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Photo by Ross Hecox, Western
Horseman |
In this era of prepackaged superstars, of pale imitations of country music
being pushed onto the public by faceless media giants, the music of Wylie &
The Wild West is a beacon of truth and honest beauty.
As one critic says, “Wylie Gustafson is the coolest cowpoke around. Forget everything you hate about modern country, this guy is old-school cool without being a tired period piece.”
Singer, songwriter, rancher, horseman, and
the original, world-famous Yahoo!® yodeler, Wylie Gustafson leads the musical outfit
known as The Wild West. The first incarnation of the group
formed in 1989, getting its start on Ronnie Mack's Barn Dance
at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood. Since then, Wylie & The
Wild West have played thousands of gigs, delighting audiences
around the world with their unique brand of good-time cowboy music. They've performed
at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, The National Folk Festival,
Kennedy Center,
Lincoln Center, on
A Prairie Home Companion,
and have appeared more than 50 times on the Grand Ole Opry.
Add to that an appearance by Wylie on Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
with Wylie teaching Conan to yodel.
Whether playing for a crowd of
50 or 5,000, Wylie's goal is always the same: "To win a crowd
with good music and make 'em feel like they got their money’s
worth." Looking back over two decades with The Wild West, he
says, "My idea about playing live music has pretty much been the
same since I started playing in high school dance bands in the
mid-70s: be an
entertainer. It all started
as I watched Chuck Berry on T.V. one night as he duck-walked,
strutted, kicked, and grooved across the stage while never
missing a beat. Now that was entertainment!"
Introducing
Hang -n- Rattle!
Wylie & The Wild West's latest album |
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Did you come to ride or
did
you come to hide?
Wylie & The Wild West have released their fourteenth album
with thirteen new songs from the untamed West. Hang -n- Rattle!
joyously offers the jump-and-
kick of the band’s more
rollicking sounds. |
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Wylie Gustafson has dug deep into his
musical palette to create a colorful backdrop for lyrics
that are ignited by the passion for his
cowboy-horseman-rodeo heritage.
“Not only did I want an energized sound that gives a nod
to my feral cowboy friends, I especially wanted to emphasize
the kinship between poem and song,” says the lanky
songwriter.
Wylie partnered up with world-renowned Rodeo Poet, Paul
Zarzyski, on seven co-writes. The daring duo has thrown
the gate open to new arenas of contemporary Western
songwriting.
Recorded in Nashville, Tenn., Hang -n- Rattle! was produced
by John Carter Cash.
What folks are saying about
Hang -n- Rattle!
American Cowboy
Review: June/July 2009
“I'm so eager for people to hear this
album in all of its bold, dazzling breadth. It should
come with its own fireworks display! I am drawn in by
the complexity of each piece and the excitement of the
whole. It's a listener's banquet.”
−Margo Metegrano
Editor
CowboyPoetry.com
“I love this collaboration and am in awe of how you
all take thoughtful poems from a page and turn them into
music. This one really kicks it up a few notches. I
think it suits the times we live in: some love, some
dance, some blues. High praises for your creative and
collaborative work. It is fuel for a new generation of
hope."
−Meg Glaser
Artistic Director
Western Folklife Center
"Thanks for the breath of fresh air, or maybe more
accurately, the
sand-blasting of cowboy/rodeo music on your CD,
Hang-n-Rattle! This is goin'-down-the-road music for
a generation longing for LeDoux. Nostalgia and
reminiscences have their place, but it seems to me that
this album is about being in the moment. It's about
youth and vitality and is sorely needed−not
to just preserve Western culture, but invigorate it, to
breathe life into it.”
−John Reedy
Twistedcowboy.com
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Wylie & Conan O'Brien
(Photo Courtesy NBC Universal)
No kidding! On April Fools Day 2008,
Wylie
appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien promoting his
book, How to Yodel: Lessons to Tickle Your Tonsils. Conan
joined Wylie in a rockin' rendition of the band's top-selling
iTunes title "Yodel Boogie." The show's official blog described
the 6-minute chapter as "the highlight of the day."
Wylie gave Conan high marks for bravery in
accepting the challenge of learning to yodel in front of 2.5
million viewers, and for his abilities in carrying it off
successfully. "We only had about five minutes to rehearse
earlier in the day. "Conan was a superb host, especially off
camera," Wylie said. "His crew was first class through and
through."
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Wylie & Whiskey,
a horse he trained,
cut cattle.
Did we mention Whiskey is bridleless?
Wylie & The Wild West named
Western Music Association's2008
Cowboy/Wester n
Swing Group;
Bucking Horse
Moon voted
Cowboy/Western Swing Album of Year
Wylie visits with
Ken Overcast of
The Cowboy Show about Wylie's
Cattle Call album on
Audio Postcard
2008 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Cybercast
KSPS Spokane
March 2007
Wylie & the band in a concert-length DVD, plus bonus
footage:
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