New Music Tuesday - Owen Temple

Hello boys and girls.  It is a big week in hurricane highway land.  I have been a lady of leisure for a couple of weeks now.  You would think that with my free time I would have been writing up a storm but inspiration hasn't really hit.  This week  I get to do some fun things. Tomorrow I am going to College Station with James Pardo.  He is playing a show at the Grand Stafford Theater.  Then on Friday I leave with Roadside Libby to travel up to Lewisville for their Western Days Events.  Hopefully none of the parties involved get tired of me and leave me at the nearest bus station back home.  Fingers crossed.

Out today in the land of new releases is Stories They Tell by Owen Temple.  I feel bad for admitting this but, I really wasn't all that versed in Owen and his music till I saw him at Greenfest this past July.  He was part of the song swap that included Drew Kennedy and Josh Grider.  On that night he brought out his songs, as well as those of Gary Floater.  Gary Floater is this character that him and I want to say Adam Carroll created.  The songs are goofy but I couldn't help but stand in awe when I heard them. It was a mix of awe and did he really just say what I think he said.  When I saw this album was coming out today I made a mental note to myself to give a listen.  As I sat there listening to this album, it is simple yet striking.   With lyrics that are concise and meaningful, it is a shame this guy isn't more well known.  Also a shame that I took so long to sit down and listen to all his stuff. My favorite song on this disk is Make Something.  It has this groovy bluesy feeling going for it. Be There Soon this sweet little country number.  Once again I find myself liking this song about life on the road.  What you have here is a song about being gone for a period of time and all you can really tell the person waiting on the other end is I'll be there soon.  Homegrown is another great ballad about making a life for yourself on your own terms.  Another theme I can easily relate to and find myself gravitating to in my song choices.  Also listen to the title track to cd, Stories They Tell, Six Nations Calendonia, and Johnson Grass.

 

 

While I was looking for videos from Greenfest, I stumbled upon this video about the album he wanted to make.  Really cool insight.
 

 

Another Alabama Tribute - The Texas Version

I bet by now you have heard about this album, not to be confused with the Alabama tribute that came out a few weeks ago that featured Jamey Johnson, Aldean, and those Flatts guys.  This is hardly a breaking news post, but I felt like sharing it anyway.  Lucky for you and me, Lightning Rod Records is giving a nice little preview on their sound cloud page of their tribute to the band.  I love Why Lady Why and the slowed down version of Love In The First Degree.  Although my absolute favorite version of that song is done by James Pardo, who slowed it down after seeing a YouTube clip of Jason Isbell and Ryan Adams doing the song.  Jason Isbell and John Paul White's version of Old Flame is an awesome reinvention of the song especially with that acoustic guitar and fiddle on it.   To be honest I was never a huge Alabama fan.  I did once upon a time have a bad ass Alabama baseball tee when I was little that I wish I would have kept, that thing would have been vintage now and cool to have.  Not a bad compilation, there are some interpretations I am not a fan of on here, but that could also be that I wasn't a fan of the song in it's original state. I have not heard the other tribute cd, I really don't want to. If you have listened to both though I am always up for a discussion on your thoughts about it.

New Music Tuesday - Wide Listener

 

 

My twitter and Facebook timelines have been all abuzz about this release.   Drew Kennedy has one of the most unique voices in music.  It's a voice that is distinct and highlights the emotions in his songs. I like a good put together album.  This is one of those.  I hope that if you are a regular reader of mine you know I don't like party songs. I just can't handle those songs.  I like music that makes me think, that hit my head and my heart in a way that instantly takes me to the places the songwriters were at when the song was born.  These songs on here make me feel like I am in a movie scene.  I see the characters vividly and how the storyline plays out. The most simple and the most haunting ballad is Sleeping Alone. This what I imagine a songwriters life on the road is like.  It is the musician life that we may never understand. Lonely at times, confined to hotel walls wondering how you ended up there and what you gave up to be there.  Jesus Can See You - whoa, just whoa.  If there was ever a song about heartbreak this is it. This song plays out like an opera leaving you thinking you would hate to be on the other end of this argument.  My two other favorites include Hello Goodbye and Rose of Jericho.  Plese know that just because I only mention these four songs doesn't mean the rest of the cd isn't worth checking out.  It is well worth your time and money. I purchased the iTunes version of this cd but I do plan on getting a physical copy.  The nerd in me has to know who all had a hand in this piece of art. I know Brandy Zdan is the background vocal support on Rose of Jericho but I think she is also heard through out the album as well.  With Drew's bass vocals and Brandy's sweet and soft vocal talents combined that is a match up that I would like to hear more of for many years to come.  Those voices are meant to be combined.

 

 

 

 

 

Wide Listener - Drew Kennedy Preview

 

If you ever wanted to know what inspires a record than take a minute to watch this video from Drew Kennedy.  Wide Listener comes out next week on September tenth. I am really looking forward to hearing this album.  Drew is one of my favorite people to see play.  He and Rodney Hayden used to put on acoustic song swaps at Greune Hall and Billy's a few years back. I would always go see them. Drew even brought a full band show to China Grove General Store one time... He played to about twenty of us in the crowd that night. It was a pretty cool experience.