Tempted: Squeeze giveaway at Austinist site

Pair of tix to tonight's Squeeze show at Antones are up for grabs on the austinist website.

Meanwhile, it looks like Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford and the rest of Squeeze will record another album before all is said and done.

Even though Squeeze reunites periodically, the band leaders have said it has to be emotionally, spiritually and financially appropriate.

Red Dirt Poll: Oklahoma Okaay!

Oklahoma seeks your input on its official "rock and roll" song...

The nominees have been pared to 10 songs, some of which are questionable (All American Rejects, Three Dog Night), some of which are surprising (Flaming Lips, Ventures), and some of which are roughly on target (Leon Russell, J.J. Cale).

Be aware that Oklahoma already has adopted a State Folk Song (“Oklahoma Hills” by Jack and Woody Guthrie, adopted 2001), a State Country and Western Song (“Faded Love” by Bob Wills, adopted 1988), and an official State Song (“Oklahoma” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, adopted 1953).

You have until November 15, 2008 to cast your vote here. Guess it was too much to expect a Ray Wylie Hubbard or Jimmy LaFave song.

Poor Poor Pitiful Steve Earle

Five years (almost to the day) of Warren Zevon's death, Steve Earle is scheduled to appear on David Letterman's "Late Show" Friday night in a tribute to the late L.A. troubadour.

Earle covered Zevon's "Reconsider Me" -- backed by Austin's Reckless Kelly -- on the 2004 tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich, whose title came from Zevon's last appearance on the Letterman show in October 2002. No word on what song Earle will perform Friday.

In a related note, the current issue of Rolling Stone contains an interview with Letterman. Relevant excerpt:

RS: The show you did with Warren Zevon, when he'd been diagnosed with terminal cancer and only had months to live: He'd been on many times. Was it a difficult show to do?

DL: Oh, it was awful. Warren was so good about it. After the show, it was heartbreaking -he was in his dressing room, and we were talking and this and that. Here's a guy who had months to live and we're making small talk. And as we're talking, he's taking his guitar strap and hooking it, wrapping it around, then he puts the guitar into the case and he flips the snaps on the case and says, "Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it." And I just started sobbing. He was giving me the guitar that he always used on the show. I felt like, "I can't be in this movie, I didn't get my lines." That was very tough.

River not in reverse but Gus veers away from N.O.

While still a serious threat, Hurricane Gustav struck land Monday near the coastal town of Cocodrie, Louisiana, about 80 miles southwest of the deserted city of New Orleans. High winds resulted in grim-looking whitecaps over the levees in New Orleans, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported no major problems.

Hopefully Gus will continue to dissipate and not result in the destruction that Katrina ravaged three years ago along the Gulf Coast. Music for today includes the collaboration between Allen Toussaint and Elvis Costello, featuring a song no doubt inspired by Katrina, “The River In Reverse.”

For those on dry land, today’s playlist includes:
Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Houston"
James McMurtry’s “Hurricane Party”
R.E.M.’s “Houston”
Kimmie Rhodes’ “There’s a Storm Coming”