Down by The Ol’ Mainstream has been a not-too occasional feature here on the Knob.  My goal is to spotlight worthy releases that have a bit more polish to them than the normal music I blab about.

Every so often, I hear a tune that reminds me of how much I loved Country radio back in the mid-nineties. I’m not ashamed to admit it, I think Tim McGraw’s first album was good. Mark Chestnutt and Tracy Byrd were going platinum while wearing faded Wranglers and not concerning themselves with what stylists and label reps were likely trying to get them to do in order to make them look like what Tim McGraw looks like now. George Strait and Alan Jackson had yet to switch to auto-pilot, Dwight Yoakam was too big to play in even the bigger honky-tonks, and The Maverick’s weren’t merely a critical darling, but an in-arguably commercially successful band with multiple ACM and CMA awards for group honors, a trophy that now comically and repeatedly goes to Rascal Flatts. Sure, there was a good bit of slick and hokey fluff back then, but you could listen to the radio all day at work or whe you were out driving around and not feel like you were selling your soul or having your brain sucked out of your head (for the most part).

One of the guys I really liked back then was Daryle Singletary. He had some solid tunes that ended up being pretty successful for him. “Let Her Lie” and “Amen Kind of Love” were songs that really showcased Singletary’s rich baritone and also, would likely never touch the charts in today’s world of vapid chart-toppers. After listening to Singletary’s new album, Rockin’ In the Country (E1 Music), it’s with a bittersweet feeling that I report that Daryle Singletary hasn’t changed much. I really mean that as a good thing, as the new disc is an easy listen and brings back pleasant memories of seeing George Strait at Texas Stadium in ’96 with a bill that included Alan Jackson, Faith Hill (before her pop-diva status become confirmed), Rick Trevino, Junior Brown and Lari White. The bitterness of listening to this disc comes from the fact that the album-buying, radio-listening public has passed Singletary by. Again, that’s not a bad thing, if the goal is creating an album that is a true reflection of yourself as an artist. If the goal is commercial success, that’s not likely in this case. For me, it’s not so much that the album is some amazing, buzz-worthy disc that will help Singletary reclaim his spot on the charts by ushering in a new era of neo-traditionalists on Music Row, because I dont feel that will happen in this case, at least. It’s really the way that album makes me feel about how things used to be, compared to how they are now that hits home with me.

Songs like the title track, along with ”That’s Why God Made Me”, The Verne Gosdin staple ”How Can I Believe in You” and “Love You With the Lights On” – that song is a tad on the creepy side, but it sounds real nice- are what used to be called “neo-traditional”, and now sadly, are more likely to be called “dated” or perhaps more complimentary, “retro”, by your fans of current Country radio.

It’s not the best Country disc of the year – far from it - and the album will not end up on many “best of” lists for 2009, however, there is something to be said for making quality music and being true to ones self as an artist. Thankfully, Singletary employed the notion of creating something with actual meat on it’s bones and even some playfulness thrown in. He didn’t take the approach of forcing some feeble, desperate and slick comeback where the result ends up being more shameful than noble.

Zac Brown Band is up for an ACM Award for Best New Duo or Group...aren't they too good to win it?

Down by The Ol’ Mainstream has been a not-too occasional feature here on the Knob, but you’ll likely see it more.  My goal is to spotlight worthy releases that have a bit more polish to them than the normal music I blab about. Check the “categories” on the left of the page for others in this series.

As I have mentioned in past “mainstream segments”, there are currently several acts ascending the Top 40 Country chart that lack the cheese and schlock that many offenders have smothered all over that very chart in the past.  Jamey Johnson is the outlaw that has been missed, Joey + Rory are folksy traditionalists, Ashton Shepherd is the diva with a drawl and a baby on her hip.  Each of these acts have had some form of recent chart success by actually being…Country.

Even with the relative success of the acts I’ve just mentioned, Zac Brown Band has perhaps had the greatest chart impact of them all.  Their song (and my least favorite song on the disc, oddly enough), “Chicken Fried” was a surprise multi-week #1 hit and their follow-up single, “Whatever It Is“, has gathered a pretty good head of steam, in hopes of matching its predecessor.  Their album mixes Southern soul, fancy acoustic pickin’, laid back vocals and tales that just seem more real and homespun than most other slicker fare. ZBB’s cover of Ray Lamontagne’s ”Jolene” displays Brown’s interpretive skills aptly. The Foundation is unlike just about any album that I have heard from the so-called mainstream in a long long time.  The album was recorded before they were signed to a major label,and thankfully, nothing was changed or harmed enough to keep them from making a dent in the marketplace while retaining their soul. When I say that this album (and band for that matter) is Country, I mean the front porch/jug of whiskey/storyteller type of Country, not the line-dancing/mini-van mom/everything-is-fun-happy kind….

Down by The Ol’ Mainstream has been a not-too occasional feature here on the Knob, but you’ll likely see it more.  My goal is to spotlight worthy releases that have a bit more polish to them than the normal music I blab about. Check the “categories” on the left of the page for others in this series. 

I’ll admit it, I watched the CMT show Can You Duet this past summer.  This is gonna sound crazy…real crazy, but there was some serious talent on that show, and for once, the artists that had real talent ended up making it to the end.  I did have my issues with the show.  The judges (Naomi Judd being one of them) were corny and painfully obvious in their attempt to be American Idol clones.  Also, they manipulated certain teams to form new duos and I just felt that was a bit too much meddling and took away from the point of the show.  Having said that, a pair that almost won the thing and needed no meddling from the judges was the hubby/wife combo of Joey + Rory. 

Joey Martin and Rory Feek quickly signed to Sugar Hill Records and have recently released The Life of a Song.I can only hope is sign of things to come for Top 40 Country. Martin (the female half of the duo) sings lead to great effect with her sultry, twangy style. With piano and fiddle driven Honky-Tonk numbers like “Cheater-Cheater” and “Tune of a Twenty Dollar Bill” that have the energy and spunk of some of Mary Chapin-Carpenter’s hits from the 90′s (think “I Feel Lucky” or “Down at the Twist & Shout”) and slower, softer tracks like “Say Goodbye”, “Sweet Emmylou”, and “Loved the Hell” that bring to mind some of Trisha Yearwood’s more memorable ballads for thier drama and strong, emotional resonance (think “Song Remembers When” or “Walk Away Joe”).  Perhaps you noticed that the two artists I mentioned are ones that enjoyed their commercial hey-days in the 90′s.  Sadly, those are talented artists that continue to make solid music yet do not receive much attention for it.

I guess you could say that I am nervous that this album will not make the big splash that it deserves to make as a result of being so true, heartfelt and most of all, country. There are some great and fairly new artists that are attempting to bring some semblance of tradition back to the mainstream such as Jamey Johnson, Ashton Shepherd and even Zac Brown to a lesser degree. Perhaps with the addition of Joey + Rory to this collection, we will continue to see more artists making the records that aren’tashamed of actually showcasing piano, fiddle and pedal steel as primary sounds and not just merely background dressing. See? Reality TV isn’t so bad!

The band in question is Nashville based Lady Antebellum, the video in question is for the song ”Love Don’t Live Here Anymore.”  I often ask myself (aloud even, sometimes) the question of whether a song is genuinely “country,” but it is generally reserved for sucky songs by suckier bands (Rascall Flatts, Kenny Cheesy, etc…).  In this case I happen to like the song, and dig their overall sound, even as polished and sleek as it seems to be.  After a listen to their songs on their myspace site, I appreciated the stripped down tone to the live acoustic songs, yet still feel the weight of the question mark lurking above me ever so menacingly.  Critics have pointed to various qualities in their material that display sounds of soul, pop and even 70′s singer-songwriter type stuff, and I can see those traits to a point, however, which part of that is country?  I enjoy diversity in my stock portfolio (not really, I am not sure if that even applies here) and in my country, however, does a bit of acoustic guitar and some plain spoken, simplistic (not a bad thing in this case) lyrics equal country? I understand that Dale Watson’s Honky-Tonkin’ standards and Brook’s & Dunn’s sappy ballads can both reside in the land we call “Country,” but that variety doesn’t automatically grant access to anyone who simply desires to put their discs in the smallest section of CD’s at Barnes & Noble. Many people will call it “Contemporary Country,” and maybe that’s it and I just haven’t recognized it, as I detest most of what is blindly and ignorantly labeled as such.  Perhaps this band is a fine example of “Contemporary Country“.  Regardless, I like it, and I imagine that I’ll enjoy the entire album, should the unheard tracks provide me with a similarly fresh and vibrant sound….Discuss amongst yourselves.

I typically leave posting and blabbing about many of the more “mainstream Nashville types” to other blogs and sites.  I generally like to focus on acts that I feel do not garner the attention that they deserve.  In the spirit of new beginnings for a new year and the same hope for attention to talent that I feel deserves it, I want to occasionally spotlight an act that many jaded Alt-Twang-Red-Roots-River-Rockabilly fans will appreciate, regardless of the artists current address or label.  Also, I have never agreed or taken part in blanket, blind “Nashville Bashing,” as there is a surplus of true grit and twangy sparkle to go ’round in Music City.  I have long felt many of the major labels and large corporate radio conglomerates have teamed together to drastically, and in many ways, negatively alter the definition of what America refers to as “Country Music.”  Having said that, plenty of quality, independently-minded artists slip through the seat belts of soccer moms’ mini-vans to break free of what has become known as “Country” and still find a way to be progressive, aggressive, and true to the Real Country label that is stamped upon it.

I’ll start off with an easy one to get us started, Gary Allan.  Much has been written about the California native regarding the tragic suicide of his wife three years ago, his gritty, edgy voice and his penchant for picking the songs that are “too country” for many other Nashville acts.  I particularly appreciate his tendency to pick songs from some of Texas’ best writers, as he has recorded cuts from Bruce Robison, Todd Snider and Radney Foster.  I have to admit, as much as I have liked most of Allan’s radio hits (“Smoke Rings in the Dark,” ”It would be You,” “Songs About Rain”, etc..),  I have never broken down and actually purchased one of his cd’s.  That all changed with his most recent offering, Living Hard.  While many folks and blogs have told me that this disc isn’t his best and is softer around the edges than usual, I have enjoyed it for that very same reason.   I love the sunny-sleek choruses that remind me of some of the better Country-Rock that California produced in the 70′s as “She’s So California” takes advantage of all the hyperbole that the Sunshine State has to offer. ”Watching Airplanes” is the lead single and is a good mid-tempo ditty that has a chorus laced with super glue as it will stick in yo’ brain all day. I will say that I would’ve like to have heard something like “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey” from his previous Alright Guy disc, but I doubt that it would’ve actually had a place on this collection as it’s hardwood scootin’, good time feel isn’t what this disc is about.  This disc is an example to all the Keith Urban wannabes out there as to how to blend jagged with polish and not sound like you just swallowed a rainbow and you want to share with the world how it tastes so sweet and ponies are so soft and furry.  “We Touched the Sun,” “Wrecking Ball” and the title track all display a sonic that rocks while the lyrics ache without seeping sentimentality. 

As I poke around Itunes I notice that many of Allan’s deeper album cuts are as strong, and more so in certain cases, as the bigger hits of his career.  “Just got Back From Hell” from his Tough All Over album is relayed to us from a true and believable perspective as he lets the Devil know that he will “…just have to wait.”  Thankfully, he did make it back, and has seemingly overcome such depths and is looking forward, perhaps as he is “Watching Airplanes” (sorry, I couldn’t help it)….

She’s So California: Live