SALT-COUNTRY

Be an ambassador for new music

BY DON STICKSEL

HTT Contributor

Well, as of this column Los Angeles just got put back on an indoor mask mandate. We’re being passed over on tours because clubs still aren’t booking in the shortterm, and this is another setback. It’s totally and completely at the feet of the unvaccinated. Guess what dumb-dumbs, the vaccine works. Get vaccinated, dammit.

Since our last visit, I’ve been visiting my folks in North Carolina and, while I was there, had the chance to see two artists: John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff and John R. Miller.

John Howie Jr. has been making country music for at least 25 years, starting out as the frontman for the Two Dollar Pistols in the RaleighDurham area. Between his two outfits, there are at least eight albums to check out. John’s a solid dude and one of the reasons I do what I do.

John R. Miller just released his second solo album, “Depreciated.” Originally hailing from West Virginia, John calls Nashville home now. Before going solo, he was in the bands The Fox Hunt and Prison Book Club (as I’m writing this, I just found out about The Fox Hunt; more about that in a minute). John’s a helluva songwriter and deserving of wider recognition.

From North Carolina, I headed back to the Motherland, my old hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I got to see The World’s Longest Running Monday Night Residency featuring the Roe Family Singers at the 331 Club. For at least 15 years, they’ve been slinging old-time country music with a twist (Misfits covers anyone?). They’re hard at work on their seventh album, which means there are six others for you to dig into.

Now that I’m back in California, I’m looking forward to Sundays at the Grand Ole Echo, LA’s finest showcase of roots music where you can see the likes of Elijah Ocean, Jamie Wyatt, Victoria Bailey, Lasers Lasers Birmingham, Francesca Brown and anyone else who might be coming through town but like I said earlier, that’s at a standstill. Until that changes, the Los Angeles scene can stand on its own two legs because we’re brimming with lots of local talent, and that brings me to this month’s topic: music discovery.

I like to think I know a lot. That I have my finger on the pulse, so to speak, but when I read my fellow HTT columns, I find I’m missing out on great music. Why? Because for as small as the world has become through tech, music is by and large still a regional pastime. Unless you’re determined to make a living at it, most musicians are just happy to play locally or do short weekend runs for whatever reason: a lack of funds, a job, family, etc. Touring is a full-time gig that requires a lot of grit and determination and cash money. You have to have a van (preferably reliable), gas money, food, lodging and the mental toughness to drive long distances between shows knowing every night could range from a sold-out crowd or what amounts to band practice in front of the bartender.

Don Sticksel, AKA DJ Salty Cracker

It’s no surprise to me that some bands choose to say home. Then again, scenes aren’t built on touring acts; they’re made up of the local Wednesday night dance lesson/ country band and Sunday afternoon’s chicken shit bingo. Every big city has something brewing, and I’ve seen plenty of small towns making things happen. I absolutely want you to cultivate your local community. Showing up is the most important thing you can do. But I also want you to be curious—explore your world while acting as an ambassador.

Finding new music is a job unto itself. It’s like being a detective: you have to know what you’re looking for and know how to follow clues.

When I’m putting together my Country Bunker radio shows, I rely on multiple sources:

Spotify’s Release Radar: I’ve got my algo tuned just right so I get new releases.

OPP (Other People’s Playlists): For as shitty as Spotify is, it has some good resources for discovery. The desktop app has a section on an artist’s page called “Discovered On,” which are playlists of other users. Definitely hit or miss, but I can always find someone new to me.

Fans Also Like: another Spotify tool that can be a rabbit hole or a short swim in our small pond.

Bandcamp: here’s the real MVP. When you drill down into country in the Discover section, you’ll find all sorts of gems. Every time I start looking, it’s like Xmas. And you know there’s nothing I like better than getting messages from artists when I play them on the show that ask, “how did you find me?”

Instagram: sure, it can be a self-aggrandizing meme circle jerk, but there are plenty of accounts spreading the love of new music. Offhand, I’d say that @ howdeeheather, @harpervalleypr, @lonesomehighwaymag and @onechordnet are all solid choices (and of course, yours truly @bothkindsofmusic).

Honestly, I’m on a lot of label and radio email lists, but I find more music from those five places than I do from a full inbox of spam. How do you find new music? I’m curious. Let me know via djsaltycracker@ bothkindsofmusic.com

That’s it for this month. Thanks for reading, and until next time, be kind and . . . keep it country.

Don Sticksel, AKA DJ Salty Cracker, hosts the Country Bunker on Gimme Country every Wednesday. Follow him @bothkindsofmusic.