2016 Playlist

Here is a Spotify playlist of every artist on my year end lists.

Enjoy.

The Five Albums You Need From 2016

I'm going to preface this with that I don't really listen to mainstream or  established artists. So these albums are of the independent/non-mainstream nature.

I was going to do a top 10 or 20 or 17 or whatever, but you know what, for me it's these five albums. There will be another post with many deserving albums to follow. What I found in 2016 was five albums that really, really resonated with me. And my criteria is pretty simple: No skip-worthy songs. I'll include a youtube of my favorite song from the album where available.

In no particular order (not even alphabetical, just random) here are the albums:

Dorothy - ROCKISDEAD
The satirical album title belies the fact that Dorothy does rock. And rocks well. Band namesake and singer Dorothy Martin is a treasure for rock fans. Her vocals are bluesy, sultry, smokey and at times slutty. But don't discount this band as a one woman show, the band has a sound straight out of the swampy south. I don't care how a Los Angeles based band gets there, but it works. For me this is one of the most complete rock albums put out recently. It holds up against Guns' Appetite For Destruction and Halestorm's The Strange Case of... in recent memory of  an album that you don't skip songs.




Elizabeth Cook - Exodus of Venus
I knew of Elizabeth Cook. I enjoyed her work. Then she just blew it out of the water with Exodus of Venus. It's a departure from what you have heard of her before, and the departure resulted in her best work, by far. There is not a bad song on the album. Yeah, I know, that's a requirement for this list, but if you can disagree, then talk to me, I'm willing to debate, and I think I'll win.




Whiskey Myers - Mud
Mud is what Southern Rock sounds like. In 1977 or 2016. It's Southern Rock through and through. There are many sensibilities that won't play on the coasts. As a band that cut their teeth on the Texas country circuit, Whiskey Myers definitely shows their roots, but if you listen, they are more of a 70s Southern Rock/jam band than Texas country. And that's a good thing.



Rob Baird - Wrong Side of the River
This is my big album on what the hell genre is this? Yeah, it's got some rock. It's got some country. It's got some Americana (whatever the hell that is). But really what it is, is a fine collection of damned good songs. This is the album you put on and just listen. Taking a road trip, on your front porch/balcony, with friends, with musicians, with rockers, with country music fans, with anybody. It's that kind of record.



Butch Walker - Stay Gold
Butch Walker put out one the best albums of 2015 with Afraid of Ghosts. It was dark and poignant. Stay Gold is fun and nostalgic. I prefer both. But I just like good music. Butch Walker consistently makes good music. There is a bonus for those of my generation in that the nostalgia includes S.E. Hinton.  You either get that reference or you don't. And that's OK.





Agree or disagree. It's all good. And all opinion

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".

Whiskey Myers: Concert Review

I went with my sister and daughter to see Whiskey Myers in New Braunfels, TX at the River Road Ice House with Band of Heathens opening.

While not that familiar with Band of Heathens before, they were really good. Hard to explain, but if you like 70's California rock, you'd like them.

I had seen Whiskey Myers a couple of years ago at a small club. They were good then. Now, they are a rock and roll tour de force.

The east Texas band cut their teeth on the Texas/Red Dirt Country circuit, honing their brand of Southern Rock. They are a jam band at heart. At least live. It doesn't come through as much on their recorded material.

Whiskey Myers is going out on the Carnival of Madness tour with Shinedown, Halestorm and Black Stone Cherry. If the other three aren't on their game, they will be out-rocked by some East Texas boys.

Whiskey Myers would be right at home in the '70's. With either the Southern Rock crowd or the hard rock crowd. They would have fit in the '80's with Cinderella, Tesla and the Black Crowes. You could even argue that they would have been at home in the late '60's with Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, and the Rolling Stones. Oh, and they could also hold their own playing with Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson.

Visually, Whiskey Myers is an amalgam of of many things. Guitarists Cody Tate and John Jeffers could not look more like they belong in different bands. Tate could walk onto a ZZ Top stage and trade licks with Billy Gibbons. Jeffers could step onto a stage with Cinderella and not look out of place. And both shred on guitar. Early and often.

Drummer Jeff Hogg may be Mick Fleetwood reincarnate.

Bassist Gary Brown looks like he belongs on the Texas Country scene, replete with cowboy hat. Then he breaks out the bass line for "7 Nation Army" and you know this ain't your dad's country.

Lead singer Cody Cannon is a combination of Jim Morrison, Billy the Kid, Johnny Depp, Johnny Van Zant and Jon Bon Jovi. Both in looks and sound. I leave that for you to figure out.

Whiskey Myers played a high energy set that rocked more than the last Bon Jovi show I saw. If you go expecting country, you'll be disappointed, it you go wanting some good rock music, you'll leave impressed.

Here is a live version of "Home" recorded in England:

Artist Spotlight: Kara Clark

If you like any combination of Saraya, Cinderella, Miranda Lambert, Molly Hatchet, Halestorm, Whiskey Myers, 4 Non Blondes, Lita Ford and Alice Cooper, then I have the artist for you. And if you have to google or youtube any of the artists mentioned, thank me later and you're welcome.

Her name is Kara Clark and she will kick your ass. Musically, that is. And maybe physically. I don't know.

I have known this for a long time, but it's really become apparent while writing this blog: I don't really like a genre of music as much as I like a style of music. It needs to have real instruments played by real people. It needs to be gritty, dirty, swampy; not too slick, not too polished.

There should be more of Kara Clark here. But in the interim, enjoy this from her 2013 self titled album:



You can purchase music, including her new EP at and hear new music at KaraClark.com.

Album Spotlight: A Thousand Horses: Southernality

I was a little leery of A Thousand Horses after hearing the two lead singles from their Southernality record. Whoever is choosing the singles for them is making a huge mistake, as "Smoke" and "(This Ain't No) Drunk Dial" may be the two worst songs on the album.

The entirety of Southernality is a lot closer to the Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers brand of current Southern Rock than the bro-tinged pap of the lead singles.

The record starts out with the seriously Black Crowes influenced "First Time". Maybe a little too Black Crowes influenced, "Jealous Again" anyone? I can forgive them for that one because it's a good song and the rest of the album is not derivative.

Coming in with 13 songs, Southernality is about three songs too long. It's marketed as country, but nowadays what isn't? It's not country, it's Southern Rock. But where do you market that now?

Where A Thousand Horses goes from here will be interesting. The best thing that could happen would be for the ill chosen singles to flop so they will concentrate on the music they are good at.

Here's a live acoustic version of "Sunday Morning":

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving Delta Rae. This band has a new record, After It All, coming out April 7. Available everywhere according to their website. In advance of the release, they have already released six songs to Spotify (and I'm supposing other outlets, but Spotify is my go to platform).  So far all the tracks are good.

I just can't believe I haven't heard of them until a couple of weeks ago. Here a live version of "Bottom of the River" from their 2012 album Carry The Fire. So good, so interesting.




And here's and audio version of "Bethlehem Steel" from their upcoming release.




I'm loving that Whskey Myers is tweeting about the opening bands on their tour. Gives me an opportunity to discover new stuff like this Icelandic band Kaleo. Here they are with "I Walk On Water".



And The Bama Gamblers with "Sweet Revival".



And we must have some Whiskey Myers. Here is "Home" from their most recent record Early Morning Shakes.

Album Spotlight: Blackberry Smoke: Holding All The Roses

You know when you are looking forward to a new record release and then it comes out and you're so disappointed? Yeah, I do too. But with Blackberry Smoke's Holding All The Roses that didn't happen.

Charlie Starr and the boys bring their country fried southern rock tinged with country to a new level. I'm not sure if there is a bad song on the album.

The vocals are not stellar, no blazing guitar solos, just a fantastic band locking into what they do. And doing it well.

Blackberry Smoke, along with Whiskey Myers, are doing Southern Rock the right way. Are they Skynyrd? Nope. Are they Marshall Tucker? Nope. Are they the Allmans? Nope. What they are is Blackberry Smoke. And that's a good thing.

I could try to break it down song-by-song, but that would be futile. There are heavy doses of Southern Rock, there is honky tonk, there is country. And it's all good.

I know it's expected to post a vid of my favorite song. I don't know that I have a favorite yet, so I'll go with this one.

What I'm Looking Forward To Musically in 2015

There might be some really cool music coming out in 2015. There is going to be some surprisingly good stuff. There are going to be some duds.

Whatever happens, there is going to be some really good stuff that nobody knows about.

Here is what I'm looking forward to in 2015. Some may not live up to what I expect, but there will be plenty more to take their places if it doesn't live up.

Halestorm is counting down to the release of their third album. If it is anywhere near as good as The Strange Case of.... it will not disappoint.

Blackberry Smoke is another band with another album in the can and Holding All the Roses is another release that I'm looking forward to. If you're a fan of Southern Rock, Blackberry Smoke is your band. Along with Whiskey Myers, they are doing it right.

I don't know any details, but Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are poised to release an album in 2015. Kind of eclectic, they rock. I have high hopes for this one.

This one I am most excited about. Richie Sambora and Orianthi are going to release an album together. Check out each of their solo work and then search youtube for some live collaborations. I'll admit, this one may let me down the most if it isn't great. But I'm optimistic.

When it's all said and done at the end of 2015, none of these may have resonated with me. But I'm hopeful that they will. If not, there will be something else that comes out of the woodwork. It always does.

What Music I Take From 2014 Into 2015

I've always been a lover of music. Guess I always will be. In the last 18 to 24 months I've really gotten into discovering new music. And I'm pretty pleased with what I have found.

Thanks to sites like Saving Country Music, Farce the Music and Bring Back Glam my interest in new music has been rekindled and I'm no longer just relying on the classic stuff.

There are plenty of lists about the best of 2014, the worst of 2014, etc. My take is a bit different. I'm going to give you the five albums that I discovered (not necessarily released) in the past year that I'll be listening to going into 2015 and beyond. Because that's what really matters.

I'm not saying they are the "best" records, but the one's that resonated with me that I will continue to listen to going forward. In no particular order:

Night Ranger - High Road
This is probably the best record of their career and will get no airplay or recognition. It's also the most diverse and heaviest record they've recorded. The guitar work by Brad Gillis and Joel Hoekstra is unbelievably good. The songs are good. It's the kind of record you listen to in your car with the windows down (top down, preferably) blasting for all nearby to hear. Good 80's-style hard rock.
Here's my favorite track from the album, as will be the case all the way down:



Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes
If you like your Texas Country to sound like Southern Rock, Whiskey Myers delivers. Along with Blackberry Smoke, they are keeping the tradition of Southern Rock alive and well. They're not Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, et al. They are Whiskey Myers. And they are good.



Orianthi - Heaven in this Hell
This was released in 2013. I discovered it in 2014, so it makes the list. This native Aussie is a guitar-playing genius. She was plucked to play on Michael Jackson's last tour that never happened. She has been in Alice Cooper's touring band. She has recently hooked up Richie Sambora. That's a good resume, but irrelevant to this discussion. The album rocks. So many textures and nuances in the guitar work. Plus the songs are good, which is paramount.



Koritni - Welcome to the Crossroads
Another Aussie entry, this one from 2012. This band sounds a lot like 80's hard rock. A lot. They have the chops and the hooks. I find myself going back to this record time and time again. It's an easy listen.



Sunny Sweeney - Provoked
Or maybe this album should be called Breaking up the Sausage Party. She had the first single to reach the top of the Texas Country charts by a female performer since, I don't know, a very long time. And the single that charted was not one of my favorites on the album. Poignant and sarcastic and at times funny, this record has something for everyone. Unless you just can't stand anything county, because it's definitely country.

Southern Rock is Alive and Well

OK. So we are all annoyed by the guys yelling out "Play some Skynyrd" or "Freebird". And, yeah, that still goes on. The band doesn't appreciate it. Most of the patrons don't either.

But, you know what? There are plenty of bands out there keeping Southern Rock alive. Do they all play "Freebird"? Nope. Do they rock in the spirit of Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet, ZZ Top, the Allmans, Charlie Daniels, etc.? A resounding yes to that.

In the past I've been more than willing to say "Today's music sucks".  Well, yeah, some of it does. But some of it is really good. Here are some bands doing Southern Rock justice.

Whiskey Myers: My personal favorite. And, as a caveat, I can be swayed by the fact that they hail from Texas. Their latest record Early Morning Shakes is pure, unadulterated Southern Rock, no matter how it's categorized now.




Blackberry Smoke: I have to give them proper credit.  They were my gateway into looking for more modern Southern Rock. I first heard them and was intrigued. Are there really still Southern Rock bands out there? Yes, yes there are. And Blackberry Smoke is at the pinnacle.




Preacher Stone is pretty unknown but they bring it. Although they don't want to be known as a Southern Rock band, but rather a rock band from the South I'm including them anyway.



There are many more. And that excites me. Search, dig and find the music you like. Don't let anyone else dictate what you listen to.

Album Spotlight: Preacher Stone: Paydirt

Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina's Preacher Stone does not want to be identified as a Southern Rock band, but a "rock band from the South." Okay. Whatever. I'll roll with it.

Their latest record Paydirt, released in March of this year, borrows liberally from other "rock bands from the South" such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, the Allman Brothers, Charlie Daniels and Georgia Satellites. There are also hints of Classic Rock bands like Bad Company and Edgar Winter. There's also some very Country-like tendencies on the record.

Throw that all together and, in Preacher Stone, you get a very familiar yet unique sounding band. With Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers, Preacher Stone is doing Southern Rock the right way. Even if they're just a rock band from the South.

Here is "Me and Mine" from the Paydirt album.

Preacher Stone on Amazon.

Follow theCheapSeats on Twitter.

Where Do You Find Good Music These Days?

I'm really not sure how those that only listen to traditional radio find anything worth listening to, much less anything good, new and exciting. And before anyone crows about satellite radio, I'm not sure that's much better. Sure you can find what you want to listen to, but are you discovering anything new, or just listening to what you already like?

Let's just take a look at the past 12 months + and what I'm listening to and where I discovered them.

Halestorm: From a website totally unrelated to anything music.

Whiskey Myers: From a radio station. But a local Red Dirt/Texas station.

Blackberry Smoke: From a "Related Artists" search on Spotify.

Orianthi: From twitter. A country artist from Ohio who's a fan of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" tweeted about her.

Houndmouth: From a "Related Artists" search on Spotify.

Samantha Fish: From a YouTube search for the Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers" covers. (Don't ask)

Nikki Lane: From the website SavingCountryMusic.com.

Tyler McCumber Band: From the website FarceTheMusic.com.

Unless you are actively searching for non-mainstream music, you are not going to find it. And you are missing out on a ton of good stuff. I'm not saying that the above artists are your cup of tea, just saying that if I hadn't gone outside of what the conglomerates had decided what we should listen to, I would not have been able to enjoy their music.

I would hate to be an up-and-coming artist in this day and age. It's got to be tough. Radio is a vapid wasteland. The so called music channels (MTV, VH1, CMT, GAC) have all gone headlong into "reality" based programming.

Most people won't take the time or put forth the effort it takes to find music they truly enjoy. And face it, in today's world, it takes time and effort.

I'll admit it, I'm a bit of music nerd. The kind of music I've always liked has never been easily accessible except for brief periods. That's not to say that hasn't been a lot of more mainstream music that I have enjoyed, but for the most part, I've had to do some research to find my music. I'm okay with that.

Southern Rock is Alive and Well: Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers

I grew up in the 80's. I was (and still am) a fan of 80's hard rock. Or glam metal, hair metal, pop metal. Whatever term you want to use. I don't apologize for that.

I also listened to a lot of classic rock. Zeppelin, Aerosmith, the Who, Hendrix, ZZ Top, Heart, etc., etc. Also included in classic rock was what was known as Southern Rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet, etc.

I thought Southern Rock was a thing of the past, only to be heard on classic rock stations. Wow, was I wrong.

There are a lot of artists that people tout as Southern Rock. But really, right now, there are two that are head and shoulders above everyone else and the only ones that I really consider Southern Rock.

Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers.

One is considered a rock band, the other a country band. Which I find quite amusing. But that's a conversation for another time.

In the mean time, here are a couple of tunes to enjoy.

Blackberry Smoke:

Whiskey Myers

Album Spotlight Whisky Myers: Early Morning Shakes

Led Zeppelin, early Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, ZZ Top. I can hear a little bit of all of those in Whiskey Myers new album Early Morning Shakes. But what I hear predominately is pure unadulterated Southern Rock. Skynyrd, the Allmans, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet, etc.

Any song on this album would slide nicely into any classic rock format. But that's not to say it sounds dated. It doesn't. Early Morning Shakes sounds as current as anything you will hear.

Coming out of Tyler, Texas, Whiskey Myers cut their teeth on the Red Dirt/Texas Country music scene. And you can hear those country influences on the record, but this really a good old-fashioned, in-your-face, Southern Rock album. The best since the late '70's.

The album kicks off with what, in my opinion, is the weakest track, the title song "Early Morning Shakes". But then the whole thing takes off and never lets off the gas with the Zeppelinesque "Hard Row to Hoe".

Another highlight is the single "Home" (track 5). Straight up Southern Rock the way it was meant to be played. That leads in to the next two hard rocking tracks "Headstone" and "Where the Sun Don't Shine".

"Reckoning" (track 8) and the album closing "Colloquy" show a more introspective and mellower side of the band. Both are excellent.

If you were ever wondering what happened to good Southern Rock, it's alive and well and it's name is Whiskey Myers. 

Musical Reasons to be Excited About Early 2014

There are two very different albums coming out in early 2014 in which I am very excited to hear.

The first, by release date (January 28) is Jake E. Lee's new band Red Dragon Cartel.

I realize some people don't have a clue as to who Jake E. Lee is. Let me give you some history.

Jake replaced the immortal Randy Rhoads in Ozzy Osbourne's band after Randy's tragic death. Jake played guitar and wrote most of the songs (though credit is not given in the re-issues, thanks Sharon) on Ozzy's Bark at the Moon and Ultimate Sin albums Then he went on to form one of the most underrated bands of all time in Badlands with singer Ray Gillen (RIP), bassist Greg Chaisson and drummer Eric Singer (now playing the part of Peter Criss in KISS). Here is a sample.

After a 20-year hiatus Jake E. Lee is back with a new band, new album. I've heard a couple of tracks from the new album, and it sounds just like Jake E. Lee.

The next album is scheduled for a February 4 release date. That is Whiskey Myers' Early Morning Shakes.

Whiskey Myers made their name with constant touring on the Texas Country music scene. But to me they are pure, straight up Southern Rock. Along with Blackberry Smoke, they are keeping Southern Rock alive and well in 2014.

Whiskey Myers have already released a couple of singles off of Early Morning Shakes, the first one being Home.

Pure Southern Rock from some East Texas boys. I'm excited to here the entire album.