It’s cool in the Appalachian Mountains this week.
Lower than normal temperatures have it feeling more like an October morning than the advent of August; typically, the humidity would be up and I would be dashing for the shade or a favorite swimming hole in order to beat the heat. Instead, I am grabbing a fleece for my evenings outside with the kids or long sleeves when I hit the road on my bike.
Something else that is quite cool this month is our August Trail Mix. As usual, Trail Mix has amassed quite a collection of tunes just for you; 26 of the best artists from the world of Americana (and beyond), all queued up and ready for your ears.
So, as you set out for a bike ride or hike along your favorite mountain, grab Trail Mix and enjoy.
We kick off this month’s list with a brand new tune from long time country stalwart Billy Joe Shaver. Approaching his 75th birthday this month, Shaver releases Long In The Tooth on August 5th. This new collection of tunes from country music’s original outlaw is everything country music is supposed to be. Shaver’s voice is as clear as ever and his songwriting hasn’t skipped a beat; evident in these new tunes are the wit and nuance that made Shaver such a favored songwriter amongst country luminaries like Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Tom T. Hall, and Waylon Jennings. Though a bit long in the tooth himself, Shaver is still very much a player in the world of country music. It’s nice to see the outlaw hang on this long.
Also featured this month is a brand new tune from Cowboy Mouth, New Orleans’ favorite garage rockers. On the opening track from the new record, Go!, drummer and lead singer Fred LeBlanc can be heard announcing, “We’re back!!” And back they are. The band is as tight and raucous as the first time I heard them back during my college days in the early 90s.
There are so many great artists to check out this month. Take a listen to new tunes from The Posies, The Carmonas, Ruthie Foster, Israel Nash Gripka, The Locust Honey String Band, Malcolm Holcombe, Casey Jack, J.P. Parsons & The American Bandwagon, The Weight, Jason Tyler Burton, The Hawks (of Holy Rosary), and many more.
As always, please spread the link for Trail Mix around. Toss it in a tweet or post it in your next status update. Let folks know about these great artists that have given us their music to give to you. And, of course, get out and buy some of this music. Go catch these bands live when they come through your town. Give back them to since they give so freely to us.
