What Country Music Is All About

Bluefield - ”Butterfly”

(Country Thunder Records)

There are times when I’ve wondered if I have somehow grown too jaded to enjoy country music, then a song comes along and reminds me why I love country music.   Butterfly is one of those songs.  Written by vocalists Rick Ferrell and Jennifer Hicks, the song beautifully discusses, over the course of five minutes, a story of how a young couple unexpectedly finds themselves with the dilemma of unexpected pregnancy.  Where Eric Church’s “Two Pink Lines”covered similar territory, “Butterfly” goes a different route. 

While the song starts off with the couple planning on aborting the child, it goes on to, in a way that is not preachy at all, find the couple having second thoughts.  The lyrics themselves are so good, so well thought out and the use of the butterfly as a metaphor for an incubating child is a good one.  It’s a powerful song that people on both sides of the abortion debate should be able to appreciate.  Vocally, Rick Ferrell is as strong and unique as he was when he recorded his DreamWorks solo album in the early part of the decade. Former Nashville Star contestent Jennifer Hicks supports him quite well and the duo seamlessly blend their voices well (a la Little Big Town). 

Despite my personal appreciation of this musical masterpiece, I don’t know if radio will ‘get it;’ especially being a five-minute ballad and being pimped by the newish Country Thunder Records.  Still, I hope it at least manages to crack the Country Top 50.  It’s too good of a song to not get a chance.  Perhaps, even a shot at AAA or CCM radio is in order for the song.  It’s too good of a song to not get a chance. 

Grade: A

Truth in Advertising?

Chris Cagle – “My Life’s Been A Country Song”

Capital Records (2008)

 Chris Cagle has stated that his career goal is to have teenage fans crank up his music much in the same way he did with AC/DC.  When I heard the ”Anywhere But Here” CD in 2005, I immediately felt that he could fill a similar void in country music: just plain ole party music.  He even started out that way with the song “My Love Goes On and On and On…” and later “Chicks Dig It.” The song on “Anywhere But Here” that grabbed me was “Hey Y’all.“  It was a groovy little song yet somehow the label didn’t release it and instead chose to release ballad after ballad to radio.  So with his own statement and my own feelings about where Cagle could turn out to be a huge star in country music, instead of a ‘b’ or ‘c’ level artist, does he manage to do it with his new release, “My Life’s Been A Country Song?“ 

In a word, no.

However you slice it, “My Life Is A Country Song” isn’t gonna showcase Cagle as the country version of AC/DC.  There are a couple of songs that do come close.  One of them is “It’s Good To Be Back.”  I first heard this song on the little watched “American Band” music contest.  Former Warner Brothers recording artist Sixwire sang the song, which members Andy Childs andSteve Mandilewrote, and the judges on the show said it was radio ready.  And I didn’t doubt that then and I don’t doubt it now.  The song is a radio smash.  No matter who sings it.  Cagle sings the fast-paced lyrics quite well and it is a song that reminds me of his old songs. 

As good as the song is, the rest of the album slides into mid-tempo ‘love and loss’ songs or lite heartland rock.  Cagle is an engaging vocalist and, for the first time in his career, has recorded a record where he didn’t write one of the songs.  The lead-off single, “What Kind of Gone,”  is a good example of Cagle’s career so far.  It’s also a perfect example of what is wrong with country music these days.  The song’s lyrics find Cagle wondering aloud about all the ways that “gone” can be interpreted.  He then wonders if it’s a ‘whiskey’ or ‘a couple of beers’ night at the bar.  The song itself is catchy, performed well and produced just as we expect country music to be produced (it’s the best Cagle’s sounded, no doubt because he changed producers) but how many of these kinds of songs does country radio need to play.  It just rides the fence and doesn’t pick any kind of side.  That’s what’s wrong.  I generally like Craig Wiseman’s songs but his “No Love Songs” I just don’t get (even if the hook is pretty good).  The spoken verses are just too much for me. 

With a title like “I Don’t Wanna Live” you’d expect Cagle to be singing a stone-country song but what instead comes out of the speakers is a Keith Urban-like track.  The lyrics of the song, written by Brett James and Blair Daly, are fine but they really could’ve benefited with a few fiddles and steel guitars in addition to the tuned up Telecasters and drum loops.  It’s a middle of the road “I want you back” kind of song that doesn’t help lead any credence to Cagle’s hopes of getting those teens to listen to the record.  “Keep Me From Loving You” DOES manage to prominently feature fiddles and the steel guitar is mixed in the background somewhere and that, along with well placed b-3 and harmony vocals manages to recall the 90s era of country music.  It’s a nice diversion from the other tracks.  

Rhett Akins co-wrote “Little Sundress” and the song is a fun little summer song.  If “Good To Be Back” isn’t released as a single for the summer, then Capital Nashville better release this track.  The southern rock melody isn’t bad and the fiddle backed vocal helps set a fun mood.  Also, since it is an Akins song, the song doesn’t head towards Rascal Flatts territory.  Again with the title of “My Life’s Been A Country Song,” I expected at least noticeable fiddles and maybe a touch of steel guitars and, fortunately, Cagle and Scott Hendricks deliver.  As far as the lyrics go, Cagle should’ve done what Garth often does and added or changed a verse of the song (without taking credit) to fit his own crazy life, because he did go through some “country song” moments.  Still, as it is, the song is a strong, radio-ready song that bridges the gap of older country songs and modern country songs. 

In the end Chris Cagle has made a decent enough mainstream country record that has four or five single-worthy songs.  The “filler” tracks, however, are not any better than his own self-written tracks.  But I guess if his and the label’s goal was to get him back on radio then this album truly is truth in advertising, even if it often is exactly what is wrong with country radio. 

New Labels and Artists Still Smell Money In Nashville

With the news that Craig Morgan has exercised an option in his contract to part ways from Broken Bow Records, I started to wonder if ‘non-traditonal’ models for getting music to fans is the best way to further a successful career. That is, after all, what Morgan stated as the reason for leaving the label that he helped turn into a Nashville ‘player.’  But more recent news has come about speculating that Morgan has left Broken Bow for the ‘greener pastures’ of a ‘bigger’ label.  The rumor says it’ll be Valory Music Group (AKA the label created because of Taylor Swift’s success) but it could also very well be an actual major label.  Or, maybe, he’s looking to be a flagship artist for one of the plethora of labels sweeping into town to open up Nashville branches. 

Wind-Up Records is a BMG distributed ‘indie’ label that has found HUGE success in the alternative rock and Christian rock worlds with their artists like Creed, Seether, Evanesence, and Finger Eleven.  Recently, the label has started to branch out in other areas and  Eric Durrance, the former lead singer of Wind-Up’s Christian band Big Dismal, recently released a country music EP through I Tunes.  The EP, “I Lost It All” is only 6 songs but it shows that Durrance’s southern roots aren’t lost in translation to country.  While he’s certainly a promising artist, I am wondering if he’s just the first of Wind-Up artist to get a shot at country radio.  Another NYC label, Robbins Entertainment,has opened up shop in Nashville with Robbins Nashville.  The BMG distributed label has found success with dance music and now is hoping that Rockie Lynne can deliver some hits and sales as well.   Perhaps the biggest surprise of the labels ‘going nashville’ is major label Decca Recordings re-entering the Nashville scene.  A heritage label that once was home to Patsy Cline has signed One Flew South and sent him into the studio with songwriter Marcus Hummon to record their Eagles-inspired vocal country rock.  The interesting tidbit about the re-emergence of Decca is that it’s not affiliated with Universal Music Nashville or even Universal Records South.  It marks the third self-sustained UMG-owned label in the City, more than any other major recording company. 

All of this investment into Nashville by NY/LA based labels should be seen as good for the Nashville community as a whole.  With the influx of labels with true shots of marketing and promoting their artists, Nahville artists can get signed and offer their music to the music industry at large.  It’s good for the business and expands the chance that an artist with ‘left-of-center’ appeal, say like Mark McGuinn, can have a good shot at getting their material out there to the masses. Whatever Craig Morgan’s true motivation for leaving Broken Bow Records was, I’m sure he was feeling at least some of what I see happening in Nashville these days. 

Michael Dean Church – “Why Can’t You Forgive Me?”

Sometimes a single will come seemingly out of nowhere.  Michael Dean Church’s debut single “Why Can’t You Forgive Me” is one of those songs.  Michael Dean has built a loyal MySpace.com following and with his strong voice, it’s not hard to see why.    “Why Can’t You Forgive Me” is a song with an immediate hook and a humorous lyrics.  The melody is modern and the production is tight and crisp.   If given a chance at radio, Michael Dean Church certainly could have himself a big spring/summer hit.  As it is, the sub-three minute song is impressive.  Check out MySpace and what you will hear are a couple of songs written by popular songwriters like Brett James and Jimmy Wayne.  I have a feeling the young and handsome Church will have himself a big-time record deal sooner rather than later.  Michael Dean Church at least as good as Josh Gracin and Chuck Wicks, if not better. 

Written by Jeb Stuart Anderson and Steve Dukes.

Listen and buy: http://www.myspace.com/michaeldchurch

Grade: B+

The Worst Album From 2008?

 Laura Bryna

Trying To Be Me (Equity Music Group)

Equity Records has found great success with Little Big Town and marginal success with Carolina Rain and label co-owner Clint Black.  But they’ve failed to find much of any success with any of their other artists.   They’ve released multiple singles on former ‘big’ acts like Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Mark Wills, yet when it came time to release a new album from their stable of artists, the label chose to release Laura Bryna’s “Trying To Be Me.” 

What were they thinking?

“Life Is Good”  starts off the record and despite being produced by a well-known producer, the song just sounds like it’s a demo that was shipped to get a label deal.  Bryna’s vocals get processed up the wazoo while the whole affair just sounds tinny, particularly the fiddles and mandolins.  Talk about bad first impressions.  “Maybe She Fell” cribs the melody of Sons of the Desert’s “Whatever Comes First” to back a lyric that deals with domestic abuse.  The song is just a Martina B-side.   “Make A Wish” not only has the same name as a previously released single by Cancer survivor Kevin Sharp but it also cribs the same theme.  Where Sharp came off as sincere, Bryna’s song comes off as overwrought and unnecessary.  I have no doubt that Laura’s inspiration was in the right place, but the song could’ve been much better.   “Room 228” is a 3 minute bag of story-song cliche’s while a winning melody cannot save “According To The Radio” due to Bryna’s husky, Heidi Neufield-lite vocals (there’s no rasp to this Maryland native’s vocals).  The lyrics once again rival ‘grrl-pwr’ of Martina McBride.  Ugh.

And therein lies the problem with “Trying To Be Me.”  Laura really isn’t trying to be herself.  Aside from looking pretty on the album cover (and I’d argue that one too), Laura really doesn’t do anything remotely noteworthy.  She’s an average singer with average to below average songs.  I don’t see where this album has any true market or future.  It is a candidate for the worst release of 2008.