American Country Music
Whenever I meet people and I ask what type of music they're into, I can tell you 90% of them will answer vaguely: "I am into all kind of music... well except for rap and country music." It saddens me to hear that. (Incidentally, whenever someone tells me they're into all genre of music, I think the opposite: they only like one kind of genre).
Trust me, we get "all kind of music" and shopping around for reviewers is tough because, let's face it: we like what we like. No one is going to go out of their way to devote one or two hours listening to music genres they're not familiar with.
So basically, country music is a very popular genre that no one seems to like! I grew up on country music, so I've always had a soft spot for it. What I like about country is that they often teach us a lesson, like a story within the song. And often the story is about RL (real life) and you can relate to their flawed characters.
Below are some albums we've received that's by real singers, singing about life.
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GLEN CAMPBELL
glencampbellshow.com ♥ myspace.com What's surprisingly is his choice in covers are strangely modern contemporary, including U2 ("All I Want Is You"), Foo Fighters ("Times Like These"), Green Day ("Good Riddance") and best of all Travis ("Sing"). Just as his title suggest: meet Glen Campbell for the first time, forget his roots in country pop music. Some of the best cover, at least to me, is his version of "Sing" (you can hear it on myspace) and "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)". While Green Day's version is all-acoustic and somber, Campbell brought a bit of a jingle, jangle and banjo to the song. It's like a going away party, and you wouldn't think this was a Green Day song. As a cover-lover, I wholly recommend these "re-imagined" songs to fans of the bands he covers. Find out more details over at meetglencampbell.com for the cover album (available on CD, Limited Edition Vinyl, and of course digitally). |
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NATASHA JAMES
natashajames.com ♥ myspace.com My favorite song is "Modern Life". It does a great job in painting you the picture of: lonliness, our busyness, divorces, cellphones, internet games, etc. The song is bundled in what sounds like a steel guitar and violins. While the song has a sad tone to it, it's not as sad as the weepy "The Wind". She's also doing a few dates throughout California: 08/08/09 Sonoma County Fair Santa Rosa, California 08/21/09 Iron Door Saloon Groveland, California 08/22/09 Iron Door Saloon Groveland, California Bonus: As I have previously mentioned, we don't get too many DVD submissions, so here is the video for "Tequila Time". |
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RUSTED ROOTS
rustedroot.com ♥ myspace.com I lassoed the band on this article because I thought they look country, I mean look at this pyschedelic cover artwork: a cowboy ropping a japanese geisha over flames and skulls. The album cover is basically an interpretation of the song "Stereo Rodeo", a slower song that tells the story of a man going to Japan to find a girl. One thing is certain, I feel the shock of the insane cover artwork never quite live up in the song, because the song sounds a bit... normal. As far as the rest of their songs, they're full of funk and percussions and background vocals, I get the sense that the band wants the audience to be involved with them. Their songs were designed to get you to dance with the band, perhaps contributing to hand claps or singalong. Like most jam bands, they're meant to be seen live. I felt "Driving One" would best sum up the band: check out that funky percussion beat! It sounds like something out of Africa, yet feels like it belong in this American bluegrass band. Stereo Rodeo is available now, at amazon ($8!) or eMusic. |
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AMY LENNARD
amylennard.com ♥ myspace.com Music's always been part of Lennard's life, playing guitar since nine, then moving on to composing original songs. She moved from New York to live out in California for a while, playing festivals and jamming campfire songs with friends. Ten years later, she moved back to New York, and started working on I Need To Love. Half of the album was, from what I've gathered, written and recorded in 2006 with the help of Ben Wisch. The other half is with engineerer Jon Gordon (who's previously worked with Suzanne Vega). You might think that two different producers working on the album might result in an uneven sounding album, it's actually not. Most of the songs feels like pop radio, with strong modern country music influences. There is one very pop-sounding song, it's a love song called "Forever Tonight". It's my favorite song and the easy-to-follow lyrics will cause you to sing along. You can find I Need to Love from amazon, CD Baby, and, of course, iTunes. |
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MIKE KOTULKA
mikekotulka.com ♥ myspace.com/nycmk The title of the album comes from the same titled song, "Hi-Lows". The song is about standing tall, standing for what you believe in, despite the "shit" trying to keep you down. It's a bit inspirational, especially in this economic time. The songs that I did enjoy are the louder ones, "Dumb" and "Gimme Love". "Dumb", with its hand-claps, and "Gimme Love" with its catchy "gimme love gimme love" chorus, will both make excellent live songs. However, as of this writing, there are no tour dates. The nine-track album, feels really short. I decided to track down more music from Kotulka, and the good news is his album The Good, The Bad and the Ugly was available for free via the official website or empty-k.com. Hi-Lows will be available in early July at amazon. |
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SWAY
swaymusic.com ♥ myspace.com As the turned out, both Quartaro and Martin have a lifetime of music in them. Quartaro's written and co-produced over 200 songs to day and was even called the "Female Elton John" by Russ Regan (record executive of UNI records, 20th Century Records, and Motown Records). And Martin's biography lists him as band member on "The Donny James Show". They took the show to South Vietnam from 1968-69, and did a show for radio & television called "Nashville Vietnam". I'm not going to list the other two band members' (Laurens Vernot, Trevor Hands) biography, but let's just say that each member bring a rich history of music with them. Sway's music, with its honky-talk and lyrics tells me "good times are all we need" (from "Cowgirl Scene"). Like "baseball and Chevrolet", these songs are pretty standard country love song ("When Love Finds Its Way", "I'm Over You"). Where love is the power that transcend reality. Sure, "the banks are callin' and bills are late", but we've got love, from "In The Hands Of Love". Gina Quartaro sings on all the songs on the album, minus two songs sung by Martin. Quartaro is currently doing some dates:
07/16/09 OC Fair (Mainstage) Costa Mesa, CA 07/25/09 Art A Fair Laguna Beach, CA |
06/21/2009 13:42:10 ♥ vu (
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I'm fond of Western, for the record, with particular genres within the old "country" classification. Usually what turns me off is recording artists that get "duded" up-- those wearing cowboy hats far too often and affectating a drawl when it's not necessarily authentic. Fred (my wife's maternal grandfather) said he was a "cattleman", not a "cowboy"-- "cowboys" wore fuzzy chaps and hung out in drugstores, he said. He also made no apologies for wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat for work that looked nothing like an authentic cowboy hat. Hehe. I'd rather have working sensibility than urban cowboy.
As far as rap, I prefer the term "hip-hop", of course, since that also covers more genres. But yeah, in my online gaming, I find an overwhelming number of kids (mostly male) who profess they "hate rap" and list a lot more rock, mostly metal.
Incidentally, whenever someone tells me they're into all genre of music, I think the opposite: they only like one kind of genre
That's been my experience, too. I have more respect for someone who will state their preferences clearly than someone who makes the erroneous claim they like "everything". Here's a hint for them: say "I like a little bit of everything", and then you are properly vague enough to actually be believable.
to be fair, so much of contemporary "country" (I'll put country in quotes, since I agree that the label is confusing) is forgettable and ultimately marketed towards that specific Bud Light-drinkin', pick-up truck drivin' subculture. Also, "pop country" has made its way into Top 40 vernacular, a genre I find completely worthless and, to be honest, downright superficial. But there's a market for these acts, and I suppose some minor league sports team will always need a Carrie Underwood to sing the Star Spangled Banner.
By the way, I DO like Johnny Cash and a Tribe Called Quest.
Vu