My favorite new band: the Bakersfield Breakers

No, they're not from California. The Bakersfield Breakers are a three-piece instrumental group from New York City that formed in 2010. The band consists of good old guitar, bass, and drums and its mission is to reawaken the classic guitar-driven sound of 1950’s Bakersfield (CA) and the driving tunes of 1960’s surf rock. In addition to its large catalog of covers, the group also perform originals that fit perfectly with the vintage vibe and gigs can last anywhere from forty-five minutes to three hours. Currently gigging around the northeast, have a listen to their new album (In The Studio With...), buy a copy, and catch them live if you can!

Bakersfield Breakers on Bandcamp

Bakersfield Breakers on Facebook

Bakersfield Breakers on Reverb Nation

Upcoming gigs:

South Street Seaport (NYC) – July 22nd - 12 noon to 2 pm

Otto’s Shrunken Head (NYC) – July 23rd – 9 to 9:45 pm

Sidewalk Café (NYC) – July 27th 6 to 7 pm

South Street Seaport (NYC) – August 12th – 12 noon to 2 pm

Deno’s Wonder Wheel Music Marathon (Coney Island, Brooklyn) – August 16th – 2 to 3 pm

Livestock Music Festival (Bovina, NY) – August 23rd – 2 to 3 pm

Jesse Winchester RIP

Photo by Susan Moss

Jesse Winchester - RIP

Ray Price RIP

 Ray Price - RIP

Obituaries of note: Eydie Gorme and Jody Payne

Eydie Gorme - RIP

Jody Payne, left, with his long time boss, Willie Nelson

Jody Payne - RIP

Cowboy Jack Clement RIP

Cowboy Jack Clement - RIP

Slim Whitman RIP

 Slim Whitman - RIP

Happy birthday 80th Willie Nelson!

Before its too late I'd like to take this opportunity to wish Willie Nelson a happy 80th birthday!

George Jones RIP

George Jones - RIP

Movie of the Week: Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel (2004)

Photo by Jim McCrary

On September 19, 1973, the musician and heir to a million-dollar fortune died under the influence of drugs and alcohol near his favourite place - the Joshua Tree National Monument in the Californian desert. As the founder of the Flying Burrito Brothers, a member of the hit-making, legendary Byrds, an important influence on the Rolling Stones and the man who catapulted Emmylou Harris to fame, Gram Parsons made music history in only a few years. The film was made on location by director and musician Gandulf Hennig and American music journalist, musician and biographer Sid Griffin. Friends, contemporaries and devotees of Gram Parsons talk about the importance of his work and the bizarre circumstances of his early death. Rare footage of his performances shows why Gram Parsons has become a legend. Interviewees include Gram's wife Gretchen, his sister and his daughter, Keith Richards, Emmylou Harris, Chris Hillman and "Road Manager" Phil Kaufman.

Kitty Wells RIP

Kitty Wells - RIP

Starting Monday in Brooklyn - The Gowanus All-Stars

Check them out live right here, courtesy of WFMU.

Doc Watson RIP

Shot by: Jim Gavenus

Doc Watson - RIP

Chris Ethridge RIP

 Chris Ethridge (International Submarine Band, Flying Burrito Brothers) - RIP

Earl Scruggs RIP

 Earl Scruggs - RIP

Tompkins Square Rolls Out Line of 78 RPM Discs for Record Store Day

With the recently announced full list of special releases for Record Store Day, it can be difficult for a label to separate themselves from the pack. One way to do it is is to follow Tompkins Square's example - release some 78 r.p.m. discs! Luckily I have a record player that can play at 78 so this will not be an issue for me!

San Francisco-based record label Tompkins Square announces the first in a series of releases in the 78 rpm 10" vinyl format.


The first two will feature previously unreleased recordings from Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), and Ralph Stanley. Both 78's will be released as a limited edition of 500 copies on Record Store Day, April 21, 2012.


Luther Dickinson plays medleys of Southern melodies on his 78, including "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah/Beautiful Dreamer" on the A side and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen/Peace in the Valley" on the B side. Ralph Stanley's 78 features "Single Girl", with "Little Birdie" on the B side.


Tompkins Square owner Josh Rosenthal comments, "A lot of new turntables play 78's, and many 78 collectors listen to their records on modern equipment. Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe have all recently released 78's. So I thought it would be fun to start a line of them."



The label will also release a white label 45 of Hiss Golden Messenger's "Jesus Shot Me in The Head" from the forthcoming album 'Poor Moon', b/w the unreleased "Jesus Dub," on Record Store Day.

Hiss Golden Messenger's album "Poor Moon" is set for release April 17th, and you can preview the entire album here.

R. Crumb: The Complete Record Cover Collection

Robert Crumb first began drawing record covers in 1968 when Janis Joplin, a fellow Haight Ashbury denizen, asked him to provide a cover for her album Cheap Thrills. It was an invitation the budding artist couldn't resist, especially since he had been fascinated with record covers-particularly for the legendary jazz, country, and old-time blues music of the 1920s and 1930s-since he was a teen. This early collaboration proved so successful that Crumb went on to draw hundreds of record covers for both new artists and largely forgotten masters. So remarkable were Crumb's artistic interpretations of these old 78 rpm singles that the art itself proved influential in their rediscovery in the 1960s and 1970s. Including such classics as Truckin' My Blues Away, Harmonica Blues, and Please Warm My Weiner, Crumb's opus also features more recent covers done for CDs. R. Crumb: The Complete Record Cover Collection is a must-have for any lover of graphics and old-time music.

Available on Amazon here. More info here.

Marshall Grant RIP

Marshall Grant is on the left

Marshall Grant, the Tennessee Three - RIP

Charlie Louvin RIP

Charlie Louvin - RIP

Before and After: White Lightning

Before - George Jones:


After - the Fall:

Hot Pants

Hot Pants on the radio