“House of the Rising Sun” in Baxter Springs?

The answer to the question: Sort of. The story behind this is complicated. So bear with me. I just finished reading Ted Anthony's excellent 2007 book, "Chasing the Rising Sun," which traces the tangled and twisted origins of the famous song, "House of the Rising Sun." It's nearly certain that you've heard the tune. But … Continue reading “House of the Rising Sun” in Baxter Springs?

New song takes place on Route 66 in Texas

The Gourds, a folk-rock band out of Texas, has a song, "All the Way to Jericho," on its new album, "Haymaker!" that takes place on Route 66 in the Lone Star State. The Jericho in the song, according to a review in Pitchfork Media, refers to the notorious Jericho Gap of old Route 66 in … Continue reading New song takes place on Route 66 in Texas

“Life Ain’t Always Beautiful”

Check out the neon sign during this video by Gary Allan. It's from the Holiday Motel on the Strip in Las Vegas -- one of the last survivors of vintage motels there. The song itself has a interesting history. Allan recorded it shortly after his wife committed suicide. Several of the songs from the excellent … Continue reading “Life Ain’t Always Beautiful”

Hello from Germany

I haven't been able to track down much information about this band, other than it being based in Germany. I'm not sure whether "Root 66" is the band's name or a variation of the title of the Bobby Troop song it performs here. Still, this sludgy, midtempo version sounds a lot more fresh than others … Continue reading Hello from Germany