I don't like the second Kasey Chambers album, which is, in fact, boring, but I thought the first one was interesting. It's not a desert island album, but I think it's a good one for someone interested in where alt-country is now. (I may be influenced by the fact that she's really good live.) Besides, Kasey Chambers was raised by wolves. I'll admit I live in a quirky region of alt-country, the part bordered by Americana and folk.

If you can only get one thing that people have recommended, get Townes Van Zandt.

Mission of Burma fans: Matador just put up this neat e-card.

Salute the Majesty... is not only not out of print, it's on sale at the Bloodshot site for $10. They give free US shipping too.

[link]

About To Choke is in sotck at Amazon, and looking it up has directed me a CD I missed called Left To His Own Devices that I'm gonna have to check out as well. And you can buy a signed tape of Is The Actor Happy? from Vic directly: [link]

If you can only get one thing that people have recommended, get Townes Van Zandt.

Second that. I like Our Mother the Mountain best, though it's his most produced (with chamber-country strings). But it's also got his best batch of songs, mostly in the dark, country-goth vein.

Jon, my current temp is a musician. She was very active in the Boston scene during the mid-80s, and her eyes got very wide when I mentioned that you'd played with Clint Conley. She's also a writer, and interviewed Roger Miller on three different occasions.

Really, Misha? I thought Salute the Majesty went out of print when their Johnny Cash cd went OOP. Hell, I thought that Vic's entire back catalog (save TS&B) was OOP, too. Interesting.

Jon, my current temp is a musician. She was very active in the Boston scene during the mid-80s, and her eyes got very wide when I mentioned that you'd played with Clint Conley.

Hee. What's her name? If you don't want to post it here, email me. Did you mention my radio show? She might have heard it back then.

I love "California Stars" from Mermaid Avenue. Whiskeytown is also good, and I had quite a nice conversation last December from a gentleman who used to be in the band. But d'oh on me for not remembering his name.

The Cash CD was not released by Bloodshot, and so there's a whole different set of distribution issues.

I'll throw Joe Ely's Honky Tonk Masquerade onto the recommendation pile.

John Flansburgh interviews Stephen Merritt about his new album. Jonathan Schwartz played a bunch of songs from "Bounce" on his show the week before last, but unlike most WNYC shows, his does not seem to be archived. Sorry.

A radio piece on Ben Treuhaft, founder of Send A Piana to Havana. "'I'm a piano tuner who got caught up in Cuba's piano crisis and, in helping out, found I had to circumnavigate the ridiculous embargo.'... Almost every day Treuhaft calls the Treasury office looking for information to appeal their decision. 'I want to know why they consider pianos subversive.'"

Schwartz's shows are never on the web, for I believe contractual reasons having to do with his also being a DJ for one of the satellite radio stations.