The performer and his backing band, The Heartless Bastards, will next hit the stage Friday (12/22) in Helotes, TX. The rambling tour will lurch into January and includes several co-headlining dates with Blasters co-founder Dave Alvin, starting with a Jan. 18 show in State College, PA.

McMurtry, the son of novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry, is still backing 2005's "Childish Things," the performer's seventh solo album, and one that earned him increased attention following the somewhat unexpected popular success of his 2004 live set, "Live in Aught-Three."

Following up on last year's "We Can't Make it Here," which McMurtry termed in a press release as "the first political rant I've done," the singer recently returned his sights to the political landscape with "God Bless America," the rough cut of which is available at his website.

"I had meant to wait until I was finished overdubbing before putting this song out, but our brave legislators have once again outdone themselves in their acquiescence to the executive by passing the detainee bill," McMurtry, in a message posted at his website, said of the song, which is critical of the US government's motives in going to war in Iraq and includes lyrics such as "Gonna turn up the heat till it comes to a boil/So we can go get that Arab oil."

"We refer to foreign governments that employ all-powerful executive branches as dictatorships, but we're still supposed to think of our own government as democratic. I'm appalled at the spinelessness of Republican legislators. I guess they still think they'll be invited to the feast. They will be, but only if they continue to watch their mouths."