S.E.M. Part I: My many thanks to Craig Gill & University Press of Mississippi

I had a great time in Pittsburgh last week at The Society for Ethnomusicology national conference and I plan to make a few posts about the recent trip. Consider this post here to be Part I. Beyond simply meeting with several brilliant scholars, hearing many interesting papers, and meeting lots of other talented future faculty/professionals (not to mention some real fun record hunting expeditions at Jerry's Records), I also had the privilege to meet up once again with one of the key people most responsible for making The Starday Story: The House That Country Music Built a reality-- University Press of Mississippi Editor-In-Chief, Craig Gill. According to Craig, the press is very pleased with the Starday book's success and it remains one of their best sellers! Hooray!

Craig, thanks again for everything that you do on behalf of this book including promoting it at various national conferences like SEM all across the country! I am mighty proud to be associated with U. Press of Mississippi and continually thankful that they took a chance on this idea and contributed so much to making it happen!

The Switchyard Comes to Indiana University!

I'd like to take a moment to publicly thank Laura Wanner and Tim Baker for coming to our Music, Identity, and Social Life class today at Indiana University to talk about their roles in creating and operating The Switchyard. You guys are awesome and it was fun to see so many students attentive and interested in alternatives to mainstream music and how these house concerts promote and sustain community. 

We've been having some great discussions in class about DIY music scenes and social action in Canada, Morocco, Brazil, and Indonesia, but it was really great to bring those concepts to a local level and focus on our own backyard Bloomington, IN gem for acoustic house concerts and potluck dinners--where Sunday night dinner meets back porch picking! As Tim says, "If you already know about the Switchyard, well then you're cool. And if you don't... then you're about to get cool." The next throwdown is Sunday Nov. 16 and I hope y'all can make it out and experience the magic for yourself. More details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/TheSwitchyard

Thanks again, Tim & Laura (and thanks also to Kurt Baer for taking photos)!

Happy 30th Anniversary to Goofin' Records!

Today I'm wishing a HUGE Happy 30th Anniversary to Pete Hakonen and his Goofin' Records label.

[Pete Hakonen and I, August 2014]

For the past 30 years Goofin' has been releasing some of the best country, rockabilly, bluegrass, rautalanka, western swing, and rock and roll from Finland and around the world (discography here: http://goofinrecords.com/shop/index.php?topic=93&offset=0). Today is the big 3-0 celebration in Helsinki with High Noon, Wildfire Willie & the Ramblers, The Fanatic IV, Vesa snygg sekä satelliitti-yhtye, and DJ Bill Smoker. 

Wish I could be there to celebrate with y'all, but instead my internet congrats from afar will have to suffice. Pete, thanks again for your friendship, your warm welcome to Finland and everything you did to help me get acclimated, as well as welcoming me into the Goofin' family. Kiitos paljon! I'm mighty proud of our last release together and I look forward to many more projects in the future.

[Goofin GRCD 6177, The Starday Sessions]

For those unfamiliar with the great Goofin' legacy, you can stream or download DJ Bill Smoker's excellent 5-part podcast exploring the label here: http://www.rockabillydj.com/?name=2014-10-04_podcast_1404_-_focus_on_goofin_records_30th_anniversary.mp3

I also produced one podcast all about Goofin' artists covering Starday artists and the parallels between the two labels here: http://nathandgibson.blogspot.com/2013/07/new-podcast-tribute-to-goofin-records.html