Stevie Tombstone Sings The Troubadour Blues, Along With Ralph White For The Altco Sessions

Stevie Tombstone Sings The Troubadour Blues, Along With Ralph White For The Altco Sessions

Photographer Jeff Harris has been working with Stevie Tombstone and Ralph White as of late on the Altco Sessions and has been welcomed into the crew this year. He recently followed Stevie T and Ralph White to Marfa, Texas where they kicked off a national tour / rolling recording session in September 2015. The trio gathered some candid shots during songwriting and recording breaks as well as some good dashboard scenery. The song Troubadour Blues was originally written and published almost a decade ago and finally saw light in the midst of an impromptu recording session at South Austin's Million Dollar Sound. The core session features longtime friend and bassist John Duer and Daughter of Country Music legend Shelli Coe on backing vocals. Stevie decided to track the tune on a whim and the rest of the pieces fell into place with the timely additon of ex-Bad Liver Ralph Whites classic fiddle style and Banjo tracks phoned in as they say by Buck Thrailkill. The single Troubadour Blues is available on from Altco Recordings.

Ralph White, Featured Artist On The Altco Sessions

Altco Sessions introduces Ralph White. A short interview and song with former member of the Bad Livers and Texas Folk Artist Ralph White. He gives us a peek into his psyche and a listen to his step in the evolution of folk or mountain music from the heart.

Produced by Stevie Tombstone and Jeff Harris for Altco Recordings in San Antonio Texas July 12 2015.

Stevie Tombstone Feature Review On Punk Globe

 

Stevie Tombstone Feature Review On Punk Globe

"There is something that is raw, and lovely about a live recording, with no fluff added. Stevie Tombstone hits a great cord with this sampling. It doesn't hurt that it includes one of my favorite songs, of his 'Nuthin Sweet About 16', love this version. With hints of Cash, Bluegrass, and Steve Earle, you get the drift of the road you will go down, and you will def want to turn around and go back for more. You get the feeling that you are there at the show, in an intimate setting. 'Murder City Breakdown', has a bit of swing to it, straight out of Austin. Stevie has a gift for writing songs that hit ya in ya core, that you can relate to. 'Lucky', tells the story of how one is lucky to be alive, and lucky to not be in jail, who can't relate to that? If you love a good tune, from a good storyteller, do yourself a favor, give this cd a listen. Download a song, or two, or seven...hell save ya self a buck, and buy the whole damn thing. You will thank me, and for that, you are welcome."

 Download your copy now

Only A Few Days Left For Your Chance To Win The Custom Box Of Pine Stash Box From Black Eyed Vermillion

Our pal Stevie Tombstone, shot a series of video shorts with Black Eyed Vermillion's own, Gary Lindsey. Only a few days left folks for your entry in the drawing for the custom Box of Pine, stash box. All orders in by 11:59 pm Sunday night March 22nd 2015 are eligible. The drawing will take place next week to determine the winner. 

Stevie Tombstone Is A Roots Rock Renaissance Man

Stevie Tombstone Is A Roots Rock Renaissance Man

"It’s probably fair at this point in his career to call Stevie Tombstone a Renaissance man. After all, he’s going from purveying greasy, revved-up rockabilly with his band The Tombstones to revealing a keen songwriter’s eye (think John Hiatt-meets-Todd Snider) with a penchant for stripped-down acoustic accompaniment.

He’s taken on songwriting and production tasks for a variety of artists, including Joshua Morningstar, Black Eyed Vermillion and Tonya Watts, and he’s recently added “label owner” to his resume with the Altco Recordings imprint.

Stevie Tombstone and Dale Watson, On Air At WDVX 89.9, The Blue Plate Special

Stevie Tombstone and Dale Watson, On Air At WDVX 89.9, The Blue Plate Special

If you are in the Knoxville, TN area do yourself a favor and come out to a live taping at WDVX 89.9 FM tomorrow for a Blue Plate Special live radio show. On the bill is Altco's own Stevie Tombstone with Banjo Buck Thrailkill, along with Dale Watson.

Kern Richards Featured On MoonRunners

Featured Altco Recordings artist - Kern Richards

Check out the original post over on MoonRunners

“I did one-night stands in old motels; I did overnights for vagrancy; a trespasser on common ground; an exile searching for a vacancy.
 

“From L.A. streets to Illinois roads he was leaving constantly to find the road his heart could feel but his eyes just couldn’t see. He left a trail of notes behind, they all said ten more miles and you’ll be fine. Man, you can leave your past behind, just ten more miles and you’ll be fine.” – verses from Kern Richards’ song, “10 More Miles,” re-released in February by 2014 by the folks at ALTCO Recordings.

Kern Richards Feature Review On Wild American Radio

Kern Richards has seen many a mile and his songs bare witness

Dig into Wild American Radio

"Country music, like another great American institution, baseball, appears deceptively simple when you watch it. Writing and singing about one's life might appear relatively easy on the surface (just as chasing down a fly ball or driving a pitch into the alley for a double does on TV), but it's an illusion. In both cases the game is faster when you're in it--and requires absolute immersion. Whether it's Merle Haggard or Mickey Mantle, body and soul (and the stars) must be in perfect alignment to manifest something extraordinary--and the merely average fall by the wayside.

California's Kern Richards is a new name to us, but on first encountering his gravely vocals and his world-weary lyrics it's clear he's seen some miles. An admittedly brief attempt to research him on the internet didn't provide much background information, so we'll have to rely almost solely on what he communicates to us through his music (which is probably for the best).

It's impossible to fathom that his debut for upstart ALTCO Recordings, Anywhere But Home, is the first time he's walked up to the plate. There's certainly some major league level musicians backing him--including players who have served stints with Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and X--but Richards performances are what drives the record. His songs inhabit a dark world where life not only throws obstacles in his path, but were forces (sometimes unseen) conspire against him--akin to Tom Waits at his ugliest, without a hint of beauty or redemption.

If Anywhere But Home is "about" anything, it's survival in world where people are as cold and immovable as the concrete fixtures that surround them. "If the bartender could read my mind/Man, he'd call the police" Richards sings with a believability that can come only from a lifetime of loneliness. These songs are not soliloquys spouted with the intention of attracting like-minded souls (or even with the intention of catharsis), they're the graffiti that's painted on the soul of a man constantly at odds with the world and himself. Projected from his gruff voice--an amalgamation of Lee Hazelwood and latter-day Leonard Cohen--each song is like a photograph that has become worn from being carried callously until it's dilapidated condition tells a separate story from the picture itself.

Kern Richards is a serious talent, and--unfortunately--one that doesn't fit in an age of plastic celebrities and disposable pop culture. Anywhere But Home leaves scars on the listener. Once it's heard, it can't be unheard--and the landscapes it travels through can't be un-experienced. It's not a good time, but it's a great record. Many of today's singers and songwriters are unwilling to travel these crooked miles--and that's fine--but to be truly great, one must dig beneath the skin, to the muscle. Richards does this, and keeps going beyond the flesh and the material world to the chasms of the soul. The best record of 2014 so far, and a tough one to beat."

Altco Music Announces New Single For Kern Richards

Kern Richards single for "10 More Miles"

Check out more info at the Altco Blog

We are happy to announce the new Kern Richards video and single "10 More Miles" is officially out of the chute. Kerns music is edgy "California Folk" at is best and I'm not talkin about Peter, Paul and Mary kinda folk either. Kern has found a way to be rough and honest all at he same time . Richards is known for surrounding himself with some heavy hitters both on and off stage , with the likes of Tony Gilkyson (X and Lone Justice), John Bazz (the Blasters) and Mike Barry . His recordings are top notch and his songwriting is nothing less than legitimate. 

He is a rare find in this day of fabricated "Outlaws" and hype-driven posers who do nothing more than look good or rest on the laurels of famous relatives. Kern is the real deal and deserves a good listen. The full release "Anywhere but Home" is slated for digital release in the coming months. This release is sure to raise the bar. The video was directed By Hiroshi Clark and Ewa Wojciak, produced By Ewa Wojciak.Shot in the desert right outside of Los Angeles California it couples great music and great imagery to kick off this release.