Dan Milliken

Darius Rucker, “Alright”

April 9, 2009 Dan Milliken 18

I swear I’ve heard this song somewhere before, but that’s probably just because every writer in Nashville already has a version of it. You know the jist: “I don’t need luxurious things, ’cause I got

Lee Ann Womack, “Solitary Thinkin'”

April 5, 2009 Dan Milliken 8

One of the saddest things about the infamous “soccer mom soundtrack” mentality driving Music Row – whereby most singles are picked specifically because they require no real cognitive processing on your drive home from work – is how it scares most artists away from attempting any stylistic variety.

Thank goodness Lee Ann Womack is not one of them. In an era where “Stay” and “More Like Her” are considered risky radio releases simply for being un-chipper acoustic ballads that aren’t by Taylor Swift or a dude, Womack has gone ahead and picked a slow-burning lounge number about holing up in a bar and feeling sorry for yourself. Atta girl.

Giveaway: Dan Milliken’s Entire CD Collection

April 1, 2009 Dan Milliken 8

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’! But wouldn’t it have been nice? I do have a lot of great digipaks and all.

Keith Urban, Defying Gravity

March 31, 2009 Dan Milliken 12

Keith Urban Defying Gravity Personal hardship can be important source of inspiration for many artists. For Keith Urban, it’s been downright essential. Since his star-making Golden Road, the luster of Urban’s aesthetic package – talent,

Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”

March 29, 2009 Dan Milliken 6

In a just world, this throwaway co-write by the great Bobby Braddock (“He Stopped Loving Her Today”, “D-I-V-O-R-C-E”, “Time Marches On”) wouldn’t even have made it to the song-plugger. Instead, it’s the new single for

Toby Keith, “Lost You Anyway”

March 23, 2009 Dan Milliken 8

Toby Keith is such an ace ballad singer that he can make a totally lame ballad still sound kind of cool. That’s pretty much the story with “Lost You Anyway.”

The song attempts to flesh out a relationship which has presumably been doomed from the beginning, but reveals frustratingly little about why that is, content to linger in one-dimensional self-pity instead. The chorus is especially annoying, as the strong melody gets neutered by a barrage of lazy, vague lyrics (“could’ve tried just a little bit harder…dug down just a little bit deeper.” Are we talking about the relationship or the songwriting?)

But the vocal performance is strong as ever, and the production does the country-arena rock hybrid thing better than most of its ilk, with a repeated electric guitar fill that manages to not sound obnoxious. I doubt anyone is going to remember this five years from now, but as skip-it radio filler goes, it’s palatable.

Bargain Hunter: Dolly Parton (Today Only)

March 18, 2009 Dan Milliken 4

Dolly Parton, The Grass is Blue – $1.99

If you don’t like Dolly doing bluegrass…we can’t be friends.

Reviews:

All Music Guide (4.5/5 stars)

Downloading Instructions:

Click on the big “Play” symbol to play the clips. When they start playing, a little box with information about the track will appear at the bottom of the box. Click where it says the album’s name (The Grass is Blue) to reach the full album. Alternatively, you can click the yellow “Buy MP3″ button to go to the page of the individual song that’s playing, from which you can also reach the full album’s page.

Articles by Dan Milliken