The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 28
Today’s category is…
A Song From Your Favorite Songwriter.
Here are the staff picks:
Leeann Ward: “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” – Darrell Scott
The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 27
Today’s category is…
A Song That Expresses Your World View (Or Somethin’ Like That.)
Here are the staff picks:
Kevin Coyne: “Something Worth Leaving Behind” – Lee Ann Womack
Live your life for yourself, your life dies with you. Live it for others, it lives on long after you’re gone.
The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 26
Today’s category is…
A Song About Time.
Here are the staff picks:
Tara Seetharam: “For the Good Times” – Jamey Johnson
About a man spending one last night with his lover, frozen in the “good times” instead of thinking about the pain that will inevitably ensue. There are plenty of versions of this song that I enjoy, but Johnson’s hits on the exact swirl of genres that just gets to me.
The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 25
Today’s category is…
A Great Song That You Discovered After Everybody Else Already Heard It.
Here are the staff picks:
Dan Milliken: “Lord I Hope This Day is Good” – Don Williams
What can I say? I like to think I have a strong overview-type knowledge of country music, but I guess everyone’s got some inexplicable holes in their cultural patchwork. I’ve known of this classic by name for years and have listened through a fair amount of other Don Williams, but I’d never actually bothered to fire the song up until Leeann used it as her pick for one of these categories the other day. Good stuff, though.
The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 24
Today’s category is…
A Great Song You Just Discovered.
Here are the staff picks:
Leeann Ward: “The Last Bus” – Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers
One of my favorite moments is when I put my iPod on shuffle and discover a song that I’ve never heard before and fall in love with it. Such an occasion occurred a few weeks ago. I’ve had this Zoe Muth album for quite some time, but as often happens, I bought the album and hadn’t gotten around to listening to it yet.
The song has my favorite kind of gentle instrumentation and Muth’s performance exudes the kind of melancholy that is easy to get wrapped up in, which is a testament to a well interpreted and well crafted song.
Single Review: Dolly Parton, “Together You and I”
When Dolly Parton writes a song, chances are it’s going to be a great one. Only Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson rival her in that regard.
“Together You and I” is no exception to the rule. It’s a beautiful love song, with imagery that’s sweet without being sappy. She sings it wonderfully, with those little trills that have caused more goosebumps in the past forty years than a million cool breezes on warm summer nights.
The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 23
Today’s category is…
An Oldie But Goodie.
Here are the staff picks:
Kevin Coyne: “Tell It to the Rain” – The 4 Seasons
You can tell it’s the mid-sixties because they’re dabbling a bit with production gimmicks. I think it’s their coolest sounding record, one of their best compositions, and Frankie Valli at the peak of his vocal prowess.
Single Review: Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood, “Remind Me”
A couple yearning to rekindle the fire in their relationship? Classic country. One asking the other if he/she remembers the old passion and the other chiming in “remind me”? That’s pretty good, too – and genuinely sexy in a way neither Brad Paisley nor Carrie Underwood has ever been on record. There’s no doubt that this single was loaded with potential.
The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 22
Today’s category is…
A Story Song.
Here are the staff picks:
Tara Seetharam: “The Dance” – Garth Brooks
I’m not sure if this song really constitutes as a “story”song, but its metaphor is so beautifully written that it feels as rich as the best country songs in this category. Regret is a funny thing; sometimes it’s easier to succumb to it than it is to own and embrace your memories – fleeting though they may be. Brooks takes this somewhat tried and true theme and spins it into a poignant, lovely tribute.