New Music: Kristian Bush--"Trailer Hitch"

If you've been listening to country music within the past decade, you've no doubt heard of Sugarland.

Originally a trio, Sugarland hit country airwaves in July, 2004 with "Baby Girl", and have been on a roll of hits from then on.

In 2006 group founder, Kristen Hall, left the group, leaving Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush to carry on as a duo.

The end of 2011 also brought an end, (at least temporarily), to Sugarland.  Though both Nettles and Bush say the duo has not split up, they've taken a break to pursue solo projects.  Nettles has put out at least one single, "That Girl", and gone on the road to promote the single and CD.

During the Sugarland hiatus Bush has been writing songs and touring the country.  Whether this is the reason it's taken longer for him to release a song to radio, I don't know.  What I do know is, his first solo contribution to country music was worth the wait.

"Trailer Hitch" is an upbeat, almost tongue in cheek look at life and it's excesses.

The singer tells how much happier he'll be with less things in his life to worry about; and the over all emphasis of the tune is that you can't take things with you when you die.  Or as the song itself states, "never seen a hearse with a trailer hitch".

Though Kristian Bush may have been almost silent as a member of Sugarland, now that he's chosen to let his voice be heard, it seems he'll be making a big impact on country listeners everywhere.  Give "Trailer Hitch" a listen and see what you think.

Austin Webb @ the Bing Lounge--10-12-12

It's likely that most people reading this post have never heard of Austin Webb.  If that's the case, you'll want to keep reading and learn more about this talented young man.

Originally from South Carolina, Webb began writing poetry at nine years old; and picked up the guitar when he was sixteen years old.

We've all heard stories of  the "over night success" that some have had; usually said tongue in cheek because of it's actual rarity.  In Webb's case
however, this is very close to the truth.  March of 2011, Webb won a music contest, quit his job the same day, and moved to Nashville.  Seven months ago, to help pay the bills, Webb started working at Starbucks; thanks to his guitar player, Jake Mitchell, who also worked there.

Four months ago, Webb got a call from Byron Gallimore, (known for working with country artists such as Sugarland, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Jo Dee Messina), wanting to sign Webb to a publishing deal.  A few days later, Gallimore offered Webb a recording deal as well; and Webb then quit his Starbucks job.  (As a side note, Mitchell quit his job two months ago, to play guitar with Webb.)

Since that time, Webb has literally been on a whirlwind of radio stops across the country.  Two months ago, this young man had never been on a plane.  By the time he got to the Bing Lounge in Portland, he figured he'd been on at least twenty flights in those past two months, with several more lined up.

So, after the flurry of activity over the last year and a half, you're probably wondering, is this guy worthy of all the attention?  In one word, yes.

While Webb may, or may not, be considered "traditional" country, his music is definitely worth being played on country radio.  His voice is unique enough, (tinged with just the right amount of emotion and soul), to stand out from the many cookie-cutter artists played nowadays.  Watching, and listening to him perform, you can see and hear the passion he has for his art.

Like others at the Bing Lounge, Webb played a handful of tunes he'd written; telling the stories behind each one.  One of those songs, "It's All Good", is scheduled as Webb's first single, due out to radio in December.

If you like this video, be sure to go to KUPL's YouTube page, (987kuplvideo), and watch the rest of Webb's performance in the Bing Lounge.

In a nutshell, Austin Webb is a country artist to be looking out for in the near future.

Gwen Sebastian @ the Bing Lounge-4-23-12

 
To be totally honest, I don't watch any of the shows like "American Idol" or, "The Voice".  Not because I don't like them; simply because I'd get too caught up in them, especially being on more than once a week. I do keep up on music and the like however, so I have heard of Gwen Sebastian and that she'd been on this season of "The Voice".

Since being eliminated, Gwen has been doing the "radio tour", taking her music to radio stations all over the country.  The evening of April 23, 2012, Gwen's stop was the Bing Lounge in Portland, Oregon, for KUPL listeners. 

While listening to Gwen perform, I kept thinking how her voice reminds me of Kellie Pickler, yet is different and distinct enough to also have her own unique style.

At the same time, watching Gwen, I was reminded of Jennifer Nettles, from Sugarland.  Gwen's passion for her music shines through in every movement and gesture she makes.  You can tell music is part of her soul, and flows through her veins. From ballads, to upbeat tunes, Gwen can do it all, and gives it her all when she does.  I especially like her new single, "Met Him In A Motel Room".

If having a beautiful voice, and great personality weren't enough, Gwen is also a genuinely nice person.  She took time to sign autographs, take pictures AND thank each person for coming to the Bing Lounge to see her.

Gwen Sebastian may have been eliminated from "The Voice", however, I truly believe she has a bright future ahead of her in country music.  If you ever get the chance to see Gwen perform live, do it!

REVIEW--Lionel Richie--"Tuskegee"

Knowing that reviews are usually skewed, owing to the opinions of the person doing the reviewing, I'll put this out first thing:  I'd forgotten how much I love Lionel Richie's music!

With that said, it's kind of a given that those who've liked Richie's music in the past, will like "Tuskegee".  After all, Richie's latest contribution is made up of thirteen of his biggest hits from the past.

Not that "Tuskegee" is a "Greatest Hits", or "tribute" CD; it's more a combination of the two.

On the greatest hits side, you have Lionel Richie singing, what else, his greatest hits.

While most tribute albums have other artists performing someone else's hits, the "tribute" part of this CD actually pairs country artists with Richie, putting a new spin on his classic hits.

Sometimes these things can be disasterous; "Tuskegee" though is a definite winner!  As an example, I'm not a big Rascal Flatts fan; however, one of my favorite tracks is the duet of "Dancing on the Ceiling", they do with Lionel.

Even one of the less stellar duets, "Hello", (done with Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles), is still good; it just doesn't shine as brightly as other tracks.  Funny thing is, "Hello" is over all one of my favorite Lionel Richie tunes.

Again, if you aren't a Lionel Richie fan, you may not like his latest offering.  Those who are though should be very happy with "Tuskegee".

To Sue, Or Not To Sue, That Is The Question

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

(The video in today's blog is not suitable for young children; just my opinion.)


Lives were changed, and lives were ended in Indianapolis, Indiana August 13, 2011.

As most people know by now, that was the day a huge gust of wind swept through the concert area of the Indiana State Fair, bringing the stage scaffolding and equipment down onto the crowd gathered for that night’s Sugarland performance. Five people died at the scene, and at least 45 were injured. In the days since, one more person has died, while a seventh is on life support, near death.

From the beginning reports told how the weather department in Indiana issued a warning of high winds possible for later in the evening. A person associated with the Indiana State Fair had went on stage, just before Sugarland was to perform, letting the audience know that there was a possibility of high winds for later in the evening. A few minutes later the 60 to 70 mile an hour gust hit the stage, bringing it down.

Most news reports told that the warning had been given that it would be within one to two hours. I remember seeing one Indiana weather person being interviewed however, who told a different story. This person said that the fair had been told there was going to be high winds, and decided to let the show go on anyway. The person out and out said, on the day it happened, that it could have been prevented. At the time, I thought, “here’s where the lawsuits start; this guy is just fueling the fire”.

Sure enough, just over a week later, at least two lawsuits have been filed, with a third possible. This is where I see both sides of this event.

Yes, people died, there’s loss, and a lot of grief. And perhaps those left to carry on can’t afford the price to bury the person; or the medical bills incurred. Maybe the person who died was the soul breadwinner of the family, and now that income is gone. All are at least somewhat legitimate reasons to look for retribution; but $50 million dollars? Really? Why?

That price isn’t going to bring the person back. It won’t ease the pain or loss either, even though that’s part of the lawsuit, “pain and suffering”. Even if the person was the soul person working in the household, $50 million is way more money than seems necessary. Even considering the cost of lawyers and trials, and taxes being withheld from that amount, it just seems like a lot to ask for. And that amount was just for the person who died. That person’s partner not only is seeking the $50 million for the loss of their partner, they’re looking for another $10 million for the injuries they incurred as well.

Then there’s the fact of who’s being sued; it’s not just the fair. Others have been named in the lawsuit, including Live Nation, which is part of Ticketmaster. Maybe it’s because I’m not a lawyer that I don’t understand all of this; why sue Live Nation for selling you the ticket to the show that night? Unless Live Nation twisted someone’s arm and made them buy a ticket, I don’t see how they’re responsible; those buying tickets to that night’s show made the choice to do that. Likewise, those buying the higher price tickets closer to the stage made that choice.

One person who died was actually doing security at the concert. The person was doing the job they were given to do, and doing what they’d been told to do. Yes, that person made the choice to follow those orders; however, to me, it’s still different. That person was there because of their job; not just to have a good time at a concert that night.

Not that the loss of concertgoers was any less painful than anyone else; I don’t mean that at all. All I’m saying is, the security guard was assigned to be at the show, whereas concertgoers made the choice to be there. To me, in some ways, it makes sense that person’s family would file a lawsuit. Not for $50 million dollars maybe, but file one nonetheless.

Let’s face it, any of us could be hurt anytime, anywhere; whether we put ourselves in obvious danger, or we’re somewhere we consider safe. It’s life, fluke things happen. It doesn’t mean we should all run for cover and hide from the world. Just living is a risk in and of it’s self.

To paraphrase one of the best comments I read about this TRAGEDY: It was an act of nature, yet anyone remotely connected to it is being sued; why hasn’t someone tried to sue God?