption


Austin Gilliam - Strawberry Lemonade


Jordan Minor - Pap's Song


James Pardo - The One To Blame


Midnight River Choir - I Need A Miracle


Jennifer Sullivan - Autumn Moon


Jeff Strahan - Take Me To Texas


Chris King - Goodbyes & What You Leave Behind


Arielle Nicole - The Lower I Sink


The Boxers - How Low

Grande Communications Presents Float Fest 2014

Grande Communications Presents
FLOAT FEST
ENJOY TUBING, CAMPING & LIVE MUSIC
THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND ON THE SAN MARCOS RIVER!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2014 at COOL RIVER RANCH
featuring
GROUPLOVE - PORTUGAL. THE MAN - STRFKR - BUN B
WILD CHILD - RUN DMT - ZEALE - WHISKEY SHIVERS
ISHI - ROGER SELLERS -  HENRY+THE INVISIBLES and more!!

July 29, 2014 (Austin, TX) -- Grande Communications is proud to present the inaugural Float Fest featuring camping, tubing and live music on the beautiful San Marcos River at Cool River Ranch on Sunday, August 31, 2014.

Float Fest features international headlining artists including Grouplove & Portugal. The Man, STRFKR and Bun B, plus Central Texas artists Wild Child, Whiskey Shivers, Henry & The Invisibles and many more. Festival attendees are encouraged to arrive early and set up camp, rent a tube from Cool River Ranch and float right on up to the festival grounds!

Single-Day (Sunday only) and Two-Day (Saturday-Sunday) camping passes, VIP packages, and all-inclusive Camp/Tubing/Concert passes are available at www.floatfest.net.

Float Fest is designed to combine three of Central Texans’ favorite pastimes -- river floating, camping, and live music. Presenting on the southern banks of the San Marcos Rivers at the beautiful and expansive Cool River Ranch, festival goers can tube all morning, set up camp, and enjoy more than twelve performing artists on multiple stages, food & drink vendors and various activities.

Float Fest is presented by Grande Communications with support from Bud Light, Tequila 512, Red Bull, HEB Grocery, Do512, Don’s Fish Camp, 101X, 96.1FM, Beatbox, Eye in the Sky Collective, 365 Things to Do in Austin, Rowdy Gentlemen, Study Breaks, Embassy Suites, Four Hands Home, Art+Work, and others. For more information please visit our www.floatfest.net.

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