TheCountryAngel: The Roys

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

TURNTABLE TUESDAY - Bluegrass Kinda Christmas - The Roys

BLUEGRASS KINDA CHRISTMAS is the heart of every traditional Christmas song packed into ten tracks. The Roys take you on a sleigh ride of fond memories through songs they grew up with. They travel as far back as O Holy Night through to the present day of the title track, which they co-wrote with their writing partner, Steve Dean. In between you will hear a mix of country and bluegrass to bring joy to your holidays for years to come.

While Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy, With Bells On, If We Make It Through December, Christmas Time’s A Comin’, There’s A New Kid In Town and Winter Wonderland are all songs we are familiar with, we are reminded of lesser heard tunes such as Santa Train and Santa And the Kids. Together they serve up strong country flavor with that added bluegrass kick that enhances the sound and reminds us of our roots.

This is the second CD for The Roys in three months! Their fourth CD, The View, released earlier this year gave them their first #1 Bluegrass tune and garnered them their fourth consecutive #1 Bluegrass Artist at the Inspirational Country Music Artists (ICMA). Bluegrass Kinda Christmas reminds us of family, home and heart – a Hallmark movie set to music. This CD is the perfect addition to your holiday playlist.

I'm tipping my hat:

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As an added bonus... Here's a Christmas Wish from The Roys (YouTube 2012)

You may purchase your CD in the following locations:

Rural Rhythm Records

The Roys

Amazon

Stop by their Socail Media sights to wish them a Merry Christmas!

Twitter

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

TURNTABLE TUESDAY - The View - The Roys

THE VIEW

By The Roys

In an interview with Hannahlee Allers (The Boot.com), Lee Roy stated he wanted THE VIEW to tell The Roys’ story. With eleven top tracks written by the sister/ brother duo of Elaine and Lee Roy, they have accomplished what they set out to do. With the help of talented songwriters Steve Dean, Josh Thompson, Bill Anderson, Keesy Timmer, Jenee Fleenor, Clint White, Larry Alderman and Daniel Patrick THE VIEW came together in an album that can best be described as comforting and uplifting.

The Roys hit the perfect blend of Bluegrass and Country they were after with THOSE BOOTS. Whether they be worn by a farmer striving to feed his family or the soldier fighting for our freedom, there’s a real story here of something we don’t think much about. The opening track, NO MORE LONELY, tells the story of finding your true love and that regardless of the heartaches of the past, there is that one special person to brighten our days.

A comforting spirituality flows through every note of HEAVEN NEEDED HER MORE and MENDED WINGS. Both songs offer comfort and hope in a time when we are left with more questions than answers.

In keeping with the goal to tell their story, The Roys offer an insight to the world of Alzheimer in SOMETIMES. A devastating disease for both the patient and the family that took their grandmother. Co-writer Steve Dean offered his own heart to this piece as he watches his mom on the Alzheimer’s journey. The Roys continue the tribute to their grandmother in THE VIEW. Bill Anderson, a long-time supporter of The Roys, lent his talents to the beautifully written piece. Close your eyes as you listen and you will see THE VIEW.

LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE and NO MORE TEARS LEFT TO CRY are the epitome of what traditional bluegrass should sound like. Very few instrumentals hold my attention. NORTHERN SKIES held me with every note. Like bluegrass runs through our history, so does the coal vein. BLACK GOLD encapsulates the life of a coal miner.

No album, whether the genre is traditional country, bluegrass or Americana would be complete without paying homage to the great Bill Monroe. MANDOLIN MAN is a fitting tribute to the man

Overall THE VIEW is a well-constructed compilation of well-written lyrics, talented picking and classic vocals. Each track solidifies the reason why THE ROYS were named Top Bluegrass Artists at the 10th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards (Feb. 2014), as well as at the Inspirational Country Music Awards for 2011, 2012 and 2013.

As I've listened to this cd repeatedly over the past couple of days, I have to give THE VIEW