Yearly Archives: 2015

by | January 30, 2015 · 12:00 pm

Rain. Josh Abbott Band. #Autumn coming soon.

As last week poured never ending rain and everyone’s rain boots were brought out from the back of their closets for the first time this year, I went back to a time where I didn’t curse the wind and the rain for breaking my umbrella and completely soaking me. Back to a moment where I encouraged the rain and grabbed the closest guy near me to dance the night away. I went back to the summer of 2012 where the Josh Abbott Band played at the Whitewater Music Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas during a thunderstorm.

As I reminisced about the great night of the Josh Abbott Band playing the performance of their lives, in my opinion, I realized how much I wished that Josh Abbott was a common household name like others, such as Carrie Underwood or George Strait. Now, if you do not know who Josh Abbott Band is, shame on you. If you are from Texas and still have no clue I am talking about, double shame on you. I encourage you all then to immediately listen to their signature song, based on the one that has gained them the most attention, “Oh, Tonight” featuring Kacey Musgraves.

The Josh Abbott Band

The Josh Abbott Band

The Josh Abbott Band was formed when lead singer, Josh Abbott, formed the group roughly eight to nine years ago while he was student at Texas Tech University. In the Lone Star State, they quickly became a “hometown band” everyone seemed to know all the words to. They also became huge, in Texas of course, for their concert performances. To describe one of their concerts in three words, the phrase “Damn good time” would perfectly fit. Rolling Stones even described their live shows as the Josh Abbott Band’s “bread and butter,” and as a band that was “building an audience one gig at a time.” Having been to seen them four times and never having the same experience and show as the last, I would urge you all to put them on your Bucket Lists.

At Josh Abbott's concert in the summer of 2014.

At Josh Abbott’s concert in the summer of 2014.

So why is this all relevant you may ask? Well, as of January 26 around 8:13 pm, Josh Abbott’s twitter account gave the world a little gift. He tweeted a part of his lyrics to a new song he is working on. The tweet stated: “In search of a beholder she’s beautiful despite her flaws. Turning a new leaf over, Autumn’s changing in the fall. #Autumn coming soon.” Could this be another sequel to “She Will Be Free” and “She Don’t Break”? I do not care what is, I know I will absolutely love it and will know every single word to it after the first five minutes of it being released. Hopefully, this could be the song that gains them the stardom they deserve. And if they never break that barrier, I will be completely content with their late Saturday night shows. I will proudly sing along to every one of their songs in my dress and cowboy boots.

Josh Abbott Twitter

Josh Abbott’s Tweet

 

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Filed under Dancing, Live Music, News, Texas

by | · 8:00 am

Tequila Cowboy

Over break I went to visit one of my best friends who happens to live in South Florida. Even though technically Florida is considered the South, we were in one of the least southern places, Miami. One night we were out shopping and looking around when we stumbled upon this restaurant called Tequila Cowboy. Obviously from living in Texas, tex-mex is one of our favorite foods so we thought that we would try it out. We walked into to the restaurant and it was one of the most stereotypical “country” places I have ever been to. There was a man and a guitar singing at the entrance, the décor was rustic with cowboy boots and trucks as decorations, and the waiters and waitresses were dressed to a tee in theme. However, the best part about the restaurant was that they had an electric bull and a karaoke bar attached. They were playing older country music over the speaker system, although it seemed like me and my friends were the only ones that knew the songs.

We ordered our margaritas (because who doesn’t get tequila at Tequila Cowboy) and started looking over the menu. The first thing noticed is that almost everything on the menu contains some form of barbeque. Whether it was pulled pork tacos to barbeque chicken enchiladas. They took the two main staples of Texas cuisine and tried to combine them. Don’t get me wrong, I know pulled pork tacos are a very normal dish but on their menu it seemed like they were trying too hard.

After dinner, we went to the next room to the karaoke bar. We were the only ones in there, when a man walks up to us and asks us if we “want to ride his bull”. We explained to him that we live in Texas and have ridden or have the opportunity to ride a bull on almost any night a week. Finally, the place started to fill up, meaning two more people walked in. The karaoke begins by the “dj” singing a George Strait song. Next up is the two other people in the bar, who happen to be this old man and a woman clearly half his age, watching them sing a love song had to be one of the most uncomfortable experiences out there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422411861&v=0e_HtjZS8SQ&feature=player_detailpage&x-yt-cl=84924572

We were up next and chose to sing “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks. We weren’t serious about our singing or anything we just got up there to have fun, which we did, but no one knew the song. More people began to trickle in at this point and we had a street audience since the stage was at a window. Yet there wasn’t an ounce of recognition of the song on anyone’s faces. We got up there, sang, got down, and left.

We had a blast in this cheesy stereotypical country restaurant. Granted the food wasn’t very good, their margaritas sucked, and no one knew the music. But I was with my two best friends and we had a great time.

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Filed under Dancing, Honky Tonk, Live Music, Reflection, Texas, USA

by | January 29, 2015 · 8:00 pm

Tailgates, Beer, Women, and the Bro-Country Takeover

While I love it just as much as the next person when there is “nowhere to go, nowhere to be,” and while I found myself in this situation more times than not over the winter break, I never once chose to roll into town and “ take another lap around.” These lyrics, from Cole Swindell and Florida Georgia Line respectively, seem to summarize the recent level of song writing that has taken over the country music world. Although many country music fans have voiced their negative opinions about this new “bro-country” style, and how originality and creativity has all but slipped away from the genre, do they have any substantial argument for their case? An article that I saw repeatedly posted to my Facebook newsfeed while not having my “bed backed up to the water” over the break might have the answer to this question (Parmalee).

FGLrealI will be the first to admit that I have been known to drive around on a nice day with the windows down listening to the bro-country anthems that sing of this very thing. And while in this post I voice my negative opinions towards this new style of country, I cannot deny that the tunes being put on the radio recently are catchy and easy to sing along to. However, what I can defend, with the help of savingcountrymusic.com, is that when these songs come on the radio, I can never tell who they are. Whether it is Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, or Luke Bryan, they are all singing about warm summer days, hitting on women, and back country roads.

The similarities within this new style do not stop with just the words but continue even further with the music that accompanies the lyrics. A DJ known as Sir Mashalot, and an accompanying article by savingcountrymusic.com, shows the truth behind these comparisons. By combining the top hits of six different artists of today’s bro-country movement, Sir Mashalot was able to show the scary resemblances that exist. You can listen for yourself, but combined together, the six songs flow together almost as well as any other bro-country song.

As I have mentioned before, I believe this new style of country music has its appropriate time and place. However, I worry where the future of country music as a whole is headed. What happened to the country music songs that carried with them real life lessons? What happened to the clever lines that the listener can only help but tip their hat and grin to? I fear that classic, meaningful lines like “Daddies don’t love their children every now and then. It’s a love without end, amen” and “to the world, you may just be another girl, but to me, baby, you are the world” are quickly being replaced with butchery of the English language like “keeping it real like chill like only have a drink or two” and “A little something bumping, thump, thumping on the wheel ride” (Strait, Paisley, Shelton, Florida Georgia Line). I can only hope that creativity and originality can resurface within the country music genre.

Parmalee

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Filed under Bro Country, Uncategorized

by | · 12:00 pm

The Demise of Country Music

I stopped listening to country music on the radio a few years ago, right as “bro country” was beginning to become mainstream. I wouldn’t be able to tell you any of the new songs or new artists, but every time I happen to come across a country radio station it always seems to be the same thing: dudes like Florida Georgia Line bro-ing it up and singing songs about their trucks or how country they are. I know that doesn’t describe all country music on the radio these days, but it’s apparent that bro country is what the industry thinks will sell the best. Maybe it’s just my West Texas roots, but to me that isn’t even close to what country music is supposed to be.

Yesterday as I was scrolling through Facebook, through the dozens of stories and articles being “shared” by my friends, I saw one video that really caught my eye and seemed to prove my belief today’s country music. If you haven’t already seen the video I encourage you to watch. It’s kind of eye-opening about the state of country music today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlNgYDotMoE

Pretty crazy, right? That seems like pretty solid proof that Nashville is just pumping out the same song with different words, and people are buying it. That video reminded me of a different video that came out at the end of 2013 with the same concept, but it was a review of more than just six songs:

Whether you like that type of music or not you have to say that video is pretty funny. To me, it is kind of depressing to see country music deteriorate to this state. I guess if that’s what the people want then so be it. I just think that bro country is meaningless and repetitive, and these videos seem to back me.

They say there’s a George Strait song for everything, and the topic of bro country is no exception. In 2001, a full decade before bro country burst onto the scene, George Strait released a song called “Stars on the Water” as part of his The Road Less Traveled album. The song is most likely the first use of auto-tune in a country song, except it is Strait’s way of mocking “stars” who use voice enhancers and other things of that nature. “Stars on the Water” makes George Strait seem almost psychic, giving a subtle dig at the future artists who dominate the world of country music today.

Strait also collaborated with Alan Jackson on “Murder on Music Row”, in which they claim “someone killed country music” in the chase for “the almighty dollar and lust for worldwide fame”. The lyrics to this song perfectly describe bro country music, and they are probably right when they sing “Ol’ Hank wouldn’t have a chance on today’s radio”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny3K9irFC5k

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Filed under Bro Country, Classic Country, Country Pop, New Country, Uncategorized

by | · 8:00 am

Taylor Swift’s tour isn’t messing with Texas

3371681062_7769c27704During past tours, Taylor Swift has spent the most time in Texas. With concerts sold out in 4-5 Texas cities for each tour, you could say her Texan fans there are very loyal. But is she loyal to them? With the release of the 1989 world tour dates, Texas “swifties” were dismayed to find only one date for one venue in one Texas city. I was extremely disappointed to find she wouldn’t be stopping in Austin this year since I am a huge fan of her new album. Texas girls and guys have been her fans from the start, it just seems wrong to cut us out of her tour.

Austin, San Antonio and Houston have been replaced by places like Seattle, Tokyo and Toronto. Could this be a result of her genre shift from country to pop? I believe it is. Once she was singing about Georgia stars, in her new album she’s welcoming her listeners to New York. I didn’t realize the her transition from country also meant her absence from southern states.

Taylor’s country sound was accompanied by cowboy boots and an acoustic guitar. Her dresses were always modest and her long curly hair was her trademark. She was known for her relatable and meaningful lyrics. I will admit that her songs pulled me through a break up or two. Her lyrics were rooted in typical country topics like pick up trucks, her love for her mom, Tim McGraw and her guitar. Taylor played many of her first shows at Texas rodeos, her music videos were on CMT, and she always could be seen performing at the CMAs.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show London 2014 **STRICTLY NO WEB UNTIL 9:15PM GMT DECEMBER 2, 2014**With her new pop genre her hair and skirts got shorter. Her music videos got edgier, and she began performing at events like the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show which doesn’t traditionally involve any country music. Taylor has traded cowboy boots for her high heels and electronic instruments have taken place of the acoustic guitar. Her lyrics are centered around big cities, bad boys and repetitive catchy phrasing. This change has revolutionized Taylor’s career and taken her music around the world. I love her new sound and look just as I loved the old Taylor. Her old songs went well with a pint of blue bell ice cream and tissues, but her new songs make every dance floor across the world come alive.

I am sad to say this shift away from country has also created a limited amount of tour time in Texas. All us swifties need to come together and reach out to Taylor through social media and let her know Texans love her sound even if its not country.  #TexaswantsTaylor

For other articles about Taylor’s transition click here.

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Filed under News, Texas, Women