I'm continuing the theme this week of women to celebrate Kacey Musgraves Same Trailer Different Park that came out yesterday.
I heard this song on the radio for the first time about three weeks ago. i had never heard of Holly Williams before, but by the time the song was over, I had already texted a few people announcing that I was obsessed with this song and to go listen to it immediately. Well, in the next few days, I heard the song several more times, her name was popping up all over Twitter and I even caught the video on CMT. Like I said, I had no clue who this chick was, I just liked the song.
Come to find out, Holly Williams is country music royalty. The granddaughter of Hank and daughter of Bocephus, her third album "The Highway" was released in February and fits right in the mix with all of these incredible female artists blowing up the scene in 2013.
This is the song, "Drinkin'," that first caught my attention, but I assure you, the rest of the album is just as good.
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.)
I've decided to do something different this week in honor of the much, much, MUCH anticipated Kacey Musgraves release of Same Trailer Different Park tomorrow. I'm going to focus on only female artists this week. I'll review her CD later after I've had plenty of time to listen to it, but I have lots on my agenda to cover this week so let's get started!
Ashley Monroe - Like A Rose came out a few weeks ago and I downloaded it as soon as possible and I can easily say I'm a fan. It is very classic country. I am not a fan of most Nashville female singers with the exception of a few and she is now in that select group for me. Monroe is a Pistol Annie so I was already exposed to her voice and her writing, but this album takes on it's own sound. Her lyrics are real and honest. Vince Gill, who produced the record said "she writes songs like Guy Clark and sings like Dolly Parton."
There's traditional country topics but still feel modern. "Weed Instead of Roses" is a ballsy one but it's done in such a fun way that even the biggest prude will tap a toe to it. "Used" and "The Morning After" both sound like something Lee Ann Womack would have recorded at any point in her career. There's lots of personal anecdotes hidden on this album. The first song on the album and the title track, "Like A Rose," is sort of an auto-biography song and lays down the groundwork for the rest of the songs. "Monroe Suede" shows more personality as does the humorous Blake Shelton duet, "You Ain't Dolly [And You Ain't Porter]."
While it may not have huge commercial radio success, this record will make you laugh and cry and give you your real country music fix all in one. I couldn't really pick out singles because it is a record that you can listen to start to finish and start over again. Check it out.
I think this is one of the best sad songs I've ever heard. Zane Williams and Kylie Rae Harris sound great together. KRH said in Best in Texas magazine that she loves singing harmonies with Zane and that they may have something up their sleeves... I'm hoping it's some sort of collaboration. I'm pretty sure there's no male/female action going on in Texas (unless you count Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis) so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.
I think I've said it before but I pretty much never listen to female singers, but Kacey Musgraves doesn't count. She's got something different that makes me wanna listen, she's not whiney and cliche and singing about the same dumb stuff as every other girl. She writes her own songs and is really REALLY talented. Like for real. Yes, she was on Nashville Star but that was a lifetime ago and I've been following her ever since. I think her duet with Josh Abbott, Oh, Tonight, is really what turned lots of people on to her and she is finally becoming something. She signed a record deal a few months ago and I can.not.wait for her album to come out.
My favorite song of hers is Step Off, but it's only on her WEBSITE but I found this other really good one on the YouTube machine.
I found this song today and even though I usually don't listen to women, this is really fun. Texas music is a tough place for women to make it and I know they have to work 10 times harder than the guys, so I hope this song will be a big boost for Kristen Kelly.
