~ New Music Monday ~ June 27th, 2016 ~ Frankie Ballard, I Ain't Mad At Ya ~

Happy New Music Monday!! Many of you may have a short work week with the 4th of July weekend coming up. So, I hope this helps you prepare your mix tape for the weekend. With a short work week and a holiday weekend in mind, it is Summer festival season and it seems like all our favorite artists are out rocking it somewhere. It is almost impossible to keep up with. As a fellow fan I would encourage you to sign up with your favorite artists official web sites for pre-sale dates, up to date tour additions or cancelations, merch sales, etc. Also, follow their social media accounts. A lot of artists will do day of show contests, retweets', etc. to give away free meet/greets, swag, and more. Being the first to know can help a true fan plan their road trip and get the most from their concert experience.

Kip Moore - "Cigarette"

YouTube Vid

There are several YouTube vids of the song

but I think this one is a fan fave. I know it

is my fave performance of it.

Now, one of my favorites that are on tour this summer, is Kip Moore and The Slow Hearts. Kip and the guys are apart of Miranda Lambert's "Keeper of the Flame" tour along with Brothers Osborn and it is scheduled to roll until September. Post "Keeper of the Flame" The Slow Hearts will begin a headlining tour of their own across the US. Pre-sales for the tour titled, "Me and My Kind" featuring Jon Pardi have already begun. As I said earlier, sign up on your favorite artists web sites, become members of the fan clubs, be a official follower of their social media. For those planning to make any of these tour dates it is worth the second it takes to sign up. Back to the tunes, now most diehard fans are very familiar with what Kip would call an "underground" favorite, "Cigarette". A tune that hasn't been released on a Kip Moore record, but is a fan favorite at his live shows. I think that every diehards' heart broke a little when Moore announced at a show that he had sold the tune to Frankie Ballard. As a diehard it kills to think of any "Kip" tunes being sung by anyone else, but I must admit........Frankie Ballard, I ain't mad at ya. I was certain I would hate the new mix and production of the tune, if even just out of spite and loyalty to Kip. LOL!!! But, I heard it and I kinda dig it. I mean, no one will sing it like Kip, but Frankie put a good spin on it and I think that those music lovers that never became attached to the original will have absolutely no problems with it. I will share some audio from both Kip and Frankie and you can decide for yourself.


Frankie Ballard - "Cigarette"

fr "El Rio"






Ashley Monroe - "Like a Rose"

fr "Like a Rose"

Performance at Tennessee Theater in Knoxville, TN

 

This next #NewMusicMonday share is a genuine heart breaker for me. I kid you not, I literally cried (just a reminder I am not a Kardashian I know how to use the word "literally", properly). Several weeks ago Ashley Monroe did a special performance in her hometown of Knoxville, TN at the Tennessee Theater that would be aired live to Chicago as apart of a small series of pop-up type shows sponsored by TN Vacations. Several different Theaters across the state each hosted a different artist/band in a show that the audience had to win tickets to. I, was a winner. I won two tickets to the Ashley Monroe performance in Knoxville, TN. My heart leapt right out of my chest in excitement. I thought that it being a smaller more intimate setting I would have no problems taking part and enjoying this show............had I ever made it. My body thinks it's real funny. I am confident that my existence is proof that God has a sense of humor. Much to my utter dismay and heartbreak I didn't make it to the show. Sickness is a relentless stalker that once you think you have found a hiding place from and a escape plan so that you can do a little something out of the norm, boom, man down. I was sick the entire day, not just illness sick, but heartache sick. I truly was looking forward to this performance and hearing a few stories about her tunes. These are the kind of things that genuinely take me down emotionally and mentally. When doing what you once loved doing isn't doable anymore, or at least for a while. When I say I was heartbroken, I am not exaggerating. Luckily, The Tennessee Theater has posted the clip above from the evening.

You may know Ashley as "Hippie Annie" from the Pistol Annies, but she has a music successful career as a soloist as well. "The Blade" her most recent album release, produced by none other than Vince Gill, is a beautiful body of work that deserves to be listened to start to finish. The title tack, "The Blade", written by Jamie Floyd is flawless. "You caught it by the handle baby and I caught it by the blade", is perhaps one of my favorite break up, love song lyrics ever. Monroe has a vocal and instrumental style that I would call a bit traditional. She reminds me of country artists of the past. She has a vintage sense about her and it shows in her work. I credit the producer of the album, Vince Gill with some of that sound as well. I am sure with Gill at the wheel it was easier to hone in on that traditional vibe with out doing it in a way that makes it too out of place. With all the randomness that is currently played on "country" radio I find Ashley Monroe to be a wonderful breath of fresh air. Ironic enough I feel I have to refer to her traditional style as "fresh" air in comparison to the current landscape of the format. I think Ashley is going to be an artists similar to Kip Moore in the sense that they may not be getting a ton of air play right now, but they are the kind of artist that is going to surpass the trends and when no one is looking will quickly find themselves at the top. It isn't about following trends, it's about being true to who you are as an artist and somehow finding a way to be o.k. with that even when it isn't making you money or super popular with radio. I am a Ashley Monroe fan and as a music addict I highly recommend "The Blade" to be added to your music collection.

 

Ashley Monroe - "The Blade"

fr "The Blade"

 

Maren Morris - "80's Mercedes"

fr "Hero"

Official Video Coming Soon

 

My last share this #NewMusicMonday is Maren Morris. I know that I have shared several of her tunes already, but in anticipation of her next single, "80's Mercedes" hitting radio and video stations I wanted to share it again. I have said this probably one hundred times, but I absolutely LOVE Marens' first full length album, "Hero". I had already heard her EP front to back several dozen times so, I was on the edge of my ipod awaiting the full length record. I must say, she did NOT disappoint. I adore it start to finish. I am so amped hearing so many Women of Country producing albums that are solid through and through and aren't just a few singles and a bunch of fillers. Both Ashley Monroe and Maren Morris have produced these complete and perfect bodies of work that all Women in Country should be proud of. It is hard for me to pick a favorite off of "Hero". At the moment though one tune I can't get out of my head is "Once", track 11 off of "Hero". It's such a beautiful track requesting the broken hearted to remember that they too loved once. I have always been baffled by how quickly love can turn into hate. It seems the moment something is over there is no mourning period. All memorabilia of the relationship gets thrown out with last weeks news and we go on behaving as if it was never love at all. The end of a relationship doesn't erase all that was. This song plays so well to that sentiment, "I'm a trader. I'm the cause. I'm the breaker of your heart. I ain't sayin' what you want. "Know this might be askin' a lot when it's all said and done don't forget that you loved me once.". UUGGGHHHHHHHH it hurts in all the right ways!!! So, GOOD!!!

 



Maren Morris - "Once"

fr "Hero"

Y'all know I have some serious love for music and so I only recommend something that I absolutely love. While I always recommend you looking into ALL the tunes shared on #NewMusicMonday, I genuinely recommend "Hero" and "The Blade" to be added to your collections. With "Hero" I recommend the Target Stores version as it has THREE bonus tracks and believe me, you want the bonus tracks!!!


Alright gang, that is it for this week. What are you listening to this summer ? Are you hitting up any festivals or tours? Feel free to share in the comment section.

REMINDER: Request! Request!Request! and Vote! Vote! Vote! for your favorite artists, bands, songs and videos. It only takes a moment and each request and vote make a difference. As I have suggested before, program your local radio stations into your phone, follow them on social media, tweet a request, instagram a thank you, and call in to tell your local D.J. how much you love the song he just played and to thank them for playing it. It truly makes a difference.

Happy New Music Monday and Upcoming 4th of July Weekend!!!