Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park

It's here, it's HERE!!!

I have been waiting on this record for years. I remember being a Kacey Musgraves fan all the way back to when she was on Nashville Star way back in 2007. She only placed seventh, but she was my favorite because she was from Texas. Then several years later her voiced showed up on Josh Abbott's, "Oh, Tonight." About a year and a half ago at a JAB concert here in Lubbock (for KA Kalf Fry, I think), she came out on stage to sing that song with him and she stayed on to sing a song she wrote called "Mama's Broken Heart," which is now Miranda Lambert's current single. I have been stalking Kacey on YouTube for a long time so I knew it and I sang along and nobody I knew had a clue who she was. (Cool story bro.)

I can't wait to see where this album takes her. I think she is going to shake things up in mainstream country music. A lot of her songs are about small town life. But like, the REAL small town life. You know, ex-husband's in the pen and dead-end waitress jobs and trailer parks. Not one mention of dirt roads, beer drinkin or tractors. She doesn't even have to name drop on this album, but if she did, it wouldn't be Joe Diffie, it would be John Prine (who most "country" fans will have to Google anyway). Her songwriting is so fresh and creative and 100% what country music needs right now, in my humble opinion.

This record is about the lyrics. The band isn't overplayed and her vocals aren't going to blow you away. It makes it so much easier to focus on the writing, which is the real star here. And honestly, some of her songs that I would consider her best didn't even make the record. Go look her up on YouTube and see what I mean. (I helped you out already with a few links up above.)

Right now the newness of Same Trailer Different Park hasn't worn off but I guarantee it's in the running for my favorite album of 2013, and it's only March. "Blowing Smoke" is my favorite right now because I can relate to it the most. "Stupid" is as catchy as any Nashville radio hit but with more substance. Then there's "Follow You Arrow," and if you don't like that song, then you're the exact person who needs to hear it - same goes for "Silver Lining." Of course by now every one has heard and loves "Merry Go 'Round." "Dandelion" is Kacey's clever songwriting at it's finest, and "My House" is like the more upbeat version of Miranda's "Airstream Song," which I doodle the lyrics of on my notes every day along with my airstream day dream.

Go buy this record. I won't even tell you to preview it first because you need to just buy it and listen to it.

(I love hearing the crowd's reaction on this video.)

Oh, and did I mention she's adorable??

Pistol Annies - Takin' Pills

I accidentally watched the CMT Awards the other day. By accidentally, I mean I turned on the TV (which rarely happens) and couldn't find a single episode of Friends, Seinfeld, or My Strange Addiction. TLC is right next to CMT on my channels, so it really was an accident. And I got sucked in. It was like a train-wreck... it hurt to watch but I couldn't look away. The only thing that made it bearable was making fun of it. I nearly made it into a drinking game - drink for every male wearing  skinny jeans and for every solo cup reference - but decided I'd probably die of alcohol poisoning after the first hour.

There was a handful... no, not even a handful... a pinch of performances that didn't make me cringe. One of those was the Pistol Annies. Miranda Lambert has always been my idol as far as style, music, and her overall Texan image. But with this whole super-couple thing and Blake Shelton more or less selling out, I feel like she's teetering on the edge. Either way, she's still the closest thing to real in Nashville these days and I think this Pistol Annies project is genius. I hope she can help popularize real country because she is the hottest thing in town right now and if anyone can do it, it's gotta be her and it's gotta be now.

These girls ain't singing about the hunky-dory bubble-gum shit that other girls are. It's about drinking and burning down houses and being bad and desperate and just... real shit. I like that. Plus they are adorable. They make it cute to be a little trashy and who doesn't want to be able to pull that off? I hope they continue to grow and keep on making good music.

Here's their performance from the other night. This song reminds me of me and two of my best girlfriends. Guess which one I am.

Videos I love: Cody Canada and Miranda Lambert

My favorite male singer + my favorite female singer combined singing one of my all time favorite songs. Does it get any better?

Lovely Ladies: Miranda and Kelly

This is just fun! I love both of them. Real women with gorgeous strong voices.

Favorite 10 of '11

Everywhere I look, there are lists of the best songs of 2011. It has really gotten me thinking so I guess I should do a list of my own. I obviously don't know jack about music or what goes into a song so my list isn't about which one is the "best" or whatever, it's just a list of the albums I listened to the most. If I played the CD over and over without getting sick of it, it's on this list. Albums with staying power are few and far between and with bands putting out new music as frequently as they do (with the exception of Stoney LaRue, wtf man?), it's kind of a big deal if I listen to any album all the way through more than 2 or 3 times. So, here goes nothin'.

10- Reckless Kelly, Good Luck and True Love
I wasn't the biggest fan of the last album they put out, but I felt like this one went back to the true Reckless Kelly sound.




9- Brandon Rhyder, Live at Billy Bob's
I love Brandon Rhyder so this one is a no-brainer to me. I love the mix of old and new songs and I think Shine is probably the most played song on my Spotify.




8- Adam Hood, The Shape of Things
Just plain fun, love just about every song on it. This Alabama boy brings a different groove (no pun intended) to Texas music.




7- Stoney LaRue, Velvet
I think a lot of people were disappointed that it wasn't old-school Stoney circa Oklahoma Breakdown and One Chord Song, but after waiting more than 6 years for an album I would expect something completely new, which is what we got and I approve! (The autographed CD thanks to Galleywinter didn't hurt either...)




6- Sunny Sweeney, Concrete
This album has everything a girl needs, and probably lots of guys too. I think it's great that she's taking her music nation-wide because music like this needs to be shared and the more the merrier. No pop-country-glitter-and-glam here, she's the real deal. (And I'd love to tap into her stash of Merle Haggard tshirts..)




5- Cody Canada and the Departed, This is Indian Land
This filled the void in my heart where Ragweed used to be. Also one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Can't wait to hear more from these guys.




4- Rich O'Toole, Kiss of a Liar
Definitely his best album yet. This one got me through many long days driving to and from work this past summer and I still love to listen to it.




3- Miranda Lambert, Four the Record
Anything Miranda touches turns to gold and this was her year for sure. It will be a long, long time before I put this CD down.




2- The Damn Quails, Down the Hatch
The best new act of 2011. If you need to hear anything else, go read every.single.other.list because I promise they are in the top 5.




1- Whiskey Myers, Firewater
I think this one is going unnoticed in all these lists because it was released earlier in the year, but I still listen to it weekly. I love every song on it and it will never get old. I'm pretty sure it was the only thing I listened to for months after it came out and I will still be listening to it for years to come. No doubt that it was my number 1 album of 2011.

Honorable mentions: Pistol Annies, Hell on Heels; Micky and the Motorcars, Raise My Glass; Mike McClure, Fifty Billion;  Hayes Carll, KMAG YOYO; Zack Walther Band, Into the Fray; Ryan Beaver, Constant.

Concert: Miranda Lambert

*Originally posted May 3, 2011*

I can't wait any longer! I have to blog about the Miranda Lambert concert I went to Friday night with my best friends. I can't believe I have gone this long without seeing her in concert. She is one of my favorite artists and absolutely my favorite female artist.

  

Friday night was the night and we sprayed on the hair spray, layered on our chunkiest, junkiest jewelry, threw on our boots, but didn't wear lip gloss.. why? Because the wind was blowing 143 mph and we had to walk across Texas to get to this thing. And West Texas girls know better than to wear lip gloss in the Spring.

Amen.

I went with my two best friends, one old and one new, my sister's best friend and my sister met us there. We watched the first show, which was Josh Kelly and he was less than impressive (sorry, your a real cute kid, but you've got a long ways to go.) Then Justin Moore came on, he is such a little guy but he was pretty good live. He's a very hokey-pokey Nashville for my taste, and I definitely think Miranda could have found someone to compliment her music better but whatevs.

Finally, Miranda came out and I didn't want to sit down for two hours. I wished so bad I could have been down on the floor by the stage because there wasn't a jumbo tron and we didn't have the best seats in the world. 

What I loved about her show is the stage was bare except for her and the band, she didn't have any fancy lights or tricks, she simply walked out on the stage and began singing. She is one of the few artists that hasn't sold her soul to the Nashville execs, she is still true to herself and is all about the music. She did not let me down.

She kicked off the show with Only Prettier, which got us girls all fired up. Then went in to singing her other more well-known songs. Of course, my favorite Ran song is Kerosene. For some reason the songs I love most at concerts are when the artists play cover songs that I know. She started off a song that I didn't recognize as one of hers right off the bat so I thought she was pulling something new out. But I was pleasantly surprised when I recognized the tune.... Steve Earle's Hillbilly Highway. What a perfect combination!! Two of my favorites in one. 

She also played Rick Derringer's Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo, which was so fun. And went straight from Famous in a Small Town to Hal Ketchum's Small Town Saturday Night. Clever! I had heard rumors that she sings Haggard's Silver Wings in her show and I was looking forward to it and was disappointed that she didn't play that one. However, at the end of her show, Miranda brought back out Josh and Justin for a grand finale of the three of them singing the original CCR, Creedence Clearwater Revival's Travelin' Band. LOVED IT!

I really loved that Miranda told us she played her next to last show as a single lady here in Lubbock and her last show will be in her hometown. Made us feel special. She is getting married to good Mr. Blake Shelton this weekend I believe.

I can't wait to see/hear more of Miranda Lambert in the next few years and I'm sure her music career will last a long long time because is so down to earth and true to her roots.

Not bad for a stadium type concert, and definitely tops my list of inside, sit-down concerts.