Saturday Songs – Dec. 10

1. “Riding With Private Malone” – David Ball

A respected songwriter in his own right, Ball’s most famous song is not his own. This tune off his 2001 album Amigo, written by Wood Newton and Thom Shepherd, hit a nerve in the recently post-9/11 world with its patriotic theme and military invocations. The song, however, causes the listener to implicitly question the legitimacy of invoking the Vietnam War while ignoring the volatile political undertones that have historically been attached to the war.

The song, of course, was not written in light of 9/11 and obviously not written in light of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the horrors and difficulties of those wars have now thematically dug their heels into the story of “Riding With Private Malone.” Can we ignore those themes and treat it as an essentially harmless country song?

If I have one complaint with the song, it’s that you can hear the manufacturing process all around its edges. That’s not to say that Ball doesn’t turn in one hell of a performance; in fact, the striking performance is what really makes the song worth listening to in the first place. But you can feel the thought process behind this song: what kind of car should it be? what should the name of the soldier be? what should happen to the narrator? Like an awkward short story, the song doesn’t feel natural in the way that it should. Songs—like cars—shouldn’t ever seem like they came off the assembly line.

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2. “Heyday” – Mic Christopher

Just shortly after he had recorded his debut album Skylarkin’, Christopher, who had become famous as part of the Irish band The Mary Janes, died due to head trauma resulting from an accidental fall down a set of steps in the Netherlands. Christopher left instructions as to how his final recording could be improved. The final album, released in 2002, has since become a major influence on the folk and rock scenes in Ireland.

The lead track off Skylarkin’, “Heyday” is an acoustic lo-fi romp that sounds rough and unfinished, but somehow complete at the same time. Unlike, for example, the woefully incomplete sessions of My Sweetheart the Drunk left behind by Jeff Buckley, this album from Mic Christopher has a polish and a shine to it.

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3. “We Found Each Other In The Dark” – City and Colour

Perhaps the right way to characterize Dallas Green, the singer-songwriter behind City and Colour (City = Dallas; Colour  = Green), is as a Canadian Ben Gibbard. Not that being Canadian really has anything to do with it—being Canadian only has the disadvantage of slighting Green his proper audience. While there are a number of worthy Canadian acts who have found significant followings in the United States, there are just as many (more!) who have not.

Given the major slight that’s been dealt to Green and his music, it’s hard to know where to start: everything is good. I’ll offer you “We Found Each Other In The Dark,” the first track off of Little Hell, the latest City and Colour album.

Filled with warm piano lines and a smooth slide guitar, this song breathes like a Band of Horses tune…but it’s happy and not nearly so self-conscious of itself. Green is confident and sounds sure of himself such that nothing ever sounds forced. He’s a real talent to watch out for—hopefully he’ll cross the border and we’ll hear a little more about him down south.

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4. “L.A. County” – Lyle Lovett

One of my all-time favorites, Lovett’s slight ballad about a lost love ends up being so much more than you thought. But rather than ruin the surprise for you, I’ll let you explore the song on your own. Pay close attention to the lyrics!

Anyways, the entirety of Lovett’s second album, Pontiac, is worth checking out—especially “If I Had A Boat,” Lovett’s best-known song.

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5. “Bet Yo Mama” – Chuck Cannon

A very funny song from a South Carolinean songwriter, “Bet Yo Mama” revolves around the (somewhat tired) country cliché of offering up comparing an attractive woman with her (equally?) attractive mother. The different spin taken by Cannon here is that he offers insights into the rest of the family as well:

I bet your uncles and your brothers are big and strong—

I bet they don’t appreciate the way we’re carrying on.

They could probably whoop my ass if they was so inclined.

If they don’t understand they would have to be blind,

because your momma looks good too!


Download the song for free using the above link from ReverbNation!