* (restored)
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A SPOTIFY PLAYLIST OF A BUNCH OF COUNTRY SONGS I LIKE
- A Camp – The Bluest Eyes in Texas
- Billy Joe Shaver – Old Chunk of Coal
- Blaze Foley – Clay Pigeons
- Blaze Foley – If I Could Only Fly
- Blaze Foley – Let Me Ride in Your Big Cadillac
- Bob Dylan – Not Dark Yet
- Bobbie Gentry – Ode to Billie Joe
- Bruce Springsteen – County Fair
- Buck Owens – Under Your Spell Again
- Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn – After the Fire is Gone
- Daniel Johnston – Country Song
- Daniel Romano – Hard On You
- Dave Dudley – Six Days on the Road
- David Allan Coe – Longhaired Redneck
- David Allan Coe – You Never Even Called Me By My Name
- David Allan Coe – Take This Job and Shove It
- Dean Martin – Houston
- Deana Carter – Strawberry Wine
- Dolly Parton – Jolene
- Eddie Noack – Psycho
- Eddie Noack – Dolores
- Eddy Arnold – Make the World Go Away
- George Jones – If Drinkin’ Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will)
- Gillian Welch – Elvis Presley Blues
- Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman
- Glen Campbell – Galveston
- Guy Clark – Dublin Blues
- Guy Clark – Let Him Roll
- Hank Thompson – A Broken Heart and a Glass of Beer
- Hank Williams – I’m So Lonesome I could Cry
- Hank Williams – I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive
- Hank Williams – Lonesome Whistle
- Hank Williams – Lost Highway
- Hank Williams – There’s a Tear in My Beer
- Holly Golightly – An Eye for an Empty Heart
- Holly Golightly – On the Fire
- Holly Golightly – Black Heart
- Hurray For the Riff Raff – Blue Ridge Mountain
- Jerry Jeff Walker – Pissin’ In the Wind
- Jessi Colter – Why You Been Gone So Long
- Jessi Colter – I’m Looking for Blue Eyes
- John Prine – In Spite of Ourselves
- Johnny Cash – Cocaine Blues
- Kitty Wells – It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
- Kris Kristofferson – Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down
- Lee Hazlewood – I’d Rather Be Your Enemy
- Lee Hazlewood – Long Black Train
- Lindi Ortega – Tin Star
- Loretta Lynn – Fist City
- Loretta Lynn – The Devil Gets His Due
- Loretta Lynn – Rated X
- Loretta Lynn – One’s On the Way
- Loretta Lynn – Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)
- Los Lobos – La Pistola Y El Corazon
- Lucinda Williams – Metal Firecracker
- Lyle Lovett – Closing Time
- Marty Robbins – Big Iron
- Merle Haggard – Going Where The Lonely Go
- Merle Haggard – The Bottle Let Me Down
- Merle Haggard – Are the Good Times Really Over
- Nanci Griffith – Love at the Five and Dime
- Nick Cave – Red Right Hand
- Nikki Lane – Gone, Gone, Gone
- Patsy Cline – Sweet Dreams
- Patsy Cline – Strange
- Patsy Cline – Leavin’ On Your Mind
- Ray Wylie Hubbard – Drunken Poet’s Dream
- September 67 – What’s Wrong With Alice
- Shakey Graves – Only Son
- Steve Earle & The Dukes – Burnin’ It Down
- Surgill Simpson – Long White Line
- Tanya Tucker – Blood Red And Goin’ Down
- Tanya Tucker – Delta Dawn
- Tompall Glaser – Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)
- Townes Van Zandt – Waiting Around to Die
- Townes Van Zandt – White Freightliner Blues
- Townes Van Zandt – Pancho and Lefty
- Townes Van Zandt – Tecumseh Valley
- Townes Van Zandt – Don’t Take It Too Bad
- Waylon Jennings – I’ve Always Been Crazy
- Waylon Jennings – Stop the World (And Let Me Off)
- Waylon Jennings – Singer Of Sad Songs
- Widowspeak – True Believer
- Willie Nelson – Night Life
- Willie Nelson – Bloody Mary Morning
- Willie Nelson – Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
- Willie Nelson – Funny How Time Slips Away
- Willie Nelson – Hello Walls
- Willie Nelson – Crazy
The Mother’s Best Flour Radio Show w/ Hank Williams
Townes Van Zandt – Waitin’ Around to Die
Loretta Lynn – Fist City
Holly Golightly – On the Fire
Waylon Jennings – I’ve Always Been Crazy
Dave Dudley – Six Days On the Road
David Allan Coe – Long Haired Redneck
Lyle Lovett w/ Nanci Griffith – Closing Time
Cast King – Numb
Kris Kristofferson – Sunday Morning Coming Down
Terry Reid – Brave Awakening
Tanya Tucker – Blood Red and Goin’ Down
IF ANYBODY HAS SOME SUGGESTIONS OF GOOD COUNTRY MUSIC I SHOULD CHECK OUT PLEASE COMMENT BELOW, THANK U THANK U
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p.s. Hey. ** John Christopher, Hi, John! Good to see you. Never say never, but I kind of doubt the film will get a theater release there, but we do want to at least screen it there. We’re looking into what’s possible. Thanks a lot for wanting to see it. I’m good, and I hope/trust you are as well. ** Adem Berbic, Hey! Nice that Alex and Tadhg can do the launch event. iPhone coverage please. I … think Bennett is still putting out music, or did not so very long ago? Obviously you should def get your books into After8, and I’d be shocked if they don’t want them. I’m sure your writings aren’t obnoxious, dude, and excellent news that you’re expelling literary words. I’m reading Charlotte’s book and it’s wonderful! There are noise artists in every nook and cranny if you do even a superficial hunt. Best of the best! ** Alice, Hi, Alice. Mini-slumps are inevitable. Just let the writing take a little nap. My advice: try not to even access confidence or lack thereof when you’re writing. Diligence usually solves everything. I’m for you bringing your site up to speed, of course. And even more of course re: you pursuing photography. Your friends are that shy? Just carry a camera around and start shooting as part of your normal behavior and they’ll stop thinking about it? I don’t know. Your seminar sounds very promising. Nice. My weekend passed the time, and now it’s the week’s turn to pony up. xo. ** jay, Howdy, jay. I’ll try to at least find and read the first 30 pages of ‘Demian’. That’s about as far I get in most novels I try, so it should be possible. So great that your writing is continuing to grip you. You being on fire gives great comment. Love teleport! ** James, Hey there! Got your email, and using that is fine with me. xo. ** Dominik, Hi!!! I like when the blog becomes a door that I just have to open. Strange and interesting that fanfic has become sort commandeered by horny people. I can still remember when those horny Spock <-> Captain Kirk fanfics were so novel they caused a sensation. Maybe you can do a special vanilla fanfic issue of SCAB and start a viral sensation that turns things around? I know, interesting about cats. I never knew that either. Kind of fascinating to think about. I can’t remember ever getting a massage, strange. Maybe that would work. Love feeling a little concerned that it looks like he’ll be going to Chicago smack dab in the middle of Trump’s fascist invasion, G. ** Carsten, I’m a morning guy. That’s when my brain works best. I’m not wildly social so night has always seemed a little overrated. I figured you’d be chuffed by Jarmusch’s big win. And then when Bresson finally won at Cannes for ‘L’Argent’, the audience booed. Insanity! ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, B. Scotland does seem to be quite happening these days. Curious. ** Sarah, Hi, Sarah! How are you? So nice to see you! ** Steve, You mean Lucille’s film? I haven’t watched her film yet either. Turns out the screening is tonight. Everyone, Perk your eyes and ears because … here’s Steve: ‘My latest episode of “Radio Not Radio” is out now. May it ease your transition from summer to fall! The setlist features Earl Sweatshirt, Dijon, Nourished By Time, Aeter, Men I Trust, the Beths, Radio Free Alice, Freestyle Fellowship, Kista, Fieldwork, Makaya McCraven, Linda May Han Oh, Led Bib, Kassa Overall, Aretha Franklin, Iannis Xenakis, Michael Ranta, John Williams, Raven Chacon, N4T, Negdedunn, Burial, Blake Baxter, Wrack, Frost Children, Lorde, Kyle Bruckmann/Doug Dillaman/Jason Wach and Sabres of Paradise.’ That’s a helluva of a line-up there. ** James Bennett, Thank you! It was utterly my honor and pleasure. Have a blast at the launch. ** Steeqhen, Yeah, best not to rush the writing always. I would say/guess the lineage actually goes back further to the Shirelles and Shangri-Las and Lesley Gore and that earlier group of female pop stars in the early 60s. Those pop stars mostly didn’t write their own tunes is the big difference but then a lot of pop stars now don’t write theirs either other than the lyrics. Back then it was the producer mostly responsible for the songs’ outlay, and that’s certainly often still the case now. Post-modernism and post-post are almost always about judicious theft. ** Charalampos, Hi. Barring the unforeseen, I’ll see Lucile’s film tonight. Yes, I really dislike the cover of ‘Try’. What can you do. No, I wasn’t given any alternative choices. Smooch. ** HaRpEr //, I mistakenly thought I was seeing ‘La Tour de glace’ last night, but it’s tonight. Gaspar and Lucille are a couple. She does a lot of work on his films in various capacities. Thanks, yeah, there’s just some stressful stuff right now but I’m working to get it resolved. I look forward to hearing about that can of worms. We should hang out somewhere somehow one of these days. I’m glad that ‘Giles Goat-Boy’ holds up. I haven’t read it since my teens, so I wasn’t sure. Barth’s weirdest novel is ‘Chimera’. That one really divides the Barth fan base. ** Okay. I was in an odd mood and decided to restore one of the least DC’s-like posts ever from ten years ago and done up lustrously by the great Chris Dankland. Have at it if you dare. See you tomorrow.
(2015)
Now available in North America 
I guess, with noise, I still reflexively see it as a sort of precious resource, because it was so completely opposed to the culturally sterile corner of London I grew up in — not just in that no one was making it or listening to it, but in that people couldn’t even accept that it was music and not a weird, dumb joke. Not to sound like I’m doing some snobby ‘wake up, sheeple’ thing, but quote-unquote transgressive/experimental/edge culture meant, I dunno, listening to Grimes or something. So whenever I’m actually seeing people fiddle with their Apollo 1-control panel-looking synths and whatevers, it feels like a personally special experience.
Yeah, I actually read my writing at the open mics for the first time ever and it went well, I think. Well enough to make the whole thing more real, if that makes sense. And it’s fun again, whereas for the longest time writing felt like pulling teeth. Maybe coming off my antidepressants has something to do with it. Not that going on them in the first place didn’t basically save my life, so no hard feelings about it.
And yep, Charlotte is phenomenal and she deserves very good things to come her way. Hm, lemme know once your North American trip dates are booked in. I’ll be crossing my fingers for star-alignment and unobnoxiously scribbling in the meantime.
My Country Music knowledge might be shamefully poor but I do have a fondness for Porter Wagoner – The Rubber Room and Dolly Parton – Jolene slowed down to 33.
Been enjoying my first ever audiobook. Irvine Welsh – Skagboys is what I went for, which is a Trainspotting sequel that comes with the author’s inimitable Scottish speech patterns built in. Kind of a strange way to appreciate literature as it’s not something where anything can be reread. Nor any passages lingered over. The bar-room style of this particular book though seems like a suitable way to get to know the format.
Hey Dennis! Country music is something I’m pretty unknowledgeable about, so this is a good introductory course for me. Thanks to both of you for restoring it!
Hope you enjoy Demian! I ❤️ the way you read books, it’s definitely a really cool philosophy. Oh, and I had a weird book encounter – I found a 20 quid note in a copy of Edward St. Aubyn’s “Never Mind” in a charity shop, which was a nice little bonus.
I also went to go see that animated horror film by Jimmy ScreamerClauz last night – “Where the Dead go to Die?”. Is it one you’ve seen? I’m still trying to disentangle how disturbing I found it from how good it actually was, so I’d be curious to get your opinion. Hope you’re well! See ya!
Oh, and P.S., I can’t remember if someone else here mentioned “Summer Hikaru Died”, but I just finished that and thought it was pretty great. Lots of quite gif-novel ish shots of anime guys expressing complicated emotions.
Hi!!
This is definitely a surprising post to see here, haha.
A special vanilla issue for SCAB – that sounds like an interesting idea. (The upcoming issue, out next Monday, definitely won’t earn that label, haha.)
I’ve received a professional massage once in my life. It was useful but not a particularly pleasurable experience because I don’t like being touched – especially by complete strangers.
Uh, that… doesn’t sound too good. The Chicago screening is on the 17th, right? When are you leaving for the US?
Love passing a parked car that had liquid shit on its front and feeling glad it’s not his – neither the car nor the discharge, Od.
Hi Dennis,
Thank you! I really appreciate it! Sorry I’ve been absent lately, more health issues (blood clots), and in the middle of reading two manuscripts to provide blurbs. Reading mss. to provide blurbs feels like unpaid labor, I really need to learn how to say no.
You had mentioned film work in an earlier comment.. Are you working on a new film? Or is this related to Room Temperature?
big love,
James
Good to see this again, Dennis. Wonder what Chris is up to these days. His social media hasn’t been updated in years. I remember his sly and mysterious video pieces, looks like these are still up on Vimeo.
Sunday’s gig was fun, but not one of our better outings. Probably just a little stressed before going out of town in a few days, but I’ll try to focus on what I’ll be doing once I’m there!
Bill
Hello! What a fun post! This is my favorite country song. Okay see you later, Dennis!ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊
Hey, pal, how have you been???
Haven’t showed up in the comments in a while but always keep up with the posts on here and now on IG. How has Instagram worked for you?? Scrolling on it at all or just using it to share stuff? Been really stoked to see you on there. So much has happened since we last talked, most importantly my second book coming out here in Brazil. Fun times.
I need to talk to you about something specific, actually, which I really hope you’ll be into. Thought about emailing you but that it could be quicker on here at first. So the editor for this magazine I’m a consistent collaborator for proposed that I interview you for a new issue. He recently got really into your work (The Sluts in particular has been making the rounds in online circles here, and I’ve probably played a part by consistently talking about your work on social media, interviews, etc.) and knew that you and I had a link, how much of a pillar you are to me, etc. so I got the pitch. Pretty sure you’ve never been interviewed for a Brazilian publication, right? So it’d be a huge huge honor to be the first to do it. Talk about books, Room Temperature, etc. Also to spread your word around here, maybe even pave the way for future translations, who knows. I’m sure you might be busy and caught up in other projects, but we could schedule it the best way you see fit. I wouldn’t take too much of your time. I can e-mail the questions, have a quick back-and-forth, or if you’re up for something more comprehensive of course I’d be down too. However you prefer. Tell me how you feel about it. Crossing my fingers.
XO
Minet
Hi Dennis. Printer’s Row Lit Fest was a success in the sense that I spent a bunch of money and have a couple months’ worth of books to read. I picked up a published version of Bruce Wagner’s the marvel universe, which is cool bc I’ve been sitting on that pdf for a while but didn’t know it had been printed, and a book you’d blurbed, The Autodidacts by Thomas Kendall. I also got a lot of stuff from Clash press, which has always treated me well.
In regards to country music, I’ve always been more interested in the faker bro-country stuff than the “real country” music. Maybe because I grew up around suburban kids trying to act country, but as an adult I’m more drawn to the fake stuff. It’s more of an anthropological interest than an enjoyment, I guess. I do like the folkier sides of Real Country, though. Does country music interest you at all? I’m trying to imagine a possible French country scene, like how every nation has rap music now, and I’m having a hard time seeing that.