Possessed by Paul James & Tom VandenAvond are nominated for BEST ALBUM!

HILLGRASS BLUEBILLY RECORDS HAS 3 NOMINATED ALBUMS IN THE 10TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS WITH "FEED THE FAMILY" by POSSESSED BY PAUL JAMES & "YOU OUGHTA KNOW ME BY NOW" by TOM VANDENAVOND featuring: LARRY & HIS FLASK!



Austin Texas’s Own Possessed by Paul James & Tom VandenAvond, Joins Ra Ra Riot, Melissa Auf der Maur, Flying Lotus, Jim Campilongo, Jackson Browne and David Lindley As Nominees for The 10th Independent Music Awards

Last year about this time, Hillgrass Bluebilly Records was VERY PROUD to announce that "Hiram & Huddie Vol. 1 & 2" was nominated "Best Concept Album" for the 9th annual Independent Muic Awards. WE DID IT AGAIN! "Feed the Family" by Possessed by Paul James has been nominated for both "Best Alt. Country Album" and "Best Americana Album" and "You Oughta Know Me By Now" by Tom VandenAvond has been nominated for "Best Alt. Country Album".

February 19, 2011 – Austin based Possessed by Paul James and Tom VandenAvond joins Ra Ra Riot, Melissa Auf der Maur, Flying Lotus, Hemoptysis, Darrell Scott, Jim Campilongo, Jackson Browne and David Lindley and other self-released and independent label talent as Nominees for The 10th Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential awards program for independent bands and fans.


Representing the broad spectrum of today’s global independent music scene, the more than 300 Nominees in nearly 70 Song, Album, Music Video and Design categories were culled from submissions from North America, South America, Asia, Australia and Europe.


Known for celebrating artists that follow their own muse, The 10th IMA Nominees are an eclectic mix of rising stars including Strawfoot (Alt. Country Song), Hemoptysis (Metal/Hardcore Song), and Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three (Amerciana Album) and established talent including telecaster virtuoso, Jim Campilongo (Instrumental Album), experimental multi-genre artist, Flying Lotus (Music Video and Dance/Electronica Song), and indie rockers, Ra Ra Riot (Pop/Rock Album). Perhaps better known as major label acts, this year’s Nominees strutting their independence include former Hole bassist, Melissa Auf der Maur (Indie/Alt./Hard Rock Album), and songwriting legend Jackson Browne with David Lindley (Live Performance Album).


Winners will be determined by a panel of 62 influential artist and industry judges including Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, Suzanne Vega, Aimee Mann, Pete Wentz, Bettye LaVette, Seal, Adam Duritz, Ozzy Osbourne, Arturo Sandoval, Martin Atkins, Andrew W. K., Shelby Lynne, Kevin Lyman (Warped Tour), Bill Bragin (Lincoln Center), Anthony DeCurtis (Rolling Stone), Pat McGuire (Filter Magazine) and Evan Schlansky (American Songwriter) and will be announced in mid-March 2011. Music fans have until July 11 to cast their votes at The IMA Vox Pop Jukebox to determine the fan-selected IMA Winners.


Hear the music of all Nominees at: http://www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/10th/album

If you have a minute, we ask that you please go and vote for both "Feed the Family" and "You Oughta Know Me By Now". We have the opportunity to win BOTH judges vote AND fans vote. Like last year though, if we do NOT win over the judges, the BIGGEST statement we can make as listeners... is to achieve the vox pop vote so we can help push Possessed by Paul James & Tom VandenAvond on to bigger and better things.

GOOD JOB BOYS, WE LOVE YA!

Celebrating the democracy of creativity and meritocracy of talent, The Independent Music Awards honor exceptional independent artists who are, traditionally ignored by mass media and big box retailers. For the past 10 years, artists and labels from around the world have found new fans and prominence through The Independent Music Awards. Produced by Music Resource Group, publisher of the popular industry networking database The Musician’s AtlasOnline, and producers of the original webTV series, Grooveable Feast, The IMAs use its unrivaled access to performance, promotion & distribution opportunities to connect Winners and Nominees to new audiences and revenue opportunities. Earning IMA honors goes beyond a badge of distinction. Artists credit The IMAs with increasing recognition among music fans and industry gatekeepers.

Past winners and nominees include: And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Cursive, fun., The Flatlanders, Spinerrette, Holly GoLightly & The Brokeoffs, Vienna Teng, The So So Glos, Cephas & Wiggins, The Matches, All That Remains, The Cliks, Oran Etkin, State Radio, Lee “Scratch Perry, The Very Best, Tim Easton, Marco Benevento, Kes The Band, Jamie Lidell, Lacuna Coil, The Trews, Joan As Police Woman; Koko Taylor, Miguel Migs; Speech, God Forbid, Lionel Louekee; Jeff Healey, Johnny Dowd, Chris Whitley, Ike Turner, The Apples in stereo, Mary Gauthier, Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland), The Mooney Suzuki, and Denque Fever among many others.

Somebuddy over at Hillgrass Bluebilly is sad tonight!

We didn't forget you Buddy. At 22, to record all that beautiful music. A true man. Much love tonight .... wherever you are



Buddy Holly R.I.P.
Winter Dance Party. Fuckin Suck.

Brand New Song from Possessed by Paul James

Here is a BRAND NEW song from Possessed by Paul James. This is from the Ghost Room in Austin, Texas. I was at this show, and this was one of the best PPJ shows I have ever attended. Lets hope we hear this song and "Amazing Life / Sweet & Bitter Life" on his next album.

Original Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbU-5YXp5lY



Konrad Wert A.K.A. Possessed By Paul James will be at Ruta Maya on Friday Feb. 11, 2011 with the Calamity Cubes, Boomswagglers & Uncle Tom & the Say Hey Kids. Join us Dirty Foot Family & friends.

Not long after we stuck the flag in Ft.Wayne, Indiana's ground...

Original Link: http://www.fortwaynereader.com/story.php?uid=1195

Hillgrass Bluebilly Entertainment
By Sean Smith

Fort Wayne Reader

If you've been paying attention to the local music community in the last six months, there's a pretty good chance you've come across the name Hillgrass Bluebilly Entertainment. Perhaps you've seen the logo on show flyers, numerous websites, t-shirts or hats. And more than likely, you've been a tad curious just what exactly HBE is. The answer, much like HBE, is quite simple. They are a promotional company.

The basic idea behind HBE, which is based in Austin, Texas, is to create chapters in different cities across the country. These chapters then create a welcoming atmosphere for various HBE-affiliated musicians to play while touring the nation. The ultimate goal is to have one chapter in every continental state. The man behind all of this is Keith Mallette.

Keith (as he is known to everyone within the HBE organization) was cleaning pools in Phoenix and growing tired of the same old bands touring through his area. Along with the help of his friend Ryan, Keith began booking shows. The response was overwhelming, so the groundwork for a new network was laid.

That was three years ago and now there are chapters in six different cities. In January of this year, Fort Wayne became the first expansion chapter.

Anderson, a local music promoter, and Brenn Beck, one-half of the dirty blues duo Left Lane Cruiser, became co-owners of the Fort Wayne chapter of HBE earlier this year and have been bringing in bands that play blues, bluegrass and all around good quality music ever since.

According to Beck, HBE has been in his sights for a while now. "All the really big people in our genre have used them as a promotional tool. They've really done a good job of pushing our genre and getting it in the public eye. So, Joe [Evans, the other half of Left Lane Cruiser] and I have kept an eye on them for, probably, three years and finally got invited to do a show with them."

The show was unbelievable. The crowd knew all of the bands songs and the hospitality shown to LLC was unlike anything they'd ever experienced. They came back to Fort Wayne raving about it, and Beck started talking to Anderson about bringing one to town.

Anderson began conversing with Keith via e-mail and the discussion ended six months later. "Finally, he told me to throw the flag up," says Anderson, "It's been history ever since."

When it came time to book their first show, Anderson and Beck thought about all of the great bands they had seen at Deep Blues Fest the previous year. "It's just outside Minneapolis and it's killer because it's just this guy, Chris Johnson, who got [Left Lane Cruiser] signed to Alive. He's a huge fan of the genre and he basically puts on the festival so all the bands can meet," explains Beck.

Bob Log III, Scott H. Biram and Possessed by Paul James are a few of the top acts that HBE works with, but the guys decided to start small and grow the chapter slowly. The BirdDogs from Detroit, Michigan were chosen as the first band to play a HBE FW show. It was a success and many more soon followed. "The shows so far have been really good. The turnout's been great and I think the more people hear about HB, the more they come to the shows," says Anderson, "We had The Pack A.D. and Gravel Road come in March and it was phenomenal."

"We brought Black Diamond Heavies in January and that got us a good base. At least 300 people showed up," smiles Beck.

Anderson is quick to add, "The next day, the Heavies called Biram in Austin and said, 'You've gotta come through Fort Wayne."

"Word spread like wildfire," agrees Beck, "Fort Wayne's become kind of a hot spot for bands, which is cool. We're right in the middle of Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Louisville and Indy. They're all right there, so if you're going from one to another and you've got an off night, it's the perfect spot."

Fort Wayne is the only HBE chapter in the Midwest currently. The other chapters are in Phoenix, Austin, Louisiana, Oklahoma City and Tennessee. Bands do not have to be associated with HBE to play shows that include HBE-affiliated bands. "They'll work with anybody that plays something good," states Beck, "We're not going to do a pop band or a cover band. If it's heartfelt, you can play an HBE show. Otherwise, we got no problem telling you no."

One problem they do have is people confusing the organization for a band. "We've had a hard time getting people to buck down and associate the shows as Hillgrass Bluebilly shows, rather than Left Lane Cruiser show or an A3K (Anderson's promotional name) show or whatever," admits Beck.

That's where an official HBE kickoff weekend comes in handy. Although the entire event was a happy accident, the guys are more than ecstatic to offer it. "RMike told me I had to book the Buffalo Killers. Then, Th' Shack*Shakers came along and said they wanted to play. We can't tell them no," confesses Anderson, "Since we had two shows back-to-back, we decided to have the kickoff weekend."

Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers will be playing The Brass Rail at 10 p.m. on May 23rd, along with Left Lane Cruiser and Poopdeflex. Cover is $8. The show will be preceded by a 9 p.m. screening of Shack*Shakers lead singer Col. J.D. Wilkes' independent film, Seven Signs, at CinemaTech. Tickets to the film are $5. Anyone who attends the film or wears an HBE shirt will receive $3 off of the cover charge for The Brass Rail show.
"It's been a pleasure to work with the Hillgrass Bluebilly guys and I'm grateful and honored to host a show for a band that my business partner and I are both fond of," says John Commorato Jr., co-owner of The Brass Rail, "They put on a hell of a show."