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.

New Blood, New Stories From The Road Less Traveled On Altco Music

Joshua Morningstar heads to New York to record his first single for Altco Recordings at World Class Subcat Studios.

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Altco Recordings welcomes singer songwriter Josh Morningstar this month as he enters the studio to record his first single. He has been on the road relentlessly for the last year or so working on new songs and making new fans the old school way by playing any and everywhere and winning over new folks every day. He will be recording at Subcat Studios in Syracuse, New York under the direction of Stevie Tombstone. The multi-million dollar facility was the location of Tombstone's last release Greenwood and will be a great change for the up and comer having all the advantages of a modern facility. The "Man from Maryland" hits the road immediately afterwards before resuming pre-production and more song sessions with Mr. Tombstone. More to come about Joshua real soon to be sure and be sure to check out the backstage video clip of Joshua at a recent show in Philly,PA at the Shore Road Tavern below.

News and Updates From Altco Music With Stevie Tombstone, Black Eyed Vermillion, Joshua Morningstar and Kern Richards

Jeff Harris captured some great shots at the Black Eyed Vermillion Show at Stubbs in Austin, TX

The forecast for the future is dark and cloudy as we anticipate the release of Black Eyed Vermillion's single "Box Of Pine". They are riding high after some great shows, including a recent Austin appearance with Flogging Molly.The video release of Box of Pine is coming soon and more Altco releases are already in the works for the upcoming year. Word on tour dates will come after the single release. Be sure to look for them at Moonrunners . The digital single features artwork by none other than Alexandre De Meyer who recently designed the artwork for the latest Nashville Pussy Release. You can check out his work at right here:

Kern Richards feature review on No Depression

Kern has been getting a slow and steady foothold on his new release and he's about to hit the road this summer for the East Coast. Mr. Richards has been racking up airplay and great reviews already and we know he's just getting started. A word from No Depression- "Don't expect no "Happy go lucky" here but do expect much brutally honest lyrics and some great arrangements which I was pleasantly surprised. Anywhere but home is the perfect name for the record which tells stories of lonesome, highways, 24hr cafes,booze, lost love, injustices and everything that comes with. Richards voice really stands out and sounds like" its been in a smoke house for several days and placed on the highway only to be hit by a semi truck". Get the whole shootin match here.

Work has begun on the upcoming Joshua Morningstar release slated for late 2014. The singer songwriter was recently added to the ALTCO roster and will be appearing occasionally with Stevie Tombstone as they prepare to hit the studio. The release promises to be a honest portrait of Joshua and his talents. Be sure to keep and eye out for him on the road and check him out on Facebook for updates about his new project. He just may be at Moonrunner's as well so give him a warm welcome if you see him on the midway.


More copies of Greenwood will be available on vinyl soon so stay tuned for details. Until then enjoy the Altco version of " Lucky" the first track off the Greenwood release . Its available now on Itunes and Amazon and in your finer record shops.

Kern Richards Feature Review On No Depression

Kern Richards of Altco Music on No Depression

Check out the original post on No Depression

"Every once in a while I get blessed with something that sticks out in a high-definition world. I personally get tired of being fed "Happy go lucky" and need that black and white fix from the high-def culture we live in. My great friend Mr. Stevie Tombstone turned me to a ALTCO label mate Kern Richards and I can't thank him enough after listening to his latest released entitled "Any where but home". Kern hails from the great state of California and is a pure singer/songwriter who has the ability to make you believe in the stories he sings.  Don't expect no "Happy go lucky" here but do expect much brutally honest lyrics and some great arrangements which I was pleasantly surprised. Anywhere but home is the perfect name for the record which tells stories of lonesome, highways, 24hr cafes,booze, lost love, injustices and everything that comes with.  Richards voice really stands out and sounds like" its been in a smoke house for several days and placed on the highway only to be hit by a semi truck" . I would describe living where  Tom Waits drawl and Lenoard Cohen's lullaby echos over lap. In the title track of the same as album name Anywhere but home the singer explains 

"Monday drunkard bar-stool...Tuesday couldn't care....Wednesday night sick with fright and headed no where....Thursday's back in rehab....Friday getting stoned....from Sunday dawn to Saturday night I'll go anywhere but home"

After hearing those lyrics the great Krisofferson is kicking his own ass for not penning such. Its safe to say that Kern won't be playing many weddings but will speak to the working man, truck driver, the outcast, the beaten down, the guy who doesn't wanna go home from the bar, the cook at the Huddle House at 3am, and such. I for one really got into and still growing into this record for much of the things he is speaking of I too have been thru it. I can respect the hell out of a man who is honest in struggles of life. Not everyone can related to beach life and eating at Applebees. Thank god for folks like Kern Richards who tell it like it is and make you feel it's heartfelt under-belly Americana. Go pick up a copy of his new release now and thank me later."

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.

Stevie Tombstone Creates ALTCO Music

Stevie Tombstone creates new imprint label, ALTCO Music within Rusty Knuckles

ALTCO is a brand new imprint label within Rusty Knuckles being helmed by none other than Stevie Tombstone. After working with a few varying music labels over the last couple of years, Stevie wanted to have a place that he could call home. Another interesting aspect of the new imprint label will be his role as an A&R liaison scouring the highways and byways seeking out bands to become part of the ALTCO team of recording artists.

The imprint label of ALTCO is a welcome addition to the Rusty Knuckles team and will become an integral part of the line up featuring artists more directly focused on Folk Country Blues. Right out of the gate we will be adding much of Stevie Tombstone's back catalog of albums including Slow Drunken Waltz, Greenwood and previously unheard material from The Tombstones. Other acts signed on to become part of ALTCO are WhiskeyDick from Fort Worth, Texas, Kern Richards out of Long Beach, California and Black Eyed Vermillion hailing from Austin, TX. 

"I am damn excited to finally be the captain of my own ship and to be able to focus on a solid outlet for all of my material and projects that I would like to have my finger print on. A place where my music can be heard and I control all aspects from marketing to distribution, without sacrificing quality or having to bow down to corporate wannabes." 

- Stevie Tombstone

More news about ALTCO will be coming in a few weeks. So check out some of the great talent coming onboard.