Cody Braun is one of the guiding lights in Reckless Kelly, a band long known as one of the beacons of Austin’s much fabled music scene. Along with his brother Willy, he’s played an essential role in the 17 studio albums the band’s released over the course of the past 30 years, all in addition to being an astute producer and multi-instrumentalist as well. It’s little surprise then that the band’s new album, The Last Frontier shows off his skills to the fullest. As always, it’s fueled by earnes...
Join hosts Billy and Sarah Hubbard for a fun late night hangout with Billy Droze and his manager Donna Sue Roberts for a conversation filled with laughter! Born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1986, the 10th of 12 children, Billy Droze grew up in Alabama knowing that music was his life as far back as he can remember. “It’s as if I was inserted with a computer chip that made my life revolve around music.” But the reason is just as likely the influence of his late father, Bob Droze, a dedicated coun...
There’s an old saying, “Like father, like son.” Nevertheless, being the child of a famous parent can be a double edged sword. Certain doors may be opened but the expectations can run very high. That would especially seem the case when it comes to Ralph Stanley II and his famous father, a bluegrass pioneer. Nevertheless, the younger Stanley has proven that he’s well capable of carrying on his dad’s legacy. The elder Stanley groomed his son to carry on from an early age, and now, nearly 30 year...
By any description, Randall Bramblett can claim a varied career. Aside from the fact that he’s released no fewer than 15 solo albums, as a solo artist, he’s also been a much in-demand session player, having worked with Gregg Allman, Bonnie Raitt, Robbie Robertson, Elvin Bishop, Steve Winwood, Widespread Panic, and any number of others. That’s hardly surprising considering the fact that he’s a multi-instrumentalist who’s adept on keyboards, saxophones, flute, guitar, mandolin, and harmonica.Br...
The milestone tenth studio album from folk-blues luminary Ruthie Foster, Mileage finds the singer-songwriter reflecting on a life that’s been full of professional triumphs, courtesy of a musical journey that took a self-described “little Black girl with a guitar” from singing at churches in rural Texas to chalking up multiple Grammy nominations. With this album in particular, Ruthie shares a collection of songs that was inspired by heartfelt conversations with producer Tyler Bryant and R...
Rich Ulloa has always been passionate about music. That was evident early on when he established one of the most important independent record stores in the nation with Miami's Yesterday and Today Records. That led to the founding of Y&T Records, which gave birth to the Mavericks, Mary Karlzen and other seminal Florida artists that got their start courtesy of the label. In recent years, Y&T has achieved even greater prominence through several high profile releases, including an all-sta...
Wyatt Ellis shares his backstory and music from his debut album Happy Valley. Born not far from the Great Smoky Mountains, Wyatt Ellis' first recollection of hearing the mandolin was Bobby Osborne’s iconic solo on the Osborne Brothers’ bluegrass classic “Rocky Top.” Hearing the Tennessee bluegrass anthem echo throughout the early years of his childhood is what led Wyatt to set his sights on learning to play mandolin. With his schedule packed with school, Boy Scouts and team sports, it was har...
Join Billy Hubbard and his wife Sarah on this special episode with Author/Screenwriter Rich Carlburg and Singer Songwriter John Smith Presley, a man who has presented DNA and other convincing evidence to prove he is the son of Elvis Presley. John was born in 1961 and adopted and raised by an uncle and aunt of Elvis, Ira Dee and Etta Smith. (Note - Billy misspoke on the introduction saying John was raised by Gladys) John has been described as “The most famous person you’ve never heard of,” and...
Charlie Overbey, once labeled the “Punk Rock Spy In The House Of Honky Tonk" by none other than Lemmy of Motorhead, has redefined the outlaw ethos of Americana music. That’s never been more evident than with the release of his new album, aptly titled In Good Company. A revisit to decades of writing and recording sessions from studios around the world, it is, in effect, the perfect summation of a career that stretches back nearly 30 years, with guest contributors that include such superstars a...
Simply stated, Steep Canyon Rangers rank among the upper echelon of today’s most prominent bluegrass bands. They’ve extended their musical template far beyond any confined parameters and into the realms of mass appeal, courtesy of songs that resonate with immediate accessibility and all the elements needed to ensure populist appeal.The band's new album, Live at Greenfield Lake, is a perfect summation of their strengths and a true compendium of all the band has achieved in their career t...
Grammy nominated artist Steve Forbert, best known for the classic "Romeo's Tune," is a true American musical treasure, a fact underscored by his newest album Daylight Savings Time, to be released on September 20, 2024 via Blue Rose Music. Like all his recordings of new songs, it's saturated with what renowned rock journalist Robert Christgau discerned as his "omnivorously observant" songwriting, marked by Steve's gift for finding the more profound meaning and magic within the spectrum of ever...
Although many people still think of him as the “And Oates” in the extraordinarily successful Hall & Oates, one of the best-selling duos of all time, John Oates stands on his own as a prolific singer, songwriter, producer, and solo artist. Not only was he responsible for writing or co-writing any number of the pair’s major hits — “Sara Smile,” “She’s Gone,” “Out of Touch,” “You Make My Dreams,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” and “Maneater,” among them — but he’s a an assured solo artis...
The GRAMMY® Award-winning Americana quintet—Andy Falco [guitar], Chris Pandolfi [banjo], Andy Hall [dobro], Jeremy Garrett [fiddle], and Travis Book [double bass]—have musical influences that truly run the gamut, but their common denominator is certainly bluegrass -- the sound that has in essence defined the course of their career.The Infamous Stringdusters stand out as the rare group who can team up with contemporary artists on late night television one night and headline the legendary Red R...
Jon Langford was originally the drummer for the punk band The Mekons when it formed at the University of Leeds in 1977, but he later took up the guitar as other band members left. Since the mid-1980s he has been one of the leaders in incorporating folk and country music into punk rock. He has released a number of solo recordings as well as recordings with other bands outside of The Mekons, most notably the Waco Brothers, which he co-founded after moving to Chicago in the early 1990s. He is al...
Passion and persistence are key traits when it comes to finding success in today’s music realms. The band that goes by the name Uncle Lucius took that fact to heart after going on hiatus in 2018 and regrouping five years later. “We started getting this thing rolling in late 2005,” lead singer and songwriter Kevin Galloway tells Lee and Billy . “We put out our first album in 2006 and we had a great run through the year 2018. I set the band down and I said ‘You know what, I just think it's time...
There are some who still think of multi-instrumentalist John McEuen as the lively multi-instrumentalist who helped found the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in the mid ‘60s and then remained at the band’s helm for some 50 years. Nevertheless, after parting ways with the group in 2017 due to various personal and professional disagreements, he’s managed to carve out a vigorous and varied solo career — one which includes an autobiography, a role as host of the Acoustic Traveller radio program on Sirius/X...
Three time Blues Foundation Traditional Female Artist award winner, Sue Foley’s new album 'One Guitar Woman' is a heartfelt tribute to the female pioneers of the guitar - including Memphis Minnie, Lydia Mendoza, Maybelle Carter, Ida Presti, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The album showcases the dexterity of Foley’s acoustic nylon string guitar skills as she expands on her blues playing into other genres like Piedmont fingerpicking, traditional country, flamenco and classical.“These are the women ...
Few artists have achieved the kind of acclaim and achievement garnered by Lucinda Williams over the course of her career. Having composed the oft-covered song “Passionate Kisses,” often described as “an Americana classic,” she went on to release any number of landmark albums, among them, Sweet Old World and Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, all of which have made her one of the most celebrated performers of her time. She’s garnered three Grammys over the course of her career as well as 17 nominati...
Although both Verlon Thompson and Shawn Camp claim notable credits as both singers and songwriters — with combined credits that include Willie Nelson, Barbara Mandrell, Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley, Anne Murray, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Del McCoury, Sam Bush, Trisha Yearwood, George Strait, Garth Brooks, and many more - each man played an important part in the career of the legendary seminal Texas icon, Guy Clark. Not only did they spend years ...
With three decades of experience playing and touring with Outlaw Country and SoCal Rock luminaries like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson, Social Distortion, and X, Jesse Dayton takes a sonic synergy between Texas and Chicago Blues, courtesy of his new album, The Hard Way Blues. In Jesse Dayton’s reckoning, the Blues are anything that keeps you from your home. Whether that be a place, a person, or a state of mind. But the music of the Blues is what helps you navigate that journe...