I should send out a thanks to Brian Robillard from Universal Music, distributer for Show Dog Records, for establishing a connection to the band for me. The following is my recent interview with the new trio Trailer Choir.
CMC: How did the trio known as Trailer Choir come to be?
TC:Butter - I’m a native of Ohio and had been in Nashville for more than ten years working the music scene as a singer songwriter with many different bands that I had started before Trailer Choir.
Crystal - I moved to Nashville, by way of Louisiana, right out of high school to work on music, and I was doing my own thing either solo or singing back-up for other artists in town for many years as well.
Vinny - After supporting myself by working for Sonic in my hometown of Linden , TN I managed to secure an office in Nashville to start songwriting and working the music scene. Butter and I met at these offices and became fast friends and started writing songs and performing shows together as the “Trailer Choir”…working frat parties and the club scenes in other states and across Tennessee and putting together an “all-original” show in Nashville. Crystal had been friends with us individually, and had been involved in many group shows with us and was a fan of what what had going on. One night Crystal felt that there needed to be a female harmony in a song… so she jumped on stage and started singing in my microphone… From that point on it all came together, and the three of us were putting on shows as a group… Shortly after that Toby Keith walked into one of these shows…signed us to his record label and the rest is history.
Here we go again, another sob story about regret and mistakes that have forced a man to pay for his neglect of love..oh wait, there’s something new here. This new single from his upcoming project could have easily been a radio filler had it not been for Blake’s amazing and impressive ability to take all the power and emotion he has placed in past works and put it all into one song to bring out the true torture and hurt of a broken man’s condition.
Blake’s character itself is far from new, he plays a man who has forced himself to try and find any sign of his former lover and, in the process of trying to reconnect with her, realizes all the mistakes he has made. As he reminds himself of what he should have done it tortures him more and more that his current situation is his own fault. Throughout the song Blake’s emotion builds through the verse and just explodes strong and free in the chorus. Nothing is held back at all.
While Blake may not really stand out as one of country music’s most popular men, he defiantly has the quality and experience to compete with the best of them and this song is living proof.
Sugarland has always been one of the most unique duos on the country music scene, filling the airwaves with new sounds and even an acoustic success with “Stay” that surpassed all expectations. Keeping with their unique style the duo of Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles release their third project Love On The Inside with an introduction to a whole new marketing style that has only been seen in books.
The duo have released a fan edition with more songs and possibly one of five platinum tickets which serve as their version of Willy Wanka’s golden tickets. On top of that the duo secure their new wave success in a vinyl record version of the project. However, does all this hype really fit the quality of this project?
It may be the fact that I am part of today’s younger crowd, but I actually find the lingo used throughout this song to be very uplifting and relative. That is what shines for the second single off of MG’s new album Back When I Knew It All. The song has Troy singing through the persona of a man who seems to have come to terms with life and is believes it’s time to push on and enjoy what he has, this includes him asking his significant other or maybe even a close friend or family member to roll with him, meaning come along with him for the ride.
This song contains a very inspirational backbone and although it may come off as a little cliche for some, the writing is actually quite appropriate and relates to a younger crowd of fans who will eventually make up the dominant fan base of the genre. Kudos to the boys for spreading an inspirational message with a simple and peaceful feel to it and at the same time making it relative and understandable to young and old audiences alike.
As 2008 edges closer to the holiday season new works of art from the world of country music are preparing to hit the streets in full swing. So in anticipation of a very competitive and dramatic holiday season for country music artists, and in response to many comments about several release dates, I have provided the release dates for some of the most anticipated albums starting in August and into September. I have also provided a list of albums not yet given release dates but are sure to make their marks when they make their debut. It is also worth mentioning that these dates are current, as of June 2008, so they are subject to change. I will try to keep up and make any necessary changes if required.
August:
What Am I Waiting For by Heidi Newfield (Curb Records), Aug. 5
That Lonesome Song by Jamey Johnson (Mercury Records), Aug. 5
C’Mon by Keith Anderson (Columbia Records), Aug. 5
Number One Songs by Merle Haggard (Curb Records), Aug. 5
Dawn Of A New Day by Crystal Shawanda (RCA), Aug. 19
Burn Your Playhouse Down by George Jones (Vanguard/Bandit), Aug. 19
Meet Glen Campbell by Glen Campbell (Capital Records), Aug. 19
Do You Believe Me Now by Jimmy Wayne (Valory Records), Aug. 26
Holler Back by The Lost Trailers (BNA), Aug. 26
September:
Sex & Gasoline by Rodney Crowell (Work Song/Yep Roc), Sept. 2
Notes To The Coroner by Chely Wright (Vanguard), Sept. 9
Sleepless Nights by Patty Loveless (Saguaro Road), Sept. 9
Carter’s Chord by Carter’s Chord (Show Dog Records Nashville), Sept. 16
Kristy Lee Cook by Kristy Lee Cook (Arista Records), Sept. 16
Joy To The World by Faith Hill (Warner Bros. Records), Sept. 16
Learn To Live by Darius Rucker (Capital Records), Sept. 23
Kellie Pickler by Kellie Pickler (BNA), Sept. 30
October:
Unmistakable by Jo Dee Massina (Curb), Oct. 14
Voice by Chris Young (RCA), Oct. 21
I Got Your Country Right Here by Gretchen WIlson (Columbia), Oct. 28
Undetermined:
Playby Brad Paisley (Arista Records)
Emily West by Emily West (Capital Records)
I Walk Alone by Lorrie Morgan (Stroudavarious)
The Future by Lonestar (Lonestar Records)
Carolinaby Eric Chirch (Capital Records)
Everything Comes And Goes by Michelle Branch (Warner Bros. Records)
The cast for the second season of CMT’s series Gone Country, presented and hosted by John Rich, has been announced including stars as diverse as a former *NSYNC member to a Canadian Heavy Metal artist. The list can be found here: http://www.cmt.com/shows/series/gone_country_2/series.jhtml
James Stroud, a well noted and established producer for such artists as Emerson Drive, Jimmy Wayne, and Toby Keith, has established a new record label called Stroudavarious Records. The label has already signed Lorrie Morgan, Willie Nelson, and Darryl Worley who are all currently working on new material to be released within the year. The label is also producing a star studded compilation project to benefit an Alabama town suffering from tornado damage. http://www.gactv.com/gac/nw_headlines/article/0,3034,GAC_26063_5905276_,00.html
Country Central welcomes a new #1 after Kenny Chesney reined supreme for two weeks. The site top 20 countdown has Montgomery Gentry on top with “Back When I Knew It All”. See the entire list here: http://www.angelfire.com/music4/mytop20/thisweek.html
Heidi Newfield, former front girl for trio Trick Pony, has posted three new tracks from her upcoming solo album on her myspace website for your previewing pleasure including her take of Martina McBride’s unreleased song from her recent album Waking Up Laughing, “Cry, Cry (’Till The Sun Shines)”. http://www.myspace.com/heidinewfield
For those who have seen my review of “All Summer Long” by Kid Rock you may want to also check out what The 9513 has to say. They take the song apart bit by bit in a fabuous take on the hot new summmer anthem. http://www.the9513.com/kid-rock-all-summer-long/
Keith Urban will re-issue his greatest hits colection and re-name it 19-kids after adding the special performance style track of “You Look Good In My Shirt” into the mix. For details on purchasing online and the re-release date visit Keith’s site at www.keithurban.net
Tim McGraw continues to push his 2007 well over a year later by releasing the title track, probably one of the most memorable on the project along side tracks like “Put Your Loving On Me”, “Train #10″ and “If You’re Reading This”. McGraw has hard a significantly difficult time scoring his usual top 5 hits lately and keeping pace with the likes of Kenny and George, so he shifts gears and takes a more uplifting approach in a lyric that has Tim stating he will let go of his problems and ease his own pain instead of holding on tight to his demons and his mistakes.
It’s no secret this song covers no new ground as far as writing. However there lies its only real flaw. The presentation and power behind it reflects its purpose nicely and brings back the sound and talent that has brought Tim to where he is. While he should probably consider releasing a batch of new material next time around, he has presented a worthy candidate for sn additional release from the album of the same name.
Former Nashville Star contestant Whitney Duncan has surprisingly been picked up by Warner Bros., the label that offered a contract to her season’s winner Angela Hacker and provided host Cowboy Troy and judge Blake Shelton to help with the decision process.
Although Duncan really failed to stand out through the competition, her high point was as a songwriter with her own work in “Skinny Dipping”. This new song was also co-written by her and has the same enjoyment and energy that her performance of original material on the low-grade reality show did. What also sparkles about it is that it takes a common idea from a song and shifts it into a totally original scheme. In the song, Whitney has offered her love to a man and only to be disappointed by how little he values her commitment. Thus we find her revealing his faults when it comes to a relationship and his unfortunate misunderstanding of how to be in love as well a Whitney’s regret for jumping into everything to fast.
Nashville star has failed to produce any real stars outside of Miranda Lambert. So it would be foolish to predict a successful run for Whitney. However, she may surprise. This song is catchy, well written, and simple enough to please the ear. She just may have a good shot if this song is given the opportunity.
Inspired by the outlaws of the old generation comes the sophomore album of one of the outlaws of the new generation. Ray Scott’s sophomore album comes from his own label Jethropolitan Records, having separated from Warner after the poor sales of his debut project. Coming into his second album listeners learns so much more about Ray as a person and as an artist than his first release. While this album contains many highly critical flaws, the overall concept of the project is respectable.
These days it’s hard to find a traditional singer who doesn’t try too hard to incorperate the popular sound of most of today’s overall music in an attempt to earn some easy recognition. Ray keeps it clean like the men he worships, Johnny, Merle, Waylon, the outlaws that refused to conform to the new age. The traditional twang of outlaw country and the attitude that supports it rings out in most of the album. Great examples are the opening track, “Hell Got Raised“, and his tribute to struggling musicians and dreamers like himself, “Crazy Like Me“. While they may not show his most creative side, songs like these make this album both entertaining and relative and help signify Ray’s outlaw brand of country twang.
The Trailer Choir are fresh off of Showdog Records boosted by popularity steaming from their connection to Toby Keith. So it is significant that these guys burst to the scene with a song and sound all there own that separates them from Toby and the other bands out there. They’ve got the image, as diverse as Trick Pony used to be, and the fan following, but do they have the sound.
This song, featured on the Beer For My Horses soundtrack, is a party song for the hillbilly, if you couldn’t tell. In an interesting fashion this trio manages to mix traditional country with some southern rock and a little bit of solid rock n’ roll to create one of the centuries more original country party songs, the kind of song that you would hear in the speakers of every truck you pass on the back roads of the farm country or on the i-pods of every tractor driver in America. With that in mind this is a decent effort for a first try. There still seems to be a little Toby influence mixed in there, but if they can polish that out a little bit this band may actually have a chance in this changing world of country music.
The new trailer for the highly anticipated CMT films release Beer For My Horseshas hit the streets. This summer Toby Keith makes his second film appearance in the movie named for his hit song, but has been described as not necessarily anywhere near the song itself. Only time will tell if Toby’s new movie, also staring singer/comedian Rodney Carrington, is as big of a hit as it is promising to be. Below is the trailer for the upcoming film. The album for the film will be released August 5th on Toby’s label Show Dog Records and will include Toby, Carrington, Carter’s Chord, Willie Nelson, and the new single “Off The Hillbilly Hook” by the Trailer Choir.
When you’re hot, you’re hot. Carrie Underwood has had everything up to this point that is needed to define an artist, attitude, stamina, beauty and grace, a great voice, exposure, and feeling behind every word of her endless #1 streak of hits. What she needed to complete her star powered perfection is a powerful, tear-jerking and sentimental song that is so strong yet so delicate it is borderline perfection. That is this song.
“Just A Dream” may seem like a strange song at first, but given a few listens and some attentiveness it is revealed that this very powerful balled tells the story of a woman who believes she is heading to her wedding with her lover who has been at war only to find she was actually going to his funeral. As you can imagine, the scene unravels for the character like a bad dream, to put it better a real nightmare. Carrie supports the lyrics with her most powerful vocal performance to date, not only showing that she is the entire package once and for all, but showing just how much pain, confusion and suffering is being felt by the woman in the song.
SO to put it simply Carrie Underwood has made a huge step into unquestionable country music superstardom with this one. No doubt she will have another very deserving #1 with this one.
Some big names are making waves as 2008 marches on into the second half of the year. Many surprises have been revealed that have made country music a very much more competitive and interesting race to the top spot and back into contention for longevity in today’s musical world. So I believe it is time to point out just who should be watched as 2008 continues on.
First off Keith Anderson should be watched very closely. How did this happen. Keith ran out of steam after “Every Time I Hear Your Name” became a radio hit. Now Keith is back with a powerful baled in “I Still Miss You” and the fun loving and energetic top class songwriter has found himself back in the top 10 after over a year of trying. This momentum has also stirred up the wait for his next album, which has been moved several times and is now expected in August or September. The video has also been making waves being put into contention in both GAC and CMT’s Top Twenty Countdowns. This interesting this is that “I Still Miss You” is far from Keith’s strongest push at the top, yet it has achieved so much more than expected with obviously little backing from his label. Impressive.
Toby Keith, despite his stereotype as a hard core honkey tonk party man, is at his best when he tackles a powerful ballad. For the first single from his upcoming project Toby returns to his prime with a single that stands out over much of what has been offered this year from the new and the experienced artists.
The idea of the song surrounds one single concept, a tear as a symbol of emotional release, only in this tune it isn’t Toby crying, it’s the girl that was once his lover and is now married. Toby’s character sees a tear drop down her cheek which reveals to him a release of countless emotions and realization in himself and in her. Toby begins to realize how much he neglected her and how she must have felt but held back, for many possible reason whether it be for love of him or lack thereof, and they both realize how much happier she is now and that she has finally fallen in love while Toby’s character is left alone and apparently moving on with a new sense of understanding.
What shines throughout the lyric is that although Toby’s character becomes weighed down by his own revelation as well as his former lover from just a single tear down her cheek, he stands strong and avoids crying himself. This makes the song interesting because it leaves it open for the listener to determine whether there is a sense of regret or a sense of acceptance shown as he contemplates that one showing of emotion that he never saw from her. Simple, yet slightly complicated…just the way I like it.
I regret to inform that the top 25 guitar songs of country music countdown will be discontinued. I have been researched another future countdown and rethinking the list. The list will be revamped and re-posted at a later date. I apologize greatly to anyone who may have been following the countdown and anyone who helped contribute. I do promise the countdown will be re-posted at a later date and I will guarantee that the three songs already revealed will be in the list, maybe not necessarily in their current positions.
Toby Keith, despite his stereotype as a hard core honkey tonk party man, is at his best when he tackles a powerful ballad. For the first single from his upcoming project Toby returns to his prime with a single that stands out over much of what has been offered this year from the new and the experienced artists.