Tony Kinsel’s August 2010 Hossey Award Picks
I’m Tony, and these are my August, 2010 picks…
Charlie Lucas Band–Josh’s Song
Charlie Lucas Band is from Magnolia, Texas, playing Acoustic, Texas Country & Southern Rock Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Charlie Lucas on vocals & guitar, Josh Kimich on lead guitar, Elvin “Pooky” Burnett on bass & Ken Dimick on drums. They have 2 cds available, Their debut cd “Which Way To Turn”, and their 2nd release “Not Famous (Slightly Notorious)”, from which I chose their entry in this month’s contest, “Josh’s Song”. For more info on The Charlie Lucas Band, you can visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/charlielucasband, or their website www.charlielucasband.com…
Corb Lund Band–Daughter, Don’t You Marry
Corb Lund and his band, The Hurtin’ Albertans, are from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, playing Folk, Country & Alternative Music. The 4-man band consists of Corb Lund on vocals & guitar, Kurt Ciesla on bass guitar, Brady Valgardson on drums, & Grant Siemens on guitar, banjo & lap steel. Corb Lund got his start playing punk rock music from 1989-2001 with an Edmonton group called The Smalls, producing 4 cds with them. He says he began to be interested in playing C/W music about 1993 or ‘94, and started doing gigs with his band, now called The Hurtin’ Albertans. He now has 6 cds to his credit with that group, “Modern Pain”, “Unforgiving Mistress”, “Five Dollar Bill”, “Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer”, “Horse Soldier!, Horse Soldier!”, and his latest ,”Losin’ Lately Gambler”, which he’ll be promoting doing extensive touring, both in the U.S. and Canada. Lately, Corb Lund & his band have acquired a legion of fans from Canada to Texas, by appearing in concert with Alt-Country stars like Robert Earl Keen & Hayes Carll. When asked to describe his music, Corb said “Scruffy country; insubordinate country; ulterior country; dissident country; subversive country; organic country; free-range country; non-toxic country; western music with some hair on it!”. For more info on Corb Lund, visit his MySpace page, www.myspace.com/officialcorblund, or his website, www.corblund.com…
Downday–Guitar Man
Downday is from Russellville, Arkansas, playing Rock Country & “Other” Music. They’re a 3-man group, consisting of Christian Dean on vocals & lead guitar, Rockey Jones on vocals, rhythm guitar & bass guitar, & David O’Neal on drums. On MySpace they say that they take 80’s metal music, mix it with outlaw country & southern rock, and produce a sound that’s all their own. Downday sent me their debut self-titled cd to add to the rotation here on HTB, and I used the song “Back In The Day” in a previous contest this year, where it made it into the top 5. I’ve decided to bring them back this month with the song “Guitar Man”, off that same cd. For more info on Downday, visit their MySpace page, www.MySpace.com/downday, or their website, www.downdayband.com…
Haden Burchard Band–Carribean Islands
Haden Burchard Band is from Lubbock, Texas, playing Texas Country, Rock & “Crunk” Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Haden Burchard on lead vocals & rhythm guitar, Hayden Faram on harmony vocals & bass guitar, Bryan Pacheco on lead guitar, & Travis Maret on drums & harmony vocals. Haden asked me awhile back how they could get their music played on HTB, so I invited him to send me some of their songs off the debut cd they’re working on. Their song “Sittin’ At A Bar” made it into the top 5 in a previous contest, so I decided to try them again this month, with the song “Caribbean Islands”, where they even mention Port Aransas!! I hope you vote this song into the top 5, as well. For more info on The Haden Burchard Band, visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/hadenburchardband…
Jessica Lanza is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, playing Jazz, Folk, Healing & Easy Listening Music. Jessica says that, for the last 5 years, she’s been playing old standards and pop tunes to coffee bar patrons, but felt like a “glorified radio”, so she headed into the Vibewrangler recording studios and produced an EP cd called “Little Sister”, which is available through her website. She plans to follow this cd with more music this fall, and, while she probably will still be playing in coffee bars, she says she won’t be ignored in the corner, anymore. I chose her song “Round And Round” off “Little Sister” for her entry this month. For more info on Jessica Lanza, you can visit her MySpace page, www.myspace.com/jessicalanza…
Keegan Reed Band–It’s Alright
Keegan Reed Band is from San Antonio, Texas, playing Blues, Rock & R&B Music. They’re a 3-man band, consisting on Keegan Reed on vocals & guitar, Fil Grady on bass, & John Clark on drums. They’re currently working on their debut cd, but have posted several songs from it for free download on ReverbNation. I chose their song “It’s Alright” for their contest entry this month. For more info on The Keegan Reed Band, visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/keeganreedmusic, or their website, www.keeganreedband.com…
Kyle Bennett Band–Later On
Kyle Bennett Band is from Ft. Worth, Texas, playing Texas Country & Southern Rock Music. They’re a 5 man band, consisting of Kyle Bennett on lead vocals & acoustic guitar, John Seidler on lead guitar, Beau Brauer on drums & percussion, Rody Molder on bass guitar, & Jon Hunt on vocals & guitar. They have 2 cds available, their self-titled, debut release (also known as the red cd), and their 2nd one “Grey Sunrise”, both of which I’ve added to the rotation here on HTB. Last month, I chose their song “Time To Switch To Whiskey” for the contest, but it didn’t make the top 5, so I decided to try them again this month with the song “Later On”, off their red cd. It’s a song about what you should tell your children about the things you did growing up. Listen to the lyrics. For more info on The Kyle Bennett Band, visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/kylebennettband, or their website, www.kylebennettband.com…
Lisa Medina–Long Over Due
Lisa Medina is from Corpus Christi, Texas, playing Acoustic, Alternative & Rock Music. I ran across Lisa on MySpace, liked the music she had up on her page, and asked her to send me a few of her songs. She sent me a couple of them, which I’ve since added to the rotation, and I chose her song “Long Over Due” for her contest entry this month. Lisa says she’s played in various clubs, in Corpus Christi and the surrounding area, in one band that went through several name changes before breaking up. (Totally Dazed, Sum Of Us, & Sound Debris.) Now, she’s out on her own, and will be playing “old, new, rock, pop, a little blues, and anything in between, although I don’t do country or tejano.” For more info on Lisa, visit her Myspace page, www.myspace.com/lisamedina1…
Longneck Road–Longneck Road
Longneck Road is from Beaumont, Texas, playing Southern Rock, Rock & Blues Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Dick LeMasters on vocals & guitar, Adam King on drums, Miles Sykes on lead guitar, & Ron Arceneaux on bass guitar. The band has been together since 2008, playing various gigs in the Houston and Beaumont area, and has produced one demo cd called “Rough Cuts”, from which I chose their song “Longneck Road” as their contest entry this month. For more info on Longneck Road, visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/longneckroad, or their website, www.longneckroad.com…
My Jeremiah–Best Times
My Jeremiah is from the Bay Area of California, playing Rock & Pop Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Kyle Tredway on vocals & guitar, Justin Carvacho on drums, Aaron Eckardt on lead guitar, & Nick Puccini on bass. Kyle Tredway decided to form this band in 2009, after producing one solo cd in 2008 that was sold only in Japan.They’re currently working on a debut cd, from which they sent me several songs. I chose the song “Best Times” for their contest entry this month. It’s a little more pop rock than I usually go for, but I like their sound. for more info on My Jeremiah, visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/myjeremiah, or their website, www.myjeremiahmusic.com…
Outlaw Son–Drugs
Outlaw Son is from Jacksonville, Florida, playing Acoustic, Folk Rock & Grunge Music. Outlaw Son is guitarist/song-writer Timothy S. Epperhart. He says on MySpace that his goal in life, with his music, is that “someone, anyone, will hear and understand, and maybe even be inspired by the many songs that I’ve written over the years.” He’s produced 3 cds, “Storm Of The Century”, “In The Cemetary”, & “Swampville”, from which I chose the song “Drugs” for his contest entry this month. (Mainly because I like songs about drugs!) For more info on Outlaw Son, visit his MySpace page, www.myspace.com/outlawson, or his website, www.soundclick.com/timothysepperhart…
Road To Consciousness
Road To Consciousness is from Belgium, playing Electronica & Rock Music. They’re, as they say on MySpace, “a joint venture of talented musicians from different countries, all united in one common passion for music”. I counted 17different musicians listed as performing on a concept album, due to be released in the fall, where each track is about a different character who faces a test on his “road to consciousness”. They’ve pre-released one song from it called “The Middle Path”, which I chose as their contest entry this month. It’s also available for free download on their MySpacepage. For more info on Road To Consciousness, (and to read which European groups and artists are represented), visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/roadtoconsciousness…
The 484 South Band–Lost Highway
The 484 South Band is from Mississippi, playing Country, Southern Rock & Classic Rock Music. They’re a 6-man band, consisting of Keith Schultz on guitar & vocals, Twain Pigott on guitar, Brady Bagwell on vocals & guitar, Jim Oakes on vocals, David Johnson on drums, & Donald Hull on bass. On MySpace, it says The 484 South Band “creates original songs along the lines of Lynyrd Skynyrd, if they were in a head-on crash with Widespread Panic, and Robert Johnson threw in his 2 cents while looking on from the crossroads!” They have one cd out “Mississippi Nights”, which I’ll be featuring on my DJ show Sunday night, August 8th, and from which I chose the song “Lost Highway” as their contest entry this month. For more info on The 484 South Band, visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/the484southband…
Whiskey Myers–Road Of Life
Whiskey Myers is from Tyler, Texas, playing Texas Country & Southern Rock Music. They’re a 5-man band, consisting of Cody Cannon on vocals & guitar, Cody Tate on vocals & guitar, John Jeffers on lead guitar, Gary Brown on bass guitar, & Jeff Hogg on percussion. (Which means, Hoss, that there is no one in this band named “Whiskey Myers”, and, Peggy, they are also not related to Augie Myers!) The band got it’s start playing private parties in East Texas on the back of flatbed trailers, but have since opened for acts like Roger Creager and The Eli Young Band. They have one cd out called “Road Of Life”, from which I chose the title track for their entry in the contest this month. For more info on Whiskey Myers, look them up on MySpace, www.myspace.com/whiskeymyersband, or their website, www.Whiskeymyers.com…
Zac Brown Band–Free
Zac Brown Band is from Atlanta, Georgia, playing Southern Rock, Folk Rock, & Country Music. They’re a 6-man band, consisting of Zac Brown on lead vocals & guitar, Jimmy De Martini on vocals & violin, John Driskell Hopkins on vocals & bass, Coy Bowles on guitar & organ, Clay Cook on vocals, guitar, organ, mandolin, & pedal steel, and Chris Fryar on drums. The Zac Brown Band has been paying its dues for years, but spent the last couple of years as an “overnight success”. Their cd “The Foundation” was released in November of 2008 on Atlantic Records and debuted at #17 on The BillBoard top 200 chart, and #3 on the Country charts. It has now been certified platinum by the RIAA. They’ve also won Grammys as “Best New Artist”, and “Top New Vocal Group”. I chose their latest single from that cd, “Free”, for their contest entry this month. It’s also available for free download on their MySpace page. For more info on The Zac Brown band, visit their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/zacbrownband, or their website, www.zacbrownband.com, or join their fan club, like I did, and become a member of “The Zac Brown Band Zamily!…
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
I wanted to drop in to send you many thanks for nominating my song “drugs” for an award. Just for reference i’ve written well over 150 original songs and more than 3 albums. It looks that way on Myspace because I have little patience for the format. For what it’s worth you’re doing a great thing by promoting Independent artists and you totally have my vote.
Corb Lund is from Taber, Alberta, Canada http://www.corblund.com And yes indeed, Corb and the Hurtin’ Albertans are fabulous!
Tony Kinsel Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Thanks for the info, Jane2. It turned out that I had been lied to by what turned out to be a fan page for The Corb Lund Band, from Zionsville, Pennsylvania, who told me the band was no longer playing together. Thanks to your comment, I found the MySpace page for the real Corb Lund, & his band, The Hurtin’ Albertans, and have updated the blurb I wrote about him. As you can see by looking above, he is definitely still in existence, and is currently promoting his latest cd “Losin’ Lately Gambler”, which I hope to add to the rotation here on HTB soon. This shows why you can’t always believe what you read on MySpace!!
The band is from Monticello, Dexter, and Ridgeland Mississippi. Two are from Baton Rouge. But, they all have some roots in Mississippi.