OPEN MESSAGE TO TODD SNIDER - WE NEED YOU

I have been fortunate enough to meet...speak with...and enjoy many of my favorite artists over the years. None has meant more to me personally than Todd Snider. Todd is unique, he has the keen ability to speak to others with his music by using his talents in a variety of ways. He may be best known for his sense of humor, but there is so much more to him and his music. If you listen closely, you can feel the anguish of loss in his captivating "Play A Train Song". Todd is able to tell a story with his music unlike any other...happy, sad, or somewhere in between.
I recently was lucky enough to catch Todd's show in Bloomington, Indiana. From my front row seat I was able to enjoy a great show...but I left with something much more. Worry. You see, it is well known that many talents, including Todd, have had issues with drug abuse. Now I am not here to preach...I have no right to do so....but I can stand and say I am worried for a friend. At the show in Bloomington, Todd's eyes had this withdrawn hollow look. This was just over a month ago. Yesterday I heard Todd had to cancel a show last minute due to a back injury.
Now, as I stated before...I am no judge...so I am not here to place blame or fault...I only want Todd to know this. You are needed...not only by me but many others who enjoy not just your music but also the man. Sometimes this pressure gets enormous, and I have no idea how some cope, but I feel it is important at this time to stand up...and simply speak from my heart...Todd, I hope you are OK....if not find the help you need to get better. Life is precious....you are unique....and I for one enjoy the world much better with you in it.

OWEN TEMPLE - STORIES THEY TELL

Owen Temple continues his progression of great music with his new release entitled "Stories They Tell", which is out today Septemeber 24th. This followup to the astounding "Mountain Home" captivates you immediately from the opening guitar rhythm in "Looking For Signs" taking you on a journey of life and how it was meant to be.
There is nothing better than the purity of music itself...not trying to be flashy or unique in some creative way..but simply playing the music and allowing the lyrics to paint a vivid picture for the listener. Temple has captured this quality once again on this record.
Not straying far from his own Texas roots, Temple etches out "Make Something", which sounds as if fellow Texan legend Ray Wylie Hubbard just might have had some influence. The grit and dirt in this toe tapper is exceptional. Marty Robbins comes to mind while listening to the sensational "Cities Made of Gold". The title cut "Stories They Tell" would fit neatly within any Rodney Crowell release, with the vocal pitch and lyrics bringing him to mind.
With influences and comparisons such as that, how could one go wrong?
For me, there is one track that stands all alone on its own. "Homegrown" struck a chord within me that vibrates everytime I listen to it. It is well written, tells a story I can relate with, and Temple does an amazing job with it.
Highly recommend this one to any listener who loves the purity of music and the talent of an exceptional singer/songwriter.

ROBBIE FULKS - GONE AWAY BACKWARD

If you are unaware of who Robbie Fulks is, or never heard his music, please pay close attention...or perhaps it is too late for you so in that case go back to your Tim McGraw/Kenny Chesney collection and enjoy.
Robbie Fulks has been creating exceptional music for quite sometime. His latest release "Gone Away Backward" finds him once again on the Bloodshot Records label. I must admit I have been looking forward to this release very much after first hearing about it a couple of months ago. There is something within his music that captures my attention...be it his keen wit or his way of creating imagery I can relate to within his lyrics...I have long enjoyed his music. I have often tried to share my good fortune with others, and explain who Robbie Fulks is...or what his music is like. One of the first questions they often ask is "what song should I listen to of his". Well, I find that hard to answer since there are so many sides to his music. You have the wit of "I Told Her Lies"...the charm and force of "Rock Bottom" or "Barely Human"...and the stellar vivid imagery of "Cold Statesville Ground". I would be doing Robbie a disfavor by selling him short only selecting one or even two songs.
So, it was with much interest I waited for this new release..and also to read the reviews that were written on it. I wanted to wait a few weeks afterward to write my own, just to see what others were saying. What I found most interesting was people trying to tie the title in with the music, by saying he has gone back to his musical roots. Nothing could be further from the truth, since he never left them. Robbie Fulks has always relied on his own keen mind and creativity in his writing and music, regardless of any genre classifications you may try to attach, which is useless in my opinion. Pure music is just that, music that you can feel within you, written and performed by someone who is talented enough to make you think...or make you picture something within your own mind. Robbie continues to do just that with his new release.
Ultimately, there is nothing I can say that can describe what the music sounds like, or what the lyrics were trying to imply within any certain song. The only thing I can say is buy the record, see for yourself what I am trying to say. The music will have an impact upon you, and it is artists such as Robbie who deserve the support of listeners who enjoy music in its pure form. Buy it, sit back, and enjoy. Then tell me what struck you about it. That is what I enjoy about music and conversing...it is all open to the interpretation of the listener.

STURGILL SIMPSON - PURE MUSIC TO ENJOY

OK...time for me to kick it in gear and get this thing going on my own. I am here to promote REAL music...the type you can listen to and recall exactly where you were when you first heard it. The music that tells a story...turn it on...relax..and sing along.

HERE IS THE LINK:
http://sturgillsimpson.bandcamp.com/album/bastard-children


Sturgill Simpson has released one full length record entitled "High Top Mountain", and now has a 2 song sampler available on bandcamp that caught my attention. His vocals are strong...the music pure...and the lyrics stand up and grab you as well. Take a listen to these 2 songs...and lets spread the word on him...and all the others like him who are out there fighting and trying to make a living playing and singing from their hearts for the pleasure of doing it. The music they want to force feed us as country is horrible. Search out those like Sturgill and tell a friend or two.