CMT Blog: Recommendations

I was a Black and Tan virgin yesterday (July 29). But now? After hearing Gaelic Storm sing their new "Raised on Black and Tans" last night in Chicago, I had to properly celebrate the tiny little Irish side of my heritage. So as the bartender poured me this pale ale and stout after the show, I let it sink in as I thought about what is possibly my new favorite song.

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When Clay Walker was singing on Lopez Tonight a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking that I could almost make a living out of loving him. I have felt that way since 1994, when I bought his If I Could Make a Living album. For 16 years I've been crazy about his voice. On Lopez, he did "She Won't Be Lonely Long," which is a great tune made even better with his subtle Texas twang. But what has me even more wound up is his new one, "Where Do I Go From You?" It's so him. With mandolin and steel behind him, he seems to have one-upped himself musically and vocally. He sounds like a cross between Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox and George Strait on this one. I know that may not sound like a straight-up combination, but I swear it works.

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I've been carrying Ana Egge's Road to My Love album around with me for a couple of months now. Her enticing voice draws me right into her songs, which are often soft-spoken and beautifully vivid. So whenever I just need to chill out, this is the album I've been reaching for -- and it's really nice on solo drives, too. The project starts with "Storm Comin'," which builds gradually, just like a mid-afternoon summer rain. Later, "Quitting Early" rises and falls like a relaxing breathing exercise. Egge grew up in North Dakota and now lives in Brooklyn and both locales clearly influence her craft. "Bully of New York" is vividly written about crossing paths with a Central Park ranger with a heavy heart, while "Farmer's Daughter" describes that wanderlust that comes from living on the prairie. Her true gift is being able to write about all this without boring me to tears.

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If you think you know Michael Sarver (he finished 10th on season nine of American Idol) just as an oil rig worker, you may not know the whole story. He told USA Today that while many assumed he'd go country, he also has gospel and soul in his roots and that's kind of where his debut album ended up. In fact, one song comes right out and says his dreams stretch far beyond the country line. But as you sift through the track-by-track review from the paper, it still sounds like there are a lot of country influences going on. The ones that sound like the best bets to me are "Safe," a waltz about how he will always be your home, and "Ferris Wheel," about the weightlessness you feel when you are falling in love. Then there's "Always Surviving," which I know I will love no matter what it's about, because it was written by two of Nashville's most gifted tunesmiths, Rachel Thibodeau and Rivers Rutherford.

If you've been craving new music from Alison Krauss, here's a reason to rejoice. She's recorded a beautiful and quiet song called "Lay My Burden Down" for the soundtrack of a new movie, Get Low. Krauss sings the song from beyond the grave to the lover she's leaving behind. That suits the plot of the movie pretty well, since it's about an old codger (Robert Duvall) who throws himself a funeral party while he's still alive. It goes without saying that Krauss' voice is heavenly, especially when she's accompanied by Barry Bales on bass, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Bryan Sutton on guitar and Dan Tyminski on mandolin. Can I get an "Amen"? Here are some other notable new songs that adventurous music fans might enjoy.

"Lay My Burden Down," Alison Krauss
"It's a Good Day," Asleep at the Wheel and Leon Rausch
"After Midnight," Marc Cohn
"Did Trouble Me," Tom Jones
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I thought I'd outgrown songs like this. Themes of rural life, hauling hay, and God forbid, the cliché tractors. But then when I hear one, especially this new one from Rodney Atkins, "Farmer's Daughter," I'm right back where I was a couple decades ago. I buy into a classic country voice like Atkins' singing about having two strong arms, not being scared of dirt and being able to pick peaches, feed hogs and bring the cows ‘round. Sure it's a little predictable that he falls for his boss' daughter. But there are worse ways to paint a love story than one where he's on the tractor and she's on his mind. And I'm still a sucker for a good sweet iced tea delivery.

I think if I were to describe my perfect summer music festival, it would include beautiful scenery, camping in an old-growth forest, an eclectic mix of roots music to discover and enough land to roam on should I feel the need to get away from the crowd. And beer gardens. And a Bigfoot band. Apparently such a heavenly happening already exists -- probably minus Bigfoot? -- at Pickathon, just outside of Portland, Ore. Featuring some of my favorites from country, bluegrass, indie rock, old-time and zydeco, 35 bands will take to the Northwestern woods on an 80-acre site that should make for some inspiring morning hikes/hangovers. Hayes Carll, Black Prairie, Woody Pines, Elliott Brood, Langhorne Slim, Red Stick Ramblers and the Punch Brothers are just a few artists that I've already come to love, and you can check them out while discovering new music on the festival's excellent website. Or get your imagination running with photo galleries from previous years. So if you're lucky enough to be in the area next weekend, consider exploring some awesome music at an environmentally minded festival (one of the stages runs on solar power), and mark me off a spot under some tall pines for next year. Here's an idea for a Bigfoot trap just in case.

In a city filled with songwriters, Nashville-based Griffin House has continued to stand out. He doesn't use a dozen words to convey what just a handful can say, so you don't end up wondering what the heck he's writing about. In other words, he's quick to get his point across and his steady, emotive vocals always give his songs an extra weight. His newest album, The Learner, kicks off with the wise "If You Want To," which offers some straight-shooter advice on how to let yourself be loved. It's a common theme here -- figuring it all out -- so the album title fits pretty well. Although the production comes across with rock influences like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, I feel like his concise writing is ripe for Nashville's country artists. Plus, he possesses that rare gift of singing what guys want to say and what women want to hear, especially on tunes like "Just Another Guy" (uptempo and driving) and "Native" (perhaps the most tender song I've heard all year). Apparently he's a forward-thinker when it comes to his work ethic, but here's hoping that adventurous music fans will find the time to learn about The Learner.

Husband-wife duo, Joey & Rory, may be the most genuine and sincere act I've ever met. They're not trying to be something they're not and they're not singing and writing songs they don't believe in. (Rory's white-out message plastered along the edge of his guitar reads "We Miss Country Music.") To show gratitude to their loving fans, the country music sweethearts are offering their new single, "This Song's for You," for free on their website. Or if you decide to purchase the digital track, you will also receive their cover of Loretta Lynn's "You Ain't Woman Enough" for free. If you're anything like me, you admire a woman who possesses the ability to not only show class and taste, but gumption as well. Along with Joey's sweet and lovable persona, she has that chutzpah to say what she means. If you're a fan of the duo's first single, "Cheater, Cheater" and that well-known line about a "white trash ho," you don't want to miss this ball of fire belt out the line, "Women like you are a dime a dozen/You can buy ‘em anywhere." Yes, she's perfected that cunning Southern phrase, "bless your heart."

From the first few fuzzy steel guitar notes on Band of Horses' "Older," you know you're about to hear a song ripe with emotion. Silky harmonies and a loping beat speak to an easy love, while the repeating lyrics describe it as one that never fades. But with the sadness in the guitar part, I wonder if this love has already moved on. Although it's reminiscent of the early Californian days of country-rock, "Older" is still moving the genre forward with a sound that might appeal to fans of bands like My Morning Jacket and Kings of Leon, as well as Eagles and Byrds buffs. Their latest album, Infinite Arms, keeps following that meandering path between country and indie rock and you can watch a couple of new videos on their website, but check out "Older" streaming on NPR Music's website, if only for that whining steel guitar. Somebody should write a song about how that sound never gets old.