Jun 12, 2013
Album Review: John Moreland - In The Throes
Whether he's lamenting lost love, struggling with faith or ...well, that's pretty much the balance of the subject matter... John viciously nails every song into your heart. There's not a throw-away line on the entire album, much less a throw-away song. Every verse is crafted to take you back to a particularly painful day in your life and rub your nose in it, and you'll love every minute of it. In the Throes is gloriously and joyfully heartbreaking.
"Nobody Gives a Damn About Songs Anymore" questions the reasons a songwriter keeps pouring his heart out in a world where so few seem to place real value on music. "Should I go to Texas or Tennessee?" sings Moreland, pondering the motivations for his craft.
"Break My Heart Sweetly" is a song of such perfect sorrow, it burns like the whiskey that gets a broken man through that first lonely night. It's a song that is so authentic in its sadness, it feels more like an eternal truth than a song.
In the album's closing track, "Blues & Kudzu," Moreland tries to "leave behind yesterday" on a Mississippi highway. There's no chorus, only a confessional bridge that "I'm getting tired of tellin' God that I'm pissed at him." It's a song that almost feels incomplete, but it perfectly sums up the arch of the album: a bruised young man with an old soul trying to find something that makes him whole.
In the Throes is immersive. The commitment and engagement are so strong, at times it feels like the songs are coming out of you, not John. Moreland puts every drop of blood on the page and every tear in the song. This, my friends, is what songs are for.
RIYL: Bruce Springsteen, Chris Knight, Townes Van Zandt, Jason Isbell.
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In the Throes is available on iTunes, Bandcamp and Amazon.
Jun 11, 2013
John Moreland - Break My Heart Sweetly
From his INFRIGGINCREDIBLE new album In the Throes, here's John Moreland with "Break My Heart Sweetly." Kindly ignore the crowd noise, because this is a helluva soulful performance.
Little Known Facts: June '13
Joe Diffie and Ronnie Dunn are recruiting a third member to join their new hick-hop outfit, Middle Aged and Cray Cray.
Make sure you check inside your Pepsi cans this summer. One lucky person will open a can with a life size Justin Moore cutout placed inside.
Colt Ford has never eaten the bones at Kentucky Fried Chicken but has swallowed an entire bucket of chicken twice.
If Blake Shelton's voice had the same inflection as his brain, he'd sing like Ben Stein.
Both members of Florida-Georgia Line thought Nelly was the chick from Little House on the Prairie before their "Cruise" remix, and they were still okay with it.
16-year-old girls love Jason Aldean and Jason Aldean loves (The remainder of this Little Known Fact has been deleted based on advice obtained from Trailer's lawyer)
Gary Levox puts his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us. He requires a hydraulic hoist but still does one leg at a time.
Pistol Annies' rumored break-up is being blamed on Ashley and Angeleena coming to the realization that Miranda actually talked them into singing backup on "Boys Round Here."
Billy Currington doesn't know the meaning of moderation. Seriously, he doesn't know the meaning of the word.
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Thanks to (?) Jeremy Harris for most of these.
Jun 10, 2013
Cassadee Pope: Honest Radio Promo Ad
(Someone on my Twitter timeline Tweeted the "Avril with a banjo" line during the CMT Awards.
Thanks to them(!), even though I can't recall who it was at this moment.)
Jun 9, 2013
Jun 8, 2013
Jun 7, 2013
Blake Shelton: Adult and Professional
I'm late to this story, but our buddy Blake's done it again. I'm more angry about this than I was his attack on me. Joey Guerra didn't say anything offensive or over the line, yet Blake gets his panties wadded and sicks his low-information fans on SOMEONE WHO GETS PAID TO GIVE THEIR OPINION. Isn't that what you do, Blake? Tool.
YouTube Gems: New Jason Isbell
From his new album Southeastern, out this coming Tuesday, here's Jason Isbell (and wife Amanda Shires) with "Elephant."
FTM Parade of Clichés
FTM has certain running jokes that have probably become annoying clichés to actual fans of said artists. That said, FTM will neither deny these jokes have been beaten like a dead horse, nor stop doing them.
We choose to celebrate them!
Jun 6, 2013
Feel Bad For You Mixtape: June '13
This month's edition of the FBFY mixtape features songs from Hellbound Glory, Willie Nelson, Todd Farrell & The Dirty Birds and more! Stream below or download/comment here.
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