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Showing posts with label Drew Kennedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drew Kennedy. Show all posts
Jun 13, 2019
Parody Album Covers: Josh Abbott Band, Drew Kennedy, Josh Grider, Luke Combs
Feb 27, 2018
Courtney Patton: The Farce the Music Interview
By Kevin Broughton
Courtney Patton was in a good place, a really good one. And
she had been for a little while, having settled into a marriage with her
songwriting soul mate, the kind and humble Jason Eady. Having received critical
acclaim for her 2015 album So This Is
Life, followed up by the husband-and-wife collection of duets Something Together, Patton was finally
happy and content as she set about to write, record and produce her own record
for the first time.
But happy ain’t country. Fortunately, though, like the
scorpion catching a ride from the frog, Patton’s nature prevails on an album
full of truth, three chords at a time on What
It’s Like To Fly Alone. Collaborating with heavy-hitting songwriters like
Micky Braun and Larry Hooper (who along with Eady helped pen “Barabbas” on
Eady’s self-titled album), she captures heartbreak, hope and a dash of
redemption throughout. Her vocals combine the boldness of Kim Richey and the
sweet, quavering vulnerability of Kelly Willis, while telling stories of
characters both real and familiar.
Patton, with her self-effacing, hearty laugh and genuine
humility, is a woman comfortable in her own skin. Her gregarious wit stands in
contrast to the darkness of her songs’ characters, but the common thread is a
genuineness that pervades. This is a compelling album by a woman serious about
her craft.
She’s between Dallas and Houston when we connect to talk
about hawks, snakes, rats, cigarette smoke and Botox.
A few years back on Jack Ingram’s Songwriters Series, you said, “I think sad songs, the way
they’re produced and written, are the fabric of real country music.” It seems
like you’ve really put your money where your mouth is on this album. We’ll get
into some specific tracks in a minute, but how did this album come about
thematically?
If I’m being 100 percent truthful, I was in a rut. I was in
a writer’s rut, because I was happy for the first time in a really long time.
And it’s hard to be the kind of songwriter I am when you’re happy. Happy songs
are so hard for me, because you’ve really got to know how to do it without
being cheesy.
And I had never co-written before, so I had made a goal
after So This Is Life came out in 2015
that I was going to co-write with some of my friends and really get better at
it. So I’m really proud that seven out of the 12 songs on this record are
co-writes.
That being said, I couldn’t go about it this time with a
theme. Every other time I’ve said, “Okay, the theme for this record is this.” This album, I just wanted to
write songs and have a big pot of them to choose from. But when it came down to
it and I started singing these songs, I realized they all kind of centered on
the idea that we have to make ourselves happy. At the end of the day, we have
to choose the person we’re with; we have to choose to get over addiction. Or
whatever it is. We have to decide to
make the best of what we have.
What about the title
track?
I was driving home from Austin, where I’d had a really bad
gig. A couple of fans had gotten up and left during the first song – and asked
for their money back -- because they had driven in from out of town to see
someone else -- who happened to be my husband. Jason was supposed to be there but wasn't, so Josh Grider was filling in for him. It had nothing to do with me, but it threw me off. I started
forgetting lyrics and doubting myself.
I was crying the whole way home. I called Jason and told him
I was going to quit: “I’m gonna go back to college and get my master’s, and
teach public speaking in college. That’s what I’m want to do!” He said, “Get
home, go to bed and wake up tomorrow. It’ll all be okay.”
And right as I’m wiping my tears away, this hawk shoots out
and flies almost into my car. It shocked me out of my stupor and forced me to
say, “Okay, focus, you’re almost home.” And it was 2:00 in the morning and I
got home and wrote the whole song. And the whole point of it is at the end of
the day, that hawk’s out to find a snake or a rat or whatever he can to
survive, and he’s gotta do it by himself. I’m out here playing songs, singing
songs that come from deep inside of me, and I’ve gotta do it by myself. I have
to choose; when those two couples walk out, I have to be able to say, “I’m good
enough. My songs are good enough. I can do this.” I made the choice to do this;
I’ve gotta play that show and not let it affect me. I’m doing what I love, and
I don’t want to go back to college
right now.
You’re a big fan of
waltzes. Why? (And I have a follow-up question.)
So…I don’t know why, but all my life I’ve liked slow, sadder
songs. I’ve listened to Counting Crows and Carole King and they’ve been huge
influences on me. Willie Nelson…I love Merle Haggard. I just love slow songs.
People have told me, “You’re in a waltz rut,” and I just can’t help it. The way
that I write poetry it phrases itself in a waltz meter without my trying.
That was another challenge because I thought I was gonna end
up with another slew of waltzes – and again, I’m not apologizing – but some
people think it’s too much.
I asked Jason this last year, and I’m curious about your take. How does
one go about writing a waltz? I mean, do you have lyrics ahead of time and bend
them into a One-two-three cadence? Do
you write the words with a ¾ time in your head? Or is it something else
entirely?
Man, for me it just really comes out that way, in a waltz
meter. I’ll have a phrase in mind and I’ll write the phrase out and as the
words start coming, I realize that’s just the way it’s going to be. I really
don’t try, “This is a melody, let’s write a song to it,” I never do that. I
guess my heart beats in the rhythm of a waltz.
On the surface one
would think, you know, you & Jason have been married for going on 4 years
now, and y’all are perfect for each other – you should be in a really good
place in life. But so many of these songs are dark and sad. How much of this
album is autobiographical? I mean, obviously
“Fourteen Years” is about the sister you lost…
Yes…
…but, for instance,
“Round Mountain,”
Completely fictional.
Oh it is? Good!
Yeah! This was one of the first challenges I gave myself. I
drove between two towns -- I wanna say Johnson City and Fredericksburg – maybe
just past Johnson City, and it was literally just a sign: “Round Mountain.” And
I looked into the history and around 1900 there was a church there, and so people started settling there. And when the
church closed they all went back to Johnson City.
So I just made up a fictional story of a character named
Emily, and she had an affair. And I don’t know if that kind of stuff happened
back then, but I kind of wanted to go for a Chris Knight-type of song. I saw a
head stone that said something like “Fare the well, Emily Bell,” and just made
up a story about her, and her not wanting anybody to know she’d had a bastard
baby.” I’m sure she doesn’t appreciate that, if she can hear me. (Laughs)
And she had died young, I should mention that, probably of
dysentery or smallpox or something that actually happened back then. I just
made it way darker. (Laughs)
Yes. Dark. And
fictional.
You know, I got a Face Book message from a fan who said,
“I’m kind of concerned, are you and Jason okay? The title of your album concerns
me, and I don’t see any pictures of y’all together.” And I said, “You know it’s
actually nice to have a private life where we don’t have to share everything we’re doing! But we’re
sitting here having dinner, laughing at the absurdity of your concern. It’s a
song about the music business. Calm down.” (Laughs)
You mentioned dealing
with addiction; speaking from any kind of experience there?
Uh, not necessarily,
but I have a grandfather who struggled with alcoholism and a brother who just
celebrated two years of sobriety. But it’s hard for all of us, watching him
struggle with that and not knowing what to do to help. But it’s not me; there’s
nothing in me that says “I’ve gotta have that,” and then I’ve gotta have it
more. I can have a drink, and I can not
have a drink for three months and not think about it. Luckily it wasn’t
something that was passed on to me. I just think everybody struggles with their
own thing.
You’re on your way to
a house show to help finance this record, and as best I can tell, your albums
have all been self-released. Was this a business decision on your part to
forsake getting a label and do it all on your own?
I’ve never looked for one, and I’ve never had anybody
approach me. So I guess it’s mutual. I enjoy having creative control over my
material and I think I’d be very disheartened if anyone told me I couldn’t do
it the way I wanted to. I just think we’re very fortunate to live in Texas
where you can make a living touring and driving around playing guitar. I don’t
even play with a band. And I make more money doing this than I did at my day
job…which wasn’t much, you know, but
it’s a pride thing. At the end of the day I look at my guitar and say, “Me and
you: we did that.”
And nobody told me, you know, that I had to shoot Botox in
my lips…
Ha!
…or lose 40 pounds. I mean, I think of all the things – I
hear horror stories from my friends in Nashville…these girls in their twenties
who are gorgeous, but with these
ridiculously plump lips and no wrinkles on their foreheads. And that’s just not country music! Country music is
supposed to have wrinkles. And cigarette smoke and beer.
And that’s just not – I would not want anything put on me
that way, because it’s frightening to me. I think they’d take one look at me –
I’m a curvy girl – and say, “You don’t belong here.” So it’s never anything
that’s come into the realm of the possible with me. And I’m okay with that.
Drew Kennedy produced
the last album, and you did this one yourself. What was the recording process
like? Did y’all lay everything down live?
I was nervous about it. But I’ve been missing a lot over the
last few years. I’m a mom – going to basketball games and soccer games. But I
had the opportunity to make and album in my hometown and I’ve never done that
before, so I jumped on it. So two
of the guys who tour with Jason – Jerry Abrams on bass and Giovanni Carnuccio
on drums – we went in the studio and tracked it live. I was in the control room
and they were in the main room, and what you hear is what we did. There are no
overdubs on that part.
Now when you hear Lloyd Maines, he did that from home. But
the basic tracks – guitar, bass drums and vocals – we did that live, in about
two and a half days. But I’m just so fortunate to have Lloyd and a bunch of
other friends and people I trust who helped out. I just sent them my songs. And
the thing is, they – and especially Lloyd – they listen to words, and they play
things that match. A lot of musicians don’t do that. But Lloyd can hear me take
a deep breath, and you can hear it correspond on the steel – inhaling.
It’s just cool things like that; I don’t think I could have
asked for better people to play on it. But I was very excited to try and do it
myself, and it’s been a very proud moment for me. I don’t know if I’ll ever do
it again, but I loved it.
Feb 20, 2018
Top 10 Biggest Jerks in Americana Music
Some would imagine that the fan-friendly, honest Americana music scene would not be as likely to contain divas and d-bags as the more mainstream genres of music. However, thanks to critic and hipster love for the buzzworthy genre, things have changed of late. This groundswell has slowly created a context wherein all manner of unlikely aspirants are more apt to let their jerk flag fly. Here are some of the genre's most egregious offenders.
10. Brent Cobb
"Forgets" to invite cousin Dave to family functions
Band members only allowed to speak to him by text message
9. Rhiannon Giddens
Borrows band members' phones and logs out of everything
Once put a fan who accidentally called her 'Rihanna' in a triangle choke submission hold
8. Amanda Shires
Wouldn't speak to husband, Jason, for a month when he opposed the name "Taco Lucinda" for their daughter
Performed an entire show of Rob Thomas covers when one crowd was smaller than anticipated
7. Rob Baird
Always eats the middle cinnamon roll out of the pan first
Spends hours a day leaving 1 star iTunes reviews on other Americana artists
Will only autograph thongs
6. Shooter Jennings
Puffs, doesn't pass
Got a secret tip and sold all his Bitcoin to Marilyn Manson just before Bitcoin crashed
Plans to do an all-EDM tour later this year
5. Ward Davis
Secretly bullies Cody Jinks
Still says "Dilly Dilly!"
Keeps telling everybody new music is coming "soon" but it never does
4. Holly Williams
First person to ingest a Tide Pod on video
Can only name 3 Hank Sr. songs
Drives 10 mph below speed limit in left lane
3. Drew Kennedy
Never cleans stations in the gym after using them
Doesn't wash out the sink after beard grooming
Tour rider includes "organic kale candy" and "fitted hemp Phillies cap"
2. Courtney Patton
Spreads rumors about Jamie Lin Wilson on Snapchat
Tells dirty jokes at funerals
Vapes dill pickle flavor at songwriting sessions
1. Paul Thorn
Does the old "replace the vodka with water" trick on his tour bus
Constantly reminds fans he used to be a boxer
Never plays his top 5 songs on Spotify in concert
Always has a few credit card skimmers on hand
Jan 11, 2018
Drew Kennedy Performs "Jackson"
Labels:
Drew Kennedy,
Live performances
Dec 19, 2017
FTM's Best Songs of 2017 (12-30)
I pick these myself (~Trailer) because with 5 contributors, there'd be no easy way to come to a consensus on best songs, so you'll just have to live with these selections. …Which are pretty damn good by the way. I'm listing 12-30 today, then 1-11 tomorrow. Why? Because I felt that the 11 tunes really stood out as my favorite songs of the year and couldn't narrow it to 10. We do whatever we want around here.
These are in no particular order.
_____________________________________________________
Andrew Combs - Lauralee
Steve Earle - Fixin' to Die
Vagabon - Fear and Force
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - If We Were Vampires
Shinyribs - I Don't Give a Shit
Drew Kennedy - House
Travis Meadows - Sideways
Nov 7, 2017
New Video: Drew Kennedy "Open Road"
Labels:
Drew Kennedy,
New Videos
Apr 2, 2017
Sunday Mornin' Music: Drew Kennedy
Labels:
Drew Kennedy,
Sunday Mornin' Music
Aug 11, 2016
WWE Country Reaction Gifs 14: Luke Bryan, Drew Kennedy, FGL, etc.
When you take your little brother along to
the Whitey Morgan show but he won't behave
Isn't country radio just terrible these days?
Say hello to Big Machine's latest country signee
Don't y'all think this candy-ass bit
has gotten out of hand?
The correct answer to the question: Would you rather go to a Luke Bryan concert or be speared through a flaming table?
Drew Kennedy: Not just a great songwriter...
Oh, you're a country fan?
You must love Florida-Georgia Line!
Completely reasonable when somebody
besmirches Willie Nelson:
Jun 23, 2016
Apr 18, 2016
New (non-musical) Video: Bart Crow (and lots of Texas stars) - Dear Music
Dec 31, 2013
FTM's Favorite Songs of 2013
1. Matt Woods - Deadman's Blues
From earlier review:
...almost painful to hear, in the best of ways. It's like we're the accidental witnesses to a late night confessional and I can't help feeling a little guilty finding so much beauty in such a raw disclosure. And those vocals… it's a masculine delivery with a tear deeply embedded; then he rips your heart out when he lets it all go in the final seconds.
From earlier review:
...almost painful to hear, in the best of ways. It's like we're the accidental witnesses to a late night confessional and I can't help feeling a little guilty finding so much beauty in such a raw disclosure. And those vocals… it's a masculine delivery with a tear deeply embedded; then he rips your heart out when he lets it all go in the final seconds.
2. Jason Isbell - Elephant
3. Arliss Nancy - Vonnegut
4. John Moreland - 3:59
5. Shooter Jennings - The Gunslinger
6. Brandy Clark - What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven
7. Sturgill Simpson - You Can Have the Crown
8. Ashley Monroe - Morning After
9. Austin Lucas - Splinters
10. Todd Farrell Jr. and the Dirty Birds - Pawn Shops
Beyond the Top 10 (no specific order):
Beyond the Top 10 (no specific order):
The National - I Should Live in Salt
Run the Jewels - Sea Legs
Queens of the Stone Age - If I Had a Tail
Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Some Depression
Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Some Depression
Drew Kennedy - Poet at 33 from Modern Trade on Vimeo.
Drew Kennedy - The Poet at 33
Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow
Wade Bowen - Songs About Trucks
Son Volt - Angel of the Blues
Two Cow Garage - Mantle in '56
J. Roddy Walston and the Business - Heavy Bells
Deer Tick - Dream's in the Ditch
Ha Ha Tonka - Lessons
Chris Stapleton - What Are You Listening To?
Gary Allan - It Ain't the Whiskey
Valerie June - Tennessee Time
Buffalo Gospel - Mule
Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck - Inside Joke
The Mavericks - Come Unto Me
Chris King - Antler Inn Ballroom
JJ Grey and Mofro - 99 Shades of Crazy
Water Liars - Wyoming
Will Hoge - Home is Where the Heart Breaks
Lindi Ortega - This is Not Surreal
Phosphorescent - Song for Zula
Chance the Rapper - Cocoa Butter Kisses
Dec 30, 2013
FTM's Favorite Albums of 2013: 1-20
1. John Moreland - In the Throes
John Moreland writes razor edged lines that grab your attention and tear your heart out. Next time you listen to the same song, you'll notice that the following line was just as good - you just happened to miss it marveling at the previous one. In fact, there's hardly a throwaway line on the whole of In the Throes, and nary a song worth skipping. The mood of the record certainly wasn't right to be my album of the year (it's been a rough one), but the best is the best, regardless of tempo or context. In the Throes is pretty low-key and gray in emotional content, but it's just too good to be denied. Moreland has distilled all his strengths (with the exception of his rocking side, which is also very strong) into this stunning work of great craft and heart which stands deservingly as FTM's #1 album of 2013. Standouts: All of them, but if I must pick, 3:59 and Blacklist.
John Moreland writes razor edged lines that grab your attention and tear your heart out. Next time you listen to the same song, you'll notice that the following line was just as good - you just happened to miss it marveling at the previous one. In fact, there's hardly a throwaway line on the whole of In the Throes, and nary a song worth skipping. The mood of the record certainly wasn't right to be my album of the year (it's been a rough one), but the best is the best, regardless of tempo or context. In the Throes is pretty low-key and gray in emotional content, but it's just too good to be denied. Moreland has distilled all his strengths (with the exception of his rocking side, which is also very strong) into this stunning work of great craft and heart which stands deservingly as FTM's #1 album of 2013. Standouts: All of them, but if I must pick, 3:59 and Blacklist.
2. Jason Isbell - Southeastern
Southeastern is a modern classic. This is an inescapable truth arrived at by a tidal wave of critical approval and fan appreciation. Jason Isbell is Americana's Entertainer of the Year and Southeastern is the Album of the Year; I don't care what any official organizations say. Isbell has done more positive for the genre than anyone else, including the folk-renaissance dudes who actually got radio play. "Elephant" is incredible and if it didn't mist your eyes at some point this year, I don't know …maybe your heart is way too tiny, Mr. Grinch. "Traveling Alone" is remarkable and romantic. "Relatively Easy" is insightful on a personal and wide scope. Southeastern is a masterpiece and what's scary is that Isbell is probably just getting started.
Southeastern is a modern classic. This is an inescapable truth arrived at by a tidal wave of critical approval and fan appreciation. Jason Isbell is Americana's Entertainer of the Year and Southeastern is the Album of the Year; I don't care what any official organizations say. Isbell has done more positive for the genre than anyone else, including the folk-renaissance dudes who actually got radio play. "Elephant" is incredible and if it didn't mist your eyes at some point this year, I don't know …maybe your heart is way too tiny, Mr. Grinch. "Traveling Alone" is remarkable and romantic. "Relatively Easy" is insightful on a personal and wide scope. Southeastern is a masterpiece and what's scary is that Isbell is probably just getting started.
3. Sturgill Simpson - High Top Mountain
Sturgill Simpson may not be the savior of country music, but he sure looks and sounds the part. This laid-back Kentuckian has the voice of an outlaw country god to go alongside his witty and insightful writing style. His songs are sorrowful, heartfelt, clever and self-deprecating, sometimes within the same tune. He probably gets a bit tired of the Waylon comparisons, but if there's a modern incarnation of that legend, Simpson has the talent and grit to at least make a valiant go at filling those shoes. High Top Mountain is an essential edition to any fan of real country music's collection. Standouts: You Can Have the Crown, Old King Coal.
Sturgill Simpson may not be the savior of country music, but he sure looks and sounds the part. This laid-back Kentuckian has the voice of an outlaw country god to go alongside his witty and insightful writing style. His songs are sorrowful, heartfelt, clever and self-deprecating, sometimes within the same tune. He probably gets a bit tired of the Waylon comparisons, but if there's a modern incarnation of that legend, Simpson has the talent and grit to at least make a valiant go at filling those shoes. High Top Mountain is an essential edition to any fan of real country music's collection. Standouts: You Can Have the Crown, Old King Coal.
4. Arliss Nancy - Wild American Runners
There is female frontal nudity on the cover of Arliss Nancy's stellar Wild American Runners. That it took someone pointing that out for me to even notice it speaks to the substance over style aesthetic of this hard-rocking, hard-living band. Sliding into the punk meets country standard-bearer position of early Lucero, the already musically strong Arliss Nancy has taken their songwriting to a new level with their 3rd release. "Vonnegut" and "Nathaniel" are among the best songs released in any genre this year. The former's "Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt" is one of the most affecting codas I've ever heard.
There is female frontal nudity on the cover of Arliss Nancy's stellar Wild American Runners. That it took someone pointing that out for me to even notice it speaks to the substance over style aesthetic of this hard-rocking, hard-living band. Sliding into the punk meets country standard-bearer position of early Lucero, the already musically strong Arliss Nancy has taken their songwriting to a new level with their 3rd release. "Vonnegut" and "Nathaniel" are among the best songs released in any genre this year. The former's "Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt" is one of the most affecting codas I've ever heard.
5. Drew Kennedy - Wide Listener
Full disclosure: I consider Drew Kennedy a friend. He's a good dude who I've had the opportunity to hang out with before, during and after a few shows here in Mississippi. That said, I've never let that affect my reviews or feelings about his music. As much as I've listened to him (Last.fm says I've played his songs 1,654 times), I still always find his songs to take some time to "get." Maybe it's Drew's poetic style or his unique vocals, but every time I hear his music, it's a new experience. To me, that's the mark of a great artist, and Wide Listener is his strongest and most layered work to date. The fact that he brought in a few co-writers this time around doesn't change the artistic vision or stylistic voice of Kennedy's work. Standouts: Hello Goodbye, Jackson Square.
Full disclosure: I consider Drew Kennedy a friend. He's a good dude who I've had the opportunity to hang out with before, during and after a few shows here in Mississippi. That said, I've never let that affect my reviews or feelings about his music. As much as I've listened to him (Last.fm says I've played his songs 1,654 times), I still always find his songs to take some time to "get." Maybe it's Drew's poetic style or his unique vocals, but every time I hear his music, it's a new experience. To me, that's the mark of a great artist, and Wide Listener is his strongest and most layered work to date. The fact that he brought in a few co-writers this time around doesn't change the artistic vision or stylistic voice of Kennedy's work. Standouts: Hello Goodbye, Jackson Square.
6. Run the Jewels - s/t (still free!)
Killer Mike and EL-P's last albums were among my favorites of 2012. Putting two of my favorite rappers together on a full album sounds like a no-brainer, but chemistry isn't guaranteed, even between two creative artists with similar takes on hip-hop. Thankfully, Run the Jewels may even be better than the sum of its parts… and its respective parts are already cream of the crop. This is a party album with a ton of boasts and brags, but it never plays to the "bling and booty" crowd. It's a smart take on culture and good times that's full of memorable lines, but also cohesive songwriting. The production is dirty, raucous and bass-driven, but never aggressively off-putting (like that of a certain rapper on top of everybody's else's lists). I've listened to this album more than any other in 2013 and it looks like 2014 will be another year of RTJ as they've already announced a follow-up.
Killer Mike and EL-P's last albums were among my favorites of 2012. Putting two of my favorite rappers together on a full album sounds like a no-brainer, but chemistry isn't guaranteed, even between two creative artists with similar takes on hip-hop. Thankfully, Run the Jewels may even be better than the sum of its parts… and its respective parts are already cream of the crop. This is a party album with a ton of boasts and brags, but it never plays to the "bling and booty" crowd. It's a smart take on culture and good times that's full of memorable lines, but also cohesive songwriting. The production is dirty, raucous and bass-driven, but never aggressively off-putting (like that of a certain rapper on top of everybody's else's lists). I've listened to this album more than any other in 2013 and it looks like 2014 will be another year of RTJ as they've already announced a follow-up.
Standouts: Sea Legs, Banana Clipper
7. Brandy Clark - 12 Stories
Brandy Clark may not be the savior of country music but… wait, this sounds familiar. In country's "year of the woman" (critically not commercially, unfortunately), Clark stood at the forefront, at least for me. Kacey Musgraves might be the most recognizable face of the movement, but Clark is the most vital part of it. Her songwriting is superb, from the knowing ache of "What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven" to the smart-assed wit of "Stripes," she knows her way around a hook and through the ins and outs of the human condition. She's not the stone country throw-back that a Sturgill Simpson is; Clark is what country music should sound like in 2013 if it had evolved without so many greedy influences mutating the DNA. 12 Stories is a progressive work of heart and humor that honors its predecessors while gracefully arching towards the horizon.
Brandy Clark may not be the savior of country music but… wait, this sounds familiar. In country's "year of the woman" (critically not commercially, unfortunately), Clark stood at the forefront, at least for me. Kacey Musgraves might be the most recognizable face of the movement, but Clark is the most vital part of it. Her songwriting is superb, from the knowing ache of "What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven" to the smart-assed wit of "Stripes," she knows her way around a hook and through the ins and outs of the human condition. She's not the stone country throw-back that a Sturgill Simpson is; Clark is what country music should sound like in 2013 if it had evolved without so many greedy influences mutating the DNA. 12 Stories is a progressive work of heart and humor that honors its predecessors while gracefully arching towards the horizon.
8. Austin Lucas - Stay Reckless
Austin Lucas was a drain on my emotions this year. His post-divorce album, Stay Reckless, is mostly a shaded journey through loneliness and acceptance. There are great rockers like "Alone in Memphis" but again… alone. Lucas never sounded better, his voice aching with expression most singers could only dream of. "Splinters," an exploration of the uncertain reasons for the end of a relationship, is a deflating but gorgeous way to end the album on the saddest note possible.
Thanks a lot, Austin.
Austin Lucas was a drain on my emotions this year. His post-divorce album, Stay Reckless, is mostly a shaded journey through loneliness and acceptance. There are great rockers like "Alone in Memphis" but again… alone. Lucas never sounded better, his voice aching with expression most singers could only dream of. "Splinters," an exploration of the uncertain reasons for the end of a relationship, is a deflating but gorgeous way to end the album on the saddest note possible.
Thanks a lot, Austin.
9. Fifth on the Floor - Ashes and Angels
Fifth on the Floor is the quintessential southern rock band working today. Theirs is a powerful, distinct and gritty take on a sub-genre that has become increasingly tiresome in the hands of less skilled bands. Ashes & Angels mostly steers clear of cliche with strong lyrics, modern attitude, and a mission to bring the rock. Lead singer Justin Wells is a mountain of a man with a voice to match and his cohorts are all excellent players. From the raucous "Whiskey" to the soulful "Angels in the Snow" to the excellent My Morning Jacket cover, "One Big Holiday," Ashes & Angels is an excellent entry from the premier band still carrying the southern rock flag.
Fifth on the Floor is the quintessential southern rock band working today. Theirs is a powerful, distinct and gritty take on a sub-genre that has become increasingly tiresome in the hands of less skilled bands. Ashes & Angels mostly steers clear of cliche with strong lyrics, modern attitude, and a mission to bring the rock. Lead singer Justin Wells is a mountain of a man with a voice to match and his cohorts are all excellent players. From the raucous "Whiskey" to the soulful "Angels in the Snow" to the excellent My Morning Jacket cover, "One Big Holiday," Ashes & Angels is an excellent entry from the premier band still carrying the southern rock flag.
10. Ashley Monroe - Like a Rose
Nine songs wasn't enough unless Ashley Monroe's plan was to leave us wanting more. On that count, Like a Rose is a job well done. Monroe's earthen angel vocals and gracefully edgy writing made this an album to return to over and again. Confessional and universal at once, Like a Rose gave us modern sentiment wrapped in a timeless package. Monroe covers regret, crime, drinking, lost love and a marriage in need of a little spice. What more could you need in a country album? More songs maybe… Standouts: Morning After, Two Weeks Late
Nine songs wasn't enough unless Ashley Monroe's plan was to leave us wanting more. On that count, Like a Rose is a job well done. Monroe's earthen angel vocals and gracefully edgy writing made this an album to return to over and again. Confessional and universal at once, Like a Rose gave us modern sentiment wrapped in a timeless package. Monroe covers regret, crime, drinking, lost love and a marriage in need of a little spice. What more could you need in a country album? More songs maybe… Standouts: Morning After, Two Weeks Late
20. Todd Farrell Jr. and the Dirty Birds - All Our Heroes Live in Vans
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