Burd Bites vol. 3- Expanded Texas Edition
Everything is bigger in Texas. We went more in depth then ever before and bite off way more then we could chew. It paid off with the biggest and longest episode yet!
Joe here. This Texas exclusive Burd Bites requires some introduction. As befits a Texas themed article, there's a Texan sized intro. Enjoy!
Technological solutions are crafted to solve the need for speed. Making distances smaller and tasks finished quicker both have the commonality of speed. Get there faster. Get things done faster. As technologies grow, we get accustomed to the new standards. The wheel was initially a rare commodity. Distances and load carrying capacities were still measured by the raw capabilities of humans. As the technology grew more ever-present, the conceptions of distance and load bearing changed to reflect the new wheel driven norms. A joke is told that the first ever airline flight to offer in flight internet connection was a smashing success. It was hyped up tremendously by the airline, and people eagerly partook in the promised futuristic experience. On the inaugural flight, nearly everyone brought along personal internet accessible devices to take advantage of the new amenity. As the flight hit 10,000 feet, a proud announcement from the pilot welcomed the passengers to the new age. About halfway through the flight, the plane hit an unexpected patch of turbulence and the Wi-Fi was rendered unusable. Immediately, the customer grumbling began in earnest. Having delivered on the experience, even though a singular one unreplicable by any other airplane, the implicit expectation for working Wi-Fi was already firmly established. The hand of tech touches every element of our lives, and music is no different.
Aside from the myriad ways new technologies have drastically altered the very playing of music (Electric Guitars, Synthesizers, Sampling etc), the methods of distributing music have played an outsized impact in determining the norms of the industry. For example, our conception of ideal album length has shifted depending on the medium. Albums used to top out at 35 minutes because the vinyl simply couldn’t hold more data. With the invention of the CD, that old standard was rendered irrelevant. The average album nowadays is somewhere in the 50 minute range.
The advent of internet based streaming brought together audiences in ways previously thought unimaginable. Local music scenes had formerly been the lifeblood of musical talent. Individual areas developed specific styles and quirks that came to define the local sound. Coming from those areas, an up and coming artist was expected to have those influences and to pay homage to them. In hip hop for example, this led to multiple creative centers of the genre. East Coast (New York). West Coast (Los Angeles). Detroit. Atlanta.
Due to the underpinnings of tradition and conservation that play an outsized role in the genre conception of country music, the unique geographic and musical roots are especially recognizable. Banjo from African influence, Fiddle from the British Isles influence, Mandolin (originally an Italian instrument) in the Appalachian tradition, Polka rhythms from Germanic influence, and so much more even to this day provide the base for the sound of the genre. A variety of roots instruments and acoustic folk influences are noticeable in even the most pop oriented of country music and give clear identity and a sense of place to the songs. Even Sam Hunt or Dustin Lynch still place a token dobro or banjo in their otherwise straight-down-the-pipe outdated pop songs to give that required homage to the homespun traditions of country music. In a genre so insular- culturally and geographically- and self referential (like seriously, the constant shout-outs to older artists, especially in pop country is patently bizarre in any other genre. It is the equivalent of Imagine Dragons shouting out Elvis or Jimi Hendrix in a current EDM “alternative rock” anthem) plus the grounded and uber- specific geographical ties, it would seem possible that country music would be a bulwark against the technological and market driven trends towards shrinking localism.
Nonetheless, the ravages of localism that define the modern age have left country music reeling. The consolidation of the airwaves in 1996 especially contributed to weakening local influences. Radio has always been the dominant format in music, but for country music especially, it has been essential and long lasting. Radio still creates and defines careers in country music. In other genres, that ideal is a long ago vanished myth. Maintaining these powers structures in a shrinking landscape is difficult and mergers of weakened powers into impermeable colossi has managed to somewhat stave off the losses for now. With the smaller stations gobbled up by larger conglomerates, the local flavor of these stations disappeared.
In times past, for those later Millennial and Gen-Z readers, smaller stations served a distinct purpose. Smaller local artists, cashing in on local kid cache, would get radio play alongside the regular national hits. If the song performed well, it would get slowly added to the bigger stations and eventually would build up natural momentum. Upon seeing the local success, a big label or distribution company would reach out to the young artist and sign him in the hopes that this song and the artist behind it would become the next big thing. The semblance of this structure is still apparent, but it is a purely artificial construct buoyed up by cronyism and insider manipulation of big radio and labels.
Managing the transition to the new era has been messy. It is up in the air how the next generation of country stars will be discovered. Among the current crop of young country stars, all the various paths are being tested. Viral social media, nepotism, the standard ten year grind (songwriter, radio pushed number one, openimg acts for bigger stars, debut album etc), and many other approaches are tried. Nothing is clear, but for one thing. The old ways are dead. The structures may still seem powerful and existent, but the old saying how rotten trees look solid until they get struck with a simple blow and crumble could have been written explicitly about the mainstream country radio scene.
Amidst all the gloom and doom, a bright spot has emerged. As Nashville has ossified, a growing music scene in Texas has rallied and become the answer to the yearnings of many a dissatisfied country fan. Texas as a geographical mass is big. Bigger then most realize. An advantage of the size is the ability to host economies that although smaller in scale, are robust enough to self perpetuate and emulate the larger economics of the country. Artists can craft whole careers with devoted fan bases without leaving the comfortable environs of the Lone Star State. The scene is driven primary by local radio and live shows engendering close relationships with the fan bases from all over the state. The systemic differences and parallels to Nashville are interesting to observe. Nashville is very artificial. Many of the name brand artists, especially the younger ones, have little fan awareness or enthusiasm, but many number one radio hits. In Texas, although the music may or may not be your favorite, the fans have a real connection. If an artist is at the top of the Texas radio charts, it is emblematic of a genuine fan interest.
The scene is large enough to have multiple different iterations on a “Texas Sound”. Tejano artists in the Southern border regions meld Mexican rhythms and melodies with country storytelling and styles. The northern areas have a wondrous mixture of hard nosed honky-tonk and Oklahoman red dirt. Gritty Waylon Jennings reincarnate modern outlaw music on one hand and folksy Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark inspired Americana on the other. Texas has it all.
In this issue of Burd Bites, we wanted to open the doors to some local Texan artists who are slowly climbing into relevance along with some well-known names. It has been an adventure for me and Burd to learn about these artists and get a feel for where the Lone Star scene is holding. Especially with the slower release cycle of the past couple of months, dipping our toes into other scenes has been rewarding and refreshing.
Miles and Miles of You - Pat Green
This was my introduction to Pat Green, and as soon as he started singing, I was blown away by his voice. It isn’t really like anything that mainstream country can offer. It wasn’t quite as deep as Colter Wall, but sometimes it had that vibe. As for the song itself, it’s solid Texas country. I liked a lot of the small lyrical details. I think sonic wise it sounds a tiny bit bland, but that isn’t really an issue with Pat’s voice being so great
Final Score: 7/10
J- Pat Green is a Texas legend. In the mainstream scene, he is most well known for his 2003 hit, Wave on Wave. Straight banger by the way. He was among the first modern homegrown Texas stars to embark to Nashville, struggle, and get accused of selling out. Jack Ingram and others have went in a similar path and Cody Johnson and Parker McCollum are trying the transition now. Hopefully it works better then Green’s attempt. Listening to the glammed up pop rock Nashville music he put out, it’s not hard to see why the sellout narrative emerged. He later confirmed the obvious label influenced shifts towards radio friendly material (ie selling out) in interviews and lost some fans for that. Regardless, this is a great return to form from a long time Texas personality and I greatly enjoyed it. It has a great sound with brushed drums and atmospheric guitar notes that pleasantly extend, almost hanging in the air around you. Pat really leans into the vocal performance here. Reminded me of Brett Eldredge with slightly more edge and he really sells this gorgeously executed love song.
Meet Me in Texas - Palmer Anthony feat. Graycie York
This song is very pleasing to the ears. The harmonies are great, the hook is good, and Graycie’s vocals especially are amazing. I actually think this style goes way better with her voice than the rock-infused country on something like Texas Rain. The two singers’s performances were great, my only issue is that nothing really stuck out to me instrumentally or lyrically, but the harmonies and performances are just too great to ignore.
Final Score: 8/10
J- Give us a couple more songs like she has been doing, and Today I Heard may just switch over to a Graycie York fan site. This isn’t quite as good as the incredible Texas Rain or the somber Patsy Kind of Night but it’s a great addition to her growing catalog. The male duet partner takes the lead here most of the time and has a nice if unexceptional voice. Graycie pairs nicely with the rich vocal lines, allowing the space needed for the dual voices to shine.
Deconstruction of a Heartache - Amanda Kate
This song is straight out of the 90’s. Lots of personality, fun lyrics, and is just overall a jam. Heavily recommended for those who love 90’s country.
Final Score: 7/10
Settle for a Beer - Braxton Keith and Triston Marez
I pretty much have the same thoughts on this one as Deconstruction of a Heartache.
Final Score: 7/10
J- Just plain rollicking fun. Super shallow, but based on the title you could have expected that. Also, this song introduced me to Braxton Keith and I am quite grateful for that. His Neon Dreams EP from 2020 was phenomenal, especially the closing track Cold Hard Steel and Sand. Very worthwhile.
Therapy’s Good - Grady Spencer & The Work
I wasn’t big on this one. I didn’t like the mixing, particularly in the chorus. A lot of times it just seems like Grady’s voice is drowned out behind the instruments. It could’ve been the headphones I was using (I didn’t use my normal ones), but something felt off. It got to a point where at times I had trouble understanding what he was saying. I do think there is a good song in here somewhere though. I can definitely see people relating to the lyrics (the ones I could understand) and it had a pretty nice groove. I just felt like the mixing could use a lot of work.
Final Score: 4/10
Cowboy Constitution - Curtis Grimes
This is an absolutely beautiful song about staying true to traditions. I do think in the chorus there is an over-reliance on Southern cliches (going to church, etc.) but these cliches feel authentic enough. The song has a somber tone to it, which complements the use of steel and fiddle and quiet acoustics very well. The second verse really hit me in the feels, with the story of the guy who couldn’t afford his land anymore and was sad he let his grandpa down. This song could’ve easily fell into the "dumb southern pandering" category, but it contains so much more than that. Also, Curtis’s voice works really well with the classic Texas country feel of the song
Final score: Light 9/10
J- Grimes snuck up on me. He occupies the middle ground between the Texas country scene and the Christian music scene, so it’s unsurprising I hadn’t heard of him before. Considering on the same album as this, he had a song entitled Noah Built a Boat, the religiosity exhibited within was not a surprise for me. I do find it interesting, and maybe this is a slightly generational or geographical divide with Burd and myself, but I don’t immediately associate religious references with Southern culture. They feel more universal then specifically geographical. I find it interesting that was your instinctive association. This song feels like a successful version of Cowboy Scale of 1 to 10 from Cody Johnson off his most recent album. It’s a little more sentimental and maybe some would say maudlin, but it worked well for me.
Boy From Anderson County - Kolby Cooper
As someone who wasn’t really a big fan of Kolby beforehand, this one caught me off guard. I always thought he was just a worse Koe Wetzel, but this song really showed me a new side of him that I’d like to see more of. With this song, he tunes down the loud rocking guitars featured in a lot of his other songs and delivers an almost traditional Texas country song. In my opinion, the most important thing a love song like this must get right is sincerity. Luckily, Kolby nails that here. Great stuff.
Final Score: 8/10
J- Kolby Cooper has never interested me. The whole punk rock “country” scene in Texas does not work with me. Koe Wetzel, Austin Meade, Kolby Cooper, Parker McCollum, etc. all belong to a new sound emerging from Texas which melds bro country and punk rock in a mix I find altogether unpleasant. It also feels very misgenred. This song surprised me. Cooper delivers a very modern country rock song. The bite of the harsher guitars surprisingly contrasted well with the smooth steel running through the background. The Green Day shout out feels appropriate given the usual fare from Cooper. It’s a fairly paint by numbers, redemption narrative love song, but the specific details embedded in the writing make the storytelling memorable.
Y’all readers are in luck. Having gone so deeply into the Texas scene, we were slightly overcome with singles to get through. This Burd bites combined the two styles of posts we usually do here, reviews and deeper dives. In lieu of the standard first week of month deep dive post, I decided to have an expanded Burd Bites. Both because it allowed me the space to write extensively in the intro, and also to share more great singles coming up soon. I aim to get the back half of the January Bites posted within the week. Tristen (you may remember him from the CWG post) graciously volunteered to help us get through the backlog of single reviews.
Stay tuned for part 2!
Joe
This past month’s artists were Merle Haggard and Ronnie Millsap. I may write a small blurb about them in the second half of the Bites.
The artists for February are Alabama and Randy Travis. Both 1980s artists but each representing very different, some would say opposite, sides of the 80s sound. I’m excited.
Week 1- Mountain Music
Week 2- Roll On
Week 3- Storms of Life
Week 4- Old 8x10
The essential 6 singles playlist will be updated, but aren’t yet linked to in the spreadsheet. For the full schedule, click below.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EgqwFPPKAhKO9rOfG2RezlWAiTglvSp85c2Xsj-T2M4/