One of my favorite online radio stations, Gruene With Envy, has their annual awards coming up and you can vote online now. Stocked with some of the brightest stars Texas has to offer, you can help select their winners here.

Now I don't want to sway your votes but don't forget that Jack Ingram released TWO live albums and toured relentlessly. Rodney Crowell's "Fate's Right Hand" has been universally acclaimed. Also, Charlie Robison has been on a tear supporting his new album. So go vote!

So far this year there has been many musical blessings. Among them are:

• Todd Snider's healthy recovery and his new album East Nashville Skyline
• Will Kimbough's Americana Music Association instrumentalist of the year trophy
• Charlie Robison's Good Times
• Jack Ingram's two live discs and his new son Eli
• Cheryl Watson for giving me a copy of Jason Wilbur's Behind the Midway. Jason is a fellow Hoosier and plays with John Prine
• Vince Pawless and his fantastic creations at Pawless Guitars. Vince is finishing my guitar now and I also hear that he has a horse that can open the gate for him
• The Shithouse Wire and the wonderful work their doing to raise funds for Kent Finlay of the famed Cheatham Street Warehouse. Go buy some stickers and help Kent
• A friend introduced me to the Nadas--what a good band. You really should hunt them down when they're in town
• My buddies JB and Sparky who collectively get me on the air with Good Morning Americana deserve a big word of thanks. They both work tirelessly to promote Americana music and do a heck of a job
• Some people have the nerve to step up and say what they think--dissent is a healthy thing. My favorites this year include Steve Earle, Jason Ringenberger, Will Hoge, and James McMurtry. Those guys all performed or released music this year that speaks volumes for the great tradition of protest
• Jimmy Buffett returned to his roots and released the best album of his long career. Thankfully he took my pal Will Kimbrough along for the ride and now the world knows the greatness of which Will is capable
• Tommy Womack, one of my all-time favorites, is back performing and getting ready to release a new album. That is some of the best news this year!
• Al Bunetta and John Prine over at OhBoy reissued the great Kimbrough-Womack collaboration from ten years ago--the Bis-Quits. Talk about an album before its time
• American Roots Publishing woke up the musical world with an absolutely golden tribute to Stephen Foster. Some of the performances on this album are so inspired
• John Carter Cash made a fantastic tribute to his family's great heritage. John has long been in the shadows of the Cash family but his work on this album stands tall--as tall as the story he was trying to tell. Way to go John!
• My family has endured so much to allow me to do this. Aside from the strange trips to hear bands that they've never heard of, my family has been generous enough to indulge and encourage my labor of love. That is what makes this possible.
• Finally, the fans and readers out there who have contributed so much to this site. I get tons of well-wishes, suggestions, and trivia. It's really fun to do this and I hope you keep reading!

The NBA made asses of themselves this weekend. Their brutal display of both poor fan behavior and obsessive player anger left me nearly speechless. Flying beer and fists were plastered our televisions all weekend with pundits projecting their doomsday predictions for the league and America-at large.

Some of the talking heads pointed the finger at rap music and the "gangsta" lifestyle the permeates in youth culture. After all, these guys were predominantly black and there's no way that a white guy would do that right? Those guys are all hip-hop thugs with no respect for proper behavior. They booze it up and smoke all the weed they can on their way to their hotel where they will partake in moutains of sex with strangers just before they shoot their driver. Right? Right?

Wrong. What about Toby Keith and his angry American routine? Or Charlie Daniels and his angry American routine? Or Darryl Worley and his angry American routine? How about FoxNews and their mock rage painted on Bill O'Reilly's face each night? What about the violence on display each night on network television?

Could it be that the rest of America is equally to blame for Ron Artest's miscarriage of responsiblity? We are peppered with reminders that athlete's make millions while most of us toil in between poverty and scraping by. We're reminded that these guys are thugs by indicting them in the media prior to any court's decision. Then we're induced to believing that anger is OK--appropriate in many ways. Then when we don't like what the priviliged people are doing we express it by throwing beer and charging the court.

Get a clue America! The problem is us! Accepting the simpleton lifestyle the current administration in Washington endorses and coating with a Toby Keith anger anthem has lead us to this. We're OK beating the hell out of each other, even killing one another, but scream like hell when a naked woman appears on television. Wake up!

What does one do when it's 80 degrees on Thanksgiving? Well, throw on some shorts and head to the beach of course. But if that doesn't suit you, there's some good things happening this week.

First, Monday and Tuesday night you have the opportunity to see one of the best live acts in the business in Tampa at Headliners. The Will Hoge Band is putting on a show and if you can make it you'll find a band with more soul than a bunch of white guys should have. Will is an incredible vocalist and songwriter and his band is top-notch and raw. These guys are the real deal and worth the drive to Tampa.

Also, you can stay home for the debut of U2's new album, Vertigo on Tuesday. From what I've heard it may be one of the best of their long career. I can't help but say I love the new Apple ad featuring the band--there's something so cool about a shadowy Edge playing a Telecaster that just seems so hip.

You could also go pick up the reissue Bisquits album in anticipation of Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack's upcoming new album. Will and Tommy were the frontmen for the mighty Bisquits and are reuniting with a band called "Daddy." Their first effort will be a live album--a rare debut to say the least.

Regardless I suggest you enjoy a little music while you're fixing for a warm and relaxing extended weekend.

One of the best things about this industry is that great taste abounds. Once you know a few people mysterious hints about cool unknown artists and albums seem to flow endlessly toward your inbox--a river I'm eternally grateful to have some fantastic navigators helping me sail.

One such tip included Jeff Finlin, a journeyman songwriter whose fame is considerable in the UK but minimal here in the US. Jeff kindly sent me a copy of his just released fourth album Epinonymous and the usual press information. Among the throngs of quotes I noticed a trend--no critic had managed to pin down Jeff's influence. Some famous artists cited include Steve Earle, Graham Parker, and even Kurt Vonnegut.

Intrigued I put in the CD and found myself listening to Randy Newman-inspired grit one second and Neil Young blues the next. At points the songwriting is poetic and lilting and others as real as anything that Hemingway penned. Literate and sharp, Finlin must have a guitar case full of stories to tell because each entry on this disc hints at something more.

The album was recorded with the assistance of Will Kimbrough and Pat Buchanan. The eclectic yet grounded voices of both of those artists lend themselves to allowing Finlin's work to feel like a continuity of both his earlier work and the land from which the stories spring. Earthy and real, imaginative and thoughtful, the work has consistency that the collaborators must have sensed as pure magic.

Epinonymous is a carefully crafted journey that should be considered as one of Finlin's and Americana's gems.

Jack Ingram may not be able to fight or dance, but on his birthday I don't care--he's alright in my book. Today is the party king's 34th--happy birthday Jack!

So last night's American Music Awards could not be mistaken for the upstart and ultimately more entertaining Americana Music Awards. When the country contingent was represented the flag was carried by Brooks and Dunn and Toby Keith. It's almost as if mainstream music wants to make fun of us by nominating and then awarding these guys.

Let me make a radical suggestion--let me book the performers for next year's American Music Awards. We'll have Will Hoge rocking out for a stunned crowd, Todd Snider offering up real songwriting, and Jack Ingram leading the crowd in a round of barroom rock. Tommy Womack and Will Kimbrough can relive their Bisquits days and wow the crowd in an acoustic tribute to Richard Thompson. We'll feature the Nadas in their breakthrough performance and then turn it over to Adrienne Young and Grey DeLisle for a change of pace. Scott Miller will make the ladies swoon while Junior Brown will put a little swagger in their walk. We'll have the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Prine, and Kris Kristofferson show us why experience matters and then top off the night with Steve Earle telling us what he thinks of Condi Rice today. It'll be great....just imagine it.

ABCNews is reporting that a teen talent show in Boulder, Colorado this evening has drawn the ire of the Secret Service. A band appearing tonight has named themselves "Coalition of the Willing" in jest of President Bush's alliance in Iraq and plans to perform Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" in protest. The end of the song's rendition by the high school band reportedly calls for the President's death. Threats on the President's life are a federal crime and as such the Secret Service is investigating.

I might point out that ABC draws attention to the lyrics of the song:

You might say that I'm young. You might say I'm unlearned, but there's one thing I know, though I'm younger than you, even Jesus would never forgive what you do … And I hope that you die and your death'll come soon. I will follow your casket in the pale afternoon. And I'll watch while you're lowered down to your deathbed. And I'll stand o'er your grave 'til I'm sure that you're dead.

Further, ABC notes that the band members claim to have performed in practice the song's original lyrics without altering words or actually calling for the President to die. They plan to perform that same unaltered version tonight at the show. Further, the band also mentioned that they do not specifically draw attention to the President but the audience is free to draw their own conclusions.

To me it sounds like we're getting a little eager. I seriously doubt that some kids in a high school garage band reciting Bob Dylan are going to influence someone to attempt to kill the President. Further, if political free speech cannot be guaranteed and will be bullied in this manner, perhaps we should recommit ourselves to the Bill of Rights.

Tuesday's Country Music Association Awards was the last edition of the venerable genre mainstay to be held in Nashville--next year New York takes centerstage as the host of country's biggest night. Coincidentally it appeared the acts that are considered country have long since moved uptown.

Here are some quick thoughts from Tuesday's disaster:

• Did Keith Urban really cry? Now he's a heck of an artist but he does himself few favors by playing up his pretty boy image. Keith: don't cry and try not to pose nude for adult magainzes! It'll help your career...trust me here.
• Ronnie Dunn obviously hasn't gotten the memo that turning your collar up is not enough to make you cool. Also Kix Brooks appeared to hold a mandolin during their performance but I can't recall hearing him play it. Then again, I didn't hear half the vocals on any performance and George Strait just held his guitar with absolutely no intention of actually strumming it. Regardless, Brooks and Dunn proved me wrong--their music isn't the worst thing they have forced upon the public, an honor now clearly reserved for their jokes.
• What the hell is the deal with Big and Rich? These clowns brought a circus to country music and it's absolutely not hiding the fact that they are horrific musicians. When Kid Rock brought out the rapping midget it was because the guy actually contributed something to the music. When these guys brought their own little person on stage it was just cheap entertainment.
• I've often derided Terry Clark's addition to the Grand Ole Opry as heresy. Her performance of "Girls Lie Too" has emboldened me to commit myself to her removal from that institution. She is almost as bad for country music as it can get.
• On good notes however I enjoyed the performances given by Jimmy Buffett, Sara Evans, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney. While they weren't the finest musical endeavors to have graced the Opry's stage, they were the best of the night. Buffett, accompanied by a gaggle of famed musicians really let two relative unknowns own the show. Will Kimbrough and Sonny Landreth stepping out for a solo on "Hey Good Lookin'" showed off what these two gunslingers can do. Evans, whose disarming cuteness was brilliant on the stage, really seemed to have the most fun performing. Her song and band were pretty good actually. Urban simply stunned me with his guitar skills. The guy has serious chops. Kenny Chesney is a guilty pleasure for me. I like his latest album and loved his performance. Dolly's rant at the end shouldn't have stolen his thunder.
• Finally, Kris Kristofferson entered the country music hall of fame. How could a career so fruitful take this long to honor? Regardless, Kris was wonderful as he accepted the award and invoked the names of his loving friends who have since passed. I personally was thrilled that he included songwriting pal Shel Silverstein in that list.

Can't wait to see next year's debacle. If I were you I'd look for the Americana Music Association Honors and Awards show replay on GAC and skip next year's CMA show.

Jimmy Buffett has long helped me through the long winter and the dry spells that I seem to stumble into from time to time. His recent resurgence and newly claimed relevance to today's music scene have in many ways been vindiction for me. While I flipped my flip-flops and smiled, my friends all laughed at my love of Buffett. Now they too are gliding along down the beach while Jimmy smiles through his latest and greatest hit.

One of the real highlights of his last album is a duet with Martina McBride on the Al Anderson penned "Trip Around the Sun." Now there's a video to accompany the song that captures the spirit of the Carolinas as well as that of Jimmy quite well. It is a beautiful video and shows off the charisma that both artists possess as well as their chemistry.

You can watch it over at CMT.com

Despite what the RIAA will tell you, the Economist says that downloading isn't the only reason the record industry is in decline. In fact, one of the major labels' internal study said that 66 to 75% of the decline had nothing to do with downloading. Further, insiders at the labels have finally agreed that they face serious creative problems with most of their artists.

Go read the article and decide for yourself...

Pawless Guitars are the choice of several performing Americana musicians due to their heritage, construction, and uniqueness. Billy Joe Shaver, Jack Ingram, Kimmie Rhodes, and Todd Snider all take the stage with their custom Pawless guitars. Billy's is a small body named "Honey Chile" while Jack has two that are well worn and regarded as "holy" by Ingram. The Rhodes guitar is being rebuilt right now in the shop. Todd Snider's Pawless was a gift from his friends. All love their guitars.

Saturday night in Kentucky, Will Kimbrough was presented with his own custom Pawless to honor his hard work. It's a custom OM-14 with an extra deep rosewood body that absolutely shines. It's outfitted with traditional Grover tuners, Fishman electronics, and custom inlays. It's a fantastic guitar.

Kimbrough's guitar was a gift from friends and fans who used the opportunity to use excess funds to help Kent Finlay of Cheatham Street fame. Kent is recovering from a brave battle with cancer.

You can check out Will's guitar here. You can also peak in at my guitar, a sister to Will's, here.

Normally a mainstream country music show would not impress me. This year's CMA Awards are different--they are honoring one of my heroes, Kris Kristofferson. Also, Jimmy Buffett will be appearing with WILL KIMBROUGH! It's rare that three of my favorite musicians are on the same stage on the same night, but those instances almost never occur on live network television.

So tune in Tuesday night to see Kristofferson enter the Hall of Fame, Buffett compete for vocal event of the year, and Kimbrough simply rock!

My favorite whipping boy Toby Keith has cancelled his show tonight in Casper, Wyoming due to problems with his vocal chords according to the Casper Tribune. Doctors have advised Keith to rest and he plans to do just that.

Insider information however claims that Keith simply did not want to play a show that was not sold out. Keith's following shows the next few days in Salt Lake City and Denver are scheduled to proceed as planned. Keith had only sold 2,500 seats to the show.

Lots of people have lots of things to say about this election--most of them seem to have said it at the poll. For the latter fact I am supremely thankful.

I'd like to point out that the reason people stick with mainstream music is because it's all they know. It's clear that given a real alternative they generally find lots of different music they really dig but has been ignored by the mainstream industry. Someone on local radio was told by someone at corporate headquarters in some faroff city that these twelve songs were hits and people would like them. So that local guy tells the folks listening that those twelve songs are good and they should like them--and they do. Lead like sheep to an uninformed or more precisely a misinformed decision. It simply the way it works.

That said there are many decisions like that, this election included. I won't contest that Americans have decided. In fact I commend the fact that they actually took the initiave to vote. I will however say that just as they would find that Steve Earle is a great musician they would find the truth in their politicians as well instead of relying on someone else to tell them what their truth is.

Now go listen to some raging, hippie-love, protest music.

The early and mid 1990s were a musical wasteland riddled with the ashes of flameout grunge acts, soft pop boy bands, corny country hat acts, Eurotrash synth and simply bad R&B. At a time when Ace of Base and Bryan Adams were soaring most rock fans found solace in the growing Seattle scene but still found that lacking. Country music was in a culturally steep decline despite rocketing sales growth. It was a sad state that lead to the somewhat heartless mainstream music scene we are left with today.

In 1992 two bands with minor fame had come to the end of their respective lives leaving some rather talented musicians lingering. Government Cheese had been the ambitious project that featured the spunky guitarist/singer/songwriter Tommy Womack's somewhat askew look on the world. Will and the Bushmen had at it's centerpiece the cult star and reknowned guitar player Will Kimbrough. Both bands timely collapsed at the same time accidently uniting these two through a mutual friend.

Their first night they played as "Tommy Bisquits" which was a mispelling introduced when Womack relied upon a Bisquick box as he made their first gig poster. The set was good enough to elicit a development deal which the band did not accept. It was a good decision as several others quickly lined up. Eventually the genre-bending rock-country near-stars would land at John Prine and Al Bunetta's OhBoy Records.

Their first and only recording was self-titled and received national acclaim for its willingness to explore boundaries and strength of performance. Sadly, that was not enough to pay the bills for the boys and the bisquits as they were now known disbanded in 1994.

Ten years later the listening world has another chance to hear the album that should have changed music--Ohboy has reissued "the bisquits."

The album is essentially what the band was--irreverant and fun. With snappy while somewhat esoteric songwriting and some of the best guitar work on any album, it's a worthy of a spot on anyone's iPod or CD changer. The highlights include "Betty Was Black" that later was covered by Todd Snider and is a bluesy depiction of love against all social odds. Also, the boys show off their chops on "Yo Yo Ma," a Memphis rock nod toward the classical cellist. The underappreciated "Powers That Be" gives a glimpse of Kimbrough's vocal ability while the leadoff "Tommy's On His Own" echoes the past and future of Womack's ballsy career. My favorite track may be "Tennessee Valley Girl" which like all the cuts really shows off the musical and poetic ability these guys possess.

If there's one thing you do this week after voting, go buy this album! You'll love the trip back through time and find a band that you should have known the first time around.

You can get the album from the iTunes Music Store here.

For more Bis-quits history, visit Tommy Womack's Bisquits page from which I borrowed heavily. Tommy I owe you a drink...

At this point most of you have decided which candidate will get your vote so I won't attempt to sway your opinion--you shouldn't listen to a twit like me on matters so important anyway. What does matter however is that you actually VOTE!

I've pointed out that Americans are more likely to purchase a CD every year than they are to vote. Further, 22 million single women did not vote during the last general election--a travesty that can be corrected. Young voters are woefully undervoting--also something that can and should change. Nothing, even music, is more important to our national concern than voting. Nothing speaks louder than your ballot on Election Day.

So here are some tips for you last minute potential voters:

1. You can find your local polling place by visiting www.mypollingplace.com or calling 1-866-MYVOTE1
2. Be sure to take your ID with you. Most polls will require a photo ID. If you get to the poll without one ask for an affadavit. If you are denyed ask for a provisional ballot. If that doesn't work lodge a complaint and register it with the local Voting Rights attorney at the poll.
3. If you are not on listed as a registered voter, try to register on the spot. Some states allow that. Otherwise, talk to the Election Protection person if there is one or call 1-866-OUR-VOTE for instructions.
4. Know your voting rights. You can find more info by visiting the DNC voting rights page--I looked for one of these from the GOP but could not find one. Regardless, know what you can and cannot do at the polls!

So eat your Wheaties, make your decisions, and VOTE!