TURNTABLE TUESDAY - The Gravel Church

 

Good morning, Country Fans!

Quick note before we get into today's post. Thanks to the sinus infection taking me out of commission last week, I didn't get to announce the winner to the Marble CD. There were no comments on the post so no free CD going out to anyone. That's a shame because y'all are missing out on some great music! Takes only a moment to leave a comment. If you're unable to leave a comment, drop me a note in Twitter DM so I can fix any issues. ~Thank you!

Today, we're talking about another cool album. totally different from D.L. Marble's cd. This one is from 'newcomer' Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band.

I say 'newcomer' because I've not seen anything from this guy before (though his YouTube channel goes back 8 months). I try to give back to artists who take time to reach out to me. They don't have to contact me, or any other reviewer out there. When they do reach out to us we know the artist has done their research. Kristian Montgomer took the time to find out whose hands he needed to get his music to. I'm glad he found me.

THE GRAVEL CHURCH is a unique collection of songs from a man who truly has lived a Haggard kind of life... right down to the jail time. I had a brief chat with Kristian via Twitter direct message yesterday and learned some pretty cool things about a man who seemingly has come from out of nowhere.

Born in Floriday, his father was a Danish immigrant and his mother the all-American girl. You'll here some of those influences in his muisc on this album. Like many artists, he grew up singing in church. He's also sang Celtic/Scandinavian music and was, at one point,  even nominated for Best Male Vocalist at the Boston Music Awards while performing in a metal band! To say the least, his talents have a wide range.

In our conversation, Kristian told me some of his musical influences included 'Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Chuck Berry, Chris Whitley, Roy Orbison, Larry Gatlin and Elvis Presley.' Peter Gabriel was the first concert he ever attended. 

The Gravel Church very well could have been the 25'x25' yard he was allowed to breathe in every day for the six months he spent in jail.  The Gravel Church could also be the road each of us walks every day, learning tough lessons with each step on life's path. 

What began as a 5-track EP collaborated with producer Joe Clapp (ultrasound productions) has turned in to a full album of 16 songs written deep from his gut and soul. You hear the Gabriel influences in a lot of the tracks. 

While I won't break down all sixteen tracks, there were a few highlights for me. One is Your New.  A smooth 80s style that has you swaying along. She's No Cadillac has a hard-hitting John Cash feel that you just want to get up and hit the dance floor. 

One of my favorite tunes on this album is Hjertebygger .  Haunting. The perfect sound for the opening scene of a dark movie. The intro monologue grabs you, pulling you in like the skeletal hand from the grave. Maybe that's just the witch in me :).  The Tracks has a Pink Floyd undertone that is unexpected yet fits the cohesiveness of this album beautifully. Finally, for some reason I can't define, Auld Lang Syne seems to fit the overall nostalgia of THE GRAVEL CHURCH.

I have no doubt this is a guy that could easily been a Highway Man. Every song on this album shows the true mastery of a songwriter who only has greater things in his future. 

I'm tipping my hat:

 

You will find Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band as well as purchase your album through the following Social Media locations:

FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM   YOUTUBE   SPOTIFY   BANDCAMP    AMAZON 

 

OUT OF THE CHUTE - Winterkill Band

 Good morning, country fans!

Normally, Monday would be a Q & A ... and I'd planned to do one. However, I've been battling a sinus infection for over a week and fell behind on getting sheets out to folks. 

This week, I'd meant to do a proper introduction to a new Alternative Country artist who contacted me via Twitter.  Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band.

I lieu of Q & A, I'm introducing to their newest release - AMERICAN FIRE

I'll be back tomorrow with a full review of their most recent album The Gravel Church as well as social media and purchase links.

In the meantime - check out their Facebook Page

Country Blessings

~Kelly

FRIDAY FUNNY - from Little Jimmy Dickens

 As I opened up YouTube to do a video search, this song popped into my head.  

Enjoy!

FRIDAY FUNNIES - Spiders and Snakes

 Hey all!

In honor of David Bellamy's 70th birthday yesterday, I thought I'd post a funny he wrote.

Head on over to FB and Twitter to wish him a belated Happy Birthday! He'd love to hear from his fans! We blew up his social media yesterday!

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - One Line At A Time & WIN!

Yesterday's post had to run today as I had to get confirmation on the release date. Throwback Thursday will be here next week!

The latest from D. L. Marble dropped yesterday - September 16th.  While, his music has a harder edge for me personally, there was a lot to like about this album overall.

Produced by  Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, ONE LINE AT A TIME features 10 tracks of well-written stories. They are lyrics written from experience. Through the tunes I get a feeling 'what you see is what you get' with D.L.

With the first chords of Same Damn Thing, I heard a familiar sound... influence of Steve Earle. D. L.'s tunes have that same edginess that is Americana with a rocker undercurrent, like an animal begging to be let free.

One Line At A Time gives us a unique view of life on the road. Only a master songwriter like D. L. could bring so many connotations to 'one line' into one cohesive piece.

For all of us who've still had questions after losing someone, California Memory  is that tune you want to play over and over as you search for answers.

D. L. doesn't leave us melancholy for long as he jumps into the harder track of Better Than Me. The tune carries a 60s psychedelic rock that draws you in, whether it's your style or not. 

Overall, D.L has crafted a perfect blend of styles to form the perfect 'house party' album. Pour yourself a tumbler of your favorite (skip the branch), sit back and let him take you on a  journey, that while you may have taken before, you'll see with new eyes. 

I'm tipping my hat:

 .8

WIN!   WIN!   WIN!   WIN!

I will be giving away a FREE copy of this CD to one lucky commenter. You have until midnight CST September 21st to register.  All you have to do is:

1 - Follow me on Twitter - https://KellysCountry

2 - Leave a comment down below that you are a new follower and include your twitter handle.

I will announce the winner on Turntable Tuesday September 29th.

You'll find D. L. on the various Social Media streams:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM   PINTEREST   YOUTUBE

TURNTABLE TUESDAY - The Hits Re-Imagined

 

THE HITS RE-IMAGINED is jam packed of some of the best dramatic ballads ever recorded over the past fifty years or more. While not all of them were initially recorded by Bill Anderson, he has made each song his own, as if they were meant for him to record. 

Bill's classic soft-spoken voice only adds to the soulful tone required of these ballads and the 'whisper' we associate with this talented artist.  This is his 73rd album over seven consecutive decades! That's an accomplishment in itself and a testemant to his passion for the country music he has loved his whole life. 

Bill said he wanted to 'go to both ends of the spectrum' for this album, re-recording some of his classic and most requested tunes as well as ones by other artists such as George Strait (Give It Away) and Whiskey Lullabye (Brad Paisley/ Allison Kraus) to name a couple. 

The album was co-produced by Thomm Jutz and includes both vocals as well as instrumentals of a few of the tunes - another example of hitting both ends of the spectrum.  Jutz, a German-born singer/ songwriter fell in love with country music at the age of 11 and has spent the rest of his life as an American citizen working with some of the greatest names in Nashville. I encourage you to click his link and learn more about him. 

Here's the video from Bill Anderson's YouTube channel:

I'm tipping my hat:

You'll find Bill on the following Social Media stream as well as where to purchase this new album:

WEBSITE     FACEBOOK     TWITTER     YOUTUBE     AMAZON

LOOKING AHEAD!

 Happy Friday, everyone!

While I don't have an event to share this week, I did want to come in and give you the new potential line-up and what you can expect for next week.

Let's start with next week:

Monday - no interviews scheduled but stay tuned for future weeks

Tuesday - I'll be walking you through the new album by Whisperin' Bill Anderson. I've come to know Bill over the years through multiple interviews. We had a good visit two years ago at Meramec Theater's in Steelville MO.  Bill has a new album out. I got behind on this one due to throwing my back out of wack for several weeks but I have to get this one on the Turntable. You're going to love it!

Wednesday - I'll be bringing you something from Adam Dawson's crew over at Broken Jukebox Media. I can't find the pretty purple envelope that came in just before company arrived but I'm pretty sure everything is sitting in my email. 

Thursday - Throwback Thursday we'll be checking out a classic tune. I do have pictures from several years back but will probably be first of the year before I get them all dug out of storage, scanned and uploaded to share.

Friday - For now, Friday Funnie's will be showcased. I'll be sharing some of my favorite comedic country artists over the years through YouTube videos. 

That's the line-up for next week and pretty much the weekly schedule for now.

I do have Christmas CDs hangin' out waiting their turn. They've been out a couple of years but maybe you haven't heard them. We'll see.  If you're an artist reading this and have a Christmas album to share, please contact me through Twitter or Instagram under KellysCountry or leave your information below in the comments!

Here's this week's Friday Funny!

Until next week -

HITTING THE RESET - A Bit of Housecleaning

 

Today's post is all about that big red button. Kind of reminds me of Red Nose Day from Walgreens.

I've sat for over six months,  not doing much of anything. Not even following through on my plan to do Flash Back posts when The Party List went out the window? Why?

Well, the reason finally came to me last weekend. I haven't been using my blog/ editorial boards or my planners since the end of February... when I started the reorganization of the studio/ office. 

I am a VERY visual person. Even during my days of selling Christmas Around the World, House of Lloyd and Undercover Wear whenever there was a promotion, I would buy a sheet of poster board and create a chart to track my progress towards a goal.

Saturday, I pulled out my notepad and decided there were changes to be made.

1- Work only with blogs that bring me joy.

I had six blogs. 

I am keeping KellysCountry. I love networking with artists and fans. Even though I do not make a single dime from anything I write on this blog, the opportunity to meet some really awesome folks has been amazing, as well as staying connected with old friends like The Bellamy Brothers, W.C. Jameson  and James Williams. 

However, I made the definitive decision to close the Living Through Weightloss.

I find being motivated hard on the blog when there are no responses to posts... and only a hand full of readers. I thought that through my journey I could inspire others. I've gotten to the point where my time is too valuable for something that is not having any affect on me or others. As of today, that blog will be closing by end of the month. 

2 - Still In Debate

I started the Ozarks Journal blog back when I first met the Polish Sinfonia and needed a place to post pictures from the grade school students so that the orchestra members could all go look at them. I still like the blog idea but I'm making a couple of changes.

I want to keep talking about prepping, my garden and household. I was talking 'household' on the weightloss blog, after all a clean house does make for a better self-journey but something in me decided I could keep the household with the Ozarks Journal. I mean, I LIVE in the Ozarks. LOL So OJ will be more about my corner of the Ozarks and our home here.

3- Staying on Task

This required evaluating what I really want to do.

I want to write - both books and articles. Many of which have something to do with romance, cowboys or music.

I want the Etsy shop or some other sales form to destash my stuff and let it bring joy to others.

4 - More time to craft and to write.

I still have book series I want/ need to write. I'm starting back to a regular writing schedule next week. Hopefully, by the time Bob comes home I will have a routine where even if I only take thirty minutes, the words will flow.

Overall Goals

To create beautiful things while destashing our home

To stay more on Task

To write more books

To have a financial plan in place that has the house paid off in two years.

 I'm not saying these goals will be easy, but with visuals in place  I have a much better shot

I'm spending the rest of this week getting posts written/ scheduled, batch-recording videos and putting the office back together from company last week.

I will see you back here on Friday (September 11)  to talk about the new schedule and give you a final flip-through of my Ausgust Assembly Line Junk Journal Challenge journal.

until then...