Kip Moore

                                                Courtesy of Whiskey Riff

When discussing country artist Kip Moore, it’s best to get a glimpse into his thinking. According to his website, he often lies awake in bed passing lyrics around in his head. He is constantly discovering characteristics about his own voice and trying new things. He is regarded as one of the most calm and controlled artists that companies are working with. His composure and realism allows for total access of his mind to music.
Born in Kentucky, his journey began as a struggling country music artist in Nashville, Tennessee. Often bouncing around between small bar gigs, he caught his break when he released his first album in 2012, Up All Night. This album brought instant success and put Moore in the spotlight. His success was then followed with his second album that he released in 2015, Wild Ones. This had officially put Moore in the top level of country music. With hit songs like, “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck”, “Beer Money”, “Hey Pretty Girl”, and my personal favorite, “More Girls Like You”. Kip Moore’s music has a special connection to the audience, and I love it.
Talking about the song “More Girls Like You”, I can feel the connection to the lyrics through his voice. The natural and slightly gritty sound puts me at ease while listening to the lyrics flow through the cords of the guitar. I feel as though the pace and count of the song are perfect. Getting into the lyrics and message of the song, I think of the classic American love story of a nervous guy talking to a pretty girl. The story evolves to a relationship between the two and a well lived life together. The aspect of god is brought into the song, essentially the title, by having the message that god put an angel on Earth through this girl. The goal of the relationship is to create more girls that are equally as special as their mother, the goal of all relationships.

                                               Courtesy of kikn 100.5

Another favorite song of mine, “Young Love”, tells a tale of how teenagers often have their own meaning of love. This is shown throughout the lyrics and tells a nice story to follow. The pace is slow and slowly builds up to the chorus. The raspy-side of Moore’s voice comes out and adds a nice touch to the story.
I recently had the honor of seeing Kip Moore live in February at the Bryce Jordan Center as he opened for Luke Bryan along with the Cadillac Three (who we talked about in an earlier blog). Along with the special Cadillac Three, Kip Moore’s performance was very, very, good. he didn’t try to get fancy with the lighting system and special effects, which I appreciated. He simply came out with his band in a low lighting setting, grabbed his guitar and microphone, and started playing his music. A cool addition to his set that I was not expecting was his cover of “American Girl” by Tom Petty. This is a classic song deserves only the best performances in honor of the late Petty, and Moore gave just that.
Overall, Kip Moore is just a down-to-Earth person that puts out incredible music. While being a country artist, he gives off an almost rock sounding rasp in his voice that adds a special flare. I’ve listened to all of his albums and singles and am yet to find a song that I did not like. He keeps his tendencies true and sticks to what he knows. I am excited to see how his future will go as he is still young in the music world and among the elites of the industry.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Courteous of the Adios Lounge

Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) is a classic southern style rock band of the late 1960’s and early 70’s. The band was made up of lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, his older brother and rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bass player Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Growing up in the San Francisco area, the group met by attending Portola Junior High School together and by backing Tom Fogerty at live gigs under the name the Blue Velvets. After Tom officially joined the band, they began to put out small records in 1964 with Fantasy Records of San Francisco.

The group experienced a setback in 1967 as John Fogerty and Doug Clifford received draft notices for the Vietnam War. Fogerty chose to enlist in the Army Reserves while Clifford enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserves. by 1968 the two members had been discharged from military service and the band members were ready to take off. They created the new band name, Creedence Clearwater Revival by combining the name of a friend, a quote from a beer commercial, and the bands new spirit for making music. Their first song to reach the Top 40 chart was “Susie Q” from their self-titled debut album, peaking at number 11. Following the success of this first album, the band began to tour the United States while working on a second album, Bayou Country, in 1969. This album came to be a number 7 hit on the charts and was officially platinum. The song “Born on the Bayou” reached number 2 on the national Billboard chart. John Fogerty claims this song to be the result of his high spirits and excitement from being discharged from the Army Reserves.

Courtesy of Woodstock

In the following March of 1969, “Bad Moon Rising” was released and hit the number 1 spot on the UK singles charts. This was the band’s only single to reach the top spot. Continuing to tour the country, the band was one of the main acts for the Woodstock Festival of 1969. A funny story regarding their set, John Fogerty claims that the band the was on before them, the Grateful Dead, put the audience to sleep. He was quoted in saying, “… just bodies from hell, all intertwined and asleep, covered in mud.” Now whether the Grateful Dead was that bad or not is unknown, but Fogerty clearly wasn’t impressed with their performance.

Following all of this success and more, the band began to experience turmoil. Issues over creativity and business decisions forced Tom Fogerty to leave the group in disgust. He said the he refused to be under the control that John had established over the other members. He had begun making many executive decisions, such as the band no longer giving encores at their live shows. John then took this further by telling Cook and Clifford that that the members would only write their own material from now on. Also, Fogerty refused to be the vocalist for any of their songs that they would write. This was the last straw for the band, and they chose to go their own ways, Fogerty continuing make music as a one-man-band. Legal matter surfaced as the record label was still owed 8 albums from CCR, but John Fogerty refused to play with the other members. This was an overall terrible way for one the greatest rock bands of all time to end.

Although I wish the band would have continued their success, I am a huge fan of some of their biggest hits, “Bad Moon Rising” in particular. I feel as though I could listen to this song all day long and not get bored of it. I also enjoy the covers that have been done of the song. These play with the words of CCR in a fun way. I’d hold out for a reunion, but it doesn’t appear to be coming any time soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Dylan

Courtesy of Vouge

Bob Dylan has been one of the most influential artist for me when it comes to music. Although I only started to get into his music towards the end of high school, I really took to the passion behind his songs and his voice. He is known for his politically and socially charged lyrics that symbolize change. He controversially left his early-forming fan base to record a single entitled “Like a Rolling Stone”. He continued his unique approach to music carried out through his career as he was able to play a wide range of instruments including the guitar, keyboard, and harmonica. Dylan was able to carry his music tours into the 2000’s, deserving refering to it as “The Never Ending Tour.”

Born Robert Allen Zimmerman to his shop owner father Abram and mother Beatrice in Deluth, Minnesota, he moved with his family to Hibbing, Minnesota to start his life. While in high school he played with several bands while enhancing his musical abilities. After high school he enrolled in the University of Minnesota and began to have a focus on American folk music. Giving himself the name “Bob Dylan,” he played at a local coffeehouse near where he lived. Dylan had this to say in explanation of his new name, “You’re born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free.”

Courtesy of csm.com

Entering the 1960’s, Dylan dropped out of college at the end of freshman year and decided to travel to New York City to pursue music. Dylan quickly began to pick up success by earning small supporting roles for the albums of others. His first album, Bob Dylan, sold just enough copies to break even. His record company debated dropping his contract, but he was supported by Johnny Cash and allowed to stay on. In August of 1962, Dylan legally changed his name to Robert Dylan and signed on with Albert Grossman as his manager. Dylan then made a trip to London and played his first performances of hit song “Blowin’ in the Wind.” This was controversial with the BBC and sparked drama. Dylan refused to be silenced and continued to perform around in folk clubs. His second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan gained him popularity as a singer and a songwriter. This album was regarded as a protest album and contained many references to political controversies such as slavery and war. Dylan later on played at the March on Washington on August 28. 1963 as another form of protest. His trends continued to question the authorities throughout his career. Dylan has still been touring across the world, going to Europe in 2017 with the plans to come back across the United States and Canada.

The aspect of Bob Dylan that I most admire is how true he is. He was not in music solely for the fame and fortune. He just simply loved music, loved making it, and wanted to inspire people to changed for the better. A highly debated topic is the famous motorcycle crash of Dylan. As a motorcycle enthusiast, Dylan would frequently ride his ’64 Triumph around any country roads he was near. One day it was reported that Dylan had crashed his motorcycle and been seriously injured. He claimed that he needed to take time off of touring and making public appearances in order to recover. He took a 5 year leave to quietly live with his family. It is questioned whether he actually was in an accident or just wanted to get away from things for a while. Dylan has said the he had needed an escape from the rat race and be by himself with his family for some time. I personally do not think their was an accident, but it doesn’t matter to me. I respect Bob Dylan even more for turning away from the money in order to escape reality and spend time with his family. He truly is just a down to Earth person with a quality love for music.

Eric Church

Eric Church is one of my favorite country singers in music. He has a down-to-Earth personality and is one of the nicest people in music. All of his songs tell a story that mostly everybody can relate to and feel.

Born in Granite Falls, North Carolina in 1977, he began playing the guitar at age 13. following his high school graduation he attended Appalachian State and earned a degree in marketing. After moving to Nashville to pursue a music career, he scored his first record deal and released his debut album, Sinners Like Me. His song “How ’bout You” off of that record peaked at number 14 on Hot Country Songs.

His second album, Carolina, was another big success with many hit songs such as “Love Your Love the Most”, “Hell on the Heart”, and “Smoke a Little Smoke”. These songs were all co-written by Eric Church with his own personal touch and style incorporated. He rarely will take a song that he has had no part in writing as it isn’t personal or sincere enough for him to play on his own. One of his biggest characteristics is that he is always trying to have the closest connections to his fans as possible.

Courtesy of Apple Music

Church’s third album, and arguably my favorite, was Chief. Released in 2011, it sold over 145,000 copies in the first week and was number 1 on the Billboard 200. Off of this album he earned his first No. 1 single with the song “Drink in My Hand”. Following this album he began a tour with many country stars such as Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, and Eli Young Band. He was honored as one of the CMT Artists of the Year.

in November of 2015 Church released a surprise album titled Mr. Misunderstood with no promotion or advertisement. He decided to secretly write and record new songs with his band and privately develop the album without telling the media, public, and even people in his staff. Keeping the album private was his highest priority, so he took extra steps to ensure it would be kept quiet. Once finished, he mailed the album to all of the members of his church choir members, which is his fan club. the following day the album was quietly put up for sale in iTunes. This exemplifies how Eric Church doesn’t want to lose the touch and connection that he has with his fans. By doing this album secretly and releasing it first to his biggest fans shows how much he cares for them and is thankful for all of their support.

Another amazing aspect of Church are his live shows. He frequently tours the country and averages close to 40 songs a show, playing for around 2 hours. Also, he doesn’t tour with opening acts to kill time, he simply goes on at his scheduled time and plays all night.

Courtesy of wordpress.com

I first got into listening to Eric Church through my dad, who is a very big fan. I had been a fan of country music but never truly got into what it stood for or any artist in particular. He showed me a couple Eric Church songs and explained some of the lyrics and meanings to me while we listened to them together. I instantly loved everything about the songs and had a new artist to fall into. I ran with what he had taught me and listened to more songs and albums . My favorite, “Mr. Misunderstood” tells the story of a boy who doesn’t fit in with the kids around him in school. He finds a passion in guitars and cars and spends his time playing guitar and learning about cars from his dad, much like I do. I personally connected with this song as I loved everything about what the kid in the song loved. It personally spoke to me and I connected to it so well, much like all of Church’s fans do.

AC/DC

                                           courtesy of acdc.com

The rock band AC/DC is one of the greatest and highest regarded groups of all time. Formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young of Sydney Australia, AC/DC experience many member changes until 1975 when they released the Album High Voltage. In the following years they finished recording arguably their greatest album, Highway to Hell. Unfortunately, a few short months after this lead singer Bon Scott passed away following a night of heavy alcohol consumption. The band wasn’t sure what to do and thought about calling it quits. With the support of Scott’s parents the band pushed through and brought on Brian Johnson to take over the vocals. Coming back they released the Back in Black album and was back on their rockin’ track.

AC/DC kept the momentum going through the 80’s, into the 90’s, and even into the 2000’s with albums such as For Those About to Rock We Salute You, The Razor’s Edge, and Black Ice. songs such as Thunderstruck, Highway to Hell, It’s a Long Way to the Top, and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap define who AC/DC is as a band. They are an in your face rock group while still playing with a smooth and sweet sound. Their hard riffs flow so sweetly through their songs and eliminate any scratch.

A personal favorite song of mine, Love at First Feel, is a great showcase for all that the guys have to offer. The songs starts out with a hard riff from Angus that really sets the pace. Bon Scott jumps in with his raspy voice and immediately accompanies the chords perfectly. The song keeps a solid pace throughout and features a guitar solo from Angus that showcases his incredible talent. He has been regarded as the second best lead guitar player of all time (behind Slash, but we’ll talk about him another day). Malcolm Young is steady on the secondary guitar and lays down a solid and steady rhythm. Overall, I just feel this is one of the best songs by the group.

                                        Courtesy of Getty Images

Another aspect of Angus Young that adds to the band is his uniform. When the band had their first gig he didn’t know what to wear. He decided to just wear his school uniform and hat. This features a felt suit jacket, white button-up shirt with tie, thigh high shorts, and white socks. The gig went well and he decided to stick with it. The fans quickly took to the outfit and it became a major symbol of the band. In addition to the apparel, Angus is famously known for doing a certain duck-walk during guitar solos during live shows that the fans love. It’s a personal aspect of his guitar playing habits that the fans always love and cheer on.

On a personal level, AC/DC has always been a band that my dad and I have listened to and bonded together through. He introduced me to the music through his old school vinyl records when I was about 10. I instantly loved it all and was hooked on rock n roll. I have listened to it ever since and have no plans to quit any time soon. It’s not the in your face aspect about it that gets me, it is the freedom and individuality that it brings. Listening to rock n roll makes me feel as though I’m unique and different being who I am, rather than falling in line with everything else. It reminds me to embrace whatever I like and do whatever I may wish to do. That’s what makes the music great. It causes you to just step aside and not fall into whatever mold others may be shaping. Just be who you are and have fun with it.

 

The Killers

                                                                                Courtesy of readdork.com

The next band that is on my list of favorites are the cool, laid back guys known as The Killers. The group formed in 2001 by lead singer Brandon Flowers and guitar player Dave Keuning. Keuning had placed an advertisement in the Las Vegas magazines looking for any part of a band, a singer, a drummer, pretty much whatever he could get. Flowers read the ad and decided to give him a call. They met up and instantly had a musical connection through the bands that they both liked. Keuining gave him a cassette tape with a couple ideas for songs that he had mocked up on a guitar, the first track what would be their greatest hit, Mr. Brightside.
The band initially experienced some trouble finding a bassist and a drummer, as a few members decided to leave the band or were asked to go. However, Flowers and Keuning eventually were Mark Stroermer on bass and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. on the drums. The four of them bonded tightly and went on the run the rock scene in the United Kingdom, and then back to the United States. with songs like Mr. Brightside, Human, and All These Things That I’ve Done it wasn’t long before they were collecting many awards and accolades. They can now be seen headlining many major music festivals in the United States and periodically popping up to play their own shows on tour.
Probably my favorite aspect of The Killers is their adaptability. At almost all of their shows they seem to do a cover of of a song by another artist or group such as Bad Moon Rising by Credence Clearwater Revival, Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds, and Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. The amazing thing about it is that I would argue that their covers sound better than the originals! The way that Flowers adapts his voice to fit the emotion and feeling behind each song is truly incredible.

                                                                               Courtesy of The Daily Mirror

Another interesting aspect of the band is their closeness to each other as well as the loved ones around them. The Killer’s album, ‘Rut’, is about Flower’s wife Tana and her battle with PTSD. He has talked about how from a rough childhood she has experienced many traumatic events and been exposed to trying times. She often is faced with these thoughts now in her 30’s and has a difficult time getting through them. He decided to cut his ‘The Desired Effect’ tour early in order to be back at home with her and work to get through this mental challenge. He has come back out and said that she now is doing better with advancing through this trouble and is doing much better.
In addition to Tana, the band as a whole has on multiple occasions talked to a counselor regarding any trouble in the band and problems that they were having as a group. This could be issues such as not getting along, differences in opinions, or unwanted behavior. They see this as the most efficient way to deal with their problems as adults and not trying to ignore them. Nobody wants to break the band up as they all love making music, so they decide to face any problems they have head on. By doing this everyone has a chance to express anything they want to get out and have the band hear it and understand.
Overall, The Killers have a special spot in my heart when it comes to music. Their laid back personalities and take on music really speak to me. I have high hope to see them live in concert very soon.

The Black Crowes

                                                                                                                         Courtesy of the Rolling Stone

Beginning in 1984 under the name Mr. Crowe’s Garden, brothers Chris and Rich Robinson came together to make music. They picked up drummer Jeff Sullivan and recorded their first demo in 1987, and later switched to Steve Gorman to take over the drumming duties. As the Black Crowes, in the year 1990 they released their first album, Shake Your Money Maker, receiving multi-platinum certification. A hit song on that album, She Talks to Angels, is a person favorite of mine. This song is so personal and has such a deep meaning that hit the heart of everyone who listens to its lyrics. It tells the story of a loved one who has a special connection to god is is just an all-around perfect person. The singer has such a connection to this person that causes the listener to even feel as though they know her.

Led Zeppelin Guitarist joined the band for a tour with The Who during the summer of 2000. the guitarists were changed as Greg Rzab joined the group for the tour. The group released the album Lions which peaked at number 20 in the Billboard charts.
The Black Crowes continued to take short leaves followed by returns to tours leading up to 2013. Eventually in the year 2015 the band officially went their separate ways to to a dispute between the Robinson brothers. It was reported that they couldn’t agree on the ownership of the band as well as business and financial decisions regarding the group.

                                                                                                      Courtesy of Billboard

My favorite aspect of The Black Crowes is their down to Earth aspects that allow their lyrics to truly connect with the listeners and fans. Chris Robinson, who does the vocals, has a natural talent for connecting with the audience. The Black Crowes have been considered to be one of the best live rock bands to make music. The ways in which the band mixes acoustic rhythm with the hard rock in songs such as Twice as Hard. Their music has a distinct taste and sound to it that was a popular choice for the era of the 90’s, and even in today’s society.
Recently Chris Robinson did an interview with the Rolling Stone in which he talked about how he is ready for the band to get back together and play as a group again. He spoke of how he listens to their previous hits and wishes he had the guys back together to do it all again. When the band experienced their fallout in 2013 the brothers stopped speaking to each other and went their separate ways and made their own music. Chris talked about how he wishes he could restore the relationship with his brother and get passed what happened, but is just too busy to see it happen. It appears as though the chances of a reunion are slim to none.
Overall, The Black Crowes are a band that have experienced it all. A slow beginning, peak fame and fortune, and a slow spiral to a breakup. This harsh ending certainly does not take any credit or respect away from their music. The group was able to create a distinct sound that was loved and desired by so many during the decade of the 90’s and into the 2000’s. From She Talks to Angels to Hard to Handle, the musical and lyrical talents of the group are put on full display. My only wish would be to have the chance to go back and see a live performance of their Shake Your Money Maker album from start to finish. As this seems like more than a long shot, I suppose I’ll have to settle for the recorded versions on Spotify.

The Cadillac Three

                                                                                                          Photo from Entertainment Tonight

Meet Jaren Johnson, Neil Mason, and Kelby Ray of The Cadillac Three. With all three members reigning from Nashville, Tennessee, country music is in their blood. However, they have their own custom touch or accent to it. They have incorporated or more rock mix to their music that gives it a raspy feel. Their most successful song thus far, The South, is a prime example of what they’re all about.

The band members grew up knowing each other since middle school, making them closely connected to one another. The goal of the group is just do things their own way. “We’re trying to build something and do it our way, which is always harder. If you’re going to leave something that people are actually going to remember, you can’t take the easy way. So we took a look at our history, mixed it with the energy of The Cadillac Three and put it into a record that makes sense of where we’ve been and where we’re going” says lead guitarist Jaren Johnson.

A remarkable thing about the group is that it has been them, and only them, from the start. On all of their albums and songs they have never included a feature or an additional musician. Johnson has always handled the lead guitar and vocals, Ray on the lap steel for the bass and low end, and Mason on the drums. That is one of my favorite aspects of the group, their simplicity. They aren’t about all of the flash and glam. They just stick to their guns and play their music they way they know how.

                                                                                                            Photo from Whiskey Riff

Some songs by the group that I personally enjoy the most include Runnin’ Red Lights, Dang if We Didn’t, American Slang, and Party Like You. However, I’ve never listened to a song of theirs that I did not like.

Looking at just Runnin’ Red Lights on their Bury Me In My Boots album, the simplicity of the three really comes out. The song features strong power cords from Jaren Johnson on his Gibson SG with Ray meticulously picking his lap steel to accent. Mason doesn’t even appear on the drums in this one. The vocals have a raspy feel while still flowing smoothly over the course of the song. It all truly comes together so well.

Another interesting piece about The Cadillac Three is their ability to write. Not only have they written all of their own songs, but Jaren Johnson has written many hit songs such as Southern Girl by Tim McGraw, You Gonna Fly by Keith Urban, Girl Crush by Little Big Town, as well as American Country Love Song by Jake Owen. Johnson just simply has a love for music and enjoys sharing and working with others to produce something he will love. Often he will write a song he knows will be successful but chooses to give it away because it doesn’t quite fit into how the Cadillac Three sounds and he thinks someone else is a better fit for it. He truly is just about the music.

The Cadillac Three isn’t concerned with making money and retiring rich. They wish to make an impact in the music world that will be remembered long after they are no longer producing music for the world. I truly respect each member of the band for their simplicity and humbleness despite their growing success and recognition among other music greats in the business. I am excited to see how their future will be and get more opportunities to listen to their powerful and all-around good sound.

(Information obtained from thecadillacthree.com)

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