Crossroads is one of my favorite shows to catch on TV. The premise is to find two musicians, put them together on stage, and have the artist sing the music of the other, creating duets.

It's fantastic.

Combinations have included John Mayer and Brad Paisley, Ray Charles and Travis Tritt, James Taylor and the Dixie Chicks, and Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson.

Tonight I caught Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson.

I loved Reba growing up, because she was (and still is) one of the greatest female country singers to grace a stage or play the Opry. She adds emotion and brings truth to music.

Kelly Clarkson, on the other hand, is someone who I originally didn't like, but slowly have been coming around to. In the last couple years, she's proven she belongs, even though she isn't one of my favorite artists.

She's still damn good at what she does, and her music is real - people can relate; she writes it herself.

In 1998, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey sang the theme to the Disney film Prince Of Egypt. Hearing them together made me realize how much more developed and mature Whitney's voice was, compared to Mariah's.

I didn't feel the same way when listening to Kelly next to Reba, and that impressed me.

I doubt my personal revelation is going to win her more awards or bring her extra attention, but it's nice to see my musical taste evolving.

Labels: Music

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 6:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

My iPod includes almost 5500 songs, and encompasses 1028 artists or bands.

As a boy learning music from my father, to barroom discussions while in college, the question of "greatest bands" has always intrigued me.

I have a young cousin entering high school who's in the process of learning guitar. While talking, he included Def Leppard and AC/DC amongst his favorite bands, yet had the audacity to disregard the Beatles and their contribution to music.

He's young... he'll learn.

I began deliberating about who I would rank as my favorite bands, and how much it's changed since I've become more educated in music.

Any list you find will include the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. I can't argue against any band from that list.

Most of them, however, were not influences of mine, and aren't in my personal top 10.

At the risk of disrespecting some of the greatest musicians, I've compiled a list (in no particular order) of 10 bands who have influenced me, rocked me, and inspired my life.

• The Dave Matthews Band - the lyrics and creativity control my musical preference.
  
• Aerosmith - the absolute greatest concert I've ever seen.
  
• Def Leppard - the second greatest concert I've ever seen.
  
• The Beatles - they changed music. That puts them on a very select list.
  
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - down south, this is how we grew up.
  
• Metallica - Black Sabbath created the genre of metal, and Metallica made it what it is today.
  
• U2 - the most influential band of my generation outside of music.
  
• Guns N' Roses - they burst onto the scene like very few others. When they arrived, their music became immortalized.
  
• Jason Boland & The Stragglers - the one country band on this list, whom brought Texas Country Music into my life full time.
  
• Earth, Wind, & Fire - the energy they bring, the soul they put forth, and the excellence of writing complicated syncopations includes them on this list.
  
  Honorable mentions include:
  
• Maroon 5 - after only two albums (and fantastic ones at that), they just haven't been doing it long enough.
  
• Bon Jovi - hard rock, pop rock, 80's rock -- who cares? In my generation, they were on top!
  
• Journey - without Steve Perry, I can't imagine they're the same, but my father raised me on this band.
  
• Blood, Sweat, & Tears - pure musicians.
  
• Hall & Oates - these guys have soul!
  
• Tower Of Power - horrible lyrics, but the best horn section in music.
  

You can disagree, and I'd love to hear it!

Labels: MiPod, Music

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 1:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

Music makes my world sane.

The last couple of weeks haven't been my best. When I look internally to find out why, it appears I've gotten away from the music.

That needs to change.

Below are a few tracks you'll find on my iPod. In no particular order, I've included a few of my favorites.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Life By The Drop"
From the album, The Sky Is Cryin' which was compiled by Stevie Ray's brother Jimmie after his death, included songs never previously released.

"Life By The Drop" is about addiction, specifically about a friend of Vaughan's who chose to pursue his dream as opposed to drinking his life away. It's a 12-string acoustic solo, showing the model of what a 'blues' voice should sound like, along with perfect guitar technique. In the context of the album, it's a great song to cap a retrospective collection of music and close a brilliant career.

Bob Seger - "Turn The Page"
The song is a somber rendition about being a lonely musician traveling on the road. It strikes a chord with me for two reasons: (1) none of us like to be alone - it sucks, and it hurts; (2) also, as a sax player, it's nice to hear the horn used in rock & roll, especially in such a somber tone, which is my favorite sound the instrument can make.

Van Morrison - "Into The Mystic"
Absolutely, positively one of my two favorite songs (along with "Free Bird"). It's ambiguous, gorgeous, and haunting.

At times it's a love song. Other times, it's about a journey. Maybe it's about a journey to find true love, and "when that fog horn blows" he realizes he can't live without his one true love.

If my wife and I have a song, this is the one.

Dire Straits - "Your Latest Trick"
I'm quite positive this song is about the pain of a lost love, but the lyrics lead me to believe it includes a prostitute to help overcome that pain.

As mentioned above, the saxophone is another great example of how the instrument is to be played. The tone of the sax sets the mood, and Mark Knopfler translates it into lyrics.

Mark Chesnutt - "My Best Drinkin'"
Mark Chesnutt has some of the best "true" country music in his repertoire, and having the luxury of being his bartender on a few occasions, he's country to the grit.

In this song, he can't put down the bottle after a fight with the ol' lady -- what's more country than that?

Willie Nelson - "Family Bible"
One of Willie Nelson's gospel songs, it was also one of the first songs he ever wrote. It's been covered by several artists, but no one gives it more grace and feeling than Willie.

One of Willie's musical gifts was being able to create a picture with his lyrics, and "Family Bible" brings me to a time when life was slower, families were closer, and growing as an individual mattered.

Stereophonics - "Maybe Tomorrow"
I first heard this song during the closing credits of the movie Crash. The song leaves me with the sense that -- no matter what happens -- there's always another day.

Labels: MiPod, Music

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

Full disclosure: I have each and every Cross Canadian Ragweed album on my iPod, seen them live once, but I've yet to understand the hype.

While they have great songs, including "Sick And Tired," "Fightin' For," and "Alabama," I've found their bad music to be just terrible.

When Cody Canada writes, he's Adam Dunn: you can expect either a home run, walk, or a strike out. Unfortunately, I think their latest album, Mission California, is a base on balls -- not bad, but absolutely nothing special.

After finishing the album, a couple items stood out. First of all, it sounds great. It's probably the best produced album in their library. Second, "Lawrence," "Soul Agent," and "Cry Lonely" (which is a cover) are the best new tracks. "Jenny" is a great song from 2002's Carney album, but an updated recording is a welcome addition to a great song.

The album isn't great, but it's decent. If you can find someone with a recording, have them burn you a copy -- don't spend your money unless your a a die-hard fan.

Labels: MiPod, Music, Texas Country

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 12:58 AM | Permalink | Comments

It's no secret that Kevin Fowler is one of my favorite country musicians, so it should come as no surprise that I absolutely love his new album Bring It On. The energy he brings to the music is what's missing in the industry today.

Country legend George Jones joins the fun in "Me And The Boys," which is your typical drinking song, with Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, and Johnny Walker as the "boys" with whom he enjoys the company of, from the title.

"Best Mistake I've Ever Made" is a good song that captures the emotion we encounter in life, including the uncertainty of raising a child. While I enjoy this song, it isn't as good as his previous ballads like "A Matter Of When," or "Hard Man To Love."

His current single, titled "Long Line Of Losers" describes the a lineage in which the singer tries to be better than his destiny, but knows that ultimately his outcome is predetermined. This is probably the best track from the recording.

Another of my favorites from the album is "Cheaper to Keep Her," in which he describes why divorce isn't worth the trouble. It's fun, a bit inappropriate, and fantastic! I can only imagine how he performs the song on stage, and believe it's probably even better live!

Kevin Fowler's great, and was consistently one of the best live show's we'd see in Texas. Bring It On would only add to the repetoire of another fantastic performance.

This is one of my bigger regrets living in Denver: aside from not being able to see my family, we also can't see great live music like that included on this album.

Buy it. If you like country music -- the real country, not this crap on the radio -- then you're in for another great recording by one of Texas' best.

Labels: Kevin Folwer, MiPod, Music, Texas Country

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

It's over. Did anyone else waste almost four minutes of their life with this shit?

And to explain the title, I don't think Britney is fat, but there had to be better wardrobes than what she chose to wear on stage. Apparently she hasn't recovered from the birth of her two precious "accessories" she totes around.

I was watching the Cowboys game, but because of the hype, I felt the need to see how my (one time) future baby-mamma performed. I expected a major comeback performance that would signify her return to glory.

Instead, I was treated to a lazy and unenthusiastic lip-syncing snoozer.

Surely MTV didn't waste my time?

There was a day when everything MTV did was fresh, cool, innovative, and - most importantly - entertaining! As Justin Timberlake said, "nobody likes to be reminded they're getting old," but it looks like I've officially left the younger generation.

As a matter of fact, the entire award show was terrible -- well, the very little I saw. During stops of the football game, I would switch to MTV, only to find another of their numerous commercial breaks. When the award show was actually airing, it was shitty audio in a hotel room with Dave Groehl yelling into a microphone.

Why are all these musicians yelling in their music now?

Damn it, I'm sounding like a grumpy old man, but I guarantee Brit's new song won't be on MiPod!

Justin Timberlake's right: MTV needs more music videos.

Labels: Dallas Cowboys, Music, Television

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds recently released another collaboration, this time originating from Radio City Music Hall in the heart of New York City.

It has a different feel than Live At Luther College, which was an album I would enjoy with a beer in one hand, a cigar in the other, and a peaceful evening ahead.

The idea seems to be the same, but the 26 tracks aren't exclusively acoustic. The two mix in a little piano and electric guitar, but a lot less "davespeak." Personally, I like hearing Dave -- even if the words are ridiculous.

The album opens with a fantastic arrangement of "Bartender," which has easily become one of my favorite tracks released by the band. The lyrics are fantastic, and with the belief that Dave is speaking to God as the bartender asking for redemption, it adds a level of peace to the music.

Personally, I've never been a fan of "Don't Drink The Water" (which is a sin in the eyes of DMB fans), but this recording may finally bring me around. A lot of songs shine when performed in an acoustic setting, like "Old Dirt Hill," "The Maker," "Some Devil," and "Gravedigger." Dave and Tim have an ability to put an entirely new spin on music.

As far as Tim Reynolds, he performance as brilliantly as expected. It amazes me to hear the type of sounds that a guitar can make. His skills are well versed to fans of the Dave Matthews Band, but very underrated to the rest of the music world.

The drawback to the album, however, is the new music. "Eh Hee," "Cornbread," and "Sister" are three songs that have yet to be released, but are currently being performed on their nationwide (minus Denver) tour. Maybe it's my reluctance to change, but I wasn't impressed on my first listen, but this isn't the first time I've experienced this with new music from Dave.

I couldn't listen to Stand Up when it was first released, now I can't get enough of several tracks from the album.

The Dave Matthews Band has a history of releasing live albums with lots of recycled music. Some of it get repetitive, but performing with Tim Reynolds allows Dave to add a different spin to the band's music. For great song selection, a beautiful musical ambiance, and a different take on some of the Dave Matthew's Band's best, Live At Radio City Music Hall is a must-have for fans of good music.

Labels: MiPod, Music

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

Craigslist is fantastic. Last night, I posted several items from around the house online, and this morning, I've been overwhelmed with responses.

I placed a set of guitar pedals for sale, and received a call from a man named Frank. We talked for a couple minutes about the band he plays in, which is called "Funk If I Know."

Is there a better name for a band?

Maybe "Perpetual Groove," which is the name I swore I'd use, if I ever started my own band.

I love the creativity of musicians.

Labels: Music

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Maybe it was because our tickets were standing room next to the stage, but we left the Bon Jovi concert disappointed.

He opened with "You Give Love A Bad Name," and it got the crowd going. Then he mixed in a few of the classics, like "Bad Medicine" and "Runaway," but insisted on showcasing their new album Lost Highway, which I don't believe is very good.

The band sent mixed signals, by Jon Bon Jovi singing his tunes with a softer feel, while Tico Torres (the drummer) continued to bang away on the kit.

Confusing. Were they trying to slow it down, or rock out?

Either way, they performed "Dead or Alive" and "Livin' On A Prayer" for the encore, so we left on a good note, but it'll certainly go down as a concert I could have lived without.

Thankfully, we have Maroon 5 in October.

Labels: Music

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 7:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

I've found nothing in my past that has caused regret, but that may change.

I love listening to my grandmother talk about the time she saw Elvis Presley play in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and remember the first time I saw George Strait at the rodeo in Houston, Texas.

If I never see Elton John in concert, I'll probably regret that.

But if there's a show to have seen, I wish it could have been the Highwaymen. Four men -- Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, & Kris Kristofferson -- with four guitars; each one of them enjoying music, performing, and entertaining.

This video is great.

I certainly wish I could have had the opportunity.

Labels: Music

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments

I just saw the video for "Dreamgirl," which is an excellent track off the Dave Matthews Band's new album Stand Up, and is one of my absolute favorite songs. It's a great love song, and I think of Rebecca every time.

The video, however, is terrible, as are most of the videos from the Dave Matthews Band. Hey, they can't be perfect, right?

To make it worse, it stars Julia Roberts as the woman Dave is dreaming about. She is the most overrated actress in Hollywood. Actually, is she still in Hollywood? I haven't seen her in quite a while.

Please tell me someone came to their senses and stopped hiring her for projects.

I suppose Dave hasn't seen any of her movies.

Such a great song, ruined by a terrible video with a terrible actress.

At least I have a plethora of live albums to keep me occupied.

Watch the video below.

Labels: Celebrities, Music

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 1:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

Rebecca and I are watching Nashville Star on USA and I've finally decided that these shows aren't as harmful to the music business that I once believed.

While I've never liked the fact that a person can win a contest and get a record deal, a recent live performance on television by Hinder has changed my mind.

I heard them perform "Lips Of An Angel," and lead singer Austin Winkler was terrible. That was my turning point. There are lots of musicians that sound great in a studio, but terrible on stage.

If a band like Hinder -- who has a great album, yet terrible vocal ability -- can have a chart topper, then why can't someone from Nashville Star, or even American Idol?

Labels: Music, Television

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 2:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

My love for 80's music is shared by my fiance. Thank God!

Leaving Wal-Mart today, we turn on the radio, just in time for Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" to start. We turned the music up ridiculously loud and screamed the music life we were two 17-year-olds driving daddy's Lincoln.

Damn I love that music -- and I don't apologize for it.

Labels: Music, Rebecca

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

I think I have a new hero.

Like most of the free world, I grew up watching Full House, with Danny Tanner acting as a second father. It came as a shock to me (and possibly to you, as well), that Bob Saget's clean-cut character on prime time television, is nothing like his real-life persona.

I was introduced to the "real" Saget in the 1998 film
"Half Baked," in which he cameoed as a recovering drug addict who used to perform sexual favors on men for their product.
I'll let you search for his real line in the movie -- if you haven't seen it, you'll laugh your ass off.

Bob Saget has been reborn. Not only is he the host of the new NBC game show 1 vs. 100, but he's in a new music video from
Jamie Kennedy. While the rap leaves much to be desired, cameos by John Stamos and George Lucas add to one of the funniest three minutes of my life.

Take a look. You'll love it.

Labels: Music, Television

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

I've got a new favorite song.  You're gonna laugh.

The song is called "Alone" by Heart.  It's from 1987.

Okay, maybe it's not my favorite song, but hear me out.

I have one reality show crutch -- "Rock Star: Supernova."  Last season, it was "INXS," this year, it's a band of three -- Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), Jason Newsted (Metallica), and Gilby Clarke (Guns 'N Roses) -- looking for a new lead singer.

This week, facing elimination, Jill performed "Alone," and absolutely rocked the house!  It was, by far, the best performance I've seen on the show.  As a matter of fact, I have a hard time believing a woman has a chance to win this competition (including last season), but Wednesday night, she made me reconsider.

The criticism to "Rock Star" is the musicians aren't as talented as, say, "American Idol." 

I disagree.

It appears, though, that "Rock Star" seems to put their less-talented performers (bottom three) on stage more often.  To be fair, I only watch Wednesday night; they may work differently other nights of the week.

Personally, I prefer to hear bands covered, like the Stone Temple Pilots, Live, and Pink Floyd rather than pop-crap I'd hear on "American Idol."

If you get a chance, check it out.  You might be impressed.

Labels: Music, Rock Star

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 11:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

Last Friday night (7/21/06), Beaumont's Ford Park hosted the inaugural DudeBrahBrew Music Festival.  The lineup (in order) featured No Justice, Stoney Larue, the Randy Rogers Band, Kevin Fowler, and Dierks Bentley.

Obviously, Dierks was the star of the show, but Fowler was who I went to see.  If the show was successful (and I believe it was), Mr. Modern Day Drifter will host the show again next year.

Unfortunately, because I have no concept of time, I missed the first two acts, and what's worse is that I really wanted to see Stoney.  Oh well... there's always next time.

As the night worked itself out, Rebecca and I ended up with Matt Giardina, Amy Deaton, Brad Huckabay, and a few of Rebecca's sorority sisters (Alpha Chi Omega). 

Since beer was more expensive than it's supposed to be (and the only shit they'd be serving is southeast Texas redneck piss like Bud Light and Miller Light) I smuggled in a flask of Jack Daniel's.

Getting to the important part of the discussion, the show (that I saw) was great.  Randy Rogers Band was awesome, Kevin Fowler never fails, and Dierks Bentley keeps getting better and better, and if he's not careful, he'll soon be a superstar.

Then came along the fun part. 

Brad has connections within Stoney's camp, and mentioned that if we went downtown, we'd probably get to meet him.  It sounded good, so we decided we'd do that.

At that point, Rebecca went on to make a stupid decision.

Since we'd been in the 98 degree heat for four hours, Rebecca, Amy and I went to our house to freshen up and change.  At that point, my future bride said she was tired, changed her mind, and didn't feel like going out. 

I wasn't going to let this ruin my night, so Miss Amy became my designated date, and off to Crockett Street we went.

Pretty soon, Stoney showed up -- but not alone.  All the musicians were there, as well, and were all in the mood for a party. 

Since we were 'with the band', we got plenty of pictures, drank lots of beer, and I got the picture with Kevin Fowler I wanted -- I just can't show my grandmother.  Odis even had the opportunity to take in some of the action from Austin!

At one point, the DJ played one of Dierk's songs, and my friend Darin even had the balls to tell Mr. Bentley that "I hate this song."  If you know Darin, you shouldn't be surprised.

All in all, it was a great night, and certainly one I'll remember -- mainly for the music, the pictures, and the fact that Dierks, Fowler, and Stoney all signed my white Texas Longhorns hat.  I'm actually not really excited about that.  I love that hat!

We weren't really with the band, but it doesn't meant I won't tell my children that.

Labels: Crocket Street, Dierks Bentley, Friends, Kevin Folwer, Music, Rebecca, Texas Country

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 1:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

Guess who's coming to town...

July 29 at Cactus Canyon, the pre-sale is going on now for Pat Green!  I saw the billboard as I drove by. 

And as I've mentioned in the past, July 21 will have Kevin Fowler, Dierks Bentley, No Justice, Randy Rogers Band, and Stoney Larue at Ford Park. 

July'll be a good month for Texas Country Music. 

I hope I can find something similar in Denver.

Labels: Dierks Bentley, Ford Park, Kevin Folwer, Music, Pat Green, Texas Country

Posted by M. Derrick Davis at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments