The Polyphonic Spree has posted an 11-minute preview mashing together all 11 songs from The Fragile Army, due in stores June 19.

View the e-card.
Download the MP3.

Even with the stormy gloom outside, this little sample brought a cheery ray of sunshine into my day.

Over the weekend Brad Buchholz of the Austin American-Statesman reviewed a new biography of Townes Van Zandt, To Live's to Fly by John Kruth:

Ten years after his death, singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt has begun to receive the attention and acclaim he so rarely enjoyed in his lifetime. First, the tribute albums. Then, the acclaimed documentary "Be Here to Love Me." Now: "To Live's to Fly," an "authorized" biography by John Kruth, a musician and writer based in New York City.

Kruth has written a solid book — though it's easy to infer from "To Live's to Fly" that he never knew Van Zandt or saw him perform live. Believe it or not, the self-confessed "Yankee Writer" has done his homework. Better yet: He presents the man truthfully, compassionately, in all his genius and gentleness, in all his sorrow and contradiction. Kruth lets us appreciate the artist who wrote like an angel, even as he shows us the gambler and alcoholic, too.

Read the full review.

Originally published as Rain on a Conga Drum before it was acquired by Da Capo Press, this is apparently the first in a wave of TVZ books that could be headed to store shelves.

This year's Austin City Limits festival is less than 6 months away. Tickets are now available for the earlybird price of $120, increasing to $145 once the initial allotment is gone. VIP packages start at $1700 for 2 people.

And the new print-at-home option means no service charges or other fees (unless you choose to receive your tickets by mail).

The initial lineup will be announced in mid-May.

I mentioned last week that Collin Herring's The Other Side of Kindness is one of my favorite recent albums. With the third birthday of This Is Texas Music right around the corner, I thought I'd add a few more to the list.

In no particular order, 9 CDs and 1 book that have helped shape the site since spring 2004…

• Collin Herring, The Other Side of Kindness: "an amazing album — packed with beautifully depressive introspection, wonderfully literate songwriting, and plain great music"
• Hayes Carll, Little Rock: "an Americana tour de force that gracefully straddles melancholic gloom and bubbly buoyancy"
• Randy Rogers Band, Rollercoaster: "The songwriting is crisp. The vocals are raspy yet moving. The instrumentation is consistently driving throughout. Everything works."
• Ian Moore, Luminaria: "simply sublime … and Moore's peerless musicianship masterfully blends ethereal alt.country and subtle blues"
• McKay Brothers, McKay Brothers: "Whether you see the McKay Brothers live or listen to their debut, it's clear that Noel and Hollin have extraordinary gifts: rugged voices, poetic lyrics, seamless close harmony and instrumentation"
• Robyn Ludwick, For So Long: "a remarkable debut that melds heartfelt country and Appalachian folk with one of the most distinctive voices in Texas music today"
• Eliza Gilkyson, Paradise Hotel: "While "Man of God" and "Requiem" are the heavyweights … there's not a weak song among the 10 tracks"
• Brian Keane, I Ain't Even Lonely: "Keane's soft yet soulful voice and instrumental versatility showcase his creative songwriting, where he is equally adept at depicting humor and pathos, romance and heartbreak"
• Jon Dee Graham, Full: "Graham may be our musical Job, with Full his compelling testament to persevering through numerous trials and emerging stronger and wiser for the struggle"
• Jan Reid, The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock: New Edition: "such a passionate overview of the evolving scenes in Austin and throughout Texas that just about any music fan will come away wanting to track down or rediscover albums by a host of singer/songwriters who were bubbling to the surface in the early 70s"

You may notice when clicking around the site that some pages look a little different than others. I'm doing a little code cleanup and minor redesign

posted by Patrick  # 4/05/2007 6 comments

I've really liked Dry Land Fish since first hearing them on XM last fall. The Southern rock band planned to end its touring days with a final concert in 2005 and a farewell album in 2006. But as band members settled back into the everyday routine of work and family, something funny happened. After years of chasing down radio airplay without much success, they got noticed by satellite radio. People (like me) liked what they heard and began requesting their songs. And then last month, Dry Land Fish recorded a set for Wired In on X Country. That show airs tomorrow, April 4, at 7 pm with encores 11 am Friday and 1 pm Sunday (all times Eastern).

Congratulations to Jonathan Hodges, Darren Doyle, and Mark Whitley. I can only imagine what a wild and frustrating ride it's been, but hopefully the good times are here to stay. Now, any chances of coming to Austin?