These are actual, unedited YouTube comments from Brantley Gilbert fans.
May 17, 2013
May 16, 2013
Album Review: Aran Buzzas - 3 7 77
Most of you are probably wondering who Aran Buzzas is. I can't blame you for this, since I would not have had an answer until hearing him live at The Moonrunners Music Festival last month. In short I would call him the man who is filling the void between Roger Alan Wade and Jonny Fritz by combining sadness with a little fun while ranging from slow to upbeat songs that provide a perfect soundtrack for a quiet saturday night of drinking on the porch. If you're into overproduced albums with a strong mix of instruments, then this isn't for you. If your thing is more of a singer and his guitar with backing instruments to bring the music to a higher level, then you're in luck.
In his latest release "3 7 77" Aran provides a path into the soul of the sad clown with songs like "The Weather Inside," "Another Man's Woman" and "Biggest Fool," but brings out a smile with several cleverly written and performed tracks throughout the album.
Switching over to the lighter-hearted side you'll find songs like "The Night I Saw Willie Play" and "Cougar Bait." "Cougar Bait" is a song that provides the story of a man who just can't get a woman of an appropriate age to give him the time of day; fighting with the struggle of all the women interested in him either being the age of his mom or having an over protective dad. This catchy tune is packed with charming lyrics. I'm sure you can figure out what "The Night I Saw Willie Play" is about and that's all you really need to know, but just in case you were wondering: It's a story about seeing Willie Nelson in concert. While its a fun story, it does come off as a little on the gimmicky side after repetitive listens but nothing you'll get tired of.
One sign of a good songwriter, in my opinion, is their ability to connect with people through their writing and make the listener say "That song's about me". This is where Aran hits a home-run with the songs "Thirteen Days To Payday" and "Water Into Wine." In "Thirteen Days To Payday" he sings of a man who lives payday to payday and has just gotten his bi-weekly check and celebrated the event a little harder than he should have. He now has to find a way to survive until the next check comes with little food and not every billed covered. This is a story that surely would resonate through America with many families and individuals. With "Water Into Wine" you'll find a man that wants to do what makes him happy instead of taking care of the boring events in life such as work. "If Jesus Christ could really turn water into wine and he was here right now, he'd be a friend of mine" is the standout lyric, not only from this song but the entire album and sets this song slightly apart from the others.
The traditional Irish song "Whiskey In The Jar" fits into the mix quite nicely and is provided with a good mix on the vocals to make it as original as you could expect from a song that has been covered countless times. The nicest part about it is how well it leads into the following track "Back For My Whiskey". A song about a man that has been thrown out by his wife and all he wants is to go back to retrieve his whiskey. This engaging track will probably make quite a few women wonder about their men.
The final two tracks "None Compares" and "Colleen" are so different from each other but fit together so good at the same time with their completely opposite story lines. You start out with having the love of your life and everything going perfect day in and day out on the first of these tracks (which also has a very pleasant sounding female voice on the backing vocals) then you have a complete turn around. Love blossoming and dying all within the time it takes to plan and have a wedding. "Colleen" starts with a man finding the greatest woman in the world only to realize she was troubled all along, but not until after she is gone.
All in all you'll find several catchy songs on 3 7 77 and lots of great stories. The one thing you'll won't find is a huge hit or a single song that carries the album. In this case, this isn't a bad thing because you also won't find anything bringing the album down or making you pound your fist in anger. Luckily you also miss out on most of the cliches that have infiltrated country music as of late. (I'm excusing the song about Willie from this since it's only one out of eleven and not so bad) Maybe there's a lesson in here for Nashville's writers in the way beer, moonshine and other things are inserted into the songs without having to be the basis of the song, or maybe that's just the final point you'll need to purchase 3 7 77 and become a fan yourself.
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Aran Buzzas' 3 7 77 is available for purchase at CD Baby, Amazon and other retailers.
Live Review: Ryan Bingham - Northern VA
by Matthew Martin
It really bugs me when an artist plays right outside of D.C.- in this instance, northern Virginia. For a couple of reasons really; 1- I think the bars in D.C. are plenty and perfect for many of these artists, and 2- I don't have a car, so it's a bitch. Regardless, when you hear that Ryan Bingham is coming close, you go. You figure out public transportation, and you make sacrifices.
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| The Wild Feathers |
To open up the night, The Wild Feathers out of Nashville, TN came out guns blazing. The five piece band sounded like a mix between Ryan Adams and what Kings of Leon could sound like if they weren't so concerned about their perfect hair and sex of the fire variety. There was 3-part harmony on most of the songs and vocal duties switched between the 2 guitarists and the bassist. While the band itself was a tight, cohesive unit, I will say that the drummer was the most fun to watch. My friend and I could not stop watching the full-on assault he was laying on the drums all night. The Wild Feathers' set offered up an energetic, fun set. They mentioned they will be putting out a new record this year, and I, for one, can not wait to hear it.
Last year, Ryan Bingham dropped his backing band The Dead Horses and opted for a solo album. After seeing Ryan and The Dead Horses a couple years ago and really loving that line-up, I was a bit worried that maybe this would be a bit of different affair. However, the troubadour and his new motley crew of a band made sure any notions of doubt were washed away with the first few notes of the show.
If you haven't heard his latest album, you might not know that Bingham is pissed off about the state of the nation, politics, and the separation between the haves and have-nots. There's a certain anger that rings throughout the raucous "Guess Who's Knocking" and the restrained "Rising of the Ghetto." These type songs have been the staple of his career and in a live setting, they come across as poignant and unabashedly fun.
Bingham ripped through a set that included all of the crowd favorites, such as, "Bread and Water," "Hard Times," "Sunrise," "Country Roads," "Tell My Mother I Miss Her So," "Hallelujah," and "The Poet." Each song was sung with an intensity that is specific to Bingham's style of country-infused folk/rock music. The crowd was entranced and fully enthralled by the music. Every song turned into a sing-along and dance party. If you can stand still during the breakdown of "Sunrise," you truly have no soul.
Bingham's new backing band was every bit up to the task of keeping up with the talented frontman. The fiddle player seamlessly weaved in and out of every song. The lead guitarist ripped and roared with killer slide guitar solos. The rhythm section kept it all together at chest rattling volume. By the time the last song of the first set was over, you could tell that no one was ready to go home and it was almost inevitable that we would stay until we got an encore.
The encore consisted of just Bingham with an acoustic guitar. He played a couple of songs before ending with the appropriate "Ever Wonder Why." With the final line being, "Well, I'll see you all around," it felt like there was no better song to have ended the show on.
If you are only familiar with Ryan Bingham because of this well-known (and deservedly so) song, "The Weary Kind," you are doing yourself a disservice. He is not to be missed. Maybe his albums could stand to cut out a song or two in order to be truly great, but each album is still important. And, if you aren't a fan of his albums, go see him live. Do yourself a favor. The charasmatic troubadour will win you over.
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