Friday, December 22, 2023

The Original Louisville Slugger: The Life & Times of Forgotten Baseball Legend Pete Browning (new book)

 Today would be a lot cooler if you preordered my upcoming book on 19th Century baseball legend Pete Browning for you and someone you love.

Louis "Pete" Rogers Browning was one of the greatest baseball players of the nineteenth century. His skills with the bat made the difficult art of hitting a baseball appear easy. Over his thirteen-year career, he won three batting titles, finished in the top three nine times, and was one of the premodern era's greatest hitters. Browning is recognized as not only the namesake but also the genesis for the famed Louisville Slugger, as the Hillerich & Bradsby Company shaped the first ever custom-made bat based on his instructions. Browning's athletic prowess was overshadowed by his drunken adventures and struggles off the field. A champion consumer of bourbon and a man with obvious demons, he led a life littered with eccentricities. During games he refused to slide and often stood perched on one leg. Known as the Gladiator, he drank tabasco sauce, washed his eyes with buttermilk, and named bats after biblical characters, all in an effort to improve his hitting. Few were aware that, behind the comedic persona, Browning suffered from mastoiditis, a devastating physical ailment that robbed him of his hearing, deprived him of an education, eroded his professional skills, and led to his heavy dependence on alcohol. Accounts of Browning's unconventional behavior were bolstered by his own outlandish storytelling. These stories were embellished by newspapers of the time, making him a legend. Tim Newby addresses the myths surrounding the larger-than-life figure, uncovers the thin line between fact and fiction, and presents an extensive account of Browning―the man, and legendary ball player.

Order The Original Louisville Slugger



Thursday, October 6, 2022

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Howlin Rain Announce 'Under The Wheels, Vol. 5: Live From Pioneertown

(From Calabro Muisc) On October 14, via Howlin Rain vocalist and songwriter Ethan Miller's own Silver Current Records, Howlin Rain will release Under The Wheels, Vol. 5: Live from Pioneertown. This latest entry to the "Under the Wheels" live series showcases songs from the band's 2021 studio album, The Dharma Wheel, as well as, two fan favorites from 2008's Magnificent Fiend.


Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Dustbowl Revival Release Video For New Track “Set Me Free”

 (From All Eyes Media) - Eclectic Los Angeles band Dustbowl Revival have released the title track to their forthcoming digital EP, Set Me Free (out October 28th via Antifragile Music). A funk-inspired riff opens “Set Me Free” before the burst of horns that lead into a thick, sustained groove. 


Friday, September 23, 2022

Nordic Indie Folk-duo Tuomo & Markus share, “Love Coming Down”

 

(From Big Hassle) Acclaimed Nordic indie folk duo Tuomo & Markus have shared their latest single, “Love Coming Down,” available now via Schoolkids Records/Grandpop Records at all DSPs and streaming services. 


Musically inspired by the studio songcraft of Steely Dan and galvanized thematically by the #metoo movement, “Love Coming Down” heralds the upcoming release of Tuomo & Markus’s long-awaited new album, Game Changing, arriving everywhere on Friday, October 14. Pre-orders are available now. 

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Charlie Ballantine new album, "Falling Grace" and video for "Fix You" out now

 Innovative guitarist Charlie Ballantine's latest album Falling Grace is out now along with a video for his take on Coldplay's "Fix You." 


Monday, September 19, 2022

Essentials: The top 10 Townes Van Zandt songs

 It never gets old to revisit the music of Townes Van Zandt. Recently Baltimore singer/songwriter Caleb Stine and I dug deep into Van Zandt's catalog and complied the ten essential tracks that define his music.

The Original Louisville Slugger: The Life & Times of Forgotten Baseball Legend Pete Browning (new book)

  Today would be a lot cooler if you preordered my upcoming book on 19th Century baseball legend Pete Browning for you and someone you love....