Country California

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‘American Saturday Night’ is a song about what happens on a weekend in our country, under the guise of the melting pot and how really nothing is original here. We are all of some heritage, other than those who are Native American, and it seems like it’s all sort of washed up here on these shores as a best-of collection of what the world has to offer. ●
- – Let’s give Brad Paisley the benefit of the doubt and assume that he doesn’t actually mean that Native Americans aren’t of any heritage.

What they key [in] on is something they perceive as being really dark and really dangerous and they think that’s what it’s all about. I think there’s three things going on with Townes that are completely separate. I think that he was an alcoholic, he may have had some other mental health issues going on, but he was also one of the best songwriters that ever lived. I think these are all three completely and totally separate phenomena that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. ●
- – Steve Earle on mentor Townes Van Zandt.

My audience is people who like country music — real country music. I’ve always done a mixture of different kinds of music. It’s not all twin fiddles and steel guitars, but that’s my favorite. You can bet I’ll never stop doing it because I can’t. I couldn’t if I wanted to. It’s too much a part of me. If I’m not going to get to do that, I might as well go sell real estate. ●
- – Lee Ann Womack keeps on carrying that torch (via The 9513).

Q: Do you keep a notebook? Is that the kind of thing you do for phrases and ideas like that that come up?
A: I can barely keep a cell phone, let alone a notebook. I can’t keep up with that. I do good to keep up with my car keys. ●
- – … or my razor. From Jamey Johnson’s spot on NPR. It’s a really good program with almost a half hour of interview and performance. Check it out if you haven’t already.

What Parton doesn’t write about Wagoner says a lot more than what she does, although she does get in the occasional jab. When manager Sandy Gallin mentioned on Dolly’s ill-fated variety show that it’s amazing how Kermit The Frog can sing with a hand up his [posterior], Dolly quips that that’s nothing; she did the same thing for seven years during her stint on The Porter Wagoner Show. ●
- – From Nathan Rabin’s latest column at The Onion A.V. Club.

I wrote most of the original songs on the album on ukulele, though I did write ‘All This Time’ on fiddle as I was plucking out this descending chord pattern. And I did ‘Bygones’ on the fiddle as well. One thing that’s nice about the ukulele is that it’s less intimidating. It’s kind of a fun little toy to just sit around in a corner and noodle with. I happen upon different little chord structures or groupings that I wouldn’t necessarily come across on guitar, so it kind of puts me in a different space. ●
- – Sara Watkins on her songwriting process. I hope you’ve picked up her solo album by now.

I think songwriting gets harder the better you get at it. The target you’re aiming for is smaller – you’re less easily satisfied. Having said that, I’m more in love with writing now than I have ever been. ●
- – More thoughts on songwriting, this time from the excellent Gretchen Peters.

That’s where it started, and 20-some years later, Kenny calls me and asks me to record it. So then it was two guys in a recording studio with acoustic guitars. We finished it in 90 minutes. I thought, ‘If Kenny hadn’t asked me to sing, it might be a hit single.’ ●
- – Mac McAnally on “Down the Road,” which ended up being a hit single in spite of his involvement.

A long time ago, the jazz great Charlie Parker, after a jam session late at night, they’d be hanging out at a diner and Charlie Parker would go over to the jukebox and put on a whole bunch of country western music. All the other jazzers would be like, ‘What are you listening to that hillbilly s- for, man?’ And his answer was, ‘The stories, they’re great stories.’ And that’s kind of the tradition I’d like to tap into. ●
- – I had to include a Chuck Mead quote this week so that I’d have an excuse to recommend his new album, Journeyman’s Wager, which is great. If you liked his work with BR5-49, you’ll love this.

Country singer Darryl Worley certainly proved himself a resilient entertainer Thursday, when he took a mid-set trip to the emergency room, then returned to finish his show with another 50 minutes of music. ●
- – Darryl Worley got decked in the head by a flying road case lid, went to the emergency room to get stitches, then returned to finish the show. That’s almost as hardcore as Miranda Lambert casually bleeding right through her pant leg onstage a few days after taking a tipsy tumble into a creek bed during a hog hunt.

I’m thinking about doing a rap album. ●
- – Randy Travis figures it’s about time to change things up.