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 | · 8:00 am

This is What Country Looks Like

Now I find it difficult to think of country music without thinking of cowboy boots. This type of footwear has become a fashion staple among country stars for decades now, and both male and female stars have been known to rock them on stage and on the red carpet. Originally designed in the 19th century for cowboys riding horses and working with cattle, these bad boys were meant for a true man’s day of work, not just tuning in to a Miranda Lambert record. So now I ask, since when did wearing cowboy boots automatically mean you must love country music? Do fashion items and music truly go hand-in-hand?

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Cowboy boots are an iconic representation of the American spirit. The legacy of this instantly recognizable footwear takes us back to the days that the original cowboys rode across the open fields, running wild and free.

When people used to talk about cowboy boots, cowboy boots were associated with either labor in the field, or riding horses. Cowboy boots used to refer to a specific style of riding boots, with a Cuban heel, high shaft, and without lacing. The boots are normally rounded to pointed toe, and made out of cow leather, but now that they have become a fashion statement, they are made from skins such as alligator, snake, elephant, buffalo and so forth. There are two known and basic styles of cowboy boots, the Western, (known as the classic) and the Roper. The classic style is distinguished by a tall boot shaft, going to at least mid-calf, with an angled “cowboy” heel, usually over one inch high. Although western boots can be customized with a wide variety of toe shapes, the classic design is a narrowed, usually pointed, toe. A newer design, the “roper” style, has a short boot shaft that stops above the ankle but before the middle of the calf, with a very low and squared-off “roper” heel, shaped to the sole of the boot, usually less than one inch high.

Taylor rocking her boots!

Taylor rocking her boots!

Now when people talk about cowboy boots, it is almost always associated with country music. I never understood why. How did this connection happen? Some say that it started with Western dancing. In the 1900’s, men, women and children wore country boots during the day for either working in the field or for riding, and they would come at night ready to dance the Western/Country dances. The Country/Western dances were to country music, therefore the singers who sang for people to dance to, also had their boots on. Country/ Western dancing was meant to be informal, and cowboy boots allow the steps to come out more smoothly and easier to dance, without having to actually lift feet off the ground. Starting from there, country singers sang and performed wearing country boots, not just for dancing, but in general. Apparently, some of the first country records were recorded with artists wearing cowboy boots!

I mean, I get it. Cowboy boots are pretty versatile since that they can be paired with many outfits, from jeans and a T-shirt to fancier evening wears. For example, Taylor glams up a casual white dress with a pair of heart-shaped detailed cowboy boots. I guess now, it doesn’t matter whether you prefer the classic rounded tow, or the newer pointed- toe boot, there is a pair of cowboy boots out there for everyone. I think that the cowboy boot is a smart wardrobe investment, being a timeless piece that wont go out of style!

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Filed under Reflection, Texas

by | November 10, 2014 · 8:00 am

Angaleena Presley Goes Out On Her Own

Angaleena 2Angaleena Presley, a member of the Pistol Annies, recently released a solo album called American Middle Class. In it she establishes herself as an alt country force with smart honest lyrics, and a wide array of musical influences. Her slightly husky voice is at times haunting, and then blunt, confronting life’s tragedies and disappointments without pretense. Each track leaves the listener with the sense that Presley has seen her fair share of hard living, and she wants the rest of America to see it too.

The first song, “Ain’t no Man,” sets the tone for the album, immediately laying on Americana guitar and introducing the electric organ. She uses a series of vivid metaphors to describe a woman who has closed herself off from love. For example she sings, “Sturdy as a trailer in a hurricane, sweet as the smell of turpentine,” and, “mean as a snake in a small town zoo, ain’t nobody who could ever get to her hear.” Ignoring the traditional verse chorus form popular on the radio today in favor of uninterrupted narratives, its clear Presley is a different kind of country artist.\

It’s easy to pick out the gospel and blue grass influences throughout the album, both in instrumentals and the imagery of her lyrics. The steel guitar and banjo can be heard throughout the album alongside acoustic and electric guitars. She also sings about church, the devil, and sin in a way that places those things as symbols of the culture she is representing.

AngaleenaPresley also tackles the problems small middle class communities are facing that are often ignored or pushed under the rug. In “Pain Pills,” and “Dry County Blues,” she confronts boredom as a disease that people are self-treating with alcohol and drugs, and the damage that creates in the community. She subtly draws attention to the fact that much of this is due to the economy, and the loss of middle class jobs, “half the county’s laid off, laid up, or getting high.”

In my opinion, Presley really shines in her ability to root the album in a physical place and time. “All I Ever Wanted” ends with a recording of a drug addicted neighbor reciting scripture, and the title track, “American Middle Class,” features her father, a Kentucky coal miner, talking in an actual mine where he works. Though Presley is not shy about bringing up sensitive issues, she maintains a respect for the people and place she is singing about. She comes across more as if she is sympathizing rather than condemning.

I truly enjoyed American Middle Class and its more traditional country sound. It’s not an album you put on for background noise, but something you really listen to and reflect on. It’s not all serious though. “Knocked up,” and “Drunk,” provide some offbeat humor to contrast with some of the other tracks. Angaleena Presley’s style is somewhat like Kasey Musgraves, so if you like her, and even if you don’t, I highly recommend you give this album a listen.

2 Comments

Filed under Americana, Reviews

by | November 9, 2014 · 8:00 am

Texas vs Pop Country

Growing up in Texas, country music is what  I have listened to just about my whole life. Now by all means, I do not consider myself a complete connoisseur of country music, but, I have been around it enough to distinguish the difference between a Texas country and a Pop country artist.

nutty brownTo begin, in my opinion, country music has evolved over the years into what now could be considered pop country.  This includes upbeat tunes with a band in the background, with a strong emphasis on the instruments and not so much the vocals. To me, artists that fall under this category would be: Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Eric Church, Lee Brice, Keith Urban, Carry Underwood, Lady Antebellum, and many more. These are the faces of what the country would consider country music nowadays. In no way, shape, or form am I trying to take anything away from them. I listen to all of them and love all their music. I am actually currently listening to Florida Georgia Line as I write this. But, these artists have a completely different sound then that of Texas Country music. Pop country has taken away the traditional country music and has made it more hip. Which is understandable due to how our culture has attracted to this pop country and taken it as “Country”.  But in my opinion, Texas Country is what keeps the traditional country music and sound alive.

To help you with some Texas country artists heres a few: Aaron Watson, Randy Rogers Band, Josh Abbott, Zane Williams, Turnpike Troubadours, Eli Young Band, Josh Gridder, Wade Bowen, and many others. Although most of these names sound very familiar to those of you from Texas, I could guarantee most country fans outside of Texas have never heard of most of them. One of the main differences between the two types of country is the sound and voices.  Texas country artists, for the most part, have a more rough  and raspy sounding voice. Their music is usually slower paced with less instruments. In Texas country, it usually consists of a drummer, guitar, violin, and banjo. Some songs Texas country songs will just consist of the artist and guitar, as it was in older country. Pop country will have these as well as electric and steel guitars which give it a more upbeat and rock sound.

One main difference between the two types of country is the venue in which they perform.  Texas country artists most of the time perform at outdoor venues in front of a crowd no larger then about 2,000 people. Some venues such as Floore’s Country Store, Nutty Brown Cafe, Gruene Hall, and Midnight Rodeo are popular places for these artists to perform. On the other hand, pop country artists perform at bigger venues such as sports arenas in much bigger crowds. KEITH-URBAN-IN-CONCERT

In retrospect, Pop and Texas country are both great to listen too. Pop country has just taken a little of the traditional sound out of country music but is still pleasant to listen too. Texas country keeps things more simple with lyrics and sound as the country music used to be.

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Filed under Country Pop, New Traditionalism, Texas

by | November 8, 2014 · 8:00 am

Remember the Old “Country” Taylor Swift?

I understand that a lot of people have their own opinions, either good or bad, about how Taylor Swift officially went from country to pop as she just released the new album, 1989. For me personally, I have always loved Taylor Swift and will always love her because I think she’s a real prodigy. Instead of talking about the more recent version of Taylor, I just wanted to remind everyone of how she used to be a big country star in her earlier career, and point out some great songs in her country albums. So here we go:

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This was the cover of Taylor Swift’s very first album, Taylor Swift. She had signed her first contract with Big Machine Records as a singer-songwriter when she was 14 years old. Taylor for sure made a big impression to country fans from the beginning, as she became the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number one song on the Hot Country Songs Chart. I was in high school when this album first came out and I remember every single girl at my school obsessing over Taylor Swift, and even some boys, reluctantly. Taylor was 16 years old at the time, and she was already writing narrative love songs about her own experiences. (Yes, because she’s a genius and again, a real prodigy.) My favorite song on this album was “Teardrops on My Guitar.” I liked the song a lot more in my high school days, and now I don’t know how I feel about it. The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but I still like the melody, the guitar sound and her voice.

A few single albums were released right after, including Tim McGraw and Our Song. Both songs are true to the “country-ness” of Taylor Swift, since they have more country-sounding instruments and lyrics. (Listen to those songs and listen to her newer songs. They’re completely different sounding.) Taylor toured all over the country in support of Taylor Swift, and the single albums kept the teenage girls fans excited while she prepared for her second album, Fearless.

Taylor_Swift_-_Fearless

Just like the first album, Taylor continued to write at least a few of her songs by herself, with some help of others, to keep up with the title “country singer-songwriter.” This album was a huge commercial success for Taylor, as it became the best-selling album of the year, and stayed number one on Billboard 200 for 11 weeks. 5 singles spawned from Fearless, and my favorites are, just like many others, “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me.” I can still remember Taylor singing those songs on TV with her guitar and having a baby face.

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Speak Now was released in 2010, and this is the album where I think Taylor Swift started showing signs of being “Pop” instead of country. The instruments sound relatively modern, beats are faster, and she was rarely performing with a guitar and boots on anymore at this point. Some songs had definitely more country feels than others, depends on what the listeners would decide what defines “country.” Her lyrics were still her narratives about boy-centric themes and breakups, but I felt that she was more of a grown up than a young teenage girl. It may have been because I was about to be out of high school myself, or because Taylor was then in her 20s and started talking about college boys. I don’t really know. (If you want to know more about this album, click here.)

As she released her next album, Red, her fans admitted that she wasn’t so country anymore, and I don’t really see any true country songs on it, so we will skip it for now. Here is a list of songs (some of them were mentions above) that I selected in reminiscence of the old “country” Taylor Swift:

  1. “Teardrops on My Guitar” – Taylor Swift
  2. “Our Song” – Taylor Swift
  3. “Fearless” – Taylor Swift
  4. “You Belong with Me” – Taylor Swift
  5. “Love Story” – Taylor Swift
  6. “Speak Now” – Taylor Swift
  7. “Mine” – Taylor Swift
  8. “Back to December” – Taylor Swift

Even after Taylor went pop, her lyrics stayed pretty much the same as before, and she still writes her own songs. Hope everyone enjoyed reading this post and loves Taylor Swift as much as I do!

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Filed under Country Pop, Women