Best in Show: Nashville’s New Country #103

It was the very first song from this week’s show and I was almost certain as soon as I heard it that it would be winning Best in Show, but more on who that turned out to be later. This first song I am referring to is Can’t Shake You by Gloriana, who are a band that I have only come to know in the last couple of weeks, but who have been around for since 2008. Can’t Shake You is abut the aftershocks of a failed relationship that I think most of us can relate to from some point in our past. It has the sound of Lady Antebellum and on hearing this song I did wonder if it was the same band that a friend referred to as Like a better looking Lady Antebellum. When it was revealed that it was Gloriana, the answer was yes, it’s the same band she was referencing, though I’ve not seen them to comment on their looks!

Speaking of Lady Antebellum, they followed Gloriana with their new song Downtown. I would link the video but it seems EMI have restricted access to the UK on both their official video and any other subsequent uploads. I’m still not sure about this as a Lady Antebellum single. I like that Hillary takes the lead on the vocals but it feels more like a song for a solo singer than a band with dual vocalists. The story goes that Miranda Lambert was going to record Downtown but she passed it over to Lady Antebellum when she heard they were interested in cutting it. I have to admit that I’d prefer for it to have been cut by Miranda. there’s no doubt we can hear a sassiness in Hillary’s voice that we’ve not heard before, but in spite of that I think it would have been a better for Miranda. Maybe some of this comes from me having a Miranda Lambert week last week – she’s currently riding high on my iPod playlist.

While I usually like most of what is played on Nashville’s New Country, for two weeks in a row there is one song that hasn’t appealed to me at all, that being Don’t Rush by Kelly Clarkson. It sounds very dated and not in a cool retro way. It also apparently features Vince Gill, but aside from joining in for the ofdd harmony he is somewhat absent from the track – good judgment on his part maybe.

So on to this week’s winner, and after Nashville’s New Country played a rare double header, it’s Eric Church who again walks away with best in Show, this time with Keep On.

I’m a bit of a sucker for a guy sees girl, girl likes guy, girls boyfriend gets macho, new guy makes him look small, girl goes off with guy type of story, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The use of the chorus to describe three different situations is nice, and especially it’s reversal of intention on the 3rd occurance. It does need a music video, although him being signed with EMI would probably mean I wouldn’t be permitted to see it here in the UK anyway.

Country To Country 2013 AKA My First Country Music Gigs

Even though I have a friend who’s been desperately trying to get me to a country gig, circumstances have conspired against me and I’m yet to experience my first one. That is all about to change thanks to seeing an advert for Country To Country online some time in December. It was a fortuitous spot as tickets were to go on sale the very next day. I had a little think, considered who would look after our 4 year old son, and then the next morning bit the bullet and bought tickets for my wife and I to go on the Sunday. So I’d be kicking off my country music live adventures in style, with 4 huge artists all on the same day.

Country To Country 2013

Why did I go for the Sunday you might ask? Well, I’m going to tell you even if you didn’t. The big headliner for the Saturday is Tim McGraw, and though he’s somewhat of a legend in the country music business, I only really know him from the film Country Strong. I know, that’s a bit poor on my part, but I’ve been a country music fan for less than 12 months and there’s only so much I’ve been able to consume in that time, and Mr McGraw is one of those who has thus far slipped through the net. Vince Gill is someone I’ve heard of, but not knowingly heard any music of. Little Big Town I hadn’t even heard of before I watched the video on YouTube of the 2012 CMA Awards and saw them both being both presented with an award and being part of the motorboating hilarity. In fact, now I mention that I am going to include the video of the opening segment that was recommended to me by @NewCountryUK. Most reading this will have probably already seen it, but on the off chance you haven’t, stop what you are doing immediately and watch now. Please do not drink whilst viewing, I will not be held responsible for coke splattered monitors. For those of us that have seen it, you know we are going to watch again.

Anyway, let’s get back on track and the 4th artist for Saturday is Kristian Bush, who I only know from Sugarland, a band I do know and like. See, there are some country artists I have actually listened to! So that’s Saturday. Now compare that to Sunday: Carrie Underwood is headlining and is someone I have been listening to for all of my 11 months as a country music fan and like a lot. I am one of the few who probably don’t know Darius Rucker from Hootie & the Blowfish, and in fact I thought I didn’t know him at all. That was until I did some research and found that he was the guy who released Come Back Song a couple of years ago, and that’s a song I really like. LeAnn Rimes needs no introduction, being one of those country artists who has transcended country music into what we know as popular culture. I have owned Leann Rimes CDs since even before my recent foray into country music and unashamedly pronounce my love for Coyote Ugly. That leaves us with Brantley Gilbert, someone I was introduced to by my friend Claire, who is somewhat responsible for me getting into country music. I have both of Brantley’s albums and especially like his more rocky sound on Halfway to Heaven.

After reading that I think you’ll agree that out of the two days, Sunday was tailor made for me. To say I am excited would be somewhat of an understatement, not just for the music, but because I’ll be able to wear my cowboy hat without getting strange looks. Well, fewer than I’d ordinarily get…possibly. This is just the start though and I’d like to get to as many country gigs as I can this year, so if you know of any I should be checking out, then let me know. Please also recommend any albums I should check out from the artists above that I’ve confessed to not knowing much about – my country music education is ever expanding.