Flatlanders play Letterman

The Odessa Tapes

The Flatlanders' debut album, when it was eventually released years after it was recorded, was appropriately entitled, "More a Legend Than a Band." The group, which came together in 1972 and featured a very young Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and Butch Hancock, never really had a chance to make their mark the first time around. After all three singer/songwriters became stars of the Texas music scene, the band was rediscovered, leading to an eventual reunion and more excellent albums. ...

Hills And Valleys

When The Flatlanders sing, "We're all just migrants on this Earth" during Homeland Refugee, it's a great equalizing statement. Yes, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore, three iconic singer/songwriters that moonlight as The Flatlanders, once again honestly reflect the collective mood of the nation. Homeland Refugee and After the Storm allude to the way such factors as weather events and economic upheaval severely alter the way we live. There are also straight out ...

Live '72

The magic of The Flatlanders surfaced early - at least that's what listeners will hear on this 16-song long hidden gig from June 1972 at the One Knite in Austin where Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and Butch Hancock were based. Austin producer Jim Yanaway told Joe Ely about the tape in spring 2003, a rarity such an old recording existed considering the band initially lasted less than one year and only played about 15 gigs. And they have club owner Gary Oliver to thank for the tape. ...