Who?--Wow!

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)


By now, anyone who reads this blog knows that I really don't like "cookie-cutter" music; that stuff that all sounds the same and can be done by anyone.  I like distinct voices that I can recognize, and music that makes me pay attention to it.  It's part of why I like overnight radio, it's when listeners get to hear more of the new music and new artists than get played at other times of the day.

One new song that caught my attention is called "Merry Go 'Round".  The first time I heard it, I loved it, and was positive I knew who sang it.  I was so positive in fact, that I didn't even look it up on KUPL's playlist, to be sure I was right.  Yep, the voice *I* heard, combined with the subject matter, had me convinced "Merry Go 'Round" was by Miranda Lambert.

As it turns out, the song got played during Lola's time slot on KUPL, and she mentioned the song was by new artist, Kacey Musgraves.  Who?  Never heard of her; but there it was, Kacey Musgraves, not Miranda Lambert, does this cool tune.

Another new song on overnights is Montgomery Gentry's "I'll Keep the Kids".  Again, this was a song where I recognized the voices immediately; though I did go check KUPL's playlist this time, just to be sure.

What really caught my attention with this tune was the delivery and the wording.  While the delivery is somewhat quiet, and low-key, the wording carries a direct one-two punch to every part of the listener.  The lines of the song refer to the singer's "dad's old guitar", "grandma's ring", and other momentos the wife is wanting in the break-up.  There are also references to being "hit below the belt", with some of the requests, etc.  Then the tables turn a bit when the lyrics mention that the wife has asked for all these material things, yet not mentioned the children; thus the line, "I'll keep the kids".  Basically, "take anything you want, but if you're not going to say anything about the kids, then they're mine".

Rather than being curious as to whether this song was actually by MG, I was more curious to see who'd written "I'll Take The Kids".  As I suspected, it was written by Eddie Montgomery, while he was going through his divorce.  No surprise there; what had me saying "wow", was the intensity of the lyrics.  This is one of those songs that, even if it was done more "in your face", and louder, would still send the same message.  The fact it *is* so quiet and low-key is what makes the song even better.

Though these are only two of the new tunes out to radio, I think there may be a pattern brewing here.  The light-hearted tunes of summer are making way for the darker songs of the fall.

Though a bit depressing, here's hoping both these songs make it on the country music charts.

Blake Shelton's "Well Lit & Amplified" Tour--March 11, 2012

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and STRIKETHROUGH.)


Sunday, March 11, 2012 Blake Shelton brought his "Well Lit & Amplified" tour to the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon.

Dia Frampton, runner-up on season one of "The Voice", got the music started.

Frampton looked at ease, singing and roaming the stage barefoot. Though at times the music drowned her out, Dia's voice did shine through beautifully for the most part.

After a short break, Justin Moore was next up. It occurred to me that I've always thought Moore sounds quite a bit like Blake Shelton; and now I was seeing them both in the same evening.

Moore rolled out all his hits, as well as covers of others. Like Dia Frampton before him, there were times Moore's voice was overshadowed by the music. For the most part though, his performance was great.

Another short break, and it was time for headliner, Blake Shelton.

The first time I saw Blake Shelton was eleven years ago, at the Ponderosa Lounge in Portland, Oregon. He was a 25 year old kid, with long hair, beautiful blue eyes, and one hit, "Austin". At the time, Blake seemed a bit shy, though he was friendly to everyone who met him that night.

The next time I saw him, the venue was a bit bigger, the Tillamook County Fair, in Tillamook, Oregon. The hair was shorter, the eyes just as blue, and a few more hits under his belt. By then the shyness was mostly gone, but not the friendliness.

Now, there I was in the huge Rose Garden Arena, and the same man was onstage, taking full command of the show, with very little shyness, if any.

Shelton did joke around that he drinks when he's nervous; and proceeded to be "nervous" a lot throughout the concert.

The sound for Shelton's set was really good, whether the song was quiet, or a more rocking one. And Shelton did plenty of both types of music; all the while talking, joking and interacting with the audience. He, and his voice were in excellent form.

It was like having seen a bud come into full bloom. Sometimes artists don't make the transition from small venues to large ones very well; Shelton made it look easy.

From Dia Frampton, to Justin Moore, to Blake Shelton, there wasn't a dull moment from beginning to end. If these three artists weren't enough, the crowd in Portland got another surprise that night.

About half way through his performance, Blake started talking about his wife, Miranda Lambert, and how she and Blake have varying tastes in music. Blake then started singing Lambert's song, "Baggage Claim"; but before going too far, said his wife could do the song better than he could, so she should be the one to do it.

Blake then asked the crowd if they'd like to hear his wife do the song. Of course the entire arena went crazy, screaming and cheering. To be honest, I thought Blake was kidding around, since his set that night had opened with "Baggage Claim" being played over the speakers. Lo and behold though, amidst all the hubbub, who walked out on stage but MIRANDA!

Lambert was as on the spot with her singing as the others had been before her that evening. It was a cool surprise!

After Miranda was done, she left the stage and Blake continued with his songs. Both Dia Frampton and Justin Moore joined Shelton on stage at different times, to perform with him.

The "Well Lit & Amplified" tour is one of the best large venue shows I've seen in awhile. If there's one complaint, it's that Blake didn't do "The Baby", which is one of my favorites of his songs.

I'd say those attending the concert definitely got their money's worth; both in quality, and length. The concert had started at 7:30pm, and didn't end until after 11pm.

I'm fairly sure this post is a bit more rambling than it needs to be. I blame it on a lack of sleep. By the time the concert ended, and I made it home to bed, it was 1am, and I was up for work at 4am.

For anyone looking for a shorter version of what I thought of the concert that night, I'll leave you with the email I sent to Scott, Jolynn and Jake, Monday morning, after the show:

Dia Frampton--Great!
Justin Moore--Great!
Miranda Lambert--Cool!
Blake Shelton--AWESOME!!!
Three hours of sleep--WORTH IT!

Review--"Four the Record"--Miranda Lambert

(Today's word will be in ALL CAPS, BOLD, ITALIC, and STRIKETHROUGH.)

Miranda Lambert has come a long way since placing third on the first season of Nashville Star in 2003. Since then, she's scored a number of hits on country radio, released three CD's, dated and married fellow country artist, Blake Shelton. On November 1, 2011, Miranda released her fourth CD, aptly titled, "Four the Record".

While Miranda does write a lot of her own songs, she didn't write all the tunes on "Four the Record". Even the songs not written by her however sound like they could have been. A good example is "Mama's Broken Heart".

The song tells the story of a girl who's been dumped by her man, and has gone a bit over the edge. Her mama tells her she can't behave that way, she has her reputation to think of.

Another song not penned by Miranda is "All Kinds of Kinds". It's an uptempo tune telling of the world being made up of, and needing all kinds of people.

"Baggage Claim" is the current song on radio, and was written by Miranda. It's a great tune about breaking up with a guy, because of all the "baggage" from his past, and hers. With her unique voice, music and delivery of rocking songs, Miranda's style could best be described as QUIRKY

"Four the Record" also has it's share of slower, quiet songs. None of them seem to really shine in comparison to the more lively music on this CD however.

Two exceptions are "Dear Diamond", and "Better in the Long Run". The first song alludes to a woman who's cheated on her man. The second, a duet with husband, Blake Shelton, is about a couple whose relationship has come undone.

One song that stood out is "Fine Tune". The entire song is done like it's being sung through a megaphone, or coming across an old radio; lots of static and echoing. It's alright for a bit, but four plus minutes of listening to it gets to be irritating.

The rest of the songs on this CD are your average Miranda Lambert music. Nothing that really stands up and says take notice, yet still very good in their own right.

"Four the Record" may not have something for everyone, though Miranda Lambert fans, and those who like their music a little left of center, should enjoy this CD.