That Wonderful, Glorious Time of Year

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



Thanksgiving 2012 is past, and we've moved on to my absolute favorite time of year:  Christmas time!

For me, Christmas isn't about presents and getting stuff; it's about the *feeling* of Christmas. It's the sights, the sounds, the smells, and all the warm fuzzies the holiday is supposed to encompass.

It's the Christmas trees, the lights, the decorations; everything that helps make this time of year seem magical.

Whether it's tradional things, or a more modern approach to something, this time of season embraces, and shares it all.

Like Christmas carols/songs.  Radio stations play all genres of music at this time of year, from big band, to new Christmas tunes; from classics, to new twists on classics.  Until I heard them, I never knew how many versions of "Last Christmas" there are out there!



I myself lean more towards nontraditional Christmas music, my all-time favorite tune being Elton John's "Step Into Christmas".

Yes, I did use this same video when I wrote about Christmas last year; that's how much I love this song!

Phil Vassar just came out with a new Christmas tune this season, "Santa's Gone Hollywood".  While I realize that some people may not see this as a true "Christmas" song, it is a fun, and funny little ditty that adds a new meaning to "holiday spirit".

I love the whole Christmas spirit thing!

Okay, not so much the one of the future.  Even the one in the Mr. Magoo version of "A Christmas Carol" kind of creeps me out.

Aside from that though, as I said, I love this time of year!

There will always be those who are Scrooges, or Grinches about the season; some for legitimate reasons, and others just because that's how they are.   Nonetheless, Christmas time is a wonderful time of year; so forget the commercialism, and consumerism, and just soak up all the good cheer the season has to offer.

Summer Song Summary

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


In July I had two posts listing my top ten current songs I'd been hearing on the radio.  At the time I wrote about my hopes and predictions of how each song would fare against other tunes being played.

Now that summer's over, it's time to revisit the music and see how each artist did in the heat of the moment.  As with the other posts, I'll list each performer alphabetically.

For those wanting to hear these songs, here's the links to the two previous posts:

 http://kuplramblings.blogspot.com/2012/07/five-of-my-ten-favorite-current-country.html

http://kuplramblings.blogspot.com/2012/07/five-of-my-ten-favorite-current-country_05.htm

Aaron Lewis debuted "Endless Summer" just before the season got into full swing.  This is a great song, and I thought for sure it would be one of this year's summer anthems.  Unfortunately, Lewis never made it past the overnight rotation.

At the time I wrote the previous post I said that there was no doubt Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" would be a hit; I was right.  What I wondered about more was whether or not this song would stay one of my favorites; or be played so much I'd be sick of it.

The song has been in heavy rotation all summer; I'm happy to say though, I've yet to tire of hearing it.

 Chris Young had been on a hot streak of  four #1 singles when "Neon" was released.  It's such a cool tune, I thought for sure Chris would be scoring his fifth #1.  Sadly, this song never made it very far out of the overnight rotation.  Once in a while it could be heard at other times of the day, but rarely.

Craig Morgan's "Corn Star" was probably the shortest lived single of the summer.  The song was a quirky, tongue in cheek tune filled with puns.  I liked the song, though I wondered if it would wear thin with time.  I never really got the chance to find out.  The song was rarely played; and almost as soon as it hit the airwaves, it was pulled, and Craig's current single "More Trucks Than Cars" was released to radio.

Of my top ten summer songs, David Nail's "The Sound of a Million Dreams" tied with another tune as my very favorite.

I'm not really a fan of David Nail, however this song had me from the first time I heard it.  I was just sure this would be his biggest hit yet; I was wrong.  Sadly, this tune was yet another that didn't make it too far from overnight plays.  Sometimes I wonder how such great music can fail so much at radio.

Due West had a couple of songs on the radio with their old record label.  Since then, the band has changed labels and released a new single to radio, "Things You Can't Do In A Car".

Though this song is still only being played during the wee hours of the morning, it's at least still getting airplay. I'm still holding hope it will catch on and be played more in the coming days and weeks.

The Eli Young Band had just come off their #1 single, "Crazy Girl" when their current single, "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" was released.  I predicted at the time that the band had another hit with this song; and I was actually right about this one.  "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" is the Eli Young Band's second consecutive #1 song on the Billboard Country charts.

George Strait is known inside and outside of country music as "King George". Over the span of his career, Strait has had fifty-nine #1 songs.  There's nothing he touches that doesn't turn to gold; except "Drinkin' Man".

This is one of my favorite George Strait songs of all time; yet somehow it never made if very far from overnight status.  I honestly can't remember the last time George Strait didn't have a hit, until now.  Another great song that never got the chance at seeing the light of day.

Gwen Sebastian is best known for her stint on "The Voice" as part of Team Blake.  Since that time, Gwen has been on tour, and has also done back up for Blake during his tour.

Gwen's first radio single is, "Met Him In A Motel Room".  The song is slightly complicated, and really needs to be listened to for the full impact.  So far this song hasn't made it past KUPL's overnights, though it is getting good rotation during that time.

The final song on my list is the one that's tied with David Nail's tune as one of my favorites; Phil Vassar's "Don't Miss Your Life".

I've always felt  Phil Vassar is one of the most underrated, singer/songwriters in the business; "Don't Miss Your Life", is more proof of that.  Arguably one of the best songs released to radio, Phil hasn't been getting the airplay he deserves; yet, the song hasn't faded away totally.  Just about the time I think it's going to silently fade away, I'll hear it again on the overnight show.  I'm still holding hope that if it hangs on a bit longer, it will catch on enough to make it into other radio time slots; it definitely deserves to be heard by more listeners.

And there you have it, a recap of what I've been hearing on the radio this past season.  Now that fall is here, I'm wondering what new tunes are on the horizon.  I guess time will tell.

D. Vincent Williams @ the Bing Lounge--7-17-12

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


You may not recognize the name, 'D. Vincent Williams'; however if you've been a country music fan for any length of time, you've probably heard his songs.

For example, "I'm Movin' On" by Rascal Flatts:

Or, James Otto's "Just Got Started Lovin' You".

How about "Hands of a Working Man", by Ty Herndon?

D. Vincent Williams had a hand in writing all of these hits, as well as many others, for various country artists.

The evening of July 17, 2012, Williams performed at least part of the above songs, plus others, for the crowd gathered at the Bing Lounge. Even before the show began though, Williams could be found wandering amongst those in attendance. While the audience dined on catered food, Williams made the rounds, introducing himself to each guest; asking names and answering any questions people had.

One person asked what the "D" in his name stood for.  I didn't catch the whole conversation, though I did hear that "Vincent" was in tribute to some of his family members.  The "D" is for David, which is his first name.

When it was time to start the show, Williams and his band were already onstage and ready to go, instead of waiting in the green room to be introduced.  The show itself seemed to be a continuation of what had been going on earlier; with great music thrown into the mix.

To say the least, Williams, (and his band, for that matter), is very warm and personable.  Almost from the start it felt as though Williams had been a long-time friend.  He talked, joked, and told stories like he'd known everyone there his whole life.  As he told the audience at one point, he and the band like to have fun; they check their attitudes at the door.

If song writing weren't enough, Williams is a singer as well; which is why he was at the Bing Lounge.  After landing a record deal almost immediately after hitting Nashville, he saw the deal fall through, and turned to songwriting instead.  The same thing happened to Williams again a few years later, and he stuck with songwriting after that, until Keith Steagall convinced him to record his own music.  Steagall is known for working with some of Nashville's best artists, most notably Alan Jackson.

During his Bing Lounge performance, Williams showcased the vast variety of music he writes and performs regularly.  As he explained, he wanted his album to show all sides of him.  He wanted each song to be able to stand alone, yet mesh together to make a strong album from start to finish.  From the performance given, it's safe to say Williams has achieved, if not exceeded, his goal.  As one person said, every song Williams did was a winner; there wasn't one song the person would skip on Williams' new CD.

Though Williams is classified as a country musician, he definitely isn't just a country singer.  His songs are tinged with a bit of everything from pop to rhythm and blues; still staying true to the country genre.  After a particularly soulful number, KUPL's Danny Dwyer told Williams it was like listening to a mix of Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles.Yet another audience member was reminded of the Charlie Daniels Band while listening to another Williams tune. I found these diverse comparisons interesting, especially since *I* heard a mix of two other artists; The Zac Brown Band and Phil Vassar.  Especially Phil, when Williams was playing keyboards.  Yet, even with the comparisons, Williams' writing and singing are strong enough to give him his own unique style and sound. 

D. Vincent Williams' single that will be released to radio later this month is called, "Down By the River".  As with the other tunes, Williams explained how the song came to be written.  In addition, he was telling how he wants to have a song that's a classic, like Alabama's "Mountain Music", or "Fishin' in the Dark" by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.  He wants to be one of those artists who has a song that's still popular 25 years, or more, from now.  I'm thinking his dream might come true from the sounds of "Down By the River". 

Of all the shows at the Bing Lounge in the last two years, D. Vincent Williams' performance was definitely one of the best ever.  If this man comes anywhere near where you are, go see him, you won't be disappointed!

Five of My Ten Favorite Current Country Songs--Continued

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


In Tuesday's post, I listed five of my ten favorite, current country songs.  As with that listing, the second half of my list will be in alphabetical order.

First up in today's post is Due West.  I've liked these guys since the first time I heard "Between the Bible and the Belt", and "When the Smoke Clears."  Unfortunately, neither song really made it on the radio.  The band then went through a label change, and are finally back with a new single, "Things You Can't Do In A Car".  I'm really hoping this song is the one that breaks these guys through to the masses.  They've got so much talent, and really deserve to be heard more.

The Eli Young Band's "Even if it Breaks Your Heart", is the only song on my list that is actually getting a lot of airplay on the radio.  I know it's partly due to the fact this song is following their latest single, "Crazy Girl", which went to #1 on the charts.  Even if that weren't the case though, the band's current single is definitely a winner!

It surprises me that the next song on my list hasn't been getting as much radio time as the artist's songs usually do.  George Strait is known as "King George" for a reason; he's had over fifty #1 hits during his career; and seems to be a chameleon when it comes to music styles.  Yet, his latest offering, "Drinkin' Man", doesn't seem to have really taken off like other Strait tunes.  I can't honestly remember hearing this song during peak times for songs in heavy rotation.  Let' hope it's just a slow mover, and that Strait continues his string of hits.

The first time I heard Gwen Sebastian's "Met Him in a Motel Room" was live in the Bing Lounge in Portland, Oregon.  I liked it then, however really didn't think about it too much.  Once I heard it on the radio, (overnights of course), a few times though, it really grew on me.  While the delivery of the message is rather convoluted, it's also what makes this song so interesting.  It's a tune that needs to be heard more than once, to really understand what it's about.  Sebastian does an excellent job singing the song.

The last song on my list is, "Don't Miss Your Life", by Phil Vassar.  To me, Vassar has always been one of the most underrated singer/songwriters in country music.  Yes, he's had his fair share of  hit singles; it just seems to be an extra effort to get Phil's heard on the radio, compared to other artists.  "Don't Miss Your Life" is the song that got me putting together this list.  So far it's still only played during late nights and early mornings; though, as with other songs I've mentioned, hopefully that will change soon.

And there you have it; my list of my favorite current country songs.  I'm sure those of you reading this have your own favorites; I'd love to hear what other listeners are enjoying musically at the moment.  Maybe together we can get these songs, and others, the boost they need to be radio hits.

KUPL Overnights

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

One of my favorite things about KUPL's overnight show, (midnight to 5am, Monday through Friday), is hearing new music. Whether it's an established artist's latest single, or the first single from a brand new artist, it's always fun to hear something new.

Over the past few months there have been some songs that I've really liked.  Some have gone on to do well, while others have, sadly, fallen short, not to be heard of again.

For example, Trace Adkins had the single, "Million Dollar View" out to radio.  I heard it a few times on KUPL overnights; for some reason though the song just didn't take off.

For at least a couple months I've been hearing "Underdog" by the Lost Trailers.  This song is finally getting some recognition outside overnights; however it's been slow going.  I'm glad it's still around though.

One of the latest new tunes from an established artist is "Don't Miss Your Life", by Phil Vassar.  This is probably my #1 favorite song on the radio right now.  I'm really hoping it picks up momentum and goes beyond just being played overnights.  Love this song!

Whenever I hear a new song on the radio, I try to guess who the artist is.  Sometimes I already know, because I've heard about the song and/or artist somewhere before hearing it on the radio.  Other times, the artist's voice is so distinctive, I recognize it immediately.  That was the case with Alison Krauss' latest single, "My Love Follows You Wherever You Go". 

Then there's Aaron Lewis from Stain'd and his latest single, "Endless Summer".  I first heard Aaron's voice on "Country Boy", and thought how "country" he sounded; didn't know at the time that he was with Stain'd; just knew I liked the song.

Now KUPL is playing "Endless Summer" on overnights, and I had no idea who it was.  Aaron sounded totally different than on "Country Boy"; still love this song just as much though.

There are other songs that have come and gone recently that I could list here, though this post would end up way too long; so I'll end this for now; and possibly add an update at a later time.

Phil Vassar--"Don't Miss Your Life"

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


To me, Phil Vassar has always been one of the most underrated singer/songwriters in country music.

While it might be true that Vassar's music leans more towards pop, his tunes are some of the best country music in recent decades.

Likewise, though Vassar's singing capabilities may be overshadowed by other artists, this doesn't mean he doesn't have a great voice; he does. Vassar's voice is distinctive, and recognizable almost immediately on any song he's performing.

This brings us to PHIL's latest contribution to country airwaves, "Don't Miss Your Life".

"Don't Miss Your Life" tells the story of two men meeting on a flight to the West Coast. Though it's the typical story of older person bestowing knowledge on an eager, go-getter, workaholic, Vassar has managed to tell this time worn tale in a fresh, interesting and very touching way.


"Don't Miss Your Life" has been enjoying some airplay on KUPL's overnight airwaves as of late. Hopefully it will gain momentum and become another hit for Phil Vassar; he's long overdue for one.

Phil Vassar @ the Bing Lounge-8-15-2011

(Note: The word for today is supposed to be red, in all caps. Unable to do that, so please look for the BOLD, italic, word with a strikethrough. That is today's 5,000 point word.)

I'll be the first to admit, I can be very biased when it comes to Phil Vassar. I love his music and have always felt he hasn't gotten as much attention as he deserves; both as a singer and songwriter.

If you've never seen PHIL in concert, you're really missing something special. He doesn't just sing, he puts on a heck of a performance and is all over the stage, the piano and anywhere else he decides to land.

Because of the small stage in the Bing Lounge, Phil wasn't able to move around like he usually does. That doesn't mean the show was any less entertaining however; quite the opposite. Not only did he sing his own hits, like "Carlene", "Six-Pack Summer" and "Just Another Day In Paradise", he sang a medley of hits he's written for others, such as Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina and Collin Raye.

In addition to his hits, Phil also played his latest single, "Let's Get Together", for the crowd. I love this song! Have since the first time I heard it.

The packed house at the Bing Lounge loved every minute Phil was on stage.

Besides singing, Phil told about his childhood, how he started playing piano, and various other stories about his life and career. Though the show was free to those in attendance, even if there had been a fee, attendees definitely got their money's worth!

Had it not been for the fact that there were still photos to take, and autographs to sign for anyone wanting one, I think Phil would have played even longer than he did. You could really tell he was enjoying himself. He commented several times how cool the Bing Lounge is.

When it was time to get my autograph, I told Phil it seemed like he had been having trouble staying in one place while playing, because of the size of the stage. He said yeah, he was used to moving around more. I told him even without moving around, he did an awesome job; and it was the truth, he did!

On my way home that night, I thought how cool it was that Phil Vassar had played the Bing Lounge a year to the day after it first opened. I just wish I'd thought of it while I was still there!

Over all, as I said earlier, those in the audience the night of August 15, 2011, were treated to a show they won't soon forget. The Bing Lounge has hosted a year's worth of great entertainment so far. Having Phil Vassar play on the one year anniversary was an awesome way to kick off another year of great music.

Summer Songs

Over the years, every genre of music has had it’s fair share of summer songs.  Heck, the Beach Boys have made a career singing about summer!

With today being the official start of summer, I decided it was a good time to mention some songs of the season.  Where to start though?  There are so many songs that can remind one of summer, it would take until at least fall to list every one of them. Even if just the country songs were mentioned, the list would be a long one. 

For that reason, I’ve decided to list only country songs, with “summer” in the title.

I’m sure there are probably songs I’ve missed; for now though, I’ve listed the eleven songs I know that fit my criteria.  The songs are listed in alphabetical order, by title.

1.       “All Summer Long”—Kid Rock

This song came out in 2008 and has been a staple on country radio stations ever since.  The song also helped Kid Rock propel himself into a new career in country music.

2.      “Groovy Little Summer Song”—James Otto

This is probably my favorite song by James Otto.  I just love the rhythm and feel of the song.  Released in 2010, unfortunately, the song only made it to 26 on the Billboard country music charts. 

3.      “Here Comes Summer”—LoCash Cowboys

This song was also released in 2010, charting just under the country top 40 at #41.  That’s sad, as I really think this is a great song and it should have charted higher.  To me, the LoCash Cowboys are the most underrated duo in country music.

4.      “It’s a Summer Thing”—Troy Olsen

Yet another song from 2010, is Troy Olsen’s “It’s a Summer Thing”.  Troy hasn't caught on with the masses quite yet, though this song did help get him some airplay.

5.  Six-Pack Summer—Phil Vassar

This is another of my favorite summer songs.  Released in 2001, it peaked at #9 on the country music charts.  This, to me is truly a classic country summer song that I never get tired of hearing.

6.    Summer Nights—Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts released this song as the second single from their “Unstoppable” CD.  The song peaked at #2 on the country charts in 2009.

7.  Summer’s Comin’—Clint Black

This song was released in 2006 and has always been one of my favorites.  I especially like the video for the song; which features cameo appearances by Howie Mandel, Dick Clark and Jay Leno, among others.

8.  Summertime—Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney is known for his lighthearted songs about fun in the sun.  “Summertime” was Chesney’s contribution to summer in 2005.  He took the song to #1 on the country charts.

9.    Summertime Blues—Alan Jackson

“Summertime Blues” was originally written and released by rockabilly artist, Eddie Cochran, in 1958.  It peaked at #8 on the Billboard charts.  Several other artists have recorded the song over the years.  Alan Jackson took his turn with the song in 1994, reaching #1 on the Billboard country charts.

10. Sunshine & Summertime—Faith Hill

As I stated in the introduction, I’m sure there are songs I’ve missed while compiling this list.  I repeat it here, because there must be more than one country summer song done by a female artist.  Faith Hill’s “Sunshine & Summertime is the only one I can think of however.  It was released in 2006, and peaked at #7 on the country charts.

11. That Summer—Garth Brooks

Though the word “summer” appears in the title, this song definitely has a different feel to it.  It doesn't have that light, carefree feeling most summer songs have.  Instead, it tells the story of a summer romance between a hired hand and his boss.  Garth Brooks took the song to the top of the country charts in 1993.