Category Archives: Country
Song Of The Day – Sara Watkins – “When It Pleases You”
English: Sara Watkins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Singer, songwriter, fiddler, all the above! Sara Watkins has a lengthy career for someone so young. Her first band in 1989 was bluegrass group, Nickel Creek, in which she played the fiddle. She was 8 years old. The band has released 5 albums before taking a pause in 2009. Sara has been doing solo projects since the hiatus began. This song, “When It Pleases You”, was released in 2012 as a single and his from her second album, “Sun, Midnight Sun”.
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Song Of The Day – Ruth Moody – “Dancing In The Dark”
Ruth Moody (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Could be an interesting covers post, but it is newly released and a good version of the Bruce Springstein classic “Dancing In The Dark”. Ruth is an Australian born, current Canadian from Winnipeg (Go Jets Go) and a member of popular group, “The Wailin’ Jennys“. The song is lifted from her 2103 solo effort “These Wilder Things”. The folk/country rendition of this great song creates a completely different feel to the tune. I really enjoyed the vocals. Don’t forget to like my page on Facebook.
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Song Of The day – Corb Lund – “Dig Gravedigger Dig”
Corb Lund (Photo credit: _Tawcan)
Alberta native Corb Lund is featured today (a few days late) as my Halloween choice for Song Of The Day. Corb has been an Alberta favourite for many years. Originally a punk rocker in the 1990’s, he moved to country/folk and has ridden success since. I love the name of his band, The Hurtin’ Albertans. He has 5 Juno nominations with 1 win and 25 Canadian Country Music association nominations with 11 victories. This tune, “Dig Gravedigger Dig”is from his 2012 album “Cabin Fever”. The song shows off his skill as a country singer and generates a pretty good official video. As a commenter says, Canada’s version of Thriller.
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Song Of The Day – The Civil Wars – “Poison and Wine”
The Civil Wars’ Barton Hollow cover (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Civil Wars song “Poison and Wine” is today’s selection. I have said many times in the past that, first, country is not my usual cup of tea, and second, it is all about the song. This song strikes a few chords. The lyrics, when taken with their personal history, are hauntingly cryptic. The tune amazing in its subtlety. Put both together and you have one heck of an emotional song. Beautifully crafted and worthy of something I seldom do. That would be listening to it several times in a row. This constitutes high praise from me for a song on a genre I don’t normally praise.
“Oh I don’t love you but I always will”
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Song Of The Day – Blackie and The Rodeo Kings – “Got You Covered”
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are a Canadian alt-country group. I enjoy them as the country is more of a country blues sound. The group has been going strong since the early 1990’s and, in addition to the groups many record, has spawned many solo albums by its members, Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson. A great group to follow as there is some exceptional talent here. The song I have for you is a live version of “Got You Covered”, which was released as a single in 2011 and was featured on their album, “Kings and Queens”, also released in 2011.
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings home
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings on iTunes
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings on CBC
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It’s Juno Award Time In Canada
K.D.Lang – Shadowland (Photo credit: Piano Piano!)
The Juno Awards were held on Sunday, April 22, 2013 in Regina Saskatchewan. For non-Canucks, the Junos are Canada’s Grammy Awards. I intend to do a full recap this week at some point, but felt it necessary to highlight one important event from the evening. This was the induction of K D Lang into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame. She was inducted by Anne Murray,who stands on stage watching K D give a very interesting speech in accepting the award. The words she puts out there, make me even prouder to be a Canadian than I ever was. Pretty crappy video, so turn it up.
And a song by K D, “Sugar Buzz”, great tune, awesome version, and live.
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Song Of The Day – Civil Wars – “Barton Hollow”
The Civil Wars’ Barton Hollow cover (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am thinking this could be my new favourite song, until the next one. To bad The Civil Wars have broken up, at least they got a Grammy. Call them folk or country or whatever, good is good. The song is “Barton Hollow” and is from the album of the same name, released in 2011.
Related articles
- A little song that has been stuck in my head … (imperfectionsbelles.wordpress.com)
- The Civil Wars Return? (robdickens101.wordpress.com)
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Remembering Stompin’ Tom Connors
Stompin tom connors in 2002 crop (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Canadian legend and troubadour Stompin’ Tom Connors passed way on March 6, 2013. He was 77. While he has had a long and great career, Canadians will always remember him for his classic “The Hockey Song“. Give it a listen, it can’t help but put a smile on your face.
He got the nickname from his habit of stomping the heel of his boot while he played. He was a staple on Canadian TV, not only having his own shows, but also by supplying theme songs for various shows and his talent for creating anthems, such as The Hockey Song. Here is another fine example of his populist song writing skills, “Bud The Spud“.
In his later years, he pushed away from the limelight. He had a few disputes with such institutions as the Juno Awards (he returned all his Juno’s to protest their qualification guidelines) and the CBC who would not air a music special about him. In response to their refusal, he simply stated:
“As far as I’m concerned, if the CBC, our own public network, will not reconsider their refusal to air a Stompin’ Tom special, they can take their wonderful offer of letting me sing a song as a guest on some other program and shove it.”.
Rest in Peace Stompin’ Tom.
Related articles
- Before leaving, Stompin’ Tom Connors says goodbye to fans in letter (calgaryherald.com)
- Music legend Stompin’ Tom Connors dead (sunnewsnetwork.ca)
- Stompin’ Tom Connors’ final letter to his fans (macleans.ca)
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Song Of The Day – The Lone Bellow – “Teach Me To Know”
The Lone Bellow (Photo credit: wfuv)
I first heard this band, the Lone Bellow, from another one of my sources for new music, this being the iTunes free single of the week. Don’t know if this happens in other countries, but in Canada they give away a song every week. I religiously download it without listening. If I like it great, it stays, if not, I will search them out on YouTube and elsewhere to confirm or refute my thinking. Chalk this one up as a refute. I did NOT like the freebie, but found that I liked pretty much everything else they did. The band is a Brooklyn trio, and they show a powerful country rock variant that can easily cross over into pop, rock, roots or folk. As an aside, is it my imagination, or is New York City, England and Canada beginning to dominate the new music scene. It seems everything I have brought up here, has come from these places. No matter, good is good.
Related articles
- Let the Buzz Begin! Check out band-on-the-rise the Lone Bellow – VIDEO (music-mix.ew.com)
- The Lone Bellow: A Perfect Song For Singing Along (npr.org)
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Song Of The Day – Remembering Chris Ethridge
The Gilded Palace of Sin. Flying Burrito Brothers 1969 LP (Photo credit: sludgegulper)
Another part of music history has passed on. Chris Ethridge, bass player, passed away on April 23. He was 65. He was suffering with pancreatic cancer Check out this list of players and bands he worked with, but first, note that he was the bassist for The Flying Burrito Brothers with Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman. These guys pretty much created the country-rock genre of music. Chris wrote several songs with the band.
The List
Judy Collins, Leon Russell, Johnny Winter, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, Paul Kantner, The Doors and the list goes on.
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Lazy Day
Related articles
- Flying Burrito Brothers member Ethridge dies at 65 (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Flying Burrito Brothers Bassist Chris Ethridge Dead at 65 (rollingstone.com)
