Tag Archives: Cody Canada and the Departed

Memorable Songs

Memorable Songs From Overlooked Albums: July 19th

Leave a comment

This has been awhile in coming, mainly because several albums we had originally intended to feature here got better with time and ended up getting full reviews. For new people to the feature, here we place good songs from mediocre albums, songs from albums we didn’t review due to time constraints or out of deference to artists, and sometimes tracks from albums where we just didn’t have the right words for a full review. It pops up at random whenever we have enough songs to produce one.

Gretchen Peters: “Wichita”

This song is on the May playlist, along with one other song from Dancing with the Beast. Gretchen Peters is definitely a great writer, but this album just bored and depressed me. “Wichita” is the only somewhat upbeat moment, differing from the elegant, polished ballads that make up most of the album. It’s still an intense song about a disabled child protecting her sister from being raped, but here, the production is more interesting and really sells this song. Peters’ record is still something I”d recommend if you like darker, more depressing material–for someone in the right frame of mind, there could be a lot to appreciate because the writing is undeniably strong throughout.

Parker Millsap: “Tell Me”

I swear, I’ve really tried to get into Parker, but it just hasn’t happened. And I also don’t care for the sort of rootsy, vintage pop style he adopted on Other Arrangements. I think it does work well on this song, though, as the soulful style really suits his voice.

Neko Case: “Sleep All Summer”

Neko Case’s album Hell-on just went right over my head lyrically; she’s a great writer, but often it’s at the expense of relating to her audience, or at least to me. This is not country, but fits in the vein of Americana well, and I can tell it has been great for a lot of people unlike it has been for me. She’s a wonderful vocalist, and her melodies are enchanting. There are a couple songs I like here just for their melodies and her performance. This duet is the one I chose to feature here because I think it’s the most accessible lyrically.

Tami Neilson: “A Woman’s Pain”

Sassafrass! is a fascinating album, and much of it is fueled from uniquely female anger, covering discrimination and double standards and sexual assault scandals. It’s the musical style I’m not sold on personally, but of all the albums here, it’s the one I’d recommend everyone listen to the most because it really has some cool things to say. I loved this song on first listen.

Tami Neilson: “Manitoba Sunrise at Motel 6”

After all that anger and energy throughout the whole album, it’s such a great moment when this song comes on near the end and displays a tender side to Tami Neilson. An excellent song of life on the road and missing those she loves that stands out even more on such a record.

And now to Brianna, for her selections from the latest album from Cody Canada & the Departed.

Cody Canada & the Departed: “Lipstick”

Cody Canada is an artist I’ve liked for a few years now. I was a fan even before he announced the formation of The departed. I really liked their last two albums, so needless to say when 3 came out, I was quite excited to hear it. Therefore, when I listened and only liked about six of the fourteen songs on the record, you can imagine my disappointment. While this album did not grow on me  personally, I think that any fan of this band should check it out. The songs have various tempos and instrumentation, so you will definitely not be bored with this material. My main problem was that the writing left a little to be desired with a lot of vague lyrics, but that could be just me. I cannot come up with enough things to say about this album for a full review, so I thought I’d highlight my two favorite tracks.

“Lipstick” is a very catchy and more upbeat song. From my interpretation, it has to do with how beauty can lead to sin and cause people to lie. I like the melody a lot, and I find myself going back to this song whenever I look at this album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh3nbFGfY-E

Cody Canada & the Departed: “Footlights”

“Footlights” is my second favorite song from this album. I think it’s a very honest look at what singing as you get older is like. I definitely feel like Cody Canada is speaking from personal experience on this track even though it’s a Merle Haggard cover, and it makes it one of the most relatable and real songs off this record.

Concerts

Concert Review: The 4th Annual Medicine Stone

6 Comments

Last weekend, I had the great opportunity to attend Medicine Stone, known by its web site as “the fastest-growing Red Dirt experience in Oklahoma.” Started in 2013 and organized by Turnpike Troubadours and Jason Boland, Medicine Stone is a three-day event held on the Illinois River in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, featuring Texas/Red Dirt music in all its forms–from the more traditional country sound of Jamie Lin Wilson to the rock sound of Cody Canada and the Departed, and everything in between. The sounds in Red dirt music and at Medicine stone are quite diverse, but there is a common thread running through it all, the quality of the music and the care that these artists put into their songs.

It was impossible to see everyone, due to artists playing in different locations at the same time, but I tried to experience as much as possible. I’ll only cover the artists I heard, but here is a link to the complete lineup of artists. It is quite an impressive and diverse list.

The event kicked off on Thursday with artists playing in a bar on site before the main stage area opened. I was impressed with my first exposure to Bleu Edmondson, who performed his Red Dirt hits such as “$50 and a Flask of Crown.” Shane Smith & the Saints, of Austin, Texas, opened on the main stage–with their harmonies, smart lyrics, and unique sound, they were definitely one of the highlights of the whole weekend. Shane Smith mentioned that they had come to Medicine Stone in 2015 and played in the bar, and that they had been invited to play on the main stage this year because of the tremendous amount of positive feedback and requests to hear more. I think they have a bright future in the Texas scene, and I highly recommend getting to know this band. William Clark Green and Stoney LaRue followed, both of whom have been established in the Red Dirt scene for years. Green performed many of his hits, as well as snippets of the Beatles and the Rolling stones. Stoney laRue made his mark on the event with what he described as the song that made his career, “Oklahoma Breakdown.” There is something special about hearing this live in Oklahoma, with thousands of fellow Oklahomans all singing along to it. The night closed with the excellent Randy Rogers Band, a more laidback, country sound after the rock leanings of both William Clark Green and Stoeny LaRue. The thing that impressed me the most about the Randy Rogers Band was how much their live music sounds like their recordings; it is a testament to the commitment to live music throughout this subgenre of music.

Friday offered the best lineup, and the attendance reflected this. Before the main stage opened, I had the opportunity to see two artists I’d never heard of, Kaitlin Butts and Midnight River Choir. Kaitlin Butts is a name you should check out if you like more traditional country–she sang many times with just her guitar, and when her band broke into Merle Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,” she had the entire crowd dancing. Midnight River Choir is a name you should check out if you like the more country rock sound of Texas music; I regretted that their performance overlapped Kaitlin’s because most people missed one or the other, and both were unsung standouts of Medicine Stone.

The main stage opened that night with the increasingly popular Jamie Lin Wilson, whom I also had the pleasure of interviewing during the festival; you can read that interview on Country Exclusive in the coming days! Wilson’s set was the most country of the weekend on the main stage, and a highlight of her time onstage was the murder song “Roses by the Dozen,” before which she advised us, “If you need someone to come creep out your festival, just call me.” Micky & the Motorcars followed, bringing a mix of country and rock, with more upbeat material. Reckless Kelly, another household name in the Red Dirt scene, came out next and performed many songs from their new album, Sunset Motel, released Friday and available for the first time at Medicine Stone. This band was another standout, singing everything from Merle Haggard to Bruce Springsteen covers and doing justice to both. They easily offered the most diverse sound within their set, and because of this, everyone could have found something to like from them. The Americana band American Aquarium, from Raleigh, North Carolina, followed; they seemed slightly out of place among the many Texas and Oklahoma-based artists, and theirs was the only set that I didn’t enjoy throughout. However, the quality and care in their music was much the same, and they showed it on highlights like “Losing Side of Twenty-Five.” The lead singer, BJ Barham, stated that “if we can get 6,000 people to come to the middle of fucking nowhere just to listen to some music, it proves people still care about music.” The night closed with Turnpike Troubadours, and I could have devoted an entire article to their performance alone–all I can say about them is please, please go listen to them live. Nothing I can say will do them justice. From the moment they kicked off with “Doreen,” until they closed with “Long Hot Summer Day,” they had the attention of everyone in the crowd. I heard a lot of great music each day, but the Turnpike Troubadours are on another level.

There were several artists on Saturday that I didn’t experience. I got to hear Cody Canada and the Departed, the most rock-leaning group there, and probably in the whole Red Dirt scene. It impressed me how many different sounds the organizers of Medicine Stone incorporated into the event. The Departed played some new songs and some of the Cross Canadian Ragweed hits. Also, I just want to point out, as rock influenced as they are, fiddle and steel were featured prominently in several of their songs–take note, mainstream Nashville. The night closed with Jason Boland & the Stragglers, another band you should absolutely see live. They, like Randy Rogers Band, sound very similar live to their recordings.

Texas/Red dirt is very hard to define. It can be country or rock and is usually a unique mix of the two. Cody Canada said onstage that “it is a community of people who share each other’s songs and love for music.” However you define it, there is something common in all of it, raw honesty in songs, the quality of the material, and the unwavering commitment to live music. Turnpike Troubadours and Jason Boland have accomplished a great thing by creating an event to celebrate this unique subgenre, and anyone with a love for country, rock, or just real, quality music should consider attending Medicine stone.

charts

Texas Music From Oklahoma: A Look at the Texas Music Chart (October 5th)

Leave a comment

Texas Music Chart

1. Reckless Kelly–“Real Cool Hand” (up 1)
2. Bart Crow–“Life Comes at You Fast” (up 2)
3. Turnpike Troubadours–“Down Here” (down 2)
4. Curtis Grimes–“Smile That Smile” (up 1)
5. Kevin Fowler & Deryl Dodd–“Damn This Ol’ Honky Tonk Dream” (up 1)
6. Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen–“Lady Bug” (up 1)
7. Casey Donahew Band–“Loser” (up 2)
8. The Statesboro Revue–“Undone” (up 3)
9. Mike Ryan–“Girls I Date” (up 4)
10. Cory Morrow–“Old With You” (down 7)
11. Miles Williams–“Teasin’ Me” (down 1)
12. TJ Broscoff–“Phone Calls” (up 6)
13. Josh Grider–“You Dream I’ll Drive” (up 2)
14. Kyle Park–“What Goes Around Comes Around” (down 6)
15. Stoney LaRue–“Easy She Comes” (up 2)
16. Uncle Lucius–“Don’t Own the Right” (up 4)
17. JB and the Moonshine Band–“Shotgun, Rifle, and a .45” (down 1)
18. Roger Creager & Cody Johnson–“If You Had to Choose” (up 11) [biggest gainer]
19. Mario Flores–“Beer Time” (up 3)
20. Jon Wolfe–“Don’t It Feel Good” (up 4)
21. Whiskey Myers–“Shelter From the Rain” (down 7)
22. Zane Williams–“She Is” (up 1)
23. Jason James–“I’ve Been Drinkin’ More” (up 4)
24. Saints Eleven–“I Don’t” (up 1)
25. Pat Green–“While I Was Away” (down 6)
26. Cody Canada and the Departed–“Easy” (down 5)
27. Chance Anderson Band–“245 Miles” (down 1)
28. Dalton Domino–“Jesus & Handbags” (up 6)
29. William Clark Green–“Ringling Road” (up 10)
30. Matt Kimbrow–“Livin’ the Good Life” (down 18) [biggest loser]
31. Kaleb McIntire–“Ozark Mountain Stomp” (down 1)
32. Ray Johnston Band–“Small Town Square”
33. Casey Berry–“Blood of the Lamb”
34. Micky & the Motorcars–“Tonight we Ride” (up 4)
35. Luke Robinson–“Roses on the Radio”
36. The Damn Quails–“Just a Little While” (up 1)
37. Jason Boland & The Stragglers–“Holy Relic Sale” (up 7)
38. American Aquarium–“Losing Side of Twenty-Five” (up 3)
39. Tori Martin–“Woman Up” (down 8)
40. Cody Jinks–“Loud and Heavy”
41. Bri Bagwell–“My Boots” (up 1)
42. Cody Johnson–“Proud” (up 5)
43. Paul Thorn–“Everybody Needs Somebody” (up 3)
44. Cody Joe Hodges–“One More Drink” (down 1)
45. Breelan Angel–“She Made Your Bed” (up 3)
46. Blue Water Highway Band–“Medicine Man” (down 1)
47. Green River Ordinance–“Red Fire Night” (up 3)
48. Cameran Nelson–“Nothing’s Got Nothin'” (up 1)
49. Parker McCollum–“High Above the Water” (entering top 50)
50. Zach Coffey–“Love Will Lead me Back to You” (entering top 50)

  • new #1: “Real Cool Hand”
  • next week’s #1 prediction: “Life Comes at You Fast”

Source: Texas Music Chart

charts

Texas Music From Oklahoma: A Look at the Texas Music Chart (September 28th)

Leave a comment

Texas Music Chart

1. Turnpike Troubadours–“Down Here” (2nd week at #1)
2. Reckless Kelly–“Real Cool Hand” (up 2)
3. Cory Morrow–“Old With You” (down 1)
4. Bart Crow–“Life Comes at You Fast” (up 2)
5. Curtis Grimes–“Smile That Smile”
6. Kevin Fowler & Deryl Dodd–“Damn This Ol’ Honky Tonk Dream” (up 4)
7. Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen–“Lady Bug” (up 8)
8. Kyle Park–“What Goes Around Comes Around” (up 3)
9. Casey Donahew Band–“Loser” (up 5)
10. Miles Williams–“Teasin’ Me” (up 2)
11. The Statesboro Revue–“Undone” (up 2)
12. Matt Kimbrow–“Livin’ The Good Life” (down 9)
13. Mike Ryan–“Girls I Date” (up 4)
14. Whiskey Myers–“Shelter From the Rain” (down 6)
15. Josh Grider–“You Dream I’ll Drive” (up 3)
16. JB and the Moonshine Band–“Shotgun, Rifle, and a .45”
17. Stoney LaRue–“Easy She Comes” (up 4)
18. TJ Broscoff–“Phone Calls” (up 2)
19. Pat Green–“While I Was Away” (down 12) [biggest loser]
20. Uncle Lucius–“Don’t Own the Right” (down 1)
21. Cody Canada and the Departed–“Easy” (down 12)
22. Mario Flores–“Beer Time” (up 3)
23. Zane Williams–“She Is” (up 6)
24. Jon Wolfe–“Don’t it Feel Good” (up 8)
25. Saints Eleven–“I Don’t” (up 1)
26. Chance Anderson Band–“245 Miles” (up 2)
27. Jason James–“I’ve Been Drinkin’ More”
28. Wade Bowen–“Sun Shines on a Dreamer” (down 5)
29. Roger Creager & Cody Johnson–“If You Had to Choose” (up 8)
30. Kaleb McIntire–“Ozark Mountain Stomp” (up 3)
31. Tori Martin–“Woman Up” (down 1)
32. Ray Johnston Band–“Small Town Square” (up 4)
33. Casey Berry–“Blood of the Lamb” (up 1)
34. Dalton Domino–“Jesus & Handbags” (up 1)
35. Luke Robinson–“Roses on the Radio” (up 3)
36. Aaron Einhouse–“I Could Fall” (down 5)
37. The Damn Quails–“Just a Little While” (up 11) [biggest gainer]
38. Micky & the Motorcars–“Tonight We Ride” (up 2)
39. William Clark Green–“Ringling Road” (up 6)
40. Cody Jinks–“Loud and Heavy” (up 3)
41. American Aquarium–“Losing Side of Twenty-Five” (down 2)
42. Bri Bagwell–“My Boots” (up 2)
43. Cody Joe Hodges–“One More Drink” (up 3)
44. Jason Boland & The Stragglers–“Holy Relic Sale” (entering top 50)
45. Blue Water Highway Band–“Medicine Man” (down 3)
46. Paul Thorn–“Everybody Needs Somebody” (down 5)
47. Cody Johnson–“Proud”
48. Breelan Angel–“She Made Your Bed” (up 1)
49. Cameran Nelson–“Nothing’s Got Nothin'” (entering top 50)
50. Green River Ordinance–“Red Fire Night” (entering top 50)

  • good to see the Turnpike Troubadours on top again with “Down Here,” after a gain of 98 spins this week
  • next week’s #1 prediction: “Down Here
  • Jason Boland & The Stragglers are back with “Holy Relic Sale,” entering at #44

Source: Texas Music Chart

charts

Texas Music From Oklahoma: A Look at the Texas Music Chart (September 21st)

Leave a comment

Texas Music Chart

1. Turnpike Troubadours–“Down Here” (up 3)
2. Cory Morrow–“Old With You”
3. Matt Kimbrow–“Livin’ the Good Life” (up 2)
4. Reckless Kelly–“Real Cool Hand” (up 2)
5. Curtis Grimes–“Smile That Smile” (up 2)
6. Bart Crow–“Life Comes at You Fast” (up 2)
7. Pat Green–“While I Was Away” (down 4)
8. Whiskey Myers–“Shelter From the Rain” (up 1)
9. Cody Canada and the Departed–“Easy” (down 8)
10. Kevin Fowler & Deryl Dodd–“Damn This Ol’ Honky Tonk Dream” (up 2)
11. Kyle Park–“What Goes Around Comes Around” (down 1)
12. Miles Williams–“Teasin’ Me” (up 2)
13. The Statesboro Revue–“Undone” (up 4)
14. Casey Donahew Band–“Loser” (up 2)
15. Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen–“Lady Bug” (up 4)
16. JB and the Moonshine Band–“Shotgun, Rifle, and a .45” (down 1)
17. Mike Ryan–“Girls I Date” (up 1)
18. Josh Grider–“You Dream I’ll Drive” (up 3)
19. Uncle Lucius–“Don’t Own the Right” (up 4)
20. TJ Broscoff–“Phone Calls” (up 4)
21. Stoney LaRue–“Easy She Comes” (down 1)
22. Rich O’Toole–“Talk About the Weather”
23. Wade Bowen–“Sun Shines on a Dreamer” (down 12) [biggest loser]
24. Granger Smith–“Back Road Song” (down 11)
25. Mario Flores–“Beer Time” (up 3)
26. Saints Eleven–“I Don’t”
27. Jason James–“I’ve Been Drinkin’ More” (up 3)
28. Chance Anderson Band–“245 Miles” (up 1)
29. Zane Williams–“She Is” (down 2)
30. Tori Martin–“Woman Up” (up 3)
31. Aaron Einhouse–“I Could Fall” (down 6)
32. Jon Wolfe–“Don’t it Feel Good” (up 5)
33. Kaleb McIntire–“Ozark Mountain Stomp” (up 5)
34. Casey Berry–“Blood of the Lamb” (up 2)
35. Dalton Domino–“Jesus & Handbags”
36. Ray Johnston Band–“Small Town Square” (up 3)
37. Roger Creager & Cody Johnson–“If You Had to Choose” (up 7)
38. Luke Robinson–“Roses on the Radio” (down 4)
39. American Aquarium–“Losing Side of Twenty-Five” (up 1)
40. Micky & The Motorcars–“Tonight we Ride” (entering top 50)
41. Paul Thorn–“Everybody Needs Somebody”
42. Blue Water Highway Band–“Medicine Man” (up 8) [biggest gainer]
43. Cody Jinks–“Loud and Heavy” (up 4)
44. Bri Bagwell–“My Boots” (up 2)
45. William Clark Green–“Ringling Road” (entering top 50)
46. Cody Joe Hodges–“One More Drink” (up 2)
47. Cody Johnson–“Proud” (down 4)
48. The Damn Quails–“Just a Little While” (down 6)
49. Breelan Angel–“She Made Your Bed” (down 4)
50. Josh Fuller–“On the Radio” (entering top 50)

  • the Turnpike Troubadours hit the top with “Down Here” to coincide with their excellent album release
  • next week’s #1 prediction: “Down Here
  • William Clark Green is back on the chart at #45 with “Ringling Road”
  • Micky & the Motorcars’ “Tonight we Ride” debuts at #40

Source: Texas Music Chart