Ryan Bingham has now released two songs in a matter of two weeks… and I’m sure as hell not complaining.
Following the June 23 release of “Where My Wild Things Are,” the lead single off of his forthcoming record Watch out for the Wolf (August 11), Bingham is back in no time with a hard rocking cover of “Possum Kingdom.”
Originally recorded by Fort Worth, Texas grunge rock outfit the Toadies in 1994, off of their album Rubberneck, “Possum Kingdom” was their biggest hit and has become a Texas staple over the years.
Written by lead singer Vaden Todd Lewis as a sequel to their previous song “I Burn,” “Possum Kingdom” was inspired by Texas folklore surrounding the Dallas-Area Possum Kingdom Lake.
Bingham, backed by frequent collaborators The Texas Gentleman, absolutely kills this cover, in my opinion, harkening back to a harder rock and roll song that is present at points in his deep catalog of music, particularly reminiscent of songs like “Guess Who’s Knockin’.”
And check out the awesome original Toadies version here.
With new original music on the way, “Possum Kingdom” was not released for Bingham’s upcoming album, but instead for Texas Wild, a tribute album to classic Texas music that will celebrate and benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.
A press release posted to their website back in May provides some more context into the tribute album:
“As part of the 100 Years of Texas State Parks Celebration, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) in partnership with Rambler Sparkling Water, introduces ‘Texas Wild’ —an album featuring well-known Texas musicians and rising stars as they pay tribute to classic Texas tunes that showcase the untamed spirit found only in Texas music.
Produced by Texas singer/songwriter Walker Lukens (The Song Confessional, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Darkbird, CocoZandi), ‘Texas Wild’ is a standout album that blends the sounds of traditional Texas genres like blues, cumbia, and country with modern sounds like hip-hop, R&B, and electronica, sure to please old-school country fans and new listeners alike.”
An eclectic record, to say the least, the lead single off of Texas Wild featured Houston Area rappers Fat Tony and Paul Wall covering another Texas classic, “(Hey Baby) Que Paso,” originally recorded by San Antonio based Sir Douglas Quartet in 1983.
For the whole tracklist of Texas Wild, which also features Shane Smith & the Saints, Hayes Carll, and Ray Wylie Hubbard, see below.
Fat Tony featuring Paul Wall – “(Hey Baby) Que Paso”
Original Track: Sir Douglas Quintet
The Texas Gentlemen – “(That’s Right) You’re Not From Texas”
Original Track: Lyle Lovett
Shane Smith and The Saints featuring Hayes Carll – “Pancho and Lefty”
Original Track: Townes Van Zandt
LUNA LUNA – “Si Una Vez”
Original Track: Selena Quintanilla
Ryan Bingham – “Possum Kingdom”
Original Track: The Toadies
The Suffers – “My Maria”
Original Track: B.W. Stevenson
Shakey Graves featuring Jess Williamson – “True Love Will Find You In The End”
Original Track: Daniel Johnston
Sir Woman featuring Ray Wylie Hubbard – “Texas Sun”
Original Track: Khruangbin and Leon Bridges
Adrian Quesada featuring US and The Soul Supporters – “Say My Name”
Original Track: Destiny’s Child
Sarah Jaffe – “Flying Too Close To The Ground”
Original Track: Willie Nelson
The Toadies – “Since You’ve Been Gone”
Original Track: Kelly Clarkson
Texas Wild in its entirety will be released this fall, and all album sales will benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.
Executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Anne Brown, provided some more context behind the vision of this Texas tribute.
“Texas Wild is an album that encompasses that wild, untamed spirit for which Texas is best known.
Incredible artists from across the state have come together to put their unique stamp on Texas classics, resulting in an exciting playlist that music fans will want to play on repeat.
We’re thankful for the many talented artists who made this extraordinary album possible.”
So if you want to support a good cause from the Lonestar State that brings us so much great music, and be a part of an all around cool project, keep an eye out for the remainder of Texas Wild in the coming months.
And if you haven’t heard it yet, here is Ryan Bingham’s other recent release, “Where My Wild Things Are,” an original tune and lead single off of his upcoming album Watch Out for the Wolf.
