RICK’S CHICKS: Texas trio the DIXIE CHICKS have tapped Rick Rubin to produce the follow-up to their multiplatinum 2002 album Home. The band has begun recording in Los Angeles, but no release date has been set yet. The Chicks also appear on a couple songs from the upcoming Pete Yorn album, tentatively scheduled for release this fall.
NASHVILLE RATIONALE: Austin honky-tonker DALE WATSON — yes, he of “Nashville Rash” fame — recently recorded in Music City for the first time, working on a new album for Koch Nashville with producer Aubrey Mayhew (Johnny Paycheck) and pedal steel legend Lloyd Green….
Also in Nashville lately was NEIL YOUNG, who recruited the likes of keyboardist Spooner Oldham and pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith to work on his new album.
WELCOME BACK: Missouri roots-rockers the MORELLS have reassembled to make only their third disc in the last twenty years. Hightone will release the band’s record in July….
T BONE BURNETT has recorded his first solo album since 1992, though there’s no release date set yet. A Burnett anthology is due in 2006 from DMZ/Legacy….
Anti Records plans a fall release for a Joe Henry-produced album by ’60s/’70s soul singer BETTYE LAVETTE, just her second album in nearly fifteen years….
Alligator Records has scheduled an August release for the first album of new material in over 30 years by Chicago bluesmen CORKY SIEGEL & JIM SCHWALL.
SEEN YOUR VIDEO: Jay Farrar’s reconstituted SON VOLT releases Okemah And The Melody Of Riot July 12 on Transmit Sound/Legacy in a DualDisc format, with the DVD portion containing live performances, interviews and “making of” footage….
WILCO filmed a series of shows at Chicago’s Vic Theatre in early May with plans to turn out a live DVD/CD. Sam Jones, who directed the Wilco documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, is helming the DVD side of the project….
RICHARD THOMPSON, whose new album Front Parlour Ballads arrives August 9 on Cooking Vinyl, is working on a DVD/CD version of his “1,000 Years Of Popular Music” stage show, tentatively set for a fall release….
Raise Your Voice, a documentary about the vocal group SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK, comes out on DVD July 12, with a companion CD due that day as well….
July 12 also is the day for Buried Alive In The Blues, a CD/DVD project from the CHICAGO BLUES REUNION band, which counts Nick Gravenites, Tracy Nelson, Harvey Mandel and Sam Lay among its members….
A CD/DVD culled from the 2004 AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL, featuring performances from Los Lonely Boys, Blind Boys of Alabama and Ben Harper, is slated for an August release….
Compadre Records has inked a deal with GILLEY’S nightclub to do a series of live DVDs and CDs….
On August 2, Shout Factory will put out a three-DVD set of vintage rock performances from the DICK CAVETT SHOW. Spanning the years 1969-1975, the collection contains appearances from Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, David Crosby and Stephen Stills.
COMING SOON: Belladonna, an album of pedal steel instrumentals from DANIEL LANOIS, comes out July 12 on Anti….
The first record of new original material from the VOLEBEATS since 2000’s Mosquito Spiral surfaces in July from Rainbow Quartz….
Philadelphia singer-songwriter DENNISON WITMER delivers Are You A Dreamer?, produced by Don Peris of the Innocence Mission, on July 26 through the Militia Group….
Also due July 26, on Appleseed, is a disc by the LOVE HALL TRYST, featuring John Wesley Harding, Nora O’Connor and Kelly Hogan performing primarily a cappella renditions of traditional British folk songs. The album, Songs Of Misfortune, is a companion piece to Harding’s recently published novel Misfortune….
David Pajo of the indie-rock band Slint has turned down the volume for a laptop solo folk album due on Drag City in July under the name PAJO….
Countryman, a long-shelved reggae project from WILLIE NELSON, finally sees the light of day August 2 on Lost Highway….
After backing John Hiatt on his new disc Master Of Disaster, the NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS have their own Electric Blue Watermelon coming August 2 from ATO….
Former Bad Livers leader DANNY BARNES plans an August 2 release for Get Myself Together, his latest Terminus Records disc….
John Prine, Rodney Crowell and Maura O’Connell are among those extending their HANDS ACROSS THE WATERS, a tsunami victims benefit disc coming from Red House August 2….
MAD DOGS & OKIES, a compilation due August 9 from Concord Records, features new material from J.J. Cale, Taj Mahal, Vince Gill, and — dare we say it — Willis Alan Ramsey.
ON THE HORIZON: The third album from NICKEL CREEK, Why Should The Fire Die?, is set for an August 9 release on Sugar Hill….
Epic Nashville plans an August 16 release for Dreamin’ My Dreams, the latest from PATTY LOVELESS, with guest turns by Dwight Yoakam and Emmylou Harris….
August 16 also brings the next Bloodshot release from the WACO BROTHERS, Freedom And Weep, and the first Nettwerk release by FOGHORN STRINGBAND, Weiser Sunrise….
DELBERT MCCLINTON releases Cost Of Living on New West August 23, the same day the KENNEDYS make their Appleseed debut with Half A Million Miles and bluesman OTIS TAYLOR issues Below The Fold on Telarc….
A gospel album from MARTY STUART, Soul’s Chapel, arrives August 30 on Superlatone, Stuart’s own imprint at Universal South….
DEVENDRA BANHART expects an August release for his first outing on XL Recordings….
Rounder has signed all-female string band UNCLE EARL and plans a July 19 release for the group’s debut disc, She Waits For Night….
Former Tarnation singer PAULA FRAZER is readying her third solo outing, Leave The Sad Things Behind, for a September release….
Also penciled in for September is a new disc from MARAH on Yep Roc.
MINING THE ARCHIVES: Separate box sets celebrating JOHNNY CASH and JUNE CARTER CASH have been moved from July 5 to August 2 on Columbia/Legacy. A deluxe version of the Cash set will come out August 16….
The marvelously twisted mind of SHEL SILVERSTEIN will be saluted on a Columbia/Legacy collection of his songs as rendered by the likes of Willie Nelson, Bobby Bare and Kris Kristofferson, as well as Silverstein himself….
Penitentiary Blues, the long out-of-print debut of DAVID ALLAN COE, returns to circulation via Shout Factory on August 23….
On August 30, Rebel Records reissues the 1971 album Together Again from the bluegrass duo RENO & SMILEY….
The sole album from Chicago bluesman BLIND ARVELLA GRAY comes out on CD for the first time in August via Conqueroo Records….
A box set for THE BAND is due September 27 on Capitol/EMI. The label also plans an August 2 release of Robbie Robertson’s film music for Raging Bull, the first time it has ever been released.
BITS & PIECES: Bassist Robert Kearns has left the BOTTLE ROCKETS and has been replaced by Keith Voegele. Kearns, who also previously worked with Jack Ingram, is now playing bass with Chris Cagle….
Dust Bowl Revival, the Canadian debut of indie-roots band OX, received a stateside release in June on Second Nature Recordings….
JOSH RITTER has teamed up with producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine) for his upcoming V2 Records album….
Guitar icon LES PAUL, who turned 90 in June, has a new disc in the works on Capitol/EMI featuring contributions from Eric Clapton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Joan Osborne.
ALL THE FIXINS: A review of Shelby Lynne’s album Suit Yourself in ND #57 stated that bassist Brian Harrison produced the record. Harrison was the engineer; Lynne was producer.
