I love Halloween. Here are a few songs to play as you carve a pumpkin or bake spooky treats. 1) "Creepin'" - Eric Church 2) "It's a Monster's Holiday" - Buck Owens 3) "Better Dig Two" - The Band Perry 4) "Diggin' Up Bones" - Randy Travis 5) "Ghost In This House" - Alison Krauss 6) "Midnight in Montgomery" - Alan Jackson 7) "Dig Gravedigger Dig" - Corb Lund (note: this music video and song are very interesting, I couldn't not look at it) BONUS: 8) "This is Halloween" - Danny Elfman 9) "Witchy Woman" - Eagles 10) "... Ready For It" - Taylor Swift
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Bree Doster has a timeless, unique voice with an old soul style of songwriting that makes you stop and listen to what she has to say. Bree did not always dream about becoming a singer-songwriter. She once wanted to live on a farm and train horses or become a player on the late Pat Summit's basketball team. Luckily, she comes from a very musical family, who passed this trait along to her. This 22-year-old released her self-titled EP in April of 2020. Releasing any kind of album this year could not have been easy, but it is beautifully pieced together like a storybook. My favorite song from the EP is "Back To What Broke Me." It tells the story of a broken romance, when one partner keeps going back to the other the broke them. They keep going back because that is what they know and it's hard to let go and move on and open yourself back up with someone new. She thinks someone like that is all she deserves, when the truth is, you deserve someone that will treat you like a priority, never make you second guess their intentions or love, and give their all for you. In September, Bree was CMT's Next Up Now artist, and her new music video for "As Good As I Remember" premiered on the music network. This song takes you back to 17 and the memory of a high school love you cannot seem to let go of. However, that love has seemed to move on and moved out of the small town y'all shared together. Taylor begins the album with the lines, "I'm doing good, I'm on some new shit / been saying "yes" instead of "no." To me this is the perfect way of introducing folklore. She dropped the news of this alternative album in just less than 24 hours before the album was released on July 24th. By doing this Taylor said yes to spontaneity and no to waiting on "the perfect time." Throughout folklore Taylor takes you on a lyrically and musical journey. Each song explores a whole new world and a new side of Taylor. She experiments with different "folk" tales and stories, which is something we have not seen a lot on her previous 7 albums. She tells the stories of a woman marrying a rich man while the town blames her for his death, her on-going battle with Big Machine Records, teen love, and her own lover, Joe. I have a lot of favorites on folklore, however there are two tracks that I find absolutely lyrically beautiful, and that is "exile" and "my tears ricochet." In "my tears ricochet" you do not realize until close the end that this song in my opinion, and to many others, is about how things ended with her former label Big Machine Label Group. The song begins with a woman being buried while her former lover, who seemed to have treated her poorly, is in the room as she is being cremated and mourning her loss. However, this lyric makes me believe the song is about BMLG: "And I still talk to you (When I'm screaming at the sky) / And when you can't sleep at night (You hear my stolen lullabies)" If you do not know the situation on what happened between BMLG and Taylor Swift, here is the short version. Taylor claims Scott Borchetta, who founded BMLG, would not allow Taylor to acquire her first 6 albums. Taylor said the only way she could have earned them back is if she re-signed with Big Machine, and for each new album released she earned one back. So, when you hear the line "And when you can't sleep at night (You hear my stolen lullabies)" It takes you back to the BMLG & Taylor situation. It's as if Taylor is saying their past actions keep them up and night, and all they can hear are the songs they "stole" from her. If you re-listen to this wonderful work of art, you can also connect the dots with these lyrics. "You wear the same jewels that I gave you / As you bury me / I didn't have it in myself to go with grace." This song is so beautifully crafted, that if you were in a previous relationship, where that person made treated you like you were nothing, you feel the pain that radiates through the lyrics. "Exile" begins with acoustic piano then we are introduced to this dark, rough, musky voice of Bon Iver, joined by Taylor. This song captures the essence of two former lovers seeing each other for the first time, as one trying to transition into moving on. However in that moment all they can think about is each other and why it ended: "We always walked a very thin line / You didn't even hear me out (Didn't even hear me out) / You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs) / All this time / I never learned to read your mind (Never learned to read my mind) / I couldn't turn things around (You never turned things around). I love that Taylor and co-writer William Bowery wrote this song as a duet. This way you can see both sides of what it is like to see an ex, where things did not end on the best terms because you did not actually want it to end. It's desperately trying to make the relationship work, but one person can't see the signs that something needs to change. Another amazing thing Taylor does in this album is relate each song with another, whether they are on folklore, Lover, or her debut album. To find find her Easter eggs, you will have to listen to the album like I did ;-) Molly Lovette is a singer-songwriter from St. Louis Missouri. When she was younger, she had big dreams of becoming a basketball coach, but the tables quickly turned to music. Before music took its course, Molly was a basketball player in middle school. During a game, she says she fell and after weeks of pain scheduled a doctor’s appointment. That is when the doctors told her family she had a tumor inside her right femur bone. Luckily, the tumor was benign, and the surgery to remove it was successful. During her recovery, Molly says she learned guitar, and gave up her once dream in sports to pursue music. Fast forward to freshman year of college, Molly began working on her debut album. During Christmas break, she had an album release party and played her first full band show. When she returned to campus, Molly says all she thought about was music. That's when she decided to take some time away from school, and pursue her passion. On her website, Molly says last September she played a two hour set at Duckfest in Saint Peters, Missouri. You may wonder where else you can find her play, well she is a regular at bars and other venues in Mizzou. Right now, Molly has a new single out called "Lovin' You." The song talks about still not being completely over your ex. How they lied to you and played you like a fool, and you just wish you never dated them in the first place. The mood of the song kind of reminds me of a fierce Carly Pearce with a Miranda Lambert twang and fire in Molly's voice. You can listen to Molly Lovette on Apple Music and Spotify. Hey y'all. I know it has been a hard month and a half of all of us, and we can't seem to catch a break. Right now, let's take a moment to think back on your favorite concert, with your favorite artist. Now let's take it one step further and listen to some great tunes! 1. Sam Hunt: Kinfolks and all of the new songs from the Southside album 2. Abby Anderson: Guy Like You, Flowers 3. Old Dominion: One Man Band, Hotel Key, Written in the Sand 4. Jordan Brooker: All She Wants Is The Moon, Over My Head 5. Sam Riggs: Game Boy 6. Luke Combs: Beer Never Broke My Heart, When It Rains It Pours 7. Chase Rice: Eyes On You, Ready Set Roll, Gonna Wanna Tonight 8. Jordan Davis: Slow Dance In A Parking Lot, Take It From Me, Singles You Up 9. Luke Bryan: What She Wants Tonight, Knocking Boots, All My Friends Say, Rain Is A Good Thing, Country Man 10. Logan Brill: Roll, Good Story 11. Miranda Lambert: It All Comes Out In The Wash, We Should Be Friends, Mess With My Head This blog is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the deadly tornadoes that tore through Middle Tennessee on March 3rd, 2020. A tornado with wind speeds up to 165 MPH destroyed almost everything in its path, nearly two weeks ago. Some hard-hit areas were Putnam County, North and East Nashville. Officials say at least 24 people were killed, 18 stemming from Putnam County alone. Last Thursday, Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced 395 homes and 184 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the storm. On March 5th, President Trump approved Tennessee's disaster declaration. Thankfully, Tennessee isn't called the Volunteer State for nothing. Millions of dollars have been raised for recovery efforts to help those in need. The Titans Foundation donated one million dollars to tornado relief, and the NFL also donated two-hundred and 50 thousand dollars. This will go towards the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, Dan + Shay, and many other artists have also donated to disaster relief. So, how can you help those in need? - You can give monetary donations to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The foundations says money raised goes to support the affected communities and non-profits helping victims with their needs. - Hands On Nashville allows you to volunteer for tornado relief, give money, and donate items. Hands On Nashville says they work with the City of Nashville and the Office of Emergency Management to deploy volunteers. - The Community Resource Center allows you to donate to schools and more. For more information on where you can get help, have your property surveyed, or updates you can visit Nashville.gov. Cam started out as a songwriter, writing for artists such as Miley Cyrus and Sam Smith. Around 2013 she moved to Nashville and turned down a publishing deal, to prove she could make it on her own, and she did. Before her rise to fame, Cam released a "pop folk" album in 2010 titled Heartforward. Three years later she released single, "Down This Road." A local radio director discovered Cam's music on Instagram and played the song on air. Cam says this helped her sign with record label Arista Nashville. Fast forward to 2015, which became the year of Cam. After releasing a couple of singles, she appeared on The Bobby Bones Show where she performed her amazing song "Burning House." After that performance, she blew up the iTunes chart. "Burning House" quickly became the fastest rising county single on the streaming service that week. It also became a top-five song on Billboard’s county songs and county airplay charts. "Burning House" was the highest-selling female county song of 2015 and recieved a Grammy nomination. Cam released her second album, Untamed, in December of 2015, where all 11 songs were co-written by her. The album debuted at number two on the Top Country Albums chart. It was also the highest-selling debut county album that year. In 2017 Cam released another single, “Diane,” which stayed at the number one spot on the iTunes charts for five weeks. In 2018 she released “Road to Happiness” and currently has a groovy, poised song out titled “Till There’s Nothing Left.” Cam's voice and songwriting caught my attention in 2015 with "Burning House." The poetry of the song hits you like a ton of bricks, her runs with the music are just so good, and the blend of piano and violin are wonderful. Her voice radiates through "Till There's Nothing Left" which has a more modern vibe to it compared to "Burning House." TTNL is about two lovers being together forever or maybe in just that moment, but either way it's them versus the world and they are going to make the most of it. Information from here. Visit Cam's official website by clicking here, official Cam social media accounts are linked below. I woke up today knowing I had to write a blog for Simply County Music. I usually have an artist in mind, but today I decided to listen to Spotify and see what would happen. So, I listened to their "New Boots" selection. Little did I know I would run across this guy, Larry Fleet, a fellow Chattanoogan. Fleet's style with his single "Lied About Love" is that raw and dirty dancing sound with a good beat you can dance around the house to. This song captures the essence of a woman who got caught up in a bad romance, and now a better man is showing her what love really is. This is the song that caught my attention, and I knew I wanted to write about him. His debut album Workin' Hard was released in November of 2019. Fleet says his influences for the record include Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Marvin Gaye, and more. On his website, it says Fleet wrote six of the eight tracks on Workin' Hard. Before Fleet's rise to success he was working construction jobs to support his family. Then one lucky day in 2017, he met county superstar Jake Owen. After that the two hit it off and have become close pals, Fleet even toured extensively with him. After his tours with Owen, he was an opener for one of his heroes, Willie Nelson. Just last year, Fleet signed a record deal with Nashville based record company, Big Loud Records (Jake Owen, Morgan Wallen, HARDY). Also to note, Fleet was a contestant on the singing competition show "Real County" in 2018. Currently, there are tour dates for February through March on Fleet's website. If you would like to check out Larry Fleet all of his socials are below. If you would like to listen to "Lied About Love" I have a YouTube link below. You can also stream his music on multiple music outlets. This post is a tribute to my favorite band of all time, Montgomery Gentry. Troy and Eddie started “Montgomery Gentry” back in 1999. But before rising to fame, they were in a band called "Early Tymz" with Eddie Montgomery’s brother, John Michael Montgomery. The band stayed together for a few years, but eventually broke up. John Michael went on to have a huge career, as did Montgomery Gentry. Throughout MG's career the two have won “Duo of the Year” 3 times, toured around the world, and were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009. Montgomery Gentry has had 3 albums go platinum, and 2 gold. Montgomery Gentry has released 10 studio albums, 39 singles, and 26 music videos. In my opinion, they have one of the most loyal fan bases, and they do more for the veterans and current service members than almost anyone in county music. I first heard the sounds of Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry when I was just 4 years old. I was watching CMT while my mom was cleaning our home. When she walked back into the living room, there I was, at 4-year-old, screaming and singing along to “Hell Yeah.” Since that day, these two men have cultivated me in many ways. I have bought every Montgomery Gentry album, I own multiple MG tee-shirts, I have a shot glass, posters on my wall, and more. I memorized every word to every song. Once I got older, I started going to a couple of ‘Fan Club’ parties, and shows (I still remember my “I <3 Troy poster and getting his pick) Montgomery Gentry has crafted my taste in music and even shaped my career. My mom and I spend countless years attending CMA Fest to meet them. Year after year we thought we had our chance, but it never happened. Until one day… it did. I was so nervous, shocked. and excited that I couldn’t say two words to them. I just smiled and took my photo and the line moved on to next person. After that, I was determined to meet them again, so I could tell them how long I had been listening to their music. What I set out to do came true, more than once. How many people can say they have met the artists they have shaped them? I am so lucky to have met them multiple times in my life. The final time was special because it was the last time, I would see Troy and Eddie together again. Troy Gentry tragically passed away on September 8th, 2017. Troy decided to take a helicopter ride before their show in Medford, New Jersey, sadly the chopper crashed. The NTSB said the pilot's "failure to maintain rotor RPM" caused the accident. The thing about Troy and Eddie is that they are full of life. They wanted to have fun, and they loved their fans/family the most. So, because they love having fun, it didn't surprise me that when offered a helicopter ride, Troy took it. I did not know him personally but feeling connected to them all of these years, makes me feel like I can say I at least know them, in some way. I saw the news on their Instagram page and was in total shock, it didn’t feel real. It took me a day or so to process it. After that, I knew it was real. The MG Underground wrapped themselves around Eddie after we lost T-roy. We came together to show Eddie, the wild bunch, and Troy’s family that we are here for them and that we will cheer them on through anything. I believe that Troy and Eddie were there for us through the hard times and good times. That’s why it's so easy to love these guys. They are the reason why I majored in communication in college. I want to eventually work in music and professionally write about the artists that I love and that have shaped me, including Montgomery Gentry. People like them, voices like theirs, and a sound like that don’t come around often. When it does, we have to appreciate it, because it doesn’t come around often. Jordan Brooker's music is described as a "era of romanticism, yet remains timeless" and I fully agree. When I started listening to his latest song, "All She Wants Is The Moon" I was taken back by the songwriting, is it so beautiful, and I can't get over it. To describe the song, a man wants to give the woman he loves the finer things in life, give her the whole world because she deserves it. But the woman only wants the non-materialistic things, she wants him completely and the love they share. To talk about Brookers voice, it stops you in your tracks and makes you listen. His vocals and the melody of the song blend so well together. He also has that rock 'n roll edge that I LOVE, but sometimes you can hear a little southern drawl in his voice. I really enjoy his self titled EP, and I don't want to repeat myself, but again the songwriting is just excellent. His voice is something I have been searching for in an artist for a long time. Brooker is from Indiana, but moved to Nashville to pursue his music dreams, and recently went on tour with Drake White. On his website, they say his debut EP has over 6 million streams, and that he was spotlighted as one of Pandora's artists to watch in 2019. His site also says that as a songwriter, Brooker was recognized by the Association of Independent Music Publisher's in 2018. He is also a songwriter on Luke Combs sophomore album, "What You See Is What You Get." If you have not listened to Jordan Brooker's music, please go check him out. He is very talented and someone to lookout for because I think he will go far in the music industry. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out his website here, you can listen to Jordan Brooker on most streaming services including Spotify and Pandora. |
AuthorHey y'all, I'm Jess! I have a Bachelor's Degree in communication and thought blogging would help me through my career! Archives
October 2020
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