If you’ve spent ANY time around country music singers or songwriters, you’ve probably picked up on some mannerisms and clichés. Parodying some web sensation YouTube videos, Focus friends Carter’s Chord capture a demographic near and dear to all our hearts… in “Shit Country Singers/Songwriters say.”
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Adele Cleans Up, Whitney is Remembered, and Numerous Performances Rock The GRAMMYs
If you watched last night’s GRAMMY Awards, two things are clear: (in case you didn’t hear) Whitney Houston is no longer with us, and Adele cleaned house. And also, there were some (and by some, I mean 382) performances in there. Oh and this image to the left? Nothing but freaking hilarious.
If you happened to catch me on Twitter (@mattwilliams27) throughout the telecast, you’d know that much of the night was worthy of a good ribbing. Most notably was Chris Brown’s useless, God-awful performance, Taylor Swift ironically coming up flat on a note during the line in her performance of Mean: “…grumbling on about how I can’t sing,” a couple collaborations that sort of fell short, and a MIA Kanye West, despite his leading in the nominations.
On the other hand, certain elements will not soon be forgotten. I don’t typically comment on fashion, but if anyone saw Rihanna on the red carpet, they were probably picking their jaw up off the ground. And although I was sick of Whitney Houston references by the time LL Cool J took the stage, the simple, understated, and beautifully powerful tribute to her by Jennifer Hudson brought the house down.
Watch Jennifer Hudson’s Whitney Houston Tribute | “I Will Always Love You”
As did the highly anticipated return of Adele, who gave her first performance after undergoing vocal chord surgery. She absolutely nailed it, and received a well-deserved standing ovation. Oh yeah, and she went six-for-six on awards, including the big three: Song and Record of the Year for Rolling in the Deep, and album of the year for “21.” Bon Iver took home Best New Artist, which surprised many people, mainly because… no one knew who they (or he?) were.
The night also featured a fun, but touching tribute to Glen Campbell, featuring the Rhinestone Cowboy himself as well as The Band Perry and Blake Shelton. Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson performed their hit Don’t You Wanna Stay, and although Aldean’s mic cut out at the very end, they sounded fantastic.
The big story in the country realm last night was The Civil Wars, who took home Best Country Duo/Group Performance for Barton Hollow and Best Folk Album. They also performed a segment of Barton Hollow while introducing Taylor Swift. Taylor, by the way, took home two honors, including Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for Mean. Lady Antebellum came up with a (in my opinion) highly-contested win for Best Country Album for “Own The Night” over Swift’s “Speak Now,” Aldean’s “My Kinda Party,” “Chief” by Eric Church (who I wanted to see take it), “Red River Blue” by Blake Shelton, and “Here For A Good Time” by George Strait.
So all-in-all… meh. Whitney will be missed, but the timing of her death overshadowed the entire show. Adele was well deserving of her awards and her standing ovations. And I think we proved that the most talented individuals don’t need dancers, pyrotechnics, auto tune, theatrics or lip-syncing (although Katy Perry’s performance was enjoyable, and an obvious “in your face” to Russell Brand). Real talent needs a microphone and a stage, and sometimes a guitar. And for that, Nashville, we thank you.
Nashville to Make Big Impression at 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Music’s biggest night is upon us, and Focus on the 615 wants to keep you in the loop with your favorite GRAMMY hopefuls! Kanye West, Adele and Bruno Mars may be among the most nominated, but our hometown country stars make up a notable portion of the prestigious list as well.
First-time nominees Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton each landed three nods, as did past GRAMMY-winner Taylor Swift, each competing for Best Country Album. Newcomers Thompson Square have two nominations for their hit Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not, and The Civil Wars also have two for best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Folk Album. Receiving a huge honor, The Band Perry continues their incredible year with a nomination for Best New Artist.
Other notable nominations include Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter’s collaboration on You And Tequila, garnishing two nods, and the Zac Brown Band finding their way into the Visual Media category with Where The River Goes from the Footloose soundtrack. Click here to see a complete list of the GRAMMY nominations.
Nashville is well-represented in performances as well, with Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Glen Campbell, The Band Perry, Shelton, The Civil Wars and Swift all gracing the GRAMMY stage. Jason will perform his smash Don’t You Wanna Stay with Kelly Clarkson, Carrie will team up with legendary crooner Tony Bennett, and Campbell, TBP, and Blake will all be taking the stage together. Click here to see a complete list of the GRAMMY performances.
Who are your favorites to win? What performances are you most looking forward to? Let us know!
Focus will be tweeting live throughout the performance, so be sure to follow us at @FOCUSonthe615! You can also follow contributor Matt Williams at @mattwilliams27!
Album Review: Waylon: The Music Inside Vol. II
In December, Focus was able to cover the Waylon Jennings Tribute at the SiriusXM station in Nashville promoting the new tribute Album, “Waylon: The Music Inside Vol. II.” Well, now we got a chance to finally hear it! And it’s everything a true country fan could hope for.
Blending classic Waylon tunes with more contemporary production, the album features 11 songs covered by some great country names. Each artist pays wonderful tribute to the legend, while making the song distinctively his or her own.
One highlight of the album includes Mama by Jessi Colter, a heartfelt song she performed at the tribute that almost had Bocephus choking up. Jewel covers a beautiful version of Dreaming My Dreams with You, and Colt Ford puts his own rap spin on Only Daddy That Will Walk the Line.
Other standouts include Lonesome, Onry, and Mean by Dierks Bentley, I Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This by Justin Moore, and Love of the Common People by Josh Thompson. Each of these sounds as though the artist cut the original. I could certainly hear any of these songs making their way into these artist’s respective set lists.
Albums like this are a great way to introduce contemporary country fans to music they may not listen to. Sure, country has transformed over the years, but what better way to bridge the gap between the newer material and the material that paved the way. Not to mention, we’re keeping Waylon’s memory alive and well.
The album will be available for pre-order January 24, and in-stores February 7.
Waylon: The Music Inside Vol. II track listing:
1. Lonesome, Onry, and Mean – Dierks Bentley
2. Waymore’s Blues – Hank Williams Jr.
3. Good Ol’ Boys (Dukes of Hazzard Theme Song) – Montgomery Gentry
4. I Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This – Justin Moore
5. Bob Willis is Still the King – Jack Ingram
6. Only Daddy That Will Walk the Line – Colt Ford
7. Rainy Day Woman – Pat Green
8. Love of the Common People – Josh Thompson
9. Mama – Jessi Colter
10. Dreaming My Dreams With You – Jewel
Bonus Track
11. A Long Time Ago – Wyatt McCubbin
Jana Kramer Exclusive! New Music, One Tree Hill, and What Lies Ahead
We sit down to discuss her record-breaking single, what she really thinks of her One Tree Hill departure, and what superstar she may be joining on the road!
It’s going to be a busy year for our friend Jana Kramer! With the end of an era on One Tree Hill segueing into a blossoming music career, her star is on the rise, and Focus on the 615 is going to be there to cover it the entire way. We were thrilled to catch up with Jana for an exclusive interview. Although we were both fighting off illness, we had a great conversation discussing her music, her new album and what to expect from here on out.
Matt: Yesterday, your single Why You Wanna became the most added debut single in the history of Country Aircheck. Try to describe what that’s been like for you.
Jana: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. Everyone was going “yeah, you broke the record, you broke the record!” but it hasn’t had time to hit me yet! We kind of celebrated breaking it, but the fact that the radio stations actually came through and picked up the song, and the fact that we actually did break the record is insane. I’m excited!
Matt: That’s fantastic, and now the single has been downloaded over 200,000 times!
Jana: I swear One Tree Hill has the coolest and most devoted fans ever. And on top of it, the neat thing is, people will come up to me and say “I love your song, and I didn’t know you were on a TV show!” and that to me is the biggest compliment ever; that people are actually hearing me through my music.
Matt: That’s got to boost your confidence going into a debut album, right?
Jana: Yeah, what’s giving me confidence is just the fact that people like it, and going into the studio this next week [to finish the new album] is going to be exciting.
Matt: Let’s talk about the new album: What can we expect? Is it a simple introduction to Jana Kramer? An all-encompassing repertoire of your musical influence? How would you qualify it?
Jana: It’s me to the core. Scott Hendricks, my producer, and I wanted each song to represent some part of me, and I feel that each song does exactly that. I have my sassy side, and so I have a song that’s very sassy; and then there’s the honest, heartfelt song; then there’s the song that we’ve all been through where our heart was broken… literally each song I’ve lived, I’ve felt, and that’s what I want… for people to get to know me through my music if they haven’t already met me before.
Matt: You’re obviously a country singer, what kind of stylings and country influences are embedded in your music?
Jana: It’s country. It’s not too poppy, it’s more organic sounding. To me it’s refreshing.
Matt: Now, the common saying is “you have your entire life to write your debut album.” Did that prove true for you as well? How long has this been in the making?
Jana: I’ve been into music my entire life, but I never thought I’d be here talking about a “debut album.” I started writing when I was a little girl, but I really seriously started writing when I was 18 or 19. To know that 10 years later an album would actually be a work in progress… it means a lot. It’s going to be amazing, I’m just so excited!
Matt: So, we have to talk about One Tree Hill. Your last episode aired last night. What’d you think of the show, and how’s it feel to be done?
“I was really kind of bummed out with how the exit of my character happened.”
Jana: I was really kind of bummed out with how the exit of my character [Alex Dupre] happened. We didn’t know that we were going to get picked back up, so when we did, the shooting schedule was already in the process. And I didn’t want to wait for 2012 to start my radio tour, so I kind of had to pick one or the other… So they pretty much wrote out my character, which I understand, because they couldn’t shoot around my schedule. But it would have been nice to give my character a little more of an exit. But it all worked out, and I’m happy right now.
Matt: So it’s on to the singing career.
Jana: Yes!
Matt: Can we expect any more acting in the future? Or are you in Nashville to stay?
Jana: I’m definitely in Nashville to stay. I’m totally focusing on this, but if a project comes along that doesn’t interfere with music, I’d definitely do a project here or there. It’s definitely a part of me that I don’t want to lose.
Matt: After this album drops, what’s on the radar next?
Jana: I’m going to hopefully get on a tour. It’s nothing official; we haven’t locked anything down yet, but we’re definitely trying to lock something down very very soon.
Matt: Any idea who you might be touring with?
Jana: Possibly Brad Paisley. But I’ll be doing a bunch of fair dates and shows. I’ll be on the road pretty much the full year.
Matt: Nice! And I hear your debut video comes out next month…
Jana: I know, I’m so excited!
Matt: And sometime late spring, early summer on the album?
Jana: Yes sir!
Matt: Thank you so much for talking with us today!
Jana: Cool, thank you so much!
We’d like to congratulate Jana on everything so far. We are definately looking forward to the video, the album and Jana’s continued success in country music! And stay tuned, because sometime very soon, we will have the opportunity to sit down with her on camera to capture a little more Closer Look @ Jana Kramer.
Click here for our first Closer Look @ Jana!
Album Review: Looking For America by Mark Wills
Mark Wills’ newest, Looking For America is… predictable. Not predictable in a “Mark Wills” kind of way – because frankly, I haven’t heard all that much of his stuff before. No, predictable as in a “country music beating a dead horse” kind of way. Every topic of each of Wills’ songs has been done before, over, and over… and over. The album as a whole is by no means bad, just… we get it.
Yes, Mark Wills is talented. Yes, there’s certainly a market for it. But how bout a little originality? Maybe it’s because I have been listening to country music forever, or maybe I just didn’t have my morning cup of coffee; but I found myself getting close to the end of many of the tracks and simply hitting next.
Before I explain myself further, I would like to point out that there is one original song that is an anomaly to my critique: Phantom of the Opry. I like the idea for that song.
But here’s what I mean: The first song on the album is Rockin’ The Country. It featured such nauseatingly obvious lines as “Hey y’all, yee haw / Little bit of hillbilly, little bit of outlaw” and instrumentation that could be found in any old Jason Aldean, Craig Morgan or Rodney Adkins song.
I wasn’t optimistic going in to the title track, Looking For America. And sure enough, not only was it cliché with respects to America songs, it was cliché with respects to songs about the good ol’ days… the old one-two punch to the horse recently murdered by Rockin’ The Country. But just to make sure the “American” horse was truly dead, the next song is about a soldier! Ok, I actually really like the lyrics to this one; it would be an admiral song on a record with more diversity. However, given the circumstances, it didn’t reach it’s greatest potential. Not to mention, it’s on the album twice, the second time as an acoustic version.
Then we get into a song about forgetting your problems. Another good song lyrically, but it’s about dancing “like there’s no yesterday,” (just a tad corny) and nothing caught my ear about it. Following that were songs about heartbreak, being in love, heartbreak again, The Phantom of the Opry, and then heartbreak again. Actually all of these songs were well written, so for those who enjoy lyrics, this is a good album.
On that note, as you may know, an artist who writes his own music automatically jumps up several notches on my critiquing scale. Well, it’s no doubt this album has great lyrics; it features some of Nashville’s best… but Mark Wills isn’t one of them. He co-wrote one song, and it was the one I lost interest in. However, there are songs penned by Chris Tompkins (Before He Cheats, Voices), the Warren Brothers (Red Solo Cup, Anyway), Brett James (Jesus Take The Wheel, When The Sun Goes Down) and Lee Brice.
I would never turn anyone away from listening to this album, but it will quickly get lost in the shuffle.
Looking For America track listing:
1. Rockin’ The Country
2. Looking For America
3. Crazy Being Home
4. Like There’s No Yesterday
5. Rather Be
6. The Whole World
7. Smokin’ Gun
8. Phantom Of The Opry
9. Where Did I Lose You
10. Crazy Being Home (Acoustic Version)
Album Review: Love Don’t Run By Steve Holy
A review on Steve Holy’s newest, Love Don’t Run is a few months overdue, but it took him about five years to follow up his last album, Brand New Girlfriend with this one, so I guess we have time. A compilation of good ol’ country songs, Love Don’t Run is a solid listen, but I don’t see any track that will launch the country crooner’s career into the stratosphere.
Now, “good country songs” is vague and subjective, so let me tell you what I mean: Love Don’t Run has a versatile mix of tracks with predictable country subject matters: lessons learned, heroes, and love (obviously). The songs are well written, some with similes and descriptives (Like I’m Famous, Wonders), some with funny plays on words (Hauled Off And Kissed Me), and some with romantic emotion (Until The Rain Stops, Help Me Make It Through The Night).
The single Love Don’t Run was a hit, making the top 20, but nothing that will last as a wedding song like Good Morning Beautiful (although an acoustic version of that song is included as a bonus track on this album) or a karaoke song like Brand New Girlfriend. To be clear, it’s a good album! Just don’t expect Holy to be in the hunt for a CMA Award.
Now, since I am a fan of the songwriting, the one criterion that could propel my respect of this album upward is if Holy wrote or co-wrote the songs himself. And (Please wait, while I check the album insert)… he wrote four of them. Ok, not bad. And to his credit, many of those songs were the ones that caught my ear.
For those wondering, he did not write either of his aforementioned charting singles from previous albums. However, on this album, names such as Rodney Adkins, Kris Kristofferson and (wait for it…) Kelly Roland from Destiny’s Child show up in the songwriting credits.
Wrapping this rambling up: I liked the album. It won’t find a permanent home in my CD player, but it’s already loaded on my iPod for when the Steve Holy mood hits me.
Love Don’t Run Track Listing:
1. If It Gets You Where You Wanna Go
2. Love Don’t Run
3. Hauled Off And Kissed Me
4. Until The Rain Stops
5. Heart Of A Hero
6. Everyday Should En Like This
7. Wonders
8. Let The Sun Shine In
9. Like I’m Famous
10. Help Me Make It Through The Night
Album Review: The Best Of Rascal Flatts LIVE
You know the songs… now you get to hear them live whenever you want! Rascal Flatts has compiled a “best of” album of live hits; and although I would have preferred an entire set list to a random 10-song (with two medleys, so 12 and a half songs?) compilation, the album doesn’t disappoint.
I’ve never seen the superstar group live – mainly because I am not big enough a fan to dish out their asking price for tickets – but I’m such a fan of live music, I was excited to hear what they did with the songs.
The crowd sounds aren’t enhanced enough on the album to really tell what kind of show you’re listening to, but it’s pretty obvious many are taken from smaller shows, not arenas. A good idea, and a lovely setting for live recordings, but this is one of the biggest touring bands in the nation… give me arena energy. Having said that, the live versions really are enjoyable and the crowds are obviously in to it. Not to mention, the band sounds great and the guy’s harmonies are better featured here than in a studio.
As I said, there are two medleys on the album. The first is I’m Moving On, Skin (Sarabeth), and Feels Like Today… I don’t know what to think about that sample of songs. They are apparently just saving set list time by combining them. The second medley is their encore of classic rock songs: Boston’s Foreplay/Long Time, and Free Ride by The Edgar Winter Group. The thought of Gary Levox singing Boston had me questioning, but it’s fine… and Joe Don flat out shreds it on guitar.
They hit their big ones: Bless The Broken Road, What Hurts The Most, Stand, and their cover of Life Is A Highway. Missing from the album are Mayberry and Love You Out Loud, and I would have liked to hear Me And My Gang because I think that would be an awesome song live. That’s just me, but overall I think the song choices were solid.
One thing that can really turn me off from live albums is if the songs sound essentially the same as the studio recordings. Thankfully, this one gives so much diversity that it’s actually worth purchasing, even if you own every Flatts song already. Definitely worth listening to. Students earning online college degrees in music should add this to their collections.
5. Medley: I’m Movin’ On, Skin (Sarabeth) and Feels Like Today
6. Stand
7. These Days
8. What Hurts The Most
9. Life Is A Highway
10. Encore: Foreplay/Long Time, Free Ride
Outlaw Country: A Waylon Jennings Tribute at the SiriusXM Theater
Photo credit: Laralyn Drew
It has been almost 10 years since Waylon Jennings left us, but his music is still as influential as ever. On Tuesday, December 6, SiriusXM presented a special taping honoring Waylon Jennings and promoting the new album ‘Waylon: The Music Inside Vol. II’. The event at the SiriusXM Theater in the Bridgestone Arena featured several acts including Josh Thompson, Jamey Johnson, Waylon’s widow Jessi Colter, and son Shooter Jennings. Also in the house – and rowdy as ever – was Waylon’s old friend Hank Williams Jr. For the taping, each took turns playing Waylon favorites, sharing cherished memories of the late outlaw, and recapturing the magic of the tribute albums.
“At first, I didn’t want anyone to sing these songs but [Waylon],” said Colter about the tribute albums. “But these people love these songs… I couldn’t be prouder.”
The show had the element of a songwriter’s round, only with intermittent anecdotes about the country legend. For the softer, heart-felt numbers some artists on stage closed their eyes and sang along, embracing the powerful lyrics imparted by Jennings. On the faster, hell-raisin’ tunes, the entire studio audience began to clap and sing along, with Johnson frequently providing impromptu lead guitar licks.
Also present at the event were radio personality Carl P. Mayfield and legendary producer and songwriter Cowboy Jack Clement who both shared funny stories of Jennings. Mayfield recounted when Waylon stole his watch, wrapped it, and gave it back to him as a gift while on the air; and Clement reminisced about the time Waylon utilized dynamite to retaliate against a particularly difficult venue.
Josh Thompson and Jamey Johnson were two of the younger acts that had not known the music icon personally, yet have been strongly influenced by his music. Johnson references the man more than once, including in his song “Between Jennings and Jones”, while Thompson penned his own underground hit “Blame It On Waylon”.
Photo credit: Laralyn Drew
“[This] was very inspiring and nerve-racking,” said Thompson about being included with the others on Vol. II. “They played with the man… I wanted to make some changes [to the song], and I wasn’t sure what they would think, but they really embraced it.”
One such artist who “played with the man” was Bocephus himself. A longtime friend of Jennings, Williams Jr. had nothing but funny and fond memories to share, frequently comparing Jennings to his own father, Hank Williams Sr.
“It was daddy and him,” said Williams when asked about where Jennings ranks among the all-time greats. “That man was the hoss right there.”
Between the country music veterans, the new wave of outlaws, and the simple admirers, it was an event filled with great music and fond memories. Certainly, it was an outpouring of love for the late Jennings, but it was also a tribute to the music that has changed lives and transcended generations. If Vol. II is as powerful as Vol. I, country music fans young and old are in for a superbly put together treat.
Music City Unsigned: Family Christmas 2 Album Release Show and Christmas Party
Music City Unsigned – the promotion team behind some of Nashville’s best emerging artists – released its second Christmas compilation album entitled Music City Unsigned Family Christmas 2 on Sunday, December 4, and they had a Christmas party to celebrate it! As part of Nashville Sunday Night, Lightning 100’s weekly live broadcast from 3rd and Lindsley, eight unsigned artists were on hand to bring in the holiday season with great live music.
The first half of the night had a writer’s round setup with Marie Hines, Robert Kelly, Emily DeLoach and Jeffrey James all on stage singing two or three acoustic songs each. Hines and Kelly each sang about Christmas memories where they come from with the songs Home and I’m Coming Home respectively. DeLoach gave a soft and sweet performance of If I Can’t Have You, and James serenaded the house with Ain’t No Christmas Blues. All of these songs are of course originals, and can be found on the album.
After a break (and the consumption of several free Christmas cookies), it was time for the full band portion of the show. Gracing the stage this half were Andrew Ripp, The Co, Humming House and The Vespers. Ripp sang his version of the classic Jingle Bells, while The Co slowed it down for a beautiful rendition of Silent Night. The band also performed Keep It Together, a huge crowd pleaser at BMI’s “Jingle Ball” last week.
Rising stars Humming House performed their original Winter Dress, which kicks off the Christmas album. They ended with their new single Cold Chicago, an upbeat, folky number the band has just released a video for. Check it out here! Closing out the night were two brothers and two sisters making up the quartet The Vespers. With a great acoustic bluegrass sound, the band performed “the only Christmas song we know:” Once In A Royal David’s City.
Although two acts – Carolina Story and Jessica Breanne & The Electric Hearts – could not attend the event, their versions of classic Christmas covers can also be found on the album: A more up-tempo acoustic version of Away In A Manger by Carolina Story, and O Holy Night by Jessica Breanne And The Electric Hearts. The album is on sale now at www.musiccityunsigned.com
Although seeing these artists live is a real treat, the CD is equally as enjoyable. If you are tired of the same old Christmas songs and the same old versions, this album is a great way to break free. Not only does it showcase amazing talent, but the proceeds also benefit singers and songwriters who represent Nashville’s best emerging artists. Music City Unsigned is a community of such artists. The organization exists because it has a passion for supporting, promoting and helping artists in any way possible. And so should you!
