Kittens and Fluoride

With a day off today and a holiday Monday for BC Family Day, I've got an extra-long weekend that I'm really looking forward to! The activity docket highlights include: a kitten cuddle because my brother and his partner just adopted two tiny and adorable babies (eek!!!), a much needed catch-up with an out-of-town friend over brunch, a dentist appointment (does anyone else actually really like going to the dentist? Is it just me??) and then going for hot chocolate with my high school drama teacher (aka my high school hero). I'm hopeful I can time it so that I've got that fancypants hocho in my hands right when the fluoride wears off.

Please don't tell my dentist.

The First: Nothing At All by Baylor Wilson

Baylor has a single out right now called Turn Around and that song is great and all, but I decided to choose this one instead because the melody is just so delightfully different and uplifting. And what else are we all looking for on a Friday other than delightfully different and uplifting music? I mean, probably a glass of wine and and a vat of popcorn, obviously. But I mean other than the necessities, you know?


The Second: Memories Are Made Of by Luke Combs

A simple, sweet, and twangy walk down someone else's memory lane. The recorded version doesn't seem to be available on the Youtube, but this acoustic version will certainly do in the meantime. If you've now discovered you're a fan of Luke Combs (as I can only assume you must be after listening to this one), might I also suggest Out There which he duets with Jacob Bryant, for your extended listening pleasure?


The Third and Final: Kiss By Kiss by Brett Young

In case anyone was wondering, I'm still very much in love with this very talented gem. Because how could anyone not be. Also Brett maybe takes this song on a little Bruno Mars segue that I'm not entirely opposed to (for swooning-related reasons), so there's that too. Anyways, I thought this was a cute February 14th-appropriate song.

Wishing you all a happy Family Day and a very sweet Valentine's, whatever you're up to!

Thanks for listening!
Karla

Happy Anniversary to Us!

So apparently I've been doing this for FOUR years.
What?!? 
My goodness.
Why are you all still here?

I kid, of course. Thanks for sticking around for so long and appeasing this little accidental project of mine. Thanks for putting up with my weekly rants and attempts at humour, for the kind notes, for the uproar when I said I'd no longer be CMFing last April Fool's Day, and for all of you non-country listeners who have excitedly told me stories about when you've been able to "impress" others with your country music knowledge. I appreciate you.

If you're curious about what CMF was like four years ago, here you go...


The First: Girl Crush covered by Lauren Alaina

So this lady's got a new single called Queen of Hearts out right meow, but sadly it has yet to make its way onto the Youtube. So instead I decided to feature her in another way because I do think she has a beautiful voice that needs to be shared. I mean, did you hear that high note at 3:14?? What a beaut. Plus we all know my love for all things Little Big Town, but they don't currently have anything new out soooo whatcha gonna do.*

*You gonna feature some covers.


The Second: My Old Man by Zac Brown Band

New album! New album! What a thoughtful anniversary gift, Zac. This is too much. You really shouldn't have... but since I wouldn't want to deprive the world of your incredible musical creations, I'll allow it. Also, a shout out to my old man who texts/emails me to tell me how funny I am every week. He's the one you can thank/blame for my sense of humour and also my obnoxiously large ego.


The Third and Final: Boomerang by Ward Thomas

Just discovered these ladies and it looks like they've released a few pretty decent singles in the past year. Maybe this means that perhaps the ladies of country are coming out of the hibernation they told no one about? Maybe?? I'm taking it as a sign and am very excited. This song's fun, has some subtle clapping (immediate win in my books, as y'all know) and is quite catchy. Like, you listen to it more than once and it's got some serious It's a Small World After All levels of catchiness. Listen at your own risk, I guess.

According to the internet, the traditional gift for a 4th anniversary is fruit or flowers. Since I know you're obviously going to ask, let me just tell you: my favourites are mangos and freesias. They can be sent to either my home or work address. Up to you to decide whether or not I'm joking...

As always, thanks for listening!
Karla

#Hashtag

I guess three hashtags probably isn't a personal best for me, but I still felt very hashtag-y when writing this. Plus you know how awful I am with titles. #SendMeYourTitles? (Ooh... make that *four hashtags)

So there you go. Sorry I'm not more creative or interesting, but at least let me try to make it up to you with this week's fine selection:

The First: Porch Swing Angel by Muscadine Bloodline

Smooth sound. Harsh twang. Sickly sweet romantic things. Front porches.
All things I thoroughly enjoy in a country song. And also things I enjoy in my RomComs, which is probably why I love Sweet Home Alabama so much.

If you're into these boys, might I also recommend Southern Boy Cure? #bonussong


The Second: Who I Am by Jessica Andrews

#FlashbackFriday because why not. This may have been the first country song that I was ever obsessed with. We're talking hitting repeat on Windows media player, looking up the lyrics on my Dell desktop computer (because this was before the days of the Youtube and the early days of being able to even look up lyrics on the interwebs #HowOldAmI) and then, of course, recording myself singing this song very dramatically and gutturally into a tape recorder so that I could hear what a ~beautiful~ voice I had...

Newsflash: It wasn't as ~beautiful~ in the playback as it had sounded in my head.


The Third and Final: Thank God I'm A Country Boy covered by Home Free

An a capella John Denver cover? Um, yes please.
A hilarious music video?? You know me well.
Plaid??? I mean, if I wasn't already on board with those first two, this would seal the deal.

I'll be spending my weekend hopefully hunting down a new crockpot (my last one has sadly seen the last of its days), trying out some new recipes, and sifting through the hundred or so hours of childhood home videos that my father has digitized. It's my job to edit them all down to watch-able clips. Wish me luck. Hope your weekend is an excellent one!

Thanks for listening!
Karla

Slightly More Line Dancing Than Normal

I will give you fair warning: the majority of the videos this week are slightly ridiculous. But I hope you'll find them slightly ridiculous in an amusing and charming way, like I do.

(Unlike the ridiculousness outrage that's about to happen south of the border... which is far from amusing and certainly not charming.)

The Second: Can't Turn You Down by Jon Pardi

A bit of a diversion from the usual Jon-O songs I feature on here, but I suppose we can't all be hilarious and slightly self-deprecating all the time. So thanks for the slow down, sir.


The Second: Waiting Kind of Girl by Leaving Thomas

Umm. These two are my new internet besties (even if they don't know I exist...).


The Third and Final: Head Over Heels by The Washboard Union

OKAY. Stay with me here before you hit play on this video.
This is the only version of this song available on the YouTube.
And I really like this song.
And for a few weeks I thought, "Maybe I can wait it out because this video would be kinda odd to send around, not to mention the audio isn't great." But after watching it several times, I've since decided: No. You need this in your life. You need both this song AND this sweet french man who is just trying to spread his love of line dancing with the world in your life.

Here is where I would tell you what I have planned for the weekend, but I think we know each other well enough by now for you to have already guessed that I'll be drowning my inauguration sorrows by spending the weekend practicing the steps to that line dance.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

New Year, Old Me

Well, we're back folks!

Welcome to 2017 - the year I ushered in with a glass of prosecco, a bowl of popcorn, and missing the clock strike midnight because I was already asleep. So basically everything about this year is the same so far and absolutely nothing has changed. Fun!!

The First: Sinking Like A Stone by Madeline Merlo

I realize that this song is a few years old, but consider this my very desperate attempt to infuse more ladies into CMF. Even if they are choosing to give me zero new material lately(!!!) And yes, I do take the lack of new releases as an obviously personal and very intentional slight directed specifically at me from every female country music recording artist in the world. Because what other logical reason could there possibly be??


The Second: Easy by Mike Ryan

Audio's not perfect and the guy at the beginning is a Chatty McChatterson (song starts around the 1:00 mark), but the song is short, sweet, simple. Everything* anyone ever needs on a Friday.
*Other than wine. But you probably already knew that. ;)


The Third and Final: Yours If You Want It by the Rascal Flatts

Apparently 2017 hasn't changed Rascal Flatts either. Because they've still got it. I'd be annoyed by their inability to make bad music if I wasn't so busy enjoying this new song.


I am now off to hang out with 90 lovely student leaders for three days while simultaneously attempting to overcome a very persistent cold. I'll let you know how all that turns out next week...

Thanks for listening!
Karla