Category Archives: New Country

by | November 11, 2014 · 8:58 am

Couldn’t Miss the Dance

A while back, MaKayla posted about Scotty McCreery’s charitable contributions. Since that post received a lot of love from y’all, I thought I would share this story about Garth Brooks stopping a concert to recognize a fan who is undergoing treatment for cancer. Also, incredibly, he gave her his guitar. Here’s the video:

I ran across this news this morning on my bus ride to campus and, I’ll be honest, I teared up a bit. Fortunately, I don’t think any of the other passengers noticed. It has to be one of the hardest and most rewarding parts of being a celebrity, this being called on to help people who are hurting or dying. Props to Brooks, though.

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Filed under Charity, Live Music, New Country, Reflection

by | November 5, 2014 · 8:00 am

10 Fantastic Years!

The date was May 25, 2005. My family was glued to the TV while dramatic music played and lights shone around a well-known stage. We watched intently with the rest of America and awaited the results of season 4 of American Idol. Carrie Underwood was our long-time favorite to win, although Bo Bice posed a threat. On that night, we held our breath as Ryan Seacrest finally announced, “The winner of Season 4 of American Idol is… Carrie Underwood!”

Carrie Underwood wins American Idol!

Carrie Underwood wins American Idol!

I’m proud to say that I picked Carrie to win from the moment she first auditioned for the show. For some reason, it was obvious that she just had something that no one else had, and apparently America saw that too! Since she won, Carrie has flown to superstardom and is now one of the biggest and most influential stars in the country music business. She has released four albums with 11 #1 singles and many singles hitting in the top 5 of the country music charts, and has toured six times in the US and around the world.

It is hard to believe that the moment that is so engrained in my mind took place almost 10 years ago! But believe it or not, the time has come to celebrate the success of Carrie Underwood during the past 10 years, and what better way to do that than with a Greatest Hits album? That’s right, Carrie is releasing a new album titled Greatest Hits: Decade #1, comprised of her most popular and well-known songs from the last decade. It is fun to go back and listen to the songs that really staged her career and shot her to fame, because the album truly shows how much she has grown. Some of my personal favorites are “Before He Cheats,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Undo It,” “Good Girl,” and “All-American Girl.” I’d definitely advise you to listen to her duet with Vince Gill, called “How Great Thou Art”; it is guaranteed to give you chills! Honestly though, it would be hard to go wrong with any of the songs on this album; it truly encompasses all of her greatest achievements.

Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits: Decade #1

Although the album does not actually hit stores until December 9, 2014, you can pre-order it here on Amazon!

Disc 1:

  1. “Something in the Water”
  2. “Little Toy Guns”
  3. “Inside Your Heaven”
  4. “Jesus, Take the Wheel”
  5. “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”
  6. “Before He Cheats”
  7. “Wasted”
  8. “So Small”
  9. “All-American Girl”
  10. “Last Name”
  11. “Just a Dream”
  12. “I Told You So” (feat. Randy Travis)

Disc 2:

  1. “Cowboy Casanova”
  2. “Temporary Home”
  3. “Undo It”
  4. “Mama’s Song”
  5. “Remind Me” (with Brad Paisley)
  6. “Good Girl”
  7. “Blown Away”
  8. “Two Black Cadillacs”
  9. “See You Again”
  10. “How Great Thou Art” (with Vince Gill)
  11. “So Small”
  12. “Last Name”
  13. “Mama’s Song”

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Filed under Movies and TV, New Country, Reflection, Women

by | November 1, 2014 · 8:00 am

All American Girl

From her audition on American Idol to her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, I have been a huge fan every step of the way. Carrie Underwood is by far one of my favorite artists ever. I love everything about her, her voice, her style, her story, the way she carries herself, and most of all her humbleness. I can listen to her albums over and over and never get bored. When I listen to her music it allows me to block out all the stress, worries, and problems. I guess you can say it’s kind of like my happy place. There’s a Carrie Underwood song for every occasion. I listen to her music when I’m doing laundry, studying, grocery shopping, and even for some of the tougher times in my life, like when my parents got a divorce. I have compiled a list of some of my favorite Carrie Underwood songs along with the cover art of the album.

carrie-underwood-some-hearts 1. “Some Hearts” (2005)
2. “Starts With Goodbye” (2005)
3. “Lessons Learned” (2005)
220px-Playon 4. “Change” (2009)
5. “Mama’s Song” (2009)
6. “Temporary Home” (2009)
Carnival_Ride_-_Album 7. “So Small” (2007)
8. “All American Girl” (2007)
9. “I Told You So” (2007)
10. “Something in the Water” (2014)

The songs above are only some of my favorites because the list could go on forever. I would love to one day meet Carrie Underwood and just tell her how much I love her and how fabulous I think she is. Her voice is just crazy amazing. When I’m at home I turn the music up really loud and pretend I’m at her concert. It is definitely on my bucket list to attend at least one Carrie Underwood concert. It would be so amazing to see her live. She did perform at the Thanksgiving game halftime show in Dallas one year but unfortunately I was unable to go. Oh, but believe me I was the first person in front of the TV when the half time show began.

My sister seems to think I have an obsession with Carrie Underwood, but truth is I just love her and how she doesn’t take anything she had achieved for granted. I see a little of myself in her. I just think it’s awesome how she grew up on a farm, put her dream of singing aside to go to school, and then ultimately in the end made her dream come true. I guess you could say Carrie Underwood is one of my idols. Who is your favorite artist? Do you have a country music idol?

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Filed under Movies and TV, New Country

by | October 27, 2014 · 8:00 am

5 Reasons Why the Dixie Chicks Need to Have a Reunion Tour

I love the Dixie Chicks. They’re possibly my favorite band and what’s sad about this is even though they’re my favorite, I’ve never seen them live. I constantly check their website to see if they’ll ever tour again and every time I check is a disappointment. I need to see them live. For this reason, I have decided to make a list of five reasons why the Dixie Chicks need to have a reunion tour.

The cover of my all time favorite album Wide Open Spaces

The cover of my all time favorite album Wide Open Spaces

1. Their music is timeless
You know those songs that you hear on the radio over and over again and get so annoying that you can’t stand to listen to them? I don’t think a Dixie Chicks song could ever be one of those. I could listen to their songs one hundred times and still not get tired of them. I don’t know what it is about them, but their songs are catchy, meaningful, and, in my opinion, true country (but more on that later). Seeing the Dixie Chicks live would make these songs even more timeless for me because there’s just something different about hearing a song live and not just on recording. For some reason, I think hearing them live would make me want to listen to them even more.

 2. The Dixie Chicks are true country

Yes, there is some pop in many of their songs, but I still think the Dixie Chicks are true country. They use country instruments like the banjo, fiddle, and steel guitars. Their songs are about country living, love, and nostalgia. They also just have that country sound and twang to them that makes them so connectable. Country concerts are my favorite because, well country music is my favorite kind of music, and country concerts are just so much more fun. You can dance and sing and really connect to the artist in ways you can’t with pop artists.

The girls at one of their last concerts in 2003

The girls at one of their last concerts in 2003

 3. They are great performers

It is hard for bands and artists to sound just as good live as they do when recorded, but the Dixie Chicks are very good at this. Natalie Maines has such a cool and unique voice and it sounds just as amazing live as it does recorded. I can only say this based on the recordings of their live performances, but I’m going to go ahead and assume she truly does sound that amazing. The girls also love their music and love performing it for people and you can see this in any recordings of their live performances. I would love to be able to experience this talent and love for music in person, but I can only do that if they have a reunion tour.

4. They need a comeback

Ever since “the incident” in 2003 when Natalie Maines insulted President George W. Bush, the Dixie Chicks have really struggled to win back the approval of the huge fan base they had in the late 90s and early 2000s. A think a reunion tour will allow the girls to reintroduce themselves and get some of their fans back. I think that if the girls came out and performed their songs and made no statements on the past and simply played their music, people could look past “the incident” and remember why they love the Dixie Chicks. They make great music and I don’t think it is fair for them to not be able to make music because of one mistake they made.

An example of the negative reactions the girls got after "the incident"

An example of the negative reactions the girls got after “the incident”

5. I have never seen them perform live

I know this is selfish, but it’s probably the most important reason why I think the Dixie Chicks should have a reunion tour. The last time they performed in Texas, or even in the United States, was December of 2006. That was EIGHT years ago and I was only 12 years old. At this point in my life, I never really went to concerts and the Dixie Chicks weren’t a huge part of my life. So basically, I never really had the opportunity to see the Dixie chicks because they stopped touring in the United States before I ever really wanted to go see them. I am absolutely obsessed with them now so I think it’s only fair that they tour again so I can see them.

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Filed under Lists, Live Music, New Country, Texas

by | October 25, 2014 · 8:00 am

Murder On Music Row

Artists“Murder On Music Row,” is a popular song originally written by Larry Shell and Larry Cordle in 1999 and later covered by George Strait and Alan Jackson in what came to be a hit duet. When I first heard this song I didn’t fully understand the point it was trying to get across. However, when I heard this song for a second time on one of George Strait’s ‘greatest hits’ CD, I became aware of its lyrical meaning.

This song created much controversy in the music industry because of its criticism towards mainstream country music at that time. The lyrics criticize the on-going trend of pop music integrating it’s way into country music. Strait and Jackson agreed with the meaning behind this song by making their own cover together.

Country music tends to have this reputation of “twangy” songs, fiddle playing, drinking and love stories. The lyrics state, “For the steel guitars no longer cry and fiddles barely play.” It seems as if the country sounds were being taken out of country music around the time the song was written. “They said no one would buy them old drinking and cheating songs.” Traditional country music was slowly dying due to the new style of music and new upcoming artists. The song refers to Meryl Haggard by stating, “Why, the Hag, he wouldn’t have a chance on today’s radio.” Because of the way country music was changing so much, if people heard Meryl on the radio they wouldn’t know what to think.

Murder_on_Music_RowIf you listen to “Murder On Music Row,” which I suggest you do, the sound ties back into the meaning of the song by keeping the true country sound. With the twang in their voices, the fiddle in the background, and the acoustic guitars, Strait and Jackson relay a message to the country music industry, striving to keep the traditional country music alive. As two true country artists, they saw what country music was turning into and what it was soon to become. Strait and Jackson may be seen as the saviors of traditional country music in the era of its changes.

As it seems, many agree that pop country has taken over and “murdered” true country music. It has changed drastically in the past decade, leaving fans questioning, “what is true country music?” If the new music is not classified as country, then what is it?

Lyrics found at: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/georgestrait/murderonmusicrow.html

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Filed under Movies and TV, Music Videos, New Country, New Traditionalism, Song Analysis