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October 30, 2012 - Where We Been? Where we going?

Well, first off, we're back.  From where?  It's complicated.  For one thing Dave Reeve has spent the better part of the last year up in the wilds of Northern Pennsylvania on an extended assignment with his Day Job.  We've also been preoccupied with writing new tunes, as well as working new pedal steel player Barry Yasika into the mix as a full-time member. (You gotta hear our originals with Barry's contributions - a revelation!)

Point is, we are back and sounding better than ever.  The big news is our anticipated return to Austin, TX this spring for the SXSW Music Festival.  Everything we're doing right now revolves around that goal.

So stay tuned.  We're gigging locally again and hope to see you soon!

Sadly Ed's other life (i.e. that Day Job) has turned far more demanding than Ed had hoped when he signed on as our fifth member.  So circumstances have forced Ed to bow out, at least as a full-time member of DSR.  We expect to continue to play with Ed from time to time, and we certainly expect Ed to be a presence in our next trip to the studio.  So for now, Ed becomes Multi-Instrumentalist Emeritus.

Ed, it's been a gas.  You're welcome back any time!

So what's the deal with performing "cover gigs?"  Some of you many wonder.  Yes, we're an original music band and that's the whole point of our existence.  But performing covers does several things for us.  First and foremost, it gets us into venues that we couldn't get in before.  Once there, we unleash our originals (in measure) on the unsuspecting patrons, and in many cases, wind up with new fans.  Secondly - money!  There, we said it.  These gigs pay well.  What better way to raise cash for a return to Austin in Spring 2012?  Lastly, every song the band learns, cover or otherwise, improves our chops.  And you know what? Doing these tunes is pretty fun.  The blueprint is already there - no need to come up with a bridge or a riff.  A chance to just play.  Just so you know.....

Ed saw our ad for a new bass player, checked out our music, and contacted us.  You see, Ed Tucker plays pedal steel, keyboards, mandolin and (we haven't heard this one yet) banjo.  Ed is a fellow sinner who fell from grace when he strayed from playing hymns in church to playing the devil's music like rock n roll, country and bluegrass.  He waited patiently until we found David P. (below), then dropped over.  One practice, and, oh boy, we knew it was perfect.  We were thrilled when he wanted to sign on.  The DSR sound has just gotten even better.  Now we have to figure out how to fit everyone into the practice facility at DeSoto Rust World Headquarters.

We are pleased to announce that David Parisi has joined DSR as our bass player.  David is an accomplished musician (hell, he even reads music!) and all-around great guy.  We've just completed our third practice with David and he's chewing through the material faster than we could have imagined.  We're all digging the stuff he's doing.  Most importantly, he subscribes to the DeSoto Rust ethos and our take on roots music. So welcome David!  (Now we just have to figure out what to do with all the Davids.)

Paul Chamberlain not only played Morgan Rhule on his show New Songs from the South, but got in touch to request copies of all of our cds.  Paul's show runs the first Friday of every month (4:00 - 7:00 PM EST) on ARfm radio, an internet station operating out of London specializing in classic and Southern rock.  We happily shipped off the cds and Paul will be playing a DSR tune each show for the next few editions.  Not sure how he got turned on to us, but we're grateful as always for the airplay.  Looking a Paul's playlists, we gotta recommend the show - it's a perfect start to an early happy hour!

Thanks so much, Paul, and enjoy the tunes!

Johanna Bodde, Radio Girl on Dollard Radio out of Oldambt, Netherlands played the part of Christmas Girl on today's broadcast.  Her playlist was chock full of Christmas/Winter Solstice -themed tunes, including Northern Road.  Johanna is, of course, a member of the Insurgent Country network and one of our earliest supporters.

Thanks again (and again), Johanna, and all the best for 2011!

December 18, 2010 - Blind Pigeon Records Compilation #8 Released

Our Pottsville buddies, Blind Pigeon Records, have released the eighth in their series of annual compilation albums, and we're pleased to announce that our Open Road is included.  Blind Pigeon is the brainchild of our good friend Bill Whalen (he of Gleasons Drift) and we certainly appreciate the graciousness of his invite to participate again.  Steve's departure, as well as other scheduling difficulties precluded our participation in tonight's roll out at Hucklebucks, but, as usual, this will be a great show.

Thanks again to Bill and the boys.  To order your copy, go to the Blind Pigeon Records website.  Pick up a new BPR hoodie while you're at it!  We'll also have copies of the compilation available at our next show

.

A big thank you to DJ Rusty Smith who played San Angelo on his December 17 edition of Crossing Boundaries.  Rusty's show runs from midnight until 2:00 AM on Ohio University's WOUB out of Athens, OH.  Oddly enough, our tune was followed by Tom Gillam's Weary Game.  Wheels within wheels, eh?

Thanks again, Rusty!

Today's John & Peter's show was our last featuring Steve Savage on bass.  Steve and Dave go way back to the old days of the South Jersey metal scene, and Steve was excited to step in following Mike Simmon's departure in 2006.  Steve is a great guitar player and it was probably only a matter of time before the six strings called him back.  In the meantime, Steve became an integral part of DSR, contributing mightily to Highway Gothic, playing not only bass, but killer lap steel.  His backing vocals can be heard on most tracks, too.

So Steve - a huge thank you and good luck as you pick up the guitar again.  You'll be missed!

Our good friend Mike Penard, aka Mike the Frenchy, (ISA Radio in France) once again comes through for us.  During the three months ended September 30, Mike has played Northern Road, Calgary, Two Loads, Weather, Way Back to You, and Dirt Track Mile.  It was a total gas to be able to finally meet Mike in Austin last spring.  Now we're happy to report that Mike will be visiting Philly when he's in the USA next spring.  Of course, we hope to see him again in Austin as well.  Look for some of Mike's photos coming soon.

Thanks again, Mike, for being such a loyal supporter and great friend!

John Shelton Ivany, longtime music critic and editor, has included Highway Gothic on his Top 21 Albums (#383,)  John was one of the first folks to give the album press and obviously is still listening!  Thanks again John!

Johanna Bodde, Radio Girl on Radio Winschoten and one of our oldest supporters, featured Easytown on her August 28 show marking the five year anniversary of the devastating Gulf Coast storm.  Also featured were several songs by Susan Cowsill, who lost her brother in the aftermath of the flooding.  Thanks to Johanna, not only for spinning our tune, but also for calling attention to the plight of a still-recovering city.

As promised, our tunes were featured on the May 23 edition of Country Dreams Radio.   Al Shephard and Ronnie Lee Hurst hosted and played portions of the interview Al did with Ray and David earlier in the month.  They talked about the history of the band, the maturation process, and gave the back story behind the three featured songs:  San Angelo, Northern Road and Two Loads Overweight.    By the way, Al and Ronnie played some other great tunes on the show as well.  To hear an archived edition, go to the show's wedsite (link above), and scroll down to the player at the bottom of the page.  We're featured during the first three parts of Episode 17.

They show's initial broadcast is on WBTN in Bennington, Vermont (10:00 AM Sundays), the show also runs on NBRN.FM in Nashville later in the day.  More stations are being added as Al and Ronnie showcase new country and country-inspired musicians.  Of course, you can always stream the podcast.

Thanks so much to Al and Ronnie for the interview and airplay.  The support of guys like you is incredibly important to us!

Back on April 1, we performed at Puck in Doylestown.  Our set was recorded and afterwards, Brian Cronin of Origivation Magazine interviewed Ray and David in front of the live audience.  We regaled the crowd with our stories from the tour and talked about Highway Gothic, the creative process and the band's history.

The inteview is now available as part of the O List podcast series.  Before the interview, you'll hear our live performances of All Riders... All Nighters and San Angelo.

Thanks to Puck, Origivation Magazine, and especially Brian Cronin, for this great opportunity.

First off, thanks to Al Shephard, the driving force behind Country Dreams Radio, for playing Six Appeals on the May 2 edition of his show.  Al's show is in sydication, so besides its initial broadcast on WBTN in Bennington, Vermont (10:00 AM Sundays), the show also runs on NBRN.FM in Nashville later in the day.  More stations are being added as Al showcases new country and country-inspired musicians.

A couple of days earlier, Al interviewed Ray and David, so expect to see some DSR content on his website soon.

Thanks Al, for helping artists like us get heard.  By the way, it was a gas talking to you.

Sjaak Sekeris, host of A Shake of Music on Radio Gouwestad in Gouda, The Netherlands, selected Highway Gothic for inclusion on his Top 20 2009 list.  Sjaak, you've been a long-time supporter of DSR and we can believe that it's taken this long for us to thank you for the honor.  A huge belated thank you!

A big thank you to William Michael Smith, who as Lonesome, Onry and Mean, writes a blog for Houston Press. LOM reviewed Highway Gothic and had this to say:

These Philadelphia bar-band rockers work that territory around Springsteen and Marah. The last thing a Texan expects is a down-home jam about San Angelo by a bunch of Yankees, but these guys really nail it. Two road songs, "Open Road" and "Northern Road," rock it heartland-hard like John Mellencamp in the Cougar days. LOM's got nothing but good to say about Desoto Rust and Highway Gothic. This one stays in the truck!

High praise, indeed!  Thanks so much, LOM.  By the way, not only do we do a great cover of Lonesome, Onry and Mean, we're not even all Yankees!

Thanks to Deni La Rue for playing Calgary on the April 10 edition of the Breakfast Blend show on KRFC (88.9 FM) in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Breakfast Blend runs every Saturday from 8:00 - 10:00 AM.  Thanks again, Deni!

Austin Kessler, who's been involved in the Austin music scene for years, writes in the April issue of 3rd Coast Music:

Desoto Rust, talented band from Philly.  Had to follow Bill Kirchen at Evangeline Café, but they did a great job!

Actually, Austin, we remember seeing you sitting up front.  You are right - it was an awesome responsibility, but we had a blast.  Glad you enjoyed us, and thanks so much.

We wrapped up our set at Opal Divine's, ordered nachos and bloody marys and listened to Towson, MD's Ruthie and the Wrangler's.  Then we said our goodbyes to Mike Penard, John Conquest, and Adrienne Carter and at 1:10 crawled into the Austin traffic.

Snow flurries east of Dallas.  A Denny's near Little Rock.  A midnight crossing of the Mississippi River in Memphis with American Beauty on the stereo.  Rock 'n' Roll poetry.  NASCAR traffic near Bristol.

After twenty-nine hours, we pulled up to David's house in Fairmount.  Mile 3739.8 on the trip meter.  We're ready to go back next year!

By now we were all used to the rhythm of the road, sleeping on floors, late hours and all the rest of it.  With the gorgeous spring weather, simply hanging out at Kevin's, drinking Shiner and strumming on guitars was a pleasure.

Joe's Bakery is incredible, too.  Fantastic Mexican-style breakfasts.  G&S Lounge is suitably funky and no one threw any punches.   Mueller's barbeque in Taylor is rated among the best in Texas.  And don't forget the chicken fried steak with white cream gravy at the original Threadgill's on North Lamar, where David met old Hattiesburg friend Adrienne Carter for lunch.

March 16, 2010 - Austin Lights

The Mississippi River at Baton Rouge - 11:13 am with 9457.9 on the ticker.  Highway 71 into Austin at 6:26 pm and straight to Evangeline Cafe' to catch friend Kevin Gallaugher's set.  Owner and all-around great guy Curtis Clarke  welcomed us with open arms and the musician's special discount.  Lone Star and cajun food is a great combo.  Best boudin ever.  A great welcome to Texas.  Ray and David would stay with Kevin in a place he rents from J.T. van Zandt, the late, great Towne's son.  At Evangeline, we introduced ourselves to John Conquest of 3rd Coast Music, who also booked us for his annual NotSXSW event (not to mention gave great reviews to all three of our albums.)  John and most of Austin's greatest musicians all come to Evangeline for the great food and great vibe. 

 A huge thank-you to both Curtis and Kevin.  When do we move down?

March 14-15, 2010 -  New Orleans Daze

An amazing spring morning when we arrive in New Orleans.  We found the Apple Barrel and retreated to David's sister's place in River Ridge.  Thanks so much to Kay and George Perry, but especially to David's nephew, Bryan, who was also uprooted by our visit.  Over the next couple of days, we'd eat at Kay's, Mandina's, Dot's Diner,  and Felix's Oyster Bar.  We would drink.  We would not sleep much.  Somewhere we picked up a time zone hour, but lost it to Daylight Savings Time.  Quantum perhaps.

March 13, 2010 -  Recovery in Hattiesburg
 

In retrospect, having the second night off was just about right.  One of David's friends from the high and far off times, Vicky Ward, called just as we pulled into town.  We were immediately treated to Ward's excellent chili cheeseburgers with Ward's Root Beer in the frosted mug as a chaser.  Vicky and son Levi made it to New Orleans for the Checkpoint Charlie's show.  David's other good friend in Hattiesburg, the amazing Steve Zary, hosted us for the evening, serving up Southern Pecan Ale, Jameson in Saki bowls,  and good stories.  Breakfast the next morning would be scrambled eggs with sausage, grits and blueberry bagels.  David's band mates experience Southern Hospitality at its finest.  A big thank you to both Vicky and Steve!

March 12, 2010 -  The Southern Bound Tour begins...
 

It was 6:07 am and the odometer read 7993.6.  The rain began falling as soon as we left David's block in Fairmount.  Dave Reeve at the wheel.  Pick up I-81 at Carlisle and turn southwest.  At 8:44 am, we crossed the Mason-Dixon line and by 4:58 pm, we were in Knoxville.  On our way in the rain.

We're pleased to announce that San Angelo will be included on Aftermath Events' Let It Out Vol. 2 digital compilation that will be distributed during SXSW next month.  5,000 digital download cards will be handed out during the event allowing recipients to download tunes from the Aftermath website.  Thanks to the good folks at Aftermath for pulling this great promotion together.

We broke the 16,000 plays mark on our MySpace page today.  What does that mean?  We have no idea.

Ken Date featured You Can Wait on His Memory on his January 16 KRD Country program on 2RRR out of Sydney, Australia.  Ken is a long-time supporter, having played tunes from both of our previous albums.  Makes sense, since he plays "Sydney's coolest country."  Thanks again, Ken, for all the airplay!

And speaking of Australia, blogger(s) Beast of Bourbon featured Northern Road on the Twangsville #198 podcast.  Barking Dog (from Katoomba, Australia) and Nekrodad (from Shitsville, USA) pen this very eclectic blog.  (Dead Boys and DeSoto Rust on the same blog?)  Thanks guys, wherever you are!

First, a confession.  We didn't record Bob Dylan's New Morning with the intention of putting it on Highway Gothic.  It was the only tune that we didn't demo for our producer, Joe Carroll, and it was the last tune that we laid down basic tracks for.  The plan was to possibly give it away on this site, but we hadn't even decided that.  The idea was to record it and see what happened.  Trouble was, when we heard the first mix, we really liked it.  So we had a bonus track.

New Morning is a fairly obscure Dylan tune, despite being the title of an early 70's album - one of his last with the group of studio musicians that had contributed to albums like Blonde on Blonde.  We're talking Al Cooper (he of the signature organ part on Like a Rolling Stone), Michael Bloomfield, and the rest of them.  If you check out the Dylan Covers Database, you'll see that we are among a very small number of folks (most of whom you've never heard of) to cover the tune.  The funny part is, people really dig it.

So now we get to KOOP in Austin, TX.  Thanks to DJ Tracey Schultz for playing the tune on her Up on the Download show last Sunday, January 17 (4:00 pm - 5:30 pm).  A rotating group of DJs plays tunes collectively programmed by music director Rocky, and the other KOOP staff.  Thanks so much, Tracey, and we hope to see you in a few weeks when we hit town.

Thanks to our friend Rolf Hierath for spinning All Riders...All Nighters on his January 15 edition of Rolf's Pladdekaddong on ReinWelle 92,5 in Wiesbaden, Germany.  He followed up by playing Two Loads on his January 19 Hillbilly Jukebox show.  Rolf, aka Rye W. Henderson, is a long time supporter of DSR.  Thanks again Rolf!

The Euro Americana chart has us listed this week on the "Tips" page.  This page is devoted to releases that have been added to DJ's playlists and are generating airplay, but haven't yet landed on the chart.  A necessary first step.  Thanks so much to all the DJs in Europe who are playing tunes from Highway Gothic.  Your support has been invaluable to us over the years!

We'd just gotten a nice email from long-time supporter Mike Penard (Mike the DJ, Mike the Frenchy) telling us much he was digging Highway Gothic and letting us know that he was putting tracks 3, 6,7,8,9 and 10 on his playlist starting January 19.  Mike's show, American Roots Music, airs on ISA Radio broadcasting to the French states of Isere, Savoie, and Ain near Lyon and the French Alps.

Sadly, we just heard from Mike again.  Health problems are forcing Mike to give up his show at the end of June.  We want to take this chance to thank Mike once more for the support he's given us over the years and to wish him all the best as he concentrates on his health.  Take care, Mike and stay strong.  We'll be thinking of you.

One of our earliest fans, Paul Kerr, reviews Highway Gothic at the Glasgow Americana site, Blabber 'n' Smoke.  Paul's March 2005 review of our debut album at Americana UK was the catalyst that led to much of our international airplay.  We owe him a big thank you once again for his review of our latest.  Paul, its as true now as it was five years ago - You da Man!

Philadelphian roots rockers Desoto Rust had a big impact here at Blabber n Smoke when their debut disc came out in 2004, a no frills barrel down American highways and byways with a large degree of swagger that was impressive for a first step. Five years later they unveil their third disc and again it is an impressive slice of blue-collar rock with shades of the Drive By Truckers and yer man Springsteen . High praise indeed but listening to this album reminds one of what drew one to this music initially. Ray Hunter sings with gusto and the band play with hearts and guts. The dirty slide guitar on Open Road is reminiscent of classic southern rock with echoes of Little Feat. The poetic guitar runs on Calgary and the classic driving rock of Northern Road may be the highlights here but at their best DeSoto Rust don’t break through barriers or reinvent the wheel they simply play an excellent version of tried and trusted Americana mores and they are all the better for that. Closing the album there is a gloriously chunky and uplifting version of Dylan’s New Morning, a rootsy and rousing end to what is overall a great little album. Someone somewhere should pony up and put this band on tour over here, they get lots of great press from our Euro cousins who have always had a refined taste in American music (Gene Clark for example had albums released in Holland when no one else would touch him). So if you’re looking for some honest to goodness, no mess, great American music you could do worse than to seek this out. - Paul Kerr

A shout out to Raymond Swennen and Theo Geenen who host the Roots Revival show on Radio FM Goud in Belgium.  Raymond and Theo have added Highway Gothic to their January playlist.  Scroll down this page, and you'll see that Raymond and Theo are long-time supporters of DSR, having played tunes from both of our earlier releases.  Thanks again, guys!

Once again our friends in Europe really dig our stuff:

Thanks to Freddy Celis of Rootstime (Belgium) and Luca Muchetti of Roots Highway (Italy) for the generous reviews of Highway Gothic.  You guys know how important your support has been for us and we are forever grateful.  Thanks again.

Check out the full reviews and test your foreign language skills by going to our Press Clippings page.  (It's so easy when you speak the language.  For those of you like us, there are rough translations included.  To paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut, English is our second language.  Unfortunately, we speak no first language.)

Gerd Stassen hosts Hillbilly Rockhouse on Country Music 24 (Berlin)  Not only has he been spinning tunes off Highway Gothic (Show #0214), but he's picked All Riders...All Nighters for inclusion on his "Best of 2009" list.  Gerd has been a long-time supporter and we are very grateful.  Glad you still dig our stuff, Gerd!

David McGee interviews Ray and David and reviews Highway Gothic in the January issue of The Bluegrass Special.  David is a bona fide music journalist who has worked for Rolling Stone and other notable publications.  He did two long phone interviews and Ray and David and the results are evident.  The interview is well-researched and insightful - the best we've seen.  He obviously digs our stuff.  Thanks so much, David, for all the work that went into the piece.  You rock!  (Click the link above to access the full article, or go to the Press Clippings page for a reprint.)

       Here's a small sample:

"You don’t even have to get all the way through “All Riders…All Nighters,” the leadoff track on DeSoto Rust’s third album, Highway Gothic (so named after the 1940s highway signage font now being phased out by the Federal Highway Administration in favor of a custom typeface called Clearview that is easier to read, especially at night, and at speeds above 65 MPH), to know this band is for real, and understands rock ‘n’ roll not as some precious, artsy-fartsy intellectual endeavor (all Brooklyn bands take note), but rather as how it’s been defined in its purest form since the day in 1954 when a certain 19-year-old electric company truck driver celebrated elsewhere in this issue walked into the Memphis Recording Service ...."

A big thank you to Rebecca Ruth who reviewed Highway Gothic  on December 7 for the Grand Rapids Community Media Center.  Scroll down just below John Mayer and you'll find:

Naming their third album after the font used by the federal highway commission for its road signs, DeSoto Rust makes music that sounds fit for a long drive down the highway. Based in Philadelphia, but sounding as if they honed their chops in Texas, DeSoto Rust makes roots-rock that would sound at home in any honky-tonk dive in America.  - Rebecca Ruth

We take "any honky-tonk dive" as the supreme compliment!  All the best to Rebecca and our fans (you know who you are) in Michigan!

Thanks again to WVTF program director Seth Williamson for playing Weather and Northern Road on his December 19 show.  Back Roads and Blue Highways is broadcast out of Roanoke, VA on Saturday nights from 8:00 PM until midnight.  We appreciate it, Seth!

Thanks to Larry and Ed in St. Louis for playing San Angelo on their December 13 edition of Songwriters Showcase on KDHX FM.  The show runs at 10:30 AM on Sundays.

A big thanks to Jos van den Boom at BRTO radio in the Netherlands for spinning Northern Road on Christmas Day as part of his Crossroads program.  Check the program out at the usual Dutch Roots Ring locations: Dutch Roots Radio and Roots Paradise.

Lastly, thanks for like the millionth time to our old friend Johanna Bodde (Radio Girl) on Radio Winschoten who played Northern Road on her December 26 show. (She is working her way through the entire CD!)

The good folks at American Music Belgium have released Homestead's annual list of Recommended Albums and it is very gratifying to see Highway Gothic make that list with so many other talented artists.  (Or should we say simply "talented artists" and leave out the "other"?)  Thanks so much to all of our European fans and supporters!

Hard to say this too often.  The fabulous folks from Dutch Roots Radio are some of our earliest and most enthusiastic supporters.  All of these DJs have been playing our tunes since our debut CD in 2004.  We owe them an immense debt of gratitude!

Berrie Koetsier played Open Road on his December 4 Songriver show.  Berrie broadcasts at 104.1 FM out of Kampen, the Netherlands every Friday.  Check out his podcasts at Songriver.

Rein Wortelboer played Way Back to You on his December 9 PeelGrass program.  Rein broadcasts out of Venray on 87.5 and 90.2 FM.

Michael van Bruggen and Robburt Lieberwerth featured Six Appeals on the Rootsy Mix portion of their Landslide program (#567).

Thomas Kaldijk who hosts the Blueprint show on Radio Parkstad played All Riders...All Nighters on his December 11 program (#435.)

And lastly, Johanna Bodde (Radio Girl) on Radio Winschoten played Calgary on her December 12 show. (Johanna may be working her way through the entire CD!)

Thanks once again to Berrie, Rein, Michael, Robburt, Thomas and Johanna for their continued awesome support!
 

Texan and publisher John Conquest knows a thing or two about twang, and when he likes something, it commands respect.  Beyond publishing 3rd Coast Music, John also runs the Freeform American Roots chart.  We are deeply grateful to John for the wonderful review of Highway Gothic in the new December issue of 3CM.  How many ways can we say thank you?

You can’t help but admire a band that gets an album title from the font that’s been used for federal roadsigns since the 40s. That is just way cool. On their third outing, the Philadelphia roots-rockers have come up with a mildly bizarre cross between a studio album and a live recording, essentially trying to capture their bar band essence without dealing with the problems inherent in recording in an actual bar—as The Rock Bible says, “the worst venue in Europe is still better than the nicest venue in America.” This hybrid approach works pretty well for them, there’s an urgency and energy usually lacking in the studio, where you’re not actively trying to win and hold an audience, while, at the same there are, like, high and low ends, not just the mid range that so often damps down and muffles a live set. According to one local writer, whom I have no reason to disbelieve, you can’t make it unless you leave Philadelphia, but then rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter Ray Hunter, lead guitarist David Otwell, who contributed one of the eleven originals (there’s also a cover of Dylan’s New Morning), bassman Steve Savage and drummer Dave Reeve seem content to testify to the Delaware Valley. With the unusally high quality of the material, confident identity and assured musicianship, DeSoto Rust now remind me more of Austin’s late, lamented The Highwaymen/Loose Diamonds than, as they did on their earlier albums, of The Band or CCR.

 -John Conquest

We are deeply grateful to Jeremy Searle for his awesome November 28 review of Highway Gothic on Americana-UK.  Clearly, Jeremy "gets it."  Can't tell you how grateful we are, Jeremy.  Glad you dig our stuff.  Here's the review:

Wishing for more rootsy American rock’n’roll bands in the UK is as futile as wanting more Morris sides in Texas but when albums like this come along it’s hard not to give in to temptation. The band photo shows four anonymous looking blue collar everymen from anywhere (apologies if this isn’t true, but it is how they look) but the music they make is that classic American roots ‘n’ roll that you just don’t get over here, no matter how hard some bands try to do it.

The lyrical content is fairly predictable, whether it’s the good ol’ boys of “All Riders...All Nighters” with their beer and “back door pleasures” (though the flip side of that life is explored in “San Angelo”) or the truckers and hot rodders of “Dirt Road Mile” and “Northern Road” but it’s all done with considerable panache. Ray Hunter delivers his vocals from a throat of whiskey-soaked leather and the guitars are alternatively as twangy and riff-tastic as anyone could wish. The band also have that seemingly effortless simpatico tightness that only comes from playing together forever and the harmonic rocking on the final song, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “New Morning” is more more-ish than a very more-ish thing indeed. As indeed is the entire album. (c. Americana-UK 2009)

Once again, we thank Johanna Bodde (Radio Girl) on Radio Winschoten, who played Dirt Track Mile on her November 28 show.  Listen to her podcast on Roots Paradise.  Thanks again, Johanna for you awesome support.

Next up, Roel Stabler, whose Country File airs each Sunday on Havenstad FM.  Roel opened his November 29 broadcast with All Riders...All Nighters.  Roel is a busy guy, reporting to both the Freeform American Roots (FAR) chart, as well as to the Euro Americana chart.

And lastly, we heard from our old friend Sjaak Sekeris, host of A Shake of Music on Radio Gouwestad in Gouda, The Netherlands, who'll be playing Calgary on his December 3 show.  Like Johanna and Roel, Sjaak is a long-time supporter of our music.  Can't tell you how much we appreciate the spins, Sjaak!

Check out what Reb Landers has to say about Highway Gothic in the November issue of The Alternate Root.  The article begins on page 78.  In part, Reb says "It's a rock solid collection of eleven originals and one well-placed cover that's well produced, well played, and well written."  Thanks so much to  Reb Landers, Fred Boenig, Bill Hurley and all the great folks at The Alternate Root.

By the way, if you haven't checked out The Alternate Root before, you'll see that it's an incredible source of news, reviews, music and video, all dedicated to Americana and roots music.  The digitized magazine format is great, too.

Some of our earliest fans and supporters have been the good folks from the Dutch Roots Radio Ring.  Not surprisingly, they've picked up on Highway Gothic and are playing some of the tunes.  The podcasts of these broadcasts are really fun to check out.  The music is, of course, fabulous, and it's fun to try and figure out what Johanna, Thomas and Martin are saying about us.  We can't thank these wonderful DJs enough.

Johanna Bodde (Radio Girl) on Radio Winschoten, played Six Appeals on her November 21 show.  Listen to her podcast on Roots Paradise.  Johanna has been a big European supporter and we are very grateful.  You can see her playlists and read her reviews at Insurgent Country.  Thanks again, Johanna.

Thanks also to Thomas Kaldijk who hosts the Blueprint show on Radio Parkstad for playing Northern Road on his November 20 program.  Thomas is also a Euro Americana Chart reporter, so his support is huge for us.  You can also hear his podcast on Roots Paradise and check out his playlists at Dutch Roots Radio. Thanks so much, Thomas.

And lastly, thanks to Martin van der Laan at Radio Compagnie, who played Northern Road on his November 27 Country Stew program.  Martin is a EuroAmerican chart reporter, too.  Many thanks, Martin, for the continued support!

We are honored to be included on this week's Americana Music Association Top 5 Most Added list (right next to Tom Gillam.)  The list reflects the number of AMA reporting stations that have picked up the new album and have started to play tracks.  Thanks so much to the DJ's all over who have given us a listen and dug what they heard.  We love you guys!

Special thanks to Warren "Cat" Catlett of Radio Free Americana for his multiple spins of tunes from Highway Gothic.  We shared a three-way tie for third place with the Bottle Rockets and Rosanne Cash!  Cat reports to the Americana Music Association Chart, so his spins are even more appreciated.  Be sure to check out Radio Free Americana, particularly while Cat is paying homage to the late Doug Sahm (through the November 18 anniversary of Sir Doug's passing.)  Thanks again, Cat!

Thanks to program director Steve Jerrett for our being added to KOPN's playlist.  KOPN serves the Midwest out of Columbia, MO.  Thanks to Steve and all the KOPN DJs!

John Shelton Ivany, longtime music editor and writer, dropped the following quote in an email to us:

"everything your parents don't want you to get into as a teenager--that's what desoto rust makes you feel. everything you love about the night, about love and desire, sex and retribution. all those sides of us that the highway calls up. thanks, shelton"

Shelton resides in Capitola, CA, and writes for numerous publications, including Philadelphia's National News Bureau.  He was kind enough to give us a sneak peak at our upcoming review.  Great stuff, eh?  Check out his weekly Top 21 on his website.  We're grateful, Shelton.

Chris Spector, editor for Midwest Record, had this to say in his October 28 blog entry (volume 32/number 362):

"Too heartland in their approach to Americana to be embraced by the cognoscenti on the first pass, they are the roots equivalent of 70s rockers like Joe Grushesky that kept working whether anyone knew it or not.  Embraced by classic rockers like Dickey Betts, Commander Cody and others in that pocket, if you dig the over all sound, this is a pretty safe road house rock bet to make.  The lost art of blue collar rock is alive and well here."

Very nice closing, Chris.  Chris writes out of Lake Zurich, IL and has a very eclectic publication.  (We were right under Barbara Streisand!)  Thanks so much, Chris.

Thanks much to DJ Dave Stratton on WQBR-FM broadcasting out of McElhatton in Central Pennsylvania.  Also known as Bear Country, the station broadcasts on both 92.7 and 99.9 FM.  Here's what Dave had to say:

"Fred Boenig was kind enough to send us a copy of Highway Gothic and we love it!  My nine year old son now sings along with All Riders...All Nighters and we also like San Angelo.  This is a terrific piece of work!  The album will be reported to the AMA and listed on the chart as of 10/26 with 14 spins."

AMA, of course, refers to the Americana Music Association.  Thanks so much to Dave for the very generous praise, and a tip of the hat to his nine year old son, who also displays excellent taste!

Thanks to WVTF program director Seth Williamson for playing San Angelo and Two Loads on his October 17 show.  Back Roads and Blue Highways is broadcast out of Roanoke, VA on Saturday nights from 8:00 PM until midnight.  We appreciate it, Seth!

While it's not broadcast airplay on the local Philly heavy weight per se, this is still a really big deal.  DJ Jaxon, has us on his Jaxon's Local Shots podcast.  A very nice introduction, too.  Jaxon, you rock!  (By the way, Spur Gang, who we've played with a couple of times at the Cherrywood, are also featured.)

Shayne Hollinger, Program Director/Music Director for Mandatory FM in Stephenville, TX, has begun playing tracks from Highway Gothic, describing the album as being in "heavy rotation."  Mandatory FM, located in the Southern Plains southwest of Ft. Worth (and about a third of the way to San Angelo, by the way) broadcasts at both 98.5 FM and 107.9 FM to better cover those wide open spaces (available streaming over the web, too.)  Shayne's show is heard weekdays, 3:00 - 6:00 PM.  Thanks much, Shayne, for the support and the enthusiasm for our stuff.  We hope to see you when we're in Texas this spring.

Ray and Dave made the journey to Disk Makers in Pennsauken, NJ and took delivery of our latest release.  Over the next two weeks, the mass mailings to radio stations and print/web publications will take place.  Our retailers will have the CDs available by November 1, but you can always pick up your copy "pre-release" at one of our shows.  Click on the graphic below, and you'll go to the Highway Gothic page.

We must apologize for not being able to figure more out, but our language skills just don't allow it.  Anyway, here we are on Last FM in Polland.  Thanks to whoever picked us up and digs our stuff.

At long last!  We are in production.  If you're a DJ, you can access the new material on Airplay Direct.  Just click on the link below.  We expect delivery of the finished product in a couple of weeks.  Stay tuned for more details as the rollout, mailings, promotion, etc. kicks into full gear.

Drew Raison at Big Sky Audio has completed the mastering of the new album and we'll be going to pressing in a couple of weeks.  Thanks to Drew for the fabulous job and for taking such an interest in the project.  In fact, we took advantage of Drew's experience and advice when deciding on track order.  Here it is:

All Riders... All Nighters

San Angelo

Northern Road

Six Appeals

Open Road

Calgary

Two Loads Overweight

Weather

Way Back to You

Dirt Track Mile

You Can Wait on His Memory

(Bonus track) New Morning (B. Dylan)

With mixing completed, Highway Gothic made its way to Drew Raison at Big Sky Audio for mastering.  This week, Drew delivered the first pass and we dig it.  Still to come is a final selection of song order (with input from both Drew and Joe Carroll.)  Ray's design of the packaging is almost done, too.  We're shooting for a September 1 release date!

We were caught off guard (in a good way) when we learned that Fred Boenig, aka Chance Austin,  played Way Back To You on his morning show at WXLV, the radio station of Lehigh Carbon Community College.  Fred is one of several folks who have received an early preview of the CD, and he clearly dug it.  Fred is also the founder of Americana Media Productions, a radio promotions company.  Thanks much, Fred!

Our old friend and #1 fan, Greg G not only picked up his copy of Bypass, but he knew right what to do with it!  Greg played the likely opening track from the new album, San Angelo, on his Roots Rock Review show on WBZC.  Always a huge supporter of local artists, Greg has been a long-time supporter and friend of the band.  We are, as always, tremendously grateful.  The May 20 show featured Wait on His Memory.  A tip of the hat to Greg!  You're the greatest, man.

Folks making it to our May performances will receive free copies of the limited edition Highway Gothic sampler EP, Bypass.  The CD, which includes first mixes of San Angelo, Wait on His Memory, and Dylan's New Morning, features a special label printed on highway-grade reflective overlay.  Four colors are available, all in splendid highway signage hues (green, yellow, red and blue.) The text is rendered in the highway gothic typeface, of course.  These babies will be worth hundreds of dollars on EBay in a matter of months, so don't miss out!

Thanks to host/producer Marthijn de Wit for spinning I'm Goin' Home  on tonight's Tuesday Night Americana Music Club program.  The program broadcasts live at 10:00 PM local time on CET Radio NOF  (100.4 FM) in the Netherlands, but is also available as a podcast at Roots Paradise.  Marthijn reports for both the Freeform American Roots Chart and the Euro Americana Chart.  Thanks so much, Marthijn.  We'll get you a copy of the new one!

Shayne Hollinger, Program Director/Music Director for Mandatory FM in Stephenville, TX, selected Morgan Rhule, from our debut album, for inclusion in his April 2009 Top Tracks.  "Great road-trip music," says Shayne, which is about the highest compliment you can give.  Mandatory FM, located in the Southern Plains southwest of Ft. Worth (and about a third of the way to San Angelo, by the way) broadcasts at both 98.5 FM and 107.9 FM to better cover those wide open spaces (available streaming over the web, too.)  Shayne's show is heard weekdays, 3:00 - 6:00 PM.  You can see his list and the rest of the Texas Music Forum at Galleywinter.  We'll get you the new one, soon, Shayne.  A big thanks for the airplay and support.

Our old friend Johanna Bodde, also known as RADIOGIRL on Radio Winschoten in the Netherlands, played Kansas City, 6 AM on her Saturday show.  Johanna and the rest of the Dutch Roots Radio Ring were some of our earliest supporters and we can't wait to get her a copy of the new album.  You can hear podcasts of Johanna's shows at Roots Paradise, and you can read her reviews and check out her playlists at Insurgent Country.  Thanks again, Johanna.  You're the best!

Five days at Ozone Studios and the new album is well on its way.  Producer Joe Carroll and assistant producer Bryan Maiorana worked as hard as we did, putting in long days, interrupted only by a power failure on the next to last day.  Joe had fabulous ideas for the arrangements, backing vocals and other flourishes, and we're really thrilled with the results.  He took the tunes with him to his studio in Austin and we should begin hearing preliminary mixes shortly.  We already know one thing - this album is going to kick ass!  In fact the special cover that we recorded turned out so good it may even make the CD.  In any case, the original tunes are:

Weather

Northern Road

Dirt Track Mile

Two Loads

Way Back to You

Six Appeals

All Riders and All Nighters

Open Road

Wait on His Memory

San Angelo

Calgary (Northwestern Drive)

DeSoto Rust heads to Ozone Studios, across the street from the famous Penrose Diner, to begin recording our third album.  Twisting the knobs will be producer Joe Carroll.  We'll spend five days tracking and doing preliminary mixes before Joe heads back to Austin for the final mixes.  Our plans are to record eleven new originals for inclusion on the album, along with a special cover tune to be available only on our website and at shows.  Look for the release of Highway Gothic sometime in the late spring or early summer.  The tunes:

Happy New Year, twangsters! 

To prepare for the big year that we think 2009 will be, we spent 2008 concentrating on the fundamentals – writing and polishing new material and honing our live performances.  Not only have we created the material for our third album, but we’ve expanded the band’s sonic pallet.  We played in places ranging from big rock clubs to small coffee shops, tailoring our instrumentation, material and volume to a point that we can now play and sound great in almost any venue.  David took up mandolin in 2008, and while we feature it exclusively on only one new tune, we now perform “alternate” versions of both new and old numbers.  You’ll definitely hear some mandolin on the new album. 

So what about the new album?  We expect to begin recording in late February.  We haven’t picked a studio yet, but we do know that the album will be produced by Joe Carroll, most widely known as the producer for roots rocker Tom Gillam.  We’ve done a number of shows with Tom and Tractor Pull, and Joe is familiar not only with our material, but with our overall sound.  The band is very excited about working with Joe.

The new album’s tentative title is Highway Gothic, a reference to the Federal Highway Administration’s sans-serif font used on highway signs since the 1950’s (insert your own metaphor here.)  The album will be a return to form for DeSoto Rust.  We expect that most of the tracking will be done “live” in the studio.  We plan to perform the material as a band, keeping the best takes and limiting the overdubs.  It was a similar stripped-down sound that so captivated DJs and fans when they heard our debut album.

In the meantime, we’ll do only occasional gigging until the completion of the album, so catch us when you can.  We’ll do a flurry of performing once the album is released and are working on plans for a tour to promote the album and expand our fan base.  We can’t wait. 

So here’s wishing all of you a fantastic 2009.  You’ll be hearing more soon!

We'd like to send out a special thanks to legendary DJ Bill Melody who has been featuring our music on his Country Music Hall show (WBCB -AM 1490).  Bill goes way back in his involvement with country music in the area, and even has a book about the local history of C&W (When Country Music was Gold in the Delaware Valley.)  Bill's show runs from 1:00 - 6:00 PM on Saturdays and 5:00 - 10:00 AM on Sundays and features a great mix of "old school" country and western (Hank Snow, Lefty Frizzell, etc.)  Thanks again, Bill!

If you check out RaceHour show #48 (available via podcast), you'll hear DSR's own David Otwell saying howdy to the NASCAR fans in his home state of Mississippi as he introduces Backyard.  (The spot airs near the middle of the show.)  Thanks again to Frank Gordon and our friends at RaceHour.

A special thanks to The Free Country Eagle, aka Rudy Minnaert, for requesting copies of our CDs to play on his show on radio Terneuzen FM in the Netherlands.  The Free Country Eagle is broadcast every Thursday from 8:00 - 9:00 PM.   Rudy, we'll get you #3 just as soon as it's available!

Thanks to Joe Angel, one of the rotating hosts of KEOS FM's Random Routes show, for spinning Day Like No Other Day during the station's recent pledge drive.  KEOS (89.1 FM) broadcasts from College Station/Bryan, Texas, and the Random Routes show airs on Saturday mornings from 9:00 - 12:00. Thanks very much to Joe and the other DJ's in the Brazos Valley for "Kindly Keeping it Country" for over 10 years.

We don't always know as soon as we get airplay, so pardon our lateness in thanking a couple of DJs for playing our music:

First, thanks to the good folks at KPVL in Postville, Iowa.  On January 28, the Grass-Roots show featured Kansas City, 6 AM.

And a big thanks to host Jon Solomon who featured Nice Enough Gal on his Local Support Podcast #51 on March 13.  Philadelphia's City Paper sponsors this bi-weekly, local music only podcast.  Check out Jon's other shows, too.

Thanks again, guys!

We spent the day recording four "lo-fi" demos to use as we shop for a studio to record our third CD.  The tunes were:  Weather, Northern Road, Way Back to You, and Two Loads.  As mixing gets completed you'll be able to get a sneak listen to at least one of the songs.  Stay tuned!

No news is good news, eh?  Well, we have been busy, despite vacations, Phillies games, and assorted commitments.  In fact, we've got nine tunes ready for recording and are working on more.  We'll be recording a rough demo of several tunes in August and will use that demo as we shop for a studio, producer, etc. for our third album.  If you've been to any shows lately, you've heard some of these tunes.  Hope you liked 'em as much as we do.  And here they are:

Weather

Northern Road

Dirt Track Mile

Two Loads

Way Back to You

Six Appeals

All Riders and All Nighters

Open Road

Wait on His Memory

We're pleased to announce that some of our tunes have been picked by the NASCAR RaceHour Show. This evening's show (#15) opened with Backyard.  The show also featured Morgan Rhule and 5 on 7.  In the future, tunes may be used on The James Madison Show, as well as RaceHour LIVE.

RaceHour is a syndicated broadcast on radio stations across the United States and Canada.  A huge thanks to show producer/host Frank Gordon for selecting our music!

To listen to a podcast of the show (the Christmas special), go to RaceHour and click the banner.

Congratulations to Ray and Amy on the birth of their son, Wesley Paul.  He arrived at 5:22 PM and weighed in at 6 lbs. 13 oz.  Ray says he has long fingers - a natural piano player!

A big thanks to Cowdog Kelly for including Morgan Rhule in his podcast #73 on October 18.  (We were featured with other new artists in the first half of the show.) The Texas Blues Cafe features blues-inspired material embraced by the good folks of Texas - everything from the classic blues artists to bands like DSR.  If you're a blues fan, you have to check out the Cowdog's show.

WCBP, an internet radio station based in Maple Shade, NJ, launched in September and is playing our tunes.  We came in #8 in the October 13 poll based on plays and requests.  Thanks to the folks at Casa Bonita Productions for their support.

DJ Randy Now hosted promoter Kurt Hesse and some of the artists on the lineup at the Just Plain Janes' Jersey Jamfest on his Capital Garage radio show on WTSR (91.3 FM).  Ray and David performed an acoustic version of Stronger Than the Knife.  Also performing were Sheli Aarden and her daughter Melissa, and Michael Brett.  Kicking off the hour-long interview/performance was a phone-in from George Frayne, AKA Commander Cody.  Randy's show runs from 6:00 - 9:00 PM Wednesday nights.  Last night's show featured an eclectic mix of everything from old Commander Cody to the Rezillos.  Thanks so much to Randy for the opportunity!

Dan Herman featured Day Like No Other Day on the August 19 edition of Radio Crystal Blue out of New York.  Dan's Live365 broadcast features one of the most eclectic mixes of music anywhere.  Interestingly, two songs earlier, he featured Christine Havrilla's Wire, from her newest CD.  Dan, did you know that Christine performed on our tune?  Thanks again for the airplay.  We dig your show immensely!

In advance of August 25th's Just Plain Janes' Jersey Jamfest, Greg G  hosted DSR's Dave Reeve, performer Michael Brett, and promoter Kurt Hesse on his Roots Rock Review show on WBZC.  During the show, Greg also dialed in George Frayne, AKA Commander Cody for a short interview.  Greg played Morgan Rhule and Backyard, as well as tunes by the Commander, Michael Brett and Michael Patrick and the Suburban Hillbillies.  Greg's show is broadcast between 6:00 and 10:00 on Wednesday evenings and is probably the best local showcase for roots-based and Americana music.   Thanks again to Greg for his support.

Jordan Mitchell and Jesse Lee spin Swept in It Again on their Music for a Porch Life show on KDVS (90.3 FM), the freeform radio station at UC-Davis.  Their show runs from 1:00 to 2:30 PM on Tuesdays  and features music for "front porches, dark bars, and dusty roads.  Thanks so much to Jordan and Jesse!

One of our earliest supporters, Gerd Stassen, hosts Hillbilly Rockhouse on Country Music 24 (Berlin) and Radio EVW (Ems-Vechte-Welle, Germany).  Gerd played Headin' Down to Georgia on his July 19 show (#85.)  Thanks again for the airplay, Gerd!

Thanks to WRIR in Richmond for featuring Close Up the Honky Tonks on the July 2 edition of Mother's Milk Radio!

Di, one half of the DJ team Razor and Die, played our cover of Close Up the Honky Tonks on their May 24th show.  The Razor and Die show runs on Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.  Thanks to Di for the airplay!

Greg G, one of our earliest fans, interviewed us on his Roots Rock Review show on WBZC.  Greg's show is broadcast between 6:00 and 10:00 on Wednesday evenings and is probably the best local showcase for roots-based and Americana music.  Greg interviewed us during his 8:00 hour, playing tunes from both CDs:  Morgan Rhule, Recluse, Backyard, One Step, Five on Seven, and I'm Goin' Home.  We also gave away copies of GCT, t-shirts, and two pairs of tickets to the March 3 Whiskey Dix show.  It was a blast.  We are extremely grateful to Greg, not only for the interview, but for all the support he's given us and other local bands over the past three years.  You rule, dude!

The ice and snow storm which hit on Valentine's Day caused the postponement of our interview on WBZC's Roots Rock Review, hosted by Greg G.  We'll be rescheduling this interview.  Thanks again to Greg for inviting us.

Johanna Bodde of Radio Winschoten's Alt.Country Cooking is scaling back on her DJ duties to write reviews and do interviews for Insurgent Country, the comprehensive alternative country website run by Germany's Hans Settler.  Johanna asked us to talk about the making of our CDs, the inspiration for the tunes, and how we approached the recordings.  Click the link to go directly to our "page".  Thanks again to Johanna, one of our earliest and most ardent supporters, and best of luck.

Thanks much to Wyn Machon for playing Morgan Rhule on his Whitestone Country Show.  Wyn's show is featured on Oamaru Heritage Radio (88.3 and 107 FM) broadcasting from Oamaru, NZ.  Wyn has excellent taste in tunes, by the way, playing the rare recording of Miller's Cave by Gram Parsons.

The guys at AmericanaOK played I'm Goin' Home on podcast #43.  The show is produced in Leith, Scotland.  (Check it out - Solomon Burke covering Tom T. Hall!)  AmericanaOK reports to the Euro Americana Chart.  Thanks for the airplay, guys!

DeSoto Rust is pleased to announce that Steve Savage has joined the band as our new bass player.  Steve and drummer Dave Reeve have known each other for years as part of the South Jersey music scene.  They also play together in the country cover band, Gritzz, where Stever plays lead guitar and lap steel.   We're rapidly working Steve into the mix and expect to be gigging again by February.

American Music Belgium, featured on Mol, Belgium's Radio M.I.L.O, has selected Greene Country Towne for inclusion on it's list of Recommended Albums of 2006.  The show can be heard in Northern Belgium, southern Holland and on the internet.  Thanks again to American Music Belgium and all the other European DJ's who've played our stuff!

We've gotten together with a couple of bass players in the last two weeks and are excited over the prospect of bringing new musical ideas into the mix.  (Not that we won't miss Mike!)  Ray, David and Dave are continuing to work on new original material, as well as a some killer covers.  More later.

After falling off during the summer, we're happy to report that Green Country Towne is back on the Freeform American Roots Chart at the #23 position (chart #86 - September 2006.)  The chart is compiled by 140 freeform DJs (no mandated play lists) reporting to 3rd Coast Music.  Thanks again to the DJs who are spinning cuts from the CD!

If you read the e-mail announcing our show this Saturday at Whiskey Dix, you saw that Mike Simmons will be leaving DSR.  Mike is a founding member of the band, our bass player, a song-writer, vocalist, and, of course, our producer.  Mike has been a major reason we've come as far as we have and he will be much missed.  Of course, he's also a good friend, and he'll continue to be one.  His days of making music are not over, so keep your ears open.  This Saturday is Mike's last show, so be sure to come out and bid him farewell.

Speaking of bass players, we are looking for one!  Needless to say, we'd like to find someone as attuned to our sound as Mike, as well as someone with vocal ability.  Drop us a line at info@DeSotoRust.com if you have an interest or if you know of someone who does.

Don Chisholm featured Far Side of Town during the first hour of his Sunday show.  Don is heard across Inverness and Northeast Scotland and is carried on Moray Firth Radio.  Don was also an avid supporter of our debut CD.  Thanks much, Don!

Three stars from the local music fanzine, Origivation.  We'll admit that they found the CD a bit too nostalgic, but what the hell?  The review also says:

"Technically excellent, this is the rootsy, laid-back, real deal; well-recorded, and better performed."

Thanks again to the nice folks at Origivation.

Chris James plays One Step on the Lost Music Saloon featured on WRIR in Richmond, VA.  Thanks much, Chris!

Stig Tornqvist gives Jim Beam a spin on Country Sunday featured on radio station CMR (Country Music Radio), 105.5 FM in the south of Sweden.  Thanks loads, Stig!

Marc Nolis publishes Mazz Musikas (formerly Rootstown Music) from Belgium.  Issue #43 features a nice review of GCT.  We've posted both the original and a rough translation on the Press Clippings page.  Rather than quote the fractured translation, let's just say that the reviewer (Dani Heyvaert) still like us!  (We will admit to being amused by the translation software's take on Mike's name:  "Loaf" Simmons!  He's stuck with it now.)

John Conquest reviews GCT in the latest issue of 3rd Coast Music.  You might remember that our debut was also reviewed by John (see August 8, 2005 news entry) and also received four stars.  To quote John (in part):

"...this one showcases a group that's developing its own identity......a solid piece of work by a band with real potential."

For the complete review, see Press Clippings.  A big thanks to John for the generous review.

Greene Country Towne improves its chart position on both the Freeform American Roots Chart (moving up to #24 for May) and the Euro American Chart (moving up to #20 for June.)  Thanks again to all the independent DJs for the airplay and support!              

Americana Roots, the great internet radio station, has GCT available for playing upon request!  Click on the link above to request a tune from the CD.  Why not order the CD, too?  Go to Music for ordering info.

Country Bear actually consists of four internet channels, each dedicated to a different genre of country-related tunes.  I'm Goin Home and Nice Enough Gal have been featured on both the "main" and "new" channels.  Thanks much to the good folks at Country Bear!

Richard Taylor hosts the podcast know as Roots Rock Radio and featured Backyard on both show #59 and show #62.  Thanks again for the support, Richard.

Dan Ferguson played Nice Enough Gal on his May 20 Boudin Barndance show on WRIU in Kingston, RI (the radio station of the Rhode Island University.)   "Boudin Dan" takes his name from the Cajun sausage-like food - a natural casing filled with a mix of rice, spicy meat and other delicacies - served hot and eaten from an aluminum foil wrapper with cold beer.  Dan, you obviously have good taste in food and in music!  Thanks much!

Mark Verbert hosts Mojo Dreams on Radio RZO in Belgium.  His May 4 show featured Dark at Five and his May 11 show featured Headin' Down to Georgia.  Thanks for the airplay, Mark!

Ken Date ("Spinning the country platter, talking the country chatter, saying the things that flatter about the country stars that matter in the grooviest DJ patter!")  features Day Like No Other Day (May 6) and Easytown (May 13) on his show on 2RRR out of Sydney, Australia.  Ken was a big supporter of our debut, as well.  Thanks again, Ken!

Hans Hanegraaf features Day Like No Other Day on his May 18 webcast (#2264) on American Music Belgium.  A big thanks to Hans for the airplay and support!

Shorty Stubbs hosts Country Fringe (6:00 - 8:00 PM) every Twangin' Tuesday on KXCI (91.3 FM) in Tucson, AZ.  He was an early supporter of our debut CD and has begun spinning cuts from Greene Country Towne.  Thanks for the airplay and the nice e-mail, Shorty!  (By the way, David worked one summer as the garbage man at the KOA Campground on the west side of Tucson, staying clear of the rattle snakes and drinking free beers from the bartender at Lil Abners.  Got to hang with some mighty hip people and drive the garbage truck to the landfill!)

Dan Herman will be featuring a cut from GCT on the 5/21 edition of his internet radio program Radio Crystal Blue out of New York.  DeSoto Rust thanks you, Dan!

May 14, 2006 - First GCT airplay in Canada

Rick August featured Easytown on his Borderlines show on CJTR (91.3 FM) in Regina, Saskatchewan.  Borderlines is heard every Sunday from 3:00 - 5:00 PM CST (6:00 GMT) on Regina community radio.  We appreciate the continued support, Rick!

Nico Druijf plays Easytown on his Long Distance program.  Nico's show runs on Radio Hoorn every Wednesday from 8:00 to 9:00 PM (Dutch time).  Thanks much, Nico!

Once again, we owe a big thanks to Johanna Bodde of Radio Winschoten's Alt.Country Cooking, this time for selecting GCT as #2 on her Top 5 for the month of May.  We are honored, Johanna!

Rein Wortelboer hosts PeelGrass, a source of country music for listeners in the Netherlands since 1987 on Radio Venray.   Rein played both I'm Goin' Home and Nice Enough Gal on his May 9 show.  Much appreciated, Rein.  Thanks also for the tips on distribution.

Thanks to Karen Miller for spinning I'm Goin' Home on her May 9  The Miller Tells Her Tale podcast.  Karen's show originates from the U.K. where she "delivers a terrific selection of rarely heard music...dripping fresh with bourbon-sozzled heartbreak."  By the way, locals Frog Holler were also featured on the show.  Thanks again, Karen.

Professor Purple once again is playing DeSoto Rust on his Amarillo Highway show on KZMU in Moab, Utah.  This time, it's Day Like No Other Day on his May 7 program.  Thanks again to the Professor - you definitely do not want to miss his class!

Eddie O'Strange (a great name!) has hosted the Town & Country Radio Show at 783KHz AM in New Zealand for 14 years and featured I'm Goin' Home on his May 8 program.  Thanks much and keep it strange, Eddie!

Our German is somewhere between lousy and non-existent (closer to the latter), so it's hard to tell, but we think they liked the CD, considering it "old school" (Burrito Bros.)  Home of Rock is a German webzine (Das Rockmagazin).  Check the press clippings page for the complete review.  Thanks  to Frank Ipach for the press and acknowlegement!

The Cosmic Cowboy Cafe runs on 2RRR (88.5 FM) in Sydney, Australia.  Host Eddie White opened his April 28 show with Day Like No Other Day and followed up a week later (May 5) with Dark at Five.  Thanks for digging our stuff so much, Eddie!

Many thanks to Roel Stabler for featuring I'm Goin' Home on his Country File (week 19) program.  Roel's show is featured on on Radio Delfzicht Lokaal in Delfzicht, The Netherlands.

Gerd Stassen hosts Hillbilly Rockhouse on Country Music 24 (Berlin) and Radio EVW (Ems-Vechte-Welle, Germany).  He featured both Swept in it Again (May 3) and Backyard (May 4) .  Thanks so much for the support, Gerd!

May 3, 2006 - Greene Country Town debuts at #28 on the April FAR Chart (#81)

We hoped the folks who dug our debut would feel the same way about GCT,

and it looks like they do!  Still, the early success is surprising and gratifying.  The Freeform American Roots Chart is compiled by 140 freeform DJs (no mandated play lists) reporting to 3rd Coast Music.  As they put it, "Real music played for real people by real DJs."  Thanks to all the folks who've so quickly picked up on GCT, particularly WBZC's Greg G.

Johnny Timewarp (aka Matt Schuyler) dropped us an e-mail and looks to feature GCT on his Dark Side of the Highway show.  Johnny's show runs Sundays from 2:00 - 4:00 PM on Central Connecticut State University's WFCS (107.7 FM) in New Britain, CT.  We appreciate the e-mail and the support from Johnny.

Jim Hynes features Far Side of Town on the The All Night Diner on WDVR (89.7 FM) in Sergeantsville, NJ.  Jim, Thom Wodock, Ralph Drake, and Jeff Mark rotate the DJ duties every Saturday morning from1:00 AM until 6:00 AM playing the best in American roots music.  Jim is also a FAR chart contributor.  Thanks so much for the continued support, Jim!

 Michael van Bruggen features Day Like No Other Day on his Landslide program (#415).  Landslide is a part of the mythical Dutch Roots Radio Ring mentioned in the liner notes of Greene Country Towne.  Thanks again, Michael!

Wow!  We had no idea the new CD would take off so fast!  The Euro American Chart is compiled by DJs, journalists, retailers, promoters, and other people from all over Europe who are interested in Americana music.  We owe a huge debt of gratitude to this group of people - they were instrumental in the success of our debut CD as well.  It's such a thrill to have these folks digging the stuff we're doing.  Thanks so much for the honor and support!

Many thanks to Ray Swennen for featuring Day Like No Other Day on his Roots Revival Radio show (#59) on Radio FM Goud.

Mike Penard, AKA "Mike the DJ" and "Mike the Frenchy" will be playing Dark at Five, One Step, Easytown, Nice Enough Gal, and I'm Goin Home on his show  "American Roots Music".  Mike's show is featured on ISA Radio broadcasting to the French states of Isere, Savoie, and Ain near Lyon and the French Alps.  He also sent a very kind e-mail which said in part "Sometimes it takes several albums for a band to establish their name, you are among the ones that immediately gain recognition and you really deserve it."    Merci beaucoup, Mike! - we appreciate it very much!

Remo Ricaldone has added the new CD  to the playlist of his two-hour weekly radio show, "Happy Trails."  His show is broadcast in northwestern Italy by Susa Onda Radio (96.4 FM) in Susa, Italy.  Remo will also be doing a web review of the CD soon.  Thanks again, Remo!

Dark at Five is played by Thomas Kaldijk on his Blueprint show (Playlist 264).  (Thanks, Thomas, for the continued support!)  The show is carried on several radio stations in the Netherlands, including Radio Parkstad in Veendam.

Sjaak Sekeris, host of A Shake of Music on Radio Gouwestad in Gouda, The Netherlands has started playing cuts from the new CD and has graciously nominated it for inclusion in the May edition of the Euro Americana chart.  To quote Mike, "Sjaak is da man!"  Sjaak refers to our music as "real American dust rock."  Never thought of that description before, but it really works!  Thanks again, Sjaak, for all the support!

Ray Pieters features us on Web Radio Golden Flash out of Belgium.  Thanks for digging our stuff, Ray!

Theo Oldenburg plays Far Side of Town during the third hour of the April 27 broadcast of Radio Winschoten's Alt.Country Cooking.  Many thanks to Theo and his partner Johanna Bodde for their support.  (By the way, if you listen to the show, you can hear David's station promo running at the top of the first and second hours.)

Here at last (though not yet available for general release!)  Greene Country Towne pressing and production is complete and we got our first peak (and listen) to the finished product.  Hope you like it as much as we do.  Mailings to radio stations, reviewers, promoters and others have begun.  Expect general availability in the next few weeks, both at shows and over the web.  Also expect plenty of other info, lyrics, song clips, etc. to begin appearing on this site.  Stay tuned, baby!

Last night David and Mike laid down the last guitar and vocal tracks.  Mike is wrapping up the final mixes and looks to ship the master today.  Jodi Samsel's cover design and artwork are also in the final stages (and looking gorgeous!)  So - expect Greene Country Towne to be available in the late spring.  The band is incredibly excited about where we took our sound on this effort, and we're hoping you guys like it, too!

Yes, that is indeed the title, but more about that later.  The band is pleased to report that production of the upcoming CD is in the home stretch.  Only a handful of parts are left to be recorded, mainly by some of our friends who've generously agreed to add their talents to the mix (Christine Havrilla and singing partner Gretchen Schultz, Last Train Home pedal steel ace Dave Van Allen, and Gritzz keyboardist Joe Poulicci.)  Photographer and designer Jodi Samsel is putting the final touches on the packaging and Mike is beginning to think about final mixes.  Look for 12 original songs, all but one brand new, with more complex and varied instrumentation that our debut.  Mike has truly outdone himself with the production and his sonic vision for the CD.

Now, about the title:  Greene Country Towne is a reference to William Penn's original vision for Philadelphia.  Is that post-ironic or what?  And what the hell does that even mean?  (If you listen faintly you can hear the sound of the hype machine cranking up!)

Expect a release in the spring with the usual fanfare.  We've purposely held off performing the new material, but that's about to change.  Expect the debut of some of the new tunes at the John & Peter's show coming up on March 25.  Check it out and stay tuned for more info as the release date approaches.

So the other day, David was at the local Whole Food and ran into old buddy and former bandmate Ken Kramar.  Ken shared guitar duties with David in the final lineup of the legendary Still Stupid back in the early 90's (fronted by Mr. Entertainment himself, Jim Canfield).  Check out Ken's website for great histories of Still Stupid, and Ken's previous band, Trained Attack Dogs, along with audio clips (including Ken's new compositions).  Ken's site also has a link to a site featuring Philly punk record covers from the era.  Scroll down to check out the covers from Mike's band, Experimental Products.  The ensuing e-mail exchanges prompted Dave to reminisce about hauling his drums up the stairs at the old Club Pizzaz under the shadow of the El in the Northeast.  (Still Stupid and Trained Attack Dogs shared the bill together up there, too.)  Ah, the High and Far Off Times!

January 17, 2006 - Still Charting on FAR!

Still going and going!  Our run on the Freeform American Roots Chart continues:

October 2005 (Chart #75) - #28

November 2005 (Chart #76) - #25

December 2005 (Chart #77) - #19

Thanks again to the DJ's who have supported us in the past and who continue to play our tunes!  Special thanks to WBZC's Greg G.  Check out Greg's MYSPACE page for his play lists and other info.

Expect to hear our CD on the French National Network, RCF, beginning in January thanks to Jacques Spiry.  Jacques will be featuring some of our tunes on his show Country Unlimited and Lone Star Music, heard by listeners in France and Belgium.  Merci beaucoup, Jacques and Happy New Year!

What a great way to wind up 2005!  Thanks to all the fans who participated in Radio Six International's 2005 Record of the Year voting, Morgan Rhule placed at #16 on the final top 20 list!  Click on the link to take a peak at the complete list.  Thanks again to all the twangsters who gave us the thumbs up and to the wonderful folks at Radio Six.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Our CD's opener, Morgan Rhule, has been honored as one of the twenty finalists for Radio Six International's 2005 Record of the Year!  Radio Six broadcasts on the internet and shortwave from Glasgow and is heard around the world.  As of this moment, voting is still open, so email votes@radiosix.com and let your voice be heard!  Thanks very much to Diana Luke and Tony Currie of Radio Six!

Sjaak Sekeris, whose show A Shake of Music, is broadcast on Radio Gouwestad in Gouda, The Netherlands has selected our debut CD as number 13 on his "best of" list for 2005.  Sharing any list with Neil Young and Ryan Adams is certainly an honor.  Thanks Sjaak and Happy New Year!  See all the yearend picks of the Dutch Roots Ring at Real Roots Cafe.

Thanks to our friend Rolf Hierath for this photo from the studio of Hillbilly Jukebox on ReinWelle 92,5 in Wiesbaden, Germany.  Now that's what we call promotion!  Thanks and Merry Christmas, Rolf!

Rolf Hierath of Hillbilly Jukebox and a DJ who wouldn't play country music.

Johanna Bodde, one half of Radio Winschoten's Alt.Country Cooking show, has selected our CD for inclusion on her "best imports" list for 2005 (#5.)  She and co-host Theo Oldenburg were some of our first supporters in Europe (see April 7, 2005).  See all the yearend picks of the Dutch Roots Ring at Real Roots Cafe. Thanks for this honor, Johanna!

Recording at Mars is well underway with fifteen new tunes being tracked.  Most of these will end up on our new CD, which we expect to release in the spring.  More complex, more ambitious, but still chock full of the tasty twang you've come to expect.  What else can you expect from tubes, magnets, copper wires and wooden sticks?

Who would have thunk it?  For the fourth month in a row our CD makes it on to the Freeform American Roots Chart (September '05/Chart #74), this time at #24 (along with Radney Foster, Del McCoury, and Billy Bob Thornton.)  Thanks to everyone, especially WBZC's Greg G., who's still our #1 fan!

Mathias Andrieu plays "Can't Sleep at Night" on his Keep it Country show on NSEO (95.2 FM) in Paris.  Mathias's show runs from 4:00 - 5:30 pm on Sundays (perfect time for an aperitif!)  Merci, Mathias!

Thanks to Karen Miller for spinning "Can't Sleep at Night" on her September 18 The Miller Tells Her Tale podcast.  Karen's show originates from the U.K.

Rose Lobel is a poet, prose writer, single mother, and perhaps the world's only voice-disabled radio programmer (a result of cerebral palsy).   She featured both "Morgan Rhule" and "Kansas City, 6 AM" on her August 30 What's New program on KZSC (88.1 FM) in Santa Cruz.  (Dangerous Dan Orange played us earlier on his KZSC program - see July 31.)  Check out Rose's poetry at .RedPlumPoetry.com.  Thanks so much, Rose!

"Around the clock and around the world" is the motto of Radio Six International broadcasting on the Internet from Glasgow, Scotland.  "Morgan Rhule" was featured on the September 3 Random Playlist along with an eclectic mix of other musicians such as the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band (Canada).  Check this out - you'll be amazed at the variety of music.  Thanks to Radio Six and host Diana Luke for the airplay!

Henry Prokop produces and presents "Honky Tonk Blues" every Sunday on 101 FM in Brisbane, Australia.  He's been bringing roots and the "weird edge of country" to the east coast of Australia for over 15 years.  (Maybe he can answer the Old 97's question "What's so great about the Barrier Reef?")  Henry says our CD is "perfect" for his program.  Thanks for the compliment and the airplay, Henry!

Mike Penard, AKA "Mike the DJ" and "Mike the Frenchy" sends his greetings (or as he puts it, a "croak") from the French states of Isere, Savoie, and Ain near Lyon and the French Alps.  His show, "American Roots Music", is broadcast on ISA radio.  Mike will be playing selections from our CD starting later this month.  Merci beaucoup, Mike! - we appreciate it very much!

Many of you know that David Otwell has lots of family and friends in New Orleans, South Mississippi, and the Gulf Coast.  It's been an anxious week, but David is pleased to report that everyone is safe, though not unscathed.  His wife's parents, brother and family left Uptown New Orleans two days after the storm as both the water and the bad craziness were rising.  The evacuation began by pirogue (shallow draft Cajun boat), and continued by car.  They're now safe in New Iberia, but have no idea when they'll be home.  Both families live on relatively high ground and hopefully will not have severe damage.  In Hattiesburg, MS, David's mom has four trees down but all of them missed the house.  Many friends in New Orleans, Slidell, Covington, Hattiesburg and elsewhere have been displaced; some homes will probably be unsalvageable.

Beyond the human misery, there's the horrible damage done to a very special city.  Is Tipitina's still there?  Parasol's?  Will there be Dixie beer again?  Will you still be able to get a chocolate freeze to go with your chili-cheese omelet at the Camellia Grill? Oyster artichoke soup at Mandina's?  Cheap oysters on the half shell at Cooter Brown's?  Did Jim Russell's Records flood?

These are very difficult times for everyone impacted by the disaster.  But David hears the same thing from everyone he's spoken to - all were touched by the kindness and generosity of total strangers.  The opportunities to help are all over the place, so do whatever you can.

Yes, it is pretty crowded down there at #28, but with company like Bob ("You can call me Zimmy") Dylan , who are we to complain?  Check out the August 2005 chart (#73).  Thanks so much again to all the great folks who are playing our stuff. 

Ken Date, otherwise known as KRD, will be featuring our CD starting this Saturday (8/20) on 2RRR (88.5 FM) community radio in Sydney, Australia.  Ken, Sydney's coolest country DJ, has been treating his audience to country and roots music for 13 years.  ("Spinning the country platter, talking the country chatter, saying the things that flatter about the country stars that matter in the grooviest DJ patter!")  Ken, you're the first on your continent, and for that we send a big thank you!  (It is the official position of DeSoto Rust that Australia is a continent, just as it is our official position that Pluto is a planet.  Anyone who disagrees is looking for a fight - Mike Simmons will kick your ass!)  By the way, Ken's site also has some very nice railroad photos.  Check it out.

Bill Wagman featured us on his July 23 Saturday Morning Folk Show on KDVS (90.3), broadcasting from Lower Freeborn Hall at the University of California - Davis.  Thanks, Bill, for spinning "Austin Lights"!

Rein Wortelboer hosts PeelGrass, a country show on Radio Venray.  PeelGrass has been a source of country music for listeners in the Netherlands since 1987.  Much appreciation to Rein, who played "For What It's Worth" on today's show.

John Conquest, the founder and brains behind 3rd Coast Music, did the review himself.  3rd Coast is one of the most influential American Roots music newspapers going.  John also runs the FAR chart.  So it is with great pride that we quote him:

"...the material...hits a very high standard for a band that's barely a year old but which can sound like The Band at its best."

He said it; we didn't.  Four stars.  For the complete review, see Press Clippings.

DJ Wanda hosts Howdylicious!, a mix of rockabilly, psychobilly, alt-country, and old time western music on KUCI (88.9 FM) at UC-Irvine (Sundays, 8-10 pm).  Wanda featured "For What It's Worth" on her July 31 show.  Thanks Wanda!

For a second there, we thought we had been picked up by the local mainstream/corporate country station, WXTU.  We couldn't imagine how or why, and, to tell you the truth, there's a slight sense of relief!  This is CFBX (92.5 FM), Campus/Community Radio in Kamloops, British Columbia.  Linda B. was kind enough to play "5 on 7" on her August 1 Country Crossings morning show.  Much appreciated, Linda!

Steve Fritz delivers more than a review, actually.  More like a philosophical/theological/historical dissertation on the Philly music scene (or the lack thereof).  Informative and entertaining.  Let us quote Steve:

.... if you like your music the way I like my Jack Daniels, go to DeSoto Rust's website ...and order their CD. Like a good pull from the bottle, you'll find it goes down smooth and then kicks like a mule when you start to move.

Couldn't have said it better.  See the complete review on the Press Clippings page.

 

Two months running on the FAR chart is a really big deal for us!  This time it's the July 2005 chart (#72).  Hard to say thanks enough to all the nice folks on a couple of continents who are playing our stuff.  Once again, we're in great company, sharing the #20 spot with Ry Cooder, Graham Parker and Michelle Shocked.  We'll drink to that!

The Lost Music Saloon, a radio show hosted by Garry Morse, is a very cool mix of old and new music.  It runs Mondays from 5:00 - 7:00 pm on Richmond Independent Radio - WRIR (97.3 FM) in Richmond, VA.  Garry played "100 Year Flood" on today's show.  Thanks much, Garry!

"Dangerous Dan" Orange spins "Austin Lights" on his "Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" (6:00 - 9:00 am on Fridays) on KZSC (88.1 FM).  KZCS is the radio arm of UC-Santa Cruz in beautiful Southern California.  To quote Dangerous Dan, "Definitlely kicks 'em out of bed."  Special thanks to Dan for being the very first on the West Coast to play a DSR cut.  Coast to coast, baby!

Thanks to Richard of Roots Rock Radio for featuring "Morgan Rhule" on his July 26 podcast (show #19).  More DeSoto Rust tracks to come.  Thanks again, Richard!

Thanks to The Iceman (aka Doug Young) for featuring "For What It's Worth" on his Monday Breakfast Jam on KRCL (90.9 FM) in Salt Lake City, UT.  KRCL transmits with 25,000 watts from the second highest transmitter site in the continental U.S., reaching 90% of the Utah population as well as parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada.

Many thanks to Jeff Rusch for featuring us on his Crow's Nest show on WNTI (91.9 FM) in Hackettstown, NJ.

WMGT (The Mighty 1220) broadcasts with 25,000 watts of pure AM power from Stillwater, MN (near the Twin Cities).  We are honored to be featured by Jack K. Sparks on his Other Side of Country show which runs from 2:00 to 4:00 on Saturday afternoons.  Check out the show's website for loads of information on Alt-County, AM radio, dogs, and four-wheel drive. Very cool.

Attention insomniacs, truckers, musicians, vampires - we found it!  Check out WDVR and James Hynes on the All Night Diner.  James and his cohorts rule the airwaves at 89.7 FM in Sergeantsville, NJ from 1:00 AM until 6:00 AM.  Thanks to James for spinning "Can't Sleep at Night".  (Damn! Just got the pun!)

Great name for a radio show!  This program runs on WHFR (89.3 FM) at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan.  Thanks for playing "100 Year Flood."

July 8, 2005 - Westward Yo!  (Part II)  "Jim Beam" on the Colorado Plateau

Thanks to Professor Purple for featuring us on the June 26 Amarillo Highway show on KZMU in Moab, Utah.  Continuing our geography lesson, Moab lies near the fantastic Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.  Only a couple of hours drive from the twin towns of Kanab, UT and Fredonia, AZ where David and a buddy slept on the roadside and played country music for tips and beers back in the high and far off times.  Dang; rambling again.....

July 3, 2005 - Westward Yo!  "100 Year Flood" on the airwaves in the Canadian Plains

Our first airplay (as far as we know) in Canada.  DSR is featured on the Borderlines show on CJTR (91.3 FM) in Regina, Saskatchewan.  (No doubt, you can pick us up in Moose Jaw!)  Special thanks to Rick August for the support.

June 30, 2005 - DSR charts at #11 on the Freeform American Roots Chart for June (#71)!

Man, did we take the long way to get to America!  The Freeform American Roots chart is compiled by 140 freeform DJs (no mandated play lists) reporting to 3rd Coast Music.  As they put it, "Real music played for real people by real DJs."  This is a huge honor for us, as well as a milestone of sorts.  So many people have helped make this happen, including all or our European friends, and, of course, our original supporting DJ, Greg G. of WBZC.  Thanks to everyone!

June 30, 2005 - More airplay in Italia

FAR member Remo Ricaldone has added the DSR CD to the playlist of his two-hour weekly radio show, "Happy Trails."  Remo's show is broadcast in northwestern Italy by Susa Onda Radio (96.4 FM) in Susa, Italy.  Thanks to Remo for the airplay and for his nice e-mail.

June 30, 2005 - DeSoto Rust featured on WCNI in New London, CT

Brian Bourgoin plays our CD on his Twisted Roots show.  Thanks much to Brian for the airplay and for his support in helping us make the FAR chart.  We hope to head to New England before long and thank everyone in person.

June 24, 2005 - DeSoto Rust featured on WFCS (107.7 FM) in New Britain, CT

Johnny Timewarp spotlights our CD on his "Dark Side of the Highway" show.  WFCS is run by Central Connecticut State University.  You rule Johnny!

This streaming audio site is one of the first devoted exclusively to Americana and root-based music.  Thanks very much to R.W. Shamy, Jr. for the support!

We're very grateful to this influential website for checking out the CD and giving us such a fabulous review.  By the way, this is a must-visit site for any fan of American roots music.  See Press Clippings for a reprint.

Right behind Ryan Adams and Los Super 7!  Thanks again to the DJ's, journalists, retailers and promoters who gave us a thumbs up.

Thanks to Ray Swennen for featuring us on his Roots Revival Radio show on Radio FM Goud.

OK, so Springsteen's new one beat us out at #8, but what the hell?  The Euro American Chart is compiled by DJs, journalists, retailers, promoters, and other people from all over Europe who are interested in Americana music.  Truly an honor to be recognized by such an informed and committed group of listeners.  To view the entire May listing, click on the link above.

Americana Roots, the great internet radio station, has our entire CD available for playing upon request!  Click on the link above to get your daily dose of DSR Philly twang.  (Of course, don't forget to order the CD!)

DSR digital distribution is here.  We join a huge number of artists in offering our CD in digital form.  Keep on the lookout for more music from DeSoto Rust.

Ray Randall produces this show highlighting many talented unsigned americana artists.  Ray's debut program features three cuts from the CD, and we close out the show.  To listen or download the debut show, click HERE.  We love you, Ray!

Sjaak Sekeris, host of "A Shake of Music", writes:

I received your last album, full of rocking rough warm countryrock!  Thanks man!  It's a wonderful pure album that I like very much!  So it's in my May list of the EuroAmericana chart.  And it's on my playlist next week in my radio programme "A Shake of Music!"

Thanks, Sjaak, for the kind words and support!

Don's show serves Inverness and Northeast Scotland and is carried on Moray Firth Radio.

Paul van Gelder features us on his shows on Radio Lelystad, 227 and WOLD.  We debut with "100 Year Flood."

Jan Andersson checked us out and decided to carry our CD in this store specializing in roots and country rock.  Dusty Records is located in Gothenburg, Sweden.

All you cowpokes check out this fine internet radio station.

We try not to "Google" ourselves too often........

"Runaround" is featured on another internet radio station.  Is technology wonderful or what?

Aleksandar Lazarevic features us on his Desperado show on Radio Politika in Belgrade.  Thanks much for the support Aleksandar!

Freddy Celis features "100 Year Flood" on Rootstime in Belgium.  Have a beer for us Freddy!

Hillbilly Jukebox on ReinWelle 92,5 in Wiesbaden, Germany

Thanks again to the incredible Americana fans in Europe.  We gotta get over and see you guys!

Radio Winschoten's Alt.Country Cooking April 7 show kicks off with the sound of the big rigs' airbrakes and "Kansas City, 6 AM".  Thanks again to Johanna Bodde and Theo Oldenburg. 

Massimo Ferro features us on his March 31 Highway 61 show on Radio Voce Spazio in Alessandria, Italy.  Grazie, Massimo!

"100 Year Flood" is played by Thomas Kaldijk on his Blueprint show (Playlist 215/04-01-2005).  (Thanks, Thomas!)  The show is carried on several radio stations in the Netherlands, including Radio Parkstad in Veendam and Radio LOK in Kanaalstreek.

Our Dutch isn't that good, but we like the last sentence: "Mooie plaat."  Pretty sure that means "nice record".  Thanks much guys!  You can read (or at least look at!) the full review on our Press Clippings page.

Check it out!  #3 on the Best Album - April 2005 Real Roots Cafe list!  And look what occupies the #1 spot - Tom Gillam's Shake My Hand!  Thanks to Michael van Bruggen.  Our version of Close Up the Honky Tonks was featured on March 22 (Playlist 367 220305).

Based on the CD review featured on Americana UK, we've been picked up by Radio Winshoten's Alt.Country Cooking.  Thanks much to hosts Theo Oldenburg and Johanna Bodde.  We quote Theo here:  "Everything the review on Americana UK said is true.  It's a damn fine record.  It has soul, it rocks and has twang by the dozen."  Amsterdam, for those of you who don't already know, is the coolest city in the galaxy.  Bet they love us at the Hotel Brian!

Still $10, and still an essential part of any serious music collection.  (Ranked somewhere between Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and the Shagg's Philosophy of the World.)

Paul Kerr reviews our CD this week on the Americana UK website.  Paul's very generous review included the following:

"Here’s a find, sneaking out as a self released album sold by the band, DeSoto Rust describe themselves as a "twang band” with a mission to bring back roots-rock music in their area (Philadelphia, if you ask). And by any yardstick they generally succeed with an assured sound and songwriting that is way above what one generally expects from a band with no label backing. ....with stories of hard drinking men, hard luck stories and trucks, with great riffs and roaring vocals. ....For a self released album this is mighty impressive and deserves to find a wider audience than the lucky ones attending their concerts."

For a reprint of the review, click HERE.  Thanks much, Paul.  We hope to get over your way before long!  By the way, twangsters, this is an ESSENTIAL website.

Though Chris Budzilowiz struggled with the band name (hope we got yours right, Chris!), he gave us 4 stars out of 5.  Thanks to Chris and the folks at Origivation.

Chuck Darrow reviews our CD in his "On the Loose" column in the South Jersey Courier-Post.  Here's part of what Chuck had to say:

"HAVE YOU HEARD DeSoto Rust, the debut CD by the year-old Philadelphia-based quartet of the same name?  The band deals in a rootsy, country-rock sound that compares favorably to its many antecedents, from the Flying Burrito Brothers and Seatrain to Steve Earle and Wilco.

"Ray Hunter's throaty, world-weary vocal style well serves the impressive original material (mostly penned by Hunter and bassist Mike Simmons) and a cool cover of Red Simpson's classic, "Close Up the Honky Tonks."  And the playing of Simmons, Hunter on rhythm guitar, lead guitarist David Otwell and drummer Dave Reeve, a South Jersey native, provides an always sure-handed and appropriately twangy foundation."

Many thanks to Chuck.  Go Phils!
 

Join us at John & Peter's in New Hope as we celebrate the release of our CD.  As a special bonus, each purchaser of the CD will receive a drink ticket redeemable for a Rolling Rock or Yuengling draught - a $3 value!

Be sure to get there early and catch the opening set of bluegrass and traditional tunes by Six Pack Creek, featuring Ed Young.  Six Pack Creek takes the stage at 3:00, followed by DeSoto Rust at 4:00.

A beer and your very own DeSoto Rust CD for only $10 - life just doesn't get any better!

The DeSoto Rust CD is now available in at Spinsters music store in New Hope.  Check their "Local" section for your dose of twang!

Spinsters

110 S. Main Street

New Hope, PA   18938

DeSoto Rust will be featured on The Roots Rock Review, hosted by Greg G. on WBZC-FM (Z88.9) in Pemberton, NJ.  The show airs every Wednesday from 6 PM to 10 PM.  Tune in on your radio or listen online.  To request your favorite DSR tune, call the studio request line at 609.894.8900 or click HERE to send an e-mail.  Thanks to Greg for his support.

The wait is over!  The first DeSoto rust CD is now available. 

 The tunes:

1. Morgan Rhule

2. Austin Lights

3. For What It's Worth

4. Recluse

5. Kansas City 6 AM

6. Jim Beam

7. Make It Last

8. 100 Year Flood

9. Can't Sleep at Night

10. Stronger Than the Knife

11. 5 on 7

12. Runaround

13. Close Up the Honky Tonks

The mixes are final and the packaging design is well under way.  Stay tuned for more information on the band's soon-to-be released full-length debut CD.

DeSoto Rust is the featured artist at The Scene for the month of August.  The Scene's review of Last of the Honky Tonk Heroes can be found by clicking HERE.

The band returns to Mars Audio to record the remaining tracks for their upcoming full-length CD.  Recording primarily live, they completed most of the work on "Austin Lights", "100 Year Flood", "Morgan Rhule", "For What It's Worth", "Jim Beam", and a cover of the classic "Close Up the Honky Tonks."  These tracks will join those currently available on the Last of the Honky Tonk Heroes CD.  (Pick up one of these babies at an upcoming show while supplies last.  Sure to be a collectible one day!)

Last of the Honky Tonk Heroes, recorded in March, becomes available at performances.  Cuts include:

"Stronger than the Knife"

"Can't Sleep at Night"

"Make It Last"

"Recluse"

"5 on 7"

"Kansas City, 6 AM"

"Runaround"

"One Step"