tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22741118065576625032024-02-22T09:03:38.387+00:00From Another CountrySamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-33510371204814863322013-02-09T15:30:00.000+00:002013-06-24T14:21:30.433+01:00Interview: Lucky Lips (Norway)I wrote about Norwegian bluegrass act <a href="http://fromanothercountry.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/artist-profile-lucky-lips-norway.html">Lucky Lips</a> back in January. After they scored the wildcard and became the tenth and final act in the final of Norway's Melodi Grand Prix, I got in touch with lead singer Malin Pettersen to chat about their experiences in the competition, their music and how it feels to write country music when you're not from the US.<br />
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<b>Firstly, I have to ask – where does the name Lucky Lips come from?</b><br />
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I wish we had a great story to tell here, but I am afraid it's not very exciting. When our friends come with us to gigs and people ask, they often tell epic stories of how our first gigs were in Africa and that there were flamingos everywhere around while we played. I am afraid that's not true, though we wish it were. But it is indeed a bit of a mystery how we got our name, because no one really seems to know. It was decided some six or seven years ago by the girls who started the band and who are no longer in it. I will be sure to get the story right the next time I talk to them.<br />
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<b>How did your participation in MGP come about? Did you submit a song, or were you invited to compete by Vivi Stenberg [the contest organiser]?</b><br />
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We were asked to compete, and we are very thankful for that. We said yes on the grounds that we could do it our way and Vivi and the rest of the team has been so kind as to let us.<br />
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<b>Tell us about your experiences in Larvik on Saturday night [in the Melodi Grand Prix semi-final]. How did it feel being up on that big stage in front of Norway and viewers online from all over the world? And were you very disappointed not to come among the top three?</b><br />
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MGP has been one of the most, if not the most, exciting and fun things we have ever been a part of. And Larvik city, all of the people watching and voting, in the audience and at home, and the team around us is to be thanked for that. Standing on that stage we felt so comfortable, so at home, because the crowd there really made a nice and warm atmosphere. A big production like this is something we have never been a part of before and I could feel the excitement in my blood as we walked up on stage. But when we came up the audience made us remember: This is what we do, this is what we love! Playing for people, making contact with them, communicating. So when the amazing crowd started clapping we felt right at home.<br />
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Even though we didn't reach top three that night we felt like we had won it all. We knew that we had, then and there, shown our music to so many people who had never heard us, or heard of us, before. We were proud of our performance and most of all extremely thankful to all of the people who voted and who showed their support afterwards and in the days before. To us it was an adventure, and of course we didn't want it to end, but most of all we were humble for the opportunity we had been given by Vivi and the rest of the team.<br />
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<b>I've read on NRK’s website that Vivi Stenberg came round to your house to tell you that you’d received the wildcard. How did that feel?</b><br />
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It was crazy! We were quite tired, and full of happiness, from the night before and had just gotten home from Larvik. We felt like we had won everything by just being a part of this experience. But when NRK came in with flowers and champagne and Vivi said; "Congratulations with getting the wildcard!", I couldn't stop myself from screaming "Yes, yes, yes, yes!!" I ran into the livingroom to the rest of Lucky Lips and we all started laughing and saying "Thank you!" "Is it true!?" and couldn't believe what we had just heard. Then the camera team and the press had to interview a very happy Lucky Lips and try to get some sense out of four (Stian couldn't be there) very happy people high on adrenaline. Erlend's girlfriend had baked as well, not knowing they would get the press on their door. But I think the press were quite happy about that.<br />
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<b>Do you have any favourites among the other songs competing? Who do you see as your biggest competition?</b><br />
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I think it's hard to pick out a specific favourite as the songs and the artists are so different. We have some songs that we secretly play on our instruments backstage, but I'll tell you who they are when Saturday has come and gone ;).<br />
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<b>You started your career in the Norwegian Idol show. Is Melodi Grand Prix very different to your experiences on Idol? It sounds like you've changed your style a lot since then...</b><br />
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I think it's hard to compare the two as I was in such a different "place" when I was in Idol. 16 years old, just started trying to get a career on the move and so on. And I know people seem to think that I have changed a lot since then, but personally I don't feel that way. I guess I have changed in all of the ways by which people normaly change from 16 to 24 - a bit more experience, a little harder to confuse with promises of gold and silver, and a little more life-wisdom to build my songs around (though I am perfectly sure there is still a lot to learn). And hopefully I have evolved as a singer as I work very hard at that.<br />
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One thing I know is that even if I was confused sometimes in that period of where my way should go, I was determined to make, play and breathe music. Just as I am now. I was into country back then as well and my first real gig was with my dad at a Norwegian Country festival at Vinstra. And I learned a lot from Idol, just as I have from being a part of MGP. But of course, this time I'm in a band. I play my own songs. And I get to do it with the most amazing guys you could ever imagine!<br />
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<b>I have to say that I particularly love the honesty in the lyrics to your song <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/0VoCrtzImcPhBLnkAzxgHV" target="_blank">'Mountain Dust'</a>. The lyrics to your songs generally sound very personal. Would you say that's an accurate assessment? And on that topic, is 'Sweet and Heavy' written about any one person in particular?</b><br />
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I would definitely say that is an accurate assessment. 'Mountain Dust' is a very special song to me as I wrote it to convince myself I was allowed to write and sing country and bluegrass music even if I weren't from the US. I remember writing it and it felt like a very personal moment.<br />
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I write because I have to, not always because I want to. If I didn't write I would be a mess. That's the main rule at least. Sometimes though I might want to write so bad, but not have anything to write about. And when I write in those periods the songs might not seem so personal in the beginning, more like little poems where I try out different rhymes, try to tell stories or even just try to write for the sake of writing. But when I start to sing them, find a melody, arrange it with the rest of the band, it always ends up becoming personal. I also draw a lot of inspiration from the songs of Stian and Erlend. 'Sweet and Heavy' might be about someone in my life but I hope, and want, people who like it picture the person they love when they hear it. It is about unpretentious love that is true but seems too good to be.<br />
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<b>Can you tell us a little about the country and bluegrass scene in Norway?</b><br />
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It is growing! That's for sure! New festivals for this type of music is popping up and young musicians are picking up their banjos and guitars. There are great bluegrass bands like Earlybird String Band, Boxcar Rental, Sweet Marie and Ila Auto, just to name very few. And great country bands like A-11 and Hellbillies. We also see more bands traveling abroad to visit the scenes in Europe, and some even in the US. Other established musicians are also starting to bring in elements of the genres making it more known to their listeners. We are also lucky to have had bands like Christiania Fusel & Blaagress, from the late 60's/70's, inspiring people today. If you travel out of the big cities of Norway in the summertime you can be sure to catch a country band at most festivals you pass. A lot of them sing in Norwegian and in their own dialect, making them very popular.<br />
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<b>Who are your inspirations in the world of country and bluegrass music? What are your favourite songs by these artists?</b><br />
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We in Lucky Lips are big fans of both new, old, traditional and contemporary variations in both these genres. It is hard to pick out only a few. We are big, big fans of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. As well as Tim O'Brien, Darrell Scott, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Neil Young and... well, you get the drift.<br />
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Favourite songs is even harder! But we do love Buck Owens' 'Crying Time', Tim [O'Brien] and [Darrell] Scott's 'Five Rooms' and Gillian and Dave's 'I want to sing that rock and roll' just to name a few.<br />
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<b>What are your plans for the rest of 2013? I see you’re off to Texas in March...</b><br />
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After MGP we will play at a big music happening in Oslo called By:Larm. Both brand new and more established bands and artists play here to make themselves known to the audience and the people in the business. As well as concerts there are also great people from the industry giving talks on different parts of the industry. And then, yes, we are going on our first tour in the US. We are so excited we can hardly hold it together. Our great friends in Austin have helped us book and plan the tour so all we have to do is rent a car and start driving. We will, amongst other places, play the legendary Continental Club in Austin with our great friends The Carper Family and Brennen Leigh on March 28th and Full Moon Barn Dance during SXSW. I could talk about this for days!<br />
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When we come home I suspect we'll be prepping up for the summer season with new songs and inspired hearts. Our goal this summer is to play as much as we possibly can! Then there is studio work that we are definitely looking forward to!<br />
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Thank you to Malin for making this interview possible. You can watch the video for 'Sweet and Heavy' below, and find out more about the band <a href="http://www.luckylipsband.com/" target="_blank">on their website</a>.<br />
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<small><i>Originally published in a slightly different version at <a href="http://www.escnation.com/">ESC Nation</a>.</i></small>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-43760932107895392712013-01-22T23:11:00.000+00:002013-01-30T18:58:45.249+00:00Artist profile: Lucky Lips (Norway)When I heard that one of the acts in Norway's Melodi Grand Prix, the country's selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, would be a bluegrass act, I had to check them out.<br />
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Lucky Lips describe themselves as "a rootsy acoustic band, consisting of four guys and a songbird". They play roots and Americana inspired music, in what Norwegian broadcaster NRK calls "the borderlands between country, bluegrass and pop".<br />
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Their most recent album, <i>Mountain Dust</i>, published in 2012, certainly strays closer to the bluegrass and country end of that sphere than the pop, their music full of tight harmonies with banjo and mandolin featuring heavily in the arrangements. Those who don't speak Norwegian will be happy to learn that they sing almost exclusively in English, thankfully with barely the trace of an accent - indeed, Dagbladet describes lead singer Malin Pettersen as "realising she was born in the wrong place", and she announces as such in the title track from the album:<br />
<blockquote>Oh, how I wish I was a mountain girl (...) <br />
But I guess I was born where my soul belongs <br />
Not high up in the mountains <br />
But I'll sing those mountain songs.</blockquote>Pettersen is the main songwriter of the band, having written nine of the album's thirteen tracks. She certainly shows a keen understanding of the bluegrass genre, with a surprising lyrical finesse that fits right into the scene and belies her background - she first came to fame finishing 9th on the third season of Norwegian <i>Idol</i>.<br />
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In 2011, the band had the honour of being presented with the prestigious #1 European Bluegrass Band 2011 Award at the European World of Bluegrass Festival (EWOB) in the Netherlands, the first time a Norwegian act has received the award. In February they will play two dates in Oslo as part of the by:Larm festival, followed by two further dates at the end of March in Austin, Texas.<br />
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If you have Spotify you can listen to their album <i>Mountain Dust</i> below (check out in particular 'A Man Like You', 'Daddys Lament' and the title track), or you can see some of their performances <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/luckylipsband/videos" target="_blank">on their Youtube channel</a>. Their MGP song, 'Sweet and Heavy', is also <a href="http://open.spotify.com/track/2IY2NaCSTITzy14SB8N5EP" target="_blank">on Spotify</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.luckylipsband.com/" target="_blank">Official website</a>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-18586462231133138732013-01-13T21:48:00.000+00:002013-01-22T23:14:44.758+00:00Artist profile: Hanne Sørvaag (Norway)If you liked the direction Jewel’s been taking with her recent country releases, but wished they were just a bit, you know, better, then Norwegian singer Hanne Sørvaag’s new album might be just the thing for you.<br />
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Sørvaag has been active on the Norwegian music scene for a number of years, but has only recently started to move into country music. She’s also a successful songwriter; her most familiar song to many Americans will probably be ‘<a href=" http://youtu.be/BxkDcoohpDI" target="_blank">My Destiny</a>’, which was butchered by Katherine McPhee in the final of American Idol in 2006.<br />
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In 2011 she took part in Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix, reaching the final with ’You’re Like a Melody’, which at the time I described as the kind of song that <a href= "http://fromanothercountry.blogspot.com/2011/08/eurovision-goes-country.html">would fit right in on contemporary country radio</a>. The year before she wrote the competition winner, ’My Heart Is Yours’, arranged as a big ballad for Didrik Solli-Tangen, but interpreted by Sørvaag herself on her album in a much more intimate form, with tones reminiscent of Dolly Parton’s gentler moments.<br />
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Last year, as well as winning Skal vi danse, the Norwegian version of Dancing With the Stars/Strictly Come Dancing, Sørvaag released her fourth album, <i>All Is Forgiven</i>, her first truly country release. Recorded in Nashville in collaboration with several Music City songwriters, and produced by Jørn Dahl, the Norwegian behind Kurt Nilsen’s excellent <i>Rise to the Occasion</i> from 2008, the album has received critical acclaim and climbed to the 14th position on the Norwegian chart.<br />
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Among the best songs are ‘I Hope I Dream’, a delicate rumination on what we achieve in life sung in a duet with Tobias Stenkjær, and ‘Something About a Song’, a natural successor to ‘You’re Like a Melody’, which has a beautiful, thoughtful mood conveyed through both the simple arrangement and the honesty in the lyrics – there’s something that everyone will be able to identify with in this song.<br />
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The lead single from the album was the pop-country ‘Days That End With Y’, which brightens up a slightly tired lyrical trick with a bright, breezy arrangement and genuinely wistful vocal.<br />
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If you have Spotify, you should be able to listen to the full album below:<br />
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SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-45470439282125511102012-08-13T21:49:00.001+01:002012-08-14T13:42:43.336+01:00Artist profile - Jill Johnson (Sweden)Jill Johnson is a country music singer from Sweden, who represented her homeland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 in Birmingham with the song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGBU1IGC17s">'Kärleken är</a>', placing a respectable 10th. Her career since then has gone from strength to strength, culminating in the release of a second greatest hits package in 2010 and a #1 album at the end of last year. Throughout this entry you can click the links to listen to songs on YouTube or Spotify.<br />
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In contrast to her Eurovision entry, much of Johnson's music slots neatly into the genre of contemporary country. <br />
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Her first release, in 1995, was a cover of 'Shake the Sugartree', a hit for American singer Pam Tillis three years previously. Somewhat bizarrely, the accompanying album included a cover of 'As Dreams Go By', which placed second in the 1992 UK Song for Europe. It was her win in Melodifestivalen 1998 however which moved her into the mainstream, along with the album 'När hela världen ser på', Johnson's only collection in Swedish. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6opo4eO5fvpH2zDZbC7JR_b6UmY0jXDZmLnBCIOHx3n0_143jXYpzCourdR2Sjad-TEzaQWrlO_DtnH_-tMBX2YwmEO8ex9A2kU72Armk8JxiTufm3nDk7Lh8y75H6Ri-6sfz-H48wA/s1600/jill_0456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6opo4eO5fvpH2zDZbC7JR_b6UmY0jXDZmLnBCIOHx3n0_143jXYpzCourdR2Sjad-TEzaQWrlO_DtnH_-tMBX2YwmEO8ex9A2kU72Armk8JxiTufm3nDk7Lh8y75H6Ri-6sfz-H48wA/s320/jill_0456.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>After two more moderately successful albums, but no hits on the Swedish singles charts, it took a second participation in Melodifestivalen to lift Johnson to the next level. By 2003, as we all know, Melodifestivalen had become one of Sweden's most-watched TV shows, and although '<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka2oSOVEq_U">Crazy In Love</a>' only placed 4th in the final, the song was a hit and was accompanied by the platinum-selling compilation '<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/2HkYSJxNf8FLikNbc08uFB">Discography, 1996-2003</a>'. <br />
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Johnson's subsequent albums have been generally well-received, both by critics and the Swedish public. Much of her work has been recorded in Nashville, where she worked with well-known country songwriters like Lori McKenna and Liz Rose, and wouldn't sound out of place on today's US country radio. No attempt has been made to launch Johnson in the US though - probably a wise move when you consider that America certainly has enough country singers of its own without looking beyond its borders. And it certainly didn't work out for fellow Swedish country act Calaisa. As well as original material, Johnson has also paid homage to her own favourite classic country artists with two '<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/3K9PV9cndE767OAYn6Aehy">Music</a> <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/4gjED2s2owA4T9iH06RKy3">Row</a>' collections.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNRjepY_jHGGeBlcuqD2s0F37XECTrRcw2ImsBKZd7feYa7Rdu26naZ5Ee2AyxH60TMtULxrX3y0Dm-U9CFcKhUkurxTdZ5ahmQR3_Z-JM_EOS9jrkd9CHMO-4ideWDdK_QLqHEZspjw/s1600/_DSC6446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNRjepY_jHGGeBlcuqD2s0F37XECTrRcw2ImsBKZd7feYa7Rdu26naZ5Ee2AyxH60TMtULxrX3y0Dm-U9CFcKhUkurxTdZ5ahmQR3_Z-JM_EOS9jrkd9CHMO-4ideWDdK_QLqHEZspjw/s320/_DSC6446.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As well as her successful recording career, Johnson tours frequently around Sweden, presenting both her regular material and 'Jill Johnsons jul', a celebration of Christmas music that has become a fixture of Swedish TV during the festive period. After a stint supporting Toby Keith on his European tour, Johnson's most recently been spotted on Swedish TV helping Lionel Richie promote his country album '<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/5FnNO3IO6veN62ZdaV7j3z">Tuskegee</a>', with features a duet between Richie and Johnson on a re-interpretation of the Commodores hit '<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E41aDTzJWns">Sail On</a>'.<br />
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Her most recent album, '<a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/1UfVrNLRP26lG5utg4xScz">Flirting with Disaster</a>', was released in October 2011, and immediately topped the Swedish album charts. In One Piece is taken from that album.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7ddwk1KsGgQ" width="560"></iframe></div>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-38738797957056479352012-03-18T22:33:00.000+00:002012-03-18T22:33:24.176+00:00Reba McEntire - one from each decade<div>When I started writing this entry, I was originally going to go for my Top 5 Reba songs, but then I realised that there's just so many that I had no idea where to begin. So, to make it a little more interesting, and to celebrate her long career, here's my favourite song from each of Reba's decades, from the '70s to the '10s.<br />
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<b>1970s</b><br />
<i>Glad I Waited Just For You</i><br />
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The seventies isn't really the golden age of McEntire's career, with just two albums of material to select from. Her debut, self-titled album is surprisingly strong, if not particularly reflective of her later style, and I really like this simple, understated declaration of love, and the satisfaction that comes from finally having found The One. And yes, the instrumentation is eerily reminiscent of 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head'.<br />
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<b>1980s</b><br />
<i>Whoever's In New England</i><br />
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The lead single from McEntire's successful breakout album, <i>My Kind of Country</i>, 'Whoever's In New England' takes the perspective of a devoted wife who knows that her husband is cheating on her in his frequent business trips, yet swears to stand by him, and to be there for him 'when whoever's in New England's through with you'. It's extremely touching, and McEntire's sympathetic yet dignified performance is largely responsible for that.<br />
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<b>1990s</b><br />
<i>For My Broken Heart</i><br />
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A very difficult decade to choose just one song, but eventually I settled on this, the title track from her 1991 album, the best of her career. The narrator is emotionally recovering after helping her lover to load up the car and leave her, and slowly realises that the world around her is carrying on and so she must too. Like many of Reba's best songs, it's heartbreaking in its everyday, mundane detail and its reflection of real, human, adult emotion.<br />
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<b>2000s</b><br />
<i>Every Other Weekend</i><br />
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Narrated from the perspective of both halves of a divorced couple, this is a touching account of their feelings as they share custody of their children. Once again, it's all about the details - the loneliness of the mother when her children are away ("nothing to do and all day not to do it in") and the father trying desperately to please his children ("'that's not the way mom does it, Dad.' It breaks my heart"). The characters are completely identifiable and oh-so-real, and Chesney and McEntire combine their best in a heartbreaking performance.<br />
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<small>(Except the Kenny Chesney version isn't on YouTube, so here's the radio version with Skip Ewing)</small><br />
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<b>2010s</b><br />
<i>If I Were A Boy</i><br />
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Probably not a popular choice, many critics disliked this pop cover from McEntire's most recent album, citing it as an example of her dumbing-down, not acting her age and not being country enough. I disagree. The first time I heard this song, I was struck by just how well it worked with McEntire's signature twang, and how well it transferred to the country genre. <br />
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One thing that struck me while I was researching and writing this post was just how detailed McEntire's songs are, and how real the characters are. As well as being a canny selector of songs, McEntire lives the characters, their thoughts and their emotions, and brings it all out with her authoritative, sympathetic interpretation that reflects her years, her experiences and her maturity. Those things are her strength, and I hope she never leaves them behind.</div>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-3752707224078361222012-01-06T13:21:00.002+00:002012-01-06T14:05:33.233+00:00Artist profile - C.H. (Switzerland)<div>C.H.'s music has all the ingredients needed to succeed on contemporary country radio. They have strong, poppy melodies, their guitar-led arrangements are reminiscent of Keith Urban and the male-female vocal combination has echoes of acts like Steel Magnolia.<br />
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There's one slight obstacle however. And that's the fact that C.H. perform all their music in the dialect of Swiss German.<br />
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In international standard codes, C.H. represents Switzerland. But for this group, those initials stand for Country Helvetia. They're a country music band from Switzerland, who released their debut album in 2011, after <a href="http://fromanothercountry.blogspot.com/2011/08/eurovision-goes-country.html">taking part in the Swiss preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest</a> with their song 'Gib nid uf' (Don't Give Up).<br />
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The origins of the group lie in Swiss singer-songwriter Reto Burrell's visit to Nashville in 2008, where he discovered country music, and notably the growing mainstream popularity of acts like Lady Antebellum, being particularly impressed by the male/female lead vocals. He decided to transfer this template to Switzerland and brought in Nori Rickenbacher to perform lead male vocals, along with Kisha, a pop singer who had a few solo hits in Switzerland in the '90s.<br />
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Burrell has stated that his biggest challenge was to bring the storytelling nature of country music over into the Swiss German dialect, but was determined to do so. "These are our stories, our stories of Swiss life, and everyone should understand it," he says. Refreshingly, they don't dress up and put on cowboy hats for their gigs either: "To make country music you need more than just a banjo or a cowboy hat". They're clearly determined to be authentic in their own terms, and I think they succeed in this.<br />
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As well as their own compositions, the album <i>Country Helvetia</i> also contains covers of established country songs adapted into Swiss German. These include Tim McGraw's 'Telluride', which is admirably transported almost line-for-line to the Swiss ski resort of Saas Fee, as well as the frankly odd choice of Jewel's 'Everybody Needs Someone Sometime'. <br />
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In researching this group, I've discovered that country music in Swiss German is surprisingly enjoyable. Go on, give it a try. Watch the video to their first single 'Gib nid uf' below, along with a live performance of 'Saas Fee' (Telluride), and check out their <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/5gdXFMJ1hRFpHwIX9yRvmq">album on Spotify</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<b>Pernilla Andersson - Desperados</b><br />
I've featured this song before, but had to include it in here again. It's (from what I can make out with my limited Swedish) the tale of 'two desperados who always wanted more' and features wonderful ambiguity reflected in the music and Andersson's vocal.<br />
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<b>Tara Oram - Kiss Me When I Fall</b><br />
Tara was the obligatory country contestant on the fifth season of Canadian Idol, and has found some minor success in her home country. This song, the second single from her second album released this year, is a powerful, mid-tempo ballad with a driving beat and a heartfelt vocal.<br />
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<b>Jill Johnson - In One Piece</b><br />
Written by Swedish country star Johnson along with Lisa Carver and Taylor Swift's sometime co-writer Liz Rose, 'In One Piece' is a Faith Hill-style big ballad, with Johnson performing the role of the woman whose lover is leaving her, with just the right balance of grace and desperation. <br />
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<b>The Lucky Bullets - Fire Below</b><br />
Eurovision goes country, and properly country while it's at it. This traditional-sounding song from Norway wouldn't sound out of place on a Justin Townes Earle album, and would be far too traditional for contemporary country radio.<br />
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Gretchen Peters - The Matador</b><br />
Peters released this video in December to promote her upcoming album <i>Hello Cruel World</i>. With this as a taster (as well as the wonderful 'Five Minutes, which moved me to tears when Peters premiered on her tour), I can't wait for the album's release at the end of January.<br />
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There's my five songs you didn't hear in 2011. What's yours? Comment below and let me know your favourite country song that didn't make the mainstream.SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-38804395138515222542011-12-23T13:21:00.002+00:002012-08-13T21:58:31.626+01:00My favourite Christmas albumIt's that time of year again. Just two days to go and the shops are full of people running around like headless chickens trying to find that last elusive Christmas gift, while through the sound systems wafts an endless onslaught of inane, relentlessly joyful and soulless 'classics'. And because they're classics, it's the same twenty songs going round and round in every shop you'll visit in December, on every TV program and, if you're really unlucky (I am), even in your office.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP7M0SPUNFlAVn1hKY_bnf_lICoXwjtF7rclp_iPRcbK15qrDNJU9jHoUtKgXDHVxnoKVpFJ-9XEkq4dDx0LLCixl0Y4v9rwREAEzEgIbAywze8s3-arQslX9wSXF8bWqzCZQFGQDqEA/s1600/51OPHwbfZOL._SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP7M0SPUNFlAVn1hKY_bnf_lICoXwjtF7rclp_iPRcbK15qrDNJU9jHoUtKgXDHVxnoKVpFJ-9XEkq4dDx0LLCixl0Y4v9rwREAEzEgIbAywze8s3-arQslX9wSXF8bWqzCZQFGQDqEA/s320/51OPHwbfZOL._SS500_.jpg" /></a></div>Gretchen Peters' Northern Lights is the perfect antidote to all that. The album combines Peters' clear soprano with a bleak, Appalachian feel to produce an album that's just the thing for sitting indoors with on a cold, snowy winter's night in front of the fire (whiskey optional). It's an album of solitude and contemplation, a world away from the forced jollity that can often characterise the festive season, and, while it may sound potentially depressing, that melancholy is warming and comforting. <br />
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The album contains songs by contemporary songwriters, as well as traditional carols and newly written tracks, all in Peters' own distinctive style. My personal favourites come from all three categories: 'Waitin' On Mary', drawing beautiful parallels between the nativity story and the poor and destitute around the world today; the Gordon Lightfoot-penned 'Song for A Winter's Night', which sets the bleak, melancholy feel of the album perfectly; and the carols 'Coventry Carol' and 'In the Bleak Midwinter', two songs that I've loved for many years but which are given new life by Peters' take on them.<br />
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Because she's a lovely lady, Gretchen has put all twelve of the tracks on YouTube in a playlist (though not in the right order, tsk Gretchen!), but if you enjoy listening to the album, please consider buying it, either from your usual digital retailer or from <a href="http://www.gretchenpeters.com/store/">Peters' own store</a>.<br />
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Have a lovely Christmas. I know what I'll be listening to.SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-31171198161767050672011-12-21T20:23:00.001+00:002011-12-22T22:07:05.133+00:00Hunter Hayes - the 30-instrument marketing hype<div><p>Part of the marketing campaign for teen country star Hunter Hayes, who debuted earlier this year, was the bold and proud statement that he played every instrument (30 of them) on his self-titled album. It was a clear sign that they were trying to push him as some kind of uber-talented, authentic young prodigy. </p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRTch_hu9dz76R5JzdM0MjE0g6ryOcWEpq4baDIN04U-AyKiT4OG_JVxvjY9Rlqqg0wMp_VUeZ6ztMm4IABpMcVT8EJprYVX3US617R-XWZdmdSkgQC7F_b4GEf3b9mMr224g2HIR18Q/s1600/HunterHayesCD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRTch_hu9dz76R5JzdM0MjE0g6ryOcWEpq4baDIN04U-AyKiT4OG_JVxvjY9Rlqqg0wMp_VUeZ6ztMm4IABpMcVT8EJprYVX3US617R-XWZdmdSkgQC7F_b4GEf3b9mMr224g2HIR18Q/s320/HunterHayesCD.jpg" /></a></div><p>But why? Frankly I couldn't care less whether Hayes spent what must have been days and days in the studio putting down unnecessary drum tracks, strumming his guitar and tinkling the ivories. And I think that goes for the majority of people who would listen to his music on the radio or purchase his CDs. To the ordinary man, it's irrelevant whether you played your own instruments, hired studio players or brought in your live touring band. All that ultimately matters is whether it sounds good. Not why. </p><p>I remember when I was younger and was into pop acts when my friends were getting into rock and indie bands. Criticisms levelled at my favourite artists were that they didn't play their own instruments, and, more frequently, that they didn't write their own material. </p><p>But why does it matter? Why should I care that Claire, Faye, Lisa, H and Lee didn't program the keyboards on 'Tragedy', or that Max Martin wrote 'Baby One More Time' instead of Britney? When I'm dancing, or just enjoying my music, I'm not thinking about those things - I'm just enjoying it. Similarly, why does the fact that the Red Hot Chilli Peppers played the instruments on 'Californication' or that Muse wrote 'Time Is Running Out' automatically make them better songs? </p><p>Ultimately, the thing that decides if something is a good song or not is just that - whether it's good or not, whether you enjoy it or not. <i>Hunter Hayes</i> is, I'm afraid to say, rather a mediocre album, and no amount of grandstanding over who played on it is going to change that. </p></div>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-85710950738022301162011-12-13T19:40:00.005+00:002012-01-03T21:35:31.886+00:00Artist profile - Abalone Dots (Sweden)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQDObdmhDuA3QSNsd7bbaDrCxMIN1nIjSErrMuRS7OTjBMYD2gAV_Fq6Aa9DQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="195" width="259" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQDObdmhDuA3QSNsd7bbaDrCxMIN1nIjSErrMuRS7OTjBMYD2gAV_Fq6Aa9DQ" /></a></div>In 2012, Västervik trio Abalone Dots will become the latest country act to try to qualify to the Eurovision Song Contest from Sweden's Melodifestivalen. Groups like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYXooayWfmc">Calaisa</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qibDONZH4uI">Cookies 'N' Beans</a> could only place 5th in their semi-finals, while in 2011 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoG6g7mJS6M">Pernilla Andersson</a> dropped out in the second chance round. Can Abalone Dots be the first to make it to the Swedish final, or even further?<br />
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The three members of Abalone Dots are Rebecka Hjukström, Sophia Hogman and Louise Holmer. A fourth member, Elin Mörk, left the group in 2010. An abalone dot is, so I learned today, a little spot made of mother of pearl that is placed on guitar or banjo necks. There you go, who said the internet wasn't educational? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfxeuezyRdpRZnrNQAYfGBOqEAoGbyPvoPj4SYZqTXUcaP56hj4R8RtfdTYFvEJi-fTzROoBGo8Pijn2g75HTe10oTBZjaFxqBNoiD5gVbNNASi8prkLw_nHPthv6oYCFSgvp84Dq6Mw/s1600/bild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRfxeuezyRdpRZnrNQAYfGBOqEAoGbyPvoPj4SYZqTXUcaP56hj4R8RtfdTYFvEJi-fTzROoBGo8Pijn2g75HTe10oTBZjaFxqBNoiD5gVbNNASi8prkLw_nHPthv6oYCFSgvp84Dq6Mw/s320/bild.jpg" /></a></div>Among others, the group has collaborated with Marit Bergman, Kristofer Åström and Al Perkins, and have released four albums. <i>Softgrass Music</i> and <i>Avalanche Music</i> were independently published, but two albums have followed for Sony BMG, both of which charted in the Top 10 in Sweden. <i>From A Safe Distance</i> came out in 2007, followed by <i>Traveler</i> in 2008, the latter of which won them a Swedish Grammis for Best Folk Music. <br />
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They describe their style of music with their own term, 'softgrass', which personally think is doing themselves a disservice, as that makes it sound rather bland and un-edgy. On the contrary, there's something very authentic about their output, with expert picking and folk and bluegrass sounds adding to the Nashville vibe of their country, reminiscent of acts like SHeDAISY or even Alison Krauss, with more than a little taste of the alt-country of Kasey Chambers. The fact that the biography on their website mentions the fact that Hjukström plays the dobro in its first line is telling, and very encouraging. <br />
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The group is now reportedly working on a third album and, in a slight change of direction, some of the tracks will be recorded in Swedish, and it is one of these that has been submitted for Melodifestivalen 2012. Abalone Dots will take part in the first semi-final in Växjö on 4th February with the song 'På väg'.<br />
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Watch the video for their single 'Solo' below, and if you like that, you can check out their 2008 album <i>Traveler</i> <a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/3SL4asGgudWWxlRWhmkAUh">on Spotify</a>.<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_jXHz97PnxE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-73863010317419810432011-12-11T13:48:00.003+00:002011-12-14T12:27:01.333+00:00Country countingThe <a href="http://www.escnation.com/mbnews/mb.html">ESC Nation Message Board</a> recently had a music competition where participants entered songs from around the world, the only criterion being that they had to have numbers in the title. It got me thinking, so here's twelve country songs, connected by nothing more than their numbers.<br />
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<b>Bomshel - 19 and Crazy</b><br />
<i>I wish that we could always stay 19 and crazy</i><br />
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Barrelling along at 200mph, the vibe of this song suits its message of youth and freedom perfectly, with just a hint of the regret of growing up, but with the knowledge that a great pairing is always young at heart. I'm also a sucker for a good 'craaay-zay', and this song provides that over and over.<br />
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<b>George Jones and Tammy Wynette - Two Story House</b><br />
<i>How sad it is, we now live, in a two story house</i><br />
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Playing on the typical country knack for double meanings, Jones and Wynette sing about their journey to buying their own house, before their married life disintegrates, leaving them each living their own story. The two story house shifts from being something to aspire towards to being a sad representation of their lives.<br />
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<b>Taylor Swift - Fifteen</b><br />
<i>When you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe it</i><br />
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One of Taylor Swift's strengths is her skill in speaking to young people and showing just how well she knows their lives and what they're thinking, by providing just the right amount of detail and honesty among the empathy. This song is one of the best examples of that.<br />
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<b>Kristy Lee Cook - 15 Minutes of Shame</b><br />
<i>I hope you enjoy your 15 minutes of shame</i><br />
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A very typical kiss-off from the American Idol 8th-placer, pretty predictable, doesn't cover any new or innovative ground - but it is a whole lot of fun... JASON!<br />
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Jessica Rae - 24 Hour Church</b><br />
<i>There's always a seat at the 24 hour church in Memphis</i><br />
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Independent artist Jessica Rae sings this strummy acoustic number, about a 24 hour church and all the people who find their salvation there. I've never been entirely sure if there's a subtly drawn link here between turning to God for inspiration and turning to music (and specifically Elvis), but it works with either interpretation.<br />
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<b>Sara Evans - Three Chords and the Truth</b><br />
<i>Just when I thought I was over you, he changed my mind with three chords and the truth</i><br />
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The very description of country music and what it can do. The narrator is leaving her husband but when on the radio she hears a country song, she realises the error of her ways and turns back. The title refers to the two key ingredients of a country song - three chords and the truth.<br />
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<b>Ashley Gearing - Five More Minutes</b><br />
<i>He needs five more minutes</i><br />
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A by-the-book example of the classic country three-verse format. In the first verse, the narrator needs 'five more minutes' with her boyfriend on the front porch, before her father wants five more minutes with his daughter on her wedding day. Someone's clearly going to die in a hospital bed in the third verse. <br />
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<b>Jewel - Ten</b><br />
<i>By the time I get to ten I'm right back in your arms again</i><br />
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Even before she turned to country music, one of Jewel's greatest skills was always her way with words and turn of phrase. Here she takes the idea of counting to ten before leaving and takes the listener with her on the emotional journey of the count, from "I still want to hate you" to "take a deep breath" and "right back in your arms again". <br />
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<b>Kathy Mattea - Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses</b><br />
<i>Eighteen wheels and a dozen roses, ten more miles on his four day run</i><br />
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Charlie's on his last day of driving a juggernaut, he has his retirement gift in his cab, along with a bunch of flowers and he's on the way home to "spend the rest of his life with the one that he loves". A lovely, gentle song about ordinary people and long-lasting love.<br />
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<b>Alan Jackson - It's Five O'Clock Somewhere</b><br />
<i>It's only half past twelve, but I don't care - it's five o'clock somewhere</i><br />
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Neither I, nor Alan Jackson, nor Jimmy Buffett accept any responsibility for the consequences if you use this excuse with your boss.<br />
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<b>LeAnn Rimes - One Way Ticket (Because I Can)</b><br />
<i>Gonna buy a one way ticket on a westbound train, and see how far I can go</i><br />
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LeAnn Rimes' only country No 1, and it came early in her career. A simple and enjoyable song combining the kiss-off and the coming-of-age, it contains one of the best key-changes in country music.<br />
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<b>Jennifer Hanson - '73</b><br />
<i>Mom holding Dad, Dad holding me, in '73</i><br />
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A song that never fails to touch me. Hanson uses the standard country metaphor of looking through old photos, and remembering family times in the past, taking the listener along on a story of her childhood. On the way she chronicles her parents' divorce, Christmas in two different homes, her new half-brother and, finally, her graduation photo, where she stands, once again, flanked by both her mother and father.<br />
<iframe width="420" height="27" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/S52IVTqCbC0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-4338849248765833362011-08-29T18:32:00.002+01:002011-12-14T12:25:41.586+00:00Eurovision goes countryThose of you who know me will probably know that my two great musical passions are country music and the Eurovision Song Contest. Not two genres that naturally fit well together, I admit, but in this blog entry I'll take a look at nine of the songs that were entered for this year's contest (though didn't get there), which wouldn't necessarily sound out of place on US country radio. <br />
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<b>Babel Fish – Depend On Me</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Rascal Flatts</small><br />
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The first time I heard this song, I was immediately reminded of the group Rascal Flatts. The slightly straining falsetto in the chorus and the sentimental lyrics are very reminiscent of their work, and this song would fit right in on one of their recent albums. I'm not sure they've ever had a stage show that involved looking through the window of a cardboard house though.<br />
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<b>Dalma – Song for Him</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Gretchen Wilson</small><br />
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Dalma puts on the growls a little too much for them to sound authentic, but there's a decent country song at the heart of this – or possibly two or three different country songs. There's a bit of a kiss-off and there's a couple of broken hearts; I'm not so sure about the silliness at the end though – it works well enough as a song without having to be a pastiche.<br />
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<b>Evija Sloka – Don't Stop the Dance</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Pam Tillis</small><br />
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The lyrics are a little questionable, and the accent is all over the place, but there's no mistaking the country influences on this song that never really stood much chance of making it through a Latvian selection. Sloka lists Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson as her dream duet partners. <br />
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<b>Hanne Sørvaag – You're Like A Melody</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Jewel</small><br />
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In 2010, Eurovision fans were comparing Swedish singer Anna Bergendahl and her song 'This Is My Life' to Jewel's earlier work, but nowadays she'd be more likely to record songs like this Norwegian finalist. It's very much at the pop end of pop country, right where Jewel's recent albums have positioned her, and the feelgood similes hold together very well and would fit right in on contemporary country radio.<br />
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<b>CH – Gid nid uf</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Keith Urban (he basically already did!)</small><br />
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Other than being sung in Swiss German, this song sits right in the Keith Urban-school of country music, with pumping beats and a prominent electric guitar line, but it's grounded by the fiddle that runs right through the arrangement. The song's so committed to sounding like Keith Urban that it even steals the entire chorus melody of the Australian's 'I Told You So'. <br />
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<b>Yohanna – Nótt</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Carrie Underwood</small><br />
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It's not really country, but this track would fit right in on a Carrie Underwood album, particularly in its English version, with its considered lyrics and a silky melody that takes off into a crescendo for the last chorus.<br />
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<b>Carmel Eckman - Nosa'at el ga'agu'ay</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Sarah Jarosz</small><br />
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To be honest with you, Israel is more or less the last place where I'd expect to find a song like this. It's a gentle, acoustic ballad, with a lovely strummy guitar and a fiddle break in the middle. Unsurprisingly, it came almost last.<br />
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<b>The Lucky Bullets – Fire Below</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Justin Townes Earle</small><br />
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I was absolutely astounded when I first heard this in the Norwegian preselection, as it sounds so authentically rockabilly – not a hint of the slight 'foreignness' that often blights Eurovision songs that are trying to be very American. I was even more impressed when the Norwegians voted it into third place in the final, and I even got to cheer for it in person! <br />
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<b>Pernilla Andersson – Desperados</b><br />
<small>Who'd sing it? Kathleen Edwards</small><br />
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Perhaps less country and more Americana than some of the songs on this list, 'Desperados' was one step away from making it into the Melodifestivalen final. The gentle chugging beat, the savoured chords and Andersson's velvety voice combine to make this my favourite song of the Eurovision season.<br />
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I'm sure many of you will disagree with the singers I've chosen to record these songs, so I invite you to post your suggestions below. And clearly, some of them would need quite a bit of changing and improvement before the singers mentioned would even consider going near them, and they might not take too kindly to being connected to them (sorry Pam Tillis!). But this is Eurovision, I have to take what I can get!SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-4837523051035210992011-08-21T22:10:00.002+01:002011-12-14T12:27:16.005+00:00Discovering Tanya Tucker: a personal Top 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRaa-NWjCE5ArUbAZ3QaNvEsxv0i80gxH2aRkieE7Vu2ouQp6nROd7_Il3tW_k-9C-SG8umjo_nzZUMcK7BrfAMd2LyWlLt41spsi0DCmccxJqttWj-280OatJ1hT0p0Hr8lMwAu54cg/s1600/Tanya_Tucker-16_Biggest_Hits_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRaa-NWjCE5ArUbAZ3QaNvEsxv0i80gxH2aRkieE7Vu2ouQp6nROd7_Il3tW_k-9C-SG8umjo_nzZUMcK7BrfAMd2LyWlLt41spsi0DCmccxJqttWj-280OatJ1hT0p0Hr8lMwAu54cg/s320/Tanya_Tucker-16_Biggest_Hits_3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I recently decided that I knew next to nothing about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_Tucker">Tanya Tucker</a>, one of the big female country artists throughout the years, and that it was time to educate myself. So I listened to several of her Greatest Hits albums; like many artists who've had long careers, Tucker has been released by several record labels, all of whom have put out their own collections of her work. So after listening to around 70 of her (supposedly) best recordings, I've chosen ten that were my favourites. It's by no means a comprehensive list, as I don't claim to have listened to all of her extensive catalogue, and I'm certainly no expert! It's just a summary of what I listened to.<br />
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And if you'd like to listen along with the list and you have Spotify, <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/badoerfan/playlist/4pOpNrLUOjzyj3iO4rH80I">click here for a playlist</a>.<br />
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#10 – Down To My Last Teardrop<br />
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An enjoyable example of pop-country done well, Tucker's character has cried all her tears over her man, and she won't cry anymore. Despite sounding from the title like it might be quite a sad song, it's actually a fun kiss-off number with a catchy melody, a great example of the genre.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirb82hm0EBwregwgtHsMl6D5n-lZnJe-mIJ91db_vqeUAoG0obz0-sjv9ZIN5UxqKmE5lEbhn9bllqHrVXbfTUJGjj8YDEWDne8KWaj-yamiZXTlQmR5Q9LnUrnLvKIQMRAJ3tJtRxYtY/s1600/TanyaTuckerChanges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirb82hm0EBwregwgtHsMl6D5n-lZnJe-mIJ91db_vqeUAoG0obz0-sjv9ZIN5UxqKmE5lEbhn9bllqHrVXbfTUJGjj8YDEWDne8KWaj-yamiZXTlQmR5Q9LnUrnLvKIQMRAJ3tJtRxYtY/s320/TanyaTuckerChanges.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>#9 – Baby I'm Yours<br />
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This song comes from Tucker's sole release for the Arista label, 'Changes', the cover of which features her wearing the ugliest jumper known to man. Tucker sounds surprisingly childlike considering the date on this straightforward song of eternal love, with its simple call-and-response structure, but her performance is emotional and convincing.<br />
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#8 – Spring<br />
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Released by Columbia in 1975 after Tucker's move to MCA, this song was presumably recorded and not used on a previous album. It has an unusual narrative structure for a three-verse country song, but the optimistic ending works, as does Tucker's interpretation of both the good and bad times.<br />
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#7 – Strong Enough To Bend<br />
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A simple metaphor, executed simply. The tree in the backyard is never broken by the storm, because its limbs bend with the wind. The same is true of a good relationship, where both parties learn to compromise – an important lesson to be learned, that can be applied in many situations. The minimal arrangement and uncomplicated melody line complement the message well.<br />
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#6 – We Don't Have To Do This<br />
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The characters in this song would do well to learn from the lessons of 'Strong Enough To Bend'. Both partners are too proud to put aside their differences, even though the narrator agonisingly recognises that she doesn't want the relationship to be over – “Tell me where it's written that we can't change our minds”, she sings. Tucker's performance is exquisite, bringing across the despair and sense of horrible inevitability in the song perfectly.<br />
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#5 – What's Your Mama's Name<br />
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The painful story of a man who spends thirty years trying to track down his lost love and their child, going to prison for child-grooming and being driven to drink in the process, this song manages to be catchy and sing-along despite the dark subject matter – a frequent theme of much of Tucker's early work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjY3yBn0JvGPGxm42NgV9cY-LafTDg-a5YDNzTt7VDUTnAbtfA6pBQ-SWAt8EGRoFEMenfs2be7brWObz3_AJtXugxPi_pYFr2W8Fl3o59Ahdy_AR1tmb4KzwvT23bMSmMsoZa8ofLtA/s1600/Tanya_Tucker_comp_Bobby_Borchers_Ed_Br-_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjY3yBn0JvGPGxm42NgV9cY-LafTDg-a5YDNzTt7VDUTnAbtfA6pBQ-SWAt8EGRoFEMenfs2be7brWObz3_AJtXugxPi_pYFr2W8Fl3o59Ahdy_AR1tmb4KzwvT23bMSmMsoZa8ofLtA/s200/Tanya_Tucker_comp_Bobby_Borchers_Ed_Br-_3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>#4 – Texas (When I Die)<br />
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An iconic song that really set the scene for some of the singers who have been popular in recent years, like Gretchen Wilson and Miranda Lambert. This song's just a whole lot of fun to listen, and shows a different side to Tucker's voice to many of the songs on this list.<br />
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#3 – Delta Dawn<br />
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Tucker's first single, and reflective of the complex material she would tackle during her career, particularly during her younger years. At the age of just 13, Tucker's already found her distinctive, mature voice on this recording and it's incredibly powerful. Perhaps best known to international and younger audiences as the song where Monica's shirt goes see-through at the piano bar in Friends.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8XijwCInjDiTB34MyV8Q2OB2mEAZKfS9teMW7-k_pS2YDwWXtdgbHgh75blFqthyphenhyphenmFZsaTt82e4dMhMXj09-PG66tJH9SUttYKH4R7O6PrjzpyUWYPQ6sLi6gbIJcH_VMjNpq4_rk1s/s1600/51EkyOBx7aL._SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8XijwCInjDiTB34MyV8Q2OB2mEAZKfS9teMW7-k_pS2YDwWXtdgbHgh75blFqthyphenhyphenmFZsaTt82e4dMhMXj09-PG66tJH9SUttYKH4R7O6PrjzpyUWYPQ6sLi6gbIJcH_VMjNpq4_rk1s/s320/51EkyOBx7aL._SS500_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>#2 – Two Sparrows In a Hurricane<br />
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A beautiful song, one that could have just been a standard 'lovers making it against the odds' ditty, but is set apart by an expressive performance and a skilful use of the three-verse structure, juxtaposing and comparing the youth and age of the characters through the near-identical first and third verses. The end-result is something that feels almost quite life-affirming, and always makes me feel happy and content.<br />
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#1 – Lizzie and the Rainman<br />
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Easily top of my list before I even started putting it together. The characters in this song are so strongly drawn that I even looked up the song to see if it was based on a true story. Tucker's performance is brilliant, with strains of a gospel preacher complemented by the choir behind her, and the arrangement is exquisite. Try listening to it through headphones to hear the sounds of the rain, the violin glissandos and the beating of the drums going around your head that uses the best effects of stereo to make the whole scenario feel real and present. All the elements come together to produce an excellent song.<br />
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So, do you agree? If you're a fan of Tanya Tucker, would you have put different songs on this list? And if I've managed to introduce you to her music, would you have ranked them in this way? I'd be interested to see what people think.SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-71040859704360175232011-07-28T22:51:00.002+01:002011-12-14T12:27:29.111+00:00What do I know or care about your backwoods?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB82k37Q1BJp3KjupIP9T2e6Vfc454wSvLLFrcgx1DsgjTZ_oLXvFbBZhikr0KiveCkGVv3aZCvLKurYU1JeadNiKYz_bh0EjwU7Vq5aUqpJHdTsC7r1A5ehLrNC6om-gISJaeC4dRrM/s1600/Justin_Moore_-_Backwoods.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaB82k37Q1BJp3KjupIP9T2e6Vfc454wSvLLFrcgx1DsgjTZ_oLXvFbBZhikr0KiveCkGVv3aZCvLKurYU1JeadNiKYz_bh0EjwU7Vq5aUqpJHdTsC7r1A5ehLrNC6om-gISJaeC4dRrM/s320/Justin_Moore_-_Backwoods.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
A recurrent theme on country music blogs in recent weeks has been debating what makes country music truly country. One criticism often levelled is how obligatory it has become in the last couple of years on country radio to shout out about how country you, the person, are, and how artificial and forced this is.<br />
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<blockquote>"All day, you've been singing rock songs to me about how country you are. And even country songs about how country you are. It's been 'dirt road' this and 'back road' that, and 'party in the woods' this and 'redneck, hillbilly' that.<br />
[...]<br />
"I don't believe you"</blockquote><div align="right"><a href="http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2011/07/11/country-boys-are-wearing-out-calling-cards/">Peter Cooper at The Tennessean</a></div><br />
To me, it's perhaps less about the issue of the music itself 'not really being country' (or rather, while sometimes it is, that's not what I'm going to focus on in this blog entry). It's more about how this focus on 'being a real country boy' excludes people like me. I'm a fan of country music, and have been for a few years (though not as long as many), but I'm not from the country. Hell, I'm not even from America. Therefore, I don't really care much about that big green tractor you probably didn't actually drive around, or the backwoods you've probably never driven out to in your pick-up with a keg on the back. Because I can't identify with that. And I really don't appreciate being told that 'the countryside is the only place you'll find people who pray, feel proud of themselves, and hold doors open for old women'*. <br />
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What I can identify with is stories. Stories about real people and real emotions. Stories about life's struggles and dilemmas, about loss and heartache, about what's wrong but feels right. It's what Reba McEntire does so right. So many of her songs are identifiable to so many people, and she sings them like she's experienced them, like they're her own words of wisdom. She doesn't need to shout at me about how she's so country. She just is. I can tell that by listening to her music. Someone else who is clearly identifiable as country, from her own songwriting this time, is Taylor Swift. Sure, she's basically a pop singer – again, it's not about the music 'not being country' here. It's about telling those stories about real people, and that's what Swift pulls off every time.<br />
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But, you could argue, why is it a problem? Why can't I just ignore this music that I don't like? And it's a fair argument, I really could. But the problem for me is, I know country music can do better. Sure, I could hunt it down on the dwindling independent recordings, but I don't want to have to do that. I want to be able to hear it on the radio, and in the mainstream. I don't want to go to a bar in Nashville and effectively be insulted for being who I am.<br />
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In addition, I know that the artists themselves can do better. Blake Shelton's first few albums are great, full of complex themes and strong melodies, before they degenerate into the <i>Hillbilly Bone</i> posturing of the last few years. Jason Aldean's <i>The Truth</i> is an excellent song, passionately delivered and full of real emotion that anyone can identify with (and he even pretends to be away in the city!). Effectively, it's a selfish wish on my behalf: I want country music to be what I want it to be – the real people and the real stories I fell in love with.<br />
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I'd also add as a postscript that much of the problem is that I feel these songs are relying on the hook of 'I'm a true country boy and I'm proud of it, the country is the best place on earth' to substitute for actually having a good song. Because there are songs that play on this and also have engaging melodies and arrangements that build to a crescendo to really engage the listener and complement the lyrical themes. An example I'd give (and I know this is where I'm going to lose a lot of people) is Jason Michael Carroll's <i>Where I'm From</i>. The song is sappy, completely typical and predictable once you know the formula and even mentions the big C word (Brad Paisley would be proud). But I love it. The emotion in it gets me every time, even if that emotion is totally manipulative. And that's the key for me – country music is about emotions, and it's about people and it's about storytelling.<br />
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<i>*this quote is stolen from CM Wilcox over at <a href="http://www.engine145.com/album-review-ashton-shepherd-where-country-grows/">engine145.com</a>. Thanks for summing up how I feel so succinctly!</font></i>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-47712362908027906982010-11-03T13:54:00.002+00:002011-12-14T12:27:43.117+00:00Why Taylor Swift’s ‘Innocent’ is not about Kanye WestAt this year’s MTV Video Music Awards back in September, Taylor Swift premiered the song ‘Innocent’ from her new album ‘Speak Now’. <br />
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The song was claimed to be a letter of forgiveness to Kanye West, who stole her Best Video moment in 2009. But in all the talk about the performance and motivation behind the song (as well as the terrible live performance Swift gave, which funnily enough cannot be found anywhere on YouTube), it seems not to have been considered who the song is really about.<br />
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The lyrics do vaguely refer to someone who has wronged her, whom she pities and is offering forgiveness to. But I see very little evidence that this person is Kanye West, however much it is claimed by Swift’s people and the blogosphere as a whole. <br />
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Consider the following lines:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Lost your balance on a tightrope</i><br />
<i>Lost your mind tryin' to get it back</i></div><br />
Have we really seen any evidence that West has been wallowing in regret and self-questioning since the episode? There’s nothing to suggest that this was a tipping point in West’s life, which he has desperately been trying to restore.<br />
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Next let’s take the second verse:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Wasn't it easier in your firefly-catchin' days?<br />
And everything out of reach, someone bigger brought down to you<br />
Wasn't it beautiful runnin' wild 'til you fell asleep?<br />
Before the monsters caught up to you?</i></div><br />
This sounds distinctly (as does much of the song) like it is sung to a young adult struggling with grown-up life, wishing to return to the innocent days of their childhood – a topic incidentally covered much better on the album on the song ‘Never Grow Up’. For Swift to be writing this about West seems a bit of a leap into his psyche; again, it’s not something an impression that’s ever really been given.<br />
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Furthermore, the song strongly implies it is sung about someone whom Swift looked up to and respected, perhaps even idolised – “Your string of lights is still bright to me”. Kanye West doesn’t really seem to me like a convincing idol for a girl like Swift.<br />
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Overall, what I’m saying is that there are several logical fallacies in this song that don’t make it sound like it was genuinely written about Kanye West. But what about the points that bloggers have raised, that do seem to be about him? His age is cited, and reference is made to September, when the incident happened. But personally I feel that either of these points could just as easily refer to someone else, or have been changed or added to fit.<br />
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So, if this is true, why let it be believed that a song is about a topic it is not? The answer to that is very simple: publicity. With Swift given a performing slot on this year’s VMAs, finding a way to reference last year’s incident was an effective way of providing a hook and getting people to tune in and listen to the song. And of course, it’s also then promotion for the album. One of Swift’s trademarks is that her songs are always ostensibly about the boys she’s dated, but that she never tells who (and incidentally, I’m pretty sure the Kanye West line was never stated by Swift or her people directly). It’s an effective promotional hook and it works for her – it’s natural that people would expect a song about West, as an important influence in her life, which fans feel they are entitled to be involved in. <br />
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And that's what they've been given, on the surface - a tactic Swift and her producers have become very good at. And based on the fact that I've just written a 600 word blog article on the subject, it seems to work.SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-75040812688761866012010-08-05T21:44:00.002+01:002011-12-14T12:28:16.993+00:00Song Review: Sunny Sweeney - From A Table Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hlZa3XztfTLNu85J6Y6B2gsw54MsclnIpCUHNGyRn0oM99D78w1igbprevYEhcKy-y1LuynXKBwPS1hPDgC2Y0lH9ccqQiQAb0viFwKjMH7nOVUjSgZ7LnA9OP5WXHLcEGPkDOjUdec/s1600/sunny-sweeney-from-a-table-away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hlZa3XztfTLNu85J6Y6B2gsw54MsclnIpCUHNGyRn0oM99D78w1igbprevYEhcKy-y1LuynXKBwPS1hPDgC2Y0lH9ccqQiQAb0viFwKjMH7nOVUjSgZ7LnA9OP5WXHLcEGPkDOjUdec/s200/sunny-sweeney-from-a-table-away.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>I don't intend to make this blog a music reviews blog, but from time to time I intend to write about songs I absolutely love, or ones I despise. The latter's a lot more fun to do, but I'm actually going to start off on a positive note. Shocking, I know.<br />
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'From A Table Away' is Sunny Sweeney's first single in several years, and marks a change in direction from the traditional honky-tonk sound of her first album, Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame. The production here is more modern country, and Sweeney's voice has echoes of Natalie Maines', which is certainly no bad thing indeed!<br />
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The song tells the story, in the first person, of the 'other woman', who finds herself at the next table in a restaurant to her lover and his wife, and listens in on their conversation, in which she realises they're still very much in love, and confronts her man afterwards. There's several ways this song could have been taken by a lesser vocalist, and that's where my admiration for both the song and singer comes in. The song doesn't tell us how to feel, it doesn't tell us all the background, and lets us fill in the gaps for ourselves. Did this man lie to her? Did he ever intend to leave? Or have his feelings changed? And then there's the fact that we are hearing the song from the perspective of the other woman, the potential homewrecker. Is that where our sympathies lie?<br />
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There's slight echoes of anger and resentment in the song, but they don't take over at any point. I'd say the main emotion here is sadness, and of a realisation. In overhearing and watching their conversation, the narrator realises that her lover is still in love with his wife, or is at least prepared to make another go of it with her ("I heard you tell her you still love her"), and that this spells the end for her relationship with him. Then there's the line "I guess that means that things are better", could be interpreted in several ways. It could be sarcastic, bitter or desperate, and there's possibly even a little bit of pleasure, that the man she loves, even though she cannot have him, is happy.<br />
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I guess that's my overall feeling with this song, and the reason I like it so much. There's so many lines that can be read in many ways, and Sweeney interprets them beautifully, managing to bring across all of these emotions without letting one dominate, giving the song an ambiguity that demands the listener think, consider, and listen again. <br />
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The multiple layers of the lyrics can be summed up in the final line: "You're gonna stay a table away". This could be anger, pushing the man who has hurt her away. Or it could be sad resignation, developing the metaphor of a crowded restaurant to where she realises she will never share a table with the man she loves.<br />
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<a href="http://www.myspace.com/sunnysweeney">Listen on MySpace</a>SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2274111806557662503.post-43792114906454935062010-08-04T13:33:00.002+01:002011-12-14T12:28:25.463+00:00"80,000 people stole my song!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0BMgIJeru9wrISXOHMLHsPAqyA3_uyrYoWHaoKxdxuP6DC81aljdgnxLIXjXapD-vTuC3NljXl0N98YjjnX9hzns2ObkuJmwBOUoyNZQb8ZC1phwsQqjyhJ8xgx3yeOk0lSihv0kCN8/s1600/JamesOtto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0BMgIJeru9wrISXOHMLHsPAqyA3_uyrYoWHaoKxdxuP6DC81aljdgnxLIXjXapD-vTuC3NljXl0N98YjjnX9hzns2ObkuJmwBOUoyNZQb8ZC1phwsQqjyhJ8xgx3yeOk0lSihv0kCN8/s200/JamesOtto.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>A few weeks ago, I read a quote from country singer James Otto over on <a href="http://www.theboot.com/2010/07/15/james-otto-song-downloads/">The Boot</a>. He says:<br />
<blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">This week I sold 7,500 singles (which is pretty good), but 80,000 people stole it. No wonder so many of my friends in the business are losing their jobs. Kinda scary. Half the [song]writers in Nashville can't get a job anymore because of this. People pay five bucks for a cup of coffee, but not 99 cents for a song?</div></blockquote>I commented on that blog at the time that, while I don’t disagree with the spirit of his comments, I do wonder where this figure of 80,000 copies comes from. A lot of the problem with illegal downloading is that it's not trackable and not public. It's not like you go somewhere official and allow the illegal downloading to be counted when you do it. So, where has Otto got this figure from? 299 Last.fm subscribers have listened to it, so it’s not that. Has he uploaded it to Rapidshare himself and pushed it around the net in order to see the result? Or is he simply making up a figure to boost his argument?<br />
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My other problem with Otto’s statement is that the song he’s referring to, his single Groovy Little Summer Song, is only the second single from an album that is not yet released. Personally, I wouldn’t pay a dollar for a song if I were then planning to shell out for the whole album, essentially paying for the same song twice, and, in that scenario, I might well download it illegally to listen to until I obtained my legal copy on the album. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsmOpF0mPHlIBxajjGB8C_lZXNe5_F5Nd464bj6KIZd6mn4t3sNsRK2Ms33cx9cRIA7F30fjc8F6B4j4Pc53PFn7Ho24ww0vjIpgxferVg6IHGT15DiNDIiZ64akvEYO0Ji3yBssHvkM/s1600/Whitney+Duncan+WD_d6_09_F1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRsmOpF0mPHlIBxajjGB8C_lZXNe5_F5Nd464bj6KIZd6mn4t3sNsRK2Ms33cx9cRIA7F30fjc8F6B4j4Pc53PFn7Ho24ww0vjIpgxferVg6IHGT15DiNDIiZ64akvEYO0Ji3yBssHvkM/s200/Whitney+Duncan+WD_d6_09_F1.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>In this case, I haven’t, since I’m not a big fan of Otto’s. However, one album that came out earlier this year was Whitney Duncan’s nearly two years since the first single, and since several of the songs were released as a ‘selections sampler’ on mp3 download. I refused to pay for these songs at the time, and knowing I was always planning to purchase them as part of the album, I enjoyed them illegally. So, now the album’s finally been released, I’ve bought my copy, right?<br />
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Actually, no. Because it’s not available on mp3 download in the UK, or on a physical CD that isn’t an overpriced import. In these days of digital sales, there’s no excuse for an artist’s material not to be available everywhere, and, when it’s not, it simply encourages piracy. This is an issue that the music industry desperately needs to sort out, as, when given the choice between paying £21 for a CD they can see their US peers paying $5 for or simply hopping on to a file-sharing site, it’s often not a hard choice. And in this way, record companies, artists and songwriters are losing sales and losing money that should and could have been theirs.<br />
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There are far more detailed issues to be looked at regarding piracy and the music industry’s antiquated and ill-advised methods, but I’ll save that for another post.SamBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10149436695556280325noreply@blogger.com2