Subj : Rock News To : All From : Piper Christian Vierik Date : Thu May 29 2003 06:57 pm A NEW BUCKAROO? When Asleep at the Wheel played a sold-out show recently in Bakersfield, Calif., at the Crystal Palace, the legen- dary Buck Owens presented Wheel leader/guitarist Ray Benson with one of his custom-made "Buck Owens" metal-flake red, white and blue collector's edition Fender Telecaster gui- tars. Owens also thanked Benson for his efforts all these years in keeping Western Swing and the music of Bob Wills alive. Owens was returning the favor of two years ago, when Benson gave Buck one of his own signature "Texas" guitars, which is on display at the club. "Buck Owens has been an inspiration to me since my earliest days," said Benson in accepting the guitar. "His singing, writing and musical style have been one of the cornerstones of my band, Asleep at the Wheel, from the beginning to the present day. For Buck to give me one of his famous red, white and blue Telecasters is like winning a gold medal in the Olympics -- the Pickin' Olympics! Thanks, Buck, I am truly touched and grateful." Benson's new solo CD, "Beyond Time," which features special guests Dolly Parton, Delbert McClinton, Jimmie Vaughan, Flaco Jimenez and Stanley Jordan, is set for release June 24 on Audium Records. LAUGH TO KEEP FROM CRYING Lou Reed laughs when he sings the blues, The New York Post quotes filmmaker Win Wenders as saying. Wenders is the director of "The Soul of a Man," the first installment in Martin Scorsese's seven-film series on the blues, which premiered Friday at the Cannes Film Festival. In the film, Reed joins Beck, Bonnie Raitt and Nick Cave in interpret- ing the songs of Mississippi delta blues legend Skip James. "For Lou, it was so much fun, I am proud to announce he actually laughed," the Post quotes Wenders. "And we have it on tape -- no photographer has ever captured him smiling on film." A BRAND NEW NIGHT Alternate-rock duo the Cash Brothers will put out their new album, "A Brand New Night," Aug. 12 on Zo‰/Rounder Records. Produced and written entirely by Andrew and Peter Cash, "A Brand New Night" features the brothers' intertwined harmo- nies mixed with acoustic and electric guitar hooks, creat- ing melodic roots-rock on songs ranging from the pulsating "Shadow of Doubt," "You're It," and "Sweet" to the contem- plative "Dealing with the Distance" and title track "Into a Brand New Night." David Leonard, known for his work with artists such as the Indigo Girls, Dwight Yoakam and Shawn Colvin, mixed the album. "A Brand New Night" follows up the successful 2001 release of their U.S. debut, "How Was Tomorrow." BEAUTIFULLY DISTURBING Seattle-based heavy soul band Maktub made its first music video with the help of director/Maktub fan Daniel Korn. The clip for "Just Like Murder," described by Korn as "beauti- fully disturbing," depicts the subconscious images of a man torn apart by the end of a romantic relationship . The haunt- ing and occasionally bizarre video complements the tone of "Just Like Murder," one of the darkest songs on Maktub's Velour Records release, "Khronos." As lead singer Reggie Watts intones the lyrics, "When you take your love away from me/It's just like murder," the song's main character is de- picted as isolated, floating in a canoe down the hallways of Oakland's Paramount Theater, where the video was shot in early April. The man's ex is seen in lingerie, seducing a man in a Woody Woodpecker costume. These eerie nightmare visuals are cut together with scenes of a happier time in the relationship, as well as early childhood. Korn's stark lighting and quick editing lend the video a classic horror movie feel and enhance its surreal quality. DEPRESSION BLUES In August 2002, Bluebird inaugurated "When The Sun Goes Down," one of the most important reissue series of the compact disc era. In its first four volumes, "When The Sun Goes Down" presented roots-music treasures from the archives of the RCA Victor and Bluebird record labels in beautifully remastered sound. These various-artists collections featured artists ranging from the Carter Family and Blind Willie McTell to Lil Green and Little Richard. They included the original recorded versions of such blues and rock standards as "Catfish Blues," "Frankie and Johnny," "Trouble In Mind," and "Statesboro Blues." "Poor Man's Heaven: Blues & Tales of The Great Depression" adds another chapter to the series with an eye-opening multi-artist collection of country, blues, jazz and pop songs from and about the decade-long econ- omic slump that began with the stock market crash of Oct. 29, 1929. The album compiles 24 songs recorded by as many different artists in the period from 1929 to 1940. The themes of hard times and fervent hope bind together re- markably diverse performances by artists as famous as Eddie Cantor with "Eddie Cantor's Tips On The Stock Market" and Sonny Boy Williamson with "Welfare Store Blues." More obscure offerings include Julia Gerity with "Sittin' On A Rubbish Can" and Wilmoth Houdini with "Poor But Ambitious." "Poor Man's Heaven" includes the original versions of two songs later recorded by Ry Cooder: Blind Alfred Reed's "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" (1929) and Fiddlin' John Carson's "Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All" (1934). The E.Y. Harburg/Jay Gorney classic "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?" heard here in a 1932 recording by Leo Reisman & His Orchestra, vocals by Milton Douglas, later was covered by Dave Brubeck, Judy Collins, Tom Jones, Abbey Lincoln, and Luciano Pavarotti, among other singers. DIRT ON THE ANGEL "Dirt on the Angel," the second album from singer/musician Danny Barnes, is scheduled for an Aug. 12 release on Terminus Records. Joining Barnes on the album are Bill Frisell on guitar, Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell on piano and organ, Darol Anger on violin, Dirk Powell on banjo, guitar and accordion, Garey Shelton on bass and Carlton Jackson on drums. "Dirt on the Angel" was produced by Barnes and recorded primarily at Shelton's studio in Seattle. The album features 11 original songs by Barnes, one co-written with Anger, and three covers: a down-home version of the traditional tune "Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy," a Barnes-ified treatment of the Small Faces classic, "Ooh La La" and an improvisational extension on the Beck song, "Loser." "The poetry of this album touches on various themes of joy, being lonesome, simple word play, being a country boy, good cooking, eating, pretty women, fishing, motorcycles, sex, playing lots of five-string banjo, of not having enough money to get your wants met but having enough love to get your needs met, of living life on the raw edge," Barnes said. 'INSTRUMENTS' A SUCCESS On April 28 Tipitina's hosted the second annual "Instrument's A Comin'," a benefit for the Carter G. Woodson Learning Academy and Eleanor McMain Secondary School band programs featuring an all-star New Orleans musical lineup and outdoor cultural festival with food, art and music. The event raised $21,179 from door proceeds, an art auction, and donations with over 800 patrons attending the indoor benefit show. New Orleans Music Exchange owner Jimmy Glickman will begin pur- chasing instruments next week from the wish list provided by both schools. Highlights from the "Instruments A Comin'" 2003 benefit included an opening solo set by Cowboy Mouth's Fred Leblanc; a special New Orleans super-group created by Tipitina's known as the Founder's Band with Ivan Neville, George Porter, Jr, Stanton Moore, June Yamagishi, and the Dirty Dozen Horns, with special guest Dr. John; and a sear- ing set by another Tipitina's creation, the Tip's Allstars featuring Leo Nocentelli, Mean Willie Green, Tony Hall, and Ben Ellman with special guests Cyril Neville and Ivan Neville. The all-star benefit also included great perform- ances by the Radiators, Galactic, Anders Osborne/Henry Butler, Lil Rascals, Rebirth and more. The outdoor cultural festival hosted over 1,000 patrons with food by Dunbar's Creole Cooking; photography exhibits by Michael P. Smith, Jenny Bagert, Zack Smith, Earl Perry, and Bob Compton; a painting demonstration by J. Pierre; performances by last year's recipients the Joseph S. Clark Marching Band; and, sets by the Hot 8 and Lil Stooges brass band. JOHN DOE HEADS EAST iMUSIC recording artist John Doe has announced two solo East Coast dates in between his tour schedule with X. While Doe perhaps is best known as the co-founder of seminal Los Angeles punk band X, this multi-talented artist is also an actor and accomplished solo musician. His current solo release "Dim Stars, Bright Sky" was co- produced by Doe's friend and fellow musician Joe Henry and features vocal collaborations with Aimee Mann, Jakob Dylan, Juliana Hatfield, Jane Wiedlin and Rhett Miller. For the tour dates, Doe will perform solo with acoustic guitar. On June 18 Doe will perform at Manhattan's Fez in New York, followed by a June 19 appearance at Maxwell's in Hoboken, N.J. Piper Christian KC8TEZ --- SBBSecho 2.00-Win32 * Origin: Scanner Enthusiasts BBS - scannerbbs.dyndns.org (1:229/658) .