Apologies in advance, I wrote this when I was tired.

Sometimes you're just ready for bed at 7pm on a Thursday night but you still have to write CMF. So apologies in advance for the writing this week. If it's any consolation, the music that I had nothing to do with producing is good at least.

The First: Down By The River by Bobby Wills

We haven't heard from Bobby in a while and apparently he's returned ready for a party.
Anecdote: In high school, the cool thing to do on the weekends was to go down to the river. Of course, this was in the hamlet otherwise known as Squamish and I'm 100% confident that those evening were never like the ones Bobby is singing about here. I just imagined it was probably super cold, and dark, and you'd be surrounded by less than sober kids being obnoxious while tripping over rocks. Needless to say, it was not my ideal Saturday night. So when my friends would call and invite me out I would lie and say I already had plans and then hang out with my parents at home and do my laundry or read or sometimes - if I was feeling particularly wild - do some sudoku puzzles. And I gotta say, I'm still pretty happy with my life choices on that one.


The Second: One Little Kiss by Dallas Smith

HE'S BACK!! He wasn't gone for very long but ohmygosh I missed him! You know when you haven't seen someone in a while and then you get to hang out with them and you're just really happy about it even if they don't have any good stories to tell you? That's me with this Dallas Smith song.


The Third and Final: Friends by Blake Shelton

Because I have some really, really good friends.
Related but unrelated, can we get serious here for a second? Show of hands: who feels like they really need an Angry Birds movie in their life? (Put your hand down, no one around you knows what you're doing and you look like a little ridiculous). Is this really something that has been significantly missing from the world? I think not.

That's a wrap people. I hope your work day flies by but that your weekend slows down to a savourable pace. Did I just make up a word? Yes.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

It's A Country Party Up In Here

But I mean, when is it not? Amirite?


The First: Are You Ready For The Country  covered by Hank Williams Jr. ft. Eric Church

Sheesh. So much Eric Church lately. Instead, let us enjoy a teeny tiny Hunter Hayes and a somewhat younger Hank Williams Jr. back in the mid 90s... what were you doing in 1995? I was busy learning Spanish and forgetting my English. And then inevitably forgetting my Spanish when I had to relearn my English. I was not performing an adorable rendition of Jambalaya on stage for thousands of people. Were you?


The Second: Underdogs by Chris Young

NHL Playoffs and such. That's happening, right?

Yes, I know that the video features football and not hockey, but the lyrics are still applicable.


The Third and Final: Cool With That by Brett Kissel

In case you were wondering, Brett Kissel would like everyone to know that he's still sticking with the traditional cowboy hat look. You do you, Brett. In other news of equal if not greater importance to Brett's headwear, that drummer may be my favourite part of this video. Evidence can be found at 1:22. And 1:33.... and 2:06. Hope that guy just made your day like he made mine. :D


I realize he's not country at all, but I would be remiss if I finished off this week without a moment of dedication to Prince. As anyone who has ever played music bingo with me will know, I love Prince. (If you don't know what music bingo is, seriously what are you doing still reading this instead of googling "music bingo pubs near me" right now?). This is one of my favourites.


Thanks for listening,
Karla

I Got 99 Problems and CMF Titles Are 96% Of Them.

The other 4% involves contemplating how to live off peanut butter, chocolate, and popcorn without eventually weighing 500lbs. Think on that for me, will you?

In other news, this week has felt like an exceptionally long one... and I have only worked two days. So I suppose that says something.


The First: Record Year by Eric Church

This poor song has been passed up so many times over the past few weeks as others have beat it out for one of these three coveted spots each week. BUT NOW IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE, ERIC! Of course, he's already received a lot of play time on here, including a dedicated week of his own post-concert last year. Not to mention that he's kind of already a big deal. So maybe we'll just play this oversight as me trying to save his ego from expanding any further..? Okay, cool.


The Second: White Lightning by The Cadillac Three

I think more than anything I just really like the simple story this video tells (shocking, I'm aware). Also the crooning at the beginning just makes me happy.


The Third and Final: I Like The Sound Of That by Rascal Flatts

I truly believe that you can never go wrong with Rascal Flatts. They're just a pretty solid go-to when you need some not-at-all-understated twang in your life. This particular song also reminds me of the Aaron Lines song that is suspiciously similar and has an iteration of the same title... so please go listen to that as well. Coincidence? Who knows. All I know is we now have two decent songs.

Cheers to the weekend - hope yours is a great one!

Thanks for listening!
Karla

There are no pranks this week, I swear.

I'd say I'm sorry for the April Fools day thing... but I'm really not. It was the most entertaining Friday morning I've had in a while. So thanks for that.


The First: Wasted Time by Keith Urban

Isn't that the truth though? This song reminds me of a day a few summers ago when myself and a few of the wonderful characters in my life went from being so bored one early afternoon that we decided to follow random cars on the road just to see where they were going (this kind of sounds like stalking now that I'm looking at it written down, but I swear it wasn't...) while making up stories about the drivers' lives to somehow ending up playing mini golf, which led to beach-hopping, and then going out for late-night burgers. Wasted time for sure. But also an awesome day in the end.


The Second: Untamed by Cam

I do realize that Mayday is her current single but sometimes I just like taking the road less travelled, okay? I think I like this song mostly because of all the different things going on with the instrumentals. Like, is that a harmonica? Is someone playing the washboard? Did they commission a train specifically for that chugging sound? We may never know, but we can enjoy.

PS You should also listen to Mayday - it's actually very good and you shouldn't miss out just because I'm trying to be "different."

Did I basically just trick you into enjoying two Cam songs? Perhaps.


The Third and Final: Noise by Kenny Chesney

Remember when Kenny came out with Save It For A Rainy Day and I didn't like it at first, but then grew to love it? No, of course you don't because I didn't feature it because I didn't like it at the time. For this, I am truly sorry. Please accept this song as one part apology and the other part me trying to not make the same mistake twice. I believe this is called "growing as a person."


Have a wonderfully sunny weekend, CMFers! I'll be spending mine with my fam, likely pouring over family photo albums and laughing at the old home videos my dad pulled out of storage last weekend. He's been sharing "teasers" all week. I think he's excited.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

This Is The End.

Dear wonderful humans who take the time to read this each week: I have some potentially sad news.

I've enjoyed several years of listening to/hunting down fun country music and gathering it all together in a neat little package for each of you to enjoy as you kick off your weekends. But like all good things, CMF is coming to an end.*

I hope you enjoy this week's selections as it will likely be the last of 'em. :'[


The First: Sleep Without You by Brett Young

Ummm, but seriously... is he just a genetically modified Brett Eldridge/Chris Young hybrid? With maybe a little bit of rogue Hunter Hayes mixed in during the chorus? Because between that voice and his name, I really think he just might be. And if so, I would just like to say, "Well done, Science. Well. Done."


The Second: It Don't Hurt Like It Used To by Billy Currington

Am I currently going through a break-up? Defs not. Am I super into this song anyways? Defs yes. I blame that catchy chorus and all the times he intermittently yells "hey!" throughout the lyrics. It makes it extra fun to sing along to. And you know me and my love for sing-alongs.

Just because we can, let's take a moment to remember a young Billy Currington and his street runway strutting ways.


The Third and Final: American Country Love Song by Jake Owen

Right off the bat I'll tell you that I don't love the talking/rapping(?) start to these verses, but I still keep hitting repeat on this one. More than anything I think it's because this song makes me think of summer nights and, after the outrageous weather we've been spoiled with this past week, I can't explain to you just. how. EXCITED!!! I am for this summer. Woop woop! Hope this song has you daydreaming of warm summer nights too.


*APRIL FOOLS! CMF is probably never ending. At least not for a long while. Definitely not today.
Apologies to those of you who were maybe actually excited about this news? Awkward.

Have a great weekend - please get out and enjoy what's left of this sunshine!

Thanks for listening!
Karla