Category Archives: Movies and TV

by | April 21, 2015 · 8:00 am

The 50th Anniversary of the ACM Awards

Another year has passed and another ACM awards show has come and gone. This star studded event moved from its traditional home in Nashville to the great state of Texas this year, and managed to set a new world record for most attendants at a live awards show. While there were many great performances throughout the night, I felt there were a few performances that stood out among the rest.

The show started off with the presentation of its first milestone award to the King of Country, George Strait.

George also happened to get by far the loudest crowd reaction of any of the artists throughout the whole night. He performed his classic “All My Exes Live in Texas” followed by his new single “Let it Go”. I feel like there is pretty much no better way to start off a country awards show than by having one of the best in the business kick it off. I also liked that he performed one of his classic songs that everyone knows, followed by something brand new. With all the songs today revolving around partying and drinking and having fancy lights and electric guitars playing, it was nice to pay homage to the classic sound of country music. During the performance, there were some fancy lights in the background, but mainly it was just George Strait and his band. No running through the crowd, no electric guitars, just plain and simple country music.

Later on in the show, Garth Brooks received another of the Academy’s milestone awards. He performed a song off of his latest album called “All American Kid” which is dedicated to all the men and women of the Armed Forces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lu9l22yBc4

I liked this performance because it paid homage to the troops and celebrated patriotism. There are lots of songs that celebrate patriotism, and I think that’s one of the more important themes in country music that not a lot of artists really sing about nowadays, so I found it kind of nice to hear the crowd cheering and see all of the artists saluting our troops.

Finally, Alan Jackson performed “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9P1mX54H5w

I personally thought this was the best performance of the night. Even though the song was performed at the show for the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombings but written for September 11th, I feel like the meaning still got across. It covers a sad subject, but it also reminds us to cherish the simple things, and again I think that’s something very important to country music. I think a lot of artists today try to get the meaning of simplicity and loving the simple things in life across in most of their songs, and I felt like this performance by Alan Jackson really hammered that meaning home.

While I may not agree with all the award winners, I still felt like this was one of the better ACM shows that I have watched. There was a good mixture of both new and old country artists, and the fact that they had two special performances for the troops and the OKC bombings made me really enjoy this 50th anniversary of the ACM Awards.

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Filed under Awards, Classic Country, Country Pop, Live Music, Movies and TV

by | April 6, 2015 · 8:00 am

Nashville: A Taste of the Country Music World

Country music has always existed in their own world, separated from the publicity and paparazzi of Hollywood or New York City. The hub of country music resides in Nashville, Tennessee, home of the Bluebird café and the Grand Ole Opry. Two years ago, I didn’t know much about Nashville or the country music world to be honest. And then, the show Nashville premiered on ABC. Last week, after a month or so hiatus the show returns for new episodes, and I am still as hooked as when I watched the first episode.

I will admit I first tuned into Nashville because of its star, Connie Britton (and her beautiful hair). I am a massive fan of Friday Night Lights and would watch pretty much anything that has Tami Taylor in it. But after the first episode I was drawn in by the world of Nashville and country music.

raynaAs a casual listener of country I was naïve to places like the bluebird and other Nashville country music sites that have launched the careers of many greats. But I love that the show films in Nashville so I wasn’t looking at sound stages and recreations of these legendary places, but the actual sites.

The music of Nashville was also a draw to me. Not all of it…unfortunately some of the singers are better actors than they are singers. But I was surprised by how good of a singer many of them were. And I found myself loving the more folk-y songs that the show produced. The show, while fictional, actually mirrors the music industry in a lot of ways especially in regards to the struggle for album sales and the dichotomy of the country music industry. There is not one specific sound of country today in my opinion, but rather a few popularized sounds and singers must struggle to find their place and success within those areas.

The show also deals with the pitfalls that surround Nashville including the different type of expectations that surround country music stars in comparison to other famous singers. Country music is known for appealing to a more conservative audience and more simplistic roots than rap or pop music. One of the shows main characters, Juliette, constantly is at odds with fans and parents of her fans for this very reason. She is a great country artist, but does not line up ideologically with her fan base. She has learned the hard way though, that with no fan base, she has no career.

Nashville is probably not winning any Emmys anytime soon, but because of it’s interesting take on the city of Nashville and country music, I am sure I will keep tuning in!

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by | April 2, 2015 · 8:00 am

What will the ACM Awards bring this year?

This Monday, March 30th, the second round of performers for this years Academy of Country Music Awards was announced. This year will mark the 50th ACM celebration so they are going all out with the performers. The academy is bringing back veterans, having new artists perform, and creating crossover duets with pop artists. The ACM’s will take place on April 19th at the AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas.

However, the interesting part of who will be performing is whom they chose for the duet performances. As of right now it is Nick Jonas with Dan and Shay. And then Christina Aguilera is said to be performing with a surprise artist for a surprise duet. Aguilera will also be appearing as a guest star in Nashville, on April 15th. This is especially interesting because the ACM’s are only four days after her country music debut. Granted on the show Aguilera’s character will be an already established pop artist that wants to record a country album.

Last years best duet performance was with Shakira and Blake Shelton. It turned out to be more of a rock tune than country but still people went wild for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1rAVitAwiA

They also performed this song on The Voice. I think that this performance was awesome. Personally, I just like how their two voices blend together because they are so different. With Shakira’s Spanish accent shining through and then Shelton’s country accent, together I think that they create a very unique sound.

For the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards there were two crossover duet performances, the first by Hunter Hayes and Stevie Wonder and the second by Brad Paisley and John Mayer. Hunter Hayes and Stevie Wonder performed “Sir Duke”. Hunter Hayes also did a solo performance of “I Want Crazy”, however, the duet with Stevie Wonder completely overshadowed his solo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0jhYZniYeo

Brad Paisley and John Mayer performed “Beat This Summer”. This performance was primarily sung by Paisley. Both Mayer and Paisley contributed to the guitar solo and Mayer took over one verse of the song.

Maybe it is because this is not one of my favorite Brad Paisley songs but I did not enjoy this performance as much. However, I think that the Hayes and Wonder duet was much better, got the audience more into the performance, and had a much better sound to it.

I think that duet performances are unique because of how they bring two different voices together. Especially the duets performed at the ACM’s because they usually take artists from two different genres. This is great because the performances combined two opposite sounding vocals and creates an amazing crossover sound. I am very excited to see how the duet performances for this year turn out.

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Filed under Awards, Movies and TV

by | March 29, 2015 · 8:00 am

The New Zac Brown Band

A few weeks ago Saturday Night Live had Zac Brown Band as their musical guest. I hadn’t heard much from them lately, but I’ve been a fan ever since their album debut The Foundation. Their 2010 album You Get What You Give was another one of my favorites, and it sounded largely similar to the first one. I found out through their performance on SNL that they have a new album coming out called Jekyll + Hyde, scheduled for release in April. Since it had been a couple years since I’d seen ZBB perform I was expecting to see the signature Zac Brown beanie and to hear a couple bluegrass-influenced songs similar to “Chicken Fried” and “Whatever It Is”. Boy was I to be surprised.

The first performance was actually more like Zac Brown Band of old, as the band played the first single from the album, “Homegrown”, a country song about being proud of where you’re from or something along those lines. But even though the song sounded like a typical ZBB song, the appearance of Brown was different, simply because he ditched his beanie for a top hat. In addition, it seems as though Brown is trying to convey a “cleaner” look, with well-groomed facial hair rather than his scraggly beard.

Old Zac Brown

New Zac Brown

So it was obvious to me that Brown is trying to change his image, to what though I wasn’t sure. Then the band was introduced for their second song, and instead of a feel-good song like “Knee Deep” or “Toes”, the band played the second single from the new album called “Heavy is the Head”. The song is absolutely nothing like the Zac Brown Band we’re all used to, and my mind was blown. The song even features guitarist Chris Cornell from the rock band Soundgarden.

If you’re like me after watching this video, you’re thinking “Is that really Zac Brown Band?” I mean, that distorted bass line is nothing like we’ve ever heard from ZBB. This is a full-fledged heavy metal song. What’s even wilder is Brown’s “mad-hatter” top hat, complete with the feather.

ZBB

I’m not sure what Brown’s intentions are with this “personal rebrand”, but it seems like he’s ready to distance himself from the previous image of the band. It’s worth noting that most of their songs on the upcoming album will be more along the lines of what we’re used to, including the single “Dress Blues”, which is softer and more like a country song. Still, I don’t think they released “Heavy Is the Head” for no reason. To me, ZBB is trying to send a statement that they’re more than a country band, they can be rock stars too.

Another interesting fact about this song is that it’s the first Zac Brown Band song released to rock radio, rather than country. It’s also the band’s first entry on the Billboard Rock charts, debuting at number 37.

Even though I was shocked to discover the new sound/image of Zac Brown Band, I quickly learned that they have been a versatile band for a while. I found videos on YouTube dating back as far as 2009 featuring the band covering artists including Pink Floyd, Snoop Dogg, Rage Against the Machine, and Metallica, and they strangest part was that all of these covers were good. I never knew how talented the band really was, and although I prefer their original sound I would love to see them in concert.

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Filed under Country Pop, Movies and TV

by | March 4, 2015 · 8:00 am

Country Music in TV Series Nashville

Some diehard country music fans might be turned off by the thought of watching a television series centered on country music and the industry. Despite seeming silly to some, I believe this show is full of talented artists and performers and has the ability to turn non-country music listeners into country music lovers like the rest of us.

nashville-promoThe TV series Nashville has become one of my favorite shows to watch each week. I love the drama surrounding each of the dynamic characters, but mostly I love the numerous country songs debuted in each episode. My mom and I used to watch together every week before I started college, and while I have always been a country music fan, she hasn’t. However, this show has caused her to grow into a bigger fan than I think she ever could have been. Nashville has the ability to capture our attention and increase our awareness of country music.

Nashville has been extremely successful in producing songs that are loved by all who watch it. At first, the characters might seem phony and invalid when it comes to country music, but the actors chosen for each role have enormous musical talent. I’m always so blown away with the songs performed in the series, that I have download them right away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AWiSAGuRus

nashville-girls-500x281Connie Britton, who plays leading lady Rayna James, is an incredible singer in addition to her acting skills. If I didn’t know any better, I would think she was an actual country music star because she plays the part so well. Hayden Panetierre, who plays queen bee Juliette Barnes, has been known as a pop star for years. Despite this, she has definitely embraced country music, adding excitement and personality to her songs. She fits into the country music scene incredibly. Lennon and Maisy Stella, Rayna James’ daughters on the show, were cast after being discovered on YouTube. The two girls are real life sisters and have incredible voices. Through their amazing performances on Nashville, cast members such as Lennon and Maisy Stella, Clare Bowen, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, and Chris Carmack, to name a few, have landed spots as guest artists to sing at the Grand Ole Opry. If this doesn’t show talent I don’t know what does.

brad-paisley-1-300Along with the talent of each of the actors, many country music artists have guest stared in episodes of the show, contributing to its authenticity. Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band, Brantley Gilbert, and Brad Paisley have performed right alongside the actors in the show. The actors and singers always mesh well and look natural and normal together, despite what some might think. The songs and performances never cease to surprise me, and every one draws me into the show more than before.

Regardless of the fact that most of the characters are not “real” country singers, Nashville is a show that is captivating, suspenseful, and heart wrenching. In addition, it has created great country music. If you’ve never watched an episode of this show and you love country music, I would highly recommend it because I guarantee you will fall in love with all it has to offer.

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