Tony Kinsel’s March 2010 Hossey Award Picks
I’m Tony, and these are my March, 2010 picks….
Back Porch Mary–Harsh Light Of Day
Back Porch Mary is from Austin, Texas, playing Texas Country, Rock & Southern Rock Music. They’re a 4 man group consisting of Mike Krug on guitars & vocals, “Slim” on guitars & vocals, Joe Miller on electric & upright bass, and Ryan Kale on drums. (Which means there is no girl in the group named “Mary”!) Cody Braun of Reckless Kelly, when asked about Back Porch Mary, said “You don’t find many bands like BPM out on the road anymore because it’s a very hard way to make a living. Most bands are content to stay within the comfort zone of their local following and milk it until it’s dry. This is not the case with these guys. They’re not afraid to jump in their van/bus and drive 15-20 hours to get their sound out to new audiences all over the country. This fearless mentality drives the band and always comes across in their music. With lyrics that make you think, songs with great hooks, and Slim picking the guitar at breakneck speeds, Back Porch Mary is a force to be reckoned with. If you miss these road dogs when they come to your town, you’re an asshole!” I couldn’t have said it better myself!! They have 5 cds out now, that are available through their MySpace page or Amazon.com. I’ve chosen their song “Harsh Light Of Day” from their latest cd “Time Of The Broken Heart” for their contest entry this month. For more info on Back Porch Mary, you visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/backporchmarytexas, or their website, www.backporchmary.com…
Backseat Molly–Here In Texas
Backseat Molly is from Palestine, Texas, playing Texas Country, Rock & Southern Rock Music. They’re a 5 man group, consisting of Steven Callaway on lead vocals & guitar, Stevie Jimenez on lead guitar, Kory Prince on bass, David Sanders on fiddle, mandolin & electric guitar, and Tim Phelan on drums. (Which means there is no girl in the group named “Molly”!) Last July, BSM completed their debut cd “Texas Not Tennessee”. They sent me a copy of it after their 1st cd release party, which, if I remember right, was in September of 2009. I used their song “Texas Not Tennessee” in the contest that month, but it didn’t make it into the top 10. So, I’ve decided to try them again this month, with another song I think should be in the running for State Song Of Texas, “Here In Texas”. I hope ya’ll like it and vote for it more, this time! For more info on Backseat Molly, you can visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/backseatmollymusic…
blacktopGYPSY–Your Turn To Cry
blacktopGYPSY is from Dallas, Texas, playing Americana, Texas Country & Acoustic Music. On their debut cd, they’re a 9 person group, consisting of Andie Kay Joiner on vocals, Heather Woodruff Stalling on fiddle, mandolin, piano and vocals, John Moore on drums, percussion, guitar & piano, Rodney Pyeatt on lead guitar & background vocals, Steve Cargill on bass & piano, Tanya Cargill on background vocals, Darcy Starcher on background vocals, Lloyd Maines on steel guitar & dobro, and Adam Odor on accordion. (Which means, Hoss, there is no girl in the group named “Gypsy”!) I first found out about this group when I got permission to play Max Stalling, a pretty well-known Texas musician, here on HTB. Max suggested I check out his wife, Heather’s, group, so I did, liked what I heard and sent them a request to play their music. They agreed and sent me a copy of their self-titled, debut cd, which is available through Amazon.com or their MySpace page. I chose a song from them for a previous contest, “Ain’t Your Mama”, which made it into the top 5 that month. I’ve chosen another powerful song from that cd for this month, “Your Turn To Cry”. For more info on blacktopGYPSY, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/blacktopgypsytexas…
Donna The Buffalo–Man Of Constant Sorrow
Donna The Buffalo is from Trumansburg, New York, playing Americana & Folk Rock Music. They’re a 5 person group, consisting of Jeb Puryear on vocals, electric guitar and pedal steel, Tara Nevins on vocals, acoustic guitar, electric fiddle, accordion & scrubboard, Vic Stafford on drums, David McCracken on keyboards, and Jay Sanders on bass. (Which means there is no girl in the group named “Donna”!) When I first started getting group’s permission to play their music on HTB about 2 years ago, I decided to try and get alot of the groups that I already had cds from in my collection. Donna The Buffalo was actually the 4th group to give me their permission (after Asleep At The Wheel, Reckless Kelly & The Drive By Truckers), and I immediately entered the 4 cds I owned from them into our computerized rotation. DTB has been together since 1987, and have 7 cds available through their MySpace page, or Amazon.com. I’ve chosen their cover of the classic song “Man Of Constant Sorrow”, from their cd “Positive Friction” for their contest entry this month. For more info on Donna The Buffalo, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/donnathebuffalo, or their website, www.donnathebuffalo.com…
Hayseed Dixie–Ramblin’ Man/Don’t Cry For Me
Hayseed Dixie say they’re from the fictional town of Deer Lick Holler, Tennessee, but they’re actually from London, England, playing Bluegrass, Country & Rock Music. They’re a 4 man group, consisting of Barley Scotch on vocals, guitar & fiddle, “Reverend” Don Wayne Reno on Banjo, “Deacon” Dale Reno on mandolin & guitar, and Jake “Bakesnake” Byers on bass. (Which means, Hoss, there is no girl in this group named “Dixie”!) I also approached this group for permission to play their music shortly after I joined HTB, and the guys said they were all for it, but I had to ask their record label for permission, so I contacted Cooking Vinyl Productions, in London, England, and they said it was fine by them, as well. Hayseed Dixie has 15 cds available through their MySpace page or Amazon.com, including their latest “Killer Grass”, which was just released February 23rd, of this year. I originally thought of using their song “Norfolk Girl”, off of “Killer Grass”, as their contest entry this month, but, after telling Hoss that during last Saturday’s show, when he kept questioning how “Norfolk” should be pronounced (not Nor-fuck!), I decided to choose a different song, “Ramblin’ Man/Don’t Cry For Me”, off of that cd. I also will be debuting their “Killer Grass” cd on my DJ show, Sunday March 7th. For more info on Hayseed Dixie, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/hsdx, or their website, www.hayseed-dixie.com…
Hill Country Jane–The Great Charade
Hill Country Jane is from Highlands, Texas, playing Texas Country, Rock & Southern Rock Music. They’re a 4 man group, consisting of Ryan Lochridge on acoustic guitar & vocals, “Chicago Joe” Penley on lead guitar & vocals, Brian “Dirty” Miller on bass & vocals, and Danny Stasney on drums. (Which means there is no girl in the group named “Jane”!) The group originally formed in 2004, and has gone through several personnel changes, before finally releasing their debut cd “The Great Charade” last year. Their music has been described as “Redneck Rock & Roll”, which I feel is a good description of their sound. I’ve used them in 2 previous contests, and their song “The Legend Of The Beaver River” made it into the top 5 in one month’s Hossey Award Contest, while spawning a new euphemism for oral sex, “snokeling in the Beaver River”, according to one of our listeners! I’ve chosen the title track of their debut cd “The Great Charade” as their contest entry this month. For more info on Hill Country Jane, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/hillcountryjane1, or their website, www.hillcountryjane.com…
Pusher Betty is from Denton County, Texas, playing Texas Country, Southern Rock & Classic Rock Music. They’re a 4 man band, consisting of Dave Cobb on vocals, along with Jason Harris, Danny Duncan and Ray Anderson. (Which means, Hoss, that there is no girl named “Betty” in this group!) Dave Cobb told me that their name is a reference to a bootleg song from one of the old outlaw C/W guys, but not Willie or Waylon, and asked me to guess the name of the singer, and the song. He’s got me stumped, so far, do any of you know the answer to the band name question? It doesn’t say much about the group on Pusher Betty’s MySpace page, except that their major influences are “Miller Lite, Kentucky Deluxe, Jagermeister, and Crown Royal”, all of which have influenced me a time or two, as well! Dave, who sent me 4 of their songs by e-mail so I could choose one for this contest, told me his favorite of them was “Sand Box”, so I chose that one for their entry in this month’s contest. He’s a veteran of the 82nd Airborne and has recently gotten back from Iraq, and told me that “Sand Box” is about his experiences there and he wrote it “for the troops”. Listen closely to the lyrics, this is a powerful song. They don’t have a cd out yet, but are working on one. The 4 songs Dave sent me are an exclusive HossTheBoss preview of that cd, and I’ve already added them to our computerized rotation. For more info on Pusher Betty, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/pusherbetty…
Reckless Kelly–Bird On A Wire
Reckless Kelly is from Austin, Texas, playing Texas Country, Rock & Roots Music. They’re a 5 man group consisting of Willy Braun on vocals & guitar, Cody Braun on fiddle, mandolin, harmonica & vocals, David Abeyta on lead guitar & lap steel, Jay Nazz on drums, and Chris Schelske on bass. (Which means there is no girl in the group named “Kelly”!) I’ve been a fan of theirs since about 1998, when I got their autographed debut cd “Millican” out of the trash can at KFTX-FM radio here in Corpus Christi, and listened to it in my car on the way home. They have 6 cds available through their MySpace page or Amazon.com. I own all of those cds, and have entered them into the computerized rotation here on HTB, including their latest “Somewhere In Time”, which just came out February 1st. I’ve chosen their song “Bird On A Wire” from that cd, for their entry in the contest this month. For more info on Reckless Kelly, you can visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/recklesskelly, or visit their website at www.recklesskelly.com…
Sunny Ledfurd–Stoned To The Bone
Sunny Ledfurd is from Mooresville, North Carolina, playing Southern Rock, Acoustic & “Other” Music. The 5 man band consists of Dugi on vocals, Bear on guitars, Kyle Hansil on Bass, and Yuli on MPC player. (Which means there is no girl in the group named “Sunny”!) The group’s members met when they were in high school and started playing together shortly after. They came out with their debut album “Rather Die Young” independently in 1998, but were soon signed by MCA Records. They now have 6 cds out, and have formed their own record label, Sunny Ledfurd Productions. Last month, I chose their song “Trainwreck”, about getting wasted and thrown in jail after a show, but it didn’t make the top 10. So, I’ve chosen them again for this month’s contest, and chosen another song about getting wasted, “Stoned To The Bone”, which,(be warned Mrs. Hoss), does contain explicit lyrics! Being an old hippie myself, I particularly liked the line in this song “I don’t need no doctor, I’m higher than a hippie in a helicopter”!! For more info on Sunny Ledfurd, you can visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/sunnyledfurd, or their website at www.sunnyledfurd.com…
The Wailin’ Jennys–Motherless Child
The Wailin’ Jennys are from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, playing Folk, Folk Rock & Acoustic Music. They’re a 3 girl group, consisting of Nicky Mehta on vocals, guitar, harmonica & percussion, Ruth Moody on vocals, guitar, accordion, bodhran & banjo, and Heather Masse on vocals & bass. (Which means, Hoss, there is no girl in the group named “Jenny”!) I first got permission to play TWJ when I approached Red House Records in Connecticut to get permission to play the music of Austin, Texas native Eliza Gilkyson. They not only gave me permission to play Eliza’s music (and sent me 3 of her cds!), they also sent me a compilation cd from their company and gave me permission to play everyone on it, like The Wailin’ Jennys, Ray Bonneville, Jimmy LaFave, Jorma Kaukonen (of Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship & Hot Tuna), and Robin & Linda Williams, among others! I added 17 new artists to our “playlist” that day. (I really hate that word!) They now have 3 cds available through their MySpace page or Amazon.com, “40 Days”, “Firecracker”, and their latest “Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House”, from which I’ve chosen their cover of the classic song “Motherless Child”, for their contest entry this month. I’ll be debuting their “Live” cd on my DJ show, Sunday, March 7th. All 3 of their cds are now in our computerized rotation on HTB. For more info on The Wailin’ Jennys, visit their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/thewailinjennys, or their website, www.thewailinjennys.com….
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 Sunday night at 7 p.m. Central.
My previous Hossey Music Award Picks
Let the games begin ma man. Great picks
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Thanks, Tony! That’s good of you. I hope that your listeners like the track and the album. I’ll spread the word about the contest. All the best!
mrjonthehat (for Hayseed Dixie)
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Great “theme” picks this month, Tony! And some of my favorite groups, like Hayseed Dixie, Hill Country Jane, Back Porch Mary, Backseat Molly and The Wailin’ Jennys!! I’ll have a hard time deciding which 5 I should vote for every day. (o:
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