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Our Review

I hate fruitcake, but I love great honky tonk music, and Honky Tonk Confidential delivers delivers big time on Who Gets the Fruitcake This Year? This is an irreverent comedy album with a distinctive country twang. The music is extremely well executed, and these highly-talented Washingtonians are definitely having a great time.

If you're looking for a seasonal CD that's a bit different, gently poking fun at holiday traditions and providing perverse spins on classic carols (including a surfer's interpretation of O Come O Come Emmanuel), then this intensely creative CD will warm your heart and tickle your funny bone. Sadly, the merriment doesn't last long; the album ends after only 34 minutes.

Impressive! HTC is a quality operation, and Who Gets the Fruitcake This Year? may have you fondly contemplating your own brick of fruitcake in December. Or not.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2007)

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From the liner notes:

Diana Quinn: vocals, acoustic guitars
Mike Woods: vocals, lead guitar; twelve-string guitar; dobro
Geff King: vocals, bass
Bobby Martin: "flying" pedal steel guitar

Drums: Dave Elliott on all cuts except 4,5,7,9,11; Mark Lucas on cuts 5&9; Rob Howe on cut 7; Dennis Hash on cut 4; Mark Lindamood on cut 11
Norm Thorne: bodhran on cut 9
Seth Kibel: clarinet on cut 4

Produced by Diana Quinn with Mike Woods and Marco Delmar

Honky Tonk Confidential has been recording a Christmas song nearly every year since 1998....

Almost always tongue-in-cheek and mostly irreverent, HTC presents this album, hoping that you manage to avoid getting the fruitcake this year.


From the Website:

Honky Tonk Confidential plays both kinds of music -- country and western. Claiming classic honky tonk and western swing as major influences, HTC 's performances include classic country tunes as well as clever originals, filled with cunning references while sounding inspired and totally original.

A front-line of Telecasters is led by Mike Woods' masterful guitar and including Diana Quinn on rhythm guitar, Sam Goodall on bass, and Bobby Martin on his "flying" pedal steel guitar. Mark Lindamood fuels the band with his powerful Ludwig drums. In addition to impeccable musicianship, HTC 's three-part harmony sets the band apart from all others in its class.

HTC hails from Washington , D.C. (and we're here to help you). The band has played in a wide variety of venues, from the genuine honky tonk JV (in Falls Church ) to most of the major venues in the area, including the Kennedy Center , Barns of Wolf Trap, the Strathmore, and the Washington Folklife Festival. HTC is also Bob Schieffer's (of CBS News) official backup band, and four of Bob's songs (lyrics by Bob, music by Diana and Mike) are on the band's fourth album...

Honky Tonk Confidential

Who Gets the Fruitcake This Year?

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Track List