Kind of a little bit Canadian today

It’s the happiest of all days because it’s FRIDAY!

[Insert some sort of witty remark here that makes you all fall moderately in love with my humour.]

The First: She’s With Me by High Valley

Top of the mountain all the way down, when I’m lost and when I’m found, lalalalalalalalala!! I added in that last part, I bet you didn’t even notice. Did you know these boys are from Alberta? Yep. They’re Canadian and wonderful! This one is a great Friday-afternoon-driving-home-from-work song, in my opinion. Since it’s conveniently Friday, you can try that little tidbit out on your drive tonight. Here is a bonus track from them, if you are so inclined: Make You Mine. From my very limited knowledge, I feel this bonus song has a little bit of a Mumford & Sons vibe… but you may feel free to correct me on that if you feel differently and/or have listened to more than one Mumford & Sons song.

The Second: Break Up With Him by Old Dominion

I’ve been listening to a lot of Old Dominion lately and am noticing that they are nothing if not consistent in their ability to produce tracks that become favourites of mine. Their song Dirt on a Road (listen to it. learn it. love it.) mayyy have been my Song Of The Summer last year, if only it didn’t include that awful voice over from the lady saying, “what I need is a man” that makes my eyes roll back so far that I get a headache every time. But then that chorus comes along and eases my pain. Break Up With Him is a new addition to my playlists, mostly because it makes me chuckle a little. I am also a big fan of the cadence of the song – I like that it’s a little unusual and unpredictable. Also, if we’re being real here: do we think that they are being entirely serious when one of the first words is “wassup”? No. They’re in on the joke. Anyways, stay tuned for more Old Dominion because, if these two songs haven’t convinced you of their hilarious charm, then at least I know that their album cover art will.

The Third and Final: Any Excuse by Bucko & Toad

Since I love bookends, as most of you know, I figured I would bookend this CMF with another Canadian selection: This husband and wife duo – Bucko & Toad – is from Victoria! So if any of you folks from Victoria have seen them live (they have played Gone Country and regularly at the Duke’s, it seems) then please accept my sincere jealousy.  I'm a fan of the female singer’s (Toad) voice, I like that it sounds a little different. Also, this video comes with a bonus: it’s not popular enough on YouTube yet so you won’t have to wait for any pesky ads before getting to the song. You’re welcome.

Thanks for listening!

Karla

It's a great one this week.

Happy Country Music Friday again! Already!

I am so excited for this week’s selections I don’t even have time for any sort of witty or charming (?) introduction. We’re just diving right in, folks!

The First: Until I Met You by Sundy Best

 

I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO STOP LISTENING TO THIS SONG ALL WEEK. Sorry for yelling, but it is true and I cannot stop. It’s just so stinking great. Why? I will tell you why (because that’s kind of the point here): First off and potentially the biggest thing to happen to CMF ever: the music video is actually good! It’s just cute, and fun, and doesn’t try too hard, and doesn’t have a seven minute long introduction where music isn’t happening, and I want to live in their home because it’s so perfectly decorated. Further, the song is so great and equally cute. And these boys? Where did they come from? A guy on guitar/vocals and a longhaired percussionist? Love it. I hadn’t heard of them until last week, but let me tell you, their other stuff is also good. Go ahead. Fall in love. (I already have with the bearded brunette man, in case you were wondering).


The Second: Thinking Out Loud cover by Dylan Scott

I love the original of this song already (thanks, Ed Sheeran). If you know me, you know that I genuinely am not one of those people who think about what my wedding might look like one day, but I can actually guarantee you that this song will have some sort of place in it. SO. You know that the moment I found this country cover of the song I was immediately hooked. For example, let’s just talk about how GREAT it gets at 3:15. I can’t handle it. The club can’t handle it. It’s just that out of control great. Further, his voice is so deep! Can we just get Dylan Scott, Chris Young, and Josh Turner in a room together, please? Because that would be some kind of deep-voiced country heaven. 


The Third and Final: Don’t Tell Me by Joel Crouse

After all the falling in love that you just did with those first two songs, here’s something a little lighter, a little more fun. So just enjoy it, like an after dinner mint ushering you into the weekend.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

Happy Country Long Weekend

It's May Long Weekend*!

This week’s selections are made up of songs that I originally was not really into but that slowly carved a space for themselves onto my daily playlist. As per (seemingly) always, many of the music videos are kind of awful, but you’ll just have to trust me, listen to the music, and hope that the next gen of country artists hire better directors.


The First: Headphones by Jackie Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4l_Oq2w_oE

So this is the song that prevented me from sending out my original selections last week because it wasn’t on YouTube yet. Clearly Jackie knew I wanted to feature it in CMF and so he threw together this little lyric vid. Which, if I’m being honest, leaves a little to be desired… but I’m just thankful that I can at least share the song with all of you! I don’t know why I wasn’t into this song when I first heard it about a month ago, but I just wasn’t. And then JRfm started playing it so I could no longer hit “skip,” was forced to listen to it, and slowly came to really like it. I hope you will too.


The Second: On To Something Good by Ashley Munroe

I think I just thought this song was boring when I first listened to it. You may find the same. But then I noticed that whenever it was playing and got to the chorus, I kept thinking, “wait, what song is this?” and every time I flipped into Songza, I saw that it was this one. So I guess my brain was in subconscious need for a fake boring song that actually isn’t all that boring.


The Third and Final: Before You Drive Me Crazy by Wes Mack 

Right off the bat let me just tell you to start the video at 0:54. Unless you want a really good laugh, then you can go ahead and watch those first fifty-four seconds of ridiculousness.

Who knew Wes Mack could think of so many ways to play on the word drive? I sure didn’t but as it turns out I love it. I think the reason I didn’t like this song initially is, quite honestly, because I couldn’t get the lyrics straight. There were too many “drives”. And goodness knows that if I can’t belt out a song in the car, it won’t be a favourite of mine. But I eventually sorted out all the lyrics to this one and all is well now.

*Because it’s a long weekend, and long weekends are something to be celebrated, you get a bonus track! Wow, I felt a little like Oprah there. Also though, let’s be real, like I was going to let you go without sharing the new Zac Brown Band with you. We all know my everlasting love for them.

Long Weekend Bonus: Loving You Easy by the unbeatable Zac Brown Band

Thanks for listening and have a great long weekend!

Karla

It's Country Music Friday, once again!

Hello from the end of a very exciting week! I started my new job on Monday and let me tell you, it has been awesome so far and I’m eager to start diving into my projects! But we’re not here to talk about me, we’re here to talk about country music.

This week I had my CMF selections all picked out but was shocked and disappointed (An overreaction? Perhaps.) to find that one of the songs isn’t on Youtube yet. GASP. So I’m saving those selections for next week with the hopes that there will at least be some sort of lyric video released so that I can share it with all of you wonderful people!

So instead here is a completely random selection of songs with no rhyme or reason other than that they’re all great. 

Warning: All the music videos this week are awful. You are excused from watching them.

The First: Young and Crazy by Frankie Ballard

Poor Frankie doesn’t know that if I wrote this song it would be about how I would be telling my grandbabies that wild Saturday nights for me in my youth (because apparently I think I’m old now?) meant separating my laundry into not just lights and darks but five subcategories and watching Trading Spaces on TLC. Boy, those were the days. On second thought, it’s probably good that Frankie doesn’t know any of that.


The Second: Lie a Little Better by Lucy Hale

Remember 13 year old Lucy? (More than anything, I just remember really wanting her high-heeled sneakers and also wondering if I could convince my mom to first let me buy them and then let me wear them to school… I decided the answer would probably be “no” to both of those items, but I never stopped dreaming about them.) She’s 25 now and still singing strong.


The Third and Final: Wrapped Around by Brad Paisley

This was the inspiration for Beyoncé’s Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), in case you didn’t know… Additionally, please know that Microsoft Word just prompted me to correct “Beyonce” to “Beyoncé”. Clearly this woman is as amazing as everyone says she is if she now has power over the dictionary. Brad Paisley is great too.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

Welcome to the country

Boy what a whirlwind week – how are we back to Friday so quickly! I am sending this from a very sad and sparse office because I packed it all up yesterday and am moving into a new role on Monday! Very exciting and also very bittersweet to be leaving the wonderful world of my old job behind.

Anyways. Moving on to what’s really important:
Ever wonder what it’s like to live in the country? Listen. You don’t have to wonder. These lovely gents have taken care of painting that quaint little picture for you. How kind, hey? Country boys, I tell ya.

The First: Who We Are by Emerson Drive

Okay. Let’s just go ahead and get this video out of the way. It is a weird combo of a homemade slideshow of pictures (various quality levels) of Emerson Drive and their friends paired with strategically placed internet stock photos whenever they apparently couldn’t find an appropriate picture of themselves to compliment the lyrics. My personal favourite is the Canadian nickel. Because these boys also happen to be Canadian, if you didn’t already know.

All that aside, it really is a decent song. It’s a fun one to sing in the car on your way to work (I speak from experience, obviously). My favourite line from this song is “we throw our parties on our porch” 100% because that is what I wish to do whenever I get around to buying a house. And whenever I get around to buying a house it will be a house with a lovely front porch for sipping tea and a large back porch for said summer parties. You’re all invited. But you’ll all need to go out to the suburbs because we all know there’s no buying a house in Vancouver.


The Second: Folks Like Us by Montgomery Gentry

I really don’t have any sassy comments about this one (probably because there’s no music video). It’s just a gem. Please listen.


The Third and Final: How Country Feels by Randy Houser

What is the beginning of this video? I will tell you: it is a little (hilarious and) strange is what it is. Further, maybe not the smartest idea to go falling in love with a guy who picked you up as a hitchhiker in the middle of a field, I’m just saying. That’s just sound life advice, really.

Moving on to the things that I actually love about this CMF selection:
- This song! Compared to the first two songs, it’s an oldie (a toddler) but a goodie and reminds me of rolling down my windows and driving by the Petrocan station near Hillside Mall in Victoria a few years ago. Is that a super specific memory? Yes, yes it is.
- He’s playing in his living room/porch. I love it.
- Randy Houser’s voice in anything he sings, but particularly this beaut of a song.
- Softball! Hammocks! Lemonade! Summer is coming!!

Thanks for listening!
Karla