AMA MUSIC AWARDS

The American Music Association has announced the nominees for the forthcoming award ceremony to take place at the Ryman Auditorium on September 17th. The night will be hosted by Jim Lauderdale and featuring a band led by Buddy Miller.




The nominees are as follows:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Real Animal, by Alejandro Escovedo

Written in Chalk, by Buddy & Julie Miller

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

Midnight At The Movies, by Justin Townes Earle


ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Alejandro Escovedo

Buddy Miller

Justin Townes Earle

Raul Malo


INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR

Buddy Miller

Gurf Morlix

Jerry Douglas

Sam Bush


NEW & EMERGING ARTIST

Band of Heathens

Belleville Outfit

Justin Townes Earle

Sarah Borges


SONG OF THE YEAR

“Chalk,” written by Julie Miller, performed by Buddy Miller & Patty Griffin

“Country Love” by the Gourds

“Homeland Refugee,” by Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock, performed by the Flatlanders

“Rattlin’ Bones” by Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson, performed by Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson

“Sex And Gasoline,” by Rodney Crowell, performed by Rodney Crowell


DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR

Buddy & Julie Miller

Flatlanders

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson

Reckless Kelly

Tune into the show this week to here some songs from the artists listed above.

NEW SON VOLT ALBUM DUE 7/7/09

Very exciting news about the new album from Jay Farrar's Son Volt. The album is called "American Central Dust" and is due 7/7/09 on Rounder Records.

I haven't heard any of it yet, here is the blub from Rounder

"After spearheading the alternative country movement with his band Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar pursued his vision with Son Volt, who recorded three landmark albums in the '90s before the groundbreaking artist put the band on extended hiatus and cut three solo records. Now back with his third Son Volt album of the decade, Jay Farrar has delivered what may be his finest work yet, American Central Dust. The new album exhilarating carries on the tradition of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Little Feat circa Sailin' Shoes, the Rolling Stones of Exile on Main Street and early R.E.M., with standouts like the exceptional "Down to the Wire," "Dynamite" and "No Turning Back." An epic lament for the heartland, American Central Dust is populated with readily recognizable characters, the most hopeful of them searching for love against a backdrop of rusted road signs and abandoned factories. Rarely does a musical work so powerfully capture the zeitgeist of its historical moment while also honoring the traditions of rock & roll with such rawboned grace."

Track Listing:

1 Dynamite
2 Down to the Wire
3 Roll On
4 Cocaine and Ashes
5 Dust of Daylight
6 When the Wheels Don't Move
7 No Turning Back
8 Pushed Too Far
9 Exiles
10 Sultana
11 Strength and Doubt
12 Jukebox of Steel

You can listen to Track 2 "Down to the Wire" via Son Volt's Myspace page. You can read more about the album at the Son Volt Website

ALELA DIANE - TO BE STILL

Originally from California, singer-songwriter now calls Portland Oregon home. Now signed to Rough Trade, "To be Still" is the follow up to her debut album from 2006 called "The Pirate’s Gospel". Diane has been likened to Sandy Denny and Karen Dalton, both being valid comparisons. She has toured with The Decemberists, Iron & Wine, Akron/Family and Vashti Bunyan and has a big following in Europe, especially France.

myspace
Rough Trade

TODD SNIDER - THE EXCITMENT PLAN

Regular listeners to the show would know that Todd Snider is one of my particular favourites. He has made a habit of releasing albums on a regular basis and his latest "The Excitement Plan" is out now on Yep Roc. Once again it a beauty! Made with the help of legendary producer Don Was it's a more personal album than last years "Peace Queer". Snider's greatest gift is his talent for words and once again each song has you listening intently for words of wisdom. For me, Snider has the ability to articulate the way I feel and think about things better than I ever could and I think that's why I love his work so much. The album also contains a duet "Don't Tempt me" with Loretta Lynn.

As always it best to leave it up to Snider himself to tell us what it's all about;
"Initially The Excitement Plan (June 9th on Yep Roc Records) wasn't supposed to be about anything. I was just trying to come up with the best... most open hearted ... well-thought-out lyrics I could come up with. I wanted every song to be sad and funny at the same time, vulnerable and entertaining at the same time, personal and universal at the same time. I wanted every song to be as uniquely written as possible and then I wanted to perform them in a studio loose and rugged and hopefully as uniquely as I could. My hope is to be hard to describe and/or new…I'm not saying I am. I'm just saying that's the hope."

It's available from YepRoc and eMusic or in all good record stores.



Website
Myspace

FROG HOLLER - BELIEVE IT OR NOT

"Believe it or not" is the sixth full length album by the Berks County, Pennsylvania based band. Still fiercely independent, the band put the album out on ZoBird Records earlier this year. Originally a bluegrass outfit they have evolved over the years but still maintain that original element in their music.

The band convenes every Tuesday night at the house of one of the band members to play music and share a meal. They have a rehearsal space and a recording studio at the house and the album was put together in these comfortable surrounds. Frog Holler sings songs about hope for the future in uncertain times and that the lessons learnt from the past will be remembered.The album is available from eMusic or CdBaby



Band Website
MySpace

LEO RONDEAU - DOWN AT THE END OF THE BAR

Originally from North Dakota, Leo Rondeau’s now lives Austin, Texas. His 2007 debut, "Bangs, Bullets and the Turtle Mountains", mixes traditional country and bluegrass and is mostly about stories of his younger days in ND. His latest album is called "Down at the End of the Bar" and it continues on from where his debut left off. And as with the first CD, it is self-released via cdbaby or iTunes.

Rondeau possess that classic gravel-based country voice that sounds as old as time itself and much like other new kids on the block, Ryan Bingham and Hayes Caryl, he is sure to keep gaining new fans.

myspace

THE LOW ANTHEM - ON MY GOD, CHARLIE DARWIN

The Low Anthem hail from Rhode Island USA. It's probably the first time I've played a song from a band from there. The band are Ben Knox Miller, Jeff Prystowsky and Jocie Adams. The album "Oh My God, Charlie Darwin" was originally released in 2008 in a limited run of only about 2000 copies with cover art hand painted by the band. Nonesuch have re-released the album in the USA this month. No news on a local release but the album is available from itunes, eMusic and Amazon.

All three members of the band are multi-instrumentalists and they shared around different instruments while making the album. Described as chamber folk and compared to the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Sam Beam and even Nick Drake the album is a gem. Recommended also for those who enjoyed the likes of Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver last year.

Low Anthem Website
Myspace
Nonsuch

John Doe and The Sadies - Country Club

John Doe and the Sadies have delivered a great album with "Country Club". The result of a drunken promise made a while back when The Sadies were playing with Doe's band The Knitters. It really is a corker.

They pay homage to their country music heroes by covering songs by Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and late-night ballads by Tammy Wynette and Roger Miller. They also provide four originals, three of them by The Sadies (two are instrumentals) and one by Doe with his long time musical partner (X and The Knitters) Exene Cervenka.

John Doe has made the country album he has always threatened to make and it's a fine tribute to the Bakersfield and Countrypolitain Nashville sounds of days gone by.

More at Yep Roc

Jim White and John Doe live 9th March

The Easey Street Sessions: Jim White and John Doe (9th March 2009)

Tune into 5ft High and Rising with Myles O'Neil-Shaw at 1pm on Monday 9th March to hear Jim White and John Doe live!



Jim White was born in 1957 in Pensacola, Florida to a Pentecostal family, and was influenced in his childhood by gospel music. According to various sources, he has been a comedian, a fashion model, a boxer, a preacher, a professional surfer, and a New York cab driver. Before embarking on a music career, White attended film school at New York University, and entered a self-described “deep hole of sickness and depression and poverty”. However, during a party organized by film school friends, White began to perform, and began writing material for an album soon afterward.



John Doe was born John Nommensen Duchac in 1954 in Decatur, Illinois. He is singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player who was the founder of the legendary and massively influential LA punk band X. His musical compositions and performances also include country and folk music. He is also a film and television actor, appearing in such films as Roadside Prophets, Salvador, Boogie Nights, and music videos for The Doors’ “LA Woman” and The Ramones “Something to Believe In”.

These two alt country legeds are coming together for the Golden Plains Festival.

As Heard on 5 Feet High and Rising

Here is some information of some of the new music heard on 5 Feet High and Rising recently. Come back often as I hope to make posts here more frequent:-)

Strand of Oaks - Leave Ruin



Following on the heels of the success of Justin Veron and his band Bon Iver we have another quirky folk album by another relatively unknown artist called Timothy Showalter. He records under the name Strand of Oaks. Showalter spent some time in the highlands of Northern Pennsylvania recording “Leave Ruin”, his debut album. Showalter wrote the songs for this album after he lost his house in a fire. Using borrowed instruments he wrote the songs in hotel room and on park benches. His style has been compared to Will Oldham and like Oldham you can hear the longing and desperation in his voice. All told a great debut from an artist to watch in 2009.

Doug Paisley - Doug Paisley



Not to be confused with his namesake Brad, Doug Paisley is a Canadian artist with a fondness for his countrymen Neil Young and The Band, Levon Helm in particular (yeah I know Helm was a yank) and enjoys writing and singing low key quieter songs. . Paisley also has a similarity to Bonnie Prince Billy (Will Oldham) whom he toured with recently. Pedal steel and piano fill the tracks as does harmony vocal from Simone Schmidt. It’s all done with just enough of a country feel to keep us interested.

Phosphorescent - To Willie



Matthew Houck, who records under the name Phosphorescent has made an album length tribute to Willie Nelson, simply called “To Willie” – a play on one of Willie’s own albums released in 1975 called To Lefty from Willie, a tribute to Lefty Frisell. Sounding even more laid back than Nelson (if that’s possible) Houck and a revolving cast of collaborators has produced a loving and respectful tribute to one of the greats. Houck has trawled through the extensive Nelson catalogue and has resisted the urge to cover Nelson’s better known tunes. Instead he has chosen some lesser known gems, the results of which are stunning and well worth a listen – or two.

PBS Live Music Week

Live Music Week is launched at Federation Square on December 13th. More info at www.pbsfm.org.au



On my show December 15th will be Skipping Girl Vinegar. Tune in at around 1.30pm to hear them play.

Also, Matt Joe Gow will be on the show this Monday to play a couple of tunes. Matt is one of the main artists playing at Fed Square.

5 Feet High And Rising Podcast Episode Two

This podcast is a spin off of the radio program I present on 106.7 PBS-FM Monday afternoons from 1.00pm AEST.

With this podcast I aim to highlight the great alt-country talent we have here in Australia.

There are a couple of ways you can listen to the podcast.

1.You can download this episode via itunes HERE.
2.Visit the 5 Feet High and Rising page on mypodcast.com HERE.
3. You can download the podcast as an mp3 file. Right click HERE.

In this podcast I will be featuring an interview I recorded at PBS with Andre Hooke from Khancoban. Andre has a chat about the bands debut full length album and plays a couple of tunes from it for us.

I will also be playing some music from a great bunch of artists primarily based here in Melbourne. They have all recently released or are about to release new material and most have helped out on each others recordings. They are a great example of the vibrant alt-country and Americana scene here in this city.

Sean McMahon - Welcome to Gippsland

On my first podcast I played a song from the Downhill’s Home album called Minor Birds. Now Sean McMahon the singer and songwriter from the band has released a solo album called Welcome to Gippsland.

Sean has called the whole project a “Story Book Album” It’s a collection of fictional narratives from the perspectives of four characters. Sean takes the lead role and the rest of the cast is made up of special guests including Matt Walker in the role of a “friend of Jim’s”, Liz Stringer as Mary and Laura Jean as Case. Together with Sean they have created an album of sparse country licks and somber blues.

Liz Stringer also makes an appearance on a couple of the other songs featured on this podcast plus I will play a song from her own album later as well. Welcome to Gippsland is out now through Major Label Records.

Van Walker - Celestial Railroad and other Stories



Van Walker was born in Tasmania in 1978. He moved to Melbourne with his brother Cal in 2000. They formed a rock band called the Swedish Magazines and played around with the more country stuff on the side. Taking a break from the Swedes, Van has just released his debut solo album called Celestial Railroad and other stories. It’s filled with songs about paranoid spies and love-sick rabbits, urban bandits and tram-hopping misadventures. The album is released through Croxton Records. Other than Van and Cal the band consists of Zane Lynd on bass and Chris Altmann on drums. Other performances come from Jeb Cardwell and Liz Stringer.

Khancoban - Limbs may fall



Khancoban was formed back in 2004 by Andre Hooke with his partner Jemima Hooke as a two piece. Andrew Bonnici on Lap Steel & banjo and Pete Cohen formerly of Sodastream on bass have since joined the band. Prior to their Debut album Limbs may fall they released a self titled ep in 2006.

The band takes its name from a small town nestled in the Snowy Mountains in NSW close to the Victorian border. They are signed to the Sydney based label Half a Cow. These two facts alone have lead to a misconception that the band is from NSW. But they are actually Melbourne based.

Andre came into the PBS studio recently to talk about the band’s first album and he played a couple of tunes as well.

Fireside Bellows - No Time To Die



On my first podcast I played a couple of demos from the then forthcoming album by the Fireside Bellows. The album is due out on November 15th through Vitamin Distribution. The album is called No Time to Die and it’s a beauty.

Recorded live over 9 days at Spicerack Studios in Brunswick, Melbourne, No Time To Die is a remarkable debut album from the alt. country harmony collaboration of local acclaimed Melbourne Song-smith Jordie Lane and Canadian singer-songwriter Tracy McNeil. The two met on line a while back and Tracy came to Melbourne unannounced and found Jordie quickly by hanging out in local Melbourne music venues. Within a year they had formed the band, co-written and now released this stunning debut.



Country and bluegrass influenced the album celebrates a shared love of American roots music, No Time To Die also displays this duo's unique connection in the art of co-writing and harmony singing.

The album features many guest appearances including Liz Stringer, Andy Baylor and the brilliant pedal steel work of Garrett Costigan.

Liz Stringer - Pendulum



We’ve heard a lot of work so far from some great artists made with some contribution from Liz Stringer. It’s now time to play something from her new album called Pendulum. Distributed by One Little Indian Enterprises many of artists that Liz helped out return the favor on Pendulum. Jordie Lane, Matt Walker, Jen Anderson, Michael Hubbard from Downhill’s Home plus a few others all make a contribution.

Skipping Girl Vinegar - Sift the Noise



Taking their name from the iconic Melbourne neon sign of Audrey the ‘Skipping Girl' in Richmond, Skipping Girl Vinegar is Chris Helm (drums), Mark Lang (Lead Vox, Guitar), Amanthi Lynch (Keys) & Sare Lang (Bass).

They released their album Sift the Noise recently on the label Popboomerang Label. The album was recorded in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and studios across Melbourne, as well as ‘The Lookout’, a beach shack in Aireys Inlet on the Great Ocean Road. Testament to the band’s obsession with melody, pop-hooks, and the search to stretch their song craft, the result is a dark, warm, organic record that reflects the environments and journey of the band throughout the writing and recording of the album.

The album packaging itself is a sight to behold. Made to look like a library book, it opens gatefold style and includes two booklets, one with the song lyrics and the other with photos of the band. If you buy the album at gigs it also comes with a small calico library bag.

Album of the Month - November

Fireside Bellows - No Time to Die

It's a pleasure to feature my first Australian album as "Album of the Month".

The album "No Time to Die" by Fireside Bellows is a wonderful album of high quality Americana harmony singing by Jordie Lane and Tracy McNeil in the style of Gillian Welch & David Rawlings or Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell.

Recorded live over 9 days at Spicerack Studios in Brunswick, Melbourne, No Time To Die is a remarkable debut album from the alt. country harmony collaboration of local acclaimed Melbourne Song-smith Jordie Lane and Canadian singer-songwriter Tracy McNeil. The two met on line a while back and Tracy came to Melbourne unannounced and found Jordie quickly by hanging out in local Melbourne music venues. Within a year they had formed the band, co-written and now released this stunning debut.

Country and bluegrass influenced the album celebrates a shared love of American roots music, No Time To Die also displays this duo's unique connection in the art of co-writing and harmony singing.

The album features many guest appearances including Liz Stringer, Andy Baylor and the brilliant pedal steel work of Garrett Costigan.

Fireside Bellows launch the album at an afternoon show at the Northcote Social Club on November 23rd. The album is released on November 15th on Vitamin Records.

Fireside Bellows on Myspace

Khancoban Interview

I recently spoke to Andre Hooke from Khancoban on the program. The band has recently released their first full length album called "Limbs May Fall" on the Sydney based label Half A Cow.

The band takes its name from a small town in the Snowy Mountains causing some confusion that they are from that part of the world. They are actually Melbourne based and material for the album was composed in two places, a Warehouse in inner Melbourne and in the bands own studio located in the more rural surrounds of Kallista. The album was recorded at Headgap Studios in Preston.

You can listen to the whole interview with Andre via the Five Feet High and Rising Podcast. Andre also played two songs which are also included.


Khancoban are:
Andre Hooke
Jemima Hooke
Andrew Bonnici
Pete Cohen


www.halfacow.com/khancoban
www.myspace.com.khancoban

You can download the songs Andre played here.
By The Lights
I can only afford to win

Fireside Bellows Debut Album

The long awaited debut album from the Fireside Bellows (Jordie Lane & Tracey McNeil)is called "No Time to Die" and will be launched on November 23rd at the Northcote Social Club.



Jordie has sent through the following details. A must see event!

After forming a duo less than a year ago, It is with great pleasure that we, Jordie Lane & Tracy McNeil, can announce that our debut album entitled "No Time To Die", will be released nationally next month, in stores Saturday 15th November, through vitamin distribution.

And to celebrate we will be having a very special Album Launch the following
Sunday 23rd November at The Northcote Social Club (ARVO SHOW).

The launch will feature some of Melbourne's finest players who appeared on the record: Garrett Costigan-pedal steel, Liz Stringer-Banjo, Andy Baylor-Fiddle, Stevie Hesketh-Keys, and many more. We are delighted that Suzannah Espie, and Red Fish Bluegrass will be opening the show, and the arvo will be hosted by comedian Denise Scott.

Doors open at the very civilized hour of 2:30pm, show kicks off at 3pm. So you can be home for your Sunday Roast by 7pm.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE, as of Mon 13th Oct, so what are you waiting for, hurry? click the link or call the number below to pre-book.

Fireside Bellows Album Launch
Sunday 23rd November
Northcote Social Club
$12 +booking fee or $15 at the door if still available
Tickets on sale at the NSC box office (301 High St, Northcote), Ph: 94861677 and online via www.northcotesocialclub.com

www.myspace.com/firesidebellows

News from Downhills Home

Downhills Home have announced plans relating to their forthcoming album & news about upcoming tours. The first song to be lifted from the new album is called "Pluto's Blues" & it will be available to download October 28th via their website.



www.downhillshome.com
www.myspace.com/downhillshome

From the band:

Although it's been a quiet winter for Melbourne five piece Downhills Home, it's been by no means uneventful. While singer Sean McMahon has finished his album 'Welcome to Gippsland', (out now through MGM) the band has been working on the follow up to their critically acclaimed debut album of last year, 'Minor Birds'. The new material sees the band progress from their alt-country roots to a heavier 60's inspired rock'n'roll sound. Now, ready and rested, and with a heap of new material, Downhills Home are set to hit the stage again.

They will embark on not one but two East Coast tours simultaneously supporting Epicure and the internationally acclaimed Dandy Warhols after being hand picked by the band themselves.

Following that, Downhills Home will host their own show to launch their new single, 'Pluto's Blues', a teaser from the bands highly anticipated second album.

Tour Dates:
23 oct. the Annandale Hotel, Sydney, NSW,supporting Epicure
24 oct. Baroque, Katoomba, NSW, supporting Epicure
25 oct. Manly Fisho's, Manly, NSW, supporting Epicure
26 oct. Brass Monkey, Cronulla, NSW, supporting Epicure
30 oct. the Pub, Bendigo, VIC , supporting Epicure
31 oct. the Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW, supporting the Dandy Warhols
1 nov. the Corner Hotel, Melbourne, Vic, supporting Epicure
2 nov. the Westernport Hotel, San Remo, Vic, supporting Epicure
3 nov. the Barwon Heads Hotel, Geelong, Vic , supporting Epicure
5 nov. the Tivoli Theatre, Brisbane, QLD , supporting the Dandy Warhols
6 nov. the Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Vic, supporting the Dandy Warhols
7 nov. the Palace Theatre , Melbourne, Vic, supporting the Dandy Warhols
28 nov. the Evelyn, Fitzroy, Vic. PLUTO's BLUES SINGLE LAUNCH with Pony Face and Hello Morning

Todd Snider Makes New Album Free To Download

Todd Snider has made his new album "Peace Queer" available to download for free from today (October 11th) until the end of the month.

Go to his website www.toddsnider.net for the download. The actual CD is released on October 14th.

From Todd's Myspace page:
The overtly political 'Peace Queer' takes a bit of a left turn for the outspoken Snider, beginning with the cover photo, which depicts Snider being held at gunpoint by a shirtless hippie. "Clearly, anyone who looks at the photograph can tell that I had been abducted by an international league of peace queers and forced to write protest music. You know, for their cause," says Snider.

The eight tracks on 'Peace Queer' include a Civil War sea shanty, a plaintive cover of the classic "Fortunate Son," a spoken-word number, a rocket-fueled meditation on contemporary culture ("Stuck On The Corner"), and a Fred Sanford-ish funeral dirge. The emotional centerpiece of the album is the wistful "Ponce Of The Flaming Peace Queer."

"'Peace Queer' is a six-song cycle, starting with a song called 'Mission Accomplished,'" Snider explains. "In six sentences, the record goes like this: Here's the kid being told everything's going to be great. Here's the reality of that. Here's that kid when he comes home a sad and banged-up and angry 'winner.' Here's the breakdown of why I think that's happening. Here's the guy in our culture that I think is causing that to happen, and it's not a president. And then here's what I think is going to happen to that guy. And then we roll credits."

On 'Peace Queer', those credits include Patty Griffin, Kevin Kinney, Don Heron, Doug Lancio, Will Kimbrough and other luminaries.

"Things happen in this album besides you being told that war is wrong, with a beat," Snider says. "I don't know that war is wrong. I just know that I'm a peace queer, and I'm totally into it when people aren't fighting, in my home, at the bar where I hang out, or in a field a million miles away."



Buy from Amazon

Justin Townes Earle Tour

Justin Townes Earle is coming to Australia in November.
Tour dates as follows:

23 Nov Troubadour QLD
25 Nov Annandale Hotel NSW
26 Nov Grace Emily Hotel SA
28 Nov The Palais - Hepburn Springs VIC
29 Nov Meeniyan Hall VIC
30 Nov The Toff in Town VIC


Justin is of course the son of Steve Earle, who himself will complete a tour of Australia just weeks before his son.

A modern-day troubadour, Earle blends genres seamlessly, framing his songs in warm musical settings and creating tunes that could easily be mistaken for classics. His album "The Good Life" was released earlier this year to widespread acclaim.

Buy CD from Amazon



Download album from Amazon



www.myspace/justintownesearle
Tickets

Album of the Month - October

Jolie Holland - The Living and the Dead



The Living and the Dead, Jolie Holland’s new ANTI- album, is quite simply a breakthrough, the album her adoring fans have been waiting for. With a vocal style hailed by the Village Voice as “sultry and sweet, despairing and lonely,” Jolie has experimented in the past with various settings for her unique, jazz-inflected voice; this time, working with collaborators like M. Ward and Marc Ribot, Ms. Holland has embraced both the rocking side of her roots heritage, and the compositional possibilities of the recording studio, multi-tracking her voice extensively for the first time.

Track Listing:

1. Mexico City
2. Corrido Por Buddy
3. Palmyra
4. You Painted Yourself In
5. Fox In Its Hole
6. Your Big Hands
7. Sweet Loving Man
8. Love Henry
9. The Future
10. Enjoy Yourself

YouTube Clip:



Buy from Amazon



Links:
www.jolieholland.com
www.myspace.com/joliholland
www.anti.com

Album of the Month - September

Band of Heathens - Self Titled

Formed back in 2006 by three singer-songwriters, the Band of Heathens (BOH) released their debut studio album in May.

Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist started playing together at a club in Austin Texas called Momo's. At first sharing the bill the trio started to help out on each others stuff & the band was born. In 2007 drummer John Chipman joined to round out the band.



The first two releases from BOH were both live albums (Live at Antones & Live at Momo's), and the band was duly recognised as the new band to watch. In fact at the SXSW conference in 2007 the band won the award for "Best New Band". They were also nominated for many others.

On this debut studio album the band called on Ray Wylie Hubbard to produce it. He also makes a musical contribution as do other special guests Patty Griffin, Gurf Morlix and Stephen Burton. The sound achieved can be best described as Americana with a touch of Blues and Roots Rock for good measure. The bands strength lies in the sharing of the songwriting, singing & guitar playing of the three main members, all of whom take turns from song to song. This keeps the sound fresh, varied and interesting. 2008 is sure to bring more accolades.

The album is released on the bands own label BOH Records. There is no local Australian distribution as yet but the album is available on itunes and via the link below from Amazon.

Links
website
myspace



Youtube clips