Crooks - "Bar Stool"

This past weekend was a great one for live music for me. I saw one of my favorites, the Dirty River Boys on Friday night and Charlie Shafter Saturday. I have seen both of them more times than I can remember, but for the first time I saw a little band called Crooks, which opened for DRB.

When I heard they were playing I did the usual Spotify stalking beforehand to get a taste of what to expect. I liked what I heard but nothing too groundbreaking. But this is another one of those bands that you just have to see to believe. They started playing while I was still in line (Blue Light was PACKED Friday night) and when I got inside I could barely wiggle my way to the bar, much less see the stage. But I could hear them and I knew I HAD to get to where I could see asap. So my friend Emily and I grabbed a drink and headed to my favorite short girl spot... the church pew on the wall right by the stage.

PACKED.

Obviously I'm a sucker for some long-haired hippie freaks, so if I wasn't already in love with this band by just hearing them, as soon as I saw them I knew I was a fan. I could never put my finger on exactly what kind of music it was, because every song sounded different. And there was a different combination of instruments for every song. The guy on the stage closest to me went from playing guitar to mandolin to banjo to alternating between a trumpet and different kinds of shaker things and back to guitar.

They were just so much fun. I highly suggest seeing their live show if you like country, honkytonk, outlaw, or Texas music or just a good time.

crookscountry.com
Twitter @CrooksCountry
Facebook | CrooksCountry

Chris King - 1983

This is country music. It hits on all the classic country themes without dumbing it down or name-dropping or being about trucks. It's country because it's country, not because it has to prove it's credentials. Oh and there's a Jamie Wilson duet... gold.

I had never heard of Chris King until the past few weeks all social media was abuzz about this 1983 album. I got my hands on it last week and haven't been able to shake it since.This one is to 2013 what Jason Eady's AM Country Heaven and K Phillips' American Girls were to 2012. It may be too early to tell, but I'd bet money this one will be in the running for my 2013 favorites list.


Read some other reviews here and (sort of) here and here.  
Buy it. Listen to it. Love it.

Show him some love:
http://christopherck.com/ | https://twitter.com/ArtificialChris | http://www.facebook.com/chriskingmusica

I had to do some major stalking to find any videos of him singing something from this album and finally came across this acoustic version of "Native Son."

New Music - Adventus

Obviously the whole world (or at least everybody in my bubble) is going on and on about Adventus. I have been waiting forever for this album. In fact I've been counting down the days ever since I last saw the Departed at Lubbock Music Fest. Their first album, Indian Land was good, but I think everybody was ready to hear some original material.

This one is amazing. I ordered the vinyl on Lonestar last week so I'm waiting for it to come in to really dig into it, but I also stayed up and downloaded the digital version Monday night and have been listening to it on repeat ever since. It's everything I hoped for. Since the band had slowly been releasing songs on Facebook and Twitter the past month or so, I was afraid there wasn't going much I hadn't heard on the album, but I was wrong. It's way too early to pick a favorite but I don't think it's too early to say this one will be on my regular rotation for a very long time. Every time I listen a different song becomes my favorite for the moment.

I've read a ton of review for Adventus the past few days, and most of them were incredibly positive. I am not about to sit here and review this album because I would feel like a complete idiot, but I must say this one is probably the closest to how mine would sound (in other words, I didn't need a thesaurus to understand it). This one goes more in depth on every song though.

It's just plain good stuff. I may have cried when Ragweed broke up and thought the world was ending, but everything happens for a reason and if they hadn't called it quits, the rock revival that is Adventus would have never happened. If you like rock, blues or just good music, get this now.


The first time I ever heard this song was well over a year ago, right after the band got together. I stood by myself with a crowd of only about 15 other people who knew who the hell The Departed was. I had no idea what to expect, but when Seth James sang this song, I fell in love and knew it was going to be a long ride. It's still one of my favorites.

The Cadillac Black - "Get Your Buzz On"

The first time I heard this song, I wanted to hate it so bad because it's full of typical drinking/name-dropping clichés. But it gets stuck in my head and every time it comes on the radio I love it more.

I've missed The Cadillac Black the past two times they've been in Lubbock but from what I've heard they are awesome live so I hope they come back soon. In fact I had never even heard of TCB until they showed up on the JAB Fest line up. And of course I went with people who only want to see bands they know so we went after they played. I ended up hearing about it from everybody else who got there early and I've been kicking myself ever since. I've been listening a lot lately on Spotify and YouTube and they are just good old Southern rockers that I really want to party with. They remind me of the next Whiskey Myers or Blackberry Smoke.


Now doesn't that just make you want to drink whiskey?

Rich O'Toole - "Red Wine On Your Lipstick" and my political affiliation

This video came out yesterday. I'm already a fan. Mostly because I love Rich O'Toole and red wine but also because I love lipstick. Call me 64 years old, but this West Texas girl has discovered the secret to dirt and hair getting stuck to your mouth and it's called lipstick instead of lip gloss. You're welcome.

I loved his last CD, in fact it was probably one of my most played CDs from last year and I don't think it quite wore out it's welcome before he started releasing new music, but I'm excited to hear the rest either way.


Steamy. Who wants to join me for a bottle glass of cab now?

In unrelated news... did y'all know there was a presidential election yesterday? I don't participate in social media so I had no idea! Anywho... I voted. It may or may not have counted. Long story... I'm not concerned... I did my civic duty as best as I could.

If you're wondering who I voted for... here's my opinion on politics: I'll be voting for Cody Canada in 2016. And that's all I have to say about that.

Red & the Vityls - "East Side River Snake"

This song from Red & the Vityls has been on the top 5 most requested on the radio here in Lubbock every day for a few weeks now. For good reason! This guy's the next big thing if you ask me. Listen to the rest of his music and get hooked here.

I love songs that tell stories like this. This "East Side River Snake" just sounds nasty.

Warning: the recommended videos after this one are of real live snakes. Don't freak out like me.

Throwback Thursday - Freddy Fender

This is just good stuff.

Dirty RIver Boys - "El Pescador"

Last time I saw Dirty River Boys was right after I got their new album Science of Flight. Then I said something about wishing they would do "El Pescador" live because I thought it would be a big hit. Well.... I'm not taking credit for this, but they evidently have added it to their live shows. I know this for a fact because I saw them again two weekends ago and they did it! And yes I sang every word, because I know them all. Just kidding, but my friend Carter pretended to and it was hilarious, too bad the video I took of him got lost.

Here is the video I finally tracked down on Facebook from the weekend before I saw them do this song in Lubbock.

Lubbock Music Fest 2012 - The Departed

This past weekend was a pretty huge deal for Lubbock. I know that Lubbock has a rich music scene and has for decades, growing legends like Buddy Holly, The Flatlanders, and many more, but I feel like state-wide, Lubbock isn't necessarily recognized as the music mecca it really is. I guess you can't compete with Austin, but the kind of music coming from West Texas is it's own breed.

So what was the big deal with last weekend? They have done it before, but it's been a few years. So I guess it was the.... reviving?.... I can't say first annual because that is wrong, there is no such thing as a "first annual" anything (my news writing professor would be so proud). Anywho - 2012 Lubbock Music Fest was last weekend. It was Thursday-Saturday and featured bands from many different genres of music, not just Texas Country/Red Dirt. I went to the Damn Quails at the Blue Light Thursday night and then The Departed played Friday night.

I have been looking forward to seeing The Departed at Lubbock Music Fest since I heard about it a few months ago. When I saw them back in June at the Blue Light, they put on an incredible show. It was the first time I heard any of their new music, but since then a little bit of it has been released with the recording of their new album, Adventus, that comes out in November, so I knew this show would be chock-full of new goodies.

Another reason I was so excited about this concert and the whole festival in general, is because Lubbock doesn't get stuff like this! Sure there's tons of music festivals all across Texas, but not within a 100-mile radius of us. I've heard rumors that "they" (I don't know who "they" is) are trying to turn this into Lubbock's version of SXSW. That's a huge task, but I'm just glad Lubbock is getting some attention.

Also, the last (or maybe second to last) time Lubbock had this festival was several years ago and Cross Canadian Ragweed played. I've written about it before, but it was my first non-arena concert and the best concert I've ever attended to date. It could/would/should have scarred me for life considering I was practically a kid in a swarm of drunk and/or stoned college students, but instead it opened my eyes to what live music is supposed to be and I haven't been the same since. I have always said that that was the concert that changed my life, so to speak, and made me realize my passion for live music at such a young age. So yeah, I was pretty damn stoked, not only when I heard that Lubbock Music Fest was coming back, but that The Departed was headlining.

But it doesn't stop there, my good friend/partner in crime, Skylar just so happened to win meet and greet passes and tickets to the show from 105.3 and I'll be damned if I didn't guilt trip her into letting me be her +1! So we went early and got to meet the band and take a few pictures. It wasn't anything phenomenal and only lasted about 10 minutes, but that's OK because the entire time I was trying not to be crazy Aunt Sue excited. I got the picture and that's what we came for anyway.

So the weather wasn't entirely desirable for an outdoor concert, but that wasn't stopping me. The crowd did kind of suck but that's because everyone thought it was cancelled. I just wore waterproof mascara and faced it. A little rain doesn't scare a few West Texas girls. It was totally worth it too because we had the full front row to ourselves and a handful of friends and devoted fans. Not that I would stand anywhere else if there had been 500 people, but it was a lot more comfortable. We watched Red and the Vityls play first (great band, check them out) then The Departed came on a little earlier than expected.

I'm so impressed that they will play in the rain to 50 people and put on as good a show as you'd expect for a packed crowd in perfect conditions. They started off with Rosalie, then they played a new one that I'm not sure what it's called, but it's amazing. Neely Yates from 105.3 told me about it at the meet and greet because they had played it in studio earlier. It's basically an in-your-face, shut-the-hell-up and quit requesting "Carney Man" and freakin move on song. I love it! They can do all the interviews in the world, but the best way to get their message out to their fans, ex-fans, and diehard-Ragweed fans is through a song and I think this one does it perfectly.

Then Seth played their new song, "Hobo," which I heard last week and already love. I tried to find it but those tricky people already took it off Soundcould. I guess they are pretty literal when they says "this week's preview." I think they played a few more new songs but I don't remember what they were. One of them I do remember Cody singing and he used that mic that makes his voice all cool... it said something like "she had flowers in her hair, she had darkness everywhere...." Yup, love it. They did a mix of old and new songs, with Cody, Seth and Jeremy taking turns. Everything new I heard I loved, and I wanted to hear more. It was all pretty rock and roll and a good change from the last album.

They even played a few Ragweed songs, the usual "Dimebag" and "Anywhere But Here," my favorite running/angry-driving song. And they wrapped up with "Skyline Radio" and "Time to Move On." I kind of think they did another encore song but if they did, I didn't write it down. I was too busy trying to help my friend Keely get a set list since her cleaning lady threw hers away.

The show was awesome. Even though it drizzled on us the entire time, it was never so bad we couldn't enjoy it. I would have stuck it out either way. If the band is willing to tolerate in the conditions and entertain you, why not let them? I've got nothing to lose. I was looking like a wet dog when it was over but I had a blast and I would do it again. I still went to Blue Light after for Rodney Parker and 50 Peso Reward, but half the people there were soaking wet too. To me the rain just added to the experience! Now I just need November 13th to get here so I can hear the rest.

This is one of my favorites Seth plays.

(Me and Skylar before and after.)

Corb Lund at the Blue Light 9/26/12

This has been one hell of a week. Every day has seemed like Friday. Probably because I've been waiting on this Friday for months. Last night I saw the Damn Quails but on the most badass show at the Blue Light and a new CD is on the horizon (next summer hopefully, still not soon enough). Their new stuff is kick-ass. Tonight the Departed is playing Lubbock Music Fest and I could not be more excited... I could go on but I'll just re-live it here next week.

I got to see Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans Wednesday night. That made for a pretty awful Thursday morning, but it was worth it. Corb showed up rocking his usual punchy cowboy hat with a green hockey jersey. That's not something you see every day in Lubbock. But then again it's not every day there's a Canadian country music superstar at Blue Light either. My friend Carter decided it would be cool to give him shit about it the jersey and I guess it got to him because when Corb hit the stage he was in a regular brown t-shirt.

Terrible picture but that's all I got.

I almost didn't go but I'm glad I did. I didn't realize how much of his music I actually knew. Cabin Fever has been in my rotation a lot here lately so I guess it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.

Favorite moments of the night:
"Cows Around" - Like the cattle breed version of Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere."
"Bible on the Dash" - Recorded on the album with Hayes Carll which only makes it better.
"Time to Switch to Whiskey" - Yup, like the Kyle Bennett song. Corb actually wrote it and made it famous in Canada before most of us in Texas ever heard it. Corb's is way better and who doesn't love screaming the RYE WHISKEY RYE WHISKEY part over and over?

Throwback Thursday - King George

It feels so cliche for me to be posting a George Strait song. But I am still in mourning that the King announced his final tour yesterday. His first stop is in Lubbock in January so I'm praying my parents are quick enough to snatch up some tickets for my sister and I for Christmas. Lord knows I won't be able to afford them myself. I've seen him twice and while it's not my preferred concert environment (beer-soaked bar, front row, rowdy crowd), there's nothing like seeing a man that has been an icon for many generations singing hit songs from before I was born that are still played on the radio every day.

Nothing will take me back to my childhood faster than "I'm Carrying Your Love with Me" or "Check Yes or No." I can't pick a favorite. I have tried and I think it changes every time but is usually somewhere around "Blue Clear Sky" or "Run." It's impossible to pick just one, but I love this list Galleywinter put together last year. It's pretty cool to see what an impact one singer has had on so many.



ps - Sorry. This is probably the sappiest song I've ever posted but it just fits the bill too well. :)

Six Market Blvd. - "Getting Out Alive"

Yesterday morning I heard this song on the radio from one of my most favorite bands, Six Market Blvd., so I'm assuming it's safe to say it's their next single. Which is fantastic because I it's my favorite song, or at least in my top three favorites, from their album, Shake it Down. I'm ready for it to be played and requested on the radio 900 times a day. Bring it on.

These boys are in town this weekend and I hope I can catch them after JAB Fest Saturday because they are always a great time!

Jerry Jeff Walker - "Pissin' In the Wind"

I love this time of year. Everyone is back in town and there's tailgates, awesome concerts every weekend and a million opportunities to party every day. Whenever I'm feeling hungover on a weekday at work regretting having so much fun the night before, I just think about the good stories I'll have to tell. I feel sorry for the people who don't have that frame of mind!

I heard this song yesterday and realized it's pretty much the way I feel lately! But I wouldn't change it for the world.

The Departed - "Worth the Fight"

A few days ago on Twitter and Facebook, I started noticing The Departed retweeting and sharing statuses people had made about their new single "Worth the Fight." I didn't think much of it until I noticed the word 'agvocate.' It was really weird for me to see that word associated with music. I hear that word nearly every day. In case you didn't know, this ol' blog is just a hobby. I really work in the cotton industry and am getting a degree in Agricultural Communications. So seeing all these ag blogs posting about The Departed was like my two worlds colliding. I don't really know how this whole thing got started because this song definitely isn't out right about farming, but It's neat to see how different people interpret songs.

I for one know exactly where these people are coming from. I come from a long line of cotton farmers, my dad is a crop duster and my sister and I both work in the ag industry. It is definitely a fight. This video on cotton farming says it all.


Texas Cotton Association from Studio 84 Productions on Vimeo.

This weekend some really cool things are going on in Lubbock (which is sort of the reason for my lack in posts the past few days). The Texas Tech football game tomorrow has been named the Cotton Game. So I have been working around the clock at work helping plan and coordinate lots of different things we are doing in conjunction with this event.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetiz Zeros - "Home"

Do you ever listen to a song and the first time you hear it you have no idea what is going on, then you listen again a few days later and it's like something clicks and then you can't get enough of it? That's what happened to me with this song. It's so different from what I normally listen to but I am obsessed with it. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is one of the bands featured in the movie "Big Easy Express" along with Mumford and Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show. I haven't seen it yet but I'm planning on it, even though my tension span with movies is that of a three year old.

When I went to find a video of this song, I found their TV debut on Letterman from a few years ago. It makes me love them even more. They are just so weird and don't give a shit. Let's face it - they dance around on stage the way most people do when nobody's looking. I would love to hand out with them. Plus, their website is so trippy and cool. I wonder if my web design professor will let me copy it for my professional portfolio website I'm supposed to be working on.

Dirty River Boys - Science of Flight

So I've been hinting around that I got the new Dirty River Boys album, Science of Flight last week. It isn't officially released till September 11, but thanks to the Kickstarter project they did a while back, I was able to get my grubby little hands on it a few weeks early. Last week was full of new releases and I think between those and doing some swaps with a few friends, I wound up with around 200 new songs in my iTunes. Normally this would be a great thing, but I'm finding myself feeling guilty for all the music I've gotten because it's all been pushed to the back-burner as Science of Flight has taken full stage.

It couldn't have come at a more perfect time either because the Boys were in town Friday night at the Blue Light. After listening to the new album on a loop for about 72 hours I was ecstatic to see these songs and all my other favorites performed live.

Even after stalking them on YouTube for months and knowing a good handful of the songs already on this album, I'm still beyond impressed and it's now resting in my top 3 albums of 2012. One of my favorites right off the bat is the Tom Petty-esque "Heart Like That," a wanderlust tune that I can't get enough of. Even though "She" will always be my favorite DRB song, this one is close behind. They have a way of singing songs girls will relate to without being cliché.

Speaking of not being cliché, did you know there is such a thing as a summer song that doesn't mention cut off jeans, corn fields, trucks or motorboatin'? At first I was a little nervous when I saw the title "Summer Sweet Summer," but they had me at "I'm gunna take her by the hand, spin her till she's mine." This one has everything it takes to be the perfect summer song without being overdone. I think it will be a radio hit next summer.

Science  really shows this four-piece band's diversity with everything from a perfectly-fitting and well-deserved Townes Van Zandt cover of "Lungs" to the upbeat, jazzy "Medicine Show." Another one of my favorites is "Riverbed Wildflowers," a slow song about moving on and of course I love the title track - it's such a pretty song.

"Letter To Whoever" and "Road Song" keep my blood pumping and make me dance in my spinny office chair or cause other drivers to think I'm having a seizure because I just can't sit still. I think "Raise Some Hell" is going to be a huge hit live because it was already received well when I saw them at Blue Light this past Friday night.

That was a damn good show. The crowd was the best I've seen in a while with everybody being back in town now that school's started. It was the first time in a long time I've had to fight for my place on the front row. There was a group of "Man Fan's" bro-ing out on the front row and at first I was annoyed but I figured if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, so that's just what I did.

The Boys kicked off with the first track from Science of Flight, "Dried Up." It's got that unmistakeable Dirty River Boys sound and is one of my favorites from the album. It's fun to listen to, fun to sing along to and just a damn good song that a lot of people can relate to. They played most of the new songs, and even though only a handful of people got the album early, it was obvious that everyone loved the new stuff. They played a good mix of older songs too like "My Son," "She," and a really cool version of "Carnival Lights" that built up really slow and then finished off strong with the entire crowd singing along to every word.

Part of what makes their live shows so entertaining is the crowd interaction. If putting the "Dirt" in Dirty River Boys doesn't pan out for Travis, I see a very promising future as a nightclub DJ. He just has that voice and charisma and constantly keeps the crowd going. When they played "Boomtown," one of their biggest hits, he commanded the entire crowd to jump, chant and harmonize with the band. I doubt there was a drop of beer left in a bottle after that song because everyone was fist-pumping and jumping up and down the entire time.

They also keep you guessing. Constantly switching places, switching gears and going back and forth between Marco and Nino singing lead. I love that CJ always sings a few of his songs. You never know what to expect next so you better pay attention or you might just miss seeing an upright bass being played like a guitar. Hell, one of the best moments was the encore/grand finale song. They covered the greatest Old Crow Medicine Show ever "Cocaine Habit." I've heard many people rave about how excited they were to hear that.

There were a few songs they didn't play that I was wishing they had. "Six Riders" is one that I've been listening to on YouTube for a long time and I was excited to hear it but never did. Also, "El Pescador", the last song on the album will take you by surprise and for a minute, you may think you accidentally switched it to the AM Tejano station. I have no idea what the words are, but I love it. My friend Carter kept requesting it Friday night and afterwards we found out that it's actually Nino's dad singing on the album. I think this one could be a HUGE hit live. It would be one of those unexpected things like Josh Weathers covering Whitney Houston or Josh Abbott turning "Oh, Tonight" into that annoying song by Fun. that winds up being a crowd favorite.

I'm telling ya, this band is going places! I think this Science of Flight is going to skyrocket the Dirty River Boys into a whole new territory. They have such a unique sound, but are still incredibly diverse. They have a huge, loyal fanbase, but there are still people waiting on the sidelines that are fixing to jump on this bandwagon. If you're one of those - please go get this album on Tuesday and see them at your earliest possible convenience because it's time to get DIRTY!

Pre-order Science of Flight here, here or get the autographed CD and a shirt here.

"I never know what they're doing..."

 

Steve Earle - "Fearless Heart"

It's Throwback Thursday!

I don't care what day of the week it is, you can never go wrong with Steve Earle. I Ain't Ever Satisfied: The Steve Earle Collection is easily one of my most listened to albums, thanks to my sister who turned me on to it years ago. If we are ever in the car together for more than 30 minutes, you can bet big money these songs will be played. He's one of our heros.

Nick Verzosa - "7th Year Senior"

"Back to school, back to school to prove to dad I'm not a fool..."
Lord knows I need all the help I can get.

People of all ages went back to school today across Texas. I embrace this time of year because it means football tailgate season and the return of awesome concerts and festivals along with all the students coming back to town.

I think this song is pretty fitting and I couldn't agree more.... "They say that college is the best days of your life, so why would you wanna graduate?"

Merle Haggard - "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink"

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite singers of all time.

The Trishas - "Why"

If you haven't jumped on the Trishas bandwagon yet - you better catch up. I'll admit, it took me a while. It takes a lot of warming up for me to decide to listen to a bunch of chicks singing. But this isn't your typical chick music and even some of the toughest male critics are calling this one of the best albums of 2012 from any genre.