GOD BLESS HARLAN HOWARD.

Anybody who writes a real country song (or any kind for that matter) owes an immeasurable debt to him. He was the quintessential songwriter -- quality, quantity (about 40 yrs. worth of hits), not a performer, incredible endurance. He was everything a true songwriter should want to be, and was a true inspiration for me and most others who do what I do. He is really in a class with Cole Porter, Rogers and Hammerstein, the Gershwins, or Stephen Foster -- even more so than the great writers that performed their songs like Hank, Willie, Roger Miller, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan or even Woody Guthrie. Cindy Walker is one of his only true contemporaries in country music, as a songwriter who rarely if ever performed, doing nothing but writing brilliant song after brilliant freakin' song.

I'm sure there are lots of fine non-performing songwriters out there, in Nashville or wherever, but I don't know of any as prolific, consistently genius, or whose songs will stand the test of time like Harlan Howard’s. He will be incredibly missed. GOD BLESS HARLAN HOWARD.

SXSWhatever

Hey there y’all --

Been over a month since the last Soapbox -- sorry ‘bout that. It’s been particularly goofy here in Austin lately, especially in my little corner. In this Soapbox I’ll talk about SXSW, my new recording, and some other various junk. So grab a drink or a smoke or whatever, and sit back. I get kinda long-winded on this ‘un.

Well, like a week-long one-night stand (complete with all the uncomfortable rituals, unkeepable promises, breakneck pace, and icky, cheap, morning-after feeling) SXSW came and went once again. For those of you who may not know, SXSW is “South By Southwest”, the week-long film and music biz convention/festival held annually here in Austin. I don’t know the exact stats, but let’s just say a WHOLE FREAKIN’ LOT of people come here during that week to attend seminars, workshops, discussion forums, and the like as well as go to music “showcases” that feature happenin’ (or happenin’ to be) music acts, usually sponsored by record labels.

When SXSW was started in 1987 its purpose (as far is I know) was to feature unsigned or unknown acts in showcases around town, so that good acts with little or no exposure could be seen and get signed to a label, or meet other industry folks that could help them. Since then, it has of course grown to gargantuan proportions, becoming a “media convention” as much as a “help the little guy” music festival. Most parts of the original concept are still intact, though -- you are still able to meet, see, and be seen by music biz folks and fans from all over the world, and I have made many good friends as well as business contacts through it myself. However (and yes, here’s the Big Ol’ BUT), since all the “official” showcases are held by labels and featuring their premier acts, the idea that SXSW promotes unsigned or unknown acts is virtually gone. Since SXSW has grown so much, the huge mass of people, higher registration prices and restrictions, and regimented goings-on pretty much squeeze out the unknown, underfinanced acts. Acts who are on labels and have records out get the spots originally intended for those who are trying to make their first record.

But the music business has changed A LOT since 1987, and the phrase “getting started” has an entirely different meaning than it did then. The “indie” record business has exploded since then, so artists (like myself) can get exposure and make records without waiting on the “big record deal” -- the fat man with the cigar and a world of promises. It is much easier for us “unknowns” to get going than it was in 1987. The fact that you are reading this on my website is proof of that fact -- yet another example of how it’s all changed since way back in ’87. And of course, this is all what severely chaps the collective ass of the bigwig music biz types -- they no longer have the control over the industry they once did.

Which brings us to the “other” SXSW -- the one that is more of what it was intended to be in the first place. I’m speaking of the more “grassroots” gigs during the week, the ones with the colorful names. such as Not SXSW, SXSoWhat, SXSouth1st, or SXSuxW, or our own little nicknames for the parties and social debauchery like “Souse by Sousewest” (this one especially popular among the visiting Europeans -- that’s what they do, and that’s how they say it!). These are non-SXSW-sanctioned events, which do not require a wristband (which cost from $80 - $100) or pass or any of that stuff. These are mostly roots-oriented/Americana things, which feature real country, rockabilly, blues, bluegrass, and the like. Two main ones that are highly attended by indie/roots music folks are at Steve and Lisa Dean’s Under The Sun/TX Cafe (20-30 acts in 4 days!), and Threadgill’s World Headquarters’ NotSXSW “Thrilla at the ‘Dilla“, held by John Conquest’s 3rd Coast Music and Freeform American Roots radio. Bill Groll’s “Austin Americana” had one also that I wasn’t able to attend. These venues are fun, much more relaxed, cheaper, and the pretty much have all the acts that folks like us want to see.

This year, I was lucky enough to straddle the fence between the official and unofficial SXSW. I had 11 gigs in 8 days (OK, 4 were only one set), including my regular gigs at the Continental Club, Jovita’s, and Ginny’s, and 1 official SXSW showcase set at Antone’s with my new label, Lone Star Records. That night also included a very cool tribute set to Don Walser (Don was supposed to play, but he was ill) that was headed by Slaid Cleaves and included Don’s own Pure TX Band, myself, Libbi Bosworth (1st time I’ve gotten to sing a duet with Libbi - big fun!), Gurf Morlix, Brad Fordham, and a couple of others I can’t remember right now. Lisa Mednick, Jake Andrews, and Monte Montgomery did sets to finish off the big night.

Last but not least, during all this SXSW hoo-hah, my band and I were recording our new record, The Lowdown, which is due out this summer. I’ve got the same cast of characters as the last two, thank God, as well as the addition of Derek O’Brien as producer. We’ve been recording at Arlyn and at Wire Studio, which is the new studio owned by recording and mixing savant Stuart Sullivan. I tell ya folks, it’s been a real treat to get to work with Derek on this record. I’ve been a huge fan of his playing (guitarist for Lou Ann Barton, Willie Nelson’s blues band, and house guitarist for Antone’s) as well as his producing (all Toni Price, as well as Sue Foley, Kim Wilson, Lazy Lester, Teddy Morgan, and others). It is a fairly widespread consensus that Derek’s work in the last 10 years has been a huge influence on the signature “Texas blues” sound that so many players all over the world try to emulate but can never quite get. He’s not just a “blues guy”, though, as his great work on Toni Price’s records prove. In fact, I did a duet with Toni on this record, on a song written by Teri Joyce called “Blow Wind Blow”. I’ve been a big fan of Toni’s for a long time as well, so it was pretty cool to get to work and sing with her.

Stuart Sullivan, our engineer and mixer, is like a freakin’ mad scientist at work, and it’s truly impressive to watch him work them machines! Derek and I would sit around playing ping-pong and shooting spitwads at each other while Stuart was starting a mix; eventually he would emerge, red-faced and sweating, jerk his thumb toward the control room, and say “Ok. Go.” Then we’d tear it up & down, work that “studio magic”, and out pops a tune. “It’s.... ALIVE!!...”

Ever say a word over and over again, until eventually it doesn’t sound like a word any more at all, just a bunch of sounds? That’s what being in the studio is like. In fact, this affliction has a name -- studiosis. That’s why whenever you ask a musician how recording is going, you usually get this blank stare, a shrug, or a sad shaking of the head. Instead of our scientists toiling away in labs trying to build the perfect toothbrush, they oughta find a cure for that one.

Okay, that’s enough yammering for now. Y’all keep on writing me -- it’s always cool to hear what you folks are thinking about.

Take it easy --

Roger