FRIDAY MAR 15, 2019
529 & Irrelevant Music Presents:
Lavender Country
Evan Stepp and The Piners | Paisley Fields | Rose Hotel
Lavender Country
Widely recognized as the first openly gay country music album—and cited as such even by Nashville institutions like the Country Music Hall of Fame and CMT—the landmark self-titled 1973 LP by Lavender Country stands as nothing less than an artifact of courage, a sonic political protest document of enormous power, clarity, and grace.
At once a scathing indictment of the injustices perpetrated on the homosexual community, a proud proclamation of gay identity, and a love letter of bracing intimacy and eroticism, the album radically appropriates the signifiers of the conservative country genre, queering its heteronormative vocabulary into a deeply personal language. Songwriter, singer, and guitarist Patrick Haggerty, a fearless first-generation gay liberation activist and artist, seasons his songs with Yippie deviousness; in the manner of the Cockettes, the laughs both sharpen and sweeten the impact. To our ears the inimitable aesthetics and glimpses of cockeyed humor recall some ethereal psych-folk nexus of the Flatlanders and the Holy Modal Rounders as much as any standard country and western forebears, rendering the biting poetry in an even more otherworldly and timeless light.
The record reflects Haggerty’s experiences: his upbringing on a tenant dairy farm in rural Washington, on the Canadian border; his dismissal from the Peace Corps on the spurious grounds of his sexuality; and his righteous struggles as an outraged young gay man navigating the Pacific Northwest in the immediate aftermath of Stonewall. He designed Lavender Country as a vehicle for what he deems “The Information”: valid cultural communications intended to resonate with those unable to access similar resources. (Playing “Cryin’ These Cocksucking Tears,” one of the indisputably great country song titles ever, cost a brave Seattle DJ her FCC license.)
This deluxe reissue includes includes a 32pp chapbook with an oral history by Haggerty, never before published color photos, a download code (vinyl version only), and full lyrics to these ten moving songs of gay liberation.
Widely recognized as the first openly gay country music album—and cited as such even by Nashville institutions like the Country Music Hall of Fame and CMT—the landmark self-titled 1973 LP by Lavender Country stands as nothing less than an artifact of courage, a sonic political protest document of enormous power, clarity, and grace.
At once a scathing indictment of the injustices perpetrated on the homosexual community, a proud proclamation of gay identity, and a love letter of bracing intimacy and eroticism, the album radically appropriates the signifiers of the conservative country genre, queering its heteronormative vocabulary into a deeply personal language. Songwriter, singer, and guitarist Patrick Haggerty, a fearless first-generation gay liberation activist and artist, seasons his songs with Yippie deviousness; in the manner of the Cockettes, the laughs both sharpen and sweeten the impact. To our ears the inimitable aesthetics and glimpses of cockeyed humor recall some ethereal psych-folk nexus of the Flatlanders and the Holy Modal Rounders as much as any standard country and western forebears, rendering the biting poetry in an even more otherworldly and timeless light.
The record reflects Haggerty’s experiences: his upbringing on a tenant dairy farm in rural Washington, on the Canadian border; his dismissal from the Peace Corps on the spurious grounds of his sexuality; and his righteous struggles as an outraged young gay man navigating the Pacific Northwest in the immediate aftermath of Stonewall. He designed Lavender Country as a vehicle for what he deems “The Information”: valid cultural communications intended to resonate with those unable to access similar resources. (Playing “Cryin’ These Cocksucking Tears,” one of the indisputably great country song titles ever, cost a brave Seattle DJ her FCC license.)
This deluxe reissue includes includes a 32pp chapbook with an oral history by Haggerty, never before published color photos, a download code (vinyl version only), and full lyrics to these ten moving songs of gay liberation.
Evan Stepp and The Piners
Paisley Fields
The Paisley Fields are a Brooklyn based queer country band, unapologetic about pushing boundaries and seeking inspiration in the unexpected. Though lead singer James Wilson is inspired by country musicians like Dolly Parton and Gram Parsons, he wanted The Paisley Fields lyrics to reflect a modern world. Pittsburgh City Paper writes, "While The Paisley Fields have a good bit in common with contemporary country — rich production, songs with pop bones and twangy accents — the band probably won't be touring with Toby Keith anytime soon. They're a refreshing change from country radio." The band tours frequently, and their latest album, Oh These Urban Fences, is described by No Depression as "a labor of love that demands your attention.” The Paisley Fields are James Wilson on keyboard and lead vocals, Anna Volpe on tambourine and vocals, James Steiner on drums and mandolin, Rob Fernandez on bass and Alex Feigin on drums and guitar. Renowned Brooklyn country artist Aron Blue will be joining The Paisley Fields for the first leg of their Paisley Pride tour this summer.
The Paisley Fields are a Brooklyn based queer country band, unapologetic about pushing boundaries and seeking inspiration in the unexpected. Though lead singer James Wilson is inspired by country musicians like Dolly Parton and Gram Parsons, he wanted The Paisley Fields lyrics to reflect a modern world. Pittsburgh City Paper writes, "While The Paisley Fields have a good bit in common with contemporary country — rich production, songs with pop bones and twangy accents — the band probably won't be touring with Toby Keith anytime soon. They're a refreshing change from country radio." The band tours frequently, and their latest album, Oh These Urban Fences, is described by No Depression as "a labor of love that demands your attention.” The Paisley Fields are James Wilson on keyboard and lead vocals, Anna Volpe on tambourine and vocals, James Steiner on drums and mandolin, Rob Fernandez on bass and Alex Feigin on drums and guitar. Renowned Brooklyn country artist Aron Blue will be joining The Paisley Fields for the first leg of their Paisley Pride tour this summer.
Rose Hotel
Within Rose Hotel, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jordan Reynolds weaves a tapestry of nuanced indie-rock songcraft that pulls from a palette of psychedelic shimmer and folk influence via her Southeastern roots. Where her 2019 debut 'I Will Only Come When It’s a Yes' presented a coming-of-age tale, 'A Pawn Surrender', her forthcoming sophomore album nourishes the garden of adulthood with a cohesive but genre-spanning approach.
Within Rose Hotel, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jordan Reynolds weaves a tapestry of nuanced indie-rock songcraft that pulls from a palette of psychedelic shimmer and folk influence via her Southeastern roots. Where her 2019 debut 'I Will Only Come When It’s a Yes' presented a coming-of-age tale, 'A Pawn Surrender', her forthcoming sophomore album nourishes the garden of adulthood with a cohesive but genre-spanning approach.