FWC&G: Things That Anger Kenny Chesney

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Boys Like Girls new album cover!

Odds & Ends

YouTube Gems: Jon Lajoie

An unnamed informant, who has provided me with humor inspiration and fodder in the past, sent me a link to a hilarious satire by Jon Lajoie called "Radio Friendly Song." Since I try to maintain at most a hard PG-13 rating on this blog, I'm not going to embed that video here, but if you don't mind quite a few swear words, look it up on YouTube - it's witty and catchy! There are a ton of other skits and satires by Jon on the YouTubes so look around, if his brand of humor suits you. Here's his less-likely-to-offend tune, "Stay at Home Dad," which reminds me a little of Diddy's (P, Puffy, Puff Daddy, Puffwad) rock remix of "All About the Benjamins."

Best of 2009 So Far: September

There weren't many changes or releases in August so I didn't post this last month, but there has been a lot of movement lately... both in my preferences and in new albums released (and yet to be released albums that I've heard full previews of). Let me know if there's anything I'm missing. New additions are in bold.

1. Charlie Robison - Beautiful Day

2. Magnolia Electric Company - Josephine

3. Son Volt - American Central Dust

4 Ben Nichols - The Last Pale Light in the West

5. Chris Knight - Trailer Tapes II

6. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park (*based on sampler and live tracks)

7. Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away

8. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies

9. The Devil Makes Three - Do Wrong Right

10. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell 'em What Your Name Is

11. Joshua James - Build Me This

12. Buddy and Julie Miller - Written in Chalk

13. Guy Clark - Somedays the Song Writes You

14. Scott Warren - Quick Fix Bandage

15. Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day

16. Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night

17. The Black Crowes - Before the Frost...

18. Krizz Kaliko - Genius

19. Pete Bernhard - Straight Line

20. Steve Earle - Townes

21. George Strait - Twang

22. Tom Russell - Blood and Candle Smoke

23. Old Californio - Westering Again

24. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

25. The Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours

26. Phosphorescent - To Willie

27. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels

28. Mastodon - Crack the Skye

29. Eric Church - Carolina

30. Sister Hazel - Release

Bigger in Texas 2: Parody Country Album Covers

31 Country Music Themes: 24-27

Here's the next-to-last edition of "31 Country Themes." I'll post the final four next week along with all the others in a single post.

Farce the Music Sells Out #4: Scott Warren

Scott Warren - Quick Fix Bandage

Scott Warren is a singer-songwriter with a charming folksy pop-rock sound that probably could have garnered him a hit or two back in the 90's when folks like Del Amitri, Duncan Sheik and Toad the Wet Sprocket still graced the airwaves. On Quick Fix Bandage, that sound is pulled towards the Americana genre with some subtle sweeps of steel guitar, mournful lyrics and Scott's warm Westerbergian rasp.

There's also an obvious AAA contemporary bent that makes it easy to imagine nearly any of the songs on the album playing in the background of an overly emotional scene on One Tree Hill or Melrose. Mind you, they would be among the best tunes to ever set that schmaltzy mood. Never fear guys, only the slightly annoying "Laugh Through the Pain," with it's repetitive "I love you's," sounds overly chick-oriented. There are enough touches of harmonica and rustic atmospherics to maintain a degree of alt-country cred.

The opening "Before You Say Goodbye" is a moody but catchy pop rocker that should be a hit, but likely won't ever get enough attention to pull it into the mainstream. "Along for the Ride" is a standout track, reminiscent of Buffalo Tom's most commercial output. Another of the album's highlights is the down-tempo cover of America's "Sister Golden Hair" which bestows a completely different emotional personality on the classic tune.

QFB, to me, feels like the soundtrack to a wistful fall afternoon. It's a solid, memorable album that pop-rock lovers along with fans of the likes of Ryan Adams, Rhett Miller and Pete Yorn should definitely enjoy.

Check him out here: http://www.myspace.com/scottwarrenmusic

Free, legal song download here: Before You Say Goodbye

Buy the album on iTunes or at Amazon

$4.99 Review - Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band "Live From Bonnaroo"

None of the recent singles on iTunes have struck me lately as anything interesting to blog about (including tolerable tunes by Tim McGraw and Easton Corbin that I didn't feel all that snarky about) as a 99 Cent Review, so here's a review of an EP.

The People's Take:

just ok (3 Stars) – the zac brown band is good, but they should stick to their own stuff. "free" is a great song, but their version of "devil went down to georgia" was not good at all. charlie daniels band did that song so much better. stick to the more popular country.

-fill in da blank

absolutely stunning (5 Stars) – There's nothing better than ZBB live and these few tracks really sum it all up. My fiance and I have been trying to come up with a first dance song and we were torn between Free, Whatever it Is and Into the Mystic by Van Morrisson among a few others. What could be better than the live version of Free with Into the Mystic featured?!?! It's the best of both worlds, you just can't beat it! What an amazing small collection of live tracks. Only wish there were more.

-soxfanjp

My Take:

I need to come clean on a complete change of opinion. I've made more than my share of sport of the Zac Brown Band in the past. Not Chuck Wicks level sport, but they've been in the crosshairs no doubt. To be honest, I based my entire initial opinion of the band on "Chicken Fried" and then filtered their album The Foundation through that skewed opinion. I didn't care for The Foundation after a few listens because of that. Maybe even hated it, aside from a couple of songs.

Time has been a friend to this album, because for some reason I kept being drawn back again and again to give it more chances. Now The Foundation is a friend to my ears. I still skip "Chicken Fried" though.

So anyway, I was something of a fan of ZBB even before I heard about this EP. After purchase and play, I'm a big fan. "Toes," their current hit single is the opening track here and it's even more fun live. While the band isn't flamboyantly entertaining in concert by any means (thank goodness), they bring a warmth and joy to their performance that's hard to describe.

"Free" which flows into a cover of Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" is the centerpiece here. It's a hypnotic display of ZBB's ability to slow it down without boring it down. It's such a compelling track, I defy even the hippest hipster to say they hate this. Applause and backpats are in order for this tune. Awesome.

There's a jam band-ish feel to the proceedings that's not as noticeable on their studio recordings, but don't take that as a red flag. Uh oh, just lost half the audience. In no way do I mean they noodle on the guitar and rub their bleary eyes amid the patchouli smoke. I just mean there's a laid back atmosphere but a real focus on the playing, not the showing off.

There's also a reggae bounce going on, especially in "Who Knows" which is, well, a reggae song. Oh crap, now I've lost the other half of readers. Never fear, ZBB aren't trustafarians or posers, they just happen to incorporate a lot of those elements into their overall package. The blending never sounds awkward or fake, it's an organic experience.

Besides the three songs already mentioned, the EP also includes ZBB's able rendering of CDB's "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (which includes no reggae bounce) and a video of the performance of "Who Knows" that really adds to the package and helps those of us who haven't seen ZBB live get a feel for what it's like. It's like... really good, because it's obvious they love what they're doing and they do it well. Hope they come around here soon.

A lot of bands and artists these days make me worry for the future of country music. Zac Brown Band is not one of them.

Total Value: 4.15/4.99

The Checklist:

N/A

Farce the Music Sells Out #3

Here's another rambling, so-called review at FTM. Though straight reviews shall remain relatively rare here, there will be two more tomorrow - Zac Brown Band and Scott Warren - before we return to the funny with the next edition of "31 Country Themes" and a "Bigger in Texas 2" honest album covers day. For now, please check out this fine album.

Old Californio - Westering Again

Westering Again is a killer country rock album with something for nearly everyone who reads this blog. There is an obvious Beatles influence in many of the melodies and harmonies. There's also sweet jangle pop reminiscent of the Jayhawks going on with some Calexico-esque mariachi spicing things up. In the mellower moments, some of the same dusty landscapes of Richmond Fontaine's story songs are visited here, but the mood rarely gets that somber. Can't help but hear a little Gram Parsons every now and then as well.

The opening track, "Mother Road," is a great, uh, road song (too obvious?) that taps the toe and fills the soul with sunshine. Cheesy description - great song. "From the Mouth of Babes" sounds like Oasis by way of Dylan and features an earworm of a chorus. The only real misstep is "Warmth of the Sun," an over-thought rocker whose mid-tempo groove finally resolves itself into an unfulfilling coda. Fortunately, Westering Again brings it home with three great songs including the epic (in scope not scale) "Lazy Old San Gabriels" and the thoughtful but lilting "California Goodness."

Despite the fact that I played "spot the influences" and "name the similar sounding artists" with this review, Old Californio has its own vibrant personality and fills out this record as a fully realized artist, not just a mockingbird of a "genericana" band. Well worth the purchase. Even fans of more mainstream music would find a lot to love here - this is a very accessible listen.

Check 'em out here: http://www.myspace.com/oldcalifornio

Free, legal song download: "Mother Road"

Buy the album on iTunes or here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oldcalifornio

Jason Aldean Lyric Parody

Ball-Peen Hammer

(Parody of Jason Aldean's "Big Green Tractor")

Was out shopping with my wife one Saturday,

The country station on in our Chevrolet

The girls were all shrieking, cutesy and pop,

And the dudes were slangin', brangin' the rock,

They played a Reba song, and it sounded "Strange"

But the straw that broke the camel's back was "That Thang"

When shoppin' was done, we'd planned to see a show

But I said "I'd rather go to Home Depot"

Gonna hit myself hard with a ball-peen hammer

Hell, my IQ can't drop any faster,

These tunes are crappy as turds in the pasture,

To radio execs, it really don't matter,

Long as they sell ads and please soccer moms too

They don't care bout the hell country's gone to

I think those idjits should be put in the slammer

Or I'll hit myself hard with a ball-peen hammer

Said Waylon's cold in his grave but he's rolling around,

This bling and auto-tuner's got him down,

Folks try to stay hip, but these days hip-hop sucks,

It's so two-thousand late to be singin' about butts

Gonna hit myself hard with a ball-peen hammer

Hell, my IQ can't drop any faster,

These tunes are crappy as turds in the pasture,

To radio execs, it really don't matter,

Long as they sell ads and please Nascar dads too

They don't care bout the hell country's gone to

I think those jerkoffs should be put in the slammer

Or I'll hit myself hard with a ball-peen hammer

Dance remixes and sappy teens,

Hank would be thankful he didn't live to see,

This day,

Long as they sell ads and please soccer moms too

They don't care bout the hell country's gone to

I think those morons should be put in the slammer

Or I'll hit myself hard with a ball-peen hammer

Oh no no,

Please just turn it down,

Or I'll put an end to this frown,

With a ball-peen hammer.

Fun With Charts & Graphs: Warrant

John Rich Friday

Today is a small celebration of the man, the myth and the legend in his own mind. 2 songwriting tips, a custom JR tattoo and this honest album cover round out the fun, but you can continue the party with a little drinking, fighting, skirt-chasing and badmouthing later today. Enjoy!

John Rich Tattoo

Just print this out and take it to your favorite tatt artist and get inked up!

John Rich's Songwriting Tips #14 & 15

Any pub is good pub. If anybody lives by that creed, it's yours truly... the Cowboy Stevie Wonder. As a songwriter, it's your job not only to write the best songs, but to make your name stick in the heads of song pitchers, label heads, other writers, skanks on the street and up-and-coming artists. Some methods of branding yourself include: arson, clever hooks, profanity filled phone tirades, middle finger salutes, positive (Conservative) message filled songs, assault and many other meaningful ways of ingratiating yourself to the Nashville community.

____________________________

You can't climb the mountains if you stay in Buckfart, Georgia. You gotta move where the damn mountains are. By that fine bit of symbology, I mean to say to you, if you want to get songs cut, you go where they're getting cut. Nashvegas baby! This is where the magic happens. Well, the real magic happens in my king size feather bed with the mirrors on the ceiling, but you know what I mean. Sure, half the population of this town is songwriters, but never mind that, get your shiny white hiney here. My bar needs more patrons - songwriters drowning their sorrows because they should've stayed their asses in Buckfart, Georgia. Ha!

*Not actually written by John Rich.

31 Country Music Themes: 21-23

Fantasy Football Teams of the Country Stars II

Fantasy football seems to get more and more popular every year and most FF leagues are drafting over the next few days. It's become such a favorite pastime that even some country stars have gotten into the act ...and FTM gotten hold of some more of the team names and logos from several of Nashville's biggest acts. See if you can match up the fantasy football team logo/name on the left to the team's owner on the right. Click here for an easier to read chart. Check your answers here!

Fun With Charts & Graphs: Relative Size Charts #10 & 11

Toby Keith Intervention Kit

Here's the first in a new series that is the opposite of Country Universe's "Starter Kits." While the point of their articles is to get you hooked on a singer or band by presenting you with selective tiny doses of "good" songs, the purpose of the "Intervention Kit" is to help you realize the error of your ways in following certain artists by reminding you of their most embarrassing songs. No need to thank me, I'm here to help.

Toby Keith was a hitmaking force in the nineties, consistently releasing meaningful and well-crafted songs, including the most played song of the 90's "Should've Been a Cowboy." His powerful voice and neo-traditional leanings made him a B-List country star with a consistent track record. Towards the end of the decade, a general dulling of Keith's single releases and behind the scenes record company wranglings faded his star a bit. Ever the hard worker, TK reemerged in 2000 with a career making hit, "How Do You Like Me Now?" An event song with more than a little attitude, "HDYLMN" catapulted Keith onto the A-List and he never looked back. By that, I mean he never looked back at putting out meaningful and well-crafted songs (for the most part). His 1990's songs are good to excellent with a few turds, while the inverse is true about his 2000's output. Hopefully, this list will break you of your thing for the egotistical roughneck.

Ten Non-Essential Tracks

“I Wanna Talk About Me”
from the 2001 album Pull My Chain

How the writer of the genre's greatest song (Bobby Braddock/He Stopped Loving Her Today) could devolve to this drivel is beyond me, but this thing is annoying, shallow and brash, all hallmark traits of the latter half of TK's career.

“Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)”
from the 2002 album Unleashed

While the intent of this song is honorable, in my humble opinion, the method is hamfisted and brickheaded. The artist's hand is quite evident in the painting, as it were... the craft is weak. "A mighty sucker punch came flying in from somewhere in the back"? Indeed.

“Who's Your Daddy”
from the 2002 album Unleashed

Here's the chorus: "Who's your daddy, who's your baby, who's your buddy, who's your man?" Need I say more?

“Beer for My Horses”
from the 2002 album Unleashed (was a hit in 2003)

It hurts me deeply that this is (Keith's duet partner) Willie Nelson's only major hit of the past decade.

“Whiskey Girl”
from the 2003 album Shock'n Y'all

The first (first hit, anyway) in a long line of "rowdy gal anthems" in TK's repertoire, this bears no relation to the Gillian Welch tune of the same name, in terms of sound or quality.

“Stays in Mexico”
from the 2004 album Greatest Hits, Vol. II

This song is just flat-out creepy. A philandering insurance salesman gets it on with a innocent but slumming first grade teacher... in Mexico - and we're supposed to sing along.

“High Maintenance Woman”
from the 2007 album Big Dog Daddy

Another creepy tune - this time recounting the lovely tale of an apartment fix-it man fantasizing about the local hottie. Charming.

“She's a Hottie”
from the 2008 album 35 Biggest Hits

See "Whiskey Girl." She's a hottie and she got a smokin' little body. What else would you rhyme hottie with?

“God Love Her”
from the 2008 album That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy

See "Whiskey Girl." There are parts of this lyric that make Andrew W.K. sound like Bob Dylan.

“American Ride”
from the forthcoming 2009 album American Ride

An intelligent and sensitively rendered pondering on the American condition in the late 2000's. LOL, JK! It's another big, bad "America kicks ass" anthem! (I still agree with the sentiment - just not the delivery.)

Lesser Known Detritus

“Mockingbird”
From the 2004 album Greatest Hits, Vol. II

I'm sure his daughter will do just fine in the industry, this just maybe wasn't the vehicle to introduce her with.

“Honkytonk U”
From the 2005 album Honkytonk University

This song is mentionable for being one thing that even Keith's worst songs usually aren't - boring.

Fun With Charts & Graphs: Gn'R

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YouTube Gems: Wayne Hancock

Wow, Kenny Chesney Really Hates Cameras

This has gotten silly, Ken. Here's an exclusive shot of Kenny crushing a Flip camera with his bare hand and displaying a surprising new tatt (amazing how straight that lettering is!). I believe Mr. Chesney needs some relaxation time in the old blue chair.

31 Country Music Themes: 18-20

Click the label "31 Country Themes" on the right to see previous editions.