Monthly Archives: November 2015

by | November 9, 2015 · 12:41 pm

6 Best Moments of the CMA Awards

The 2015 CMA Awards (a.k.a the water cooler gossip at work on Thursday) had some pretty mixed reviews. There are countless articles and disagreements regarding outfits, performances, and winners. While scrolling through lists of the best and worst moments, it was funny to see how some peoples opinions of best moments were others ideas of the worst. I think people just don’t know how to feel about the overall award show this year, except for one thing — no Taylor Swift. She has moved on from country music and I am glad everyone finally acknowledged it. Love it or hate it though, I want to focus on the positive aspects. We can bash on it all we want, but there were some pretty awesome parts that show it hasn’t gone completely down hill.

6. Chris Stapleton’s Many Wins

Stapleton made a name for himself when he won best new artist, best album for Traveller (which spiked 4,000% the day after the show), and best male vocalist. USA Today would even say he “is here to save country music.” This genre has taken an interesting direction in the past decade and Stapleton has taken it back to its real roots. He said in his acceptance speech, “about two years ago I lost my dad and I made this record thinking about the music he would have liked.” He was genuinely surprised by his many wins and with a beard like that you can’t help but love him.

5. Luke Bryan Not Shaking His Butt

Luke is turning 40 next year and, although he won entertainer of the year, he let go of his bro country image with his performance of “Strip It Down,” while fully clothed. We were finally able to focus on his vocals to understand why he was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year. It is good to see him finally acting his age.

2004. Tribute to the Late Little Jimmy Dickens

This 4-foot-11 Grand Ole Opry star made many appearances in earlier CMA awards with Brad and Carrie. He unfortunately passed away earlier this year so it was only right to honor him with an urn. Well a miniature urn inside a bigger urn that Paisley pulled out. He mentioned that Dickens wanted to leave making people laugh and he surely accomplished that. There were a few questionable jokes during their intro, but they nailed that one.

3. Carrie Underwood.

As Little Big Town would say, I’ve got a girl crush. With her 12 perfect outfit changes and wowing of the crowd with her current song “Smoke Break,” there was nothing she did that wasn’t flawless. Whether she had princess Leia buns or knee high leather boots, she rocked it. Her and Brad Paisleys monologue wasn’t their best one in their eight years as hosts, but she looked pretty doing it.

2. Miranda Lambert Keeping it Honest

Great timing Blake. With their split up only months ago and Blake’s announcement of his new girlfriend just 20 minutes before the show, Miranda’s statement of “I needed a bright spot this year” is very accurate. She deserved Female Vocalist of the Year and killed her performance of “Bathroom Sink” with her new pink hair. Blake tried to “win” the break up but failed. I can’t wait to see the new album she releases all about him.

1. Justin Timberlake & Chris Stapleton

Since I began with Chris Stapleton, it is only fair to end with him considering his enormous success during the award show. Not only did he win three awards as I mentioned earlier, but also had the best performance of the night hands down. I think who really stole the show though was JT. “The Nashville sound meets the soul of Memphis” said Brad Paisley. I would not be upset if Timberlake went country, because I believe he can do it all. Thank you to this duo for killing it.

2608Even though ratings were down 16% from last year, I think country music is finally starting to get over the hump of the pop sound. With the successful boom of Chris Stapleton and the non-bro Luke Bryan, I believe that country music will start to make its way back up. There is hope for this genre.

11 Comments

Filed under Awards, Blog Post 4, Lists

by | November 8, 2015 · 7:00 am

Country Music and Politics: Is the Genre Red or Blue?

berniesanders

Our political views are often shaped by the community we live in: what our families believe, what we watch on TV, and even the kind of music we listen to. All of these aspects of life influence what we put value in. So as a fan of country music, and with the presidential election just a year away, I found myself asking how the genre views hot topics in politics today.

This piece is not meant to advance a political agenda, but rather serve as a platform for you, the reader, to be exposed to songs about social issues and decide for yourself to which side the genre swings. I do not pretend to be a political expert, so all statements on the views of the DNC and GOP will be derived directly from their published 2012 platforms. So without further ado, let’s see if country music is red or blue.

“All-American Boy”

Steve Grand’s new song “All-American Boy” was released in 2013 and immediately went viral; people went crazy for country music’s “first openly gay country star”. The story his music video portrays is the all too common predicament of wanting someone we can’t have, except this time it is from the perspective of a gay man crushing on his straight friend. Grand is always the first to point out that he has predecessors in country music who were also gay, but there is no doubt that Grand is making a splash with fans for his openness. Use the following to determine if Grand lines up more with the left or right.

Democrat: “We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples.”

Republican: “We reaffirm our support for a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”

“The Call” by Matt Kennon

Abortion is a touchy and emotion-charged subject, and the decision to support “pro-life” or “pro-choice” is not one that is usually taken lightly. In Matt Kennon’s song “The Call”, he tells the story of a young couple getting pregnant and the man encouraging the woman to get an abortion. But just as the girl is in the doctor’s office he calls her to tell her that he changed his mind and wants to raise the baby together, and the girl is overjoyed. At the end of the song Kennon expresses the importance of phoning a friend every so often, he says “They might be glad you called.” So what do you think? Does this song express Democratic or Republican ideas?

Blue: “The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay.”

Red: “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”

“Made in America” by Toby Keith

I hope you’ve seen in this article that country music is not totally red or blue, but perhaps…purple. People tend not to lean totally to one side, and neither does country music. But if there’s one thing the two parties and the genre can agree on it’s that they are proud to be American, and that the American Dream is something worth fighting for. The perfect summation of this pride is Toby Keith’s song “Made in America”.

DNC: “We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.”

GOP: “The pursuit of opportunity has defined America from our very beginning. This is a land of opportunity. The American Dream is a dream of equal opportunity for all.”

6 Comments

Filed under Blog Post 3, Politics, USA

by | November 7, 2015 · 1:00 pm

The Country Music Apocalypse: What Would Happen If You Took the Country Out of Texas?

Texas: the land of fried foods, the occasional redneck, and a deep-rooted love of country music. Country music is what makes Texas, Texas. Even if you don’t like country music, if you live anywhere within the borders of the great state you’ve heard a song or two. But what would happen if you took the country music out of Texas?

preserve_wildlife_trucker_hat-rb1d363b5d4f944d4a1272486f736606c_v9wfy_8byvr_512First, all hell would break loose. Cowboy boots would be thrown into dumpsters, no longer necessary for two stepping, plaid shirts would be burned, jeans wouldn’t be so tight, and the teased hair would deflate. Cowboy hats would be replaced with standard baseball caps, the kind without tears and without questionable sayings like “Preserve Wildlife Pickle A Squirrel.” There would probably even be a little less glitter in the world. Who knows what Dolly Parton would wear, with her go to outfit options wiped out like a bad disease.

Next, the iconic Texas dance halls would fall. Without country music, there would be no more two steppers and live bands to serenade them, and the barren dance floors would be closed to the public for good. Places like Gruene Hall, which launched the careers of Lyle Lovett and George Strait, and Luckenbach, which was the inspiration for one of Wayl0n Jennings’ hits, would be torn down and replaced with hippie bars or even worse- a shopping mall.

Without country music, there would be no Texas State Fair in Dallas or the epic Houston Rodeo every year. What’s the point of buying overpriced fried food and stomping around in cowboy boots trying to win cheap prizes if you can’t watch Luke Bryan shake it for you after? Say goodbye to Big Tex and that oversized Ferris wheel; they’re already dead along with your favorite Little Big Town jam.

Unknown

Finally, country radio stations would be replaced with more teeny bop pop and rap music that just consists of people talking while someone punches a keyboard in the background. Top 40 stations would take over the state, which probably means the end of pick up trucks and long rides through back roads with the windows down.

So where would Texas be without country music? There would be no more cowboy boots or hats, teased hair, fairs, dance halls producing huge country sensations, or radio stations playing country music. Could it be that this elimination of country music would result in Texas turning into…the North?! Who knows what would really happen if this nightmare were to actually happen, but it’s safe to say that we all hope it never does.

7 Comments

Filed under Blog Post 4, Country Symbols, Dallas, Dancing, Live Music, Texas

by | · 7:00 am

College and Country: how country music has transformed my college experience

Note to students: This is an example of Blog Post 5, which asks you to reflect on the experiences you have had with country music outside of class.

This year I have been so blessed to experience so many fun nights and adventures–and I owe several of these good times to the thrilling Austin country music scene. Here are a few of the fun things I have gotten to do this semester:

Brad Paisley Concert. It was early on in the school year but the Brad Paisley concert was quite an experience. Believe it or not it was my first country music concert ever. Of course I had been before to events where country bands were playing, but this was my first time seeing a big country star live. Pat Green opened for Brad which was exciting because I had heard of him and knew a few of his songs. They both played their hits and some other songs I had not heard before. The night was slightly rainy before but it cleared up for the concert and the weather was perfect. I danced and sang with my friends until the final song. It was the perfect first country concert!

11261199_10205049372816338_4008965929679170115_nDance Across Texas (formerly Midnight Rodeo). Earlier in the semester a couple of my friends and I decided spontaneously to go two-stepping on a thursday night. It was labor day weekend and we were ready to kick it off by dancing the night away at Dance Across Texas. When we arrived we found that the entry fee had escalated quite a bit from before the transition from Midnight Rodeo. We were so excited to dance that it didn’t matter. We snapped a few pics and then ran inside to the tune of a familiar country song. My friends and I danced and sang all night long amongst the elderly folk, true Texan cowboys, and pool playin’ rednecks. Several times we formed a circle and danced with some elderly ladies who knew how to bust a move or two. The night was one to remember and I am looking forward to another spontaneous trip to Dance Across Texas!

Nashville. For my final country music experience I watch the pilot episode of the hit TV series Nashville. I’ll just say this–it was FANTASTIC. I’m honestly probably going to be hooked on it from here on out. The episode deals with an issue we have discussed in class, which made me feel like I had some insight that I would not have had otherwise. The main character Rayna has hit a point in her career where she is a little too old to be selling #1 hits and her label is losing money. They ask her to join tours with an up-and-coming country music diva Juliette Barnes. Rayna is so dismayed that her label would make her open for this young artist that she walks out on them. This reminded me of our class discussion on outlaws. Rayna is an example of a country music artist who will not allow her label to define her or stoop to the level of an opening act after building her career for over twenty years. I strongly recommend this show to anyone who is interested in learning about the business side of country music.

I’m so thankful for the fun times I have had this semester and I owe it to my country music class for pushing me to do things that I would not have even known about or considered before this year.

8 Comments

Filed under Blog Post 5, Dancing, Live Music, Movies and TV, Reflection

by | November 6, 2015 · 1:00 pm

What it’s Like to be a New Songwriter in Nashville

The day after my last final exam of the 2015 spring semester, I loaded up my car with my suitcases, guitars, random dormitory decorations, and made the sixteen-hour drive to Nashville, Tennessee. I have always wanted to live in Nashville and after I got a part-time internship for Toby Keith’s manager, I was able to convince my parents to let me move there for the summer. My naïve intention was to leave Nashville in August with a handful of hit songs in my back pocket.

11351395_10205190573347495_3932612438806027592_nI don’t think any Nashville newcomer has had a better first couple days than I did. On my second day, I met with John Marks, the highly regarded radio programmer for the Sirius XM station, The Highway. He agreed to put my single, “Damn Good Time” on the air! From that meeting, we walked into the building next door and met with John Huie, the head of the largest booking agency in the country, Creative Artists Agency. It was a great introduction and he agreed to keep an eye on my progress in Nashville and invited me to a big CAA event. I also had a meeting with Mike Dungan, the head of Universal Music Group Nashville, who also said he’d keep an eye on my progress. The next day, I recorded the vocals for “Damn Good Time” with the famous Nashville producer, Chuck Ainlay, who had just received a Grammy for his work on Miranda Lambert’s Platinum.

After my honeymoon week in Nashville, I quickly realized that success wasn’t going to fall in my lap. Reality had sunk in. I was a nineteen-year-old in a big city full of talented songwriters who, like me, were chasing after the same dream. It wasn’t until I joined the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International when I made my first big step. I brought my guitar into the back room of the building and played my songs for the new artist representative. She immediately fell in love with my music and began reaching out to other talented songwriters to connect me with. That night I went to NSAI’s pitch to a publisher event where I was able to meet many other Nashville newbies. I showed up to NSAI on time, which was a huge mistake. The line was out the door and I was stuck in the back next to a few old-timers who were still trying to get their big break on music row. I asked one of them where he got his boots and he jokingly responded, “Hey son that’s a good song idea.” A few weeks later, I co-wrote one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, “Where’d You Get Those Boots?”

As time passed, I started playing at better-known songwriting venues, such as The Listening Room, and I started writing with better writers who had publishing deals like my friend, Morgan Dawson.

11703142_10205599032518719_2294507112432549188_n

My first month in Nashville was very intimidating. The lows were very low and the highs were really high. My confidence quickly grew and I was able to find a unique sound. Songwriters assumed I was a lot older and were astonished when I told them I was nineteen. When August rolled around, I had made so much progress that people close to me in the industry told me to stick around. Although I didn’t want to leave, I was ready to come back to Austin with the songwriting tools I had acquired in Nashville. As I drove out of town, I had pocketful of new songs I’m still crazy about and I knew that that wasn’t the last Nashville would see of me.

12 Comments

Filed under Blog Post 4, Reflection