Album Spotlight: Whiskey Myers: Mud

Mud is the perfect title for Whiskey Myers' fourth album release. Mud is dirty, it's gritty, it's grimy, it's greasy and it's swampy. So, yeah, it's muddy. Mud is not slick and polished, it's not saccharine and glossy, it's not good times and parties. It is real and raw and hard times and making do and living in the good times.

Although honing their skills on the Texas Red Dirt scene, Whiskey Myers is not a country band. They are a Southern rock/hard rock band with country leanings. They recently wrapped up the Carnival of Madness tour with Shinedown, Halestorm and Black Stone Cherry. They are another entry into my "Rock Ain't Dead" campaign.

The torch of Southern Rock is in good hands with Whiskey Myers, who, along with Blackberry Smoke, have re-lit it and have it burning brighter than it has since the early 80s. Just as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, The Allman Brothers, etc. all had their own unique sound within Southern Rock, Whiskey Myers borrows heavily from the pioneers while still sounding uniquely Whiskey Myers.

Produced by Dave Cobb, as was the previous album Early Morning Shakes, Mud seems to have Whiskey Myers and Dave Cobb hitting  the sweet spot together. Mud is, in my opinion, the best Whiskey Myers album yet, edging out 2011's Firewater by a slim margin.

The album closes with "Good Ole Days", a collaboration by Cody Cannon with Brent Cobb. It's a fun acoustic song, but what got me was the baseball allegiances revealing themselves in the final verse.

Here are couple songs that show the diversity of the album, "Mud" and "Stone".

Album Spotlight: Bonnie Bishop: Ain't Who I Was

It's takes some time to figure out who you are. Most of the time it ain't who you were. That is the sentiment in not only the title track, but also real life for Bonnie Bishop on her latest album Ain't Who I Was.

Bonnie Bishop did the Texas Country scene and didn't fit in. She tried the contemporary country songwriter gig in Nashville. She almost walked away from music. Then this album happened. And all lovers of good music are better off because of it. You can read her own words on this at Saving Country Music, and it's worth your time.

Ain't Who I Was was produced by Dave Cobb. Anything produced by Dave Cobb gets my attention. Not only because he brings out the best in the artists he produces, but he only seems to produce the best artists. Look it up.

Ain't Who I Was ain't country, blues, jazz, soul, pop or rock. It's all of those, only not. It's just a 10 song collection of greatness.

Here is a live version of "Too Late" from the album: