Gwine Dig a Hole to Put the Devil In is an excellent sampling of material from Leadbelly's early Library of Congress sessions, including versions of some of the first songs he ever learned, "Green Corn" and "Po' Howard," his song to Governor Neff that helped secure his release from a Texas prison in 1925, his first recorded version of "If It Wasn't for Dickie" (later transformed into "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine") -- the master of which is, alas, somewhat damaged -- and "C. C. Rider." ...   [ read more ]

CD $17.08

Jimmie Rodgers was more than just country music's first big star, he was also one of the first performers in the early stages of the recording industry to truly understand the benefits of having a distinct public persona. He became known as "the Singing Brakeman" after his discovery at the famed Bristol Sessions in 1927, and he astutely altered that image in 1930 by moving to Texas and donning a cowboy outfit. His records sold astoundingly well for the time, which meant he was much imitated, and t...   [ read more ]

CD $27.53

While conventional wisdom has it that Texas is a hotbed of conservative thought and social conformity, the Lone Star State also has a long and rich tradition of creative eccentrics, from Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm to Roky Erickson and the Butthole Surfers, and it says a lot that predominantly Christian Texas would spawn (and eagerly embrace) one of country music's greatest outlaw satirists, Kinky Friedman, the self-described "Texas Jewboy." While these days he's most famous as a best-sel...   [ read more ]

CD $9.49