Arkansas Posts
New GRITZ List: Top Vocalists of the Southern Rock Era
"Way down in Alabama/Shoutin' Bamalama..." What a rocking song. What a great singer. I never get read more...
New Features, Capricorn Records, Southern Rock Lists
We are happy to add a couple of new ongoing features here at GRITZ. The first is our
Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters Premier New Music Video Today
Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters' video read more...
SEC Football Update, Memphis Style!
Ron Higgins was on fire over the weekend. He's one of the best writers about SEC football newspaper writers outside of Tony read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock, a Guide
Greetings from Carolina. We are happy to present our new
Why Swampland Sports Loves the BCS
Despite winning back to back national titles in football, the SEC susre seems to hate the BCS. Lately, this hatred has been read more...
Billy Bob and Buffalo Talk About Boxmasters
I dreamed I was a teenage Boxmaster... Billy Bob Thornton's ultra cool hillbilly-mod band The Boxmasters will release their read more...
Snowflakes: Jake Long Goes #1 (and Other 2008 NFL Draft Thoughts)
The NFL Draft is this Saturday, and some of our Southern teams appear to hold the key to the most important non-gameday of the year. read more...
Vintage GRITZ Articles Unearthed; Hatchet, Skynyrd, Tucker, Ricky Skaggs and More
It's time once again to add a few more Vintage Gritz articles to the archives, and I hope you'll check 'em out for a "blast from read more...
Snowflakes: What Are SEC Football Critics Going To Do Now?
With spring football in full gear, it’s never too early to look ahead to the upcoming season. We at Swampland have focused many read more...
Outward Bound
“The eye and mind would be functioning as a camera. The writing would be selective and necessarily interpretive—but once read more...
More Southern Rock Lists: Billy Bob Thornton
I am happy to present another list of Favorite Southern read more...
Billy Bob Thornton's Boxmasters Signed to Vanguard
Billy Bob Thornton and The Boxmasters have signed read more...
Dickinson's Eats & Dylan's Prize
Bob Dylan Wins Pulitzer Prize & Jim Dickinson's Best On The Road Eating 4/7/08
Snowflakes: Why SEC Hoops is No Longer Just Kentucky
With Mississippi and Florida both dropping first round games in the conference tournament, the SEC contingent for the Big Dance seems read more...
The Dickinson's Mojo & The Black Crowes' Voodoo
Mystery & Manners Investigates The Mojo of The Dickinson Family & The Black Crowes' Voodoo 3/11/02
Billy Bob Thornton Speaks at George Lindsey Film Festival
The 11th Annual George Lindsey Film Festival was held down in Florence, Alabama last week. I can say from experience, the Festival is read more...
Levon Helm's Dirt Farmer Wins GRAMMY
Dirt Farmer Wins GRAMMY 2/11/08
Jim Dickinson On The Line
Mystery & Manners Interview With Memphis Legend Jim Dickinson 2/9/08
Ryan Bingham Gets Help From Ford
Marc Ford & Son Join Texas Songwriter Ryan Bingham In the South 2/9/08
Snowflakes: SEC Hoops
* The Kentucky Wildcats finally look to be playing the kind of winning ball that Big Blue fans expect. It took a while to adjust to read more...
Snowflakes: Smaller Conference Hoops
One mid-major club that higher seeded teams will not want to see in the Big Dance is Davidson from the Southern Conference. The read more...
Snowflakes: SEC Hoops
by Patrick Snow * Someone forgot to tell 2-time National Champion Florida that they were supposed to struggle this read more...
My Favorite Southern Rock Song?
I was talking to one of my pals down Florida way the other day when the conversation shifted to great Southern Rock songs.We started read more...
GRITZ Best Albums of The Year
Lots of great music rocked my world in 2007. Here are my choices for the 15 best of the best. Feel free to log on and comment. Let me read more...
Blues Trail Marker For "Nighthawk" McCollum
A New Blues Marker Tribute 12/19/07
In defense of Bobby Petrino (and Arkansas)
Tribal Fever prides itself about being on the pulse of college sports in the Footprint. We aren't here to sugarcoat it in any read more...
John Sayles Interview
Mystery & Manners John Sayles Interview 12/8/07 On Thursday I interviewed
Billy Bob Thornton Christmas Song Exclusive On iTunes
Billy Bob Thornton's band (his hillbilly band) The read more...
Dixie Chicks Want Convictions Overturned
The Dixie Chicks have a new controversy on their hands. Lead singer Natalie Maines is urging people to contribute money to a defense read more...
TF Rivalry Week Preview
Rivalry games define college football. More than bowl games or even conference championships, a win against your rival means read more...
Johnny Cash's First Wife's New Book
New Book From the Late Vivian Cash 11/19/07
TF Saturday Preview: The Year of Transition Nears An End
The wild year continues. In many ways this was just a sign of the transition college football around the Footprint has read more...
Mystery & Manners' Honorary Southern Artist(s) PART FIVE: The Band
Mystery & Manners' Honorary Southern Artist(s) PART FIVE: The Band
TF Saturday Preview: Everything's Still To Be Decided
Patrick Snow has it right. This year's
Tribal Fever's Weekend Observations
1. That enormous exhale coming from the Oxford, Mississippi area would be the sigh of relief of Ole Miss Coach Ed Orgeron. His Rebels read more...
TF Saturday Preview: Pole, er.. Bowl Position
If you aren't a Florida or Georgia fan, this weekend might be a good one to spend with the kids. This is a pretty thin weekend read more...
TF's Saturday Preview: Act Like You've Been There Before!
It's the old saying when a player celebrates a little too much - act like you've been there before. This rules seems to also read more...
TF's Saturday Preview: The History Behind SEC Dominance
Tribal Fever would like to start this weekend's festivities by directing everyone to a fantastic series on
Billy Bob Thornton Debuts at #33 On Americana Charts
“BEAUTIFUL DOOR” AMONG THE HIGHEST ALBUM DEBUTS THIS WEEK (October 9, read more...
Tribal Fever's Weekend Slate (10/6/2007)
Let's start with this week's College Football Preview from Athlon. Swampland's own Patrick Snow hosts each read more...
Ray McKinnon Randy and the Mob Blog
Ray McKinnon's Recent Blogs About His Latest Film, Randy and the Mob 10/3/07
People Take Warning! Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs 1913-1938
Tompkins Square Releases Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs This Week 9/29/07
Afternoon Tea with Billy Bob and Me
Well, we didn't actually sit down together this time, but I was drinking tea and speaking with my buddy Billy Bob read more...
Swampland welcomes Tribal Fever!
It was only a matter of time before Swampland Sports starting covering the colleges in earnest. Today marks the start of Tribal read more...
Ray McKinnon's Randy and the Mob
Ray McKinnon's New Film Randy and the Mob 9/22/07 From Capricorn Pictures...Here's the trailer for read more...
Swampland Sports Thursday Links
Just a few quick hits here on Thursday.... Snowman's Latest Column Patrick Snow's
The Shadow And the Truth
9/19/07 ...THE SHADOW AND THE TRUTH...
Picture of The Day: Billy Bob and Mike, Tour Wrapping Up
Billy Bob Thornton and his long time buddy and guitarist Mike Shipp photographed by your's truly backstage at the House of Blues in read more...
CD and DVD releases for week of August 21, 2007
New Releases Galactic
Billy Bobbin' in Myrtle Beach
Thursday morning I got up early and made my way to the beach. I was bound and determined to get in a beach walk, so at 8 am I read more...
CD and DVD releases for week of July 24, 2007
New Releases Billy Bob Thornton
Fire On The Mountain
6/25/07
Arkansas athletics in turmoil
ESPN is known for its quick soundbite-style of sports journalism, but they have many fine writers on their read more...
The Alltel buyout
Alltel was purchased last week read more...
The Killer Plays Classic Boogie Woogie
4/2/07 After legend Meade Lux Lewis died in a 1964 car crash, Jerry Lee Lewis recorded this tribute to the boogie read more...
Levon Helm Makes a Triumphant Return to The Big Stage
NEW YORK - He beat throat cancer. Then he sang his way out of bankruptcy. And this weekend, Woodstock's Levon read more...
Billy Bob Thornton Shines In "The Astronaut Farmer"
Like most boys, I went through my “rockets and space” phase when I was a kid. I collected models of the space ships, and had read more...
New Johnny Cash DVD's On The Street
2/9/07 Two new Johnny Cash DVDs are on the market. Johnny Cash-Live From Austin, Texas, and Live In read more...
Tony Joe White Releases "Uncovered" on Swamp Records
1/1/07 On Tony Joe White's latest CD, Uncovered, he renders new versions of "Rainy Night in Georgia", read more...
Arkansas Reviews
Mojo Man/Arkansas Rockpile
Mojo Man/Arkansas Rockpile Ronnie Hawkins Collector’s Choice Music By James Calemine
The Very Best of Outlaw Country
(Legacy) The thing that sets this compilation apart from the plethora of others that are always being flooded into the read more...
Dirt Farmer
Dirt Farmer Levon Helm Dirt Farmer/Vanguard Music By James Calemine Turkey Scratch, read more...
The Woodstock Album
The Woodstock Album Muddy Waters Chess/MCA Records By James Calemine Recorded in two days at read more...
Song of America
Song of America Various Artists 31 Tigers Records By James Calemine This 50-song, 3 CD read more...
Beautiful Door
(New Door/Universal) Billy Bob read more...
Killers From Space
Killers From Space James Luther Dickinson Memphis International Records By James read more...
Runnin' With The Big Dogs
Part of [beating Texas] is that old Okie inferiority complex. There’s no better cure for that than whipping Texas’s read more...
The Bluegrass Sessions
The Bluegrass Sessions Merle Haggard McCoury Music By James Calemine Merle Haggard's new read more...
Billy Bob Thornton Rocks Myrtle Beach
Billy Bob Thornton The Fabulous Boxmasters House of Blues North Myrtle Beach, SC August 16, read more...
Black Snake Moan
Come Early Morning
Red Dirt Marijuana & Other Tastes
The Complete Recordings
Ultimate Gospel
(Columbia Legacy) I have been a Johnny Cash fan my entire life. Seriously. Ever since my dad turned me onto read more...
Live At The Summit Club
Johnny Taylor Live At The Summit Club Stax Records R & B great Johnny Taylor existed on read more...
Portraits and Songs From the Roots of America
Enclosed within the new Music Maker book titled Portraits and Songs From the Roots of America rests a CD featuring 22 read more...
The Man, His World, His Music
(Sanctuary) Watching this DVD is a little like looking at home movies. Actually, a lot of it is old home read more...
Ragged Old Flag
Originally released on Columbia Records in April 1974, Ragged Old Flag consists of twelve original Johnny Cash compositions. read more...
Cradle To The Grave
Liquid Groove Mojo Cradle To The Grave (Miracle Records) Man, oh man, these read more...
American V: A Hundred Highways
Johnny Cash American V: A Hundred Highways (American/Lost Highway) Let me just start by read more...
Lonesome In Black - The Legendary Sun Recordings
This definitive collection features Johnny Cash's recordings for the Sun Records label from 1955-1958. These stark classics serve as read more...
Arkansas ArticlesThe Greatest Vocalists of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1.
GRITZ Southern Rock Lists
SWAMPLAND'S SOUTHERN ROCK LISTS We love lists! This is your one-stop index page for all of our lists. read more...
Southern Sporting "Events"
by Patrick Snow As I attended a Kentucky Derby function this past Saturday, it was never more evident that Southerners must throw a pretty good party. We are probably more known nationally for our college football crowds and pageantry, but the spring read more...
Gritz Legends of Southern Rock
A handful of bands from the Southern Rock Era have earned the title of "Legend." These are the bands that defined the genre and set the bar for all other bands in their wake. These are the few, the originals, the Legends of Southern Rock.
Billy Bob Thornton Talks About The New Boxmasters Album
by Michael Buffalo Smith Billy Bob Thornton is the new Lon Chaney. The new “man of a thousand faces.” And I’m not just talking about his movies. His music has shown other sides of this complex artist as well, whether it is singing country on a June Carter tribute or read more...
The BCS: A Friend to the SEC (and the Rest of the Footprint)
We at Tribal Fever find it odd that it would be the SEC who would call for a playoff system. We wonder how the SEC can be so blind to the fact that the BCS has been great for that conference. For those that love the idea of a playoff, we will list the reasons why most every proposal for a college playoff is a horrible idea for college football at large and especially read more...
Snowman's 2008 Draft Wrap Up
The annual NFL Draft is now over, and the critics will have a field day with opinions on who did well and who faltered with their choices. I thought I would take a look at the Draft from the collegiate view and see who from our region will have the biggest impact on their new read more...
Jim Dickinson's All-Star Music & Film
In Jim Dickinson’s first contribution to Swampland/Mystery And Manners, he wrote an indelible piece on Memphis barbecue. For his second installment Dickinson cites his favorite pianists, films and a desert island music stash. The High Priest of Memphis Mojo offers a timeless blueprint for anyone seeking musical pots of gold. James Calemine
Record Stores of the Swampland Footprint
ALABAMA CD Cellar Anniston AL Oz Music Tuscaloosa AL ARKANSAS Sound Warehouse Fayetteville read more...
Billy Bob Thornton's Top Ten Southern Rock Albums
by Michael Buffalo Smith In keeping with our ongoing lists of favorite Southern Rock albums, we present the list of actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton. Billy joins our list of other musicians and
Jim Dickinson's Best Memphis Barbecue & Favorite Meals On The Road
When I interviewed the High Priest of Memphis Mojo—Jim Dickinson—I asked him if he’d be interested in submitting his inimitable insight on barbecue, music and movies. Mr. Dickinson sent along some very interesting details on these cultural topics. His expertise in these read more...
Getting Realistic About College Hoops Coaching Hires
It’s a who’s who of college basketball in San Antonio with all of the #1 seeds making the Final Four. While the games should be great, there may be just as much drama at the Coach’s Convention, which takes place in conjunction with the Final Four. Many tough choices will be made there and by athletic directors in the coming weeks to see who will fill the read more...
The Top Ten Albums of Southern Rock
Southern Rock’s Top Ten Welcome to a new feature at GRITZ called Southern Rock’s Top Ten, where we will be asking the stars an journalists associated with the genre, as well as some of today’s country music stars, to share their Top Ten all time favorite read more...
The Top Ten Albums of Southern Rock According to...
On the heels of my own Top Twenty Five Southern Rock albums, we asked a few of our friends to share their own lists of Favorite Southern Rock albums, and we got a few real surprises, but one fact remains, The Allman Brothers Band Fillmore East album has a heck of a lot of fans read more...
Dixie Fried with The High Priest of Memphis Mojo Jim Dickinson
JIM DICKINSON INTERVIEW DIXIE FRIED WITH THE HIGH PRIEST OF MEMPHIS MOJO By James Calemine "Some people say worried blues ain't tough, If they don't kill you they handle you mighty rough."
Billy Bob Thornton in Florence, Alabama
by Penne J. Laubenthal Severe weather warnings had been issued for North Alabama when I made my way to Florence for the Friday afternoon session of the 11th Annual George Lindsey Film Festival featuring Billy Bob Thornton. But apparently neither sleet nor snow read more...
SEC: Conference King Once Again
By Patrick Snow It’s an argument that will never end-whose Conference is better? Fans will debate this topic vociferously every season, and the answer always tends to lie close to your address. I’m not sure that the Bowl games are the best way to evaluate league strength across college football, but it is basically all we have. Here’s my opinion read more...
Huge Hires for the SEC Old Guard
By Patrick Snow It has already been quite the postseason in the SEC coaching ranks, and it’s only going to get more interesting. With the recent additions of Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino along with Houston Nutt and Les Miles staying in the conference, wins are going to be harder and harder to come by in the nation’s toughest gridiron league. Each read more...
Goodbye, Babylon: A Patchwork Quilt of American Music
GOODBYE, BABYLON A Patchwork Quilt of American Music By James Calemine
SEC Coaching - None Better
In the end, it was a surprise. But the surprise came in the school chosen, no the destination - the SEC West. Bobby Petrino finally made it to the coaching promised land when he was named the head coach of Arkansas late last night. Fresh off of a Monday Night Football debacle against New Orleans, Petrino made the move. Today, the SEC stands as the read more...
Reality Check
By Patrick Snow Some schools in our Swampland Region are currently learning a harsh lesson: if you are going to make a major change like firing your football coach, you must have a better alternative ready to go. Arkansas, Southern Miss(and Michigan on a national level) are finding out the hard way that not every coach in the country is beating down the door to fill read more...
Way Down South With John Sayles
Way Down South with John Sayles By James Calemine John Sayles’ films command respect. His latest film, Honeydripper, takes place in Alabama during the 1950s. Honeydripper counts as Sayles’16th film which read more...
Coaching Carousel
By Patrick Snow The end of the college football season always brings with it unfulfilled goals which translates into coaching changes. There has been quite a bit of movement in our region. Some of the firings were inevitable while others showed us just how unrealistic certain fan bases are with their expectations. I thought I would examine each job, and how it matches up read more...
Hunting the Cotaco Creek
by Charles Ghigna His hand in hold so trigger tight even its blood believes in ghosts. It clings with set finger on steel and waits inside a dream of ducks. The twilight gives into a rise of eastern sky as sun reveals herself too proud and instantly receives full face a splash of mallard flock. A shotgun blasts the read more...
NFL Label Book: Overrated
By Patrick Snow Just like many a bad segment of talk radio, another ‘label’ book was recently released into America to get football fans arguing with each other. We have Philly-based ESPN field reporter Sal Paolantonio to thank for this latest regurgitation of what former NFL player is either overrated or underrated. I hesitate to jump into the intended read more...
The Great Southern Sportswriters Series
Writing and storytelling have always been deeply ingrained in Southern culture. The people that combined that art with the Swampland Footprint's passion for sports make the whole experience more special and unique. Swampland Sports is proud to offer this series of profiles of the best sportswriters our Footprint has to offer. You've already probably read them read more...
Truck Driving Man (An American Roadsong)
Truck Driving Man (An American Roadsong)
Enjoy the Season
By Patrick Snow Another college football season--another initial release of the BCS standings. This annual ritual seems to send everyone running to call a local talk show to scream about a Playoff system and how the middle letter should be removed from ‘BCS’. Enough already. If all that you’re worried about is how January turns out, you’re read more...
SEC: Top Level for Coaches?
By Patrick Snow Many of us who grew up in the South have always believed that the SEC was King when it came to sports and our allegiances. We watched and cheered for professional teams, but our passion was always at the collegiate level. For many years, coaches have moved from the Amateurs to the ‘Pros’ mainly for monetary reasons, but you read more...
Billy Bob Thornton On Touring, Acting and Southern Rocking
by Michael Buffalo Smith Billy Bob Thornton is one busy cat these days. Besides the recent premier of Mr. Woodcock, and the never ending line of films and TV appearance, Billy has been spending a read more...
A Modest Proposal: Southern College Conference Realignment
Now that Swampland Sports has launched Tribal Fever (TF), our dispatch dedicated to college sports in the South, we figured it was time to do weigh in on the current state of college football conferences. The college football conference landscape in the Footprint has become downright confusing. It used to be that there were three main conferences, the read more...
Athletic Directors: Be Ready To Ante Up
Southern college football-we live it and breathe it year-round, and it has become abundantly clear that the stakes of the game have been raised with some of the recent coaching hires. The ‘price of poker’ is increasing steadily, and if your school is not ready to ante up, your team will be left behind. We’re witnessing a changing of the guard when it comes to read more...
The King Is Dead! Hang The Doctor!
The King Is Dead! Hang the Doctor!
Billy Bob Thornton : Six Degrees of Swampland
Besides being one of the finest actors, directors and screenwriters of our time, read more...
The Bayou Sideshow
The Bayou Sideshow By James Calemine read more...
Billy Bob Thornton
The Wit and Wisdom of Actor, Director, Writer, Musician and Southern Rock Fan by Michael Buffalo Smith July 2006 I have been a fan of Billy Bob for years. I vaguely recall his acting in the old Burt Reynolds TV show Evening Shade, but it was the cult classic film Slingblade which he wrote, read more...
Tony Joe White
TONY JOE WHITE: THE SWAMP FOX by Michael Buffalo Smith October 2004 Tony Joe White is an American treasure. In 1969, Tony Joe came bursting out of the swamplands of Louisiana with his classic, “Polk Salad Annie,” a Top 10 Hit, followed in 1970, read more...
Hurt: Remembering Johnny Cash
by Michael Buffalo Smith September 2003 During the last several years of his life Johnny Cash was in severe pain 24 hours a day. For many men it would have meant retiring from the spotlight and into seclusion, popping pills to ease the pain and hiding from the very legacy he had created for read more...
Retail Canned and Frozen Ready - to - Serve Southern Products
Company's Coming! Retail canned and frozen ready - to - serve Southern products A TRUE STORY by Ron Williams October 2001 (ring - ring) "Hello?" read more...
Mack Stevens
"Mr. Texas Heat!" by Ken Burke Summer 2001 Mack Stevens is the heir apparent to the great Rollin' Rock artists of the 70's. A prolific songwriter, his work sparks conflicting pinball associations of spiritual zeal, rhythmic celebration, and shockingly dark read more...