With the price of gasoline surging recently, it is a good time for the rare song that praises the choice of a fuel-efficient car. Perhaps there is no better song referencing the topic than Justin Townes Earle‘s song about the singer’s love for a woman driving a “Champagne Corolla.” In the song, the singer notes how the woman must have a good head on her shoulders because, “She can run all week on just one tank.”

“Champagne Corolla” appeared as the lead track on Justin Townes Earle’s 2017 album, Kids in the Street. At the time, Allmusic praised “Champagne Corolla” as a “stompin’ exercise in New Orleans-influenced R&B.” The song also appeared on the posthumous 2024 All In: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years) in a version Earle had performed on his father Steve Earle’s Satellite radio show (see below). Steve Earle also recorded a nice version of his son’s song on his 2021 album made in tribute to Justin Townes Earle, J.T.

I don’t care what no man say,
She can run all week on just one tank;
Goes to show you,
Maybe baby got a head on her shoulders, yeah;
And she sure looks sweet driving by in that champagne Corolla.

I know every man think that he need some high tone woman,
Something built for speed;
But you can’t trust a rich girl,
No farther than you can throw her;
Need a middle class queen riding by in a champagne Corolla.

As for the car, Toyota has been making Corollas since 1966. As the singer in the song implies, the Corolla is seen as a practical compact car known for its fuel efficiency.

In the video below, Justin Townes Earle, who passed away on August 20, 2020, performs “Champagne Corolla” in May 2017 on Steve Earle’s Hardcore Troubadour Radio show on SiriusXM.

Until there is a great song about an electric car, is “Champagne Corolla” the champagne of songs mentioning fuel efficiency? Leave your two cents in the comments.

The post In Praise of Fuel Efficiency: Justin Townes Earle’s “Champagne Corolla” appeared first on chimesfreedom.

Country legend David Allan Coe passed away on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. While articles about his life focus on certain songs he wrote, like “Take This Job and Shove It,” and on certain singles, like “Tennessee Whiskey,” “Longhaired Redneck,” and “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” the man’s vast catalog cannot be summed up by a few songs. And while there will be the usual labels for the Ohio-born Coe, like “Outlaw,” he had a long and complex career full of highs and lows.

And where does one start with David Allan Coe? There were some troubled times, including stints in prison and bankruptcy. But for fans, one has to start with the music. There’s forty-two studio albums, as well as some controversial X-rated independent ones. Among his catalog is some amazing work.

And one way to start is to go back near the beginning. Some of his great songs and recordings came out during the early 1970s before finding wider success and before the rise of Outlaw country. He released his debut album Penitentiary Blues in 1970, including songs he had written in prison.

But before he had much success he worked as a staff songwriter for Window Music publishing, writing songs and creating demos for other artists. In 2005, many of these demos were finally released on For the Soul and for the Mind: Demos of ’71-’74 . Although none of the songs eventually became a hit, as Allmusic notes, they are further evidence that David Allan Coe was a poet.

One of those demos was a song called “Don’t You Cry.” And it seems like a fitting way to say goodbye for now.

Don’t you cry, children;
Don’t you cry
I’ll see you in the sweet bye and bye.

I’ve been staring at tomorrow,
knowing it might never come;
I’ve been talking about salvation,
Thinking I might get me some.

It’s so hard to beat the devil,
When he don’t play by the rules;
And I know that the Savior
Has a special place for fools.

What is your favorite David Allan Coe song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Oklahoma singer-songwriter John Fullbright has an amazing voice that backs up his fantastic songs. While his albums have received some acclaim, he is one of those artists who does not get the national recognition he deserves.

I first discovered his YouTube cover of a Steve Earle song, and I have been following his career, waiting for his next album. I strongly recommend his album Songs as one of the great Americana albums of the last few decades.

While he does not release albums frequently enough to make me happy, he remains active performing around Oklahoma and elsewhere while also helping other artists. B

Fortunately, the camera was rolling during one of his recent performances at the Summer Breeze concert series in Oklahoma on June 29, 2025. Check it out.

Don’t let Fullbright’s everyman appearance fool you. The band rocks and plays blues, but the highlight for me is when Fullbright stands on the stage solo starting around the 47 minute mark, after which he does some songs solo while playing the piano. In these moving songs about love, heartbreak, death, and God, his ragged voice and the emotion conveys a deep power that touches one’s heart directly.

For some bonus John Fullbright, check out him covering two Elvis Presley songs, “Never Been to Spain / Saved.”

What is your favorite John Fullbright song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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In January 1974, the band Redbone released the single “Come and Get Your Love.” The catchy song, which appeared on the 1973 album Wovoka, rose to number 5 on the Billboard chart by April of that year. Many of those who only heard the song on the radio, though, did not realize the song was making history as the first song by an all-Native and Mexican-American band to have a top 10 hit on the chart.

The man singing lead on the song, Lolly Vegas, also wrote the song and played the guitar and electric sitar on the track. Other members of the band included Tony Bellamy, Peter DePoe and Pat Vegas (Lolly’s brother, who, according to his biography, co-wrote “Come and Get Your Love”).

While their hit song was not a political song, the band recognized the impact of their heritage. On the same album, they included the song “We Were All Wounded at Wounded Knee,” which became a hit in the Europe even as the record company refused to release it as a single in the U.S.

The record company and the band instead released “Come and Get Your Love” as the single. Pat Vegas once explained the song is about more than romantic love: “It’s love all around, in every facet and every part of your being, you know? And that’s the message: What’s the matter with your mind and your sign? Come and get your love. In other words, where you come from and who you are doesn’t matter as much as what you believe, and what you feel.”

If you were around in the 1970s, you knew the song from the radio and from it repeatedly playing in your head. More modern listeners may know the song from its many appearances in movies and TV shows, including Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), and F is for Family (Netflix).

But back on February 22, 1974, Redbone performed “Come and Get Your Love” on NBC’s The Midnight Special. They introduced the song with a traditional Native American dance.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Anna Tivel, a singer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon, has been recording and performing for more than a decade. Her seventh album Animal Poem was released in August 2025, and has been described as deep “with wisdom into the experience of existence, forgiveness, love for humanity, nature, and reconciliation with mortality.”

On the album, Tivel hoped to capture the spirit of people sitting on a porch playing songs for each other. And she accomplished that goal.

She explained, “Everyone in the studio made it feel so open, made it easy to forget technology and permanence and just play, messy and alive. It’s this vital mess that moves me when I listen now – ghost notes in the high register of the piano, melodic guitar and bass lines briefly interwoven, earthy cymbals breathing, my dog barking. . . . Most of what you hear is just people sitting together in a small room, listening and talking with tenderness and abandon.”

I love the album’s title track, where Tivel spins a number of lessons together into a tribute to living, presented as a poem that one may hear as a bedtime story.

Courage is a tired mom, milk crate and a cardboard sign,
Trying to find a story for her daughter;
This is how the world exists, let me spin it for you kid,
In a way that’s easier to swallow.

Everyone is in a play, characters in constant pain,
Reaching for a way to taste some beauty;
You can be someone who loves, or you can be somebody else;
That’s all there is, you breathe, then you’re not breathing.

Check out “Animal Poem” by Anna Tivel.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Sturgill Simpson, who with his previous album started recording as Johnny Blue Skies is releasing a new album backed by the Dark Clouds called Mutiny After Midnight later this month. He announced that the album would only be released on physical media, but, perhaps because there was an early leak, he posted the album’s music on YouTube early for fans to enjoy. Alas, though, the streaming version was only available temporarily (so no longer posted here). Despite the confusing drama around the release, fans still rejoiced.

The album’s cover features a sword in a disco ball with dripping blood, hinting this music is for dancing, influenced by disco. The title track title is a nod toward a certain president’s hat while signaling that the music is about havin fun, “Make America Fuk Again.” While it may seem like Simpson has diverted drastically from his country roots, the album still features his strong songwriting and Simpson has always defied categorization. On first listen the album also seems to be capturing the joy from his recent tours heavily influenced by jam bands.

Simpson is releasing the album Mutiny After Midnight on physical media on March 13, 2026. Buy it, play it loud, and get up and dance.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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If you watched TV in the 1960s and 1970s, odds are that you recognize the face and voice of Allan Melvin but may not know the name of the actor. Melvin — who was born on February 18, 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri — made many appearances on popular shows and voiced cartoons for several decades.  Among many roles, Melvin had recurring appearances on some of the most popular TV shows of the era, including The Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch, All in the Family, and Gomer Pyle, USMC.  On top of that, he also had one of the most memorable recurring roles in a TV commercial.

Many viewers will see his face and immediately remember him as Sam Franklin, aka Alice’s boyfriend “Sam the Butcher” on The Brady Bunch. Yet, he only appeared on eight episodes of the show between 1969 and 1974.

As what many might call a “character actor,” Melvin was a great one and seemed to have been in constant demand. I became inspired to write this post after watching several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. He also appeared in eight episodes of that classic show, but in those shows from 1962 to 1967, Melvin appeared as a different character each time, ranging from a convict to a bully to a hotel detective to a recruiting sergeant. It seems the producers loved his work and kept bringing him back, ignoring how it might seem confusing to viewers that the same man was someone different even during the same season.

Melvin had recurring roles in other classic shows. In Gomer Pyle, USMC, an Andy Griffith Show spinoff, producers kept him as the same character. Perhaps because of his great work as a sergeant on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show, he played Sgt. Barney Hackett in sixteen episodes of Gomer Pyle, USMC in 1965-1969.

Additionally, he played a recurring role in All in the Family as Archie’s friend and neighbor Barney Hefner. Yet, he had also started out on that show with one appearance playing a sergeant.

After the sergeant appearance, Melvin appeared as Barney Hefner in twenty-four episodes of All in the Family from 1972 to 1979, continuing to play the character in the spin-off show Archie Bunker’s Place in numerous episodes from 1979-1983.

Melvin earned his big break in TV with the role of Corporal Steve Henshaw on the The Phil Silvers Show, often credited as “Allen” Melvin. He appeared as Henshaw regularly throughout its run from 1955-1959. Perhaps that early role helped set the stage for his many military parts in his career.

While he had recurring appearances in those shows, he also acted in many other memorable TV shows. For example, he appeared on Mod Squad (1969), Green Acres (1970), Mayberry R.F.D (1970), Love, American Style (1969-1971), The Brian Keith Show (1972), and Kung Fu (1975).

When he was not appearing in TV shows, he was doing significant voice work. He was the voice of Drooper in The Banana Splits Adventure Hour from 1968-1969. His voice appeared in Pufnstuff (1970), Wait Till Your Father Comes Home (1972-1973), Yogi’s Gang (1973), The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty (1975), and Flash Gordon (1979-1982). In the 1980s, his professional work slowed down, but he continued to do significant voice work, including The Jetsons (1985-1987).

Finally, you may also remember Melvin from his TV commercial work. In that arena, he may be best known as playing Al the Plumber for fifteen years promoting Liquid Plumr.

Melvin died of cancer on January 17, 2008. His television work left an amazing legacy. He is buried in Westwood Memorial Cemetery just a few yards from Carroll O’Connor, who played Archie Bunker on All in the Family and Archie Bunker’s Place.

Even if Melvin was always behind more famous actors and viewers did not know his name, they knew his face, his voice, and his talent. Although he never had a definitive leading role, his broad range of work in recurring roles on many landmark TV series brought him many fans and friends.

What is your favorite Allan Melvin role? Leave your two cents in the comments.

(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

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We have posted a lot about country singer-songwriter Marty Brown over the years. We have noted that he has passed down his talents which he inherited from his parents to his children. In addition to Brown’s daughter Emma Grace Brown who has a great singing voice, his son Marty Brown Jr. released an excellent album with his band Maceo that we reviewed. And now, Marty’s son Christian Brown recently auditioned on American Idol.

Marty appeared on the episode with Christian, who sang one of our favorite Marty Brown songs, “Wildest Dreams.” As Christian explained, the song ,which appeared on the father’s debut album High and Dry in 1991, is about a parent’s love for their children. Still, it was a bold song choice, as judges usually prefer well-known popular songs. But Christian showed his authenticity in selecting a song written and recorded by his father decades ago.

Though maybe the song choice was not too much of a risk as it is a great song (not to mention he likely sang other songs not shown on the TV broadcast). Either way, it was worth it many viewers to hear the song for the first time while seeing Marty so proud of his son. The father’s pride choked me up a bit.

Did the judges vote to advance Christian to the next round? Check out the video below.

Update: For those of you wondering why you haven’t seen Christian Brown on later episodes of American Idol, Marty explained on his Facebook page that Christian had to withdraw from the competition. Christian Brown’s baby son had to undergo surgery, so his father decided to withdraw from the competition and its demanding schedule so he could be with his son while he recovers. We wish Christian’s son a speedy recovery and look forward to music from Christian in the near future.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Like many Americans, Bruce Springsteen has been watching recent events and the deaths in Minnesota while people in Minneapolis continue to protest President Trump’s influx of ICE officers. In response, Springsteen very quickly wrote and recorded a song about the protests and the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Along with the song, Springsteen released the following statement:

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free, Bruce Springsteen

Of course, it is difficult to write a protest song so quickly and folks may debate whether they like the song as a song. And it is sure to draw the ire of Trump supporters. But either way one must hand it to an artist who recognizes their position and ability to put themselves out there for the less fortunate in spite of knowing many listeners will criticize him for taking a stand.

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice,
Singing through the bloody mist;
We’ll take our stand for this land,
And the stranger in our midst;
Here in our home they killed and roamed,
In the winter of ’26;
We’ll remember the names of those who died,
On the streets of Minneapolis.

Update: Below is the official video for “Streets of Minneapolis,” directed by Thom Zimny.

Springsteen is not the only songwriter paying attention to the events in Minneapolis. Billy Bragg also wrote a protest song called, “City of Heroes.“

Springsteen has often spoken out regarding Donald Trump. And “Streets of Minneapolis” is not Springsteen’s first statement on the ICE protests in Minnesota. Earlier in January at a concert, Springsteen dedicated a performance of “The Promised Land” to Renee Good, calling on ICE to leave Minneapolis: “If you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest; then send a message to this president.”

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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The music of singer-songwriter Sunny War has been described as “folk-punk,” which captures her musical spirit as well as the depth of her songwriting. While she has been releasing music since 2014, in the early 2020’s she began attracting broader attention with her full-length albums.

In 2025, she released Armageddon in a Summer Dress, following the acclaim she received for her 2023 album, Anarchist Gospel. On that album, one of the highlights is her song, “Whole.”

On “Whole,” War offers some guidance on getting through rough days, offering a little comfort and hope.

Don’t you work yourself, yourself to death;
Take a break from the man-made hell,
To catch a breath today;
Could be the last you know, happy’s how you oughta go;
No pay could ever buy your soul,
Ever make you whole.

While the album version of the song contains a full band, electric guitar, and backing vocals, the acoustic version she did for Western AF highlights here notable acoustic guitar skills. Check out Sunny War and “Whole.”

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska has had a new moment in the sun with the release of a box album set Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition as well as the release of the movie Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025). The film, about Springsteen’s personal turmoil during the making of the album, is based on the book Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska by Warren Haynes.

The film has received some good reviews and some mixed. But by most accounts it was a disappointment at the box office. There have been various explanations for the low attendance numbers. The explanations often center around the fact that the film does not have any major stars (despite a strong performance by Jeremy Allen White), it focuses on a narrow time period around one of Springsteen’s lesser-known albums, and the movie presents a depressing time in the artist’s life rather than a period of rousing successes. Some also have argued that Springsteen fans tend to be an older demographic, and that Springsteen has alienated some of his fans through his comments about Donald Trump.

I am a fan of Springsteen’s music. His work has been a major part of my life since before Nebraska was released. Since Nebraska, I’ve purchased every album he has released on the date each album was released. Further, from books and his interviews, I was familiar with much of the stories around his life. I also admire him for being open about his political beliefs even when it might have made economic sense for him to have been quiet while the movie was coming out.

So, if you are not a Springsteen fan, my opinion of the film may not connect with you. But for others who might be interested in the movie, should you see it — and if you are a fan of the album Nebraska, should you get the new box set? Here are 9 short thoughts from one Springsteen fan.

1. A fan may find it difficult to watch the portrayal of someone you “know” go through a dark period in their life struggling with depression. But if you have any interest in the man or the music, the movie gives you an interesting insight into the creative process and the turmoil of the man.

2. While one single moment does not break through in White’s performance, the movie’s portrayal of Springsteen’s depression reveals itself slowly, eventually making me feel on the verge of tears for much of the movie.

3. Don’t go to the movie looking for much about the E Street Band. Because the movie focuses on a period during the development of a solo album while Springsteen was not touring, there is not much interaction with the band. We do get to see Springsteen and the E Street Band in the studio working on some songs, including a successful recording of “Born in the USA.” Fans will recognize the portrayal of the various band members, but otherwise we do not get to see Springsteen hanging out with Clarence Clemons, Steven Van Zandt, or other band members. If you want more about Springsteen’s relationship with the band members during this period, check out Warren Haynes’s book.

4. The movie made me love Springsteen even more for his courage in participating in the book and the movie. The film shows him at a vulnerable time in his life where the portrayal is not always flattering. His willingness to show his struggles with depression is a gift for viewers.

5. The movie ends with a quiet personal triumph, but should it have been a larger triumph? Perhaps a different ending with him on stage during the subsequent Born in the USA tour performing an uplifting song like “No Surrender” would have made moviegoers happier as they left the theater, leading to bigger box office. Maybe it would have boosted box office. But I get that it might not have been as honest to the focus on Springsteen’s struggles, making it seem like all one needs to overcome depression is a hit song.

6. If you are a Springsteen fan, should you see the movie? Yes, of course, if you want more insight into a great artist.

7.If you are not a fan of Springsteen or his music, should you see the movie? Maybe, as long as you go into the movie realizing it is more about an artist’s struggle with depression than about an artist’s triumph or his hit songs.

8. The music: Does the movie give fans more insight into the songs on Nebraska? Yes, although I knew much of the story, like how the movie Badlands influenced the writing of the song “Nebraska,” the movie gave me additional insight. The scene where Springsteen changes the lyrics to “Nebraska” from third person to first person was an insightful moment for me, reinforcing how these songs are personal to Springsteen. While many of his songs are obviously personal, you get a better sense of why he fought so hard for these songs to be released as he originally recorded them rather than re-record them with the band.

9. The music: If you already have Nebraska the album, should you buy the box set, which includes an album of outtakes, an album of band versions of the songs (“Electric Nebraska”), a recent live recording of the album, and the original album remastered? Many music critics have noted that nothing in the box set improves upon the original album. But the outtakes and the songs that make up what has been called “Electric Nebraska” add additional insight and many of them are fun to listen to. I am glad he released the album he did in 1982. And I have heard many of the electric versions of the songs in live versions. Yet, on the new set I still loved some of the other versions (like the band version of “Reason to Believe”) and was surprised by others.

If you like the album, the box set is worth it. Or you can just stream the music, but give it a listen.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

Buy from Amazon

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As the year comes to a close and our planet completes another trip around the sun, humans reflect on the time that has passed. For many, this year has been particularly rough.

One of the many losses this year was the death of singer-songwriter Todd Snider, who may best sum up the year in his song, “Long Year.” In the video below, he recently re-recorded the song as part of a project of making new acoustic performances of his back catalog available for free to his fans.

Here is wishing you a happy new year and a better world.

It’s been a long long long year
It’s been a long long long year
How did I get here?

Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Almost everyone has seen the classic great Christmas movies like It’s A Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, and the many iterations of Ebeneezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. While familiarity is the point of re-watching your favorite Christmas movies, sometimes a person wants to branch out a little to find their own comforting movie for a quiet night.

Below are three movies that are not classics and have their faults, but that I enjoy for something a little different.

Holiday Affair (1949)

Viewers of Turner Classic Mvies are probably already fans of Holiday Affair. Like It’s a Wonderful Life, Holiday Affair was not a big hit when it was released after World War II, but repeated showings on television have given the movie a broader audience.

Holiday Affair doesn’t have the holiday spirit and deeper meaning of It’s a Wonderful Life. There’s no angels and Christmas plays more of a background in this romantic comedy. But it has Robert Mitchum, who reportedly accepted the role in the family friendly movie to repair his image after getting busted for having marijuana.

Mitchum and Janet Leigh are a great couple in the movie, even if the will-they or won’t-they aspect is fairly a foregone conclusion, as it is Mitchum after all. But the movie is fun, with a highlight being that Mitchum’s competition played by Wendell Corey is not a typical heel but a nice guy.

If you like your movies in black and white, check out a couple of Barbara Stanwyck films, Christmas in Connecticut (1945) and Remember the Night (1940). The latter also stars Fred MacMurray and is endearing for a storyline that is not your typical romance as a prosecutor ends up falling in love with the woman he is supposed to prosecute.

Daddy’s Home 2 (2017)

While Daddy’s Home was a fun comedy that touched on issues of masculinity, the sequel ramps up the fun with the addition of Mel Gibson and John Lithgow and with setting the movie at Christmas time. The cast also includes Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, and John Cena.

You do not need to have seen the first film to enjoy Daddy’s Home 2, which finds Ferrell and Wahlberg’s characters having come to a happy way to work together raising healthy kids while Ferrell is married to Wahlberg’s ex-wife. But things take a funny turn when their fathers show up for Christmas.

I won’t ruin more, but like many great holiday movies there is a wonderful music scene that helps bring everyone together and tie up some loose ends.

You will not be abandoning your favorite Christmas movies for this one, but it is a fun addition if you want something lighthearted and a little different.

A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)

This film is also a sequel, but this time a sequel to a movie that has become a classic in its own right, A Christmas Story (1983). Producers had made two previous tries at creating a good sequel to the original A Christmas Story. But My Summer Story (1994) and A Christmas Story 2 (2012) are at best, for die-hard fans of the original, or at worst, better forgotten completely.

A Christmas Story Christmas, however, does things that a good sequel does. It brings back many of the actors from the original, including Scott Billingsly as Ralphie but also many of the other kids as grownups. So as a start, the movie is a nice nostalgic trip to catch up with favorite characters (from an original movie that was already nostalgic).

A Christmas Story Christmas also has callbacks to man of the events from the original, like a trip to see Santa Claus, someone accepting a dare, etc. If there is one weakness in the movie it is that it might be a little too long and seem episodic, straying from the main story in an attempt to squeeze everything in. But those episodes gives something to fans of the original.

More importantly, the over arching story captures many of the themes of the original while adding something worthwhile. While the original focused on a grown up’s memories of being a child, A Christmas Story Christmas, at its best, is about the challenges of the holidays as an adult trying to survive Christmas while also trying to create new memories for the children.

While A Christmas Story Christmas may never reach the classic status of A Christmas Story, it has a lot to say and is a nice break from the repeated viewings of the beloved original.

Honorable Mention: While many might mention Love Actually (2003) as a fun second-tier holiday film that many love and many hate, there is another movie from one year earlier also featuring Hugh Grant that deserves mention. About a Boy (2002) is a comedy drama based on a Nick Hornby novel that is not entirely about Christmas, but has several Christmas references including he setting at the end and the lead character, played by Hugh Grant, living off the money from one Christmas song. But the film captures the holiday spirit, where one might see Grant being a version of Ebeneezer Scrooge and one awkward boy (played by Nicholas Hoult) replacing Dickens’ ghosts.

What your favorite second-tier Christmas movies? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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The year 2025 seems to be ending with a lot of bad news. With more mass shootings, we have also very recently lost artists like Todd Snider, Raol Malo, Rob Reiner and his wife. And now comes news that Joe Ely has passed away due at home in New Mexico due to “complications of Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s and pneumonia.”

Born in Texas on February 9, 1947, Ely became a legend of Texas country and rock music starting with his work with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock in the Flatlanders. The band broke up in 1972 soon after recording their first album, though the three would reunite several times through the year. Ely went on to his own solo work as well as performances with artists such as The Clash, Uncle Tupelo, The Chieftains, Bruce Springsteen, and Guy Clark. That’s Ely singing backup on The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go.”

In the late 1990’s, Ely joined the supergroup Los Super Seven along with other artists including Freddy Fender, David Fender, David Hildago (Los Lobos), and Ruben Ramos. Their 1998 self-titled album won a Grammy for best Mexican-American music performance.

One of my favorite albums that has been in my collection for decades is Joe Ely’s Live Shots, recorded and released in 1980 while he was touring with The Clash. One of my favorite tracks on the album is “She Never Spoke Spanish to Me,” written by his former Flatlanders bandmate Butch Hancock. Below Ely sings the song at the International Country Festival at Ahoy Hall in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on May, 18 1978.

Those who knew the music of Ely and The Flatlanders know he was a legend. Check out more of his music, including this more recent performance of Billy Joe Shaver’s “I’m Going to Live Forever.” Here, Ely sings the song at the Music Fog showcase during SXSW 2010 at Threadgill’s in Austin, TX on March 18, 2010.

RIP Joe Ely. Leave your two cents in the comments.

The post Joe Ely’s “She Never Spoke Spanish to Me” (Song of the Day) appeared first on chimesfreedom.

Raul Malo passed away from cancer on December 8, 2025. Known as the lead singer of The Mavericks and a successful solo career, Malo’s voice brought one of the most identifiable sounds to whatever original or cover song he was singing.

I first heard that voice in 1994 on the radio playing the title track from The Mavericks’ album What a Crying Shame, a song co-written by Malo with Kostas Lazarides. Four more singles from the album would follow: “O What a Thrill,” “There Goes My Heart,” “I Should Have Been True,” and a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “All That Heaven Will Allow.”

After first hearing “What a Crying Shame,” I immediately went out and bought the album on cassette tape, eventually playing it so much I wore it out.

Although the band would disband by the end of the 1990s, they soon reunited. They would break up again and reunite again, and Malo would also continue to do solo work. On December 5 and 6, 2025, various artists performed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville as part of a tribute concert to the Mavericks. Unfortunately, Malo fell ill and could not attend the tribute concert “Dance the Night Away: A 35 Year Musical Legacy Celebration Honoring Raul Malo.” And he died two days later.

Malo left behind a legacy of the great songs he wrote, the music he made himself and with The Mavericks, and that voice, always that voice. Below is a performance from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1994 when the young band’s song “What a Crying Shame” was climbing the charts. RIP Raul Malo.

What is your favorite song by Raul Malo? Leave your two cents in the comments.

The post The Mavericks on The Tonight Show in 1994: “What a Crying Shame” appeared first on chimesfreedom.