Bring on the Brad

Continuing on with the spotlights seemed to be the way to go this week. I’d like to talk about an artist that I have a great deal of respect for, Mr. Brad Paisely. Since 1999, Paisley has released 6 albums and a Christmas compilation. He’s had 22 songs on the US Billboard country charts, and 13 of those have been number one hits. Brad’s successes show no signs of slowing down. He continues to release singles, and they continue to climb through the charts.

Brad’s music is mostly country, but some songs border the pop-rock genre, and always include a dose of comedy and some pop-culture references in the mix. I find it absolutely amazing the range of songs Brad can write (or co-write) and sing.  He writes some of the most amazing love ballads, including one of my favorite songs, “She’s Everything”. Brad wrote this song for his wife, Kimberly Williams Paisley (the star of the Father of the Bride movies).  He also has a number of songs that are quite comical. Alcohol was a #1 single back in 2005 and is a song that no doubt makes people laugh, and nod. The chorus goes as follows:

Since the day I left Milwaukee/Lynchburg, Bordeaux,  France/ Been makin the bars lots of big money/ And helpin white people dance / I got you in trouble in highschool/ College now that was a ball/ Had some of the best times you’ll never remember  with me . Alcohol.

This was one of Brad’s biggest hits, as it is often played in bars, at parties and is of course a fan favorite at the concerts.

It also amazes me how Brad always has a couple songs on his albums about a broken heart, a lost love, or a love gone wrong. This is interesting to me because for the past 6 years Brad is always speaking so highly of his wife and his marriage. I think it would be very challenging to take yourself out of the happy place that you’re in and go back to a time where you weren’t happy, or revisit a time in your life when you were dealing with a broken heart. Brad’s songs are all very easy to relate to, and you can tell how heartfelt they are. Many of them are practical as well. For example another favorite of mine is called “Waitin on a Woman”. Some lyrics from that are as follows:

I read somewhere statistics show the man’s always the first to go / but that makes sense cuz I know she won’t be ready / But when it finally comes my time and I get to the other side/ I’ll find myself a bench if they’ve got any / I hope she takes her time, cuz I don’t mind / Waitin on a woman

Anyone who IS interested that Brad Paisley is coming to Sarnia Bayfest this year in July. It is so much fun, a weekend long of concerts and camping, so check it out if you feel you can handle the twang.

I will leave you with a list of some of my personal favorites of Brad’s:

I’m gonna miss her, Little Moments, I’m still a guy, If love was a plane, Mud on the Tires, Ticks, Whiskey Lullaby, We dance, He didn’t have to be.

Here comes Kenny

This week, I can’t help but focus on Mr. Kenny Chesney. There has been so much hype about his upcoming tour, and probably part of the reason I am so excited for this tour, is because I will be attending it. Darien Lake will be hosting Kenny Chesney with Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert on June 4, 2009. I am officially pumped!

I saw Kenny Chensey at Darien Lake two summers ago, and it was amazing. It floors me that such a small man has such a booming voice. I also came across something on CMT the other day that I thought was interesting: 10 reasons why Kenny Chesney is the biggest tour this year. They are as follows

1) He paid his dues. By this they mean that some artists were overnight successes (ie: Garth Brooks) which is wonderful for them, but it doesn’t happen that way for everyone. Kenny, 10 or 12 years ago would be found playing at country fairs. He’s worked hard to get where he is.

2) He rode the horse. Oddly enough, Kenny wears the hat, but was never really a ‘cowboy’ until 2000. His dad was a teacher, his mom, a hairdresser, and he came to Nashville with a degree in marketing. Didn’t really fit the profile. In 2000, Kenny and Tim McGraw stole a sheriffs horse, and this was the first time that Kenny rode one. This story could have been responsible for his fame. haha

3) His tractor is sexy. Bruce sang about a Pink Cadi, Prince sang about a little Red Corvette, but Kenny chose to sing about a John Deere. ha, to each his own.

4) He is out of room for trophies. I think this one explains itself.

5) He owns country radio. Not literally, yet. Kenny has has 24 straight singles that have been in the top 10. Radio stations play a Kenny Chesney song every 1-2 hours, which is a lot for 1 artist to be played.

6) He’s a little bit of rock and roll. His songs can sometimes be classified as both, with means twice the amount of people will like them, technically?

7) He comes to party. His shows are so jam packed with energy and surprises, his fans never leave unsatisfied.

8) He has a wildcard, always. When Chensey does big shows with 3 or more acts playing with him, he hand picks ones he knows will be a big hit (ie: Keith Urban, Sugarland) and then will throw in a wild card to help boost up their media coverage and fan base.

9) He delivers live. The guy sounds identical live, and he is so fully of energy it is insane to watch him perform. Everyone sings, everyone dances, and everyone always has a great time at his shows.

10) He’s scandal-free. Yes, there was the horse incident, but that is minimal compared to what other Hollywood stars are up to these days. No DUI, no drugs, he knows how to behave, or misbehave and not get caught.

For those of you who are not country music fans, or more specifically Kenny Chesney fans, you likely will not know or care what any of these 10 things mean. However for those of you who are Kenny fans, you are likely nodding your head and giggling at these 10 facts. I suggest you look into any of his tour dates, as Kenny Chesney is a concert you do not want to miss.

And if anyone is interested, a few of my favorites by Kenny are:

Anything but mine, Got a little crazy, The Good Stuff, Just don’t happen twice, I go back, Livin in fast forward. There’s a nice little mix of fast and slow there. Oh, and one of his best drinking songs would be Keg in the Closet (in light of St. Patty’s day of course)

Enough to get me through

I am sure I am not the only person that feels now that is feeling midly depressed now that reading week is over and its time to get back to it. I only have 9 days of school left, however, in those 9 days there is an unimaginable about of work to be done. I use my regular outlets to get me through the stressful times (the gym, my friends, being outside, movies etc.) however I have recently noticed that through music I am able to alleviate a great deal of stress.

I may have mentioned this before, but I find that although there are many repetitive sad songs in the country music genre, there are also many different types of songs – I almost feel there is a song for pretty much any mood. So, what I’ve decided to do this week, is give some of my favorite different mood busting songs. I will do my best to cover a wide variety, but lets be honest – it’s the week after reading week and I have a ton of work that needs to get done.

Possibly the most important category right now (in my opinion anyway) – Stress Busting Songs 

Rodney Atkins – If you’re going through hell / Sugarland – It happens / Carrie Underwood – So small (my personal favorite) 

Pump it up partyin songs 

Sugarland – Down in Mississippi / Trace Atkins – Honky Tonk Badonkadonk / Brad Paisley – Alcohol / Kenny Chesney – Keg in the Closet, Beer in Mexico / Toby Keith – I love this bar, Stays in Mexico, Whiskey Girl / Joe Nichols – Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off / Jimmy Buffett – Margarita Ville / Taylor Swift – I’m only me when I’m with you

Relaxation beats

Keith Urban – Raining on Sunday, Everybody / Rascal Flatts – My wish / Blake Shelton – Home / Brooks and Dunn – Believe / Kenny Chesney – Don’t blink / Taylor Swift – Tim McGraw

Love Songs

Rascal Flatts – Every day / Kenny Cheseny – You had me from hello, Anything but mine / Eli Young Band – Always the love songs / Keith Urban – Somebody like you / Brad Paisley – She’s everything

and of course .. the broken hearted songs

Taylor Swift – White Horse, You don’t have to call / Keith Urban – You’ll think of me, Stupid Boy, Tonight I wanna cry / Kelly Pickler – Didn’t you know how much I loved you / Toby Keith – He ain’t worth missin / Miranda Lambert – Kerosene, More like her

I felt like this was an appropriate entry for this time of year, simply because everyone is probably feeling something different between stress, anxiety, or for those lucky ones, simply feeling happy go lucky still. There should be a song here for everyone. I know no matter what my mood, I can almost find a country tune that I can relate to and listen to over and over until it gets me through that mood (or keeps me in it if it’s a happy mood!)

 

                                                                                                                                                                                 

Little tidbits for the middle of February

First things first… the rumor has been confirmed and the talented, beautiful Carrie Underwood is dating Ottawa Senators Mike Fisher. This made me excited simply because I hope it means she will be performing more often in Canada.

The well known country couple Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton not only share musical talents, but they are both passionate about giving back to the community – in this case, to our four legged friends in the community. Miranda headlined a concert at Oklahoma’s Murray State College to benefit the TAILS organization (Texoma Animal Improved Living Society), with boyfriend Blake Shelton by her side.The couple helped raise over $70,000 dollars which will go toward building a much-needed animal shelter in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Miranda said “I am so happy that in this economy people would spend their hard earned dollars to come together for one night to support one cause.”
Moving to the charts this week, on CMT music video Chevy Cross Country coundown Alan Jackson holds the top spot with “Country Boy”, followed by  Brooks and Dunn ft Reba ‘Cowgirls Don’t Cry’, and Toby Keith ‘God Love Her’.

For the radio charts, our animal lover Blake Shelton ‘She Would’t be Gone’ holds the number one spot, followed by Billy Currington with ‘Don’t', and once again Alan Jackson, with ‘Country Boy’.    Alan Jackson is actually one of the reasons I started liking country in the first place, with his oldschool hit ‘She’s Gone Country’. If you’re in the mood for a little upbeat twang, check it out.

Totally Taylor

I know I have mentioned her before, but Taylor Swift is climbing the charts, and accomplishing more than anyone knew possible at the age of 19.

Taylor is featured on the newest cover of Rolling Stone, hitting newsstands this week. She talks about love and fame in her cover story, where she is repeatedly asked about her personal ‘love life’. Taylor refuses to admit whether she has lost her virginity yet, which I think is incredibly refreshing. She doesn’t confirm, or deny it, she just responds with “I feel like whatever you say about whether you do or don’t, it makes people picture you naked. And as much as possible I’m going to avoid that.”

I think its such a nice change that she knows she is sexy, she knows people love her, and she knows her talents. However, she still seems to remain grounded and modest.  I also feel she is acting incredibly maturely for her age, considering her lifestyle and success. Taylor says she’s never smoked or drank an alcoholic beverage, and has vowed not to go down the troubled path that other young stars have taken. “When you lose someone’s trust, it’s lost, and there are a lot of people out there who are counting on me right now,” she says.

Currently, Taylor Swift has 2 singles (White Horse, and Love Story) in the Top 20 Music Video Countdown on CMT, and will soon be releasing her 3rd single ‘Fearless’ off the album, Fearless.

Mini Tribute to Garth Brooks – Special Request edition

We’ve all got friends in low places… lets be serious, it’s a part of life. The one and only Garth Brooks tells this tale very well in one of his many #1 hits, titled ‘Friends in Low Places’. I decided to talk about Garth this week, as a lovely friend of mine requested some random info and an all about Garth addition to my country blog.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Garth Brooks, shame on you. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Garth is certified by the Record Recording Industry of America (RIAA) as the #1 selling solo artist in US history. As if that isn’t impressive enough, he has sold over 128 million albums.

Garth is the founder of the “Teammates for Kids” foundation, where “100% of the money raised/donated goes to the kids – It’s not a goal, its the rule”. For more information on his charity you can go to http://www.teammatesforkids.com.  Along with his Kids foundation, Garth has been, and continues to be involved in numerous charity events for a variety of causes. One of his more recent events was playing a show in Los Angeles to raise money for recent fire victims and for the future of firefighting in California.

With the few accomplishments mentioned above, and countless others that I have left out, Garth still manages to be humble and appreciative of his fans. He is known as the guy that has stayed after a concert to sign autographs until the thousands of fans were all gone.

In a question and answer found on his website (garthbrooks.com) a fan asks him “Does The magnitude of your popularity ever just shock you?”  Garth’s response was “Answering this question does not mean that I can agree with your compliments. They are very flattering. I am who I am, and I’ve always felt that an artist is solely what his music and his fans allow him to be. In short, I’m blown away.”

Garth has been ‘retired’ for some time now, but his success still seems to grow. He throws in the odd show here and there, and many believe that it is just a matter of time before he throws in another tour somewhere. The demand for his music is by no means dwindling, and with that being said, Garth will likely still keep making music.

Some of his top hits well worth checking out include: If tomorrow never comes, The Dance, Friends in Low Places (the live version), The Thunder Rolls. Two Pina Coladas, Calling Baton Rouge, Ain’t Goin Down, and Do what you Gotta Do – just to name a few.

Garth is no doubt a legend in country music, and will continue to touch those around him with his inspiration, his music and his heart.

Have you been listening?

What a big week it has been for the country music industry. First and foremost, I am pleased to say that one of my favorite artists, whom I saw in concert a couple of years ago has just released his fourth CD (yesterday, February 3) entitled “Feel that Fire”. Dierks said that each song on the album is hopefully going to take listeners to a different place with everything from  crazy bar songs to romantic ballads. The first single released from the album called “Feel that Fire” is steadily climbing the music charts and is currently placed #4.

‘The Grammy’s', one of the music industries largest events is occuring this Sunday evening featuring two of countries youngest stars – Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. These two artists, both under 20 are both talented and energetic performers and will be on stage together during the award show in what promises to be something you don’t want to miss.

Moving to the charts, this week Keith Urban and Brad Paisley are at the top in radio world with their new duet ‘Start a Band’. The duo combined their exceptional guitar skills with unmistakable wit and came out with a spunky and clever song you can grove to while stuck in traffic.

On the top of the charts in music videos on CMT sits George Canyon with ‘Just like You’. Not only is George blessed with a deep, captivating voice, but he is more than easy on the eyes for all you ladies out there. And to top it all off, he is Canadian… why wouldn’t you want to be a fan of George Canyon. Check out his #1 single ‘Just like You’, or one of his older songs ‘I want you to live’, in honour of all of our fallen soldiers. If you still haven’t given any of these songs a chance, maybe its time you should.