Country

SONG OF THE DAY – “HEAD FULL OF DOUBT/ROAD FULL OF PROMISE” by The Avett Brothers

June 1, 2014

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Well, it has been a very busy and somewhat overwhelming weekend.

I moved my daughter to Washington D.C. this weekend for a summer internship. We moved her into her Capitol Hill apartment on Friday evening and then the two of us got to spend the next two nights and all day Saturday together in that great city. It was really a wonderful time to get to spend with her as she was getting ready to start a whole new life adventure.

I must admit that it is a learning experience as a parent to leave my 18-year-old daughter alone in a city. Okay … not alone – she has two roommates, but she will not be with me and that is a little stressful for this mom. I find that I am in awe of her all the time – she is incredibly brave, adventurous, and accomplished. I know that she will be amazing! So, I am discovering that this is a learning experience for both of us. I am so very proud of her.

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The Avett Brothers are awesome. I absolutely love their music! They combine Americana, folk, country, blue grass, a little pop, and rock and roll like no other band that I know. The band is made up of two Avett brothers (Scott and Seth), as well as Bob Crawford, Paul Defiglia, Joe Kwon, and Mike Marsh. Their music captures life and the emotion of all that life brings.

I got exposed to The Avett Brothers while I lived in Dallas. I was a little behind on this one, but I was an instant fan of their music and have to thank a friend of my daughter’s for introducing me to the band after listening to him sing an incredible rendition of their song, “I And Love And You.” I have not yet been able to see them live, but they are currently on tour and I am hoping to make it to one of their live shows this summer; I have heard that they are a live band not to be missed!

Today’s song is an older song (from the 2009 I And Love And You album), but it totally reminds me of my daughter and I wanted to post it for her today. Tomorrow is her first day at work and, although I know she is nervous, she will be fabulous! My daughter sees her dreams like very few people I know and it is exciting to watch her reach for them. I hope that you love this song as much as I do.

There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it.
And there was a kid with a head full of doubt
So I’ll scream til I die and the last of those bad thoughts are finally out.

SONG OF THE DAY – “WAVE ON WAVE” by Pat Green

May 29, 2014

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It’s Throwback Thursday! 

Today I am posting something very different for me. This is a country song by an artist that I was not even familiar with until we moved to Dallas, Texas. I remember a friend of ours, who worked with my husband, told me that Pat Green was his favorite musician. Amazingly, I had just heard this song from my daughter who had a friend on her cross-country team who introduced it to her, or otherwise I would not have even known who he was talking about.

I actually really love this song. I love the movement of the music and I find the lyrics actually make me a little emotional. It is just one of those perfect songs that came together with all the elements. It is absolutely a roll down your windows and sing kind of song.

“Wave on Wave” is by Pat Green and was released in 2003. The song was his highest rating song ever and really threw him into the national mainstream attention, although he had been popular in Texas for some time and has been active in the music scene since 1995. I am hoping that some of you may not yet be familiar with this song. I think you will like it.

SONG OF THE DAY – “EASY” by Sheryl Crow

April 11, 2014

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I love it when the weekend rolls around. There is just something about that feeling of two days of free time, even though the weekends are typically crazier than the week days. The weekend just holds an allure and I find this song the absolute perfect weekend song. I hope that you can sit back and enjoy the song and the upcoming weekend.

I have always been a huge fan of Sheryl Crow. I think she is incredible and has only gotten better with age! She looks incredible, she seems happy, and her music is still fabulous. Sheryl Crow is a successful and celebrated artist, with 9 Grammy Awards and 32 nominations. I have been a fan of her’s from the beginning and have many favorite songs. I am fascinated that she has been able to cross so many musical boundaries and genres. She is absolutely a rocker and I love that rock star quality in her, but she has also been able to cross into pop, folk, blues, and, as can be seen in this song, country. Today’s song is from her eighth studio album, released in September 2013, called Feels Like Home and it definitely has a country feel to it.

I saw her live in Dallas and was a little disappointed. The sound at the Verizon Theatre was horrible and all you could hear was this thundering bass throughout her entire set, which made it difficult to even sing along because you could not hear her voice. I am hoping to get an opportunity to see her in a more intimate venue.

SONG OF THE DAY – “NO ONE’S GONNA LOVE YOU” by Band of Horses

March 15, 2014

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Well, I disappeared for a few days … it was unintentional. It has been one of those weeks, where there seems to be way too many things to deal with at one time. I had a few big projects that had to be finished up this week and I thought that would clear up my schedule immensely, but all it did was create a longer “to do” list because of all the other tasks that were neglected in favor of solely focussing on the “big” project. Ugh!

Does that ever happen to you? I believe that may be why I tend to put off those big projects until the last-minute, because I know they are going to mess with all the other things that need to get done. Anyway, I did attempt to post every day, but my attempts were unsuccessful. I think I may need to get over my idea of perfect and just post something rather than worrying about it being “right” every single day. Maybe that will also help me clear my list. 🙂 I would not describe myself as a perfectionist, but I certainly have some of those tendencies, which are annoying.

So, now that the weekend is here, I am adjusting the schedule again and getting everything back on track. Well … at least for today. 🙂

Today’s song is from the 2007 album by Band of Horses, called Cease To Begin, but the song caught my attention when it was released last month on their live acoustic album – Acoustic at The Ryman (Live). So, although the song is not new, it is new to me and I am just totally taken by it. The raw emotion captured in this song is haunting and completely captivating. The song is absolutely beautiful and Ben Bridwell’s voice is incredible.

The band was formed by Bridwell in 2004 and has five members. Their sound is interesting and unique and has been hailed as Alternative Country, Indie rock, and Southern rock. Two other songs that I really enjoy by them, include: “The General Specific” – a very cool country sound which just makes me want to dance, and “The Great Salt Lake” – obviously due to my Salt Lake roots, haha. Hope you enjoy the music today and have a great weekend!

SONG OF THE DAY – “Doin’ What She Likes” by Blake Shelton

February 1 ,2014

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I was able to see Blake Shelton perform live last night at a Super Bowl party in NYC. He pulled up a chair and sat down and played and sang solidly for over an hour.

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I know that people truly love him and his music. He is a very personable guy and has a great voice and really can connect with an audience. I was amazed at the people around me who knew every word of every single song. It was funny because since the concert was in NYC, Blake Shelton asked, “Do we have any rednecks or hillbillies in the crowd?” There was a large roar from the audience. He said, “so … this isn’t a typical New York show.” It is funny how there is this very regional idea of music tastes that is very real, but not necessarily exclusive. I am sure there are plenty of people in NYC who like country music, but it is obviously not the norm, and the fact that the Super Bowl brought in so many people from all over the country made the mix different from the norm.

Anyway, as I have said before, I am not a huge country music fan, so I only knew a few of his songs. So, nerd that I am, I prepped for the show. 🙂 I put Blake Shelton on Spotify for a couple of days, so that I was familiar with all his music. Besides the normal ones that I am sure everyone already knows … because I knew them (“God Gave Me You,” “Honey Bee,” and “Drink On It“), I found another one that I really liked and so I have decided to share that one today. He played it last night and it is just a great song. All the men out there need to listen to the words! 🙂

 

SONG OF THE DAY – “HIGHWAY DON’T CARE” by Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban

January 24, 2014

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With the GRAMMY Awards just a couple of days away, I wanted to share another song that has been nominated for an award.  The song I chose today is nominated for the Best Country Duo/Group Performance and it is packed with some power performers. Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban are all incredibly successful performers in their own right, but put them together and you have a major star-studded nomination.

Keith Urban’s guitar performance was amazing and the combo of Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift worked. It made me laugh that the two were doing a song together because Taylor recorded a song called “Tim McGraw” on her first album in 2006! Haha, things do come around, don’t they.

I really enjoyed listening to this song and then I watched the music video … wow, not what I was expecting. You have definitely got to watch it! Totally gives the words to the song a different meaning than my first take. I showed the video to my daughter and her first question was, “Why do you think they did that?” That is an interesting question. Is it to emphasize the dangers of phones and texting in cars or is it a more personal message to Tim McGraw’s own three teenage daughters? Would love to get your take on it.

Regardless, it is a great song and certainly deserving of the nomination in this category, although I have to admit that I don’t know much about country music. I’m not sure who will win this category, but I definitely think the song is a contender. If I was betting, my money would probably be on the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet, “You Can’t Make Old Friends.” It is a very pretty song, but I think it will be the winner just simply because it is two sentimental favorites and the Grammy’s seem to have a history in rewarding those old favorites, particularly with a song as sentimental as Old Friends.

SONG OF THE DAY – “LONG TEENAGE GOODBYE” by Lady Antebellum

December 4, 2013

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Wow, don’t you remember your teenage days? Sometimes it seems like a lifetime ago and other times it feels like it was only a moment ago. Some of our most powerful memories seem to come from that season of life.

It is funny that as adults we always want to tell teenagers that they have it so easy and “just wait until you enter real life.” Maybe they do have life easy in some respects – in hindsight! – but, I can tell you that I would not go back to that time of life, and I loved my teenage years. Those days were filled with a bucket full of first experiences – disappointment, rejection, sorrow, regret, pressure, and first love. Ugh … those were tough days.

I think teenagers feel the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Life is a roller coaster. Every emotion comes at a teenager at full speed like a train with no regulator. Perspective is hard when you are a teen. So, who would go back to those days?

I would not classify myself as a huge country music fan, but I love great music and that can be found in all genres. My playlist has plenty of country. I really enjoy listening to Lady Antebellum. This song is from their new album, Golden, and I love this song and the story it tells. It is a story about those last few moments of being a teenager before you take off down your own path. It is about enjoying that moment together with those you have shared that time of life with, and then going your own separate ways. With a daughter looking at 18 around the corner, this song just connects. Hope you enjoy it too.

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