I’m back with my regular feature on Country Music News Blog now, with my two cents on the problems with major country award shows, and more specifically the artists who should win and don’t.
I’m really interested to know what all of you think about my choices, my stance, and who you would like to see winning more country awards, be it CMAs, ACMs, ACAs or CMTs, so let me know in the comments, tweet me, or comment on the article I’ve linked. Enjoy!
Morning/afternoon you beautiful people! It’s that time of week again where I tell you what happened in last week’s episode of ‘Nashville’, so you can be fully prepared for tonight’s.
I got my rant on, boys and girls. Read.
I am a big fan of the Pistol Annies, so that’s the perspective I take all of their material from. I love their sassy, edgy, feminist-tinged wit and their incredible singing and songwriting credentials, and for me their latest single, ‘Hush Hush’, is a great example of that. However, when I came to the see the video, I was somewhat disappointed.
The storyline is set within a small town church gathering, and Miranda, Ashley and Angaleena are housewives. The coloring is bright and at times saturated, and underlines their attempts of parody of ‘perfect’ American suburbia. Much of the video revolves around the women gossiping, the lines of the song mimed as if spoken in conversation, over-accentuated to further the impression of parody. This is interspersed with shots of the gathered congregation, sampling the food and as time progresses beginning to ‘misbehave’. This is all fine and a good, enjoyable interpretation of the song. However, I do have some issues that extend into their wider image as a band. Firstly, one of the scenes depicts them in ‘sexy’ clothing; leather, lace and corsetry in abundance, and Angaleena’s boobs looking like they came out of some cartoon porno.
This has no connection to the storyline and presumably how they’re representing themselves as a band, outside of the narrative. I’ve seen them in similar clothing, both in performance and in their album sleeve, and it’s beginning to get on my nerves to be honest. I’m all for women showing off their sexiness but it seems to have become their trademark, and I think it really cheapens them and their music. It’s so over-the-top that it’s unnecessary, and isn’t what their music is about. That’s only to add to their over-exaggerated appearances as housewives within the video, that could be argued as a continuation of the parody, but their excessive fake tan (which I’ve seen outside this video in other imagery of theirs) looks stupid, and Miranda’s hair stretched back over her head leaves her forehead looking quite laughable. That sounds bitchy of me towards the women and I don’t mean it to be; but it makes me cringe when I see it. I want them looking more natural regardless of intentions of parody, because I don’t think cartoonizing themselves (like a modern-day Dolly Parton) fits their musical output and it saddens me that they should be perceived in this way.
Other than that I enjoy the video, but I have to say I much prefer the Pistol Annies’ audio over visuals these days.
You can watch the video for ‘Hush Hush’ here:
Haven’t seen Kacey Musgraves’ new video for ‘Blowin’ Smoke’? It debuted exclusively on her shiny new website yesterday. Go read my review and then click the link I included to catch the action. Then let me know what you think! I’m always on Twitter 😉
You know how much I love the Annies (well if you don’t then you should). Check out my review of their brand spanking new album, ‘Annie Up’.
Nashville outlaw country rockers Moccasin Creek have released their latest single, ‘Old America’, to country radio this week. The politically driven track comes from the duo’s latest album, Belt Buckles and Brass Knuckles, which arrived at iTunes last month.
Moccasin Creek front man Jeff McCool says: “’Old America’ is a wake-up call to the new generation of people in our country. The lyrics hit home with every hard working common man and woman.” Guitarist Charlie Bonnet III adds: “This song is not meant to be a commercial hit. There is no catchy chorus and it’s not a fun sing-along. We were going for an old school feel, like Hank and Merle did back in the 70’s. The song gets a huge response at our live shows, and that’s what matters.”
Moccasin Creek have taken the country rock underground by storm, releasing three full length albums in less than two years. Their infectious sound and hard work ethic have made them an international favorite. Visit www.moccasincreekmusic.com and www.creekvideos.com for more information.
Kenny Chesney is back on the road again, and this year’s No Shoes Nation tour is sure to knock your socks off. Starting with the Southern states, Kenny and tour mate Eric Church will rock across America this summer with a show packed full of new tunes, old favorites and maybe even a couple surprise duets. But this isn’t your average summer concert series. After attending the concert this past weekend in Columbia, I can assure you that this is an experience you won’t want to miss.
The No Shoes Nation Tour invites concert goers to kick off their shoes and party in true Kenny style. Kenny just wrapped up his performance at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC, and the festivities started hours before the show. With good old Southern hospitality, fans lined the parking lot to tailgate for the big event at Kenny’s Signature Beach Party. No shoes? No shirt? No problem! Complete with pickup trucks, cowboy hats and skull bearing flags, it was a full-scale pirate party. If you have tickets for another stop on the tour list, take my advice and get there early. You won’t want to miss the pre-performance bash.
On stage, Kenny caters to his loyal longtime fans. Some artists have a tendency to play more of their new music if they are touring after the release of a new album. Not Kenny. You’ll hear old favorites like ‘Keg in the Closet’, ‘Out Last Night’, and of course ‘Summertime’. He did a few new spins on some of the old classics too, playing acoustic intros and adding some Caribbean beats to a chorus here and there.
Plus, he’s playing a good selection of tunes from the new album Life on a Rock. His new hit single Pirate Flag reviewed in an earlier post was a fan favorite at the Columbia show – with several fans sporting some vintage pirate hats and waving pirate flags to the beat. He also played some other new songs from his new album, which features duets with Willie Nelson, and The Wailers. Another collaboration with Tim McGraw earned Kenny one of his three nominations to the upcoming 2013 CMT Awards, set to air in June on the Country Music Television channel available on DirecTVDeal. Kenny’s toured with Tim before, but played the solo version of the new hit at his most recent show.
Overall, Kenny fans won’t want to miss this tour. The island cowboy delivers a unique country music experience that is best served warm – during the summer months. So kickoff your shoes, sit back, relax and enjoy a No Shoes Nation show this summer.
Eddie is a writer and blogger and loves country music. Eddie spends most of his time writing and researching different topics to create great content.
Country artist Robby Armstrong’s debut single ‘Rodeo’ is currently at Country radio. Written by Armstrong and Darrell Brown, the toe-tapping track is Robby’s first single from his forthcoming 2013 full-length album, which is additionally produced by Brown (LeAnn Rimes, Ty Herndon, Radney Foster).
“The song is a rowdy, joyful rocker,” said Armstrong. “It captures that special moment of when you are doing exactly what it is that makes you excited in life. It’s about having fun and being in good spirits.” To watch the video for ‘Rodeo’ click here. To stream the single, click here. A dance remix for the song has also been created and is circulating through line dance clubs across the country. To watch an instructional video, click here.
As a dedicated and passionate musician with more than 30 years of experience, Robby Armstrong weaves elements of Alternative Country, with its warm melodies and heartfelt lyrics, and an exciting playing style into a sound that is uniquely his own.
“Robby Armstrong sounds like the illegitimate child of Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell and John Mellencamp all in one,” says, talent manager, Rick Yorn.
Armstrong currently resides in Huntington Beach, California and is pursuing his first love: Country music. He feels he has come full circle and found a place he can write, play and produce a great country album. While his music lends itself to the Alternative Country-Rock genre, Armstrong is confident traditional Country music lovers will not be disappointed by his style. Robby has three songs, including ‘Rodeo’ in the upcoming feature film, Gambit (featuring Cameron Diaz, Colin Firth), which he and his band make a cameo appearance in. The songs are also featured on the official soundtrack. Additionally, ‘Rodeo’ is also featured in The Sims video game and has been heard at Angels’ stadium as the Los Angeles Angels’ rally song.
‘Rodeo’ is available on iTunes and other major digital music retailers.
For more information, visit RobbyArmstrong.net.
Yep it’s back – after a month of waiting! My Billboard chart roundup resurfaces as I come out the other side of one of the longest months of my life, ha. Don’t worry, I’ll be back on track posting one every Thursday from now on, I promise.
For The Country Record 