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BRENNEN LEIGH AND NOEL MCKAY – New Artist Spotlight – CMA Close Up

Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay

Brennen Leigh and Noel McKayBefore the World Was Made is a delicious mix: raw, retro Country plus sweet irony. That’s apparently the specialty of Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay, the Austin-based duo whose debut, on their B&N imprint, is hilarious, sentimental and profound, usually all at the same time.

Produced by Gurf Murlix, with only one of its 12 tracks penned by an outside writer, this album draws from Guy Clark, Lucinda Williams, the Louvin Brothers and, perhaps unconsciously, Nichols and May. Backed by a bare-bones band that consists of a drummer playing mainly snare, an acoustic bassist and occasional guests, they ponder love’s absurdities. A theme emerges in their titles alone. “Breaking Up Is Easy” is followed by “Breaking Up and Making Up Again,” in which McKay intones, “I forgot that you’re a bore,” and Leigh responds, “And I forgot how loud you snore,” both singing with a delightfully flat, deadpan delivery.

And who could resist the wisdom of “Let’s Go to Lubbock on Vacation,” which reasons that if they survive a week or so there, they’ll know they’re in love? Or “The Only Other Person in the Room,” a forlorn pickup song involving the last two folks in the honky-tonk at closing time?

But then they close with “Great Big Oldsmobile,” an unexpectedly touching pledge of lifelong adoration. “I’ll be deafer than a post and grayer than a ghost, but you’ll still steam my glasses up when you’re 92,” McKay promises — and we believe him.

For more on Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay, visit www.CMACloseUp.com.

Brennen Leigh and Noel McKayIN HER OWN WORDS

MUSICAL HERO

BRENNEN: “Jim Lauderdale.”

NOEL: “Guy Clark.”

ALBUM IN YOUR PLAYLIST

BOTH: “Guy Clark’s My Favorite Picture of You.”

DREAM DUET PARTNER

BRENNEN: “Melba Montgomery.”

NOEL: “I sing with my dream duet partner nearly every night.”

PET PEEVE

BRENNEN: “Everything.”

NOEL: “Tailgating.”

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

BOTH: “Train!”

ACTOR WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A BIOPIC

BRENNEN: “Jackie Chan.”

NOEL: “Brigitte Bardot, of course.”

MOMENT YOU’D LOVE TO RELIVE

BRENNEN: “Getting to play mandolin and sing with Charlie Louvin.”

FAVORITE FOOD ON THE ROAD

NOEL: “Peanut butter and strawberry sandwiches that Brennen makes while I’m driving.”

On the Web: www.BrennenLeighAndNoelMcKay.com

On Twitter: @BrennenLeigh; @McKayNoel

 

By Bob Doerschuk

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.


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Tyler Farr – New Artist Spotlight – CMA Closeup

Tyler Farr

Tyler FarrNEW ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Tyler Farr

By Bob Doerschuk

Tyler Farr celebrates girls and trucks. Just what Country Music needs, right?

In Farr’s case, absolutely. He follows a familiar path through much of Redneck Crazy, his Columbia Nashville debut. But every now and then he slams on the brakes and veers in an unexpected direction.

Farr’s drawl draws from somewhere south of his hometown, Garden City, Mo. He rasps too, whether it’s from loving the outdoorsman’s lifestyle or working four nights each week at Tootsies Orchid Lounge. (The legendary Nashville venue hired him originally as a bouncer.)

His music is catchy, riff-heavy and steeped deep in tradition. He knows what kind of image he projects. But he has fun with it too, on “Wish I Had a Boat,” which is all about … wishing he had a boat. On various tracks, he compliments his ladies by comparing them to moonshine.

Then hold on for those sudden turns. The title track, let’s be honest, paints a scary picture of a jilted lover beaming his truck’s lights into his ex’s window at 3 AM and hurling empty beer cans at “both of your shadows” inside. This guy sounds dangerous; but on the other hand, Farr fully conveys his raw fury and pain without apology.

Yet on the last track, “Living With the Blues,” Farr goes solo, just acoustic guitar and a near-whispered lyric that reflects fragility and doubt. These yin and yang performances suggest there’s much more in Farr’s artistry than mere boat lust.

For more on Tyler Farr, visit www.CMACloseUp.com.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

MUSICAL HERO
“George Jones.”

DREAM DUET PARTNER
“Hank Williams Jr.”

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
“The Bible.”

PET PEEVE
“People posting food on Instagram.”

WORD YOU SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN
“Damnit.”

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
“My truck.”

MOMENT YOU’D LOVE TO RELIVE
“The last day is spent with my grandpa.”

FAVORITE FOOD ON THE ROAD
“Vienna sausages.”

TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
One Hell of a Ride.”

ITEMS FOR YOUR TIME CAPSULE
“What the hell is a time capsule?”

SOMETHING WE’D NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU
“I buy things at Bed Bath & Beyond.”

On the Web: www.TylerFarr.com

On Twitter: @TylerFarr

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.


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Sunday Best – New Artist Spotlight – CMA Close Up by Bob Doerschuk – On Nashville Rocks

Nick Jamerson and Kris Bentley of Sundy Best.

Nick Jamerson and Kris Bentley of Sundy Best. They come from Appalachia. Their friendship dates back to elementary school. Their voices blend like bourbon and soda. Listening to their debut album on eOne Music, Door Without a Screen, produced by Coleman Saunders and released Aug. 2, you get the feeling that Kris Bentley and Nick Jamerson were born to make music together.

Apparently they were also destined to represent their beloved home state to the world through their songs. Co-writing every track, they visit the theme of Kentucky’s wonders repeatedly, always with a twinge of nostalgia but also from a variety of perspectives. “Home” captures the ache of a country boy stuck in the city, with only memories of running “barefoot up a holler, in the shadows of the pines.” “Mountain Parkway” is a panorama of images seen through the windows during a cruise through their backwoods paradise. Then, on “Prestonsburg,” the very first lyrics declare, “I just got off the parkway,” and this time the singer is back home, where he — and maybe all of us — belong.

What else do Bentley and Jamerson share? Each began singing in church as kids; aside from a short-lived Christian rock band, that was their only musical outlet for years. Both were active in sports through high school and college — Bentley played basketball, Jamerson excelled at football. They enjoy shifting tempos to underscore different parts of songs. And they love acoustic textures. From scratchy banjos to sad or stompin’ fiddles, their music sounds the way a weather-worn barn looks — rough, sweet and tactile, all at the same time.

For more on Sundy Best, visit www.CMACloseUp.com.


IN THEIR OWN WORDSNick Jamerson and Kris Bentley of Sundy Best.

MUSICAL HERO

BOTH: “Tom Petty or Bob Seger. Chris Stapleton – fellow East Kentuckian – is a beast too!”

DREAM DUET PARTNER

BOTH: “Female – Sheryl Crow. Male – Chris Stapleton.”

PHRASE YOU SAY OVER AND OVER

BOTH: “Do what?”

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

BOTH: “Roller blades.”

PET PEEVE

BOTH: “Bad grammar.”

FIRST GIG

BOTH: “Pikeville, Ken., at a bar called Champs. We drank beer for three hours before it started. They told us it went great.”

On the Web: www.SundyBest.net

On Twitter: @SundyBest

 

By Bob Doerschuk

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.


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Charlie Worsham – New Artist Spotlight – CMA Close Up by Bob Doerschuk – On Nashville Rocks

Charlie Worsham

 

Charlie Worsham

Born in Mississippi, Charlie Worsham learned enough banjo by age 10 for bluegrass legend Jimmy Martin to invite him onstage at the Ryman Auditorium. Two years after that, he joined Mike Snider on the air at the Opry. After attending Boston’s Berklee College of Music, he headed to Nashville and eventually earned himself a deal with Warner Bros. Records.

 

On his new album, Rubberband, released today, Worsham distinguishes himself by his unerring taste and musical subtlety. As co-producer with Ryan Tyndell and co-writer on all 11 tracks, he knows his way into each lyric. He does play some burning leads, but most of the album is toned down, rich in acoustic texture. His banjo stays in the background, enhancing the Country flavor. Drums are often muted and minimal.

 

This gives Worsham room to tell his stories. Starting with solo guitar and vocal, “How I Learned To Pray” (written by Worsham, Tyndell and Jeremy Spillman) points not to church services “with a chapter and a verse” but to small epiphanies in everyday life as sources of redemption. On “Love Don’t Die Easy” (Worsham, Tyndell and Steve Bogard), metaphor mixes with clear-eyed observation to mourn broken souls haunted by love long or recently lost. Worsham finds daylight too, stirring cautious hope for the future during a morning after on the album’s first single, “Could It Be” (Worsham, Tyndell and Marty Dodson). His gift is to be able to whisper intimately one moment and, with minimal effort, rock the house the next — and that’s something they don’t teach at Berklee.Charlie Worsham

 

For more on Worsham, visit www.CMACloseUp.com.

 

IN HIS OWN WORDS

 

SONG YOU WOULD LOVE TO COVER

 

“I’d really love to cover a Katie Perry song – maybe ‘I Kissed a Girl’?”

 

MUSICAL HERO

 

“I grew up on Vince Gill and Marty Stuart. Earl Scruggs is in that category too, as is Jimmy Martin.”

 

SONG YOU WISH YOU HAD COVERED

 

“Any songwriter would say they wish they had written ‘The House That Built Me.’”

 

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC

 

“Christian Bale – although I’d really get a kick out of hanging with Jack Nicholson.”

 

MOMENT YOU’D LIKE TO RELIVE

 

“I could relive playing at the Opry when I was 12 a million times.”

 

On the Web: www.CharlieWorsham.com

 

On Twitter: @CharlieWorsham

 

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.


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Breelan Angel – New Artist Spotlight – CMA Close Up by Bob Doerschuk on Nashville Rocks

Breelan Angel

Breelan Angel

Breelan Angel

You’re a strong young woman who loves going out with friends. Yet you know that even this simple plan can be like weaving between roadblocks, many of them strangers asking for your phone number.

 

Breelan Angel’s It’s My Turn offers a map through this obstacle course. Produced by Dwight Baker for MisBhavin’ Records, it suggests that empowerment is a major draw to the “girls’ night out” experience, whether as a declaration of well-earned independence on the title cut (written by Angel, Greg Barnhill and Joanna Cotten), anticipation of an upcoming San Marcos, Texas, idyll in “Feeling No Pain” (Angel and Clay Mills), a confrontation with a rival for her man’s attention on “Walk of Shame” (Angel and Shane Stevens) or going face-to-face with a barfly who’s being just a little too friendly on “Real Good Night” (Angel and Rachel Thibodeau).

 

But that last song is deceptive: When the beat slows and stops and Angel speaks directly to the guy, her message is optimistic about what may — or may not — follow. It’s more about hope than hostility. Her treatment of this encounter is surprising — and assuring. The Baytown, Texas, native appears to be co-writing from experience on each of these 10 tracks. (Of course, Angel could have written as well about the time she spent at Southern Methodist University or mulling over the idea of studying law, but that somehow sounds less inspirational.) And if it’s imagination more than real-world events that underlies her songs, that says even more about her insight and empathy.

 

IN HER OWN WORDS

 

SONG YOU WOULD LOVE TO COVER

 

“‘Crazy,’ by Patsy Cline. I’m a sucker for the oldies!”

 

PET PEEVE

 

“I hate when people leave wet towels on the floor.”

 

DREAM DUET PARTNER

 

“Definitely George Strait. It would be the biggest honor to get to sing with him.”

 

PHRASE YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING OVER AND OVER

 

“’Good goat’ – it’s something I always say instead of ‘good grief’ or ‘oh, my gosh.’”

 

TITLE FOR YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 

Glass Half Full.”

 

On the Web: www.BreelanAngel.com

 

On Twitter: @BreelanAngel

 

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

 


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Rachele Lynae – New Artist Spotlight – CMA Close Up by Bob Doerschuk

Rachele Lynae

Rachele LynaeRachele Lynae

 

The daughter of a fisherman, Rachele Lynae was raised on Alaska’s Kodiak Island. From the start, she set her eyes far beyond the snow-capped mountains that towered on the horizon, toward the Lower 48 and a career in Country Music. She began singing in church at age 5, did her first show at 11 in the Kodiak Lions Club, started writing songs at 12 and embarked on her first tour at 17. Enrolled after that in Belmont University, she polished her chops at Tootsies Orchid Lounge and other Lower Broadway venues.

In her senior year, Lynae cut an EP that soon made its way to Jamie O’Neal. The celebrated Country artist took Lynae under her wing, eventually producing her self-titled, six-song “party pack” digital EP on O’Neal’s Momentum Label Group imprint. Her single, “Fishin’ for Something” (written by Lynae and Hannah Bethel) dropped July 2, immediately receiving five new adds on Mediabase.

“Party ‘Til the Cows Come Home” (Lynae, O’Neal, Stephanie Bentley and Jimmy Murphy) is a full-bore barn burner, complete with a high-impact guitar lick, internal rhymes and a powerful chorus that summons the listener to join the fun. Equally impressive, Lynae employs multiple arrangement devices — sing-along riffs, sudden breaks and other elements that change constantly yet never impede the groove.

And, oh, yeah, she can sing too. On the power ballad “Done Is Done” (Lynae and Luke Sheets), check out how her intensity varies from delicate to resonant and assertive within the space of a few bars, making it all sound easy and never losing focus. Even in these few moments, Lynae’s fiery delivery could illuminate the Northern Lights.

IN HER OWN WORDS

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND

“My Bible is sitting next to a copy of Pride and Prejudice.”

PET PEEVE

“Driving under the speed limit.”

FAVORITE FOOD ON THE ROAD

“When I’m on the West Coast, I have to hit up In-n-Out Burger at least once! Other than that, does coffee count as food?”

WHAT YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL SAY ABOUT YOU 50 YEARS FROM NOW

“I want people to say that I have always been inspiring and empowering – a cheerleader for love.”

On the Web: www.RacheleLynae.com

On Twitter: @RacheleLynae

 

© 2013 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.