Matt Hillyer is the frontman for Dallas-based honky-tonkers Eleven Hundred Springs. I interviewed his bandmate Steve Berg here. Eleven Hundred Springs’ new record This Crazy Life comes out February 2nd. Five Records is an occasional feature of artists talking about the music that inspires them. Read more of these posts here.
The Stray Cats
s/t
“This is really hard to find nowadays, I found it at a local record store. I remember seeing the cover and wanting to do what they did — there’s only three guys, and it doesn’t seem like rocket science, but its pretty intricate and interesting. “
The Reverend Horton Heat
Smoke ‘em If You Got ‘em
“He made no apologies for not being commercial enough. His dedication to his songwriting and his show are what I always admired. I was lucky enough to be right there, he was like my uncle, and a professional on his own terms. He knew when to say no, when it made sense.”
Doug Sahm
The Genuine Texas Groover
“I listened to this record while we were making This Crazy Life — he had a sound that spanned a whole lot of genres, being able to blend his influences into something all his own. I never like to limit myself to western swing or honky tonk, I like to mess around with all of it. Doug showed that people are supposed to have their own sound, their own voice.”
Buddy Holly
Greatest Hits
“I wish I had written “True Love Ways” — that song is just really hard to beat. He wrote it when he was 22, and brought strings into rock music. By today’s standards, he might be considered a nerd, but he is definitely one of the fathers of rock and roll.“
Ryan Bingham
Roadhouse Sun
“At times I don’t even know what to think about him — he used to open our shows with just an acoustic guitar. It seems like his contemporaries are moving in one direction, and he just throws something out that no one expected.”
Eleven Hundred Springs – Every Time I Get Close To You
Posted: January 15th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
I recently spoke with Steve Berg, who plays bass for Dallas-based honky-tonk band Eleven Hundred Springs. Their last record, Country Jam, brought a whole new legion of fans to their legendary live shows. Their new record This Crazy Life will be out February 2nd. Five Records is an occasional feature of artists talking about the music that inspires them. Read more of these posts here.
Dwight Yoakam
Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
“I had lost my job at a fast food restaurant right around the time I saw Dwight at the Bluebonnet Palace in San Antonio in 1986. The songs on this record showed a younger dude talking on the old stuff with a punk rock attitude — growing up, I listened to Buck Owens and Bob Wills, but Dwight was blazing his own trail, not just dusting off the classics.”
Asleep at the Wheel
The Very Best
“Asleep at the Wheel never aged out of the music like a lot of western swing bands do — they are still making new music that they can be proud of, even after so long in the business. If they didn’t love it like they do, it would be hard to choke through their schedule, but they have always maintained a high level of integrity to their craft.”
American Graffiti
Original Soundtrack
“This was pivotal for me coming up — Bill Haley, Buddy Holly — that music was so special. Everybody played at once on the records, and they had a real live feel. This kept me fresh while making our upcoming record because after 10 hours of mixing fiddle and steel, I don’t exactly want to listen to Hank Thompson.”
Billy Joe Shaver
Greatest Hits
“I wish I had written “Live Forever“, by Billy Joe Shaver. Not only is it a great song, it would make a great tattoo. When he re-recorded it, someone convinced him to put Big & Rich on the track, and that still didn’t mess it up, it’s just that good.”
Tejas Brothers
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“These guys have been opening shows for us since 2006 or so, and they are making a new record as well, which I can’t wait to hear. They have this Texas Tornados-type sound — upright bass and accordian, and real bluesy guitar. Great energy live. I have heard great records from artists who are real snoozers in concert — to me, the exciting artists are the ones who are able to deliver it live.”
Eleven Hundred Springs – Why You Been Gone So Long?
Posted: December 11th, 2009 | 5 Comments »
