I’m Tony, and these are my May 2011 picks…

Brad Allen Band–Fly Away

Brad Allen Band is from Bangs, Texas, playing Texas Country Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Brad Allen on lead vocals & rhythm guitar, Joseph Rambo on drums, Aaron Fulcher on bass guitar, & Salamon Nava on lead & steel guitar. The Brad Allen Band was formed in 2006 and, according to critics, produces music that “is perfect for relaxin’, lettin’ loose, beer drinkin’ and havin’ a good time”! They are planning on releasing their debut cd “Ride ‘Til I’m Free” later this year, but their manager, Theresa Hernandez, has sent me several songs as a HTB preview of it. From them, I chose the song “Fly Away” as their May contest entry. For more info on The Brad Allen Band, check out their ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/thebradallenband….

Buck Yeager Band–Deep In The West

Buck Yeager Band is from Spring, Texas, playing Texas Country, Rock, & Folk Rock Music. For about 6 years now, The Buck Yeager Band has been opening for acts like Robert Earl Keen, Zona Jones, Tracy Byrd, Jack Ingram, The Bellamy Brothers, Django Walker, & Bad Company. They’re currently getting mainstream radio airplay in the Houston area with the song I’ve chosen from them for this month’s contest, “Deep In The West”. It’s also available for free download on their ReverbNation page, which is also where you can get more info about them, www.reverbnation.com/buckyeagerband…

Chikkin Wire–Fire On The Mountain

Chikkin Wire is from Enola, Pennsylvania, playing Country, Western, & Rockabilly Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Ron Cassel on vocals, pedal steel, electric & acoustic guitar, Bob Grimes on upright, dog-house bass & vocals, Steve “The Bushman” Botterbusch on drums & vocals, & “Double Barrel” Darrel Troutman on vocals & eletric guitar. The band started out in 2009 as The Clarence Toomey Band, but has gone through some personnel changes, and a name change, over the last couple of years, before settling into their current lineup. They play traditional honky-tonkin’ Country & Western music, along with some Rockabilly, Swing, & Rock & Roll. On their ReverbNation page, they have 12 songs up for free download, their covers of some great C/W tunes, all of which I’ve added to the rotation of my show here on HTB, including “Fire On The Mountain”, which I chose as their contest entry because it’s always been one of my favorite songs, and they do a good job on it. For more info on Chikkin Wire, check out their ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/chikkinwire…

Cody Angel–La Grange

Cody Angel is from Port Aransas, Texas, playing Blues & Rock ‘N’ Roll Music. Cody is 17 years old, plays lead guitar and sings, and, as he says on his ReverbNation page, he “plays as much blues as I can get away with, and enough rock and roll to get gigs, so I can play blues”. He is backed up by a group he calls his “Experimental Blues Band”, consisting of Antone Perez on drums & vocals, Art Galvan on bass, & Mike Guerra on bass & vocals. Cody has 7 songs up for sale in his ReverbNation store, which I’ve now added to the rotation of my show on HTB, including his cover of another of my favorite songs, “La Grange”, which I’ve chosen as his contest entry. For more info on Cody Angel, visit his ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/codyangel…

Coy Beck, Jr. Band–Younger Days

Coy Beck, Jr. Band is from China Grove, North Carolina, playing Country & Country Rock Music. Singing professionally since 1978, Coy Beck, Jr. has graced many stages, starting with the Matthew Jason Band, which toured the East Coast for 2 years. In 1982, he joined The Lightnin’ West Band in Spartanburg, S. Carolina, and hooked up with The Marshall Tucker Band for some studio work. Over the years, he’s performed as an opening act for Marshall Tucker, The Allman Brothers, The Outlaws, Razzy Bailey, Mel McDaniel, David Allan Coe & Merle Haggard, among others. Now, he’s back in China Grove, armed with an arsenal of original music, and backed up by 2 old friends, David Dellinger on steel guitar, and Tim Goodman on bass, hoping to make it in the current C/W scene. His manager, Duane “Big D” Ezell, sent me 8 of Coy’s songs, which I’ve already added to the rotation of my show here on HTB, and chose the song “Younger Days” as his contest entry. For more info on Coy Beck, Jr., visit his ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/coybeckjr…

David Castro Band–Splendidly Blended

David Castro Band is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, playing Folk, Progressive, & Acoustic Music. The David Castro Band is a 4-man group, consisting of David Castro on guitar & vocals, Dave Hickerson on drums & percussion, Jim Bob Lehr on bass guitar, & Jacob Birdtail on lead guitar. The band was formed in December of 2008 near Tulsa, Oklahoma, and, as one critic said, “These guys will entice you with their thoughtful, original music, rootsy sensibilities, sweet folk-rock pheromones, and their Okie charisma”.  I ran across David on ReverbNation, liked what I heard, and asked him if I could play his music on HTB. He responded that that would be great, that he’d been 1 of Hoss’s picks in a contest back in 2009, but hadn’t heard anything from him since. He has 17 songs available for free download on his R.N. page, and I’ve added all of them to my show here on HTB, and chosen the song “Splendidly Blended” as his contest entry. For more info on The David Castro Band, visit their ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/davidcastroband…

Dry County Drifters–Movin’ On

Dry County Drifters are from Amarillo, Texas, playing Texas Country, Americana & Red Dirt Music. They’re a 5-man group, consisting of Kris Owen on vocals, Trent Riley on rhythm guitar, Jack Taylor on lead guitar, fiddle & harmonica, Paul Douglass on bass, & Chad Stoner on drums. Their bio on ReverbNation says, simply, “5 guys from West Texas trying hard to make what they love into a career!” I recently got double permission to play their music on HTB, first from the band themselves, and then from their agent, Outside The Lines Entertainment, Inc., which also gave me permission to play their entire roster of artists, including The Dry County Drifters, the Tommy Gallagher Band, Southern Fryde Inc, James Lann, & Jason Sain & The Foolhearted. The Drifters have 1 cd out, “Broken Hearts & Second Chances”, which is available in their ReverbNation store, and which I’ve already added to the rotation of my show here on HTB. I chose their song “Movin’ On” as their contest entry. For more info on The Dry County Drifters, and to download “Movin’ On” for free, visit their ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/drycountydrifters…

Southern Fryde Inc–Here’s To Hugh

Southern Fryde Inc is from Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, playing Rock, Southern Rock, Country, Alternative Country, & Outlaw Music. They are a 6-man group, consisting of Ddroyd on vocals, Dave Allan on guitar, Stu Brandon on guitar & vocals, Cruz on bass, Big Daddy Roy on keyboards & vocals, & JP Esser on drums. They are a group of long-time friends who have been playing together, and individually, for the last 25 years. They will soon be releasing their debut cd, “Deep Fryde”, which Dave Allan already sent me as a HTB exclusive preview, and I’ve already added to the rotation of my show. I chose the song “Here’s To Hugh” off it as their contest entry. Listen closely to the words, it’s a tribute to Hughie Thomasson of Lynyrd Skynyrd. For more info on Southern Fryde Inc, be sure to visit their ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/southernfrydeinc…

Tommy Gallagher Band–Love Coming Home

Tommy Gallagher Band is from Amarillo, Texas, playing Texas Country & Americana Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Tommy Gallagher on vocals & rhythm guitar, Kit Koop on lead guitar, Ryan Duncan on drums, & Justin Proffitt on bass. Tommy Gallagher is the grandson of Honky Tonk legend Tommy Allen, and remembers riding in his grandfather’s tour bus when he was a boy. Since 2004, the band has been paying it’s dues, playing in honky-tonks and dance halls across Texas. They’ve got 2 cds to their credit, 2006’s “Never Looking Back”, which was only released around their hometown, and their 2nd one, 2009’s “Always Something”, which was produced by Red Dirt icon Mike McClure, and which I’ve added to the rotation of my HTB show. However, I decided to chose a song for the contest from them that’s a single off a new cd they’re working on, “Love Coming Home”. I hope you like it and vote for it. For more info on The Tommy Gallagher band, visit their ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/tommygallagherband…

Vintage–Train Station Boogie

Vintage is from New York City, New York, playing Rock  & Blues Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Billy Kohout, Ronnie Ray, Bobby Defino, & Mike Tamer. I first ran across Vintage on ReverbNation, liked what I heard, and sent them a request to play their music. I not only got their permission, from Billy Kohout, their lead singer & lead guitar player, he also gave me permission to play 2 other groups he’s in, Rooster & Grimm Jack, both of whom you’ll hear among my picks in future contests on HTB. Critics say “Vintage is an old school hard rock band, with driving rhythms, strong melodies, and a feel from days gone past, with a slightly modern edge, and Billy Kohout’s smoky, gritty voice will take you on a rock and roll journey, quite reminescent of yesterday”.  They have 10 songs up for sale in their ReverbNation store, which I’ve already added to the rotation of my show, and I chose the song “Train Station Boogie” as their contest entry this month. For more info on Vintage, visit their ReverbNation page, www.reverbnation.com/vintagehardrock…

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.

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 | August 2009 | September 2009 | October 2009 | November 2009 | January 2010 | February 2010 | March 2010 | April 2010 | May 2010 | June 2010 | July 2010 | August 2010 | September 2010 | November 2010 | January 2011 | February 2011 | March 2011 | April 2011