HANK WILLIAMS, JR. - FAMILY TRADITION

Hank Williams, Jr. - Family Tradition

You all know Junior. If not, he's a bit of a gross little outlaw, son of a legend, daddy to a punk, scrugged up and messy in between all by himself. If he gets stoned and sings all night long it's just a family tradition.

BILLY JOE SHAVER - OLD FIVE AND DIMERS LIKE ME

Billy Joe Shaver - Old Five and Dimers Like Me

Besides being an incredible songwriter and musician, Billy Joe Shaver recently got acquitted from shooting a man in the face. Please read the fascinating and quotable article about the incident and trial I've got linked here below.
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/jury-finds-billy-joe-shaver-not-guilty-545112.html.

THE LOUVIN BROTHERS - SATAN IS REAL

The Louvin Brothers - Satan is Real

Cactus Keith and I once enjoyed the grilled cheeses and sweet teas at the Louvin Brothers Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Everyone knows the cover to this album and how goddamn corny it looks, but trust me, there is substance here. Ira was known for getting shot by his wife and smashing his mandolin until he died in a car crash. That's badass.

SCOTT H. BIRAM - REHABILITATION BLUES E.P.

Scott H. Biram - Rehabilitation Blues E.P.

This dude got hit in a head on collision on his four wheeler, got up, headed to the hospital, then recorded this in post-recovery. Badass. If you don't already know this Texas as fuck, dirty old one man band then geez louise, pay attention sister. This E.P. is a mellower example, but with traditional tunes, some other covers including a Louvin (look back here soon for more of the brothers), and one original, you can't complain. The dude got hit by a fucking truck, man.

THE TAKERS - TAKER EASY

The Takers - Taker Easy

Virgil Dickerson has his face on the pulse of great alt-anything, be it folk, punk, or country, with his Suburban Home Records. The Takers fall into the boot-scooting bracket, playing what some may say is outlaw country but is really just some beer-swillin', day off of work, night on the town kinda jams. The production is what really wins it for me, sounding tight, polished, modern, and yet, somehow as loose and crazy as a prohibition era liquor run. Take a taste here and if you like it, buy the album straight from the Suburban Home website if you're feeling generous and, well, human.

JIM ED BROWN & HELEN CORNELIUS - I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO MARRY YOU

Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius - I Don't Want to Have to Marry You

On the way home from a Shouldice Lake trip, I stopped at a garage sale where Highway 6 met back with 21 and let me tell you, this place was decked with a killer section of records. One of the six or so I picked up was an album called "Great Country Hits of the 70s" (as seen on TV!). The last song on the first side was a real slow, beautiful burner called "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You." It was pretty enough to warrant a hunt for the whole album. This thing is worth that song alone, though their harmonies kill all over it. Hell, this collab was so good, they broke up with their families and started sharing spit.

THE BEST OF RED SIMPSON

Red Simpson - The Best of Red Simpson

Truck drivin', cop respectin', country singin' Red Simpson: is there anyone more infinitely badass? He could sing a song about being a truck or about the highway patrol and make you feel for both of these cold, heartless machines. Every song is a highlight, so consider picking this guy up for your collection. We have his "I'm A Truck" LP here at the homestead and seriously, every song on it is about truck driving.

EDDY ARNOLD - AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

Eddy Arnold - After All These Years

Eddy Arnold is Nashville's classiest motherfucker. Besides helping to pioneer the Nashville Sound, this dude just sang some of the best country, pop, folk, whatever songs of all time. This is his last album, released when he was 87 years old. Sure, it's scraggly and rugged, but hearing him yearn for that polished Nashville sound through a hoarse geezer's throat is incredible and moving. Good on ya, Eddy. Support his estate and pick this one up if you see it around.

ALABAMA - AMERICAN PRIDE

Alabama - American Pride

I love Alabama. Guilty pleasure? No, completely, unabashedly, full-and-hard-on love them. Next year, BEERS (myself, Cactus Keith, and hopefully Weebs Jr) will head down to the Alabama Fan Appreciation Weekend in Fort Payne. This album has the gems: "I'm In A Hurry" is one of their most instantly recognizable, "Richard Petty Fans" is a slow jam about a NASCAR driver, and the title track takes an apple pie and a bald eagle and makes them fuck. Just do it.

HARGUS "PIG" ROBBINS - COUNTRY INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR

Hargus "Pig" Robbins" - Country Instrumentalist of the Year

Hargus is a blind man who plays some of the meanest pinanners around. You can hear him on old country (George Jones) to new (Travis Tritt), from Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" to Ween's "12 Golden Country Greats", and lurking about Nashville and beyond. This album is an instrumental, almost funky, incredibly synthesized solo record, but a nice taste of the skill of the Pig himself.

NASCAR: HOTTER THAN ASPHALT

VARIOUS ARTISTS - NASCAR: HOTTER THAN ASPHALT

I've been hunting this album down for a while now, trying to dodge the easiness of Amazon or iTunes. This thing has great tracks from Hank Jr, Alabama, Joe Diffie, Skynyrd, Waylon Jennings himself, and a few other pretty darn alright tracks. It's from the 1996 Season (released a day before Valentine's Day, to be precise), so that puts it at 14 years old. It's dated, fer sure, but it's a fun little treat.

BEERS - I LOVE YOU (BUT I DON'T TRUST YOU) SINGLE

Beers - I Love You (But I Don't Trust You) Single

This is BEERS' first single, "I Love You (But I Don't Trust You)", with the demo version and "Older Kiss" edition. The download comes in several forms of quality. It's real rich and free, so hit up this first post y'all!