New Video / Kelsey Waldon / "Comanche"

Talking in Circles

 

The Weekly Keeping of the Gate

Kelsey Waldon Performs "Traveling the Highway Home"

From her new album There's Always a Song, out today. 

Mixed Music Action, Vol. 2, No. 3

By Jeremy Pinnell & Kevin Broughton

 

The UFC’s “International Fight Week” is upon us, which means hard-hitting analysis from your rough-and-tumble troubadour and humble scribe. Oh, and there’s talk of potential musical collaborations, too. Let’s dive in.

 

Kevin:  Early July means International Fight Week in Vegas, and the UFC has put together a good -- maybe not great, but really solid -- card for its 290th pay per view. Alex Volkanovski -- whom I think is the toughest fighter in MMA -- will defend his belt for the fifth time against Yair Rodriguez. Featherweight champ Brandon Moreno seems to fight about every two months, and he's a slight favorite over Alex Pantoja for the flyweight belt. 

 

The one that has me really intrigued is the middleweight scrap between former champ Robert "Bobby Knuckles" Whitaker and Driscus du Plessis. Whitaker is a heavy favorite; I think there's a big chance for an upset. Bo Nickal, the freakish former Penn State wrestler...well, the UFC is certainly pacing him along in the early stages of his career; he's a -2,400 favorite over...who knows, it doesn't matter.

 

Finally, Ruthless Robbie Lawler will retire after his fight with Niko Price -- and they put Robbie on the prelim card. 

 

So, that's a lot to choose from. What stands out and piques your interest on this card?

 

Jeremy:  Anytime I can see Volk fight it’s entertaining. He’s a motherfucker. Might be one of my favorites right now. I feel like he’s fighting on a whole other level than anyone else right now. The way he pieced Holloway up was so impressive. He went the distance with Islam; he’s the man. 

 

Yair is cool and expressive and I guess he’s on a little run, so we’ll see. And you’re right: The card isn’t great. They gave Robbie to the prelims, and he probably needed to retire sooner. But as an artist sometimes we can’t or won’t see it. It’s not my call but he’s a legend. Who’s Bo Nickal?

 

Kevin: Such a hater. International Fight Week also means a new class of fighters inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. This year's honorees are: Former middleweight champ (and a top 5 in the GOAT conversation) Anderson Silva; Jose Aldo; Jens Pulver (the first 155 champ in the UFC); and Cowboy Cerrone who...well, he's the only UFC fighter to appear on Justified. 

 

Thoughts on this class?

 

Jeremy:  Hahaha you’re a Justified freak. Cowboy is the man, and that’s exciting. Also, Jesus, Silva changed things. He was different. All good news.

 

Kevin: Sheesh. You’d think a Kentucky boy would like Justified, one of the best TV shows of the last decade. I guess Yellowstone is more your speed, but don’t get me started. Anyway, it may be because I just finished the Showtime miniseries George and Tammy (it's extremely well done, BTW), but I've been thinking about duets of late. Have you ever recorded a duet with a lady, and is it something you might like to do?

 

Jeremy: I would never turn down a duet, but I also don’t care if I ever do one so…

 

I’ve never seen the George and Tammy thing, but it looks cool and my buddy Logan Ledger appears on an episode or two, from what I understand. He’s an amazing artist in his own right.

 

Kevin: Oh, wow, yeah. He played Georgie Riddle, one of the original Jones Boys. Very cool. 

 

I know you didn't ask my opinion -- hey, it's never stopped me -- but might I humbly suggest your fellow Kentuckian Kelsey Waldon? Prine (praise be upon him) was impressed enough to sign her to his label, and I know for a fact she gives a good interview. What more do you need, and how do we make this (brilliant) idea happen?

 

Jeremy: Kelsey is good people and she has her own thing, and no one sounds like her. She’s killer.

 

Kevin: A tad non-committal, but let’s move on. 

 

As long as I'm brainstorming and dispensing career advice, hear me out on this one. The completely sane Leroy Virgil -- who digs your stuff -- has a steel player (Chuck "Utah" Bradley) who's also into jiu-jistu. I sent Leroy our last Mixed Music Action column, he's now convinced that Hellbound Glory needs to do a mini-tour with Jeremy Pinnell. "At least," he said, "we won't have to pay for security." Whaddya think, Cuz? I say it makes perfect sense. 

 

Jeremy: Well, I’m a huge Hellbound Glory fan, first of all. I think “Dial 911” might be one of my favorite country songs of all time. It’s perfect. I would never turn that tour down.

 

 

Kevin: Yeah, that’s probably my favorite cut from the Pure Scum album. Leroy’s voice is damn near perfect. 

 

As we close this one out, you been listening to any cool music lately? Tell me something good. 

 

Jeremy: Cool music? Hmm.  Croy and the Boys just released a killer single called “I Get By,” and it’s my new favorite. So, I’ve been going back through their catalog and have been enjoying that. I’ve also been listening to a podcast called “Breaking Points” that gets me current and through the day. So, that’s my life.

 

Kevin: Okay, buddy. Good talk. I know you’re on the road later this month (ahem, still no Atlanta dates), so stay safe out there. Talk soon.

 

Top 10 Ways to Become an Americana Singer

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10. Have a moderately popular rock, hardcore, or punk band in your 20s then turn 30

09. Move to East Nashville; stop bathing

08. Stand in front of mirror and say “I ain’t no part of nothin’”

07. Quit heroin

06. Be the offspring of a country music or folk legend

05. Be born named Colt, Colter, Cody, or Zach

04. Drink the water in Kentucky, apparently

03. Be either a hater of all political views or an outspoken lefty, there is no in-between

02. Be a Townes Van Zandt fan who majored in poetry and knows how to play a few chords; get fired from your job at one of the following: train depot / co-op / ranch / hardware store / horse farm.

01. Get face and/or neck and/or knuckle tattoos

Kelsey Waldon Performs "Season's Ending"

It's That Time of Year Again

 When they announce festivals like this...

25 Favorite Albums of 2022: 3/4 Report

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1. Kaitlin Butts - What Else Can She Do

2. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You

3. Aaron Raitiere - Single Wide Dreamer

4. 49 Winchester - Fortune Favors the Bold

5. Ben Chapman - Make the Night Better

6. Ian Noe - River Fools & Mountain Saints

7. The Vandoliers - s/t

8. The Wilder Blue - s/t

9. Kelsey Waldon - No Regular Dog

10. Joshua Hedley - Neon Blue

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11. Wade Bowen - Somewhere Between the Secret and the Truth

12. Amanda Shires - Take it Like a Man

13. Jason Scott and the High Heat - Castle Rock

14. Tami Neilson - Kingmaker

15. Arlo McKinley - This Mess We’re In

16. Band of Horses - Things Are Great

17. Michaela Anne - Oh to Be That Free

18. Pusha T - It’s Almost Dry

19. Hailey Whitters - Raised

20. Drew Kennedy - Marathon

21. American Aquarium - Chicamacomico

22. The Sheepdogs - Outta Sight

23. Whiskey Myers - Tornillo

24. Yelawolf / Shooter Jennings - Sometimes Y

25. Sarah Shook and the Disarmers - Nightroamer

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Lurking beyond: Zach Bryan - American Heartbreak, Bri Bagwell - Corazon y Cabeza, Tony Logue - Jericho, The Whitmore Sisters - Ghost Stories, Jamestown Revival - Young Man, Vince Staples - Ramona Park Broke My Heart, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway - Crooked Tree, Brent Cobb - And Now Turn To

Saturday Night Music / Kelsey Waldon Covers "Busted"

Kelsey Waldon Covers Prine's "Paradise" / Laurel Cove Music Festival

New Video / Kelsey Waldon / "Sweet Little Girl"

 From her forthcoming album No Regular Dog.

The Country Music Matrix

Modern Artists, 90s T-Shirt Designs 2

 

Reginald Spears vs. Niko Moon, Thomas Rhett, and Georgia

 

New Video / Kelsey Waldon / "Sam Stone"

 From her EP They'll Never Keep Us Down, out Friday.

Kevin's Top 10 Albums of 2019

Kevin Broughton’s Top 10 Albums of 2019

I think 2019 was a really good year for songwriting and debut albums. I’d also note some consensus I had with other FTM contributors; seven of my Top 10 made the critics’ Top 10 as well.  And my list falls on a definitive Lone Star-to-Appalachia axis, with four Texans, three Kentuckians and one West Virginian winning accolades. 

1. Dalton Domino – Songs From The Exile

A change of pace, style and life converge in this brilliant follow up to 2017’s Corners. On this album it’s all about the lyrics, and the artist is brutally honest in his self-reflection. The lyrical imagery is reminiscent of Isbell’s Southeastern, and one hopes that sobriety will have a similarly positive impact on Domino’s career going forward. Even if Songs From The Exile is his upper limit, it’s a worthy career-defining effort.

I didn’t cross paths with this album till late in the year, several months after its release. It’s still in heavy rotation.

2. Vandoliers – Forever

Josh Fleming and his rowdy band of Texas rockers had their wish come true when they inked a deal with Bloodshot records, then rewarded the label’s faith in them with this tour de force. It’s an album that combines Fleming’s focused, fiery storytelling with the raw, rough-edged roots you might hear from Lucero or the Old 97s. And oh, the fiddles and horns!

3. Whiskey Myers – self-titled

It’s counterintuitive that this band self-produced a masterpiece after having two great records helmed by all-everything Dave Cobb, but that’s exactly what happened here. There’s depth and balance to this album, but ultimately it’s a Southern rock record in the very best tradition of a nearly forgotten genre. “Houston County Sky” channels The Marshall Tucker Band, and “Little More Money” and “Bad Weather” are right out of Dirty South-era Drive By Truckers. “Hammer” is a sultry, swampy reminiscence of early Black Crowes. This album is a triumph, and long-awaited.

4. Jason Hawk Harris – Love And The Dark

Bloodshot continues its hot streak of great debut records. Harris endured an unimaginable series of tragedies in the few years leading up to this album, yet managed to emerge with clarity and hopefulness. He’s a brilliant songwriter who also deserves legitimate Isbell comparisons.

5. Ian Noe – Between The Country

This guy. He writes this generation’s “Sam Stone,” about every other cut. Born for this time, in this day’s Kentucky. The sad, hard truth, from the guy who’s been milling it for a good, long while.

6. Charles Wesley Godwin – Seneca

Godwin paints a rich and honest portrayal of his homeland and its people with his debut album. Seneca is a moving snapshot of life and well-soiled roots in the Appalachian hills, a backdrop that has given birth to some of the most intelligent and hard-working people in the country.

7. Kelsey Waldon – White Noise/White Lines

A tough, touring gal posts up with an album and band that shows John Prine was right to sign her to O Boy Records. It’s dreamy and trippy and wonderful, and she’s so full of confidence. Kelsey Waldon will amaze.

8. Drivin N Cryin – Live The Love Beautiful

The band’s first full-length album in a decade, it’s a top-4 or-5 in the all-time catalog. Kevn and the band are comfortable in their skin, three decades in. And Trailer was right to put “Ian MacLagan” in his top songs of the year.

9. Chris Knight – Almost Daylight

A couple of things about the fact that all the great Chris Knight songs sound alike: They all rock, they’re all true. And he only puts albums out about every five years. Wait. That’s three things. I don’t care. He’s William Freaking Callahan.

10. Flatland Cavalry – Homeland Insecurity

Building on 2016’s Humble Folks – a fantastic album – this one is well-enough produced to ask if Flatland might crack the mainstream. Maybe this could be a “crossover” act that could win converts?