I suppose if Jolie Holland’s Joni Mitchellism’s can qualify for last week’s “Noise Pop”fest… I can only wonder what the band’s playing tonight at El Rio would be classified as. Not only is Hank IV on the bill prepping for their SXSW trip, we get one of the more bizarre contributions to modern songwriting & performing. A retiree age aerospace industry security guard from San Jose is heading to the Mission as I write, but by the time he takes the stage, he’ll be in his perplexing persona as The Legendary Stardust Cowboy.

The Legendary Stardust Cowboy… aka The Ledge or as he’s known to landlord’s & law enforcement Norman Carl Odam is a bit of a character. A sci-fi rockabilly cowboy kingpin, a Wild West version of Wesley Willis, and a performer William Hung couldn’t hold a melted candle too…or something like that. His mythical off beat rock n roll career is too obscure to go into great detail here… suffice to say it is a sight to be seen.

For those curious enough to make it over the jump, and consider dropping $7 at the door tonight…mp3′s are provided.

The Ledge’s big break occured when he was on Laugh In in the 1960′s, and his single Paralyzed hit the Billboard charts.

Legendary Stardust Cowboy – Paralyzed

Legendary Stardust Cowboy – My Underwear Froze to The Clothesline

It’ll be my second weekend in a row catching the endearingly monikered Klaus Flourideof the Dead Kennedys ripping it up on stage, this time as part of the Ledge’s backing band. Joining Klaus in the band is Jay Rosen from the late great The Muskrats and I think possibly Corey Porter ex- The Buckets/Plain High Drifters and I bet a few other characters who know a thing about show biz.

Another legend of sorts on the bill is opening act lead singer Bob McDonald… kind of our own local lush version of David Yow…

All you SXSW attendees can catch Bob with his band Hank IV at a couple opportunities in the coming week…

Mar 14 2007 midnight
SXSW! Showcase at Lava Lounge in Austin. Hank IV plays at midnight.
Mar 17 2007 3:30PM
Trophy’s (Austin) for the WHOOPSY MAGAZINE PARTY. Hank IV plays at 3:30pm.

Here’s a couple tracks from Hank IV’s debut CD/LP that recently came forth via Hook Or Crook Records… I met Chris Owen’s one of the proprietors the other night, and he seemed like a swell fella, who has big plans for his little Oakland based label, or at least for his bar tab. Look for these folks in Austin…

Hank IV – Tonight We Ride

Hank IV – Got Got

here’s a bonus audio track

New York Night Train‘s Oral History Project: Kid Congo Powers Remembers The End of The Gun Club, and working with the total kook known as The Legendary Stardust Cowboy before joining Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds

Kid Congo – Oral History