Jason Boland & The Stragglers
































Jason Boland & The Stragglers
Jason Boland and The Stragglers Videos


Between the East and West Coasts, and still a good distance from the third coast of Nashville, is found a place known as the Dust Bowl. It’s a place where art meets the everyday life of common America, and it has produced some of the most distinctive American art ever. The tradition of that region has produced the music of Woody Guthrie. It provided the root system for the genius of Merle Haggard. It is the tradition of Bob Childers, a Red Dirt icon, who learned how to present the forgettable man unforgettably, and it’s the tradition that can be heard in the songs of Jason Boland. On his new album Comal County Blue, Boland deals with life, politics and the human experience informed by that Oklahoma tradition and his own personal experience. In the opening track “Sons and Daughters of Dixie,” Boland addresses the struggles and anger of those who lived through Hurricane Katrina, expressing defiance against authority, while affirming the strength and ability of the average person to overcome (“The back shall not be broken of the soul that won’t be killed / If there’s one thing a Southern man knows how to do is to rebuild.”) Boland’s well-known struggles with alcohol make their way into Comal County Blue as well. Though many artists evoke Haggard’s name when discussing their influences, few have lived on the edge of destruction like he has, only to come back from that edge with songs that leave the listener with greater insight into the soul of those that struggle against their demons. In “Bottle By My Bed,” Boland reflects on four years of sobriety after coming dangerously close to drinking himself into an early grave. He chronicles his transformation from a self-professed liability to a sentient being (“Now I’m going back home / It’s down this path I’m led / And I’m no longer empty like the bottle by my bed”). The first single is the title track, “Comal County Blue.” It’s a gentle song that puts the listener in the seat right next to Boland with the window rolled down. It’s like sharing a conversation as he and the listener escape the occasionally suffocating contentment of small town life to experience all that the big city has to offer. (“Tonight I’m rolling up north / Back to where I paid a due /Tonight the answer’s Austin / For the Comal County blue”). Though Jason is the primary songwriter and singer, this is no one-man show. “Outlaw Band,” narrates the vision to which Jason Boland and The Stragglers have always been true: that of self-reliance, determined professionalism and bringing the best music possible to fans. The song showcases the Stragglers’ Noah Jeffries on searing fiddle and mandolin parts, while the rhythm section of Brad Rice (drums) and Grant Tracy (bass) provide an unfailing foundation. Roger Ray (guitar, pedal steel) also lets loose on the dobro, perfectly complementing the groove that is sure to raise the roof at future Stragglers’ shows. The song captures the musicality at the core of the energy that is Jason Boland and The Stragglers. The esteem that Jason Boland and the Stragglers’ contemporaries hold him in is evident by their participation in Comal County Blue. Robert Earl Keen duets with Boland on “The Party’s Not Over,” reassuring listeners that the party will always “come back around.” “Alright,” co-written with Cody Canada of Cross Canadian Ragweed, is an infectious song with a vocal chorus that soars. Producer Lloyd Maines (Dixie Chicks, Robert Earl Keen, The Waybacks) gets the best performance out of the band since Pearl Snaps. The album was tracked live in the studio, and under his deft touch, the band delivers a musical tour de force that is at times subtle and at times rollicking. It’s that musicianship, along with Jason’s increased maturity as a lyricist that makes Comal County Blue Jason Boland and the Stragglers’ finest effort to date. While at first glance Jason Boland and the Stragglers’ music may seem easy to stereotype as Texas or Country, intent listening makes it harder to categorize their music easily, revealing the influence of the land and life that got them to where they are. Boland knows he can’t shy away from questions about how to classify his music but simply states, “The Chinese don’t call it Chinese food, its just food. I’m just making music.” When asked what the record is about, Boland steams, “It’s about drinking, it’s about being sober, it’s about replacing vices with vices, it’s about divorce, it’s about the silenced, its about the sacrificed souls of Americans, its about Galileo being right! And it’s about working harder than we’ve ever worked.”

Date Venue City State Note
No Tour Dates Available
02/18/2011 - Oklahoman Jason Boland Proud Of Texas Country Success - Read More
12/04/2010 - Night of red dirt on tap  - Read More
12/01/2010 - For Jason Boland, Cain's is as good as it gets - Read More
05/08/2010 - Jason Boland, Brandon Jenkins to play Muskogee’s new Okie Country Music Fest - Read More
More News
No Blogs Available
08/01/2008 - Jason Boland Q&A - Read More
11/01/2006 - Jason Boland Q&A '06 - Read More
More News
No Merchandise Available
Average Rating : 4.7              Total Reviews: 427


Jason Boland & The Stragglers  09/01/2015            
Matthew D.
Please send Donald and Hillary A Copy. SQUELCH kills fascists to quote Woody Guthrie. So if you are human, you should enjoy this one.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  05/17/2013            
David White
Typical Jason Boland....every CD is better than the last one. Why we don't see him on the CMA's I don't understand.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  05/17/2013            
David White
Typical Jason Boland....every CD is better than the last one. Why we don't see him on the CMA's I don't understand.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  05/21/2010            
Dan
I hate to be the first to tell you this GDA, but Jeremy is....retarded. That's how retarded people speak English. Let's not judge.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  05/13/2010            
GDA
Hey Jeremy, have you ever heard of grammer and punctuation? Good lord, my mind strating bleeding trying to read that rambling post. I love the CD also though.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  05/13/2010            
up set by Jeremy
this is one of my favs it has been a longtime for alive cd i have been ready for this one live at billys bobs was made a long time ago and it is time he came out wiht a live cd i love jason boland and will all ways buy there cds jason is a very nice person if you ever meet him you will meet the nices guy in the muisc from texas and oklahoma not to say that all the singer song writters are not nices
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  05/12/2010            
American Music Photography
Great live release from the recording of four shows out west in Colorado and Wyoming. I was at the Steamboat and Denver shows and i took some of the photos on the CD packaging. This is one of the best sounding live recordings in years and puts all the Billy Bob's CD's to shame, worth getting!!
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  05/11/2010            
BrookeNYC
I always liked JBS, as well as CCR,Mac,WB,RR and all these guys, but Jason has a timeless quality about him. i know they aren't ever the most popular guys on the scene, but never disappoint! haven't seen them in a long time, but from the sound of the record and the reviews i've seen, i can always count on them to stay true to themselves and their music. This record sounds precisely how i picture them today.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  04/27/2010            
Robby Goulet
Went to the live-recording show in Laramie and this album captures that show and everything Boland is about at this point in his career. The album is awesome. Maybe LK was hoping for a Boland album compiled with duets with his favorite artists - Taylor Swift and the dude from Rascal Flatts. Country Mike is right. Roger Ray should kick his skimpy ass!
Jason Boland & The Stragglers  04/26/2010            
Jeremy
LK, you are one stupid sh*t! First of all, it says, "live recording" on the cover...what did you think that means? Also, if you wasted "$14 bucks", you really are stupid since you could have downloaded it online or bought it at a local store(Best Buy,...) for $9.99. I'm not surprised you missed the mark on this CD, clearly you aren't too bright. Too bad about your wife too, ...maybe you can grow a pair.
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