Canaille's choice 30/5/2012

From "Heartland" lp (1986, Black Sand Records/Zippo Records).
Blacky Ranchette is the alter ego of Howe Gelb, Giant Sand's front man and Band of Blacky Ranchette's wrangler. The first Band of Blacky Ranchette album was released way back in 1983. It was recorded for 400 dollars and was largely a Rainer Ptacek and Howe Gelb notion. The second Blacky record 1986’s "Heartland" was followed three years later by the third, "Sage Advice". These records all predated the "Alt Country" movement by a decade at least.
"We would all come together and play this brand of western music because we loved it. We were reckless and young… trying to deliver some element of the old country records that we thought were so great". - Howe Gelb