Hardcore Troubadour

We're excited to be back and digging into Steve's excellent 2013 release, The Low Highway. Come for the music, stay for making fun of JD Vance and getting all emotional about our sons and cats. When Chapo Trap House misses the easy layup, Hardcore Troubadour is here to grab that offensive rebound and slam it home.

We welcome our special guest Jeremy Holehan (Supertouch, Miracle Drug) to talk about growing up in Kentucky, chance encounters at shopping malls, and the inextricable links between country and hardcore. We also dive into some records by Willie Nelson, Hank III, and Colter Wall. There's a Manitoba Man behind the fillin' station store.

Join us as we talk about an often overlooked gem from Steve's catalogue, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive. Also, Tied Down Fest, baseball in London, terrible cops, and bringing back the draft. You know, the usuals. Yeah, I believe in God, and God ain't me.

Join us as we welcome a very special guest from Memphis, Tennessee, the one and only Bryan Hartley. We discuss the joys of touring, North Mississippi geography, and how if they call your show an after-party, no one is gonna come. We also dig into some excellent records by Dwight Yoakam, Kathleen Edwards, and Mississippi's own Andrew Bryant. Hey hey, we all wanna fall in love.

We're talking Townes (Van Zandt) again this week, but this time through his own records and not Steve's interpretations. Also: old man shows, college, and Marian apparitions. So shake the dust off of your wings and the sleep out of your eyes.

We're back, after a very brief hiatus, to discuss Steve's 2009 tribute to Townes Van Zandt. RIP Townes. RIP Eddie Sutton. Please lay off the string scratches this time, Tom Morello.

Join us as we discuss Leaves of Grass, the Walt Whitman-inspired 2009 film starring Edward Norton (twice) and Steve Earle playing a mean dude from Oklahoma. You have a spiritual objection to monofilament?

Tyler and Brian are together in Brooklyn to talk about Steve's move to New York and the first album he put out after crossing the Hudson, Washington Square Serenade. Just three Southern boys who dream of nights in NYC.

Join us for the third (and final) part of our deep dive on The Wire. For Walon, for Bubs, for folks in recovery everywhere. And if this little detour hasn't been your thing, don't worry, we'll be back to nerding out about Steve's music on the next episode.

We continue our deep dive into The Wire, covering Season 3 and most of Season 4. Rest In Power, Michael K. Williams.

Speaking about his character Walon, Steve Earle said, "“In The Wire I played a redneck recovering addict. It didn’t require any acting.” The last thing the world needs is two more middle aged white dudes talking about The Wire, but it's still the best, and Steve was in it, so come take a walk in the garden with us.

Our friend Jessee Kowalski (Meantime, Jessee William) joins us to kick off 2024, where we talk more about the connections between country and hardcore and explore records by John Prine, Blue Rodeo, and Orville Peck. Also, Winnipeg is in Manitoba, NOT Alberta, Brian.

It's 2004. Join us as we drive up and down I-55 listening to Steve and Janeane Garofalo get us amped up about what would surely be the most important election of our lifetimes. Right?

"You outta work? You hungry? Eat your Nissan." Come for the ode to Brian's 1985 Mercury Topaz. Stay for Steve and the Dukes on Austin City Limits in 1986.

"Back home, I have been accused of being unpatriotic, which doesn't bother me very much. Mainly because I'm reasonably sure that my definition of patriotism and the definition of my accusers are pretty far apart."

Join us as we discuss the 2003 documentary, "Just An American Boy," that covers Steve's 2002 tour with the Dukes, the right-wing media's bad faith interpretation of "John Walker's Blues," and Steve's anti-death penalty activism, among other things. This man can house a whole Philly cheesesteak and a soda and then walk on stage and play for two hours like it was nothing.

This is the record that put Steve in the crosshairs of the post-9/11 right wing outrage machine. Wild that this is the week we're talking about it, but we swear it just happened this way. Join us as we dream about a day when there are no barricades, no wire or no walls, and we can wash all this blood from our hands.

On September 3rd, 1995, three of the best to ever do it got together in a small room south of Downtown Nashville and played some songs. We are lucky that it was recorded for posterity. Join Steve, Townes, and Guy as we thank the folks who take care of our teeth, especially those of us who can't afford dental insurance. You can floss while you listen.

This week we're diving into Sidetracks, a compilation of covers, soundtrack songs, and other often overlooked material that contains some real gems. And also some dirt. To the FBI agent assigned to listen to this podcast - hello. “Lay off the needle drugs. The only dope worth shooting is Richard Nixon.” -Abbie Hoffman

Let's watch a little-known-but-really-cool Dutch documentary together, exploring Steve's pathway to sobriety and life in Nashville. Don't cut too much off of that bonsai.

Join us as we pay tribute to the incredible activist, singer, and truth-teller, Sinéad O'Connor, before diving into Steve's ninth studio album, Transcendental Blues. Candles on the altar, penny in your shoe.

Join us as we welcome another special guest, friend of the pod and Louisville hardcore legend Scott Keeling, to hang out and discuss some of our favorite records by Guy Clark, Tré Burt, and Drive-By Truckers. Rock and roll means well but it can't help telling young boys lies.

Join us as we explore The Mountain, where Steve teams up with the Del McCoury Band and makes it sound like he's been playing bluegrass since he came out of the womb. Let's keep singing, just as long as our luck and our lungs hold out.

For all of us who still can't get through "Wildflowers" without tearing up. Whether your day is a diamond or a rock, I hope you'll spend part of it with us.

We're back, with a tribute to one of the greatest songwriters to ever live, Mr. Thomas Earl Petty. We picked six albums from his massive discography, and dive into three of them here. Remember, even the losers get lucky sometimes. Also, time is most definitely a flat circle.