These are all the songs I’ve chosen for this month’s contest. I know thousands of independent musicians who are deserving of having their songs in this dang deal. So narrowing my picks down to just a few is always the hardest part of my month. Oh well. Such is life.

Cindy Lane Adams – When It’s Over

Cindy Lane Adams was one of my picks in March, but ya’ll didn’t give her as many votes as she deserved back then. So I’m bringing her back to give ya’ll another chance to do right by her. Cindy has been playing good ole’ country music in New England of all places for at least 25, and she’s developed quite a following. Here’s what she won at the 2009 Massachusetts Country Music Awards, for example: Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and Steel Guitar Player of the Year. Oh yeah, and her band True Country won the 4 Piece Band of the Year Award, too. Here’s more about Cindy and her friends on the web.

Ian Forbes – Hop Along Midnight

Ian “Fingers” Forbes’s unbelievable guitar playing out of Glascow, Scottland came to my attention when I heard him playing on his friend Paul McCormick’s CD “Pablos Vineyard.” Paul went on to become a guest DJ on this show in late 2009 and one of his picks was an acoustic instrumental cover that Ian had recorded of The Who’s famous song, “Who Are You.” Wow. Ya’ll need to head to Ian’s MySpace page and check that thing out right now. You won’t believe that he’s the only one playing on it. (Well, in fact, he has a little trick that helps him with that sound, but he is, in fact, the only player on the recording, and, even when you know the trick — which I won’t divulge here, dang it — it still is an amazing recording.) Anyway… one day after we’d played Who Are You on the show, Paul was talkin’ all about Ian’s credentials as a guitar player and I had a weak moment: “Ian Forbes may just be one of the best dang acoustic guitar players of our time,” I said. Well… Paul and Ian both report that quote will soon be on t-shirts all over Scottland.

Ever since naming Fingers as one of the greatest, I’ve been thinking of how to actually test that claim and, that’s what has led to the little side bet that Tony Kinsel and I have in this month’s contest. Tony thinks his own guitar playin’ find, Chris Walker of England, is the “REAL One of The Best Dang Acoustic Guitar Players Of Our Time.” So May’s contest features a “Guitar-Off” between those two. Vote for Fingers, dang it! (Hey… I got a good idea… let’s get BOTH of these guys into the Top 5, dang it!)

Jason Suthern – Ying Yang Thang

This another little side-bet sorta deal that I have going with Tony Kinsel this month. Tony has made  Lyrical Binge his first ever pick from our hometown of Corpus Christi, while I’ve been known to regularly put bands from Corpus Christi on the show. Well… I don’t want to let Tony out Corpus Christi me. So I’m bringing Jason Suthern back to the contest after his, decent-but-not-good-enough-to-make-the-finals-run in March. This is a song that his friend Ray Phillips wrote and submitted to Alan Jackson, hoping Alan might include it on his last CD. Well, Alan passed. But I, for one, don’t see how he could have done it any better than ole’ Jason has done. This is a fun little tune that seems about as worthy of national radio airplay as any thing I’ve heard from all that guys that you DO hear on national radio these day. Check out Jason’s website.

Landon James Band – Blues Kickin’ Blues

This is a kick-ass little band from New Braunfels, Texas that is gettin’ a lot of good gigs all over Texas these days, and I am very glad they thought to look me up and send me this song. I’m guessin’ these guys’ live shows are as awesome as they come. Check their MySpace Page to see where they’ll be next. I love what the band says about themselves on MySpace, too: “Words seem to fall short as a sufficient way to describe the Landon James Band. With genuine music pouring from each of their souls without compromise for anyone, The Landon James Band is truly a distinct sound that is sure to be unforgettable.” That’s a Hoss kind of attitude.

Jim Stringer – Here’s the River

Jim Stringer and The AM Band is outta Austin, and they came to my attention courtesy of a fan of Ruby Jane Smith — the 15 year old fiddlin’ phenom that Tony Kinsel has featured several times on this show this year. Jim has been well known on the Austin music scene for years, and he’s got a reputation for bein’ very good to the up-in-comers on the scene. I always like to hear that. This song is off Jim’s latest CD “Triskaidekaphilia”, a title that I’m dying to ask Jim about during one of the end-of-month interviews that we’ll likely do if he gets into the Top 10 this month. Choosing just one song to feature off this CD was tough. I decided on this one, though, because its message is very inspirational — in a weird, Texas outlaw kind of way. While Jim’s guitar pickin’ — and the musicians in the rest of the band — are awesome in their right, I am especially excited to hear the rip-roarin’ piano of T Jarrod Bonta throughout this CD, too. It’s been a long while since someone sent me a good-old country song with an acrobatic piano part like that. We need more of that stuff again in music, dang it! Check Jim out on the web.

Luna and the Mountain Jets – Church

Regulars to HossTheBoss.com probably don’t need an introduction to Luna, the Louisa, Kentucky singer who has been a guest DJ on our show more than anyone besides Tony Kinsel (she’s been on 3 times so far, including last month). Luna has also had her share of success with her own song in the contest: “Honey” advanced to the finals of the 2009 show. So, I decided it’s about dang time that we put another of her songs in the contest. Church, written by Jeff Ware, bass player of Luna’s band the Mountain Jets, is off the same Blaine Girl CD as “Honey.” Luna and her crew are starting to think about putting together another CD, but that will have to wait at least until her husband, David Prince, finishes his campaign to become the coolest (i.e. only guitar playin’ as far as we know) member of congress. In the meantime, check out Luna online. HossTheBoss.com listeners should especially appreciate the great diversity of the Blaine Girl Cd.

Radio La Chusma – Cruisin

I’m just now gettin’ to know this cool little band (with a very active following) from El Paso, but I dig their style. Turns out, latin and reggae music mix about as well as peanut butter and chocolate. Who woulda thunk it. I’m told by one Radio La Chusma’s big fans that this song is a huge hit in El Paso, and I can see why. They’ve captured the city’s flavor perfectly, and I’ve never even been there before. Check them out at www.radiolachusma.com.

Richard Craine – Mother’s Day

My apologies to Richard Craine of Bristol, England for puttin’ off gettin’ him into this contest for too many months. He’s emailed me several great songs over the last few months, but, despite my best intentions, I’ve never managed to find a place for him in this contest. Well… this time I HAD to get him in. How could I let May go by without featuring this very touching tribute to the mother’s of the world. Richard wrote this song in 1999, specifically, as a mother’s day gift to his own mom, and when she survived a bout with cancer last year, he decided to release it as a gift to the world this year in hopes of inspiring donations to help fight pancreatic cancer. Richard’s story of his mother’s fight is very inspiring, and I’ll read it on the show every time I play the dang song. Ya’ll better put this song in the Top 10 so we can get Richard to tell the story himself in an interview. Check out Richard’s own website.

17 South – No Soul Woman

This band from Jacksonville, Florida is another one  that I’m just gettin’ to know, but I really like everything I hear so far. Check them out on MySpace.

Tractor Brothers – Working Class Man

Likewise for these guys from San Antonio, Texas. Check them out on MySpace and prepare to, apparently, have your face rocked off. Hahahahaha. (These guys are scheduled to play a gig in the HTB hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas in June, and we’re planning to have them stop by to do a few acoustic songs live in my studio when they’re in town. Should be a fun time.)

See My Previous Picks

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010