I have no witty title this week, I'm sorry.

Alright team! It’s Friday! FriYAY!!

Your weekend may still be a few hours away, but you don’t have to wait another second for Country Music Friday because it’s right here!

The First: Crash and Burn by Thomas Rhett

Not to be confused by the (excellent) Savage Garden song of the same name, Thomas Rhett’s Crash and Burn is certainly a current favourite of mine. And by that I do mean that it is one of the songs I’ve been enjoying on repeat ever morning whilst getting ready for work. I think my favourite part is the transition into the chorus. I could not tell you why. I just like it. When the beat drops (is that the right terminology? I don’t know. I’m sure one or ten of you will correct me if I’m wrong), I just feel like the music is basically saying, “Okay Karla, get ready, it’s about to get real good!”


The Second: I Love This Life by LoCash

To begin, let’s discuss these guys: The LoCash Cowboys. They are their own kind of cowboy, if you ask me. I can’t quite decide how I feel about them. In my very thorough research that you all know I do in preparation for each week’s CMF (< that was sarcasm, fyi. Unless you count watching YouTube videos “research”), I came across this gem of a video of them debuting this song at a country music festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCC8OFVV5m8. First of all, you’re welcome because your life was clearly incomplete without these six minutes of gold. Secondly, I wish to share a few of what I believe are the major highlights of their personalities in this particular performance:
- The fist pump and determined high-kneed strut up the stage at 0:16.
- The choreographed pose at 0:56 (which is actually one of my favourite lines in this song, in case you were wondering. I know you were.)
- The groovin’ by Mr. Red Hat at 1:40.
- The enthusiastic shoulder shrugs at 2:51. To be entirely fair, this is legitimately how I “dance” when I really don’t want to dance for real.
Those are all the gems I could find before I felt the need to stop watching.
If you wish to just hear the song and not watch the shenanigans, just click on the link I provided at the top there.

The Third and Final: I’m To Blame by Kip Moore 

Your time is valuable, my time is valuable, so let’s just cut to the chase and I’ll tell you that the music starts at 1:34. I don’t know what it is with country music videos these days and their need to delay and/or interrupt otherwise excellent songs with a storyline. Ugh. 

This song is good though. I always enjoy the roughness of Kip’s voice.

I do feel bad for the groom (see 2:17, 3:02, 3:15, 3:28, 3:34 for reference). While we’re at it, I also feel bad for the couple at 2:44.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

Ode to Eric Church

I wish to dedicate this week’s CMF to Eric Church, in follow up to the concert I was lucky enough to attend this past Tuesday (or Chooseday, as many of you know I like to call it… I chose to go to the Church concert, in case you were wondering).

Eric Church is what I like to call Rock & Roll Country. It’s a little bit louder and a little bit edgier. There was a drummer, four guitarists, and the wonderful Joanna Cotten (decked out head to toe in leather) on stage with him and all seven of them were just loving life and it was glorious.

Anyways, welcome to my Ode to Eric Church.

The First: Guys Like Me by Eric Church

Look at this young fella with his long almost-Blake-Shelton-circa-2004-style locks. And…incredible… you can see his eyes!  Who knew they still existed under those aviators? Not I, that’s for sure. Not I.

The Second: How ‘Bout You by Eric Church (again)

Gosh this guy is cool. Oh, wait, you thought I meant Mr. Church? No, I was referring to the gent with the overwhelmingly invasive moustache featured at 1:35… I kid, I kid. I do mean my good friend, Eric. He is the coolest of them all.


The Third and Final: These Boots by Eric Church (shocking!)

Okay. I love this song. It’s just good, you know? Additionally, please allow me to gush about how incredible his voice is, because it was so evident with this particular song. In fact, I would argue that his voice is better live than any of the recordings you may have heard here today. Wonderfully rough and intense and loud and perfectly matches the lyrics he’s singing.

Bonus: I told Teri, my lovely Vancouver country music concert-going buddy, that I would consider adding in her selections to this Eric Church issue of Country Music Friday. Since she both drove AND put up with the flailing I like to call dancing, here is a bonus for you, courtesy of Teri: What I Almost Was (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ74kO22m1M).

Thanks for listening!
Karla

The Return

WELL HELLO COUNTRY MUSIC FRIDAY LISTENERS! Did you miss me?

So, it’s been a little over a week* since my last CMF**, and I was specifically requested to share one this week, so here we go!

The First: My Mistake by Cam

That harmony in the beginning! Her crystal clear and twangy voice! Here’s a fun fact I’ve learned about Cam from doing my intense research (read: watching youtube videos) for this issue of CMF: She’s really into yellow! In every shot I’ve seen of her she’s wearing yellow. Yellow dress. Yellow skirt. Yellow shirt paired with yellow pumps. I presume it is her “thing”. Eric Church has his ball cap and sunnies. Taylor Swift has her cats. Cam has her yellow ensembles. If you’ve just fallen in love with Cam and all her yellow, here is a bonus track for you called Half Broke Heart.


The Second: Lay Low by Josh Turner aka The Best Looking Guy in Country Music

I want a cabin on a lake.
I also want the warmth and sunshine of summer and the beautiful colours of autumn that magically seem to be happening concurrently in this video.
Finally, I want Josh Turner to just be around me singing all the time while I stare at his perfect face.
Life goals, I suppose.


The Third and Final: Homegrown by Zac Brown Band

Even though this song has been out for a while now, you know I just can’t pass up an opportunity to display my love and adoration for the musical talents of Zac Brown and his crew. They. Are. So. Talented! Homegrown is wonderfully catchy, warm, and perfectly idealistic. Classic ZBB if you ask me.

*My friend Lawrence likes to use the term “a little over a week” for any period of time longer than one week. Examples: twelve days, two months, 476 days. It didn’t matter to him. What a maverick. So, even though it’s been over a year since my last CMF, I felt that this term was perhaps still applicable and kind of downplays how long it has actually been.

** I am so sorry it has been this long. Please accept this as my attempt for a resurgence of weekly country music roundups in your life.

Thanks for listening!
Karla