Category Archives: Movies and TV

by Darah Welch | November 7, 2015 · 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_n Dance 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.

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

by Dustin Hixenbaugh | November 5, 2015 · 1:00 pm

Disney-Country Collaborations

Woody's Round Up

The only thing that could possibly rival country music for its domination of the market in manufactured sadness and nostalgia is, well, a Disney movie.

So I guess it makes sense that the Mouse House and country music would team up now and again to prey on our emotions and leave a trail of our glistening tears in their wake. Two recent Disney-country collaborations appear on a new album of Disney classics reinterpreted by popular contemporary singers.

Called We Love Country, the collection includes two country songs. The first is “Let It Go,” performed as a duet between Lucy Hale and the Rascal Flatts. Since Frozen is still fairly new ~~and overrated~~, I didn’t respond strongly to that one. The second country song is Kacey Musgraves’s cover of “A Spoonful of Sugar” — a tune I strongly associate with my childhood. My mom and I watched Mary Poppins, like, daily, and I would stand on the staircase with an open umbrella and pretend I was flying. Musgraves keeps it bouncy and light, but like vinegar and baking soda the steel guitar and my memories of that singing nanny are a mixture that yield a predictable response. I sobbed.

I started this post intending to share my ten favorite Disney-country collaborations. But since I’m running short on Kleenex, I’ll just focus on the top five. They’re ranked in order of the least to most likely to leave me in a puddle.

5. “Will the Sun Ever Shine Again” (2004)

Disney’s cow movie, Home on the Range, is a disaster except for this heart-wrenching ballad by country rocker Bonnie Raitt. For many people (myself included), feeling nostalgic often involves longing for home and brighter days. But how does one go on when there’s no way of knowing if the sun will shine again? The song is good and sad enough it almost makes me feel sympathy for that ditzy, selfish bovine with the voice of Roseanne.

4. The Robin Hood (1973) soundtrack

I’m not sure how the Disney execs came up with the idea of hiring Roger Miller to write the songs for their movie about a medieval English thief. Probably, they wanted him to bring the same zany fun to the film that he had brought to songs like “Dang Me” and “King of the Road” in the mid ’60s. In fact, with the songs “Oo De Lally” and “Not in Nottingham” he gave the movie a soul and an emotional punch. “Oo De Lally” is as much an introduction to the characters of Robin Hood and Little John as it is a testament to their friendship.

3. “On the Front Porch” (1963)

If nostalgia had a voice it would sound like Burl Ives. Though he was a celebrated folk/country singer and an Oscar-winning actor, he is best known for voicing the character of Sam the Snowman on the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special. In Disney’s Summer Magic, he plays a wise country bumpkin, and in one of the film’s best moments he gathers the other characters together to sing along on this ode to family, friends, and the simpler days gone by.

The song was written by Richard and Robert Sherman, who composed the songs for lots of the movies I obsessed over as a kid, including The Sword in the Stone (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977).

2. You’ve Got a Friend in Me (1995)

Pretty much the whole point of Toy Story is to bring the tears of nostalgia into its viewer’s eyes. Do you feel guilty even considering trashing a stuffed animal you haven’t touched in ten years? Blame director John Lasseter. “Woody’s Round-Up,” performed by Riders in the Sky, appears in Toy Story 2 and is the franchise’s most traditional country song, but the tune that brings these movies’ fans to tears is “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” At the end of the first film, the song is performed as a duet between Randy Newman and alt.country singer Lyle Lovett. Like Woody and Buzz, they’re an odd but perfect combination.

1. “Baby Mine” (1996)

This song from Dumbo is one of Disney’s most enduring classics. In 1996, Allison Krauss covered it for the album The Best of Country Sing the Best of Disney, and though the single floundered on the charts it netted her a Grammy nomination.

Like Mary Poppins and Toy Story, Dumbo isn’t just a movie I watched as a child — it’s a movie about the experience of being a child. How better to remind viewers how it felt to be both scared and comforted as a child than through a lullaby? Krauss’s version adds a bridge and a modern sound, and though the original brings me tears, it’s the cover that makes me melt. I sing the song pretty regularly to my own son at bedtime, which means my emotional attachment — not to mention the puddles of tears — will only grow in the years to come

Nostalgia is a difficult topic to discuss with other people because we all have such different experiences. Do Disney movies give you the same feels that country music does? What Disney-country collaborations that I’ve left off the list do you remember and love? Share in the comments!

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Filed under Lists, Movies and TV, Reflection

by Claudia Boyd | October 30, 2015 · 7:00 am

Nashville’s Newest Stars: A Closer Look at the Dynamic Duo, Lennon & Maisy

The casting directors of the hit show Nashville had a moment of genius when casting the roles of Rayna James’s daughters. They selected none other than the Canadian sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella. Who are they you might ask? Well, Lennon (16) and Maisy (12) started their singing career by performing covers for hit songs such as “Call Your Girlfriend” and “Ho Hey” on their YouTube channel. So, lets take a closer look at these young stars.

Born into a musical family, with both parents in the music business, the girls became interested in the music world from a very early age. Lennon even got her first guitar when she was five. Her father, an experienced guitarist taught her how to play and from then on she was hooked. The most surprising fact about the sisters is that neither of them has ever received lessons or professional vocal training, they both play numerous instruments and sing in two-part harmony without prior instruction. The girls have written songs together in their early years and played at various shows and festivals alongside their parents before being discovered by Nashville.

Although music was the girls’ true passion, Maisy had always been interested in acting and decided to try it out. She had been featured in several different commercials and music videos growing up so acting became her second love. When her agent became aware of a role in a new ABC show that was being filmed in Nashville, Maisy immediately saw it as a a sign and auditioned. During the final stages of the auditioning process, the casting agents discovered that Maisy had an older sister, Lennon, and decided that the girls would be a dynamic duo on the show. Lennon & Maisy began starring in the ABC drama Nashville in October 2012 and have become a nationwide hit. Their sweet and innocent sound as captivated viewers. They have truly become some of the most popular young artists in the Nashville scene. If you haven’t heard them sing before, trust me you will be listening for hours.

Their first hit, Lennon and Maisy’s cover of “Call Your Girlfriend” by Robyn and Erato showed their potential as artists and hooked viewers on their sound. Using empty containers of butter as musical instruments, the girls displayed an aspect of creativity that was hard to match.

Their cover of “I Wont Give Up” by Jason Mraz shows the range of their voices and the beauty of their two part harmony.

Finally Maisy’s performance of “Have a Little Faith in Me”, by John Hiatt, shows the 12 year olds ability to harmonize with any voice.

I hope you have become interested in these young artists, because trust me they are taking not only the country music world, but entire musical kingdom by storm.

10 Comments

Filed under Blog Post 4, Movies and TV, Nashville Sound, New Country, Women

by Alyssa Buchanan | October 21, 2015 · 7:00 am

Kellie Pickler Loves The Camera

Kellie Pickler is back!!! And this time not starring on someone else’s show. Now she has her own.

I know that Idol is now a thing of the past, but it seems to be a reoccurring stepping stone for many artists, but one in particular. Pickler began her career as a contestant on American Idol season 5, catching the attention and hearts of America, country music fans, and obviously the judges with her infectious smile, surprisingly bold voice, and strong country accent.

She went on to be the 5^th runner up on season five of American Idol, where the legendary Carrie Underwood out shined her and took the win. Pickler’s American Idol debut did not end with a win, but little did she know that she had already won over the heart of country music fans worldwide. Pickler signed with BNA Records and 19 Recordings as a recording artist in 2006, the same year of her American Idol gig. Another big win for Kellie in 2006 was the release of her debut country album Small Town Girl, which reached Billboard 200 Top 10 at number 9, selling 79,000 copies within the first week.

If you know Kellie Pickler at all, you know that she came from a hard home life. Born in North Carolina, her mother left when she was only two years old, and her father was in and out of jail due to drug abuse. Kellie was put in the care of her grandparents when she turned 12 and they raised her into adulthood. She worked at sonic and competed in beauty pageants as a late teenager before her Idol audition. Her story is saddening, but also relatable to so many. Her loving and endearing attitude about her situation and her family was inspiring, and shone through in her singing and song writing.

I can remember specifically jamming to “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” Pickler’s leadoff single on her self-titled second album in 2008. Kellie Pickler was someone girls could look up to, and a person who proved that no matter your situation, you can rise above.

Kellie’s will to rise above and conquer shone through as she won season sixteen of Dancing With The Stars with her partner Derek Hough. America could not get enough of the sweet southern girl who was constantly defying the odds.

After an impressive and still on-going music career the present and future with Kellie is notable. Get ready to see 29 year old Kellie starring in her own docu-comedy TV show “I Love Kellie Pickler” premiering this November 5^th! She and her husband Kyle Jacobs are going to be giving viewers an inside look at their every day lives.

So if you remember the sweet, good-humored, relatable girl from American Idol, tune in. And if you don’t remember, and her successes and prevailing spirit didn’t convinced you that her show will be worth watching, I don’t know what will.

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Filed under Blog Post 3, Movies and TV

by Amanda | October 20, 2015 · 7:00 am

5 Reasons Why The Country Music Lover Would Love Nashville TV Show

ABC’s hit TV show, Nashville has just begun its fourth season and its popularity is only continuing to grow. It has a large fan base and audience, but I believe that any country music listener could easily become a fan of the show. The show features all aspects of country music. TV Guide even says that its plot lines can be told by real country songs. Check out these five reasons why any country music lover would also become a lover of the show, Nashville.

1. The Tunes

Clearly, the biggest thing country music listeners like about country is the music. Nashville surprisingly devotes a significant amount of time each episode to pure music, whether this is through extravagant concert performances of the characters, or footage of them writing/ creating songs. The entire show is centralized around the music, so when watching the viewer is completely immersed in the sounds of country.

All different sounds are included through each character, with the more gentle and innocent sounds of Rayna’s two daughters, the fierce, Miranda Lambert-esque songs of Juliette, and the bro country vibes of Luke, just to name a few.

2. Attractive People

What is there not to love about some good- looking cowboys and country queens? It seems like every star of the show is fortunate in the good looks department, making the country music lover even more in love with these characters and the show.

We’ve got the blonde hunk in Will Lexington, the handsome, high profile city boy in Jeff Fordam, and the tough, chiseled man in Deacon Claybourne. Of course the country queens are all gorgeous, with the timeless, classic beauty in Rayna James, the blonde bombshell in Juliette Barnes, and the natural prettiness of Scarlett O’connor.

3. The business side of things

Not only can we watch the drama unfold between all of the characters, and get to hear some great music along the way, but we also get to see a little bit more into the way that the country music world works. A lot of episodes focus on the production of the music, the process that goes into signing an artist to a record label, as well as the booking and publicity events that consume most of the artists’ lives.

This lets the country music lover get to get more insight into the way that the music we love so much is created and developed.

4. History and Famous People

The truly devoted country music lover probably has a good intellect of the historical aspects of country music, or artists that have been prevalent in the country music world for a while. Nashville constantly references the ever- famous Grand Ole Opry where the most famous of performers have sung.

The show even has many famous country performers guest star on various episodes. These artists include Kellie Pickler, Carrie Underwood, Brantley Gilbert, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Evans, Kip Moore and Trisha Yearwood to name a few.

5. The Outfits

The fabulosity of the gowns, cowboy boots, and sequined ensembles throughout the show is outrageous. Everything is bigger and better in this show, especially the girls’ hair. The women are always dressed to the nines, and the men even get dolled up from head to toe in their cowboy hats, denim, big belt buckle, and boots. The country boy swagger is taken to a new level in this show. Rayna and Juliette always seem to be in some type of over the top sequined and tight gown or outfit. Even Scarlett has her own intense wardrobe with a more subtle, earthy country girl feel.

The glamour and fame is clearly embodied through many of the characters on the show. However, many aspects of themes central to country music are highlighted constantly in the episodes, such as being a hard worker, valuing family, and being a loyal person despite the insane, complicated business of the country music industry. The show has made great waves for country music, exposing more people to the genre, gathering more fans for it, and even adding some great songs in the mix. I highly recommend the show, no matter what type of country music you may enjoy.

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