Meg Says Listen to This: “Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars”

It’s not very often that I post on a weekend, but this morning I was listening to the “Discover Weekly” playlist on Spotify, and I was all excited because there were a few songs I heard that I wanted to share with you all. Then it got to John Moreland’s “Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars.” I kid you not, tears sprung to my eyes. I know that seems like it happens a lot and probably isn’t something special, but I’ve never heard this song before. It didn’t strike me because there was some nostalgic moment buried in my memory that it had uncovered. It made those waves of emotion crash over me because of the pure beauty of this song. I immediately listened to it again. I searched on YouTube and there’s a version from a performance at SXSW in 2015. While it may be a little uncommon for me to post on a Sunday, I couldn’t wait to share this one with you all. I can’t believe it’s never graced my ears, and so hopefully someone else will hear that painstaking beauty when they listen too. If I try to break this down and tell you why exactly the song speaks to me so loudly, it’s hard. It’s something about his gentle voice, and I mean just listen to that picking…these three minutes and forty-seven seconds are dripping with talent. Then of course because I will always be a lyric girl…the lyrics. All of them. But especially:

Babe, I know this life will make you cold and leave you mad
Make you homesick for a home you never had
Burning out the good with all the bad

and

If I could make you feel the way you make me feel
I’d set ablaze the secrets we conceal
Babe, I know this world will have the wolves outside your door
Make you leave all that you love to fight a war

 

I was reading the comments on this video, and apparently he was on Colbert a year ago, so I’ve just been missing out. And my gosh…how about the lucky audience who saw him open for Jason Isbell in London? Talk about one night of amazing. Anyway, it’s barely 9:30 in the morning on a Sunday and I already feel like my heart is cracked wide open, but if it’s possible to imagine, I mean that in a good way. Hopefully you’ll check it out, and maybe love it too. (If you do, check out the version on Spotify too.) Enjoy the rest of your weekend lovelies!

Music Monday, Listen to This: “Hold On”

A friend suggested The Gospel Whiskey Runners to me a few weeks ago, and I swear I listened to this song on repeat for days. There’s just something…sweet about “Hold On.” At some point, when I can actually play real songs on guitar and you can tell what they are, I would love to play this one. For now, I’ll just sing a-long with every listen.

“Sail across the ocean blue, but I just keep on sailing home to you.”

I’m keeping this one short and sweet today, but for a Monday morning (or whatever part of the day you read this during,) I highly recommend giving this song a listen.  If you’re a fan of The Avett Brothers, I think you’d like their sound.

 

 

 

Turn It Up Tuesday, Listen to This: “Follow Your Arrow”

So guys, I have a new favorite singer/song writer/artist. If and when I ever grow up, I would like to be like this person because hello! full of awesomeness. Kacey Musgraves. She was born in 1988, making her a year younger than me, but you would never guess when you hear her poetic lyrics and talented guitar playing, and soulful voice. She is wise beyond her years, an old soul. Kacey is beautiful and gifted, intelligent and confident. Ohmygoodness. Blown Away. Basically I’d love to just feature every song on the Same Trailer Different Park album for twelve Tuesdays. The first time I heard “Follow Your Arrow” I was like YES! because it’s so refreshing to hear someone sing the truth. This could be my new anthem, y’all. When you live your life trying to please everyone around you, no one winds up happy because that’s just not possible. Everyone is so darn worried about what everyone else thinks about them and really? it just doesn’t matter. Thank goodness someone’s being real about it all.

“You’re damned if you do
And you’re damned if you don’t
So you might as well just do
Whatever you want”

 

My mom told me about this segment she’d seen on CBS featuring Kacey, so I looked it up over the weekend and my gosh! Be prepared because I definitely teared up. It was very cool to get a peek into her life in Texas, with her family, her guitar teacher (who also mentored Miranda Lambert!,) her earnest determination that brought her to where she is now, and the gratitude she has for all of it! If you can’t get enough of Kacey Musgraves either, watch this:

So, who’s gonna teach me how to play guitar?

Throwback Thursday, Listen to This: “Maps”

So, I know I’ve fallen off the grid (of blogging,) again. It’s been a busy week over here in my world, at least during the hours I typically blog. But hey I figured I’d drop by for a simple post, and share the other song that’s been on my mind for a Throwback Thursday lately. “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O makes it seem so simple to sing this one, as she belts it out all raw and confident. If you’ve ever attempted to sing along on Rock Band than maybe you know it’s not that easy? She’s talented, really talented. Plus, I feel like this song has the ability to hit that emotional chord like Adele’s “Someone Like You.” Maybe that’s just me? I always find myself singing along (albeit horribly,) and it’s like BAM! A wave of feelings. Lyrically this is a non-complex song, but somehow it just feels like it says a lot. Plus, that guitar opening? Gah. Just…incredible. This song came out when I was in high school, when I was sixteen actually and it was definitely a tune you put on repeat. It always got turned up real loud in the car, and we blared it from the speakers at friends houses while we sat in a circle on the floor, doing nothing after school. (Except you know, obsessing over music and getting into heated debates.)

“Wait! They don’t love you like I love you…”

Music Monday, Listen to This: “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)”

Good morning everyone! Over here, it’s “dark and ominous” outside, according to the radio. Well, it is dark but it’s Monday and if we start giving into the morning gloom now we’ll be doomed for the week. So skip that and forge on. Did you watch the Grammys last night? I for one enjoyed them a lot. I thought those were some of the best live performances they’ve had in years. Some pretty dang awesome musicians were getting some overdue recognition. Did you see John Mayer in that blue velvet suit? Ohh, Johnny.

Well, for some reason I was still thinking about it this morning, so in lieu of sharing a song you heard last night for Music Monday I thought I’d revisit an old Mayer favorite. It’s basically impossible for me to choose a favorite album or single song of his. It depends on the day, my mood, the weather – what strikes me. I will say there’s nothing like seeing this man perform live, regardless of what you think about his personal life, his talent is undeniable. So, here you go: John playing “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” from his album Continuum live at the Nokia Theatre on the Where The Light Is tour!