Howdy,

We’re back after a long hiatus, but Chatham County Line has been added to The Live Music Archive. Chatham County Line is a 4-man band band from North Carolina that 4 albums out (the last 3 on Yep Roc Records).

This is a Matrix recording by Stan Orlowski from The Pickathon out in Oregon in August of this year. This is great cover of The Traveling Wilburys’ Handle With Care:

Handle With Care-Chatham County Line (8/2/08-Happy Valley, OR) MP3 Version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the artist!

Check out Chatham County Line’s website

We close out 80’s & 90’s Week with the band Cracker doing Mr. Wrong from their self-titled debut record from 1992, Cracker.

Cracker was formed out of the ashes of Camper Van Beethoven by David Lowrey and Johnny Hickman and went on to a string of unlikley alternative radio hits in the 90’s.

Here is a recent recording from Knickerboker’s, which looks like a pretty hip music joint for Lincoln, NE.

Enjoy the matrix recording by Steve Propp:

Mr. Wrong-Cracker (11/14/07-Lincoln, NE) MP3 version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the band!

Check out Cracker’s website

80’s & 90’s Week continues on Archive Drive By with a selection that was actually recorded in the 80’s by Canada’s own, Cowboy Junkies . The band formed in Toronto in 1985 and features the brother/sister duo of Margo Timmins (vocals) and Michael Timmins (lead guitar/songwriter).

The song presented here is called Dust My Broom, which is a Blues standard originally recorded by Robert Johnson in 1936 and later popularized by Elmore James in 1952.

This was recorded live at the now defunct, but legendary Austin club, The Liberty Lunch in 1989.

Dust My Broom-The Cowboy Junkies (3/12/89-Austin, TX) MP3 version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the band!

Visit their website

I have decided to declare this week 80’s & 90’s Week on Archive Drive By. Let’s kick things off with English singer & songwriter, Robyn Hitchcock. He actually began recording with his first band, The Soft Boys in 1976. He later went on to some actual success on college radio in the 80’s & 90’s with his solo albums and with his new band, Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians.

I chose a live version of the title track of his 1984 album, I Often Dream Of Trains. I think this was recorded for a radio show somewhere in Tokyo by a person known as timw3333.

I Often Dream Of Trains-Robyn Hitchcock (10/6/05-Tokyo, Japan) MP3 version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the artist!

Check out Robyn Hitchcock’s website

The 12th entry of Archive Drive By is a two-fer. It features Phil Lesh, bass player of The Grateful Dead and his current live band, Phil Lesh & Friends. Phil’s Friends have included all sorts of musicians since 1998, but this version features Jackie Greene, Larry Campbell, Steve Molitz and John Molo.

In the fall of 2007 the band set up shop in New York City for an historic 10-night run at The Nokia Theatre in Times Square. In fact, apparently the marijuana smoke at one point got so thick that it seaped into The Minskoff Theatre next door where a production of Disney’s Lion King was taking place. Popcorn sales went through the roof.

Over the course of the 10 shows the band played with guests like Ryan Adams, Steve Berlin and Amy Helm. They also played several acoustic sets, which is where today’s tunes come from.

These songs were played as a medley, but you will have to download them seperately. You can join them up again on your personal device or if you burn them to a CD.

The first tune is called Cry Yourself Dry and it was written and sung by Jackie Greene. It originally appeared on his 2002 album, Gone Ramblin’.

That segues into an instrumentel fiddle tune led by Larry Campbell and written by Bill Monroe called Big Mon. Both songs feature Phil Lesh on stand-up bass.

These recordings are from the soundboard and were released by Phil Lesh for free:

Cry Yourself Dry-Phil Lesh & Friends (11/2/07-New York, NY) MP3 version

Big Mon-Phil Lesh & Friends (11/2/07-New York, NY) MP3 version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the band!

Phil’s website

This song is by one of my favorite young Bluegrass bands, The Steep Canyon Rangers, who are from Chapel Hill, NC. I like this tune because it states a universal truth…A Ramblin’ Man Is A Ramblin’ Man. The song is an original tune and comes from The Steep Canyon Rangers’ latest and 5th CD, Lovin Pretty Women on Rebel Records.

This was recorded at one of my favorite festivals, The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion which happens every September in the town of Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia. The state line actually runs through the center of town.

Dig this soundboard recording by Travis Viars:

A Ramblin’ Man Is A Ramblin’ Man-The Steep Canyon Rangers (9/14/07-Bristol, TN) MP3 version

Complete show and lossless version

Please support the band!

Here is their website

More soon!

For the 10th Archive Drive By I present you with a track by The Ditty Bops from Los Angeles. The Ditty Bops are the eclectic musical duo of Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett. Their music is pretty hard to categorize, but it certainly includes elements of Folk, Bluegrass and Western Swing. I also just want to point out that did a tour in 2006 entirely via byclcle that spanned 4502.75 miles! Wow!

Here you will hear them doing an old song called Sister Kate written by Clarence Williams and Armand Piron.

This was performed at the Historic Kent Stage in Kent, Ohio.

Take a listen to this matrix recording by Mark Rodriguez:

Sister Kate-The Ditty Bops (9/1/07-Kent, OH) MP3 Version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the band!

The Ditty Bops’ website

Today’s Archive Drive By comes courtesy of Rockabilly/Country/Rock & Roll guitarist, Deke Dickerson. If you’ve seen Deke you know how good he is, if you have never heard of him, here is your chance to check him out.

This tune, I Got A Boogie Woogie Feeling And My Mama Won’t Let Me Come Home was recorded live at Austin’s famed Continental Club and features Deke’s crack band, The Ecco-Fonics.

This particular incarnation of The Ecco-Fonics features Crazy Joe Joe Tritschler on second guitar.

Enjoy this soundboard recording by Aaron Wevodau:

I Got A Boogie Woogie Feeling And My Mama Won’t Let Me Come Home-Deke Dickerson (5/5/06-Austin, TX) MP3 Version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the band!

Deke’s website

In today’s Archive Drive By we stretch back to the 20th century for the first time for a live selection by the late, great Warren Zevon (R.I.P.). This is a track featuring Warren (with some help from the mysterious Dr. Babyhead on flute) doing his classic song The Hula Hula Boys, which originally appeared on the album, The Envoy in 1982.

This is a song about a Hawiian vacation gone wrong that was a particular favorite of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. This show took place at The Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, CO, which was just down the road from Dr. Thompson’s compound so it is a good bet that he was in the audience. He liked this song so much that he quoted it in his book, The Curse Of Lono in 1983.

I want to send this soundboard recording out to my friend and producer, Kurt A…

The Hula Hula Boys-Warren Zevon (1/12/96-Aspen, CO) MP3 version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the artist (or his estate)…

Warren Zevon’s website

Today’s selection is by the reformed version of the classic Bay Area band, The New Riders Of The Purple Sage. Named after a novel by Zane Grey, the band came together as an offshoot of the Grateful Dead in the late 60’s and originally featured Dead members Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart as well as David Nelson and John “Marmaduke” Dawson. Due to the Dead’s other commitments, the line-up soon morphed, but The New Riders enjoyed a fair amount of sucess in the 70’s and are considered pioneers of Country-Rock.

A few years ago the band reformed fronted by original member David Nelson and pedal steel player, Buddy Cage and augmented by several new players. John Dawson has retired from music and is in ill health, but gave his blessing to this new version of the band.

The tune I picked is the traditional tune, Peggy-O also known as Fennario. This is a very old tune with mysterious origins that has also been covered by The Dead and Bob Dylan. This version comes from The New Riders’ New Years Eve Show at The Silo in Reading, PA, which was a double bill with former Dead member Donna Jean Godchaux. You will hear Mookie Siegal from Donna’s band sitting in on accordion here.

Enjoy this Matrix recording by Tapecat:

Peggy-O-The New Riders Of The Purple Sage (12/31/07-Reading, PA) MP3 version

Complete show and lossless version

Support the band!

New Riders Of The Purple Sage website