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Archive for the ‘New Music Weekend’ Category

Welcome to Country Radio, Casey Donahew!

Posted by Country Girl on February 19th, 2012

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After mere seconds of putting Casey Donahew Band’s “Double-Wide-Dream” in my CD player, I thought, “Somebody get this guy on country radio!”

Donahew’s title track features both cleverly-themed lines and a universal, feel-good picture of happy, modern, American couples and families. It is accompanied on the album by the band’s more melancholy songs, like “Let You Go” and “Running Through My Head”, which are upbeat and therefore not depressing. “One Star Flag” and “White Trash Story”, like the title track, are redneck, loud, proud, fun, and honest with original, genuine lyrics. Sweet tracks like “Give You a Ring” and “I’d Give Anything” show Donahew’s versatility and appeal to all kinds of audiences, as well as their big hearts.

At first listen, Donahew’s vocals could be confused with those of the rising group-turned-duo Love & Theft, but after a few tracks, he proves that he and his band are out to create their very own name and image. The tracks seem designed to showcase different instruments on each song, especially relying on the fiddle, always made to cry beautifully by Joshua Moore. Every song on this album is ready for radio, and listeners of country music nationwide would surely welcome the Casey Donahew Band onto their iPods – I know I have! Download their iPhone App today, or catch up with them at www.caseydonahewband.com on Facebook, or on Twitter, and also make sure to keep an eye out for the video for “Double-Wide Dream” on CMT and cmt.com.

Amanda Wile is originally from Pennsylvania, but moved to Nashville in 2005 to attend Vanderbilt and to follow her love for music.

Posted in New Album Review, New Music Weekend Tags: Casey Donahew, Double Wide Dream No Comments »

Janie Fricke is the Country Side of Bluegrass!

Posted by Country Girl on February 12th, 2012

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Janie Fricke is not new to country – in fact she has been in the business since pre-1975, where she grew up on a farm in Indiana where her father taught her to play the guitar. Janie first began singing jingles and became the voice for Coca-Cola, 7-Up and Red Lobster. She moved to Nashville in 1975 and began singing background vocals for Crystal Gayle, Barbara Mandrell, Conway Twitty and even did an Elvis posthumous release.

Janie’s awards include two CMA Awards for “Female Vocalist of the Year” in 1982 and 1983, 36 albums, 26 singles and 19 #1 hits! Very impressive and she has been a favorite of mine for just years!

Although she just recently tried bluegrass she has always been a fan of the music and the new and innovative type of bluegrass in today’s musical world has inspired her to try her hand at it with her new CD release “The Country Side of Bluegrass.”

“He’s a Heartache” (waiting for a place to happen!) has been a favorite of mine for a long time. It’s definitely sung in the bluegrass mode with the instruments that define the genre and Janie sings it like a gal who knows the dangers of a man like him but still wants a bit of the action and has almost loved him once or twice!

“Please Help Me I’m Falling (In Love With You) is a time-honored song of helplessness in falling in love with someone you are not supposed to be with. She sings of help needed to keep from being unfaithful as she belongs to another but is helpless to deny her feelings. I can remember this song when I was just a bitty child and I loved it then when it was recorded by Hank Locklin and then many years later by Dolly Parton. Janie does a wonderful job bringing this classic song back on her new CD.

“Ring of Fire” is best known recorded by none other than the late and great Johnny Cash and co-written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore. Janie does a fine tribute to them with this song and it is yet another love song done in bluegrass style of falling into the “ring of fire” of love and just burning up with it. The pickin’ in this tune is done with fine fingers in the backups and is a joy to listen to.

This CD, the “Country Side of Bluegrass” is a fine collection of classic country performed in the style of bluegrass and would make Bill Monroe, Ricky Skaggs, and many other bluegrass artists proud. I would suggest this album to anyone who truly loves a mixture of grassroots country and bluegrass. The CD rounds out with “You Don’t Know Love”, “Goodbye Broken Heart”, “Do Me With Love”, “Faithless Love”, “She’s Single Again”, “I’ll Need Someone to Hold Me” (When I Cry), “Down to My Last Broken Heart”, “Tell Me A Lie”, “It Ain’t Easy Bein Easy”, and “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby”.

For more information you can find her at www.janiefricke.com and find her on Facebook and Twitter. The album sells for just $10.00 on her website as well as iTunes. That will be one well-spent $10.00!!

Calamity Annie, CMTT Music Contributor
CalamityAnnie1 on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace

Posted in New Album Review, New Music Weekend Tags: Barbara Mandrell, Conway Twitty, country music reviews, Crystal Gayle, Elvis, Janie Fricke 1 Comment »

LEAP and the Net Will Appear – Jeremy McComb

Posted by Country Girl on February 5th, 2012

Jeremy McComb

A young Jeremy spent 7 years in stalled record deals and felt like his writing was getting him nowhere at one time.  Then in 2011 he decided not to write anymore and put his life and career where it needed to be – in his hands and in the hands of his fans.  Thanks to his fans and Kickstarter.com, a place where fans can fund an artist, he decided to produce his first debut CD “My Side of Town”.  For the first time Jeremy felt like his path was once again his own, not one designed by large labels and producers. He has taken the reins once again with this new album and is forging ahead on his own, taking his own risks, reaping his own rewards and living his life the way he intended it. “LEAP” really means taking the plunge in anything one does in life – taking the risk and just doing it and waiting for the net to appear!

Jeremy McComb can be found in Nashville mostly at The Wheel on Lower Broadway and the next time I’m in Nashville I will be looking for him!  His new venture, “Leap and the Net Will Appear”, available now on iTunes, is a collection of his works in a 7-song CD.

The CD opens with a rift of Bluegrass and fun, then breaks into “Unstable” – a collective song of instabilities within himself.  He calls himself a “helluva good time when the whiskey tastes right”.  He talks about getting wild, running hot then cold, and being like the dirt in California earthquakes.  He sounds like a good time to me – a little bit of a crazy musical artist!!

“5 to Midnight” is a ballad about breaking up and losing love.  It’s about what goes wrong in relationships.  Did we let love die? Sometimes it takes the kind of mess people make to open up their eyes.  It’s a good look into serious relationships and how things go wrong and maybe making one more try.  This song is thought-provoking for anyone in any kind of a relationship – the ones going bad and trying to save it, and the good ones  – making sure you don’t make a mess of it. Good song!

The album included “She Doesn’t Sing”, “Time”, “Sugar Cane”, “Easy as Breathin’” and “What A Daddy’s Gonna Say”.  Jeremy can be found on iTunes, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and MySpace as well as his own page at http://www.jeremymccomb.com/. If you are close to Nashville or in town, stop in at the Wheel when he is there and enjoy the show!

Calamity Annie, CMTT Music Contributor
CalamityAnnie1 on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace

Posted in Jeremy McComb, New Album Review, New Music Weekend Tags: Jeremy McComb, My Side of Town No Comments »

Thirteen by Jimmy Lehoux – New Music Weekend

Posted by Country Girl on January 29th, 2012

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Although Jimmy Lehoux is known as an artist with not only style but substance, he is one whose life is steeped in the old and honored traditions of country. His music though is completely his own style, honoring the past but not living in it. He’s a cowboy from New Hampshire who lives life on his own terms and he and the Lehousiana Boys pack clubs with their emotional grass roots music.

They have opened for Alabama, Charlie Daniels, Pam Tillis, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet and Little Feat to name a few. They took the time to record 13 new tracks – thus the album title “Thirteen” and they are all great country listening!

“Twenty Toes in the Sand” is a Jimmy Buffet inspired song about……well, putting your twenty toes in the sand!!! The opening of this song will take you immediately to a beach, somewhere, with somebody, with the perfect view, Margaritas in hand, steel drums playing — well you get the picture! It’s a vacation inspired song that will take you from the cold shores of wherever you are to a suite for two over the ocean with the warm breezes blowing! Enjoy the thought!! Or just let this song inspire you to book an ocean suite with someone, put your twenty toes in the sand and count your blessings!!

“What I Live For” is a ballad about love and life. He has a job, friends and family but what he lives for is the one he’d die for and what he dreams of every waking moment. It’s a heartfelt love song written from the heart about pictures in a wallet, ring on the hand with her initials on it and having huge hopes for the future.

“I Remember When” is a catchy tune remembering drive in movies late at night, convertibles and wind through her hair while chasing dreams. It’s a cute love song about looking at his love and remembering the fun times they’ve had! Wild and free – young and in love – and holding all those wonderful memories close. Now – can you remember when too?

The CD rounds out with “The Way Things Are”, Even When It Rains”, “Close to Me”, Discovering You”, “Waiting Room”, “Turn Off My Heart”, “Leave It Alone”, “Days of Sand and Shovels”, “I’m Taking It Back” and “Gone For Good”.

This CD is a good mixture of country songs with some heartfelt ballads and happy songs to get you up and moving, or just relaxing and thinking back with your own thoughts. Jimmy Lehoux is up and coming – follow him on his own website www.jimmylehoux.net, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Reverbnation and his own YouTube channel. Pick up the CD and sit back for a wonderful musical ride!

Calamity Annie, CMTT Music Contributor
CalamityAnnie1 on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace

Posted in New Album Review, New Music Weekend Tags: Alabama, Charlie Daniels, country music reviews, Jimmy Lehoux, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet, Pam Tillis No Comments »

Ronnie Milsap brings us “Country Again” in Latest Release

Posted by Country Girl on January 22nd, 2012

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As a 17 year old music reviewer, I had no idea what to expect when I began listening to the latest Ronnie Milsap release. Unlike the artists that are just getting their starts, Ronnie did not write any of the tracks on the disc, but there is a sort of magic behind the songs picked for this release. With the title being “Country Again,” you expect everything that this CD brings; tears, love, and sarcasm all brought together to provide a record that is 100% country.

“A Better Word For Love” starts the CD on a lull. The song itself is great – a melodic ballad that brings out the great Ronnie Milsap voice that we all know. Although the song is a great song to be included on the CD, it isn’t the start that I was hoping for.

“Country Again” seems as if was written for Colt Ford to me. Over half the song is spoken with the chorus being a beautiful duet between Ronnie and the backing vocals. If the whole song sounded as amazing as the chorus, this would have easily been one of my favorite songs ever recorded, but unfortunately the almost “rapping” was just unneeded in my opinion.

Starting at “Cry Cry Darling,” my opinion of the album changed. The rest of the album was full of the classic country feel that I was expecting with the release. The Jimmie C. Newman remake provides the soulful aspect of Ronnie. There are few artists today that are able to get emotions moving like can be done by these traditional artists.

Other stand-out tracks include “Oh Linda” and “Fireworks.” The first, an upbeat track with a soulful vibe that tells the tale of a classic southern love tale. A love so true that the only thing you feel like doing is yell “Oh Linda”. “Fireworks” is just one of those songs that make you want to get up and dance! The basis is a love that makes you feel the fireworks no matter when or where, the love is just out of control.

After listening to the full album, I found that Ronnie has released yet another great album. Although some of the songs are remakes, it is just great to hear this voice yet again. With a tour starting next month, this CD just proves that Ronnie is not ready to stop anytime soon.

Scotty B.
@stupidkid2150
cmttreviewer@yahoo.com

Posted in New Album Review, New Music Weekend, Ronnie Milsap Tags: Ronnie Milsap No Comments »
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