Billy Tulsa & the Psycho Crawdads
Tennessee Rain (1999 Rainy Day Records - Album was never commercially released)

Billy Tulsa and the Psycho Crawdads were a progressive country band with an entirely new sound. It is essentially a classic country sound coupled with the best of today's Hot Young Country. The Los Angeles Times has referred to it as Hot Rod Honky Tonk and Ya'll-ternative Country!

This album was recorded in 1999 at Mad Dog Studios in Burbank, California. At the time the band was signed with "independent label" Rainy Day Records who, unbeknownst to the band, never intended on releasing the album, but instead intended on selling the album to a major label to make a quick buck. Rainy Day was unsuccessful in selling the album and refused to release the group from the contract, so the band was essentially stuck until they were finally bought out by a third party. Said third party failed to perform, and, as a result, the band, which had become increasingly frustrated and tired of dealing with "industry" clowns and crooks, ultimately stopped performing.

The album was produced by Dusty Wakeman. Dusty performed additional background vocals on this album. Dusty has also performed with and produced country recording artists Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale and Rosie Flores, as well as producing an album by renowned country music producer Pete Anderson, the producer of Yoakam's albums, as well as others. Some critics said that Wakeman, in an attempt at giving the band a "polished Nashville sound," effectively took the life out of the band in what otherwise would have been a superb recording.

Some of the other musicians that performed on this album include Scott Joss, who played Fiddle and Mandolin. Scott is a member of Dwight Yoakam's band and he has also played with country music legend Merle Haggard. Lee Thornburg played trumpet on one song on this album. Lee has played with such legends as The Tower of Power, The Rolling Stones and Dwight Yoakam. Skip Edwards played Keyboards and Accordian on this album. Skip currently plays in Dwight Yoakam's band, and he has also played for Johnny Rivers and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Marty Rifkin played Steel Guitar on this album. Marty has played with Dwight Yoakam, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, among others.

The song "You Drive Me Crazy" was included in the soundtrack of the Paramount movie entitled "Deterrence" starring Timothy Hutton and Kevin Pollack.

Currently John Knowles and Nelson Blanton have repackaged this album [without consent] and are promoting themselves, and the album, on MySpace as something called Alvarado, After the Smoke Clears. EVERY SINGLE PRESS CLIP they they're quoting is old press from Billy Tulsa and the Psycho Crawdads. The bio "the story" they're using on their website is a slightly edited version of the Billy Tulsa bio written by drummer Tony Radford over ten years ago.

Download the album below...