Good morning, everyone!
I had the pleasure of spending some time with today's artist. He is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. If I can catch up with 'Kevin', I'll try to bring an interview some time next year.
In the mean time, with the onset of deer hunting season, I thought I'd share this one:
Good morning, everyone!
There are a lot of Rodney Carrington clips I'd never show on this channel... but this one is just 'feel good' funny.
Country Blessings!
~Kelly
Good morning, everyone!
How many of you grew up watching Beverley Hillbillies? How many of you loved Granny?
Here's a side of Granny you might not have seen before:
Good morning, everyone!
I'm getting Friday Funny back up and running. This week, I'm sharing a segment from The Marty Stewart Show.
How far into the song will you get before you crack up? Let me know in the comments below!
Good afternoon, everyone!
I'll have The Party List up late afternoon tomorrow. I've spent all day scheduling the Author blog post for the month of November. That's one of my bread & butter blogs and take presidence.
Today, I'm posting a special video - a new one by George Strait. Please Remember, Pray and Share.
Good morning, everyone!
No Party List this week.
I'm in canning mode over here with blueberries and peaches. Also, still trying to get the garden in order. Finally, have cooler temps I can work.
In the mean time, check out this tune from Jon Wolfe:
Good morning, country fans!
Thanks to our great country, we have a lot to be thankful for this weekend.
Setting Friday Funnies aside to continue our Memorial Day Tribute with this classic from Montgomery Gentry. Sure miss Troy!
Good morning, everyone! I have an inspiring artist with us today. I hope you'll enjoy this interview. I know this is without a doubt the most fun 'email' interview I have ever done and I hope to have the opportunity to meet Julia in person.
Let’s open the chute!
Hi Julia,
Welcome to Kelly’s Country. Thanks for joining me today and taking the time to answer the questions.
You mention listening to Peter Paul & Mary… how you really connected with their music from a young girl. Can you share what your first impression was that has since influenced your own music?
I love this question. It really helps me think about where music first got in amongst me. My dad played PP&M on the stereo everyday after we got home from school. Their songs were so beautiful, so full of vivid imagery. “Take off your old coat, and roll up your sleeves.” (Old Coat) That made a powerful picture in my mind. “A girl so sweet that when she smiled the stars rose in the sky” (Lemon Tree) I could see myself laying in the grass gazing at those stars. “I heard a man come a clankin’, he had a long chain on.” (He Had a Long Chain on) I see that meeting in the moonlight. Then when I found out that these were old, old songs, I loved them all the more. They tell history.
Your bio reads like a travel itinerary over a lot of different genre paths. Tell us what you can recall from the first time you performed with a band and thought ‘this is it’.
What a great question! It would be in early 2000s when I was in a Virginia band called One Horse Town. When we were at our peak with some incredible local players, it was as easy and fun as surfing waves in Hawaii (I speculate). That’s when I said “Hoo boy, this is IT!” Now I’m pretty ruined - I only want to play live with people who are better than me.
MOTEL released regionally a couple of years ago. Now you’ve sent the album into a wider atmosphere. Most artists just jump in the deep end. Why did you give this a regional release first?
Er, limited resources. I couldn’t afford to do much more! By and by,
I came into some dough and decided the album deserved more attention.
I never did pull over, Thinking about it was enough. People always responded really well to that song, and it had something important to say about me. I loved the title “Motel”- such an open word, so many contexts, and easy to remember. And I knew I could come up with a killer cover for that title.
Les Thompson was one of the co-producers of this album. How did that come to be?
The crowd of musicians in western
Loudoun County VA isn’t huge so most folks know each other. He knew my band and
did sound work here and there. Les had a studio that Danny Knicely (one of the
TOPPEST musicians I’ve ever met) recommended, so I made the call.
While nothing else about the track is reminiscent of him, the guitar intro to Cool Water had a John Denver vibe. Were you influenced by his music at all?
Ack! Help!I didn’t go for to do it! Ok, truthfully, I was influenced by JD now that you mention it, He has this song “The Eagle” and it starts with ringing, shifting E chord shapes down the neck, winding up on a richly strummed E chord. That sort of attack intensity definitely showed up in “Cool Water”. Holy cats. Do I owe him money now? You really ask some great questions.
Early David Bowie. His songs are miraculous and surprising and run all over the place, style-wise. And he still revered the power of the well-strummed acoustic guitar. He gave me the courage to break out of established patterns and tread some shaky ground. And his voice was all his own. On Motel, I was seeking out some new ways to sing to explore some Bowie magic.
Good morning, country fans!
With so many reality shows out there today, I thought we needed a little Tracy Byrd on the screen!
Good morning, country fans!
Time for another funny. Have you ever asked yourself this question?
Good morning, country fans!
Who doesn't like a little Captain Jack in their day!
Good morning, country friends!
With everyone getting into the gardens and fields, I just had to share this cutie from Tim Hawkins!
Good morning, country fans!
Who remembers when Brad Paisley first came on the scene and everyone thought he was the next George Strait?
Enjoy this video and the cameo appearance by the late, great Little Jimmy Dickens as well as other celebrities.
Good morning, country fans!
I'm finally getting caught up from the long hiatus across the board and look forward to sharing talented artists dishing out great music as well as the classics we all know and love.. like this one from Toby Keith!
Good morning, country fans!
Here in KellysCountry I spotlight a lot of different artists. Some for the music, some for the writing artistry and a lot for both sides of the coin.
Back in September I featured an artist who'd reached out to me - Kristian Montgomery and the Winterkill Band.
Well, Kristian is back with a new album and working on another to release in the fall.
Ahhhh - the beauty of being and indie artist! You can do things on your timeline - not on what some office exec or editor thinks needs to be done. Not only that, but unlike the big execs and editors, you are your own client, where those folks are handling dozens (if not hundreds) of clients every day. That's a lot of balls to jungle.
That out of the way, let's give PRINCE OF POVERTY a listen.
He kicks the album off by jumping right into the pit of American Fire. While I like the album, I am not a fan of repetitive lyrics. That's just me personally and he uses the title words over and over, specifically towards the end where I think his talents could have been better spent.
You really get the harder soul in Don't Call Me Baby.
Just Driving Around has a nice easy shuffle 'round the dancefloor I quite enjoyed. A good backroad sody cruise tune.
Now, if you want to talk soul, Soul to Soul has it to the core. I could easily sit back with my eyes closed and let this song just play in a loop.
That Kind of Love takes us down a road with an amazing rhythm driving a foreboding undertone. If you aren't tapping toes on this tune, you need to wake up your soul.
They'll Remember My Name is the dark, hard type of track I can't get into, personally, but my ex would have loved it! LOL
Tired of Being Tired really sums up a lot. Those four simple words took a talented writer like Kristian Montgomery to turn them into a classic.
When's the last time you heard the phrase Warm Grave? This is a story type of tune I really get in to. The visuals that come to mind in this track are amazing. Let yourself go to the warm grave.
The final track, Working Hands, is another great shuffle tune. Similar to Just Driving Around but with a bit more drive in the beat.
While I like the album, I am not a fan of repetitive lyrics he showcases on a couple of the tracks. That's just me personally. I think his talents could have been better spent continuing to tell a story. That said, Kristian has a killer voice. As one person commented on dropbox.. the dude can sing! Overall, this is a great album for those who like the hard stuff. I'm just more of a wine girl. ;-)
If the hard edge, soulful Americana is your shot, then PRINCE OF POVERTY is the album you want on your playlist.
I am giving this album:
.5 
Good morning, country fans!
I just wanted to stop in and let you know I'm working really hard this week to get back on track.
I have the new album by Kristian Montgomery on the turntable tomorrow. Bit harder than I usually listen to but I really enjoy Kristian's songwriting talent and he's a cool dude to work with!
Also, I want everyone to be aware that there are people with too much time on their hands. They are ghosting YouTube channels as the actual artist and replying to comments left on official videos by the actual artists. Like they think leaving their email isn't a big red flag!? Come on. So far I've caught them on Tim McGraw's official video of Redneck Girl (cover of The Bellamy Brothers hit) as well as Vince Gill's official video of When My Amy Prays.
If you see someone posting a comment and leaving an email address supposedly by the artist, contact the actual artists promotional department ( usually found on their website) or let me know in the comments so I can direct the appropriate channels.
In the mean time, here's a special video for you today... by the real Vince Gill:
Hey folks!
Okay, before you get excited and start looking for a copy of the video I'm about to show you, you'll only find it on YouTube.
I hadn't known about the video when the DVD was released for The Bellamy Brothers 25th Anniversary came around (I'll take that up with David later LOL)
I do want to thank Rico Vrijhoeven Clip Channel for posting the video, which I believe is in its entirety.
This was a great walk down memory lane for me as I've known Howard and David since 1982. I'll try to find a couple of pictures my photographer took back then to share on a future post.
Good morning, everyone!
I intended to run Christmas music all this week but just couldn't get up to speed after a 'sister weekend' in Springfield.
I'm kicking off the remainder of this week with a special treat.
Christmas is all about family, even if this year is going to be a bit different (PLEASE practice social distancing and be safe!), we can still include family.
THE LAST CHRISTMAS stems from a story Terry's wife's grandmother told about a Christmas she experienced in 1917. Marion Norswing Phillps passsed away in 1992 but thanks to Terry and his wife, families everywhere can see how Christmas was in 1917.
We are back with Matt Eckstine today, showcasing another influence on his music.
