Hopalong Andrew Releases HOWDY DO! SONGS OF THE URBAN COWPOKE

This fall brings Howdy Do! Songs of the Urban Cowpoke, a brand new family western folk album that celebrates city life through the fun, fantastical figure of the "Urban Cowpoke," Hopalong Andrew, out September 21. If you're a city dweller who loves the cowboy life, or country folk who love visiting the city, this might be a collection for you.

Hopalong Andrew will celebrate the release of Howdy Do! Songs of the Urban Cowpoke at Opry City Stage in Times Square on September 22 where he will perform with his crackerjack 5-piece Western band.

Hopalong Andrew sings clever and whimsical cowboy songs about city life performed in the great tradition of the American West. His mission is to celebrate all aspects of city life and nature, while paying homage to the singing cowboys and folk singers of yesteryear. His high-spirited music is meant for the whole family to enjoy, city-slickers and tenderfoots alike.

Hopalong Andrew developed his vision for Urban Cowboy music when he was a New York City Urban Park Ranger, playfully using music to promote and celebrate the city's precious natural resources, history, and bounty of multicultural opportunities. Assigned to New York's famous Central Park, he became known as "The Singing Ranger" and was soon being assigned out to events citywide. He loved the contrast between the urban and natural environments that he witnessed every day and began adapting rural music to city life. He does this by creating a whimsical "fish out of water" fantasy world where cowpokes roam the city, taking in marvelous people and places. "This contrast provides a surprisingly delightful way to draw attention to important topics," says Hopalong Andrew. His many influences include the singing cowboys of the silver screen, classic country singers such as Hank Williams and Hank Snow, and parody singers such as Allan Sherman and "Weird Al" Yankovic. It's a retro-toned vibe that reflects the humor and whimsy of the novelty music that was popular from the 1930s-1950s.

Each of the 12 songs on Howdy Do! tells its own tale of city life - whether it's about the city's neighborhoods, people or urban wildlife. Featuring a crackerjack band of world-class musicians, the songs are exuberant with fiddle, pedal steel, banjo, and delightful harmonies. On "Broadway was a Native American Trail" (which is 100% true!) Hopalong Andrew celebrates the Native American origins of New York City and encourages further reading at a library. With "The Yodeling Ranger of Central Park," Hopalong recounts his days as a Central Park Ranger and conveys the value and charm of a great city park. "Tyrannosaurus" tells the story of a sleepover night at the American Museum of Natural History, where a young urban cowpoke befriends a dinosaur and they ride through the night.

The energetic "Outside!" parodies the classic cowboy song "Rawhide" - with a posse of stroller-rollin' cowpokes, and the album's tour-de-force is "I've Been Everywhere in New York" where Hopalong Andrew sings the names of 105 NYC neighborhoods in under three minutes! Other songs include perfect welcome song "Howdy Do!," "Ice Cream Dude," the fan-favorite "Buffalo, Buffalo," "Back in The City Again" and fun spins on well known classics "Thank God I'm a City Boy," "Home on the Town" and "Bring Back My Cowgirl to Me."

Howdy Do! Songs of the Urban Cowpoke will be available September 21, 2018 for streaming on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music and anywhere folks are searching for great music. Also be sure to check Hopalong Andrew's website for tour dates to head 'em up and move 'em out to the next concert near you.

ABOUT HOPALONG ANDREW
Hopalong Andrew is singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Vladeck. Born in Manhattan, he was a NYC Park Ranger stationed in Central Park, and is perhaps best known as a member of 00s indie rock band The Honey Brothers (with actor/musician Adrian Grenier). His performances involve multiple instruments and lassos and even wardrobe changes, not to mention venues that keep bringing him back, such as Bryant Park, Union Square Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the New York and Brooklyn Public Libraries, Oldtone Music Festival, Lancaster Fair, and more. If you love living in or visiting a big city, Hopalong Andrew's music is for you. And besides, who else will lasso you a cab while playing the "William Tell" Overture on harmonica? More at hopalongandrew.com

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