Twisted South Radio

In honor of Wanda Jackson announcing she is recording her 31st album with Justin Townes Earle Twisted South is re-broadcasting our interview with her from last year when she put out her latest album "The Party Ain't Over" produced by Jack White. Twisted South Radio welcomes blues guitar wizard Danny B. Harvey and the Legendary Queen of Rock and First Lady of Rockabilly, Miss Wanda Jackson on Jan. 12, 2011. When Wanda Jackson, the justly crowned Queen of Rockabilly, recorded “Let’s Have A Party,” a tune she made into a hit of her own in 1958 even after one-time boyfriend Elvis Presley had released a version of it, her delivery of the chorus wasn’t so much a suggestion as a command. As the title – and, more importantly, the contents -- of her latest album, The Party Ain’t Over, indicates, this feisty septuagenarian artist is as galvanizing as ever. Jackson was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, honored with a long-time-coming, Early Influence accolade for her pivotal role in the evolution of popular music, especially where female artists were concerned. As a teenager in the mid-50s, the diminutive Jackson was the first woman to perform unadulterated rock and roll – and she one-upped the boys defining this new genre, Presley included, with her exhilaratingly forthright approach. The young Jackson, an Oklahoma native, came across as both gritty and glamorous; a playfully suggestive growl to her voice matched the daring, handmade outfits she wore, short skirts and fringed dresses that have inspired would-be bad girls for decades to come. A tireless touring artist for more than 50 years, Jackson continues to win over new, young fans, including guitarist-vocalist-White Stripes founder Jack White.  

Orginally aired on August 4, 2010. The best of Twisted South Radio presents: Bonnie Bramlett and Kacey Jones Brought to you by The Twisted South Emporium at http://www.twistedsouth.com Bonnie Bramlett is the Co founder of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, (Which at times included Clapton, Duane Allman, George Harrison, Leon Russell,) the only EVER Allman Sister, the only white Ikette with Ike and Tina Turner, the actress who appeared in Vanishing Point, The Doors, and most recently The Guardian with Kevin Costner, or the blonde waitress on, ‘Roseanne,’ who could flat ass SING, she is amazing! Kacey Jones co-wrote, "I'm the One Mama Warned You About" which was a Top-5 Billboard hit for Mickey Gilley in 1986, Founder and lead singer of the infamous cult-trio, "Ethel and The Shameless Hussies, produced, "Pearls in the Snow, The Songs of Kinky Friedman" featuring Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Lyle Lovett, Asleep at the Wheel, Guy Clark, Delbert McClinton, Dwight Yoakam, and other legends. The album stayed at # 1 for three weeks in a row in 1999, produced and recorded duet with Delbert McClinton in 2000 (IGO Records) called "You're the Reason Our Kids are Ugly.  

Twisted South Magazine, Radio and the new Emporium have always been proud to include many things from across the world into our Twisted South. This week we welcome English Rockabilly musician Sixteen and the Sidewinders.   Sixteen who draws inspiration from the likes of Eddie Cochran, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Burnette is also one half of the guitar force in the supergroup King Mob alongside Chris Spedding (Robert Gordon, Roxy Music, John Cale, Paul McCartney), Steve 'Snips' Parsons (Sharks) and Martin Chambers (The Pretenders)

Twisted South Radio welcomes 2 musical guests this week, both masters at the blues. The Patrick Dodd Trio from Memphis AND Oz Noy from Israel. Spend enough time in Memphis and sooner than later, the blues will find a way into your soul. Born and raised in Memphis, Patrick Dodd has spent the majority of his musical career on the outskirts of the blues; embracing the traditional chord progressions and learning to channel the emotional experience into his songs. After a successful run with the Patrick Dodd Band in the mid 90's, Dodd left music to focus on his young family. Almost 10 years and a lifetime of difficult experiences later, he's returned to his roots and found his true voice in the shadow of the blues. Oz Noy is a guitar player from Israel, who started his professional career at the age of 13 playing jazz, blues, pop and rock music. At age 16 he was already playing with leading Israeli musicians and performers, and at age 24 he was one of the most established studio guitar players in the country, and played on numerous records. He was also a member of the house band of Israel's top rated Television show for more than two years. New York based plectorist extraordinaire Oz Noy makes his Abstract Logix debut with “Twisted Blues”, his most eclectic album to date that displays his signature guitar sounds as well as for the first time showcases his profound love of blues, featuring Chris Layton and Reese Wynans of the legendary Steve Ray Vaughn Band, Will Lee, Anton Fig, John Medeski, Vinnie Colaiuta, Reese Wynans, Jerry Z, Eric Johnson, Allen Toussaint & Ralph MacDonald.      

Twisted South welcomes The Justin Kalk Orchestra, a thunderous power trio [formed in Nashville, TN] led by the unmistakable growl of it’s Fender abusing front man: Justin Kalk [Vocals, Stratocaster, Turntables]. Cutting his teeth in the club circuit, Kalk has mastered the art of showmanship & is proving himself one of Rock & Rolls most electrifying performers. SteO Britton [Bass & fog machine] & Jay Williams [Drumset & Laser Beams] got his back, and that’ a whole nother story. Since the first thud of “I’ve Changed Too” at Greenwich Village’s “The Bitter End” in 2010 [their sold out release party], JKO has burnt down: NYC, Phili, Baltimore, D.C., Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, Austin, Vegas, 100+ more. Including a legendary show at “Whisky A GO GO” in Hollywood.  "With his Nashville based Orchestra, Justin Kalk pens and performs a fresh brand of Rock & Roll, Hip Hop, Bluegrass and Jazz influenced Pop sounds. The songs are monster packed with catchy vocals, Olympic solos, swampy organ and a radical evolution of bass and beat madness. Wiry front man, Justin Kalk, is a triple threat: An urgently soulful singer and a clever stripped down composer. But what's the grittiest? Justin speaks such fluent Stratocaster he is kicking off a previously uncharted golden age of sexy electric guitar." - Fender Guitars  

Heavily influenced by the culture and music of our south, ELAN comes to Twisted South Radio tomorrow night. "Amazing things come from the rarest, least expected places. The biggest rapper on earth is caucasian. Arguably, the greatest rock guitarist of all time was African American. It seems like one of the best bands you’ve never heard of, may just be from a little town in Mexico. ELAN sing in English, sound like very few bands do today, have sold over 1.7 million albums, and have toured extensively for the past 15 years. Most likely you’ve never heard of them because they have never released a record or toured in the US. Indeed amazing things come from the rarest of places." Elan is managed by the same people who bring you the music of Walter Trout, Leslie West, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Kenny Rogers and more. “Growing up in Mexico, our radio was not something we liked much, so we learned about music by listening to our parents records. The Stones, Dylan, Joplin, The Allman Brothers, Skynyrd… a blessing really. Those musicians who meant what they said and told you what they thought, not how to think. We look back to a day when music had soul and try to carry those qualities with us on our journey, in our own songs and sound”. http://www.elan-online.com        

Monte Yoho, long time drummer/song writer for the band, joins Twisted South Radio to talk about the new album to be released from The Outlaws called "It's About Pride" and a DVD on the making of that album to be released June 2, their first in 7 years,  Take a southern rock journey with us as we talk with Monte Yoho about his role in The Outlaws and the country band Blackhawk, his beginnings, his long career and how life and the music indrustry has changed over the course of his lifetime.  This week we also welcome special co-host Sylvia Blaauw. Sylvia is originally from Germany and is an artist/photographer who has been on a southern rock quest with The Outlaws for some time now. We'll get Sylvia's Twisted European perspective on how her home country and area view the southern culture, food, art and music.  Photos courtesy of The Outlaws, John Gellman and Sylvia Blaauw

#1 Blues artist Anthony Gomes joins Twisted South Radio this week with his power trio on supporting their latest album "Up 2 Zero". Anthony Gomes’ latest , “Up 2 Zero”, represents a full-circle return to his love of high energy, guitar-driven blues rock. "This album is the most honest representation of who I am. The title represents getting back to the blues - back to ground zero,” says Gomes. “Musically, most people try to look ahead for inspiration or seek out what’s cutting edge. I seem to go in the other direction and look backwards to be inspired. In a strange way, when I listen to Muddy Waters or Robert Johnson I hear the future.” Up 2 Zero opens with the searing mission statement of “Back To The Start”, a song co-written with Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, Johnny Winter). The album, mixed by five-time Grammy winner Richard Dodd (The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty), includes the burning slow blues of “One Last Time”, the radio ready “Love Sweet Love”, and classic rock-blues groover “Fly Away”. On these songs Anthony collaborated with longtime writing partner Jim Peterik (“Eye Of The Tiger“, “Vehicle“, “Hold On Loosely“, “Blues In Technicolor“). Gomes’ endless touring kept him atop the blues field as he continued to be nominated for Blues Wax “Artist Of The Year” awards for several years in a row. 2008’s “LIVE” is Gomes’ greatest commercial success to date, reaching number one on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart.    

Unconventional, and unconstrained by others’ opinions, Kara Clark and her badass Alt Country/Rock sound just hits the stage running. She doesn’t care where she “fits in” cause when she’s out there, it all falls into place. Kara’s always worn her heart on her sleeve and her written word is the woven tapestry of troubled times, hidden passion, injustice, haunting ghosts, hypocrisy, regret, the worst love we seem to want, empowerment and the gritty, storied truth. Her first album, SINNIN,’ released in 2010, set the ball rolling. Highway’s chorus (Sinnin’) leaves women stomping: “She chose the highway, the road he told her she could take. He don’t know he’s been replaced, by a lonely stretch of interstate…” Southern Hospitality, a song from her next album, unravels a haunting, then hopeful piece of history: “It’s called justice not corruption. There’s nothing you can do. God forbid you don’t look like them, they will pin their sins on you…” Then there’s the head-nodder lines from The Devil Don't Cry and Whiskey and Cigarettes, “Jesus don’t lie, Devil don’t cry, I don’t know either of the two….Whiskey and cigarettes, are gonna be the death of me. I sleep with regret, my best friend is misery.” Forced to place herself as Alt-Country/Rock, she laughs and quotes her favorite description from a fan: “Kara’s a twisted orgy of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Janis Joplin and Guns & Roses.”      

Our very special 100th airing of Twisted South Radio will welcome guests Craig Tracy, award winning international bodypainter of New Orleans. Craig was featured in our first issue of Twisted South Magazine. Considered a cornerstone in Bodypaintings progressive movement, today Craig Tracy Bodypaints exclusively as well he owns and operates the very first art gallery in the world dedicated to fine art Bodypainted images. The gallery allows even the most seasoned art collectors and novices alike to see and experience first hand what Bodypainting is ultimately capable of expressing. With a passionate and pioneering spirit Craig personally meets and educates hundreds of people each week in the gallery. The Craig Tracy Gallery is filled with spectacular photographic, paper and canvas prints as well there are numerous videos of the process and books that focus on this art form. Please feel free to visit the gallery if you are ever in or near New Orleans http://www.craigtracy.com/ Billy Hulting, percussionist for Dweezil Zappa's "Zappa Plays Zappa" band and activist for the the upcoming Worldfest 2012 will be joining us to talk about his career, his current position playing with ZPZ and his side projects of being a vegan activist, helping to make our world better, one vegetable at a time. WorldFest a solar-powered cruelty-free celebration of music, the environment, animals and humanity - helping people learn what they can do for the Earth and its inhabitants. The combination of great music, empowering speakers, environmental, humanitarian and animal welfare non-profits, kids' activities and a delicious food court make for an earth-friendly experience that is sure to be inspiring and enjoyable for all. http://www.zerobpm.com/billy/ http://www.dweezilzappaworld.com/ http://www.worldfestevents.com/  

Hot from Mardi Gras 2012 Twisted South Radio welcomes the Lagniappe Brass Band. They'll bring bringing their Second Line to your house tonight through our show. Join us while we talk with them about New Orleans, Mardi Gras and what it takes to work in a musical town like NOLA and more. Harry Hoerner also joins Twisted South Radio this week as co-host with all the news from New Orleans including JazzFest 2012 and upcoming NOLA festivals.

HEMPSTERS: PLANT THE SEED follows seven activists as they fight to legalize industrial hemp in the United States, which is used in over 30 countries and is widely known to have numerous environmental benefits such as: less reliance on oil, more efficient use of energy, forest conservation, soil redemption and landfill use reduction, just to name a few. Featured in the film is award-winning actor and well-known hemp and environmental activist, Woody Harrelson, who challenged Kentucky State law when he planted four feral hemp seeds in 1996. His subsequent trial and acquittal brought the issue to the forefront of mainstream media more than ten years ago, but the fight continues on. Also featured are: Willie Nelson, Ralph Nader and Merle Haggard. HEMPSTERS is a thought-provoking and compelling documentary that will not only encourage all of us to take action, but move us one step closer towards a more sustainable planet.    Starring: WOODY HARRELSON, WILLIE NELSON, RALPH NADER, GATEWOOD GALBRAITH, JULIA BUTTERFLY HILL

Walter Trout's passionate new Blues for the Modern Daze cuts right to the core of his art and his heart. His 21st album returns the contemporary guitar legend to his hard-core blues roots and finds his songwriting at a creative and personal zenith. Trout's sixth recording for Provogue Records is his first pure blues album in 23 years as a bandleader, which is astounding given his heavy resume in the genre. Trout spent five years in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and was a member of Canned Heat, two of the style's supremely influential bands. He's also supported a slew of classic artists including John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton and Joe Tex. Nonetheless, as a front man the six-string virtuoso developed a conflagrant approach to his instrument and a reputation for tornado-strength live shows that led famed BBC disc jockey Bob Harris to call him "the world's greatest rock guitarist" in his influential book The Whispering Years and won Trout the sixth spot on BBC Radio One's list of the Top 20 guitarists of all time. "I thought it would be exciting to make a blues album now," Trout explains. "I liked the idea of capturing the energy of my touring band playing live in the studio, and in terms of subject matter, the state of the world is perfect for writing blues songs."

We proudly present...The Scorseses. Tapping into a culmination of widespread musical influence and sheer original talent, The Scorseses is staying true to calling upon the assets of simple songwriting and utilizing the actual soul of music and diverse musicians alike. Possessing an original sound never before heard in the progressive/rock/ska genre, not only in the artistically unchallenged city of New Orleans, Louisiana, but any location for that matter. When you add the ingredients of women, whiskey, 4 wheel drives, a twist of Johnny Cash meets the Beastie Boys, shake well & pour over ice – you get the Moonshine Bandits. California’s favorite blue collar outlaws, known as the Moonshine Bandits, have taken their outlaw brand of country hip-hop to the next level on their new album “Whiskey & Women” on Suburban Noize Records. “’Whiskey and Women’ tells a story of our life out on the road. Our motto has always been to live for the moment, which is exactly what we try and do with our music,” commented Tex from Moonshine Bandits. “This album is an inside look into our lives and it tells stories of the outlaws we’ve met along the road. This album offers an inside look into the women we’ve met, the things we’ve seen and been a part of out on the road. Sometimes you gotta raise a little hell to see a little heaven.”  

The title of LEE BAINS III AND THE GLORY FIRES' debut album comes from Bains mishearing an old hymn as a child. In the soft accents of his elders around Birmingham, Alabama, "There is a balm in Gilead" sounded a lot like "There is a bomb." It fits, really. The Glory Fires learned to construct music in the churches of their childhoods, and learned to destroy it in the punk clubs of their youths. As much Wilson Pickett as Fugazi, as much the Stooges as the Allman Brothers, Birmingham, Alabama's Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires have brought rock'n'roll to bear on their own experience and their own place. On 'THERE IS A BOMB IN GILEAD,' they deconstruct the music of the Deep South, strip it down and reassemble it, to make a righteous ruckus that sits at the vanguard of the vernacular. Fully Loaded, chronicles the misadventures of two feisty single mom's (comedians, Paula Killen and Lisa Orkin) as they discover on a rare evening out, that it’s not so easy to hook up with a total stranger (Dweezil Zappa) anymore. This "van-centric" dark comedy, offers viewers an opportunity to eavesdrop on how “real” women genuinely feel about men, relationships, the culture and themselves. This picture, shot largely on the road, takes the audience on a journey in and around late-night Los Angeles and features a dynamic soundtrack, comprised of both cutting edge alternative tunes and iconic classics.  Writer Shira Piven and Actress Lisa Orkin join Twisted South to talk about this film and their kickstarter project designed to finish the process of bringing this film to a theater near you.