Fiercer Than Miranda Lambert: "Stupid" by Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves is one of the best things to happen to country music in a while.  This is a bold statement, I know, but it's true.  What's great about Kacey is her incredible songwriting ability.  I am a sucker for singer/songwriters and  she truly has a rare talent.  If you've been keeping with the weekly drama unfolding on the show 'Nashville' you might remember a song that Juliette and Deacon "wrote" together called 'Undermine'.  This song was actually written by Kacey and you can see her performance of the song here if you'd like:

She also wrote Miranda Lambert's current hit "Mama's Broken Heart", a song full of angst that is well on its way to becoming a #1 song for Miranda.

  Knowing how good of a songwriter she is and loving her first single "Merry Go Round", I was really looking forward to her album.  But I was also a little nervous about it because of an incident that occurred only a few months earlier that changed me in a very deep and profound way...

There was an artist (whom shall remain nameless) not too long ago who released a song to country radio that I adored for the same reasons I love "Merry Go Round".  It was honest, personal, and most importantly, it had a very different feel from any other country song on the radio.  I was on fire for this artist. I sang his praises for months before his album was released, telling people grand stories about how he was going to change modern country as we know it and usher in a wave of new, unique artists with strong musical convictions (I tend to get carried away with things).  I was living in a beautiful fantasy world until.... this person's debut album was released. To say the least I was disappointed by it and the pedestal I had built for this person along with the imaginary world I had created came crashing down.

 I walked away from that album.... wiser.

I was determined not to make the same mistake with Kacey and tried not to let myself get too excited for her CD's release.  Fortunately, she came through for me :)  I adore her album and really respect the acoustic/folksy country feel she has, which shines through in adorable songs like "My House" and cheeky songs like "Step Off" and "Blowin' Smoke".  But if you're looking for something a bit edgier, you should listen to "Stupid".  It's prominent drum kick is contagious and the beat immediately pulls you into the song.  There's a dark tone to the song but it isn't your average my-boyfriend-was-a-jerk-and-now-I'm-going-to-disgrace-him-in-front-of-the-whole-world kind of song because Kacey's frustration is aimed both at a man and herself.  Much like in "Merry Go Round" Kacey uses repetition and simplicity extremely well in the catchphrase of the song, "Stupid love is stupid/Don't know why we always do it."  Notice the use of we not you.

Which brings up another reason to love Kacey.  Her songs are unashamedly honest.  She'll write about mistakes other people have made, but also about mistakes she's made.  I really hope after you listen to "Stupid" you listen to the rest of her CD because it is fantastic.  Dare I say, it's the best all around country album I've heard in a long time.  Wow, that was really bold too...

    

The Song that Changed Music Forever: "That's All Right" by Elvis Presley

Before we really get going with this blog thing, I should probably warn everybody that I am a huge Elvis fan.   Please, please, please tell me that you didn’t just picture a middle aged man in a white jumpsuit who may or may not have (but definitely did) eat one too many peanut butter and banana sandwiches.  Well, I guess I can’t be too upset if that’s what you pictured because that’s what I thought before I actually started listening to him.  That's when I discovered how much more there is to Elvis and his music than the stereotypical Elvis-like character you see walking around Vegas these days.  I’m not quite sure how I evolved into such an Elvis fan, but before I could stop myself I was obsessed. Vinyls. Movies.  Sweatshirts. The whole nine yards.

Now, you may be wondering how a man deemed the King of Rock n’ Roll fits into a blog about country music.  Well, Elvis was born and raised in the south and started his career singing rockabilly music in a struggling recording studio called Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee.  In the early 1950s, when Elvis was still a teenager, he went into Sun Records a couple times to make a record for his mama’s birthday.  While he was there the owner of the record label, Sam Phillips (who also discovered Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Jerry Lee Lewis- yeah, he’s pretty awesome), told Elvis that he was an “interesting” singer and told him that he might call him sometime to make a record. 

When Elvis was finally called back a year later (in 1954, I believe) he went in there with his little beaten up guitar and started singing every song he knew for Phillips.  Unfortunately, nothing was really working out too well and Phillips thought he had made a mistake in asking Elvis to come in that day.  He told Elvis and the two other band members with him (Bill Black and Scotty Moore) to take a break, hoping that they would do better after the break.

 Here’s where the story gets good. 

Elvis started messing around during the break and began to play an old song from the ‘40s called “That’s All Right”, except he didn’t use the original arrangement of the song.  He played it faster and added a lot of energy to the song.  As Scotty Moore recounts. “All of a sudden Elvis just started singing this song, jumping and acting the fool, and then Bill picked up his bass and he started acting the fool, too, and I started playing with them”.  The song was very different from anything Phillips had heard before and he knew that it was the sound he had been searching for.  The sound that he knew had been in Elvis all along; all he needed was the right song to let it rip.  Knowing that he had struck gold, Sam Phillips quickly turned on the recorder and told them to repeat what they had just done.  That’s the recording you’ll hear now and the recording that jumpstarted the career of arguably the greatest entertainer of all time.  And guess what?  Because of Elvis’ unique blend of blues, country, and gospel in “That’s All Right”, he was billed as “the freshest, newest voice in country music”.   

  

A Celebration of Joy and Pain: "Officially Alive" by Brad Paisley

Let me just say how huge of a fan I am of Brad Paisley.  I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t listen to his music and I've seen him in concert more times than I can count.  Believe it or not, last year I saw his Camobunga tour three times.  Yes, the same show three different times and I was blown away by it every single time.  When I was in 6^th grade my incredible uncle surprised me and got me a backstage pass to meet Brad after one of his shows. 

It. Was. Incredible.

The highlight of my life thus far?  Why yes.  Yes, it was.  

I know I look heinous, but in my defense I didn't know I was going to meet him :)

Brad was such a gentleman and my love for him and his music was amplified that day.  As the years have gone by I’ve enjoyed hearing the evolution of Brad’s music and have been anticipating his new album, "Wheelhouse" for quite some time.  It came out on Tuesday and I raced to Crackerbarrel after school to pick up my copy.  Brad's been receiving some heat for this album but I honestly believe that it is one of his greatest records to date.  All recording was done at his home in Franklin, Tennessee and it is obvious that he poured his heart and soul into these songs.  Heck, he was involved in basically every aspect of creating the album.  He wrote, played, sang, and produced the album.  

Some people are really opposed to this album which upsets me but it seems like Brad is totally cool with it.  He even predicted it.  In the booklet of his album Brad says "This record is the sound of an old farmhouse.  It is the sound of 7 band members creating, collaborating, fighting, and high-fiving.  It is a digital journal of the shattering of comfort zones and collateral magic.  It is the sound of creaky old floorboards, screen doors, and immutable songwriting minds opening.  We only had one rule with this record: To throw out the rules... When we began, I hung a sign above the door : This place on earth,  This moment in time, has never been recorded before and will never happen again.  Now as it leaves our house and finds its way to yours, I can't wait to see what you think.  This album may not be for everyone but I hope it is for you". 

As you've probably guessed, I would recommend any of his songs from "Wheelhouse" but the one that stuck out to me the most when I first listened to the album is the last track called  "Officially Alive".  It will immediately give you an optimistic view on whatever is bothering you and is perfect to listen to on a bad day.  Brad says that we should celebrate those moments in life where we experience unbridled enthusiasm* or even when we experience intense pain because those are the moments that make us human.  Once you've experienced a wide range of emotions, you know that you've really lived.  You've taken chances and haven't let fear hold you back from enjoying life- even if some of those chances didn't pan out the way you had hoped.  Also, the last verse about holding his kids for the very first time is adorable.  

*Shout out to hard core Seinfeld fans who picked up on that reference

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: "New Again" by Brad Paisley and Sara Evans

I'm laying awake on this Easter night thinking of Jesus' sacrifice and the meaning behind Easter.  There is a song I listen to every Easter that reminds me of Jesus' love and helps me not get too caught up in the commercial side of Easter that I thought I should share.  It's called "New Again" by Brad Paisley and Sara Evans and is one of the most moving songs I have ever heard due to the innocence of Sara's voice and the love in Brad's voice.  What really gets me about this song is the love evident in Mary/Jesus' relationship.  It's sung in a very unique way and it's extremely powerful to hear the points of view of both Jesus and Mary.  I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.

Happy Easter.

(P.S: Brad and Sara wrote this song together.  Pretty impressive.)
  

Reinforcing My Love For Country: "Annie, I Owe You A Dance" by Tim McGraw

This guy just keeps getting better.  Tim McGraw is having a major comeback and I LOVE IT.  His latest CD, Two Lanes of Freedom, is one of the best country albums I’ve heard in a while, but I’ll admit that I was apprehensive about it at first.  To be completely honest, I died a little bit inside when I heard “Truck Yeah” for the first time.  Now, it’s grown on me a bit since then, but my first listen was not pretty.  Snippets of some of Tim’s earlier and incredible songs (i.e. “The Cowboy In Me”, “Drugs or Jesus”, “I’ve Got Friends That Do”) kept playing over and over in my head as I heard "Truck Yeah" and a horrible feeling of dread came over me as I tried to accept that the old Tim we all know and love might forever be a thing of the past. 

Then he released “One of Those Nights” and an old forgotten feeling of hope started to creep up inside of me.  Yet, I still didn’t let myself believe that Tim’s new stuff could rival his past hits.  

But then something glorious happened.  

Tim released Two Lanes of Freedom and busted back into the New Country scene with vengeance.  I’m telling ya, this CD is rockin’.  Between the beautiful ballads, a collaboration with Taylor Swift AND Keith Urban, fantastic story telling, and just some fun, roll-down-your-windows-and-jam songs, Tim has totally stepped up his game.  And it’s awesome.    

 One of my favorite songs from this album is “Annie I Owe You A Dance”.  If I ever forget why I love country music, I’ll just listen to this song and be reminded of how unique and honest the genre is.  It starts off with just Tim and a piano, which is sort of rare for a country song and tells a really cute story that may not make you cry, but will probably garner some sort of sad smile by the time he says, “Annie, thanks for the dance”.  It’s definitely bitter sweet but in the best possible way.

 Thank you for this beautiful piece of art, Tim.

Hometowns and Nostalgia: "Turning Home" by David Nail

          Since I’m sure you are innately interested, I’ll give you a short life bio of myself.  I know, just what you wanted.  I moved to Illinois when I was six and lived there until my family moved to North Carolina this past summer.  I was sixteen.  Now you may be thinking of how difficult it must have been for me to be uprooted right in the middle of high school and move to a state in which I know absolutely no one and start living an entirely new life.  If this is what you’re thinking you'd be absolutely… wrong.  You’d be completely wrong.  Sorry.

            Ever since I was little I’ve wanted to move to the South, specifically North Carolina (this probably sprang from the unhealthy amount of Nicholas Sparks books I devoured as a kid) and after my sophomore year my family decided to make the move.  A lot of people don’t understand why we would want to move from the great city of Chicago to the quaint town of Mooresville, NC.  Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret about Chicago.  It’s cold.  Ok, that’s not really a secret but Chicago is ridiculously cold and gray for ¾ of the year.   We put up with it for 10 years, but finally we couldn’t take it anymore.  So, much to my excitement, we packed up our lives and headed to the South.

                              Pretty much what I looked like the whole drive down.

I have no regrets about moving but I’d be lying (and a heartless monster) if I said I didn’t miss my friends from Chicago.  I’ve known them for as long as I can remember and their influence has shaped me into the person I am today.  I came across David Nail’s Grammy nominated song “Turning Home” shortly after we left Illinois and the lyrics really moved me.   The person in the song has moved away from home but constantly reminisces about the people who impacted his life and all of the fun he had while growing up.  The memories that he sings of, such as passing family owned stores and going to gas stations, are very simple and are probably things that he never gave a second thought to while growing up.  Yet, after being away for a while he thinks of these things fondly, with a sense of nostalgia.  This is something that really spoke to me. 

David nails the vocals of this song  (Lame puns FTW) and he sings with such conviction and passion.  I love how the intensity of the song builds with every verse until it comes to a dramatic conclusion with “I don’t know no love like the first love/when I think about the best times/she’s the one I think of”.  Ahh so, so good. 

    

        

What did y'all think of the song?  Did it hit home for anyone?   Let me know!