Tag: Country

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

Today I turned 28, so I guess now is as good as time as any to admit that I am no longer the most knowledgable person on the planet when it comes to new music. Okay, I probably never really was the number one person for music discovery, but I always thought I was at least in the upper echelon of quote/unquote tastemakers. Through my work at Under The Gun Review, a music blog I launched in college, I was able to help promote a number of bands before the industry at large took notice, and there were countless others I discovered whom I wish I could have helped as well. In all my time as a music professional there has never been a period when there was a shortage of great new music to discover, and I am certain that will continue to be true for the foreseeable future.

Something I learned over the last year is that while I may have been on the pulse of everything new in the world of alternative music I had neglected to consider the artists currently dominating other areas of the entertainment industry, as well as what they may or may not have to offer me as a music fan. It’s as if I had become so consumed with all things rock, metal, and punk that I never even thought to see how the rest of the music business had been evolving, or who was responsible for inciting those changes. When I did make time, I was admittedly shocked by how many artists outside my musical comfort zone appealed to me. There were many I didn’t like as well, of course, but quite a few names that were more or less new to me began creeping into my daily playlists. Specifically, several country artists made the cut, and by the time fall fell I had to admit there was a fairly good chance my favorite record of the year would be an album most the world labeled as country. I didn’t see it that way, and to be honest I still don’t, but our consumer culture loves labels, so I guess I have to say country has, in some small, way stolen my heart.

I was debating between two different country releases for this column, and I ultimately chose the more recent of the two simply because I feel like less has been written about it. Eric Church is a man who has long straddled the line between country and rock, and his latest album, ‘Mr. Misunderstood,’ is no exception. Over the course of 10 songs, Church shares tales from his own life through a unique sound that feels most inspired by the heyday of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. Though the emotional content of the material ranges from happy to sad and everything in between, the cohesion of the songs, as well as the replay value for even the most bittersweet melodies, is incredibly high. Church has crafted a one-of-a-kind road trip record that feels every bit as exciting on the twentieth play as it did on the first. If that isn’t the definition of the true rock and roll spirit, I don’t know what could be.

The day I fell in love with Eric Church I was in the middle of a six-hour drive from Pennsylvania to Boston with no one to keep me company. I had heard and enjoyed several Church songs before, but I never took the time to enjoy one of his albums from front to back until that day. I started with his last album, ‘The Outsiders,’ and by the time it ended I had listened to several songs three times in a row. I knew I needed more, and fortunately for me Church had ‘Mr Misunderstood’ read to share with the public. As soon as the album hit iTunes I bought it without a moment of hesitation, and though it was nearly midnight I stayed up until I could complete one full spin. I was so overjoyed by the end of the album I nearly woke up my fiancé, Lisa, to tell her about the album. Being a man who loves having a happy household however, I decided to let her rest and talk about it in the morning (happy wife = happy life, fellas).

When I play ‘Mr Misunderstood’ now I still feel the way I did when it first came pouring through my headphone late on release day. I do relate to the title character in many ways, as you will no doubt be able to discern from the title track, but my love for Eric Church goes beyond that simple connection. There is a spirit to this record that is palpable, and no matter how many times you hear the material on this album you walk away wanting more. Church has tapped into a sense of creative freedom that inspire others to do whatever it is they want to do with their lives. It’s infectious, joyous, and all too rare in music today. I know many of you reading this now probably wouldn’t consider yourselves a typical country fan, but this is not typical country music. Heck, this isn’t even really country. It’s just great, original, all-American music.

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.