HossTheBoss.com » Tony Kinsel’s October 2011 Hossey Award Picks

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

Billy Snipes–Texas Island Country

Billy Snipes is from San Marcos, Texas, playing Country, Texas Island Country, & Alt. Country Music. Texas Island Country is a genre of music Billy developed, a blend of Texas Country, Island, & Reggae Music. He also named his 2010 cd that, and I chose the title track for his entry in this month’s contest. I also liked the lyrics of this song, since, in it, he makes his way down to the Corpus Christi area from San Marcos, just like I used to from San Antonio back in the day. His ReverbNation page is worth checking out so you can hear some of the other songs on his cd. You can also buy it there. For more info on Billy, go to his RN page, www.reverbnation.com/billysnipes, where you can also find links to his Facebook, MySpace & Twitter pages…

Chris Edwards–Midnight Town

Chris Edwards is from Nacogdoches,Texas, playing Folk & Americana Music. Chris actually looked me up on ReverbNation, because he wanted to be on HossTheBoss again. He had been one of Hoss’s picks in January of 2010, and wanted to submit some of his newer songs to me to put in a new contest. I chose his song “Midnight Town” for this month’s contest, because I seem to like any songs with the word midnight in them. (I was a midnight DJ for most of my “career” on mainstream radio!) Chris said the music that he writes and sings is a “blend of the old-timey folk and string band country music that his grandparents played for him as a child, along with liberal doses of the elements of rock ‘n’ roll”. He has 2 cds to his credit, “Long Hard Ride”, which was released in Europe, and his latest, “Winter Garden”, produced by Jimmy Taylor (Willie Nelson, Leaving Sundown, etc.) His RN page address is www.reverbnation.com/chrisedwards, where you can also find links to his other sites, and info as to where you can buy his cd….

Cody Canada & The Departed–Kickin’ Back In Amsterdam

Cody Canada & The Departed are from Austin, Texas, playing Texas Country & Rock Music. Cody was the lead singer of Cross Canadian Ragweed, who I got permission to play on HTB a couple of years ago from his wife & manager, Shannon Canada, who also gave me permission to play her other clients, The Randy Rogers Band, Seth James, & Micky & The Motorcars. When I heard that Cody had formed another band, after CCR decided to part ways, I immediately wrote her and got permission to play Cody Canada & The Departed’s debut cd “This Is Indian Land”, from which I chose the song “Kickin’ Back In Amsterdam” as their October contest entry, mainly because I did some “kickin’ back” over there myself while I was in the Navy. Cody said he came up with the name The Departed, because everyone in the band was from other bands; Jeremy Plato (bass), from CCR, Seth James (guitar), from Seth James Band & Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Littleton (keyboards), from Stoney LaRue & The Arsenals, & Dave Bowen (drums), also from Stoney LaRue. For more info on Cody Canada & The Departed, visit their website, www.thedepartedmusic.com/codycanada…

Darc Thirty–Somewhere In Mexico

Darc Thirty is from Palestine, Texas, playing Texas Country Music. They’re a 5-person band, consisting of Brandon Costlow on vocals and guitar, Mandy Seale on vocals, Shane Smith on guitar, Ricky Hobbs on bass, & Alex Dunklin on drums. Darc Thirty was formed by Brandon & Mandy, who’d been witing songs and performing together since they were very young, from neighbor’s back porches to Johnny High’s Music Review. In 2005, they got serious about writing their music and then, in 2010, formed the group Darc Thirty, after their hometown of Bois D’arc, Texas. They’ve sent me several of their songs over the past year, the latest being “Somewhere In Mexico”, which I chose for this month’s contest. For more info on Darc Thirty, and to download this song for free, visit their RN page, www.reverbnation.com/darcthirty, which also has links to their other sites…

Dave Younger–Mama Help Me

Dave Younger is from Pine Grove, California, playing Country & Americana Music. This will be the 3rd contest I’ve put Dave, and his song-writing pal Farnell Cole, in. First I used the hilarious story song “It Ain’t Right”, then last month’s “Friends With The Devil”. Both of those songs are now in December’s finals. This month, I decided to use a song Dave just sent me, “Mama Help Me”, as his contest entry, so vote it into the top 5, as well. Dave told me he just had to write a C/W song about Mama, and this was the result. For more info on Dave Younger, and to download a number of his songs for free, visit his RN page, www.reverbnation.com/daveyngr, which also has links to his other sites, and to sites, like HTB, that are playing his music….

Dillon Havins–Freeland

Dillon Havins is from Austin, Texas, playing Country (but don’t box me in) Music. 12 year old Dillon has been playing the guitar and singing since he was 9. He plays a variety of music; blues, folk, rock, country, bluegrass & roots, (hence, the “don’t box me in” reference), 50% of it original material. Besides playing the guitar, he’s also accomplished on the bass & mandolin. His talents have already landed him gigs at Jovita’s in Austin, the Cypress Creek Cafe in Wimberley, and the Dripping Springs Farmer’s Market. He’s backed up by Sean Dunlap on lead guitar, & Dan McCarthy on drums, in a band he calls “Dillon Havins & The Other Guys”. When I first ran across Dillon on RN, I asked for permission to play his music, and his mother and manager, Tracy, said yes and sent me 4 of his songs, which I’ve added to the rotation of my DJ show here on HTB. My favorite is his version of “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy”, but, since it was recorded at an open-mic night, the sound quality was slightly off, so I went with my 2nd favorite for this month’s contest, “Freeland”. I hope you like it, and give it the votes it deserves. For more info on Dillon, visit his RN page, www.reverbnation.com/dillonhavins, which also has links to his other sites…

Grady Skelton–We Like Drinkin’

Grady Skelton is from College Station, Texas, playing Country, Americana, & Southern Rock Music. Grady is another artist who was brought to my attention by my lovely wife of over 36 years, Peggy. (October 18th is our 37th anniversary!) She 1st heard his music on the local Texas Music radio station, which was playing his song “We Like Drinkin’”. When I looked him up on RN, I listened to the song, liked it, and sought his permission to play his music on HTB. He not only agreed, he was all for it. So, I’ve also chosen the previously mentioned song for this month’s contest. Now, Grady is not only on the Texas Music Charts, he’s on the Hossey Music Charts, as well. On his RN page, it says Grady believes that Texas Music has the power to turn people on to “Country Music”, even those who swear they don’t like it! For more info on Grady Skelton, visit his RN page, www.reverbnation.com/gradyskelton, which has links to his other social media sites, as well…

Greywolf–Swamp Stomp

Greywolf is from Houma, Louisiana, playing Rock & Dance Music. They’re a 6-person group, consisting of Ashley Taylor on vocals, Ron Wilkerson on vocals & keyboards, Lionel Falgout on guitar & vocals, Carol John on guitar & vocals, Tony Lapeyrouse on drums, & John Bergeron on bass. I have to admit that the 1st thing that drew me to this group was their song “Swamp Stomp” that they had up for free download on their RN page, since Southern Fryde Inc’s song “Snow Stomp” was one of last month’s top 5. I immediately asked for permission to play their music, so I could put that song in this month’s contest, and they agreed, so I did. Since then, I’ve listened to their other music, and I like those songs, too. Be listening this Sunday night to my DJ show here on HTB, when I’ll be playing bonus songs from all my picks for this month, including Greywolf. For more info on Greywolf, visit their RN page, www.reverbnation.com/greywolfmusic, which also has links to their other websites…

Jerry Jackson And Red River Rising–Redneck Noise

Jerry Jackson & Red River Rising is from Autryville, North Carolina, playing Country, Classic Rock, & Oldies Music. They’re a 5-man group, consisting of Jerry Jackson on lead vocals, G.C. Melvin on keyboards & vocals, Johnnie Autry on lead guitar, Glenn Jackson on bass, & Jason Brewington on drums. Jerry just sent me his new cd “Old School” by e-mail to add to the rotation of my show here on HTB. From it, and it was a tough choice, I chose their song “Redneck Noise” as their contest entry this month. (Mainly because I’m a old, redneck hippie, and I like to make noise!) Another of my favorites you should check out on their cd is “My Little Man”, about Jerry’s son, Kenny Wayne Jackson, who was run over and killed while he was riding his bike at the age of 8. I’ll be playing that song on my DJ show this Sunday night as a bonus song. For more info on Jerry Jackson & Red River Rising, visit their RN page, www.reverbnation.com/redriverrevival, (which actually was their name when I first ran across them and asked for permission to play their music)….

Josh Abbot Band–Hell’s Gates On Fire

Josh Abbott Band is from Austin, Texas, playing Texas Country & Red Dirt Music. They’re a 5-man band, consisting of Josh Abbott on vocals & acoustic guitar, Preston Wait on fiddle & electric guitar, Edward Villanueva on drums, James Hertless on bass, & Caleb Keeter on electric guitar. Josh Abbott Band is one of the groups that I got permission to play from their management, Ambiance Artists, and I’ve used them in a couple of previous contest here on HTB. I brought them back this month, because Josh and Brandon Rhyder (who we also play) have co-written a song to benefit the victims of the recent Texas wildfires. Visit Josh Abbott’s website, like I did, www.joshabottband.com, and donate at least $1.00 (you can donate as much as you want), and you can download the song ”Hell’s Gates on Fire”, which is their contest entry on here for this month. All proceeds go to help the thousands of Texas residents who’ve been displaced due to the wildfire devestation. For more info on the Josh Abbott Band, visit their RN page, www.reverbnation.com/joshabbottband, which also has links to their other websites…

Philip Griffin Band–Running Out Of Time

Philip Griffin Band is from Dayton, Texas, playing Texas Country & Americana Music. They’re a 4-man band, consisting of Philip Griffin on vocals & guitar, Joseph Perez on bass, H. David Hansen on lead guitar, & Cody Croft on drums. Located in the Houston area, PGB has been described as one of the best up-and-coming groups on the Texas Music Scene. They have 3 of their songs up for free download on their RN page, including the one I chose from them for this month’s contest, “Running Out Of Time”. By the way, if you’re in Livingston, Tx. tonight, Oct.1st, you can see them doing a gig at Buster McNutty’s at 9pm. For more info on the Philip Griffin Band, check out their RN page, www.reverbnation.com/philipgriffinband…

Reckless Kelly–Good Luck And True Love

Reckless Kelly is from Austin, Texas, playing Texas Country Music. They’re a 5-man band, consisting of Willy Braun on lead vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, his brother,Cody Braun, on mandolin & background vocals, David Abeyta on electric guitar, tambourine & shaker, Jay Nazz on drums, & Jimmy McFeeley on bass. RK was actually the 2nd group to give me permission to play their music about 3 years ago, when I first started working on HTB. (Asleep at the Wheel was 1st!) Since then, I’ve added every cd they’ve come out with to the rotation of my show, including their latest “Good Luck & True Love”, from which I chose the title track for this month’s contest entry. Let’s vote it into the top 5, where it belongs! For more info on Reckless Kelly, visit their RN page, www.reverbnation.com/recklesskelly, which also has links to their other social media sites…

Robert Earl Keen–Play A Train Song

Robert Earl Keen is from Kerrville, Texas, playing Country & Americana Music. What can I say about REK? He’s been one of my favorite performers for over 10 years now, and was indirectly responsible for me being fired from “the accursed” KFTX-FM radio station here in Corpus Christi. (Ask to hear that story sometime.) REK has over 17 cds to his credit, all of which I’ve put on HTB over the past few years, since his manager first gave me permission to play his music. His latest cd “Ready For Confetti” just came out last month, and I’ve already added that to the rotation of my show, while choosing ”Play A Train Song” as his contest entry this month. For more info on Robert Earl Keen, check out his RN page, www.reverbnation.com/robertearlkeen, which also has links to his other websites…

Sam Watkins And Fate Train–After All These Beers

Sam Watkins And Fate Train are from Austin, Texas, playing Texas Country, Rock, Honky Tonk & Swing Music. They’re a 5-man band, consisting of Sam Watkins on vocals & rhythm guitar, Roy Lenoch on guitar, Cord Jackson on bass, Mike Pruett-Poole on fiddle & mandolin, & Dan Burnevik on drums. Sam sought me out on RN, and asked me if I liked his music. I did, and have since added several songs of his to the computerized rotation of my show here on HTB, while choosing the song “After All these Beers” as his October contest entry. Sam says he’s been interested in music since he was 10, and grew up listening to, and playing the music of, Elvis, Willie & Waylon, and Randy Travis. For more info on Sam Watkins and Fate Train, visit his RN page, www.reverbnation.com/samwatkinsandfatetrain…

Shawn Nelson–Get Over You

Shawn Nelson is from Austin, Texas, playing Texas Country, Americana & Rock Music. Shawn leads his 5-man band, on guitar & vocals, accompanied by Matt Slusher on lead guitar & vocals, Fletcher Murchinson on mandolin, Patrick Herzfeld on drums, & Joe Beckham on bass. Shawn’s 1st cd, “Ain’t No Easy Way”, came out in 2009, and I’ve chosen his song, “Get Over You”, from that cd, as his contest entry this month. His eagerly awaited second cd, produced by Grammy winning producer Joel Guzman, is due out this Fall, and he’s promised to send it to me to add to the rotation of my DJ show here on HTB. For more info on Shawn Nelson, and to purchase his debut cd, visit his RN page, www.reverbnation.com/shawnnelson, which also has links to his other sites…

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.

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My previous Hossey Music Award Picks