I’m Tony, and these are my August picks….

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Ashley Austin–Harder To Breathe (Buy, Dang It)

• Ashley Austin is from Grapevine, Texas, playing Pop, Rock & Texas Country Music. Singer & songwriter Ashley won the Most Promising Teen Vocalist Award at the 2006 World Showcase in Las Vegas. According to critics, she draws on influences like Sugarland, Gretchen Wilson and Pat Benatar to produce a sound that’s all her own, and is destined to “become a major player in Southern Rock & Texas Country Music”. You can keep up with Ashley’s hectic music schedule by visiting her website, www.AshleyAustinMusic.net, where you can also download a couple of her songs for free, including her great cover of  Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”. I’ve chosen her cover of Maroon 5’s song “Harder To Breathe” for this contest…

Billy Bourbon–Reefer Madness (Buy, Dang It)

• Billy Bourbon hails from Houston, Texas, playing Texas Country, Americana & Blues Music. He says, on his MySpace page, that his music “Smells like Country, Tastes like Rock & Roll”. (That reminds me of Cross Canadian Ragweed’s motto, in fact, I’ve got a t-shirt of theirs that says the same thing, so it’s all good.) The current Billy Bourbon Band of Sour Mash Music makers features Billy on guitar and vocals, Tommy Clark on guitar, Vince Hiller on bass, and Greg Babineaux on drums. Billy says that he’s a “singin’, songwritin’, country bluesman, son-of-a-bitch, whose songs are laced with women, whiskey & weed”.  Sounds like my kinda guy! He’s got 2 cds out, “Trained Professionals”, and a self-titled one, from which I’ve chosen his song “Reefer Madness” for this contest. This is the way I want to die!..

Brison Bursey Band–Bigger Sky (Buy, Dang It)

• Brison Bursey Band is from Huntsville, Texas, playing  Texas Country & Southern Rock Music.  They’re a 4 man group, led by Brison Bursey on vocals and guitar, with  Robert Morton on bass and vocals, John Mitchell on lead guitar and vocals, and Seth Novak on percussion and vocals. The group was formed in January of 2007, and lately has been the opening act for groups like Stoney LaRue & The Arsenals, The South Austin Jug Band, and Charlie Robison, among others. They have one cd, 2007’s “Bigger Sky”, from which I’ve chosen the title track for their entry in this contest…

Buster Jiggs–Country Boy (Buy, Dang It)

• Buster Jiggs is from Hondo, Texas, playing Texas Country & Rock Music. They’re a 4 person group, with Scott Muennink on drums, his wife Kristin Muennink on guitar and lead vocals, Heath Childs on lead guitar and harmony vocals, and Cody Scherer on bass..The band was formed by Scott, Kristin and Cody in Taft, Tx. in 1999. They currently have 2 cds available, their first self-titled cd, from which I’ve chosen their song “Country Boy” as their contest entry this month, an EP cd called Miserably Happy, and they’re coming out with a new cd September 8th, called “Heartache Jubilee”, which Kristin has promised to send me to add to the computerized rotation here on HTB, along with their other music that we’re already playing…

Cody Johnson Band–Another Try (Buy, Dang It)

• Cody Johnson Band is from Huntsville, Texas, playing Texas Country, 2-Step & Acoustic Music. They’re a 4 man group, with Cody Johnson as lead singer and  rhythm guitar, (and  songwriter),  Nathan Reedy on drums, Danny Salinas on bass guitar, and Matt Rogers on lead guitar and harmony vocals.  The original band was formed in 2006 as a 3 man group, with Cody, Nathan and Cody’s father Carl Johnson (who plays bass). They released a cd called “Black & White Label”. They then added Matt Rogers as lead guitar, and recorded a “Live & Rockin’ at Shenanigans’” cd, after which Carl Johnson decided the band was getting too popular and interfering with his daytime job, so he quit. They then advertised for a bass player on Craig’s List, which is where they found Danny Salinas, from Bellville, Tx.. After finalizing the band’s current line-up, they entered the studio in September of 2008 to produce a cd called “6 Strings, 1 Dream”, which is due to be released next month.  I’ve chosen a single from that upcoming cd called “Another Try” for their entry in this contest…

Dirt Road Randy–Beer Bottles & Bandages (Buy, Dang It)

• Dirt Road Randy (AKA Randy Buttsex) is from “Wartown, in scenic Fuck You County, Virginia”, (as he says on MySpace), playing Country Punk, Acoustic & Folk Rock Music.  One critic described Randy’s act, saying he’s a “one man, solo acoustic wrecking ball”. Randy describes his influences as “Your mother, distrust of the government, the media, and all promoters”. He underwent cancer treatments in 2008 and is just now returning to performing. During his layoff, he recorded the cd “Beer Bottles & Bandages”, from which I’ve chosen the title track for this contest. He has 2 other cds on his MySpace page that are available for free downloads…

Hero’s Prayer–Holes In The Wall (Buy, Dang It)

• Hero’s Prayer is from San Antonio, Texas, playing Rock Music. They’re a 4 man group, with Brian Boyce on rhythm guitar and vocals, Kendall Merryman on lead guitar, Kyle Reed on bass and harmony vocals, and Robby Fernandez on drums and harmony vocals. When I first got permission to play this group’s music they were known as “Trainwreck”, but had some legal problems, because it turned out there’s alot of groups in the U.S. named “Trainwreck”. So, they re-named themselves “Hero’s Prayer”, after the 2nd song on their debut self-titled cd, which was written by Brian Boyce. It’s an emotional song about family and life’s challenges, although he said the song doesn’t necessarily have the same meaning for everybody.  I’ve chosen the song “Holes In The Wall”, about a dysfunctional family, for their entry in the contest. It’s also off the Hero’s Prayer cd…..

JJ Henson Band–Keep Movin’ On (Buy, Dang It)

• JJ Henson Band is also from San Antonio, Texas, playing Texas Country & Southern Rock Music. They’re a 5 person group, led by JJ Henson on vocals and guitar (and he writes all their songs), Glen Mead on lead guitar, Shawn Irey on bass, Amy Hermes on fiddle,  and Ty Wilkinson on drums.  As I’ve mentioned before, JJ has the distinction of being the only one of my picks to have ever visited my double-wide trailer here in Corpus Christi (Studio 2b), when he drove down here from San Antonio to bring me a copy of his cd “On A Night Like This”, to add to the computerized rotation on HTB. I chose “That Kinda Guy” off that cd for their entry in last month’s song-contest, but they didn’t make it into the top 5, (they did make it to #7!), so I decided to use a different song from them for this month, “Keep Movin’ On”, also off the same cd. (I really want to see them get into the finals in December!)…

Jason Custer Band–The Backroads (Buy, Dang It)

• Jason Custer is from Beaumont, Texas, playing Texas Country, Americana & Acoustic Music.  Jason is originally from Hico, Tx., and was on the Texas music scene for a number of years, performing with groups like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Gary P. Nunn, and Kevin Fowler, among others. He’s been on hiatus for a few years while serving in the U.S. Army, but is back now, and, as he says, better than ever, with new songs and re-newed energy, and performing now in the Beaumont area of Texas.  Jason sent me ten of his songs by e-mail to add to the HTB computer and use in my DJ show on Sunday nights, and I’ve chosen the title track of his “The Backroads” cd  for his entry in this contest…

Jeff Strahan Band–Amen To The Blues (Buy, Dang It)

• Jeff Strahan is from Lamesa, Texas, playing Blues, Americana & Rock Music. Jeff sings and plays Stratocaster guitar and piano. His music has been described by critics as Red Dirt Blues,”where Texas Blues, cruising in a ‘92 Caddy low-rider, collided with an Outlaw Country freight train,  producing a huge mushroom cloud of Rock and Roll!” OK?  Jeff currently has 5 cds available through Hoss’s storelink to Amazon, the latest being “Amen To The Blues”, from which I’ve chosen the title track for his entry in this contest…

John’s Guns – 30 Second Soul Mate (Buy, Dang It)

• John’s Guns is from College Station, Texas, playing Texas Country, Southern Rock & Americana Music. They’re a 5 man group, led by Nick Verzosa on vocals and acoustic guitar, Duey Dobre on bass, BJ Wilson on background vocals, electric guitar and harmonica, Daniel Lewis on lead guitar, and Keedan Catron on drums. The band has lately been touring all over Texas and the southern states, promoting their debut cd “Buy, Sell, Trade”, from which I’ve chosen their song “30 Second Soul Mate” for their entry in this contest…

Joseph Christ–A Fucking Love Song (Buy, Dang It)

• Joseph Christ is from The Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, playing Psychobilly, Bluegrass & Country Music. He fronts a 3 man group, singing, playing guitar, and “whatever else he feels like playing”,  with “E” playing bass, and Tim “crucified” Maines on drums. Joseph’s music has been described as “bluesy originality with a Tennessee twang only found in the old-timey days”. He has 2 cds available through his MySpace page, “Joseph Christ & The Backsliders”,  and “HillBilly MotherFucker”, from which I’ve chosen his “A Fucking Love Song” for his entry in this contest…

Six Gun Britt–Fuck Your Fucking Love Song (Buy, Dang It)

• Six Gun Britt is from Knifley, Kentucky, playing Pschobilly, Country & Rockabilly Music. She’s only 20 years old, but has been playing the guitar and singing since she was a little girl, learning the song “Seminole Wind” at her Daddys knees. She now lives in Columbus, Georgia with her 5 horses, 3 dogs, a bearded dragon, and a sugar glider flying squirrel. Although Joseph Christ’s song was not about her, as she says on her MySpace page, she decided to sing a reply to him, so I chose her “Fuck Your Fucking Love Song” for this contest. It’s off her “Half Cocked and Fully Loaded” cd, which is available for 5 dollars through her MySpace page….

Josh Langston–She Knows The Words (Buy, Dang It)

• Josh Langston is from College Station, Texas, playing Americana, Texas Country & Folk Rock Music. Josh has been called “the Steve Earle of his time, whose outlaw tunes are not the typical commercial jingles you get from Nashville”. He spent 35 weeks in the top 10 on the Roots Music Chart with his “Ashes From Embers” cd, and his song “Pass Me That Bottle” reached #11 on the Texas Music Chart. His manager just sent me a preview song “She Knows The Words” from his upcoming cd “Liberty Or Death” which is due to be released September 9th, so I decided to use it for his entry in this month’s contest…

Leavin’ Sundown–Teardrop, Texas (Buy, Dang It)

• Leavin’ Sundown is from East Texas, playing Texas Country Music. Leavin’ Sundown is a unique band, in that it is fronted by two powerhouse lead vocalists, Steve Murray (former lead singer of the Nashville group Perfect Stranger), and Joe Smith, who’s been on the speed dial of club owners and record producers in the Houston area for over 20 years as a first call session player and on demand sideman. On bass guitar and background vocals is Jim Taylor, who’s worked with people like Johnny Rodriguez, Clay Walker and Willie Nelson. Lead guitarist Robbie Lee is the newest member of the group, after moving to East Texas from the Dallas/Ft. Worth music scene, and drummer Jason Pate completes the 5 man group. He’s worked with people like Johnny Rodriguez and the Carter Sisters. Their self-titled cd is available through Hoss’s store link to Itunes, and I’ve chosen the song “Teardrop, Texas” off of it for their contest entry…

Lil Bit & The Customatics (Buy, Dang It)

• Lil Bit & The Customatics are from San Antonio, Texas, playing Rockabilly, Texas Country & Bluegrass Music, or, as they describe it “Hoppin’ HillBilly & Honky Tonk”.. The band members are Lil Bit, who writes some of their songs and is lead singer, Tomcat Miller on vocals, slap-bass, acoustic guitar and harmonica, (and he also writes some of their songs), Brian Duarte on lead guitar, steel guitar and acoustic guitar, (and he also writes some of their songs), and Paul Ward on drums. Lil Bit has been described as one of the few female Rockabilly singers around, and has been called “San Antonio’s version of a honky-tonk angel”. They currently have 4 cds available and I’ve chosen their song “Wild & Free” off their latest cd “Lone Star Girl” for their entry in the contest…

Redneck Jedi–RoadRunner (Buy, Dang It)

• Redneck Jedi is a 3-man group from the Hill Country of Texas, playing Southern Rock, Classic Rock and Americana Music, or what they call “Pure Texas Rock & Roll”. The group was founded by Dennis Phillips, who plays lead guitar. The other 2 members are “Jedi Jeff” Foeh on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, and David Beinke on drums. (They’re currently auditioning for a bass player.)  They have 2 cds available, “Black & White”, and “RoadRunner”, from which I’ve chosen the title track for this contest. They’re currently working on a live concert cd/dvd that they recorded last April inside the big cave at Longhorn Caverns State Park in Texas, and will be entering the studio next January to record a cd they’ve already entitled “Radio Ready”.  Redneck Jedi made it to #6 in last month’s contest with their song “Southern By Birth”, but didn’t make it into the top 5. I’m choosing them again this month because I would really like to see them in the finals in December!….

Rob Baird & The Whiskey Reunion (Buy, Dang It)

• Rob Baird & The Whiskey Reunion are from Ft. Worth, Texas, playing Texas Country & Roots Music. Rob Baird leads the group on acoustic & electric guitars and lead vocals, with John Hallman on drums and percussion, Kent Christensen on bass, Mikey Christensen on lead and rhythm guitars and bass, and Kevin Christensen on rhythm and lead guitar and B3 organ. Rob said he’s working on a new cd for release this fall, and will be touring across Texas to promote it. I’ve chosen his song “Just Carrying On”, off his “Past Tomorrow” cd for his contest entry this month…

Rob Dues Band–Candy (Buy, Dang It)

• Rob Dues Band is from College Station, Texas, playing Texas Country & Southern Rock Music. They’re a 3 man group, led by Rob Dues, singer/songwriter and guitarist, with Travis Holland on drums, and Michael Adams on bass and backup vocals. Their sound has been described as a “blending of Country, Jazz & Blues Music, with a Dave Matthew’s guitar style”. Rob sent me their debut cd “Lost Connection” a few months ago to add to the HTB lineup, and I chose the title track from that for last month’s contest, which only made it to #13. I’m choosing them again for this contest, with the song “Candy” as their entry, because I’d really like to see them in the finals in December…

Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward–I’m Never Getting Married (Buy, Dang It)

• Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward are from Denton, Texas, playing Texas Country, Americana, and Roots Music. They’re a 5 man group, led by Rodney Parker on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Gabriel Pearson on drums & percussion, Danny Skinner on banjo, accordion and piano, Brooks Kendall on bass, and Zach Galindo on lead guitar and mandolin. They released their cd “The Lonesome Dirge” in March of 2008, and have been touring in support of that since.. I’ve chosen their song “I’m Never Getting Married” off that cd for their entry in the contest. (That song is also available for free download on their MySpace page!)…

Southern Embers–A Woman Knows (Buy, Dang It)

• Southern Embers are from Beaumont, Texas, playing Rock, Southern Rock & Experimental Music. They’re a 3 man group, led by Michael Tillotson on bass & vocals, Doug Asher on guitar and vocals and Jerry Boden on drums. Michael told me they came up with the name “Southern Embers”, because, even though the band members had all gone long periods of time without playing in a band, their “fires never went out”. They list their influences as Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, Cream and Jimi Hendrix (all of which, coincidentally, are on my friend’s pages on MySpace, so I knew I was going to like these guys). Michael just sent me a number of their songs by e-mail to play on my show and on HTB, and I’ve chosen “A Woman Knows” for their entry in this contest…

Spur 503–Call Me Tonight (Buy, Dang It)

• Spur 503 is from Denison, Texas, playing Texas Country, Southern Rock & Rockabilly Music, or, as they describe it “the place where Red Dirt & Texas Country meet!” They’re a 5 man group, led by Chance Cody on vocals and rhythm guitar, Adam Doty on background vocals and drums, Jason “Fuzzy” Smith on bass and backup vocals, Eric Peel on fiddle and mandolin, and Lance Gray on lead guitar… Critics describe their sound as “a tangy taste of Texas”. They have 2 cds available, 2005’s “I’m Ready”, and 2008’s “Raisin’ The Bar”, from which I’ve chosen their song “Call Me Tonight” for this contest…

Sweating Honey–Grain Of Truth (Buy, Dang It)

• Sweating Honey is from Fairbanks, Alaska, playing Indie, Rock & Soul Music. They’re a 7 man group consisting of Luke Beckel, Drew Frick, Corwin Wilkey, Jeremiah Bakken, Brady Anderson, Scott Caddell and Nick Shier.  The band in it’s current lineup has been playing together for about 5 years, producing a studio cd in 2005 called “Infinity’s Doorstop”,  2006’s “Live At The Sitzmark”cd, and 2008’s “When We Were Young” cd, from which I’ve chosen their song “Grain Of Truth” for the contest. Their music draws from a variety of influences, including Latin, Dancehall, Reggae, R&B, Psychobilly, Jazz & Hip-Hop, but doesn’t really resemble any of those styles, and is unique to them. They call it “Hippiebilly Music”. The manager of Sweating Honey is also the manager of last month’s big winner of the Hossey Music Awards, The Whipsaws, from Anchorage, Alaska (who, by the way,  introduced me to Sweating Honey last summer)…

The Woods–Hippie Got High (Buy, Dang It)

• The Woods are from College Station, Texas, playing Texas Country, Southern Rock & Americana Music. They’re a 4 man group, led by Jeremy Todd on lead vocals, rhythm guitar and fiddle, Justin Moore on lead guitar and harmony vocals, Derek Williams on drums and Chris Campbell on bass. Their sound has been described as a mix of Texas Country, Blues & Alternative Music, or what they call “ya’llternative”. They’ve been playing together since 2002, and released a cd in 2006 called “Rain On My Parade” which is available through Hoss’s store link to Itunes. I’ve chosen their song “Hippie Got High” off that cd for their entry in this contest, because I’m an old hippie, and, if I could play a guitar, this song would be about me!…

Wicked Brew Band–Brand New Furniture Heartache (Buy, Dang It)

• Wicked Brew Band is from Belton, Texas playing Texas Country, Southern Rock and Rockabilly Music, or, as they describe it, Hardcore Country & Red Dirt Rock.  They’re currently a 4 man group, with Jared Lightfoot on lead vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica and washboard,  Jimmy Durham on lead guitar, mandolin and backing vocals, Cory Cooper on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, and Nick Chambers of drums and percussion. (They’re holding auditions for a bass player.) This group was first recommended to me by Amazon.com as a group I would probably like, and they were definitely right. I originally thought their cd I got from Amazon,”Down South”, was their debut cd, but I was wrong. They also have 2 earlier ones available through Ourtracks.com, a 6-song EP called “First Shot”, and a 2006 release called “Two-Faced”, from which I’ve chosen their song “Brand New Furniture Heartache” for this contest…

About Me:

I got started in broadcasting during my stint as a Signalman in the U.S. Navy during the Viet Nam era, working part-time as a DJ and newsman for a ship-board Armed Forces Radio & TV station on the USS Truckee out of Norfolk, Virginia.  After being honorably discharged in 1979, I became a mainstream radio DJ and News Director in the Corpus Christi area for over 25 years on 9 different stations, including all 3 of the country-western ones. During that time I received 4 news broadcasting awards, 1 from the Associated Press & 3 from United Press International. I spent the last 5 years of my “career” on KFTX in Corpus Christi, constantly fighting with the program director over having to play their narrow top-ten Nashville music playlist of songs, when I really wanted to play Texas Music. I was finally shown the door after I played a Christmas-time phone request for Robert Earl Keen’s “Merry Christmas From The Family”, which was definitely not on the station’s playlist, (I really hate that word!). Now that I’m on HossTheBoss I can play what I want. Listen to my own dang show on the station every Saturday night at 7 p.m. Central.

Check me out on MySpace

My previous Hossey Music Award Picks
November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009