Carrie Underwood is releasing a Randy Travis cover as her next single. But it isn't “On the Other Hand” or “There'll Always Be a Honky Tonk Somewhere” or some other song that echoes the sounds of Haggard and Jones. No, this is one of those Randy Travis songs that's country mostly by virtue of the fact that pretty much anything he sings ends up sounding country. Even with the steel licks giving texture to the chorus and the solid country hook, “I Told You So” would likely sound pop … [Read more...]
Everything in Time
October 18, 2008 by 11 Comments
When I tap out a blog post about an artist or an album I like, I'm working toward getting you to give the music a listen. I don't even know you, but I try to find the right combination of words to convince you that this is something you need to hear right now. I fool myself into thinking that if I can just get you listening to clips at iTunes or Myspace, you'll hear it the way I hear it and love it the way I do.I'm wrong, though. That's not the way it works. Music is about relationships. … [Read more...]
Play Me the (Same) Old Stuff
August 13, 2008 by 7 Comments
I've resigned myself to the fact that country radio just isn't that into me. Demographically speaking, we should be a fair match. I'm not a teenage girl or a soccer mom or a teenage soccer mom – which precludes a perfect match – but I am a white guy in the suburbs of northern California. That gives me some pretty secure vanilla credentials. Somehow, though, our relationship just doesn't work. I don't actually hate most of the songs played on the radio. In fact, part of the problem is … [Read more...]
Whitley In the Present Tense
July 30, 2008 by 10 Comments
Many of the male country artists who got their start in the 1990s – Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and Tracy Lawrence among them – name Keith Whitley as one of their influences. There's no question that they were exposed to his music. During the late 80s and early 90s, it was nearly impossible for a country listener to not hear Whitley. When he died of alcohol poisoning in May 1989, he was riding high on a string of radio successes that included enduring hits like "Don't Close Your Eyes," … [Read more...]
Sugarland Got It Right… Almost
July 23, 2008 by 7 Comments
I complain when an artist puts out an expanded version of an existing album to boost sales – I'm looking at you, Blake Shelton – so it only seems right that I should praise Sugarland for doing the opposite. The deluxe fan edition of Love on the Inside was released today, and it contains 5 bonus tracks that will not be on the standard release next Tuesday. Which begs the question: Who will wait an extra week to get an album with 5 fewer songs? Probably the same people who paid QVC $20+ … [Read more...]
Revising Randy Travis
July 8, 2008 by 5 Comments
Randy Travis’ next album, "Around The Bend," is set for release July 15, and it marks the end of a long absence for him. It will be the first country CD he’s put out in eight years. (GAC) It's not just GAC. This is the way the story is being told everywhere: Travis returns to country after eight years in gospel to record what many (including Robert K. Oermann and Chet Flippo) are calling one of the year's best albums. It makes for good copy, but it just ain't so.Unlike the unidentified … [Read more...]
The Problem with Caitlin & Will
June 27, 2008 by 28 Comments
Caitlin Lynn and Will Snyder recently won a Sony record deal on CMT's Can You Duet. Their debut single "Even Now" is at radio now. Is this the beginning of the “next great country duo” (as CMT bills them) or just another failed launch of a new act? My money is on the latter. Not because I'm bitter. Although I was rooting for Joey and Rory, the most traditional duo on the show, I never really thought the judges would let them win. I figured they would just keep them in until the … [Read more...]
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