Band I'm loving: Hellbound Glory

For a music lover, it's not often you find a band that you just love.

One that gets you excited about music again...one that you would drive 6 hours to see 2 nights in a row.

Well, after a few years of trolling the underground country scene and only really listening to Hank 3...because, you know, he's Hank 3, I decided to really get all up in there and I found Hellbound Glory.

You can Check them out on their facebook page (linked above.)

I don't need to tell you how awesome they are--just check out a few of my favorite songs from their latest album, Damaged Goods:

"Bastard Child"

  
I can't find a full song/video of one of my other favorites, "She Left Me in Modesto," but here's a sample of it. The whole song is a must-hear though. Great story, told the way a country song is supposed to tell a story. Oh, and a truck is an integral part of the plot...that's always good.

These songs are my kind of music.

When it comes to lyrics, especially in roots/country/awesome music, less is more. Simple is beautiful.

I really love the writing in this song, "Lost Cause:"

I'm especially in love with the line:
"Let's build this burning bridge/before we get too deep/
And let me dig my ditch/down this one way, dead end street"

I don't know a ton about these guys...but I have listened to Damaged Goods enough to have it memorized.

"But Carrie," you say, "this low-down, depressing outlaw stuff belies your sweet nature, cheerful disposition, and chirpy voice."


To which I say, "Suck it, jerkface!"

But really. This stuff wakes my soul up. It makes me want to cry...dance...shake my fist,,,and drive down the the road, singing at the top of my lungs. I can't explain it.

It's not a "yeah, that's good" situation. Like when I listen to Lady Gaga when Mike's not around sometimes.

Speaking of my handsome husband. I'm loving the song "Living With the Shades Pulled Down." Here's Merle Haggard's version.

And Hellbound's version:

The whole..."Livin' with the shades pulled down all day" idea pretty much describes our nocturnal schedule. Plus, I love the vibe of being outcasts...but who the eff cares? We're crazy in lurve!

 Yup, just like Mike and I.

To quote the classic film from my youth, "She's All That," though...

"Except for that whole hooker thing."

My point? If you love fun, bad ass, outlaw (REAL outlaw...not Brantley Gilbert outlaw. Good grief.) country music...RUN...don't walk...CLICK...don't leisurely scroll...over to somewhere and check out Hellbound Glory.

One more for the road:

"Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound"

Nostalgia or Quality?

Are the things we liked as kids really better than what these punks today are into?

Is this math correct: Backstreet Boys > Justin Bieber? I say Yes!

This question came to me when I remembered that The 90's are All That. Thanks Nickelodeon!

But were they really? Hey Dude was one of my favorite shows back in the day. I caught an episode the other night. My God it's awful! Plot holes and obvious setups and bad lighting. Oh my! Did I watch the whole episode? Yeah...yeah I did.

"You gotta watch out for those man eatin' jack rabbits...and them killer cacti" after all.

I can't be the only girl my age who wanted to be Clarissa!

Maybe that's why I dress so crazy now. My mother would not let me out of the house in my Clarissa-inspired outfits when I was 10.

On the TV front, there's also Roundhouse, Salute Your Shorts, Weinerville, Saved By the Bell...I could go on. These literally shaped by raised-by-the-remote childhood I share with many '90's kids. Did they even shape who I am?

That's probably for another post.

I'm not up on the kids cartoons these days, but I do know that if you don't know what "OooooEeeeOoooo...Killer Tofu" means, then you aren't my friend.

It's not just TV, it's fashion too. We can look at the awful clothes from the 80's and early 90's...but notice that designers tried to bring them back a few years ago. Tried.

I used to be a big fan of *cough* contemporary Christian music. It is my personal feeling that--though I don't listen to them now at all--late 90's and early 2000's Steven Curtis Chapman, Third Day, Avalon, DC Talk, and Jars of Clay are far superior to the 25 emo-looking bands who sing the same pansy melody over and over again.

Just an observation. I really don't know anything beyond the occasional flipping through the channels and running across some video show.

Don't know what/who I'm talking about? It's totally okay.You don't need to.

So basically I'm wondering if I can say that my favorite childhood Fill-in-the-Blank is better than the crap they're cranking out now.

Or is it just that it's what WE know, what we understand from when we were trying to just figure things out.

And I always enjoy a walk down memory lane.

Asking Questions: Facebook

I know we’ve all had a conversation similar to this...

Person 1: “Hey, it’s been awhile...how are you?”

Person 2: “Oh, great...my sister just had a baby, so I’m an aunt for the first time--”

Person 1: “Oh, yeah, I saw that on facebook!”

Person 2: “Yeah...”

Or is it just me? I’ve been on both ends of exchanges like this. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, and we could spend days discussing and debating how facebook is changing the way we interact with others...good or bad.

But I’m narrowing it down, to talk about the double edged sword the Social Network has become.

On one hand, it gives us the edge on keeping up with people we don’t get to see as often as we like because of distance or a crazy-busy life.

But on the other hand, I think the art of a good conversation may be getting dull.

Do we feel like we get our updates from the news feed, so we don’t schedule those “catch up” lunches with friends as often?

Since we know our friend’s wedding planning is going okay because of her status updates, does that keep us from (gasp) calling her and talking?


This article has some really interesting points as it profiles some people who don’t use facebook.

And, as in the example above, do we make people feel like we don’t want to hear about their lives...because in an effort to connect, we cut them off to say we already know what they’re going to tell us?

I’m not saying that facebook is bad. Social media has drastically changed our culture in just a few short years; in many instances for the better.

I’m just asking if we all, myself included, might bring a little cheer to our heart and soul by scheduling some face time.

Carrie-Okie

No, that’s not going to be my nickname if I ever move to the Sooner State.

I’m talking about Karaoke...that thing you absolutely love...or that thing that turns your Friday night bar trip into a living hell.

If you’re in the latter group, you might want to move along.

This is for those of you who enjoy karaoke-ing to the max. It’s a tribute, and some tips for making the most of the phenomenon that lets us all be rock stars. My only real qualification to dole out advice is my own love for singing and music...and the 9 or so months I spent DJ-ing karaoke in Springfield.

If you find a good venue to karaoke, it’s the best...a place where the audience is supportive, everyone claps and cheers...and the DJ’s know how to keep up a fast rotation of newbies and regulars is what I’d look for.

My friend Robert and I rocked the karaoke captain gig for awhile at what used to be the sushi bar next to what used to be Traffic on Walnut Street. We seriously had a magical little karaoke family that gathered every Friday night. 

We had a good bunch of MSU students, great singers, and fun characters. We would just get that whole place dancing. Every week we led a bar-wide sing along to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The word “epic” is grossly overused these days, but I think that would be the only way to describe that experience. I still get a little misty-eyed when I walk by that little bar.

Now that my karaoke cred has been established, I’ve got a few tips for those of you who enjoy rocking the mic:

Find a Good Place: I mentioned this above. I haven’t tried everywhere in town, so I hesitate to list some...maybe there’s a gem I haven’t discovered yet. But the key to having fun is to find a place with people who are there because they enjoy karaoke too. Cheap beer is also a plus.

Song Choice is Important: YOU may be super pumped that the song list includes a little known song by an obscure band you love. If it means a lot to you, by all means, SING IT. But don’t expect people to jump up and dance.

If love from the audience is important to you though, you’ll need to pick a popular tune. Feel out the room and figure out what’s getting a response. I did not know there was a U.S. Karaoke Alliance...but apparently there is, and they’ve got a list of the top 500 karaoke songs of all time.

Know Your Stuff: You don’t have to know all the words to the song you want to sing...that’s the point of the little screen! But you should at least know the flow, melody, and rhythm of the song. If you don’t, you’ll screw up and get embarrassed.

Many of us only know the first few lines or chorus of a song, but aren’t sure how the rest of it goes at all. I’ve seen this happen with the song, “Ice Ice Baby” so many times! Yeah, yeah...”STOP! Collaborate and listen...” However there’s about 3 minutes and 45 seconds of more rapping that few people know, and they end up standing up there and struggling through it.

Speaking of the Words on the Screen: If you’re so drunk, you can’t read them...just stay in your seat, please.

Do Unto Others: If you are there for the karaoke...and you want people to sing along with you and cheer you on...do the same for them!

And Finally, It Doesn’t Matter if you can Sing...Just Get Into It! I mean it! Yes, some chick with an amazing voice is going to go up there and sing “Black Velvet,” and it will make you jealous that you don’t have the pipes. But, hey, Know your Limits and pick something that doesn’t require Mariah Carey-like vocal prowess, and then don’t be shy. Get into it and belt it out! You’ll sound better if you’re less nervous, and you don’t know most of the people in the audience, so you’ve got nothing to lose! Pretend you’re singing in the car.

This is all coming from someone who adores music, and loves to sing. I, however, was not given the gift of a golden voice, but when I step up to the mic and sing “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” I’m a star for a few minutes.

Hope to hear you singin’ around town soon!

Dump!

Okay, I am brainstorming a whole new plan for the blog I mentioned in my last post...so I am going to be putting up some of the things I have been writing in the past few weeks.

Some of them might be a bit dated, but that's okay!

Why? Because it's my blog and I say so.

AND I feel like a mega jerk for not posting for awhile.

Update!

I haven't been on here in awhile!

But I have been writing...a lot. I just haven't been posting things here.

And that's because I'm staring a project experiment thing at work.

A "proj-speriment," if you will.

I'm going to have a "column" on kspr.com!

I'm going to keep this one up, but I will mostly be posting on my KSPR column.

We don't know exactly how it's going to work, if it will be a hit...if the public will be super mean to me...but myself, and our web guru at the station are going for it.

It should be up next week...I hope. I need to get a good picture to use for my default-profile. Apparently there are very few photos of me that do not include Mike, or me holding a beer. Hm.

So after my morning bike ride, I'm going to dye my hair and work it like Tyra and have Mike some pictures. I'm working on my model faces right now.

I hope to accomplish a few things with this:

• Selfish stuff first: I LOVE writing and it's something I think God's given me an ability to do fairly well. This column will give me more of a motivation to write more often and get better at it. Instead of thinking, "OH! I have a great blog idea!" And then just coming home and watching The Soup instead. Plus, if this goes well, opportunities could come and it will look good on a resume.
• I'm looking out for my employer...who I am faithful to...to a fault. I'm hoping to bring more eyes to my station's site.
• And, hey, it just sounds like fun.

Of course, I'm nervous and insecure about this...I'm not really an authority on anything at all...what if no one likes me? Facebook commenters can be mean! What if I run out of ideas!?

But I'm trying to get rid of those thoughts.

"I guess if you don't jump you never know if you can fly..."--Miranda Lambert

I'm A Sucker For A Pretty Face

And just look at that face!

I found this little guy last Saturday, right before I was supposed to meet my dad to go on a bike ride.

So, of course, Mike got to hear my best whiny 5 year old impression, "Pleeeaaase can we keep him? He's so sweet!"

I took him to the Humane Society  to see if he was microchipped. He isn't. I took him back home...but regretted my decision when I realized what a mess he was. His hair was patchy...no front teeth...and the little dude would not stop scratching himself frantically.

We decided that I'd take him to the vet and get him checked out. If nothing major was wrong with him, I'd get him fixed up and keep him.

My friends at Galloway Village Veterinary took excellent care of my stray pup and sent me home with a small pharmacy to make him better...all for pretty much the amount I was going to spend on a new tattoo.

Dangit.

But so worth it.

 Mike named him Rex. (I was too scared to name him until I found out he was going to be okay!)

He is an excellent addition to our family. Rex is older, so he mostly sleeps, and he loves me. My gosh, he follows me everywhere.

His hair is growing back, he's smelling better (thank God!), and he is eating.

He and Cash get along well. They mainly ignore each other.

Mike and I had been talking about getting another dog, and I had been thinking that another dog will find us.

My vet said that Rex probably came from a puppy mill situation. His legs are bent funny, like he was stuck in a cage and not allowed to walk around. He had to have been owned at some point. He's neutered and housetrained.

It makes me so very sad to wonder what his story is. Where was he born? how long had he been on his own? What has he seen or survived? If this little doggie could talk, I guarantee hearing about what he's been through would make me cry

This past week, it got really, really cold for the first time this fall. I am so glad Rex was here with us, in our warm house.

I'm so glad Mike and I decided to give an ugly little dog a chance.