Tag Archives: Red Shahan

Concerts

Some Thoughts from the 6th Annual Medicine Stone

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This is the third year in which I’ve had the privilege of attending Medicine Stone, a three-day live music festival on the Illinois River in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. In 2016, I gave a full concert review, and last year, I tried to highlight some of the unsung heroes of the event. This year, Medicine Stone took on a slightly different purpose for me in light of my ongoing goal of seeing live shows in 2018. The festival provided a nice contrast to all the indoor shows I’ve been covering, as well as just being the only festival I’ve covered so far on this journey.

Turnpike Troubadours made a triumphant return to the stage after having to cancel several shows recently due to various medical and personal issues. I’ve discussed Turnpike’s phenomenal live shows before, but it was especially good to see them return to form after their cancelled appearances. In addition, they weren’t as wonderful as they normally are last year; the sound quality made it difficult to hear Evan Felker over the the rest of the band. After having to move their set from Friday to Saturday due to rainy weather, they put on a great show and returned to themselves in fine fashion.

As mentioned, the rain was a major issue on Friday. NO sets were cancelled, but everything was moved inside a tent, the main stage being uncovered. It didn’t provide enough cover for everyone present, so many of us sat under canopies or just out in the rain for some of Friday night’s performances. Reckless Kelly’s lead singer called it the “cheeseburger tent” as they played their set. I’d been especially excited to see them, for they had been outstanding in 2016 and had not come to Medicine Stone in 2017.

As for performers I’d never seen live before, there were several standouts. Koe Wetzel may have his detractors, but the man puts on a ridiculously energetic live show. This was one of the highlights of the whole weekend. Wade Bowen immediately followed, and to the surprise of no one, he’s also fantastic live. He was the artist on the lineup that excited me most when I first learned which artists would be playing this year. John Fullbright played on a smaller stage–actually, he played in the cheeseburger tent–on Friday afternoon, and his set was also a highlight. This aspect of Medicine Stone, having performers play more intimate shows on smaller stages, is one of my favorite things about the experience and a great way to discover newer artists and enjoy those artists whose songs shine in quieter settings.

As for the returning artists, I was most impressed with Red Shahan. He blew me away last year and again this time. AS far as I’m concerned, he can come back every year. Flatland Cavalry also impressed me this year after not really standing out for me in 2017, again due to their sound quality. And everyone knows Turnpike and Boland and Randy rogers all put on a good show, making them staples at Medicine Stone.

One thing I found a bit discouraging was the lack of women on the bill. Only Jamie Lin Wilson and Kaitlin Butts were on the lineup; they’ve both been there each year, but in 2017, there were several more women booked. I specifically mentioned sunny Sweeney last year as being a standout and expressed hope that she would return. Suzanne Santo also put on a great performance. Both Jamie Lin and Kaitlin are great artists, and I recognize that there is a lot more involved in booking more women at festivals than just simply doing it, but I definitely would have appreciated more effort in this area.

That said, overall, I felt that this was the strongest lineup I’ve yet seen at Medicine Stone. In terms of sonic styles within Texas/Red Dirt music, it also felt like the most diverse. There was a good balance of established artists and new talent as well.

IN light of the ongoing commentary on live music, I also have to say there is nothing quite like the camaraderie of a festival experience. I’ve been championing Medicine Stone for three years now, but it can’t be stressed enough that the atmosphere is just special at a festival. I haven’t been to a bad show yet in 2018; I’ve enjoyed some more than others, but each has provided its own unique insight. With Medicine Stone, even though I’ve been there before, it still stands out among the other shows, and not just for the number of artists, or even just for the quality of the music. It’s the social aspect, the way you see faces from years past and recognize them, the way strangers offer you a canopy to sit under to take shelter from the rain. For those three days, you’re all united by this incredible thing we call music, and it proves more than ever that music can unite us even in this divisive world in which we find ourselves. When you spend three days together, you understand why Jamie Lin Wilson was inspired to pick up her pen and write “Oklahoma Stars” about the experience. It is irreplaceable, and I highly recommend this festival to any fan of Red dirt or of live music in general.

Best Live Performers: Koe Wetzel, Wade Bowen, Red Shahan, John Fullbright, Turnpike Troubadours

Playlists

My Top Ten Albums of 2018 so Far

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Note: This has been easily the hardest list to assemble for this site, and unlike last year, these will remain unranked just like the songs list because so many of these are so close. I don’t think we’ve heard the 2018 Album of the Year yet, but overall, the first half of 2018 has been incredibly strong, and it’s impossible at this point for me to try and rank albums. They’re all great, so just check them out.

As with the songs, please respect these choices as my opinion, and feel free to share your favorites in the comments below!

Courtney Patton: What it’s Like to Fly Alone

Standout Tracks: “Round Mountain,” “What it’s Like to Fly Alone (Hawk Song),” “Devil’s Hand,” “Red Bandanna Blue”
Probably the most country of the bunch, Courtney Patton’s fourth album is one that just gets better with time. Her songwriting is superb is always, and this record is also beautifully, cleanly produced. Who said an album had to sound like shit to be classic and authentic? As far as production, which Courtney handled herself, it may be the best-sounding, cleanest record of the year so far.
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Lindi Ortega: Liberty

Standout Tracks: “Lovers in Love,” “You Ain’t Foolin’ Me,” “Afraid of the Dark,” but it’s meant to be consumed as a whole album
This hasn’t been one of my most played albums of the year, but when I do play it, it always blows me away. More and more, I feel like it should have been a 10/10 here. Some vagueness in the concept held me back, as the character’s journey out of darkness into light and life can sometimes be hard to follow. But it’s just so captivating all the way through, and once again, a finely produced album, with the western backdrop lending itself nicely to the story.
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Red Shahan: Culberson County

Standout Tracks: “Waterbill,” “Enemy,” “Roses,” “How They Lie,” “Culberson County”
Speaking of western, here’s a record that perfectly embodies the sound and spirit of west Texas. This has got to be my most underrated album of 2018 so far; honestly, that 8/10 looks totally ridiculous now, and it did so a week after I wrote it. I can’t say enough about this album, as it’s got to be heard to be fully understood and appreciated, capturing the wildness and emptiness of West Texas and romanticizing it in a way that not many could.
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Brothers Osborne: Port Saint Joe

Standout Tracks: “Shoot me Straight,” “While You Still Can,” “Pushing up Daisies (Love Alive),” “A Little Bit Trouble,” “Weed, Whiskey, and Willie”
Although not a concept album like Liberty, this record is certainly meant to be consumed and enjoyed from start to finish. Just as Shahan put West Texas on a record, Brothers Osborne immortalize the old, weathered coastal towns so common in the South. It’s a beach record, but the beach is forgotten and secluded, not sexy and touristy. Proof that a fun party album can indeed be substantive and have all kinds of staying power.
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Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour

Standout Tracks: “Oh, What a World,” “Love is a Wild Thing,” “Slow Burn,” “Lonely Weekend”
Another fantastically produced album; I’m starting to see a trend in these records. I know Kacey Musgraves sparked about a million different controversies with this change in her sound, but after several months with this, I have to say that Golden Hour is Kacey’s best album so far. The dreamy, spacey production all over this album really suits her voice and these songs, and there’s not much else to say, it’s just a great-sounding slice of pop country music.
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Brent Cobb: Providence Canyon

Standout Tracks: “Sucker for a Good Time,” “Providence Canyon,” “Come Home Soon,” “Mornin’s Gonna Come”
This is the only album I’ve given a 10/10 rating to in 2018, but again, these records are so close that it’s not necessarily my favorite record at this point. It’s definitely becoming one of my most played, bringing country, funk, and soul together in the way that can only be done in Brent’s home state of Georgia. This is the first of several albums on this list that carries a unique and distinctly Southern flavor, and though each is different, each one celebrates a vital component of Southern music and culture.
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Blackberry Smoke: Find a Light

Standout Tracks: “I’ll Keep Ramblin'” (ft. Robert Randolph), “I’ve Got This Song,” “Run Away From it All,” “Till the Wheels Fall Off,” “Nobody Gives a Damn,” “Let me Down Easy” (ft. Amanda Shires)
Okay, yeah, it would have been easier to list the tracks that don’t stand out here. There are just so many great songs here, and this is another distinctly Southern album, keeping alive the sound of Southern rock in fine fashion. Southern rock is just as endangered, if not more so, than traditional country, and it’s just great to hear such an excellent slice of this music in 2018. Blackberry Smoke already have a 10/10 record here, and this one came very close to being their second.
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Willie Nelson: Last Man Standing

Standout Tracks: “Last Man Standing,” “Heaven is Closed,” “Me and You,” “Don’t Tell Noah”
What can I possibly say about Willie Nelson? At eighty-five, he is making better music than a giant chunk of Americana artists in their twenties and thirties. It’s a fun, upbeat record that displays Willie’s boundless charisma and clever songwriting at their best. And also, his vocal talent here puts many of the aforementioned independent artists to absolute shame.
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Old Crow Medicine Show: Volunteer

Standout Tracks: “Child of the Mississippi,” “Dixie Avenue,” “Whirlwind,” “A World Away,” “Look Away”
Again, it may have been easier to list the tracks that aren’t standouts. What a fun, energetic album! And I’ve mentioned Southern records, but none of them embrace the rich and vibrant Southern culture quite like this one. This is a love letter to the South, to its people and to its music, and it will make you proud of that heritage even despite the South’s scars.
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American Aquarium: Things Change

Standout Tracks: “One Day at a Time,” “Work Conquers All,” “Crooked+Straight,” “Shadows of You”
Out of the ruins of American Aquarium came something great, the best version of this band that has existed to date. It took everything crashing down to make it all happen, and now, in addition to BJ Barham’s always great songwriting, we have a band that sounds like a band and brings life to these songs in the best way possible. I don’t have much to say other than what everyone else is saying–this is an incredible album.
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Honorable Mentions

It should be noted that these six albums are the reason I chose ten instead of thirteen–because to choose three of these six was entirely impossible.

  • Darci Carlson (self-titled)
  • First Aid Kit: Ruins
  • Meghan Patrick: Country Music Made me do It
  • Dierks Bentley: The Mountain
  • Wade Bowen: Solid Ground
  • Sarah Shook & the Disarmers: Years

Other Albums Strongly Recommended by Country Exclusive

  • Caitlyn Smith: Starfire
  • Brandi Carlile: By the Way, I Forgive You
  • The Lost Brothers: Halfway Towards a Healing
  • Mike & the Moonpies: Steak Night at the Prairie Rose
  • Montgomery Gentry: Here’s to You
  • Ashley McBryde: Girl Going Nowhere
  • Laura Benitez and the Heartache: With All its Thorns
  • Teea Goans: Swing, Shuffle, and Sway (released 2017, reviewed 2018)
  • Caleb Caudle: Crushed Coins
  • Courtney Marie Andrews: May Your Kindness Remain
  • Vivian Leva: Time is Everything
  • Trixie Mattel: One Stone
  • Shotgun Rider: Palo Duro
  • Kasey Chambers & the Fireside Disciples: Campfire
  • Randall King (self-titled
  • John Prine: The Tree of Forgiveness
  • Josh Ward: More Than I Deserve
  • Kayla Ray: Yesterday & Me
  • Jason Boland & the Stragglers: Hard Times are Relative

Albums on our Radar, with Potential to be Reviewed

  • Wes Youssi & the County Champs: Down Low
  • El Coyote (self-titled
  • Jesse Daniel (self-titled
  • Anderson East: Encore
  • Eleven Hundred Springs: The Finer Things in Life
  • Tami Neilson: Sassafrass!
  • Jeff Hyde: Norman Rockwell World
  • The Church Sisters: A Night at the Opry
  • Jay Bragg: Honky Tonk Dream
  • Steve Moakler: Born Ready
  • Tim Culpepper: DUI (Drinkin’ Under the Influence)
  • Chris Hennessee: Ramble
  • Steep Canyon Rangers: Out in the Open
  • Hellbound Glory: Streets of Aberdeen
  • Neko Case: Hell-on
  • Paul Cauthen: Have Mercy (EP)
  • Justin Adams: Horizon
Playlists

My Top Thirteen Songs of 2018 so Far

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Editor’s Note: These are not ranked in any particular order, and all songs have been reviewed or featured in some way, whether in Memorable songs or on one of our playlists, by Country Exclusive. Please respect this list for what it is–one person’s opinion, and an outlet for sharing good music. That said, feel free and encouraged to share your favorite songs of the year so far in the comments below!
And don’t ask why I picked thirteen, some things should remain a mystery.

Anderson East: “Cabinet Door”

From Encore, featured on our January playlist

This was the first song to blow me away in 2018, and yes, hopefully I will review this album at some point. This is the tale of a man whose wife of fifty-two years has passed away; he’s left lost and alone trying to pick up the pieces, and he’s talking to her about everything he misses, and everything that hasn’t been right since she’s been gone. It’s just an incredible song of love and loss, and it’s impossible not to feel something when you hear it.

Caitlyn Smith: “This Town is Killing Me”

From Starfire

What an honest, bittersweet, heartbreaking story of an artist’s struggles in Nashville, the things they’ll give up and go through in order to chase that dream, and the reasons it’s worth it. Caitlyn Smith is a world-class vocalist, and she’s known for belting and displaying her incredible range, but it’s a song like this, where her emotions are laid bare before us, that really sets her apart and makes her special. An artist with this much talent shouldn’t be struggling for a second in Music City, but it’s the hardship that led to this poignant, beautiful song.

Mike & the Moonpies: “Steak Night at the Prairie Rose”

From Steak Night at the Prairie Rose

Maybe it’s the relationship I have with my dad, or maybe it’s the stories of chasing his dreams of music, or perhaps it’s just a damn good song, but I think “Steak Night at the Prairie Rose” has been really underrated as a song in 2018. Just a simple tribute to his father and to music that should just be heard. Also, love that organ.

Wade Bowen: “Day of the Dead”

From Solid Ground

An underrated song from an underrated album. Putting some really cool Mexican influence in his Texas country, Wade sings of a man who’s run off to Mexico during the Day of the dead on his ex’s wedding day. It uses some interesting metaphors for the death of their love, and it’s one where the melody, instrumentation, and lyrics all work together to create a really great piece of music.

Courtney Patton: “Round Mountain”

From What it’s Like to Fly Alone

As I said recently on Twitter, here’s a song that blows me away every time I hear it. A beautifully crafted narrative of a woman who married young and felt trapped by her life and family–she made mistakes and eventually abandoned them, and the beauty here is that she’s neither apologetic for her actions nor unaware of what she’s done and the people she’s hurt. Also, there’s an overdose of lovely fiddle.

Courtney Marie Andrews: “Took You Up”

From May Your Kindness Remain

An incredibly moving love song that reminds us the best things in life are free. What a world it would be if we could all learn to embrace life like the lovers in this song. Also, Courtney Marie Andrews absolutely sings the hell out of this.

Red Shahan: “Waterbill”

From Culberson County

And for those of you who don’t think fun songs can be on these lists, I present Red Shahan’s “Waterbill,” the best album opener of the year so far and an absolutely fun, infectious tune that’s been one of my most played in 2018. It’s also got one of the best lyrics this year with: “you ain’t livin’ unless you’re livin’ life broke.” It’s impossible not to smile when you hear this song.

Sarah Shook & the Disarmers: “New Ways to Fail”

From Years

Another fun tune, and probably the most honest, relatable song you’ll hear for a long while. I can’t say anything else about this, I can just assure you that you’ve felt like this at some point in your life, and that relatability is what makes a great country song.

John Prine: “Lonesome Friends of Science”

From The Tree of Forgiveness

John Prine is a songwriter like no other, and we’re blessed to still be getting great, thoughtful songs from him at this stage of his life. He can create empathy for anyone or anything, even “poor planet Pluto,” who was demoted and uninvited by the other planets, as he explains in this song. And what a great way to live, thinking it doesn’t matter if the whole world ends today because this place is not really your home.

Ashley Monroe: “Orphan”

From Sparrow

Overall, I did not care for the overly polished sounds on Ashley Monroe’s latest effort, but this autobiographical sketch of an orphan is beautiful, and it’s made even better by the lovely strings supporting it. This is a story only Ashley Monroe can deliver, and it might be the best song of her career thus far.

Old Crow Medicine Show: “Look Away”

From Volunteer

In a world where Southern culture is being forsaken and eradicated at an alarming rate, “Look Away” uses lines from “Dixie” and embraces everything that is good and cherished about the South. This is a five-minute case for why Southerners still have things to be proud of, and why so many people embrace this land and its rich heritage.

American Aquarium: “One Day at a Time”

From Things Change

The best songs come from a place of honesty, the ability to release a part of your soul out into your music. BJ Barham gives us that in “One Day at a Time,” detailing his journey getting sober. And “you see the man left holding the pen controls how every story ends, and truth becomes a martyr for the sake of the song”–that line is just brilliant.

Jason Boland & the Stragglers: “Hard Times are Relative”

From Hard Times are Relative

The first time I heard this, I declared it the best song of the year so far. I don’t know how that will hold up, but this is an excellently crafted story song and a reminder to us that when we think our lives are tough, these people in times past had it far worse.

Honorable Mentions

  • Blackberry Smoke: “I’ve Got This Song”
  • Brent Cobb: “Come Home Soon”
  • Ashley McBryde: “Livin’ Next to Leroy”
  • Courtney Marie Andrews: “Border”
  • Kayla Ray: “Rockport”
  • Brandi Carlile: “The Mother”
  • Dierks Bentley ft. Brandi Carlile: “Travelin’ Light”
Playlists

March Playlist on Spotify and Apple Music

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March didn’t start out strong, and for awhile, I wondered if we’d actually be able to make a worthwhile list at the end of the month. But I held out hope for the later releases, especially the March 30th albums that promised to bring us a ton of great music. And yeah, I needn’t have worried; we were blessed with great music from Courtney Marie Andrews, Kacey Musgraves, Lindi Ortega, Red Shahan, Ashley McBryde…and the list goes on. It’s as good a time as any to check out all of these artists. This has been our most diverse playlist so far, from the traditional, almost bluegrass selection by Vivian Leva to the rock anthems of Red Shahan, so there should truly be something here for everyone. As always, many thanks to Zack for supplying this on Spotify.

Apple Music users can follow me there @countryexclusive for access to all our playlists, as well as updates to the Saving Country Music top 25. For March’s playlist,
Click Here

For Spotify:

Reviews

Album Review: Red Shahan–Culberson County

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Rating: 8/10

As was ironically just mentioned on this platform a few days ago, I was blessed with the opportunity in college to sing in a traveling band. This came up in a recent post because the director was Vince Gill’s guitar teacher–but he was also the youngest member of Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys, and if you talked to the man for more than five minutes, he’d surely tell you about it. He considered it his finest accomplishment, and we all had to learn some Bob Wills songs in our time because he used his connections to take us out to the Texas panhandle every year to a little town called Turkey, the hometown of Wills where we performed in a dance hall with a crumbling old stage that the Texas Playboys had played on in their day.

The Turkey, Texas, trip was one we all dreaded. For a weekend, we would be cut off from society, seemingly suspended in 1927. We were isolated from everything, and the stillness was jarring. You didn’t even here cars on the street in that town, just coyotes and church bells. Cell reception was nonexistent; you told your family where you were going and didn’t contact them again for 48 hours, until you got back across the Oklahoma border to civilization. I can still remember the horrified reaction of a friend from Rhode Island, already having enough of a culture shock from her move to our little college town of Chickasha, Oklahoma, when she realized her phone wouldn’t work in West Texas at all. It seemed like an ugly, desolate place hopelessly trapped inside the past, and with nothing to do one afternoon, either in the town or on our devices, we all sat on the porch of the dilapidated Turkey Hotel and bonded, making up a horror story we dubbed the “Turkey Texas Tragedy,” detailing how and in which order each of us would be murdered out here in this godforsaken wilderness.

Who would be inspired by such a place to make a record? And yet, it’s the desolation and emptiness of West Texas that Red Shahan chooses to bring to life here on this album, and not only that, he manages to capture the beauty in the place as well. You hear a song like the title track, named for a county in West Texas with a population barely over 2,000, and you understand why Shahan calls for us to “keep the lonely places lonely” and away from “anyone who doesn’t understand.” Even if you’re not from West Texas, it’s a relatable sentiment, as highways replace back roads, and rural communities grow into towns. The wide open spaces in our country and the world are becoming extinct, and Red Shahan laments this with a heartbreak that comes to life with the grit in his voice and will be relatable to many. “How They Lie” also captures this, as he sings of people losing their land to the government, being lied to about their intentions to take everything for which these people have worked so hard.

But more than the lyrics, it’s the sound that paints a picture of the isolated corners of West Texas and beyond. It’s the reverb that’s used to wonderful effect throughout this album to create an ever-present echo, as if this whole record were made in a canyon under the endless Texas sky. It’s the reverb throughout it all which sets the mood and serves as the backdrop, but the sonic influences are varied. We have rockers like the excellent openers “Waterbill” and “Enemy,” serving to kick off this album in fine fashion. “Waterbill” is the best opener I’ve heard so far this year, and with a line like “you ain’t livin’ unless you’re livin’ life broke,” it’s impossible not to enjoy this. “Enemy” goes for a darker, heavier atmosphere, an appropriate choice since this song deals with the dark side of small-town life–interesting to note that both red shahan and Ashley McBryde have just released songs referencing meth, an occurrence which has been surprisingly rare in the country genre given its prevalence in rural communities like this. And speaking of country, if you thought this album was purely a rock effort, take a listen to “Roses” and “How They Lie,” each blending country elements with that spacey rock production to create something exciting and forward-thinking. The title track does an excellent job of blending acoustic and electric guitar in a way that is becoming a signature sound for Red Shahan. I’d also argue that even when the sound leans heavily toward the rock end of the spectrum, much of this is more concerned with its lyrical content than most rock music, a characteristic certainly common to the country genre. Then, when you thought you had Red Shahan completely figured out sonically, he throws “Try” in at the end and displays a bluesy, soulful influence. Meanwhile, through all this, there’s that desolate, empty, West Texas backdrop behind everything to perfectly encapsulate the sound of that region.

While my criticisms for this album are few and far between, I will say that the lyrics are certainly weak in places. “6 Feet” sounds very cool, but it’s just not developed enough lyrically to really stand out. And “Revolution” is admittedly a really fun track, one you probably shouldn’t try to decipher beyond the surface anyway, but it’s hard not to point out it ultimately says nothing lyrically, especially when you understand that Red Shahan gave us songs like “Waterbill” and “Someone Someday,” both of which are lively and upbeat but which contain smart, substantive songwriting as well. Shahan can also sound a bit flat vocally at times, but after hearing the raw power with which he navigates and slays “Try,” I think that’s more of a style thing than a vocal issue. For example, the chorus of “Culberson County” is really flat in places, but this also serves to add dissonance and speak to the harsh beauty of the land.

This album just gets better and better with every listen. There’s something here for everyone, from the more country-sounding stuff like “Roses” to the intense rock of “Enemy” and everything in between. It’s raw and gritty in its sound and sometimes harsh in its message, a reflection of the place and people which inspired this record. Maybe we can’t agree on whether Kacey Musgraves or Ashley McBryde gave us the better mainstream album Friday, but we should all be able to come together in agreement of the fact that Red Shahan is a badass, and that this is a great, genre-bending, forward-thinking record. Don’t let it be one you overlook.

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