The Big Lessons of Sturgill Simpson’s Success, From Saving Country Music

The Big Lessons of Sturgill Simpson’s Success, From Saving Country Music

Damn is it great to see Sturgill Simpson doing so well with all the accolades from his latest album. The bigger elements come from a few simple ingredients that he figured out how to mix up into a tasty stew. If you ever had the chance to see what he had cookin' in Sunday Valley, then you know the depths to which his catalog can traverse. Read more from the great write up on Saving Country Music below.

Hellbound Glory - Streets Of Aberdeen Is The Sleeper Hit of 2014

Leroy Virgil's songwriting for Hellbound Glory's - Streets of Aberdeen, feels as if it's torn straight from the dialogue of a gritty HBO series and the characters are about to walk directly into your life. This sense of immediacy, purpose and emotion scratches at the fragility of the human condition and we listen attentively for an affirmation of our own reality. Hellbound Glory is up for Song of The Year on Saving Country Music, so do them a favor and go share your opinion about how great, Streets of Aberdeen truly is. This is a sleeper hit of 2014 and needs to be heard by the masses. Huge Congrats to Leroy for continuing to refine his craft.

Link over to Saving Country Music

Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory Is A Pawn Star

Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory on the set of Pawn Stars

Turns out Corey from Pawn Stars is a big Hellbound Glory fan so Leroy and the fellas rolled over to the shop to talk to them on all things Real Country Music.

The Continuing Saga Of Leroy Virgil's Guitar

Earlier this year, we posted up a batch of photos in which Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory, just so happened to leave his guitar behind at the Shore Road Tavern in Philadelphia. Since it stayed back in Philly, every single band rollin' through the place has had a chance to play it, while staying in the apartment upstairs. Leave it Mike Fiedler to never miss a great opportunity to make something cool happen. 

Check out the first batch of photos

Here is round two of the photos.

Awesome Bill Dorsey striking a chord

Billy Don Burns and Leroy Virgil's guitar

Brad Carr of Cutthroat Shamrock and Leroy Virgil's guitar

Brook Blanche of the Calamity Cubes

Brownbird Rudy Relic

Dave Dufrane of the Spastiks, NYC

Derek McRotten of Cutthroat Shamrock and Leroy Virgil's guitar

Dusty Rust of Johnny Outlaw and the Johnson Creek Stranglers

Henry Berger of S.S. Web

Jesse Roderick of Filthy Still

Kody Oh of the Calamity Cubes

Luca Fiorini of the The Spastiks, NYC

Marcus Bunch of Cutthroat Shamrock

Matt Olson of Filthy Still

Mighty Junior of Yankee Cockfight

Olds Sleeper

Orb Mellon strumming Leroy Virgil's guitar

Scrimmy Boucher of Yankee Cockfight

Sean Secor of Tex Railer's Boomtown

Saint Christopher

Tim Gagne of the Spastiks, NYC

Tim V. of Tex Railers Doomtown

Want To Hear And Support Real Country Music? Read On...

Check out original post on Saving Country Music

There’s been much talk so far this year about how the women of country are outpacing the men when it comes to the quality of music, and we’ve talked about possible reasons why that is. But we haven’t talked about some of the men that if simply given a chance, could shoot an immediate injection of substance into the country music format. They just need similar chances to their female counterparts.

It’s not that the men of country have any less talent. One of the problems is that many talented country men are making their way to Americana, tired of beating their heads against Music Row’s walls, and not wanting to be lumped in with the laundry list arena rock or country rap currently plaguing the mainstream male country ranks. If country music can’t facilitate the rise of their careers, country will lose their talent to other avenues.

A lack of talent has never been country music’s problem, it’s been recognizing that talent and allowing it to thrive by expressing its originality and creativity. Here are seven men that right now could enter into prominent positions in the country format and immediately make it better.

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Sturgill Simpson

If you wanted one name, one man to watch in country music in 2013, that name would be Sturgill Simpson. Poised to take the country music world by storm (or at least the independent side of things), Sturgill’s debut solo album High Top Mountain is going to blow the doors off of country music when it’s released on June 11th. Sturg is already making waves out there on the road opening for Dwight Yoakam, and has one of the best management and booking teams behind him. Everything is in place. The next question is, will country music pay attention?

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Will Hoge

The truth is you’re already hearing Will Hoge on mainstream country radio, you’re just hearing his songs being sung by others. Hoge is one of those songwriters that has been right on the brink of breaking through for 15 years, but has always just been one important puzzle piece away. Eli Young Band had a #1 hit last year with Will’s song “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” and at the time the songwriter didn’t even have a publishing deal. Recently Lady Antebellum recorded his song “Better Off Now.”

Will is now signed to BMG Nashville as a songwriter, and has been signed as a performer to Atlantic Records and Rykodisc in the past. Though Will has struggled to find the exact right opportunity to take his music to the next level, he is a battle-tested performer, a proven songwriter with commercially-viable material, and an artist the industry is familiar with that could immediately step in amongst country music’s mainstream men and bring more substance to the format, open up new themes, and hopefully challenge other male performers and writers to release more formidable material.

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Whitey Morgan

Whitey Morgan and his band The 78′s are the authentic, modern-day extension of country music’s true Outlaw country movement. It doesn’t get more hard country and honky tonk than this. Music Row’s batch of fake Outlaws will only be able to go so far before the American public wakes up to the fact they’ve been sold a bill of goods. Whitey Morgan is country music’s “new Outlaw” for the long haul.

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Evan Felker & the Turnpike Troubadours

With Evan Felker and the Turnpike Troubadours, the question is not if, but when. You may not be able to find a better example of a songwriter that can bring true country substance yet still find appeal with the masses. Like Hootie taking Old Crow’s “Wagon Wheel” to #1, Felker songs like “Every Girl” “7 & 7″ and “Good Lord, Lorrie” are just screaming to be cut by a bigger name, letting the rest of the world know what a treasure the Texoma region has in this young and exciting band. The hardest thing for a Red Dirt / Texas country band to do is make that transition from regional stars to national recognition, and to do it without streaking their hair with highlights or releasing songs with obviously aims at radio success. The next couple of years are very critical for this band, but if Nashville had any sense, they’d hop on the Turnpike Troubadours bandwagon now.

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John Fullbright

A former Turnpike Troubadour himself, and a former member of the Mike McClure band, John Fullbright became a serious force in the music world when he released his critically-acclaimed From The Ground Up album last year that rose all the way to winning the young man from Bearden, Oklahoma a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. Isn’t it just like Americana to snatch up all of country’s promising male talent? But with the strength of his songs, John Fullbright could find a home in both country and Americana if he wished. At only 25-years-old (it’s his birthday today), the sky’s the limit for this emerging talent.

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Leroy Virgil & Hellbound Glory

Leroy and Hellbound Glory on the Rebel Soul Tour with Kid Rock

If you’re wondering where our generation’s Keith Whitley or Chris Ledoux is, look no further. Though Leroy will probably never play Nashville’s game, he’s got country music’s most formidable song catalog just waiting to be cherry picked and matched up with top-tier talent. In the meantime, Leroy and his band Hellbound Glory could be playing sold-out big club/theater shows and headlining grassroots festivals.

Virgil and Hellbound Glory are fresh off opening for Kid Rock on a nationwide arena tour and signing with the prestigious Agency Group for booking. It may be only a matter of months before we stop complaining of why Hellbound Glory isn’t bigger, and start proclaiming that they’ve made it. Time may be running out to get on board with Leroy Virgil at the ground level and enjoy the rise.

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Dirty River Boys

If country music was looking for its rough equivalent of Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, and other acoustic string bands that are all the rage right now, look no further than El Paso, TX’s Dirty River Boys. Way more than just Americana’s version of a boy band, The Dirty River Boys have a grit and authenticity to them many of these other bands so woefully lack. Yet the Dirty River Boys can still can engage large crowds in sincere singalongs that tap into that sense of camaraderie that many music fans are looking for these days.

Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory Performs On NBC's Songwriter Showcase With Jimmy Lloyd

The Jimmy Lloyd Songwriter Showcase on NBC

A few nights ago in New York City, Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory, took the stage at Hill Country BBQ for a showcase being filmed for NBC. Below are some of the photos that were posted on Jimmy Lloyd's facebook page from an interview he did with Leroy. Hopefully the show will be airing sometime soon. Until then keep checking back here on the blog until we can repost the show or by clicking over to JimmyLloyd.com

Jimmy Lloyd and Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory filming a showcase for NBC

Leroy talking with Jimmy Lloyd in front of Hill Country BBQ in NYC

Stage is set for stories and songs

The Jimmy Lloyd Songwriter Showcase on NBC

Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory and Jimmy Lloyd talking outside of Hillcountry BBQ in NYC

Leroy of Hellbound Glory, Sean Walsh and Jimmy Lloyd on stage filming for a songwriters showcase

Interview with Leroy of Hellbound Glory on the streets of New York City

Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory on stage at Hillcountry BBQ in New York City

Sean Walsh, Jimmy Lloyd and Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory

Camera Crew at the ready for Leroy's feature interview

“Go Ready” Bands in Country Music Right Now, from Saving Country Music

Triggerman over at Saving Country Music has a pure voice, when it comes to speaking his mind and backing up his words. He is a solid source of country music news, anecdotes and most of all a beacon in the night, when it comes to state of things in what we refer to as roots or underground country. 

Below is a mighty depiction of the bands that are ready to roll in the realm of country music. We all know this and these bands are the future, but many more folks need to hear about them so we can grow the genre with "Real Country Music" and not the watered down pop crap that fills radio stations nation wide.

Go out and see these bands live and help to support the future of country music.

Link to original article on Saving Country Music

"Hollywood seems obsessed with finding talent among the masses with their silly reality show contests like American Idol and The Voice, when in reality there’s a boatload of talent just sitting there waiting to be discovered right under their surgically-crafted, cosmetically-sculptured noses. But of course they don’t want to actually find any talent, because then what would they have to sell commercials for boner pills and high fructose corn syrup in the next season?

So here’s a list of some bands that are go ready, right now, no excuses. These are not fey, artsy acts, goat worshipers, or punk gone country screamo shows. These are performers that even using Music Row’s shallow approach to music, are marketable, young, hip, with hit-caliber songs ready for country radio, excellent live shows, and would immediately improve the quality and appeal of the genre.

This is just my list, admittedly short, so if you have another artist in mind, please use the comments section to share. And no, this is not about selling out stadiums, it is about creating financial sustainability for talented artists that deserve it.

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Sunday Valley

If music was roulette and Sunday Valley were a square, I’d push my pile of chips and bet on them all in. Sturgill Simpson and the boys are in the studio as we speak making the “Album of their dreams” as Sturg puts it, that will include a guest appearance by Hargus “Pig” Robbins among others, just announced as a 2012 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. But what puts this band over the top is their live performance that harkens back to how one must have felt when Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn took the stage before their break: an unbelievable, dynamic, jaw-dropping experience that leaves you awe-stricken from the combination of originality and sheer talent. Buy your Sunday Valley stock now and watch it rise.

“2012 will be the year of Sunday Valley”. –that’s my quote.

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Hellbound Glory

Hellbound Glory stock has been slowly rising over the last few years, but is still nowhere near where it needs to be. Leroy Virgil is like the Chris LeDoux and Keith Whitley of our time all wrapped up into one. The sideways smile, the legendary-caliber songwriting, there’s no excuses why Hellbound Glory shouldn’t be selling out mid-sized venues and making a fair living playing the type of country music that country music needs. At the least Music Row is a fool for not poaching the Hellbound Glory discography and Leroy Virgil’s brain for his songwriting gold to slot with their already established artists. Every day that goes by that Hellbound Glory remains mired in the underground is another day that country music isn’t putting its best foot forward, and is not making the best case of why it is an important, relevant genre.

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Turnpike Troubadours

One of the best bands to see live, and Red Dirt DJ’s will tell you songs like “Every Girl” are great for radio. They have a new album coming out on May 8th called Goodbye Normal Street, and let’s hope this is the one that puts them over the top, and past the boundaries of the Texoma corridor. Unlike some of the other artists on this list who find themselves in their mid 30′s, where it feels like the window could be closing for them in the coming years, the Troubadour’s window feels like it is just opening. Potential has always been one of their best assets. Now it’s time for that potential to be cashed in for solid growth and success.

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Whitey Morgan & The 78′s

When the question is posed of who is gonna fill the shoes of the true Outlaws and honky-tonkers, from the ones passed on like Waylon and Paycheck, to the ones going gray like Dale Watson and Marty Stuart, trust me, the answer is not going to be Justin Moore. Whitey Morgan & Co. are the true connection, the current torch bearers of the ballsy, twang-heavy true country sound that would expose all the pop country laundry list fluff from the first listen if only given a chance. Similar to how Bloodshot Records label mate Justin Townes Earle has popped in the last few years, now it is Whitey’s turn. Dues have been been paid. Now it’s time to cash in.

Young Up-And-Comers to Keep an Eye On

Paige Anderson

Paige Anderson’s ceiling is limitless. Amazing voice with natural pitch and control, and a highly skilled flat-picking guitar player, there’s nothing naturally holding Paige back. And as one of the young leaders in West Coast bluegrass circuits, and the leader of her family’s band “Anderson Family Bluegrass”, she’s shown the ambition and drive an artist needs in this competitive music environment. Young, beautiful, talented, there’s no excuses here, Paige Anderson is ripe to capture America’s heart.

Wyatt Maxwell

Another heartthrob and superpicker bound for great heights and who started out in a family band, Mad Max & The Wild Ones. A natural leader, he’s been out before paying dues by playing lead guitar for the legendary Wayne “The Train” Hancock and can slide into just about any band or vintage style of music and make it shine. The look and technique are all there, but what puts Wyatt into elite company is his sense of style and taste. As a guitar player or as a band leader, the sky is the limit for young Maxwell.

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Another name I must mention is Ruby Jane, who will unmistakably be huge in music someday, so unmistakably in fact it doesn’t even seem germane to put her on this list. She has moved more into the jazz and singer/songwriter world in recent months and years after her time touring with Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel, but is still a name all lovers of great music should keep up with.

Also the beautiful and talented Rachel Brooke may be a little fey for the wide masses, but her voice and talent is nonetheless undeniable. Just like how Emmylou Harris was the hottest commodity in female harmony singers to put on your album for so many years, Rachel could fulfill this role with the pain in her voice and such mastery of taste and control, while exposing her great original songs to the greater world."

Hellbound Glory & Lone Wolf LIVE!

Here is a direct post from Triggerman over at SavingCountryMusic.com

Just announced, this Sunday night (3-27), Hellbound Glory will be broadcasting their performance at Will’s Pub in Orlando, FL on SCM LIVE! Tune in at 9 PM Eastern, 8 Central for opening act Lone Wolf OMB, who just released his debut album a few weeks ago.

I just had the fortune of seeing Hellbound Glory less than a week ago at South by Southwest. It’s a rarity to get such a great mix of top notch songwriting, with an energetic and fun live show. Leroy Virgil’s soul is like a fount of country music. He’s one of those rare birds where songs just burst out of him so quickly and so fluidly, a concerned observer might worry some or many of them would be lost down the drain. Hank Williams was like that. Many other professional songwriters like Roger Alan Wade are like that.

And usually those types live with their demons right up at the surface, and having spent a good amount of time around Leroy during SXSW, I can say he has that disposition as well. That’s how you know his songs are genuine. There is a fire in his eye, and a perennial sideways grin that hints of the no-good running through his brain. However with a kid to his name now, Leroy seemed to know his limitations and boundaries. He may be up until 5 AM, but it will be drinking beer and swapping licks on the guitar, not snorting coke and taking a ride in a police car.

Leroy told me right now he has two full albums of material to record with Hellbound Glory, and two more albums with a new project he’s put together called “The eXcavators”. He debuted a few new songs during the Rusty Knuckles Showcase at SXSW, and I had my camera ready to capture a couple of them, and one of their older, signature songs. Check out the wordsmithing at the beginning of the first video, and please join us Sunday night for this rare live broadcast.

Check Hellbound Glory Tour Dates! 

Leroy Virgil & The Excavators - New Song

Nothing better than 3am jam sessions on the road. Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory and the new project The Excavators keeping the neighbors up all night in Austin, TX during SXSW.

Leroy Virgil - World Coming To An End

No matter how many times I hear this song, its still great. Not too shabby of a recording and all done from a small Flip Camera outside of Stella Blue, after their show in Asheville, NC. Clint from Flat Tires is sitting to the right of Leroy. More new material coming from Hellbound Glory coming soon...

Biker Metric - Rusty Knuckles Writeup

Thanks to Trent over at Biker Metric for thinking of us and doing a solid writeup on all we do, here is the post in it entirety.

Link to article over on BikerMetric.com

do you like music? do you like rock-n-roll music? how about hillbilly agro? or simple one-man-and-his-guitar tunes? do you understand that johnny cash was the first punk rocker? 

then you will dig rusty knuckles.

and i haven't gotten to the motorcycle part yet.

rusty knuckles is a custom merchandise company and a record label which reflects the bands and lifestyle which exemplify the mindset of, um, fuck you, you god damned yuppie prick.

or something like that. i made the last part up. rusty will let me know if it isn't true.

their mindset is punk rock, fuck you if you hate, and be aware that dichotomy is violence vs. poems paraphrased from jesus. it is the world we live in and rusty knuckles produces the green lady killers. they are two of my favorite bands from rusty's long list of kickass motherfucking music:

rusty knuckles promotes bands and musicians that kick ass. not over-produced crap for mass consumption that parents of teenagers approve of because they are too busy calling psychiatrists seeking medication for the kids they'd rather drug than become involved with.

have you ever contemplated, "should i spend my last five bucks on food or on getting more fucked up?" i have. and as i write this the last inch of my 40 ouncer is being guzzled through a throat dionysus would envy.

rusty knuckles bands has contemplated that great dilemma, and this is what happened.

all bands should own their music and rusty works directly with each band to bring forth the vision they feel within them. they don't tell them what to do. rusty finds what the band wants to be.

rusty knuckles is currently working with crank county daredevils:

leroy virgil:

hellbound glory:

antiseen:

jay berndt:

she rides:

and the green lady killers. yeah. you wanna fuck them. i bet they don't care.

you gotta band? rusty knuckles designs, markets from print to social media, album packaging, custom garments and brand outreach blah blah blah. you have something real and true, go to rusty knuckles and prove it.

rusty digs clients from the custom motorcycle, hotrod and entertainment industry and brags of past clients from tom waits, the boston celtics, ufc, the chicago bulls, hurley clothing, mtv, and others too numerous to brag about since the bragging was just done.

them's braggin' rights. i'm diggin. even though the celtics and bulls suck.

trent = PHX suns fan.

if rusty knuckles isn't busy working on new ideas, drawing band shirt designs, or creating album packaging, they are downstairs wrenching on their ever-increasing array of custom motorcycles and plotting the next road trip.

here is a pic from tim bradham 's shop, dresch frame:

and if you're hiting sxsw this march, hit the dirty dog to see these bands:

also, while in austin, drunk and hungry, get your food anywhere but casino el caminio. go to franks, or the jackalope. eat more and pay less without the attitude from people who are all from l.a. and the northwest who pretend they're locals and act like you're lucky to be in their bar.

plus, rats won't have run over your burger the night before when the meat was left out. how do i know? i opened that place for 20 months. eat rat meat like it's chicken, pay eight bucks for it, or go somewhere else.

if you do go just to get the vibe of "how to get ripped off" ask bartender joe lifto when was the last time he got a boner. tell the owner, casino, he's a crook and i'm coming for him.

goodness. revenge makes me want to put a sweater on 'cause i'm chilly.

but hey, everybody who works there can tell you who is there to buy a twenty bag of half-assed coke from. so they've got that going for them.

not that you want to do that. if you mention my name they will tell you i'm a liar and a drunk. only half of that is true. so, from the dirty dog, walk up 1/2 block on neches from this concert to visit lovejoy's. it's nice there. the real bikers are there. you can tell by the machines parked in front.

as for the dirty dog, the bar with the stage that will be playing all of rusty's bands? they are cool with me. you might even see a large bikerMetric banner hanging from the rafters from the party we had there last summer.

now for something about revolution:

"some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. the one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. the first is a patron, the last a punisher."

 - thomas paine, "common sense"

rusty knuckles produces artists who understand this principle.

now for more motorcycles. ralph, the man behind rusty knuckles, built a wicked troublemaker out of a rare honda cb650. yes cb650. according to ralph, he "had a bitch of a time finding parts and had to make quite a bit of shit to get it right."

that's what it's all about. fighting and getting it right.