#opry loves the 90s

[therecordchanger62279]

11 NEW PLAYLISTS

A few months ago, I did a post with 163 playlists I’d created for my iTunes program. Since then I’ve added 11 more, so I thought it was time for an update. Number of songs on each list follows the title in parentheses.

1969 (131) For some time now, I’ve been wanting to create year-by-year playlists of my favorite singles. I think 1969 was the best year in the history of recorded music, so that seemed a logical place to begin. A Billboard book of Top Chart Hits from this year was indispensable.

1970 (153) More hits from the first year of what was Rock and Pop’s best decade. A Billboard reference book is, again, a must.

Dylan ’75-’76 (74) Bob Dylan’s 1974 tour with The Band seemed to kickstart a renaissance period for him that carried him through 1976. This playlist begins with the January ’75 release of Blood on The Tracks, and follows with The Basement Tapes released in June of that year. The Rolling Thunder Revue live shows from Volume 5 of The Bootleg Series is next, followed by the Desire album released in January ’76, and finishes with the second leg, and final shows with the Rolling Thunder band in Spring of ‘76 captured on the Hard Rain album.

Gram Parsons (90) Gram Parsons influence on Rock is so pervasive that he deserves his own playlist. I don’t have his International Submarine Band recordings. If I get them eventually, they’ll lead off this playlist. Instead, I begin with the original version of The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. Parsons joined the band, and took them in a Country direction that had them playing The Grand Ole Opry at one point. But Parsons left the band before the album was issued, and Roger McGuinn wiped Parsons’ lead vocals from the tracks that featured them, and replaced them with his own. But The Byrds boxed set had the originals in it, so I simply reconstructed it, and that’s what I used here. That’s followed with all of Parson’s recordings with The Flying Burrito Brothers. Parsons first solo LP, GP follows that. I used a live album called Fallen Angels Live 1973 next which was done after that album was recorded. Grievous Angel, Parsons’ last album released in 1974 closes his portion of the playlist. You can end it there, but I have a CD titled Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons that features 13 tracks by musicians who were influenced or worked with Parsons including Emmylou Harris, Chris Hillman, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, and many more. The remaining track belongs to Eagles whose Bernie Leadon wrote a tribute to Parsons released on their 1974 On the Border album titled “My Man.”

I.R.S. (103) Miles Copeland’s legendary I.R.S. Records was a player in the indie label sweepstakes that surfaced during the years of the New Wave in the late 1970s. Among the bands who recorded for or were connected to the label were R.E.M., The Go-Go’s, The Police, English Beat, Lords of the New Church, Spirit, Black Sabbath, Human Switchboard, The Alarm, The Bangles, The Animals, General Public, Timbuk 3, Concrete Blonde, The Fleshtones, dB’s and more. This diversity is one of the label’s trademarks, and makes for a great playlist.

Joan Jett (135) I’ve been a fan of Jett’s since The Runaways days, and I have quite a few of her albums, but I’ve neglected her in recent years, so I thought a playlist was in order. I also used to be in her fan club because the fan club occasionally issued some rarities on CD – which makes this playlist special, and comprehensive. It begins with 9 tracks Jett wrote or co-wrote, and recorded with her first band The Runaways. Following that are some early recordings before she signed with Neil Bogart’s Boardwalk label. These appeared on the fan club release 1979. Next up is Flashback, another rarities collection from the fan club. From there it’s Bad Reputation, I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll, Album, and Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth – all on MCA. Her next album Up Your Alley was her debut for Columbia. Pure and Simple follows that. I used three tracks from the Fetish compilation not available elsewhere, and two more rarities from Fit To Be Tied, a Greatest Hits collection. The playlist closes with her 2006 set, Sinner. That’s 30 years of Joan Jett altogether.

The Rolling Stones ’75-’77 (95) Bob Dylan’s 1974 tour with The Band was one I followed in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine, and that’s where I got the Rock journalism bug. I followed Dylan from then on, and 1975 - ’76 was a great 18 months for Dylan. The memories of that are what lead me to create the Dylan playlist above. But at the same time, The Rolling Stones were prepping for a Tour of the Americas, as they named it. But things didn’t get off to a great start. Guitarist Mick Taylor announced he was quitting the band just weeks before the tour was to begin. The band brought The Faces’ Ronnie Wood in to fill the void, and put off the job of getting a permanent replacement until after the tour. With no new material ready, the band’s label issued Made in The Shade, a 10 track hits collection drawn from their four previous albums. The Stones incorporated most of that record into their live set, and hit the road. In the meantime, Abkco issued a collection of outtakes titled Metamorphosis in an effort to cash in on the tour. So, the new albums competed in the marketplace while the band played on. With a new guitarist aboard, the shows were sloppy, and critics were merciless. They were also ignored. The tour did record business, and when the band got off the road they began the audition process for a new guitarist, and they cut the Black & Blue album after settling on Ron Wood as a permanent member.

     A European tour was booked beginning in Spring of ’76. Love You Live, issued in 1977 drew tracks from both The Tour of Americas, and the European leg in addition to a live set the group played at the El Macombo club in Toronto, Canada. While there, guitarist Keith Richards was busted for drugs, and the band was out of commission until his legal troubles were settled.

     The release of a live set from the Tour of the Americas, and the complete El Macombo set along with Love You Live, and the two studio albums paint the picture of two years in the life of The Rolling Stones from June of ’75 to March of ’77. The playlist brings it all back.

Santana ’72-’73 (23) Caravanserai, Santana’s fourth album released in 1972 marked a new direction for both the band and its namesake. Following the completion of Santana III, Carlos Santana began playing with drummer Buddy Miles for a tour. They released a live album in June of ’72. At the end of that month, the Santana band played a show for the closing of Bill Graham’s Fillmore, after which Carlos Santana began recording with Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. Caranvanserai was released in October, and the Love Devotion & Surrender sessions began in late ’72, and finished in early ’73. That album was released in Spring of ‘73. The live record with Buddy Miles, two tracks from that Fillmore performance, issued on Fillmore: The Last Days, followed by the studio record with McLaughlin track the guitarist’s path, and that’s what on this playlist.

Santana ’73-’74 (44) Picking up from where the last playlist left off, we have the next Santana group album, Welcome. That’s followed by a Japanese tour issued as Lotus which captures two different Santana bands in concert. And to finish 1973, and this playlist we have the studio album Borboletta. By the time Santana would surface again in 1976 with Amigos, the band he’d had would, once again, have new members, and a new sound.

Stiff (57) One of the great indie labels from England’s Punk era, the Stiff catalog is a difficult one to organize. It was primarily a singles label. And collecting the noteworthy ones for a playlist can be daunting. I needed help from Google, and you have to be careful which tracks to use. Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and Graham Parker were all on Stiff, but none of them for very long. Ian Dury, Rachel Sweet, Madness and a few others had longer tenures. Dr. Feelgood, The Pogues, Kirsty MacColl, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Ian Gomm, The Adverts, The Damned, and Any Trouble also made noteworthy contributions. Not an easy playlist to compile, but the music is all great, and well worth the effort.

UK Underground (241) After Psychedelia washed Pop away in the UK in the late 60s, there was a period of transition to what became known as Progressive Rock. I named this playlist UK Underground because it chronicles a number of lesser-known bands and labels from what was a very interesting period in the history of British Rock. There are a number of label compilations from the Harvest (A Breath of Fresh Air), Vertigo (Time Machine), Charisma (Refugees), Polydor (Spirit of Joy) and Island (Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal) imprints that, combined with one covering the Ladbroke Grove scene (Cries From The Midnight Circus) along with early tracks from Yes (Yes and Time and a Word), Giles, Giles & Fripp (The Cheerful Insanity of), Pink Floyd (Piper At The Gates of Dawn), and The Moody Blues (selected tracks from Time Traveller), give an excellent overview of a time in British Rock when the landscape was changing. It all fits together well, and nicely covers the years 1968-1974. Bands like Hawkwind, Hatfield & The North, Caravan, Bodast, Tomorrow, Strawbs, and Soft Machine will also add variety and depth.

You can ask Spotify to make you a playlist, but it’s more fun, and makes a better playlist if you do it yourself.

[gts350]

Gimme multiples of 3 for that music ask meme

OH HELL YES...might've gone a bit overboard lol

3. Do you listen to more oldies or more current stuff?

More oldies, for sure, but theres some modern stuff I have a lot of love for!

6. Who's an artist you really like but it's embarrassed to admit it?

I have no "guilty" pleasures but if you asked me how often I listen to matchbox twenty I'd change the subject

9. Do you have a favorite band?

I won't cheat and say the E Street Band, so I'll say Australian Crawl OR Slim Cessna's Auto Club

12. Who’s the most obscure artist you listen to?

Definitely SCAC and Munly's other projects, or some long dead country artist who got one song on the Opry back in the 40s lol

15. A song or album from the 60s:

18. A song or album from the 90s:

21. A song or album from this year or last year:

24. Do you play any instruments?

I don't, tried to learn bass when I was younger and it didn't work out

27. Do you enjoy making playlists? If so, are there any you’re proud of and would like to share?

I LOVE MAKING PLAYLISTS!!!!!! I got one for everything I listen to, 80s metal, rockabilly, australian rock, bluegrass, you name it!

30. Songs you love to sing along to:

I love belting out Tanya Tucker's Delta Dawn OR Cold Chisel's Flame Trees after a few too many beers heheh

33. Your favorite artist from your city/state/country?

I already used Aussie Crawl (and they are from Melbourne) in an answer so I'll mention another Victorian boy my goddamn hero Lee Kernaghan <3

aaand i'll stop here. for now. ;)

[cyarsk52-20]

Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, George Michael, and More: Here Are the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The outlaw legend, the rap queen, and few of this year’s inductees will perform at the ceremony, which takes place on November 3 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Read in Apple Music: https://apple.news/AB90kvpQXSA2fEnSoLwl1hg

Shared from Apple News

2023 ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, George Michael, and More: Here Are the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

The outlaw legend, the rap queen, and few of this year’s inductees will perform at the ceremony, which takes place on November 3 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2023 inductees, which include a classic Motown act, a reclusive post-punk goddess, a militant agitprop alt-rock band, and, finally, a 90-year-old country and pop-culture titan. Willie Nelson, George Michael, Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, Rage Against the Machine, The Spinners, and Kate Bush will all officially join the institution and receive their well-deserved honors as part of the induction ceremony at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on November 3.

In addition to these incredible talents, the Hall of Fame will also highlight several musicians and industry champions with additional accolades. The recipients of this year’s Musical Excellence Awards—for artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers whose originality and influence have had a dramatic impact on music—are the reigning Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan; prolific songwriter and longtime Elton John musical partner Bernie Taupin; and Al Kooper, the renowned multi-instrumentalist, producer, Bob Dylan collaborator, and Lynyrd Skynyrd discoverer. Hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc and influential guitarist Link Wray will each receive the Musical Influence Award, designated for artists whose style has directly influenced, inspired, and evolved rock ’n’ roll and music impacting youth culture. The Ahmet Ertegun Award, a distinction for non-performing industry professionals, will posthumously honor Soul Traincreator and TV host and producer Don Cornelius, who passed away in 2012.

Explore essential tracks from some of the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees below, and tune in to our live broadcast on Apple Music 1, where Apple Music radio hosts Ebro Darden, Rebecca Judd, Matt Wilkinson, Brooke Reese, and Kelleigh Bannen will be joined by Crow and Taupin to discuss their achievements and this year’s celebration.

Willie Nelson

THE BRAIDS, THE smile, the trusty guitar named Trigger, the impassioned activism, the unabashed passion for all things cannabis (and his song about it, “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die”)—there’s a lot to love about Willie Nelson, and fans all over the world can give you several reasons why they’re still showing up to see him sing well into his 90th year. He may have gotten his start singing country western tunes in the ’50s and ’60s, but Nelson hit his stride in the ’70s when he bucked the conventions of Nashville’s Music Row to make the stripped-down country music hewanted to make, the sort that sounded much more at home in a crowded honky-tonk than the Grand Ole Opry. Then, he found kindred spirits in Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and other artists who became the founding fathers of outlaw country, and now he’s mentored and played with younger generations of musicians who keep the outlaw spirit alive in their own way, like Margo Price, Jason Isbell, and Sturgill Simpson. At 90, Nelson’s voice may be a bit more gravelly than it was in his Red Headed Stranger days, but he’s still strumming Trigger with abandon any chance he gets.

George Michael

GEORGE MICHAEL ROSE to fame in the ’80s as one half of the feather-haired duo Wham!, who churned out some of the catchiest radio hits of the decade—namely the jubilant “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” the bittersweet modern holiday ballad “Last Christmas,” and “Careless Whisper,” the sultry single possessing one of the most memorable sax solos of all time. His velvety tenor, boyish charm, and melodic instincts as a songwriter secured his pop star status in Wham!’s heyday, but Michael’s star went supernova with 1987’s Faith, his debut solo album. The title track is one of his eight singles to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; the other seven include his duet with Aretha Franklin, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” and a version of Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” that features both Michael and the Rocket Man himself. In 1998, Michael came out as a gay man, and he was a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and HIV/AIDS prevention efforts throughout his career. Fans were stunned when Michael passed away unexpectedly in 2016 at the age of 53, but his songs—and his legacy—endure.

Missy Elliott

THERE HAS NOT been a woman rapper in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—until now. “Get Ur Freak On,” “Pass That Dutch,” “Lose Control,” “Work It”—there was a stretch in the early 2000s when Missy Elliott’s beats and bars were inescapable. Her music videos—especially the clip for 1997’s breakthrough single “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” in which she transformed a trash bag into an unforgettable ensemble—were in constant rotation on MTV. Her songs were omnipresent on radio, and earned her a collection of the industry’s highest accolades (including four Grammys and several MTV Video Music Awards). She’s an exceptional rapper, as well as a production genius and lauded songwriter (and one who’s been officially honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame). She’s collaborated with some of the most beloved hitmakers in R&B and pop at large: Aaliyah, Jennifer Hudson, Jazmine Sullivan, Ciara, Nelly Furtado, and many more. In short: Missy Elliott is, and has been, a force to be reckoned with, an MC who can do it all with infinite crossover appeal. And now, to top it all off, she’s making history.

Sheryl Crow

IT’S BEEN NEARLY 30 years since the release of Tuesday Night Music Club, Sheryl Crow’s debut album, and yet its tunes—“All I Wanna Do,” her first single; the frank and fed-up “Can’t Cry Anymore”; the sparse and stunning “Strong Enough”—remain some of the most beloved in her catalog. That says something, given how busy Crow’s been since: 10 albums followed, as have several songs as beloved as that first batch, from the snarling “If It Makes You Happy” and the profound “Everyday Is a Winding Road” to “Prove You Wrong,” her country-rock anthem featuring Stevie Nicks and Maren Morris. Her writing has always drawn as much from classic rock and folk as it has the licks and conventions of country, and as such she’s carved out a place entirely her own with one foot firmly planted in each genre: She’s as much at home in the studio with Chris Stapleton as she is with Justin Timberlake, and her songwriting chops—not to mention her crystal-clear voice—soar beyond the confines of genre. 

Rage Against the Machine

RAGE AGAINST THE Machine has been previously nominated for entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame four times, but the fifth time’s the charm for the righteously deafening rock mainstays. Since forming in 1991, the four-piece has made heavy protest tracks their calling card, with 1992’s unfiltered breakout track “Killing in the Name” and subsequent singles—like “Bulls on Parade,” “Guerilla Radio,” and “Sleep Now in the Fire”—all speaking truth to power while shining a glaring spotlight on the myth of American exceptionalism. Read Rage Against the Machine’s statement regarding their induction in full here:

It is a surprising trajectory for us to be welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 1991 four people in Los Angeles formed a musical group to stand where sound and solidarity intersect. We called ourselves Rage Against the Machine.  A band who is as well known for our albums as we are for our fierce opposition to the US war machine, white supremacy and exploitation  A band whose songs drove alternative radio to new heights while right wing media companies tried to purge every song we ever wrote from the airwaves A band who shut down the NY Stock Exchange for the first time in its history A band who was targeted by police organizations who attempted to ban us from sold out arenas for raising our voices to free Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier and other political prisoners  A band who sued the US State Department for their fascist practice of using our music to torture innocent men in Guantanamo Bay A band who wrote rebel songs in an abandoned, industrial warehouse in the valley that would later dethrone Simon Cowell ’s X-Factor pop monopoly to occupy the number 1 spot on the UK charts and have the most downloaded song in UK history  A band who funded and organized delegations to stand with Mexican rebel Zapatista communities to expose the Mexican government’s war on indigenous people A band whose experimentation in fusing punk, rock and hip-hop became a genre of its own Many thanks to the Hall of Fame for recognizing the music and the mission of Rage Against the Machine. We are grateful to all of the passionate fans, the many talented co-conspirators we’ve worked with and all the activists, organizers, rebels and revolutionaries past, present and future who have inspired our art.

The Spinners

“I’LL BE AROUND,” the immediately recognizable hit from R&B and soul crooners The Spinners, is a groove with with a unique cultural footprint. You can’t hear the subtle drums and telltale chords without humming the chorus in your head: “Whenever you call me, I’ll be there/Whenever you want me, I’ll be there/Whenever you need me, I’ll be there/I’ll be around.” The Spinners are one of a few Detroit soul groups who truly found their groove by leaving Motown. On that label they hit with Stevie Wonder’s “It’s a Shame,” but it took a hook-up with Philadelphia maestro Thom Bell to bring out their best. Bell’s smooth and sumptuous productions were the blueprint for Philly soul, and The Spinners’ Philippe Wynne had the voice to match. Lightly funkified love ballads became their trademark, but they could also draw from gospel on “Mighty Love” and do social commentary on “Ghetto Child.”

Kate Bush

THOUGH FANS OF Kate Bush have been blasting Hounds of Love��and the rest of her greatest hits for decades, the reclusive British singer-songwriter saw an unlikely resurgence when her 1985 single “Running Up That Hill” was worked into the supernatural plot of Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things last summer. It’s hardly surprising that younger audiences connected with its driving drums and synth-laden, discordant chorus, nor is it shocking that Bush’s robust voice continues to stun listeners when they encounter her signature song—or “This Woman’s Work,” or “Wuthering Heights,” or anything else in her repertoire—for the first time. The list of famous Bush fans is long, and it counts everyone from Adele and Björk to ROSALÍA and Solange, not to mention several artists previously honored by the Rock Hall (like Stevie Nicks, who considered recording her own version of “Running Up That Hill” before realizing she “can’t really do that song better than Kate Bush did”). 

Sent from my iPhone

Congratulations 🍾🎉🎊🎈 to this year’s 2023 rock and roll hall of fame!

⭐️George Michael

⭐️Sheryl Crow

⭐️Willie Nelson

⭐️Missy Elliott

⭐️Kate Bush

⭐️The Spinners

⭐️Rage Against the Machine

⭐️Chaka Khan

⭐️Al Kooper

⭐️Bernie Taupin

⭐️DJ Kool Herc

⭐️Link Wray

⭐️Don Cornelius

[scopophilic1997]

We lost a great from Country music today: Loretta Lynn passed at the age of 90. We got to see her perform twice: once on the Van Lear Rose tour with the White Stripes at the Hammerstein Ballroom in 2003 and again at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in April 2017 (top left photo.) Here’s our homage to the great and Nashville for all the brilliant music they have bestowed upon us! We will always love you Loretta! RIP.

[newmusicweekly]

T. Graham Brown Welcomes Marty Roe of Diamond Rio As His Guest For September's LIVE WIRE

Country hit-maker T. Graham Brown's LIVE WIRE on SiriusXM's Prime Country Channel 58 will debut new episodes starting Wednesday, September 6th at 10/9c PM, featuring an interview with Grammy-nominated, CMA and ACM winner, Grand Ole Opry member and Diamond Rio frontman, Marty Roe. With a 30-plus-year career in country music with hits including “Meet in The Middle,” “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “One More Day,” “Beautiful Mess,” “Unbelievable,” “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” and more, Diamond Rio has sold more than 6.8 million albums and surpassed 1 billion global streams, charted 20 Top 10 singles, 15 Top 5 singles, and seven No. 1 singles. LIVE WIRE is a one-hour show that showcases live cuts & interviews with some of T. Graham Brown's closest friends and heroes, sharing fun stories about life on the road. “Y’all this heat has been something else and nothing is cooler than listening to your favorite live tunes from the comfort of your favorite chair and some air conditioning,” laughs Brown. “We are spinning everything you can imagine from the classics to the 90s and everything in between. I also got to sit down with my buddy, Marty Roe from Diamond Rio. The hits they have had are incredible and it was great catching up with him. Be sure to tune in or you’ll be missing out!” With continued airings throughout September, the show will feature live cuts from artists including Joe Diffie, Pam Tillis, Charley Pride, Delbert McClinton, T. Read the full article

[spinstrackingsystem]

Melvis Long “Pray For Better Days” impacting now: Radio/Media Download Here

Melvis Long has been a songwriter since the 80’s. So far he has written over 90 songs that have been recorded by several different artist. He has teamed with guitarist Garrick Alden a former Guitar player at the Grand Ole Opry and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine as a premier guitar player. Most of the songs written by Melvis are about life. Sometimes he can write a song just by talking to other people, or watching TV. Born in the mountains of West Virginia most of his songs are country but he has branched out and started writing different styles of music, including Rock, Funk, Instrumentals and other genres. This song being released was written by Melvis several years ago and it’s first release as an artist. We hope you enjoy the song. Preay For Better Days is available on all digital download sites including YouTube. His website is www.melvis2000.com. He would love to hear from you. Thanks and god bless. Additional Artist/Song Information: Artist Name: Melvis Long Song Title: Pray For Better Days Publishing: Eddie C Life Publishing Affiliation: BMI Album Title: Pray For Better Days Record Label: My Two Cats Publishing Record Label: My Two Cats Publishing Melvin Long 410-573-1976 melvis2000@yahoo.com Read the full article

[hotflatrock]

Sam Hunt at Shoreline Amphitheater

When did country music become OK?

This was at top of mind as I attended a concert at Shoreline Amphitheater featuring Lily Rose, Brett Young, and Sam Hunt. I didn’t know any songs from any of them, and I was only an alternate to attend the concert. The wife’s friend had to put down her dog at the last minute, so I was pressed into duty.

And it was great fun.

The year of the concert has pushed all kinds of boundaries for us both, but just a few months ago, I never would have imagined I would be attending my third country concert of the year. Back in the 80s and 90s, I would use the word “hate” if asked about country music. Having a country music-loving girlfriend, later wife, will ensure you will get an earful of it. But I think the transition from hate, to tolerance, to 3 concerts in about month didn’t happen just because of that.

There are a few songs and acts that acted as the gateway to tolerance. I think it started with The Chicks’ cover of the legendary Fleetwood Mac song, Landslide. I actually bought album just for that song, and I really glommed onto a couple other tracks from it… particularly Traveling Soldier. Next up were some KOIT radio standards in the mid-aughts: Lady A’s Need You Now and Just A Kiss. I listened to When I Die Young by The Band Perry and Taylor Swift’s early stuff on a loop, and I absolutely loved when Mark Knopfler teamed up with Emmylou Harris for All The Roadrunning and the incredible song This Is Us.

But the real turning point was probably when I went to Nashville with the wife and her friends for a birthday celebration. Being immersed in that city with music pouring out into the street from every bar was a revelatory experience. We arrived on July 4th in the middle of street party with the main drag blocked off for a live concert, thousands of people thronging the street.

There were aspiring musicians everywhere: in every bar, street corner, and hotel lobby. There was even a blonde lady singing country and trying to rap in the café gift shop after touring the Ryman.

We also went to a show at the Grand Old Opry, which turned out to be a delightful mix of bluegrass, newbie country acts, and a fiercely jingoistic performance by Lee Greenwood. While I didn’t love all the music, it was the overall experience that sticks with me.

Flash forward to concert at the Shoreline, I was again fully immersed in the experience, if not the music. Lily Rose was really cool. Her own music was solid, and she sang some famous songs to warm up the crowd. Brett Young shared his own fond memories of attending shows at Shoreline from when he was a student, and the one song he sang 10 different ways was ok.

Sam Hunt shared some hilarious stories, particularly how he fell in love with his wife in the back of cop car, before singing his song about falling in love in the back of a cop car. But the image that sticks with the most was the video backdrop to one song whose name I didn’t catch. The video displayed a house at dusk alone in a field, with hundreds of fireflies lighting up the tableau.

I used to live on the east coast for high school, and I hated it there. I’ve long said that the only things I miss from the east coast are thunderstorms and warm rain. But the fireflies in the video were a reminder that there were other cool parts of living on the east coast, things that are never present or possible in California.

Yet I never gained appreciation for country music when I lived in the near south, and it look falling in love with a country-music loving San Francisco native to make it possible.

[newmusicradionetwork]

Melvis Long “Pray For Better Days”

Melvis Long has been a songwriter since the 80’s. So far he has written over 90 songs that have been recorded by several different artist. He has teamed with guitarist Garrick Alden a former Guitar player at the Grand Ole Opry and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine as a premier guitar player. Most of the songs written by Melvis are about life. Sometimes he can write a song just by talking to other people, or watching TV. Born in the mountains of West Virginia most of his songs are country but he has branched out and started writing different styles of music, including Rock, Funk, Instrumentals and other genres. This song being released was written by Melvis several years ago and it’s first release as an artist. We hope you enjoy the song. Preay For Better Days is available on all digital download sites including YouTube. His website is www.melvis2000.com. He would love to hear from you. Thanks and god bless. Additional Artist/Song Information: Artist Name: Melvis Long Song Title: Pray For Better Days Publishing: Eddie C Life Publishing Affiliation: BMI Album Title: Pray For Better Days Record Label: My Two Cats Publishing Record Label: My Two Cats Publishing Melvin Long 410-573-1976 melvis2000@yahoo.com Read the full article

[airplayaccess]

Melvis Long "Pray For Better Days" impacting now: Radio/Media Download Here

Melvis Long has been a songwriter since the 80's. So far he has written over 90 songs that have been recorded by several different artist. He has teamed with guitarist Garrick Alden a former Guitar player at the Grand Ole Opry and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine as a premier guitar player. Most of the songs written by Melvis are about life. Sometimes he can write a song just by talking to other people, or watching TV. Born in the mountains of West Virginia most of his songs are country but he has branched out and started writing different styles of music, including Rock, Funk, Instrumentals and other genres. This song being released was written by Melvis several years ago and it's first release as an artist. We hope you enjoy the song. Preay For Better Days is available on all digital download sites including YouTube. His website is www.melvis2000.com. He would love to hear from you. Thanks and god bless. Additional Artist/Song Information: Artist Name: Melvis Long Song Title: Pray For Better Days Publishing: Eddie C Life Publishing Affiliation: BMI Album Title: Pray For Better Days Record Label: My Two Cats Publishing Record Label: My Two Cats Publishing Melvin Long 410-573-1976 melvis2000@yahoo.com Read the full article

[texicancountry]

Frank Ray: Never Too Late to Make a Name in Country Music

Sitting indoors at any venue along Nashville's Lower Broadway Friday morning during the peak of CMA Fest 2023 is a great place to spot country music royalty in the wild. June 8-11 marked country music’s invasion of Music City.

The 100-degree pre-summer temperatures beyond the roof-top bars’ entrance doors make the celebrity watch a bit more of a sport. Country Music superstars such as Carly Pearce and Luke Combs are in a near sprint as they run inside to cooler and fresher surroundings.

Among those making a mad dash indoors is a guy wearing white joggers, a bright orange and black Hawaiian shirt, and a black snapback ball cap. It's Frank Ray, one of the headliners for the CMA Fest concert today, whose big smile indicates that even the scorching heat isn't going to keep him from burning up the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage.

I sat down to talk with Frank Ray Gomez and asked the 33-year-old former police officer about his life-changing decision to trade in his badge, uniform, and the profession that had long been his dream to pursue his passion.

"On my last day as an officer for the Las Cruces Police Department, I picked up my CB radio and sent out an emotional and tear-filled goodbye to my fellow officers, thanking them for all their support and urging them to please stay safe out there,” said Gomez.

He was born in New Mexico and raised between his home state and Texas. Gomez—known as Frank Ray on stage—says he was deeply influenced by the Mexican music of his culture and 90s country, regarded as the genre's golden era.

He said his love for country music began early. He spent his childhood emulating his idols—George Strait, Freddy Fender, Tracy Lawrence, and Rick Treviño—singing and performing whenever he could. He eventually made the practical decision to pursue a career in law enforcement, seemingly leaving his country music dreams behind.

"Ten years into my law enforcement career, I thought my time to shine as a country music artist had passed. I considered focusing solely on songwriting, but fate had other plans after I opened for Keith Urban at a local concert and caught the eye of a local promoter."

Gomez’s career took flight, and he began to make a name for himself on Texas country radio and the Texas dance hall and club circuit.

Despite his newfound musical success, there was one problem: Gomez was still a police officer. However, his wife's unwavering support eventually led him to commit to his music career fully.

“She's why I made my Grand Ole Opry debut in November 2021, and she's why I'm playing CMA Fest tonight. Without Emily, there's no Frank Ray in country music."

Since Gomez signed with BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records in 2021, he said he's begun to see his dreams materialize. He started with successfully releasing the visualizer for his Latin-infused country track "Streetlights," followed by his Top 20 hit in the Fall of 2022, "Country'd Look Good On You." His current single, "Somebody Else's Whiskey," is country music radio's most added single the week ending March 10th and is anticipated to give Gomez his first Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Country Chart.

Gomez told me that he and his team strive for his brand of country music to have a distinct Latin flavor. “I want my music to be authentic to all my traditions and influences.”

These cherished customs embody the essence of Freddy Fender's quintessential mid-1970s masterpieces, such as the poignant "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." Gomez's artistic perception is steeped in the melodious legacy inherited from Vicente Fernández's ranchera classics. Tracy Lawrence's golden hues of '90s country music are also vital to Gomez's music.

As he prepares to take the stage tonight, Gomez said, "It's honestly the honor of my life. I realize that I can really make an impact on the culture and make an impact in this industry. I want to set a good example for my kids and other kids with the same dreams I had growing up."  

[tonkimat]

Marty stuart burn me down

"This my very favorite Johnny Cash song ever ever ever. The melody is the same as "Streets of Laredo" with the song about a prisoner determined to break out. Stuart closes "Country Music" with the haunting, mournful "Walls of a Prison," a song recorded by Stuart's ex-father in law, also known as Johnny Cash, about 40 years ago. We've put a blue collar price on the ticket. The first person I thought about was Merle because he's written the soundtrack to the common people. Everything is so urban and pop driven that our original country audience has been left behind."Īfter thinking about the old Grand Ole Opry shows with Roy Acuff, Stuart went with the idea of having making "a hillbilly circus out of it. I also saw it as a life that country music had gone off and kind of forgotten. The more I played these small towns, the more I fell in love with the atmosphere of small town America. I noticed people were starting to come again. We started playing small towns across America. I said let's go back to places where there is not so much pressure. The '90s have run their course, and we're basically starting over again. "A year ago when I first put the new band (the Fabulous Superlatives) together, my request to the booking agent was to hype me. The Barnyard tour also includes bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent, BR549 and Smith. Of course, with Merle on it, it gives it another whole level of credibility and interest." That I think that is one of the finer things I've ever been a part of. "If we tour, we should sing a song together. "It just seemed like country music marketing 101," says Stuart. That's an outgrowth of the Electric Barnyard tour they are doing this summer. Merle Haggard also appears on the album singing "Farmer's Blues" with Stuart. When Stuart was 13, he left his home to hit the road with Lester Flatt of Flatt & Scruggs fame. I can tell it, but you can also hear it." Josh and Earl are true masterful teachers. Go back to my old alma mater of the Foggy Bottom Boys. "Why just tell the same old joke one more time? The more I thought about it, the more I listened to it.it became a vehicle to use (Dobroist) Uncle Josh Graves and Earl (Scruggs) on the record, and that made a lot of sense to me. "I didn't know that I wanted to tackle that again," he says of the subject matter. Stuart had another motive in mind as well in recording the song. The song felt like a sermon that I wanted to preach." The second half mentioned bands like Charlie Daniels Band and Creedence Clearwater Revival, 'which are absolutely valid bands, but I wanted to rewrite the song.and make it more traditional. While calling it "well written," Stuart put his own stamp on it. "I passed on the song."īut the more Stuart listened the song of former Boy Howdy lead singer Jeffrey Steele, the more he liked it. "I thought I've talked this kind of language for so long," says Stuart. When "Tip Your Hat" was presented to Stuart, he, at first, begged off. "Finding 5 or 10 great songs, finding things that will stand the test of time is the hardest thing of all," says Stuart. "The upside to that is it's totally my product, but the downside is a lot of work to put on any artist when they tour. "Tony Brown (former MCA label head) and MCA just depended on me to bring it all in," says Stuart. Having written 5 of the 12 songs on "Country Music," Stuart relied on staff to find "Tip Your Hat," Mike Henderson's "Wishful Thinking" and "If There Ain't." "I always had the benefit of an A&R staff that I'd never had the benefit of before," says Stuart, referring to the label staff that signs artists and also helps them with recording. "First and foremost, they let me alone, and I think that's great." Stuart says he feels he's at a better place now with Sony. He had another hit with Tritt as well, "This One's Gonna Hurt You (For a Long, Long Time)" and on his own with "Burn Me Down."īut after enjoying moderate success with "Now That's Country" (as you can see, Stuart's been plying for country music for a long time), Stuart continued a downward spiral commercially, culminating in "The Pilgrim." From 1990 to 1992, he scored top 10s with "Hillbilly Rock," "Little Things," "Tempted" and his biggest hit, "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'," recorded with soul mate Travis Tritt. When things with Sony didn't work out, Stuart went to MCA where he enjoyed his greatest success. After one self-released disc and "Busy Bee Café" on Sugar Hill in 1982, Stuart eventually signed with Columbia, which released "Marty Stuart" in 1986.

[delhinewsinenglish]

Loretta Lynn, coal miner's daughter and country queen, dies

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2022/trending-news/loretta-lynn--coal-miner-s-daughter-and-country-queen--dies.html

Loretta Lynn, the Kentucky coal miner's daughter whose frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of country music, has died.

She was 90.

In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Lynn's family said she died Tuesday at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

Lynn already had four children before launching her career in the early 1960s, and her songs reflected her pride in her rural Kentucky background.

As a songwriter, she crafted a persona of a defiantly tough woman, a contrast to the stereotypical image of most female country singers.

The Country Music Hall of Famer wrote fearlessly about sex and love, cheating husbands, divorce and birth control and sometimes got in trouble with radio programmers for material from which even rock performers once shied away.

Her biggest hits came in the 1960s and '70s, including “Coal Miner's Daughter,” “You Ain't Woman Enough,” “The Pill,” “Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind),” “Rated X” and “You're Looking at Country.”

She was known for appearing in floor-length, wide gowns with elaborate embroidery or rhinestones, many created by her longtime personal assistant and designer Tim Cobb.

Her honesty and unique place in country music was rewarded.

She was the first woman ever named entertainer of the year at the genre's two major awards shows, first by the Country Music Association in 1972 and then by the Academy of Country Music three years later.

“It was what I wanted to hear and what I knew other women wanted to hear, too,” Lynn told the AP in 2016. “I didn't write for the men; I wrote for us women. And the men loved it, too.”

In 1969, she released her autobiographical “Coal Miner's Daughter,” which helped her reach her widest audience yet.

“We were poor but we had love/That's the one thing Daddy made sure of/He shoveled coal to make a poor man's dollar,” she sang.

“Coal Miner's Daughter,” also the title of her 1976 book, was made into a 1980 movie of the same name. Sissy Spacek's portrayal of Lynn won her an Academy Award and the film was also nominated for best picture.

Long after her commercial peak, Lynn won two Grammys in 2005 for her album “Van Lear Rose,” which featured 13 songs she wrote, including “Portland, Oregon” about a drunken one-night stand. “Van Lear Rose” was a collaboration with rocker Jack White, who produced the album and played the guitar parts.

Born Loretta Webb, the second of eight children, she claimed her birthplace was Butcher Holler, near the coal mining company town of Van Lear in the mountains of east Kentucky.

There really wasn't a Butcher Holler, however. She later told a reporter that she made up the name for the purposes of the song based on the names of the families that lived there.

Her daddy played the banjo, her mama played the guitar and she grew up on the songs of the Carter Family.

“I was singing when I was born, I think,” she told the AP in 2016. “Daddy used to come out on the porch where I would be singing and rocking the babies to sleep. He'd say, Loretta, shut that big mouth. People all over this holler can hear you.' And I said, Daddy, what difference does it make? They are all my cousins.'”

She wrote in her autobiography that she was 13 when she got married to Oliver “Mooney” Lynn, but the AP later discovered state records that showed she was 15. Tommy Lee Jones played Mooney Lynn in the biopic.

Her husband, whom she called “Doo” or “Doolittle,” urged her to sing professionally and helped promote her early career.

With his help, she earned a recording contract with Decca Records, later MCA, and performed on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Lynn wrote her first hit single, “I'm a Honky Tonk Girl,” released in 1960.

She also teamed up with singer Conway Twitty to form one of the most popular duos in country music with hits such as “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” and “After the Fire is Gone,” which earned them a Grammy Award. Their duets, and her single records, were always mainstream country and not crossover or pop-tinged.

The Academy of Country Music chose her as the artist of the decade for the 1970s, and she was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1988.

In “Fist City,” Lynn threatens a hair-pulling fistfight if another woman won't stay away from her man: “I'm here to tell you, gal, to lay off of my man/If you don't want to go to Fist City.”

That strong-willed but traditional country woman reappears in other Lynn songs.

In “The Pill,” a song about sex and birth control, Lynn writes about how she's sick of being trapped at home to take care of babies: “The feelin' good comes easy now/Since I've got the pill,” she sang.

She moved to Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, outside of Nashville, in the 1990s, where she set up a ranch complete with a replica of her childhood home and a museum that is a popular roadside tourist stop. The dresses she was known for wearing are there, too.

Lynn knew that her songs were trailblazing, especially for country music, but she was just writing the truth that so many rural women like her experienced.

“I could see that other women was goin' through the same thing, cause I worked the clubs. I wasn't the only one that was livin' that life and I'm not the only one that's gonna be livin' today what I'm writin'," she told The AP in 1995.

Even into her later years, Lynn never seemed to stop writing, scoring a multi-album deal in 2014 with Legacy Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

In 2017, she suffered a stroke that forced her to postpone her shows.

She and her husband were married nearly 50 years before he died in 1996.

They had six children: Betty, Jack, Ernest and Clara, and then twins Patsy and Peggy.

[ghostlycroissantpainterdrea-blog]

Ms. Loretta died today.

She was 90. I didn't know her as well, as some of my friends.y family spent more time with the Rockabilly artists, and bluegrass artists, rather than with folks getting their start at the Grand Ole Opry.

But, I do have a story to tell about her. I was about 19 years old, and decided to go to East TN, my mother of course, can always be relied upon to make everything about her. Momma forbade me from going without her. And then, she lost her everloving mind, at Hurricane Mills exit in I-40, because I wanted to stop to get a burger, and that was my usual stop on the way the Nashville.

I pulled out of the McDonald's parking lot, her screaming at me. And instead of going the next 4 1/2 hours to Maryville with her screaming at me. Or just immediately turning back to Jackson. I turned right, and started going to Loretta's. The ranch is open to the public, and has beautiful museum collections. She was screaming through tears when we pulled up.

I got out of the car and lit a cigarette. And started walking towards the viator's center. Loretta was standing there. Mom following not super close behind me, but close enough for me to hear very clearly her cruel words.

Loretta saw me try to smile. She knew without me telling her what was going on. She said "Well, Hey baby! Haven't seen you in a while!"

Loretta and I had met in passing when I was child. But, it wasn't like how I knew Johnny, or Ricky Skaggs, or even Darrel Scott.

She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and wiped a tear away from my eye.

My mother was quite taken aback. My mother had not been there, when I met Loretta, but knew that I had.

Loretta defused the whole situation, and redirected my mom, in a way that I was failing at before.

Loretta probably didn't recognize me, or know me. But, she was great, and made sure I was safe. I called her when I got home and let her know I was okay.

Loretta knew, as those of us in the fellowship know. And she loved me, in a very special way. The same way I do all our newcomers.

Thanks Loretta.

[emotions-ew]

A Collection of Queer Country Artists and Songs for anyone who doesn’t feel like there’s country music they can relate to...

There is this idea that country music is like just Republican men singing about beer, and trucks and also Jesus,  and that is kind of fair because loads of it is but there are some cool as hell queer/lgbtq+ country artists. Finding those and finding that representation in a genre of music I was literally raised on kind of changed my life in a tiny way and I wanted to share that.

(This is by no means a comprehensive list and also I’m basing the “Country” part of this sometimes on my subjective opinion/limited music knowledge so yuh please don’t hate me if I get some wrong)

Also link below for a Spotify playlist of my favourite gay/gayish country music, some mentioned in this post some not, (with a title that isn’t obviously gay for anyone who can’t openly listen to gay stuff on their public accounts for whatever reason) so feel free to skip the massive essay and just jump straight to that. And pretty please repost if I missed anyone/ any songs you love.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7KB6PmUxnpkU7lih8Bysvw

Artists To Follow:

Chely Wright

- Right off the bat, Chely Wright is a legend and I’m in love with her. So, in the 90′s Chely Wright was kind of a huge deal. She started her career as a singer/songwriter and released her first album in ‘94, which was critically acclaimed although never reached the commercial success of her later works. By ‘97 she was really hitting her stride, dropping her breakout hit “Shut up and Drive” (a personal favourite of mine) followed two years later by the biggest hit of her career “Single White Female”. Throughout all that Chely Wright was, to the world, a good old fashioned, heterosexual southern gal. Privately it was a bit of a different story. She had public relationships with male country artists, all while pursuing a secret decade long relationship with a woman. 

I hadn’t ever really heard a Chely Wright song until a few years ago so I never knew about her music or career pre-coming out but I do know that even though by the time she came out in 2010 she was by no means at the height of her fame Chely Wright is kind of one of the biggest names in country music to be out and proud (in my opinion) and I love her like an insane amount. I literally play her music in my car when I have passengers just so I can be like “fun fact this singer is actually gay-” and then subject them to a lengthy explanation of her entire career. She came out with an album and a memoir and the album is my favourite of her work because it’s so fucking raw and because I relate to most of it immensely. Anyways Chely Wright went fucking through it in her journey to being her authentic self and now she’s out and proud and married to a woman and they have a family together and I’m a fucking sucker for a happy ending and y’all should add her to every playlist you have. And on top of that her music is genuinely good. Coming out undoubtedly damaged her career but I think that

Brandi Carlile 

- As far as I can tell Brandi Carlile has been out her whole career. I feel like this list is just going to be me saying “I’m in love with her” about a bunch of women old enough to be my mother but in my defence, I am honestly in love with her. She’s been making music since she was like, seventeen, and has had a bunch of massive hits, as a singer, songwriter, and producer. If you want to cry kind of happy tears listen to her performance of “Bring my Flowers Now” with Tanya Tucker. She’s won Grammy’s and CMT awards and she’s done it all as an out Queer woman. She’s also a founding member of The Highwomen, an all-female country music group who released their first album in 2019, comprised of Carlile, Marren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires. I really love this band because they’re four artists who are immensely successfully in their own right collabing, much like the Highwaymen, and their music is phenomenal while also being a fuck you to mainstream country music and their inability to properly represent women in country music spaces. 

She’s been married to a woman (smoking hot and also brilliant) since 2012 and they have two kids together and if you want to cry (again) then you have to listen to her song “Mother” about her eldest daughter. A queer country artist absolutely worth adding to all your playlists. 

Brooke Eden

- As I understand it Eden came out publicly in January of this year. She’s engaged to Hilary Hoover, who she’s been dating since 2015 apparently. I can’t even imagine the pressure that must be on a person and how stressful it would be to keep a relationship secret from the whole world for years and personally I think they’re a cute as hell couple and I wish them literally all the happiness in the world. 

Brooke Eden has a few older songs that I think are really good, my favourite being “Act Like You Don’t”, and while her new stuff isn’t my usual country vibe I am a sucker for literally anything gay and it is legally my gay duty to stream any song that she releases to support my fellow queer. It’s quite different to anything Wright or Carlile sing but I actually kind of love that because it shows that country music of all different shapes and sizes and styles can be sung by queer artists. 

Amythyst Kiah

- Okay so I am a very new listener to Amythyst Kiah, but her music is literally so beautiful it would be a straight up sin to not include her on this list. Her music is country-blues-roots esq (more roots than country, I think?) and her voice is so unique. She grew up in Chattanooga and has been playing music since childhood. She recently made her Opry debut which is fucking awesome. She also belongs to a band called Our Native Daughters, described as “A supergroup of Black women in traditional music”. Their debut album “Songs of Our Native Daughters” did numbers and I haven’t listened to the whole thing but my favourite so far are “Black Myself” and “I Knew I Could Fly” so y’all add that to your playlists along with “Wild Turkey” by Amythyst Kiah because holy hell her voice on that will blow your mind.

Steve Grand

-        The first man to make this list, he should frankly be honoured. Grand has been an out and proud gay man making country music since like 2013, and I have so much respect for an artist who chose to simply never be in, choosing instead to simply write gay ass songs about being in love with men and letting the chips fall where they man. His music is always going to have a special place in my heart and, he’s cute so if you’re into men and music by men give him a google. add him to your playlists, his All-American Boy album is literally just a dozen songs that are perfect to yell-sing along to.

Katie Pruitt

-        Not hugely knowledgeable on Katie Pruitt but her music makes me feel crazy intense emotions and is absolutely gay

 Honorable Mention Artists I haven’t Really Listened to But Who I Know to be gay thanks to google and might be your thing so totally check them out:

Brandy Clark

Ty Herndon

Shelly Fairchild

Lavendar Country

Trixie Mattel

Cameron Hawthorn

Drop any other names of artists or songs you know of 

 Specific Songs That Make Me Fucking Cry or (in good and bad ways (but always in a gay way)) or basically are just gay as hell:

If She Ever Leaves Me; The Highwomen

- So, this album came out about a week before my first (and only) girlfriend broke up with me. The general gist of the song is a woman singing about how her loved isn’t ever going to leave her but if she does it sure as hell won’t be for a creepy man in a bar. A little ironic that I felt I related to it so intensely, considering she did in fact leave me. There’s this one lyric that goes “I’ve loved her in secret/I’ve lover here out loud/the sky hasn’t always been blue” and my girlfriend and I were crazy deep in the closet so I drew her a cute little picture of a grey cloud and on the back I wrote that lyric and I gave it to her and to me it was kind of a promise that one day I’d get a chance to love her out loud and even though I never actually did this song is forever going to make me cry because of the little bit of hope that lyric gave me and the way it’s inclusion on this overwhelmingly mainstream country album made me feel like acceptance was just that little bit closer. 

 All American Boy; Steve Grand

- Definitely one of the first gay country songs I ever heard, and Steve Grand didn’t once sacrifice a scrap of country for the gay. It’s beautiful, it’s a little sad, it’s hopeful. It’s forever going to hold a special place in my heart and the music videos is kind of one of my favourites ever. I found this song before I found myself and the way it made my heart warm should have been a stronger sign than I took it to be. 

Like Me; Chely Wright

- When you love someone you kind of make it your mission to know them in a way that no one else can. This song by Chely Wright is sort of an ode to that, and how even once you lost someone, you’re still going to know every little thing about them. On top of that it sort of speaks to the idea that all these things Wright learned about this woman, she learned in secret and she knew her and loved her in secret and now that they’re gone from each other she’s left with all of this knowledge and all of these questions and no one to answer them. I love the way it’s so slow and the melody and her voice, the way it’s low and a little raspy, make this one of my favourite Chely Wright songs.

The Mother; Brandi Carlile

-        Sorry but a song about being a mother by a queer woman is going to make me cry every time and actually I’m not that sorry. It’s quite a simple song, if any song written by Brandi Carlile can ever be described as ‘simple’, it’s an ode to her daughter. My favourite line is “you are not an accident/where no one thought it through” because it speaks to the fact that in order for queer women to have a kid together they have to want it so damn bad and also I just like the way her voice sounds on that line. This song is also the perfect thing to listen to if you ever for a second feel like being gay/queer is going to stand in the way of you having a family because it absolutely doesn’t have to and if that’s something you want, you can have it. Don’t let people try and convince you otherwise.

Loving Her; Katie Pruitt

-        Unapologetic gay love. Opening a song with “If loving hers a sin, I don’t wanna go to heaven” is a fucking baller move and she went there. The lyrics are beautiful, and her voice is phenomenal. It could be a sad song, about confronting religious repression and grappling with what that means for your love, but instead its triumphant. Katie Pruitt doesn’t give a fuck if you have a problem because she’s going to write songs for her lover.

Jesus From Texas; Semler

-        Not actually totally sure this is a country song, but it has the words ‘Jesus’ and ‘Texas’ in the title so I feel safe including it in this list. Honestly, I don’t really know why I relate so hard to this song. Like, I wasn’t really raised with religion, so I don’t know what it is about this funky little tune that makes me want to sob but there’s something about this tune that makes me want to do whatever the opposite of get up and dance is, but like, in a good way.

Lovin’ Again; Steve Grand

-        Breakup song that ends kind of positively? So good to sing along to at high, high volumes. The idea that losing someone doesn’t have to mean losing yourself and just because you can’t love them doesn’t mean you’re not ever going to love again. But also kind of about how it’s hard to get over someone, I don’t know it’s just good.

Cryin’ These Cocksucking Tears; Lavender Country

-        Jesus christ if this isn’t the coolest shit I’ve ever heard in my life. Sorry but a gay country group formed in 1972 who dropped possibly the first gay themed country album, and this was the title of one of the songs. God I am in love.

 Songs that (to me) are a little fruity or that I just relate to in a gay way:

Picket Fences; Chely Wright

-          Chely Wright is gay but this song came out long before she did and when she wrote it, it wasn’t supposed to be gay which is why it’s in this section and not the previous. The reason it’s included at all is because frankly ma’am, Mrs Wright, it’s a little fruity. And I feel a little bad for joking because honestly to me, the way I hear this song and knowing the context (that Wright was deeply closeted at the time she wrote and released it), it’s kind of just sad. The general gist of the song is Wright asking what’s so great about a traditional lifestyle anyways. It could be read as a woman genuinely questioning why we push that expectation that she’ll have two kids and a husband and a picket fence lifestyle, or even could be read as a woman who’s trying to deflect how much she does in fact want that, you have to listen and form your own opinion. But to me, it feels like a woman who’s desperately trying to justify why she doesn’t want that life not because she can’t have it, but she knows it will never be right for her. I don’t know it’s hard to explain I just feel like this song is a little bit gay even though I’m sure she didn’t intend that.

Sinning with You; Sam Hunt

-          Sorry but this song is gay. Sorry but you can’t write the lines “I never felt like I was sinning with you/Always felt like I could talk to God in the morning” and “if it’s so wrong why did it feel so right” and “But I never felt shame, never felt sorry/Never felt guilty touching your body” and not to mention the opening line of “raised in the first pew/praises for yeshua/case of a small town repression”, and expect to not sit in my car sobbing as I realised that while I never felt like what we did was a sin she absolutely did, and wishing I could have told her that I was sorry for making her carry the weight of both our souls but also that it wasn’t a sin and nothing in the world could feel that good and be that bad and it isn’t right that she had to be so ashamed of something that was just so good. Sam Hunt actually said after he wrote the song that while it was reflection on his own relationship with faith he genuinely hopes that people in the lgbtq community can like find comfort or whatever in his words and like go off king, we stan an ally.

  How do I Get There; Deana Carter

-          This ones easy, it’s about falling in love with your best friend and suddenly realising you want more than just friendship with them. Sorry Deana, that’s gay. In my Deana Carter of like Year 10 I played this song on repeat and screamed along to the lyrics as though singing it hard enough would make her like me back.

[newmusicweekly]

Melvis Long “Pray For Better Days” impacting now: Radio/Media Download Here

Melvis Long has been a songwriter since the 80’s. So far he has written over 90 songs that have been recorded by several different artist. He has teamed with guitarist Garrick Alden a former Guitar player at the Grand Ole Opry and was featured in Guitar Player Magazine as a premier guitar player. Most of the songs written by Melvis are about life. Sometimes he can write a song just by talking to other people, or watching TV. Born in the mountains of West Virginia most of his songs are country but he has branched out and started writing different styles of music, including Rock, Funk, Instrumentals and other genres. This song being released was written by Melvis several years ago and it’s first release as an artist. We hope you enjoy the song. Preay For Better Days is available on all digital download sites including YouTube. His website is www.melvis2000.com. He would love to hear from you. Thanks and god bless. Additional Artist/Song Information: Artist Name: Melvis Long Song Title: Pray For Better Days Publishing: Eddie C Life Publishing Affiliation: BMI Album Title: Pray For Better Days Record Label: My Two Cats Publishing Record Label: My Two Cats Publishing Melvin Long 410-573-1976 melvis2000@yahoo.com Read the full article

[carrie-underwoods]

carrieunderwood: Watch for Carrie to perform her favorite Patty Loveless hit as part of @Opry Live: Opry Loves the 90s this Saturday at 9/8c on Circle Network! -TeamCU