Myspace Mix-Tape

Recently, I read a post from one of my new favorite blogs.  In this post, the author pointed out some songs that he had caught on Myspace that he wanted to ensure that other people caught as well.  Well, here’s to me being a copycat and creating my own Myspace Mix-Tape. 

I have been listening to a lot of bands from the East & West Coasts recently, so this Myspace Mix will feature songs from some bands that are a little closer to home for me…

Mark McKinney – “Bonfire“:  I dig this relatively new rocker.  His songs have the brazen attitude of Kevin Fowler mixed with the guitar rock of Cross Canadian’s more catchy Southern-Rock material.  “Bonfire” is my personal fave from this selection, even though his cut, “Comfortable in this Skin” contains one of my all-time favorite lyrics, “I keep my koozie just in case….” (koozie = party, in this bloggers opinion).

Chance Anderson – “My Song”: This fella plays gigs all over D/FW as well as Oklahoma.  He is becoming more well-known throughout and it’s thanks to songs like this one.  The title to “My Song” says it all.  I am all for auto-biographical songs that remind me of Chris Knight’s “Pretty Good Guy” or Charlie Robison’s “My Hometown” without totally ripping them off.  He has a nice grit to his voice that makes his tales believable.

Jeremy McComb – “This Town Needs a Bar”: This song is actually in heavy rotation on a local “Texas Country” station here in Dallas, so I don’t want to act like I just stumbled upon this hidden Myspace treasure.  Regardless, this song is a great example of what is missing on Top 40 radio.  He talks about being sad and wanting to drink, and even needing to cry (but in a manly, drunk way if you ask me).  The fiddle plays a key role in this track and that is also in short supply on todays hit radio, by the way.

John D. Hale Band – “Pistol in Each Hand”: Another in an ever-expanding line of great, rockin’, Country bands that would be so at home here in Tejas.  This Missouri band knows how to spin a yarn, tell a tale, bust a rhyme and any other cliche I can use to properly explain how I got hooked on this track from the first time I heard it (again, not on Myspace, it was on a compilation cd, but whatever, it’s on Myspace and now you know about it…..okay!!!).

The Mother Truckers – “Streets of Atlanta”:  This deviously rollicking track is from their awesome forthcoming disc, Let’s All Go To Bed.  The Truckers blend Punk attitude, Rock beats and Country twang as well as anyone calling Austin home these days (except for Alejandro Escovedo and Jon Dee Graham maybe, but that’s still high-company).  To me, the blending of such key musical vibes is the “Austin Sound,” and each of the tracks from the new album that are up on their page right now (“Dynamite” mainly) serve as good example of that distinctive sound.

For more Myspace musical-type musings, please check out another new favorite blog of mine.