Jewel - Sweet & Wild

With Jewel’s latest release comes a bit more of a pop-y flavor, with a touch of country – including a hint of fiddle & mandolin.



While some of the melodies may be standard mainstream fare, the lyrics are all pure Jewel (even one not written by her). Thankfully, she’s able to intersperse the more pop-y flavored songs with the countrified ones to make a very nice, cohesive compilation - some being a bit sweet, some a bit on the wild side.

The combination of the ‘Sweet’ and the “Wild” here makes me think of the latest release from Laura Bell Bundy, “Achin’ and Shakin’” , where half of the album was a “heartbreak” tone and the other half was upbeat, “dancin’” tone – and it turned into a bit of a bi-polar album that seemed out of place. With “Sweet & Wild”, Jewel takes that same type of concept, but intersperses the songs to make a much more cohesive unit.

Take a listen to some of the songs:

Fading:


Bad as it gets:


Stay here forever:


Ten:


"Sweet & Wild" will be released on June 8th. Be sure to pick this one up

Teea Goans

Got a new album at the station this week from an artist I hadn't heard of previously.




Her name is Teea Goans (TEE-uh GO-uhnz), and her sound is all Country music - not what the occasional listener thinks "Country" is these days. There's no "mainstream" about it. If you like fiddles, steel guitars, and a twang - this will bring a smile to your face.

The album brings back some classics, like Ernest Tubb's "Walking The Floor Over You", along with Willie Nelson's "I m Still Not Over You", Merle Haggard's "I Didn t Mean To Love You", Bill Anderson's "Walk Out Backwards", and more. But there's one song that you definitely need to take a listen to. It's the album finale - "Letter From God". Also, "Made for loving you" is a duet with Dan Tyminski.

Take a listen to some songs:

Lying in my arms:


Walk out backwards:


Same Ol Song & Dance:


Letter from God:

Chely Wright - Lifted off the ground

It always makes me smile when I hear new music from mainstream country artists who are able to keep a hint of the "country" in their music.

Thus is the case with Chely Wright and her new release, Lifted Off The Ground. It's been five years since Chely has put out a new album, but it seems that she hasn't changed what got her to where she is today. With this album, you get a touch of the mainstream mixed with a touch of the country, and definitely ALL Chely - including writing all of the songs on the album, with one of them co-written by Rodney Crowell.

It's not much of a surprise to hear the country sounds when you see that the album was produced by Rodney Crowell. In fact, Rodney even makes an appearance on the second track, "heavenly days".

The album, as a whole, is a great compilation of melodies, lyrics, and production.
Take a listen to some of the standout tracks:

Heavenly Days:


Notes to the coroner:


That Train:


Damn Liar:


Shadows of a doubt:



This album should be a 'must' for your albums to get this year. It's on my Top 5 of 2010 list so far.

McKinley & Beggs

Got another new one at the station today. It's the duo of McKinley & Beggs with their album, "By the fire".



It's a nice, more countrified sound.
Take a listen to a few songs:

New Friends:


Too Many Horses:


Drink Goodbye Dry:




To find out more, you can check out their MySpace page

Court Yard Hounds

Martie Maguire and Emily Robison – the sisters that make up the new duo known as the Court Yard Hounds – aren’t newcomers to the music industry. In fact, they’re quite well-known. Country fans will know them as 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks.



Yes, there are going to be all kinds of comparisons to the Dixie Chicks, but that wouldn’t do justice to the purity of this album. Yes, the music is similar to the Dixie Chicks’ style, but it’s still quite different without Natalie’s distinct lead vocals. The Court Yard Hounds have a mellower sound, with a little more highlight on the instrumentation.

Emily takes the lead singer duties and was the songwriter on every song except for "Gracefully," which Martie wrote and also sings. There’s also a pleasant surprise with the addition of Jakob Dylan’s guest vocals on “See you in the spring”. The voices blend quite well.

Take a listen to some of the songs:
The Coast:


Delight (Something new under the sun):


See You In The Spring (ft Jakob Dylan):


Gracefully:


It didn’t make a sound:


This is a great ‘debut’ for two ladies who have been in this business for a long time.
Be sure to check it out.

New music

A duo of Dixies are howling as “Hounds” (and doing it extraordinarily well). Sisters Martie & Emily of the Dixie Chicks have a new album out tomorrow (without Natalie) and call themselves the Court Yard Hounds. So far, reviews I’ve seen are mixed, however, I do enjoy their sound. I’m also pleased to see the two are getting a bit of recognition for themselves. As the Dixie Chicks, they’re usually overshadowed by Natalie most of the time.


I'm working on an album review right now and it should be up soon.



A little more music talk includes a little Q&A with Melissa, and a new album for Toni Braxton. I’ll admit that I’m only a semi-casual fan of Toni’s music, as I have enjoyed a few of her songs through the years (“breathe again”, “unbreak my heart”, and “he wasn’t man enough for me”). This new album is pretty decent. A few songs that I enjoy from this one include “yesterday”, “hands tied”, “wardrobe” and “hero”. Be sure to check it out.


Another album that’s out tomorrow, but I haven’t had a chance to listen to yet is Chely Wright’s new one, “lifted off the ground”. Can’t wait to hear that one!