Bad Analogies

It happened.
The tree is up.
The festive tea towels and mugs are out and about.
The advent calendar is ready to help build anticipation like when they dim the lights at the theatre. Except apparently this movie theatre worker is a big tease and is just dimming the lights verrrrry slowly for like 24 days.

I know that was a terrible analogy. Just ignore me. We all know I can't come up with good analogies when I'm tired.* Please instead allow me to redeem myself by telling you that Country Christmas 2016 is ready for your listening pleasure.

*Don't even think of saying anything along the lines of "she must be tired all the time then ha ha ha." because that would just be rude.


The First: Box #10 covered by Stoney LaRue

I've been very into the jazzier side of country lately and Stoney LaRue is a pretty good example of what I'm talking about. A blend of two of my three favourite genres of music. You can go ahead and be thankful that it's not a blend of country music with my other favourite genre: musical theatre. Because otherwise we'd basically just be listening to Oklahoma! and Annie Get Your Gun. 


The Second: Smooth by Florida Georgia Line

You know what really carries this song? The frog ribbits. I especially like that they're not just there for the intro. They're there for the duration. For the long haul. In it to win it. In it to ribbit.
Sorry.


The Third and Final: Tougher Than Love by Bobby Wills

Just... ignore the dramatic beginning. And the less-than-ideal video quality. Because the song is worth it, I swear. This is the title track off Bobby's newest album and for good reason, if you ask me. Which you kind of are just by virtue of reading this.
If you want to hear more about Bobby, I've featured him before (wink wink, nudge nudge).

I'll be spending my weekend celebrating the kick-off to this holiday season and baking probably too many cookies. Hope you have a sweet weekend too.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

Do You Want To Build A Snowman?

As we learned a few weeks ago, I apparently like to find CMF inspiration at the dentist. This week is less so about the musical inspiration I've gleaned from a follow up dental visit, but more so about how, as I'm writing this, my face is approximately 57% frozen. Really anything below the middle of my nose is numb. Plus up my cheeks and at one point the corner of my left eye was oddly droopy. You can see it all on my snapchat - my username is karcarr, in case you were wondering. Which I know you were ;)

I'm so frozen it's basically a Disney movie up in here.


The First: May We All by Florida Georgia Line

It's upbeat. It's catchy. It's new.
These are all good things.
Wanna know about some other good things?
Autumn. Getting lost for a bit down a dirt road. Gaining a speckle of wisdom in your lifetime.
Spoiler alert: these things are also in this song. So you should probably listen to it.


The Second: Jet Black Pontiac by Chase Bryant

I mean, the whole song is good. But those fifteen seconds between 2:30-2:45 are so good. The clapping, the emphasis on the off beat, the boot-stomping greatness of it all. It reminds me a little bit of the western songs they'd play in seventh grade P.E. classes during the line dancing portion of the curriculum. Which, by the way, what a weird thing to make a bunch of preteens do together.


The Third and Final: Stompin' Ground by Tim Hicks

I think more than anything I'm just wondering about the small children who likely make up the softball team were thinking when they were told practice was postponed because Tim Hicks was filming a music video on their field.
"Why does he get to use our field, daddy? He doesn't even have a bat."
"Well son, he has a guitar. And in some circles that's more important."
"..."
"..."
"Can we go get ice cream while we wait?"
"Sure. Just don't tell your mother."


Hope you all have a great weekend! My plans include potentially some beach time as well as helping out with new student move-in because apparently September is coming.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

Bunch of Nerds.

Sooo... have you completed the Canada census yet? I have, as I was only a mere half notch below these people on the excitement scale.

My favourite tweet so far? "Based on tweets in my feed, Wayne R. Smith, Chief Statistician of Canada, is Canada's Beyonce. #Census" (@ALL_CAPS). He's not wrong.

It's important. Fill it out, plz. 


The First: H.O.L.Y. by Florida Georgia Line

People are freaking out about the new FGL album *almost* as much as they're freaking out about the long form census. It's gonna be a good one. And in case you're wondering, H.O.L.Y. (for some weird artistic reason) stands for "high on loving you." I just saved you approximately 27 seconds on a google search which is what I had to do to figure that out. So hey, make good use of those saved seconds, will you? Time is precious.


The Second: Pick Up by Dierks Bentley

How do I feel about this video/the storyline Dierks is telling with his short film series so far? Super lukewarm. Like when I make tea and am super excited about it but then it's too hot to drink right away and then I become so good at being patient that I kind of actually just forget about it and then an hour later I'm like "oh yeah, I made tea" but by then it's barely warmer than room temperature and I have to either suck it up or boil water again which inevitably means that I go through the whole involved ordeal all over again. That run-on sentence is how I feel about it.


The Third and Final: Singing Me Home by Lady Antebellum

Let's lighten things up a little bit with this old favourite that has recently made its way back into my life. I just can't get enough of those beautiful harmonies.


Hope you have a marvellous weekend! Don't forget to send some prayers to the people of Fort McMurray or to tell your mamma you love her.

Thanks for listening!
Karla

We need a little bit more excitement around here.

And what's more exciting than Country Music Friday?!

Answer: Nothing
Zip. Nada. Zilch. Goose Egg.

I know, I know, you're all so happy right now. Well, calm down. You're drawing too much attention to yourself waving your hands around like that.
Oh - and you look like a fool. Well done.
Just say, "Thank You" and I'll say, "You're Welcome" and then we'll just leave it at that and pretend none of it happened and you didn't actually embarrass yourself that much, okay?

Okay good.
MOVING ON.

The First: Get Your Shine On - Florida Georgia Line

What can I say? Florida Georgia Line is hot right now... so hot right now. They had their first hit last summer with Cruise and then proceeded to sell out concerts for their tour this year. On the first day I heard Cruise I proceeded to listen to it on repeat for about a week. And then I had to stop because I started to get sick of it... but I still sing along when it comes on the radio! Anways. I love this song too! Mostly, I just love the way they sing the "homemade jar lemon drop take a sip" parts. They are stellar. If you wish to explore them more, might I suggest taking a gander at Stay?


The Second: Get By - Tim Hicks

Okay. To begin: How do you name your son Tim Hicks and NOT expect him to become either a country music star or a barrel racer at the local rodeo? I will tell you something: you can't. His parents knew exactly what they were doing when they chose to call him that/chose not to change their last name. His fate was sealed. They must have known they were having a cowboy. Good job, parents. (< this is not sarcasm) When I listen to this song, I like to change the pronouns so that I'm singing to a boy because I feel like the attributes align with my personality better that way. Because i don't like to smoke, I like country, and I drive automatic. See how that works? I know, clever. Other things I enjoy: the fact that he doesn't always pronounce the 'S's at the end of his words because

Preach it, girl!


The Third and Final: Texas Was You - Jason Aldean

How witty that you've attributed States to states of being throughout your life, Mr. Aldean! So clever! So cute! Oh... you don't like being called cute? Okay, fine. Tough? Rugged? Yeah, those do seem to fit you better. Good call, Jason. Good call. Anyways, all I have to say is that listening to this song is like walking down someone else's Memory Lane. And I know we all want to do that. (If you just affirmed that statement then you're a creep. Why would you want to infringe on someone else's Memory Lane, dude? How rude. Get your own Lane of Memories. Sheesh.)

If you need me, I'll be singing country music and occasionally whispering "ain't nobody got time fo dat" to myself whenever I think about vacuuming.

Thanks for listening, y'all!
Karla