Showing posts with label David Nail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Nail. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Friday, November 26, 2021
Monday, December 16, 2019
That Nashville Sound's Top Country Songs of 2019
Here are the rules by which this list was selected. It had to be released off an album that was released in 2019, is an independent release not on any other project, or is an already-released single off a to-be-released album. If the album came out in 2018 or before, it couldn’t be included- even if it wasn't released as a single until 2019. What resulted was an even-par number of our favorite 72 tracks of the year.
Looking back, there's some amazing songs that moved us more than all the others:
2018 – Ashley McBryde – “Girl Goin’ Nowhere”
2017 – Sunny
Sweeney – “Bottle By My Bed”
2016 - Jack Ingram - "The Sailor and the Sea"
2015- Chris Stapleton - "Tennessee Whiskey"
2014 - Emily West - "Made for the Radio"
2013 - Kacey Musgraves - "Follow Your Arrow"
2012 - Waylon Jennings - "I Do Believe"
2011 - Ronnie Dunn - "Cost of Livin'"
2010 - Joe Diffie - "Route 5 Box 109"
2009 - Dean Brody - "Cattleman's Gun"
2008 - Jamey Johnson - "In Color"
2007 - Miranda Lambert - "Gunpowder and Lead"
2006 – Johnny Cash – “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
2016 - Jack Ingram - "The Sailor and the Sea"
2015- Chris Stapleton - "Tennessee Whiskey"
2014 - Emily West - "Made for the Radio"
2013 - Kacey Musgraves - "Follow Your Arrow"
2012 - Waylon Jennings - "I Do Believe"
2011 - Ronnie Dunn - "Cost of Livin'"
2010 - Joe Diffie - "Route 5 Box 109"
2009 - Dean Brody - "Cattleman's Gun"
2008 - Jamey Johnson - "In Color"
2007 - Miranda Lambert - "Gunpowder and Lead"
2006 – Johnny Cash – “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”
Without giving much away, below, I believe it
important to note that four of the top five songs are all by women. Despite
what general country radio thinks, some of the most powerful songs and projects
are coming from the fairer sex and clearly deserve a better shake at being
heard to a wider audience. (Steps down from soapbox.)
The Very Best (1-10):
1.
Erin Enderlin – “Broken” – Much like the rest of her
new album (ranked #1 for 2019 by this very site), no song rips your heart out
like “Broken,” a story of giving up a child to break the cycle of
self-destructive family history. “A broken limb from a crooked family tree.
When you have got that kinda history, it’s hard to break free. When’s broken’s
all you know, it’s all you know how to be.” It’s poetic virtuosity. Timeless.
2.
Austin Jenckes – “Fat Kid” – Co-written and assisted on
vocals with Lori McKenna, this look back on growing up is as much looking
forward as it is in the rear-view mirror. We’re all insecure in our own way,
and that’s okay. “Ain’t life just like high school sometimes?” he sings in the
rueful chorus. “Probably sitting in the back of a cafeteria by yourself/Feeling
like a fast girl, a math nerd, the fat kid.” It’s McKenna at her very best and
Jenckes delivers it with a heartfelt honesty that drives it home.
3.
Hailey Whitters – “Ten Year Town” - This track is one for
the ages. Chasing one's musical dreams is a passion that is done for the love
of music and for every one artist or songwriter that succeeds, there are dozens
of others that are equally as talented (or more so) that never make it over the
hump. This track "Ten Year Town" is one of those songs that details
the trials and tribulations of chasing the dream inside Music City. It's one of
our favorite songs of the year and I implore you to take a minute and listen to
it. It's powerful stuff.
4. Ingrid Andress – “More Hearts Than
Mine” – This fresh new face out of Colorado hit an absolute smash with her
very first single. There are insecurities in bringing the love of your life
home to meet the parents and this song details all the excitement and fears
that rite of passage holds. Breakups can be so much harder than just getting
over that person. It's their parents. Their dog. Their friends. Andress
eloquently elaborates on how while she may get over a possible future break-up,
her family might not be so lucky. It’s brilliant.
5.
Madison Kozak – “First Last Name” – I discovered Kozak
first through the Song Suffragettes Monday show at The Listening Room- when I
heard her sing this dedication to a daughter’s father. “First Last Name,” pays tribute to a
father-daughter relationship. Not only did the touching ballad kickstart her
career by leading to a publishing deal with powerhouse company Big Loud, but it
also feels meaningful because it was Kozak’s dad who taught the Nashville-based
artist everything she knows and loves about country music. Growing up the
seventh child in a family of eight siblings in rural Ontario, Kozak’s Dad introduced
her to the greats — Loretta Lynn (Kozak’s first concert), Patsy Cline, Dolly
Parton, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash — and also taught her to play guitar
when he discovered she loved to sing. Full circle stuff. Remember this name-
she’s going to be a star.
6.
Cody Johnson – “Monday Morning Merle” –
Full of good old country music production and a heavy dose of sentimentalism,
Johnson name-drops artists that move him like Jackson Browne and the Eagles
before admitting that nothing quite matches a broken heart quite like “Misery
and Gin” from the late great Merle Haggard.
7.
Jack Ingram – “Sailor and the Sea” – One of our
favorite tracks from this Texan was this little-heard dedication to his good
friend and late legendary songwriter Guy Clark- about a story that he told
Ingram about riding out a hurricane in a boat.
"He told me a story about riding out Hurricane Carla, 1963, in the
bay at Rockport on a boat he had helped restore & was scheduled to sail to
Florida the next week. Hurricane Carla took out Galveston. It was a big one. He
anchored the boat out in the bay with 100 lb test rope. He tied 10 lines of
rope to the anchor, each one 10' ft longer than the previous. As one would
break there would be 10 more feet of line & the boat remained steady. Storm
passed. Made a few minor repairs & sailed the boat to Florida."
Symbolically, there might not be a better premise for a song and Jack delivers
a profoundly insightful dedication to Guy. "I loved Guy. I didn't need him
to but he let me know in ways he knew I'd know that he was glad I was in his
world. That felt really fuckin' good. He knew I needed that from him and he
gave it to me. Guy Clark took moments of absolute CLARITY and turned them into
songs that were clearer than the original moment." Call me sentimental,
but this ode to one of our generations finest songwriters who was lost this
year is one of our favorites track of the year.
8.
Aaron Lewis (with Jamey Johnson and Alison Krauss) – “State I’m In” –
Life on the road and the trade-offs that come therein is at the heart of this
song. “I lost my faith a long time ago/ Puttin' miles on this old road/ I lost
my family and I lost my soul/ 800 miles and one more show,” sings Lewis. The fact
that Johnson and Krauss sing background vocals on this one is just cherry on
top.
9.
Luke Combs – “Beer Never Broke My Heart” – As big boisterous fun party radio-friendly
arena-anthem drinking songs go, this one’s about damn-near perfect. It’s ear
candy that’s catchy as can be and is as representative of Combs popularity as
anything he’s released.
10. David Nail – “Oh
Mother”- Nail’s catalog has been criminally underrated so far in his career
and this latest title track off of his latest EP is another example of just
why. Nail has publicly dealt with mental health issues like depression and
never shied away from it. This track- a dedication to his mom about how she’s
not to blame- is a highly autobiographical and emotional deep dive into the topic.
The arrangement is equal parts haunting and stirring. “’Oh, Mother’ was a song
where the writing came very easily, almost as if it had been stirring inside
for some time,” says Nail. “I think it’s always been very important for me to
make sure that those closest to me didn’t in some way think they were
responsible for any of my mental health issues.“
The Cream of the Crop (11-45):
11. Midland – “21st Century Honkytonk American Band”
12. Randy Houser – “What Leaving Looks Like”
13. Vince Gill – “I Don’t Want To Ride The Rails No More”
14. Emily Scott Robinson – “The Dress”
15. Cody Jinks – “William & Wanda”
16. George Strait – “God and Country Music”
17. Mike and the Moonpies - “Danger”
18. Blake Shelton – “God’s Country”
19. Logan Brill – “Walk of Shame”
20. Miranda Lambert – “Bluebird”
21. Carly Pearce & Lee
Brice – “I Hope You’re Happy Now”
22. Tyler Childers – “Peace of Mind”
23. Jimmie Allen and Abby
Anderson – “Shallow”
24. Trisha Yearwood – “The Matador”
25. Little Big Town – “The Daughters”
26. Ashley McBryde – “One Night Standards”
27. Emily Scott Robinson – “Ghost in Every Town”
28. Cody Jinks – “Ain’t A Train”
29. Emily West and
Brennin Hunt – “Where We Began”
30. Jude Cole – “Partners In Time”
31. Jon Pardi – “Starlight”
32. Josh Kelley – Busy Making Memories”
33. Del Barber – “Every Day Life”
34. Jon Pardi - “Me and Jack,”
35. Mike and the Moonpies - “If You Want A Fool Around”
36. Austin Jenckes – “If You’d Been Around”
37. Gabe Lee – “Eveline”
38. Willie Nelson – “Immigrant Eyes”
39. Tanya Tucker - “Bring My Flowers Now”
40. Whiskey Myers – “Bitch”
41. Miranda Lambert,
Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack – “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”
42. Hardy – “Signed, Sober You”
43. Vince Gill – “That Old Man of Mine”
44. Erin Enderlin – “These Boots”
45. The Highwomen – “The Highwomen”
The Upper Crust (46-60):
46. Randy Houser – “No Good Place To Cry”
47. Cody Johnson – “On My Way To You”
48. Logan Brill – “Roar”
49. Midland – “Mr. Lonely”
50. Charles Wesley Godwin – “Here in Eden”
51. Johnny Cash and Sheryl
Crow – “Redemption Day”
52. Miranda Lambert – “Holy Water”
53. Riley Green – “Numbers On The Car”
54. Austin Jenckes – “Never Left Memphis”
55. Sheryl Crow and Chris
Stapleton – “Tell Me When It’s Over”
56. Erin Enderlin – “The Queen of Marina del Rey”
57. Chris Roberts and Ashley
Campbell – “Something To Brag About”
58. Trisha Yearwood – “When Lonely Calls”
59. Reba McEntire - “The Bar’s Getting Lower”
60. Jamie Floyd – Life’s a Party”
The Best of the Rest:
61. Stoney LaRue – “Hill Country Boogaloo”
62. Luke Combs – “Refrigerator Door”
63. Randy Houser – “What Whiskey Does”
64. P!nk and Chris
Stapleton – “Love Me Anyway”
65. Willie Nelson – “Nobody’s Listening”
66. Chris Jones and the
Night Drivers – “Own The Blues”
67. Sturgill Simpson – “The Dead Don’t Die”
68. Tracy Lawrence – “Work On My Willie”
69. Vince Gill – “When My Amy Prays”
70. The Highwomen – “Streets of Laredo”
71. Sheryl Crow and
Willie Nelson – “Lonely Alone”
72. Whiskey Myers – “Die Rockin’”
Sunday, July 15, 2018
A Master List of Country & Americana Albums Scheduled For Release In 2018
July 20
Lori McKenna/The Tree/CN Records-Thirty Tigers
Sarah Ross/Nervous Breakdown/Average Joes
Mason Ramsey/Famous [EP]/Big Loud Records-Atlantic Records
July 27
Kenny Chesney/Songs for the Saints/Blue Chair-Warner Bros. Nashville
Catherine McGrath – This Town
Cody Jinks – Lifers - Rounder
Various/The Music Of Nashville, Season 6, Vol. 2/Big Machine Records-Lionsgate Television Inc.-ABC Studios
August 3
Amanda Shires/To the Sunset/Silver Knife-Thirty Tigers
Lucero – Among The Ghosts
Jim Lauderdale – Time Flies + Jim Lauderdale and Roland White
Jim Lauderdale/Jim Lauderdale And Roland White/Yep Roc Records
Riley Clemmons/Riley Clemmons/Capitol CMG
Phil Wickham/Living Hope/Fair Trade Services
Dustin Collins/It’s Been Awhile/Average Joes Entertainment-DCDL Entertainment
August 10
Jason Eady/I Travel On/Old Guitar Records
Rhett Walker Band/Rhett Walker Band [EP]/Essential Records-Sony Music
Shooter Jennings – Shooter
Rhett Walker Band/Rhett Walker Band [EP]/Essential Records-Sony Music
The War and Treaty/Healing Tide/Strong World-Thirty Tigers
Liz Cooper & The Stampede/Window Flowers/Sleepyhead Records-Thirty Tigers
William Shatner & Jeff Cook/Why Not Me/Heartland Records Nashville
Various/Elvis Presley – Where No One Stands Alone/RCA-Legacy Recordings
August 17
Dillon Carmichael/Hell On An Angel/Riser House
Cole Swindell/All Of It/Warner Bros. Records
Buck Owens/Country Singer’s Prayer/Omnivore Recordings-Buck Owens Estate
Lydia Luce/Azalea
Joe Ely/The Lubbock Tapes: Full Circle/Rack'Em Records
August 24
Lucie Silvas/E.G.O.
Aaron Watson/Aaron Watson Live at the World’s Biggest Rodeo Show/Big Label Records
Devil Makes Three/Chains Are Broken/New West
August 31
Aaron Lee Tasjan/Karma for Cheap/New West
September 7
Ruston Kelly/Dying Star/Rounder Records
Mike Farris/Silver & Stone/Compass Records
Lauren Daigle/Look Up Child/Centricity Music
Kathy Mattea/Pretty Bird/Captain Potato
Larry Stewart/Shifting Gears/Independent
September 14
Asleep at the Wheel/New Routes/Thirty Tigers
Carrie Underwood/Cry Pretty
David Nail & The Well Ravens/Only This And Nothing More/One Five Sound
The Jaydees/Dandelions/WM
September 21
Amy Helm/This Too Shall Light/Yep Roc
September 28
Mandy Barnett/Strange Conversation/
October 5
Eric Church/Desperate Man/EMI Nashville
Will Hoge/My American Dream
For King & Country/Burn the Ships
Ward Thomas/Restless Minds/Sony
October 26
Rosanne Cash/She Remembers Everything/Blue Note
November 9
Kane Brown/TBD
Albums with "to be announced" release dates but presumed to be 2018:
Loretta Lynn - Wouldn't It Be Great (Sony Legacy)
Marc Cohn - TBD
Pistol Annies - TBD
Ronnie Milsap Duets Project
Crystal Bowersox - "Promises" EP [Pledge Music]
Damn Davidsons- TBD (GoFundMe)
Sam Hunt - TBA (MCA Nashville)
Julie Roberts- I Think You Know
Jack Ingram - An Album & Two EPs- Thirty Tigers
Jamie Lin Wilson - TBD
Aaron Watson - A Watson Family Christmas
Chris Roberts (Formerly of One Flew South) - EP
Terri Clark
Justin Moore
Sarah Buxton
Maren Morris
Garth Brooks - Live Album & New Album
Jake Owen
Deana Carter
Other Projects Rumored To Be In The Works:
Ashley Gearing - TBD
Blue Sky Riders - TBD
Breaking Grass - TBD (Mountain Fever)
Brooke Eden - TBD (Red Bow Records)
Candi Carpenter - TBD
Carolina Chocolate Drops - TBD
Catherine Britt - TBD (Universal/Lost Highway)
Chase Bryant - TBD (Red Bow Records)
Clare Dunn - TBA (MCA Nashville)
Clay Walker - TBA
Craig Campbell - TBA (Red Bow Records)
David Fanning - TBA
Del McCoury - Woody Guthrie tribute album
Drew Baldridge - TBA (Cold River Records)
Ego Brothers (Corb Lund, Hayes Carll, and John Evans) - TBA
Eric Paslay - TBA (EMI Nashville)
Gary Allan - TBA (MCA Nashville)
Haley Georgia - TBA (EMI Nashville)
Hayes Carll - TBA
Holly Williams - TBA
Jackie Lee - TBA (Broken Bow Records)
Jake Owen - TBA
James Otto - TBA
John King - TBA (Black River Entertainment)
Jordan Rager - TBA (Broken Bow Records)
Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice - TBA
Kellie Pickler - TBA
Love and Theft - TBA (Curb)
Lucas Hoge - TBA
Maren Morris - TBA
Mark Collie - TBA (101 Ranch Records)
Martina McBride- Christmas Project
Mickey Guyton - TBA (Capitol Nashville)
Morgane Stapleton - TBA
Noel McKay - TBA
Oak Ridge Boys - Dave Cobb Produced Album
Pam Tillis- TBA
Randy Houser - TBA (Stoney Creek Records)
Rick Trevino - TBA
Rita Wilson - TBA
Robbie Fulks - TBA
Rodney Atkins - TBA (Curb Records)
Roland White - TBA
Ryan Kinder - TBA (Warner Bros. Records/Warner Music Nashville)
Scotty McCreery - TBA (Label TBA)
Secret Sisters - TBA
Shooter Jennings - TBA
Steve Wariner - TBA (project with Duane Eddy)
Tanya Tucker - TBA
The Railers - TBA (Warner Bros. Records/Warner Music Nashville)
Thompson Square - TBA
Trace Adkins - TBA (Wheelhouse Records)
Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart - TBA
Trick Pony - TBA
Wesley Dennis - TBA
Whitey Morgan - TBA
Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Merle Haggard - TBA
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Saturday, June 30, 2018
That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes: Will Hoge, FGL, Lindi Ortega, David Nail, Randy Houser & More
- Randy Houser has a brand new single out as of yesterday titled "What Whiskey Does" and you can hear it here.
- After parting ways with his major label, David Nail is back independently as David Nail and the Well Ravens and has an outstanding new track called "Heavy."
- Kenny Chesney has a new music video for "Trip Around the Sun."
- Shot at Battle Tapes Recording in Nashville, "You Ain't Foolin Me" is a new live music video done for Lindi Ortega's brand new album Liberty.
- Florida Georgia Line have a new music video for "Simple."
- Last Monday, the Song Suffragettes did a group cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" featuring Michelle Pereira, Emma White, Candi Carpenter, Tiera and Caroline Watkins.
- Corey Smith made a new sentimental music video for his new song "Halfway Home."
- Jerry Wiggins, the second drummer in the famed Buck Owens band, the Buckaroos, has died. Check out KF Raizor's obituary here.
- That Nashville Sound favorite Will Hoge will have a new album out on October 5 titled My American Dream.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Sarah Buxton Back In The Studio Recording New Music
Long a favorite singer and songwriter from her fellow Nashville artists, Buxton is probably most famous from both her writing of the smash hit single "Stupid Boy" made-famous by Keith Urban and her debut Lyric Street Records self-titled album released back in 2010. On that critically-acclaimed record, she has singles "Innocence," "That Kind of Day," Space," and "Outside My Window" all make dents on the Billboard Hot Country charts. When Lyric Street closed in mid-2010, Buxton found herself without a label.
Since that time, she has been involved in other projects such as the duo Buxton-Hughes and a band called Skyline Motel. She's continued to actively be a sought-after songwriter in Nashville, Urban recorded another one of Buxton's songs, "Put You in a Song", for the 2010 album Get Closer. Buxton also wrote Big & Rich's 2012 single "That's Why I Pray", Gary Allan's 2013 single "Pieces" from his album Set You Free and The Band Perry's 2013 single "Don't Let Me Be Lonely" from their album Pioneer. In 2014, she co-wrote "PrizeFighter" by Trisha Yearwood and Kelly Clarkson, "Sun Daze" by Florida Georgia Line and "Fix" and "For Her" by Chris Lane. Her distinctive vocal styling has had her sing harmony and back-up on many a project including ones for Keith Urban and David Nail. And on the personal front, she's gotten married and had a couple of children since making her debut.
This site found enormous promise in her debut project and her resume is as powerful as any songwriter in Nashville. After Lyric Street closed, I've found her voice really is missed in the country music landscape and it's exciting to see that we'll be enjoying new Sarah Buxton music in the coming year or so.
Monday, December 5, 2016
That Nashville Sound's Best Albums of 2016
Before I get commentary about how we consciously exclude any modern trends or mainstream artists, let it be known that they represent on the list as well. But clearly the finest music being released thus far is far from the party-first summer dirt road anthems that are claiming to be more country than you. No, these artists are releasing deep lyric-first songs with drama. They make you feel. Pleasure. Pain. Happy. Sad. They tell stories that, like a great movie, run the gamut of emotions and make you stop and take notice. And there have been some fantastic releases so far.
Here's a list of our favorite albums over the last few years for comparison:
2007 - Alison Krauss & Robert Plant - Raising Sand
2008 - Lee Ann Womack - Call Me Crazy
2009 - Eric Church - Carolina
2010 - Zac Brown Band - You Get What You Give
2011 - Pistol Annies - Hell on Heels
2012 - Marty Stuart - Nashville Volume 1- Tear The Woodpile Down
2013 - Brandy Clark - 12 Stories
2014 - Don Williams - Reflections
2015 - Chris Stapleton - Traveler
There will certainly be some names on here that you don’t immediately recognize. I encourage you to track them down and sample some of their music. I promise you will not be disappointed in the least. Without further ado… That Nashville Sound’s Best Albums of 2016.
Indeed, the 12-song set, the Texas-bred, Nashville-based singer-songwriter's third longplayer, offers a potent mix of haunting emotional depth and resonant melodic craft. His insightful, infectious compositions and deeply expressive voice honor the artist's deep country roots, while transcending the genre's stylistic boundaries to incorporate a widescreen sense of drama that's anchored by his lifelong love for raw, gritty rock 'n' roll.
The resulting album, which the artist co-produced with longtime compadres Jeremy Spillman and Ryan Tyndell, makes it abundantly clear why Ryan Beaver has already been widely acclaimed as an artist to watch. Rolling Stone recently named him one of "10 New Country Artists You Need to Know," and he's received acclaim from the likes of Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves and Lee Ann Womack, with whom he's toured as an opening act.
The surging, anthem "Dark," Rx's opening track and emotional centerpiece, makes it clear why Beaver's work has generated so much excitement. A startlingly direct declaration of emotional perseverance, it's a powerful anthem of hope and survival in the face of loss and disappointment. A comparable level of emotional gravity powers such memorable tracks as "Rum & Roses," "Habit," "When This World Ends" and the stirring album-closer "If I Had A Horse." The artist reveals a more humorous attitude on "Fast" and "Vegas," and pays tribute to one of his creative role models with "Kristofferson," which he prefaces with a section of Kris Kristofferson's own "Jesus Was A Capricorn."
2. Brandy Clark - Big Day In A Small Town
3. Aubrie Sellers - New City Blues
4. Dave Cobb - Southern Family
5. David Nail - Fighter
6. Lori McKenna- The Bird & The Rifle
7. Jack Ingram - Midnight Motel
8. Jon Pardi - California Sunrise
9. Charles Kelley - The Driver
10. Brothers Osborne - Pawn Shop
11. Darrell Scott - Couchville Sessions
12. Margo Price - Midwestern Farmer's Daughter
13. Brent Cobb - Shine On Rainy Day
14. Kree Harrison - This Old Thing
15. Mo Pitney - Behind This Guitar
16. Aaron Lewis - Sinner
17. Frankie Ballard - El Rio
18. Bradley Walker - Call Me Old-Fashioned
19. Joey + Rory -Hymns- Songs That Are Important To Us (tie)
Joey + Rory - To Joey With Love (Soundtrack)
20. William Michael Morgan - Vinyl
21. Cam - Untamed (Yes, officially it was a late 2015 release, but it didn't get in the ears until early 2016)
22. Josh Kelley - New Lane Road
23. Buddy Miller - Cayamo: Sessions at Sea
24. Becky Warren - War Surplus
25. Sarah Darling - Dream Country
26. Jamie Floyd - Sunshine and Rainbows
27. Cody Jinks - I'm Not The Devil
28. Vince Gill - Down To My Last Bad Habit
29. Jenny Gill - The House Sessions
30. Henningsens - World's On Fire
31. Wynonna and the Big Noise - Wynonna and the Big Noise
32. Maggie Rose - The Variety Show Vol. 1
33. Cody Johnson - Gotta Be Me
34. Mark Chesnutt - Tradition Lives
35. Johnny Cash - Unchained In A Rusty Cage
36. Craig Morgan - A Whole Lot More To Me
37. Marc Broussard - S.O.S. 2: Save Our Soul: Soul On A Mission
That Nashville Sound's Top 100 (and something) Songs of 2016
Here are the rules by which this list was selected. It had to be released off an album that was released in 2016, is an independent release not on any other project, or is an already-released single off a to-be-released album. If the album came out in 2015 or before, it couldn’t be included- even if it wasn't released as a single until 2016.
Let us hear what you think. Anything we missed? Without further ado, here is That Nashville Sound’s Top 100 (and something) Songs of 2016.
Best of the Best
1. Jack Ingram - "The Sailor and The Sea"- Listen here - Jack released a fantastic collection of songs off his Midnight Motel album this year, but our favorite track from the Texan was this little-heard dedication to his good friend and late legendary songwriter Guy Clark- about a story that he told Ingram about riding out a hurricane in a boat. "He told me a story about riding out Hurricane Carla, 1963, in the bay at Rockport on a boat he had helped restore & was scheduled to sail to Florida the next week. Hurricane Carla took out Galveston. It was a big one. He anchored the boat out in the bay with 100 lb test rope. He tied 10 lines of rope to the anchor, each one 10' ft longer than the previous. As one would break there would be 10 more feet of line & the boat remained steady. Storm passed. Made a few minor repairs & sailed the boat to Florida." Symbolically, there might not be a better premise for a song and Jack delivers a profoundly insightful dedication to Guy. "I loved Guy. I didn't need him to but he let me know in ways he knew I'd know that he was glad I was in his world. That felt really fuckin' good. He knew I needed that from him and he gave it to me. Guy Clark took moments of absolute CLARITY and turned them into songs that were clearer than the original moment." Call me sentimental, but this ode to one of our generations finest songwriters who was lost this year is my favorite track of the year. 2. Jenny Gill – “Your Shadow” – Listen here - When your father is Vince Gill, perhaps the most-awarded singer in country music history, there’s a double-edged sword when you’re carving out your own career as Jenny Gill is doing. Name recognition is a positive, but constant comparisons and unfair accusations of “carpetbagging” are bound to arise. On this powerful and autobiographical piece, Jenny provides and emotional and raw look at this head-on. She covers the power of the musical compass that her father has laid out for her and the risks of being burned by the spotlight and not living up to the high standards the Gill name has in Nashville and beyond. It’s phenomenally well-written, providing a glimpse into what it must be like making your own name in a field in which your (last) name has already been made. As someone who followed his own father both in name and in career, “His Shadow” tells a story that hits close to home and tells part of mine as well. Incredibly, Jenny carves out a substantial piece of art under her own name out of a tribute to where she comes from.
3. Joey + Rory – “In The Time That You Gave Me” – Listen here - Joey’s tragic
death early this year has been well-documented by nearly every news group
across the nation and one of the feel-good stories of the year was the duo’s
album of hymns not only going number one in its first week of sales, but being their
first album to go Gold after just a few weeks of its release. But this track
isn’t off of that project. Released off of Rory’s emotional documentary film
released this fall about the birth of their daughter Indiana and the last two
years of his wife’s fight, To Joey, With Love, this soundtrack didn’t get the
attention or love it deserved. If you’ve seen the film or followed the story,
there’s a undeniable poignancy to this song that’s equal parts foreshadowing
and comforting as you hear Joey outline the days beyond her earthly ones. This
is why music is so powerful, at times comforting and forever reminding even
after the voice has been silenced.
4. Evan Webb and the Rural Route Ramblers - "Dry Up or Down" - Listen here - This talented band released a song and video that smartly describes the losses that small towns incur across the US when they're forgotten about after both physical and economic impacts hit the community. It's a poignant portrayal of dying cities and the despondency of the people that live there. The video that accompanies this haunting song was shot following the floods McLure, Illinois (pop. 400) and it brilliantly gives visuals to the gritty and honest lyrics.
5. Raelynn - "Love Triangle" - Listen here - Anyone critical of artists like Raelynn who end up making their mark through the reality television circus should take heed. Sometimes, dues are paid not by miles on the road or smoky bar rooms played but by life lived. This is one truly special example. RaeLynn wears her heart on her sleeve on this gut-wrenching ballad, co-written with Nicolle Galyon and Jimmy Robbins. The track underscores the impact her parents's divorce had on her at such a young age. "Sittin’ on the front step, little white suitcase, hearing that diesel 'fore it hit the front gate," she recalls on the first verse. "His headlights burnin’ down a Friday night. Southern Belle statue standing in the screen door watching her whole world head for an old ford with a man that can’t look her in the eye." RaeLynn then lays out all her emotions on the chorus. "Then I run...to him. Big hug, jump in. And I cry for her out the window. Some mommas and daddies are loving in a straight line take forever to heart and take a long sweet ride. But some mommas and daddies let their heart strings tear and tangle, and some of us get stuck in a love triangle."
6. Darrell Scott - "It's Another Day" - Listen here - Darrell Scott, one of this generation's best songwriters, convened in his living room back in 2001/’02 with bassist Danny Thompson, drummer Kenny Malone, and famed pedal and lap steel man Dan Dugmore. Together they recorded 14 tracks, (9 originals, 5 covers) live to tape. But those tapes sat collecting dust for fifteen years until Scott recently revisited them this year. Here, Scott channels his inner-James Taylor and delivers a song for the ages about mortality and what matters- and how its only our children, memories and musical legacies that carry on after we're gone. Just as he's done time and time again, Scott eloquently delivers a message of depth with a poets touch.
7. William Michael Morgan - "I Know Who He Is" - Listen here - Serious lists have serious songs on them and this ode to a dying father battling dementia is equal parts sentimental and emotive. It's a dedication in the best sense of the world- never sugar-coating a heartbreaking situation while devoting a full chest full of love for a parent.
8. Brandy Clark - "Big Day In A Small Town" - Listen here - No songwriter or singer has the ability of capturing the nuances of small town rumors, gossip, confession and the necessary truths of daily living than Brandy Clark. And no song does this better than the title track from Clark's genuinely fantastic sophomore album. It's community self-examination that's more likely to come at a psychiatrists office than a songwriter's room and its genius. It celebrates the hilarity of the challenges that the down-and-outers face with a humor, compassion and an ear for small details that's so difficult to do in just three short minutes. No one is writing a narrative for rural America like Clark right now and this funky track is damn near perfect.
9. David Nail (with Lori McKenna) - "Home" - Listen here - Out of all the male major label artists out right now, no one is putting out the quality and consistently terrific albums time and time again like Nail. The fact that he pulls in the elegant songwriter Lori McKenna on this self-analytic ballad about the power of your hometown. It's not about gravel roads, pick-ups and drinking beer. It's about sentimentalism and a landing spot for failures and successes alike. "It's where you're from/it's your oldest friend/ you think it'll forget you when you go but you know it'll take you back in," croons Nail. It's a beautifully produced track with a touching narrative and McKenna's harmony only adds to the timelessness.
10. Jamie Floyd - "The People You Knew" - Listen here - You may not know this fantastic songwriter, but you do know her work. Jamie is the pen behind Ashley Monroe's "The Blade." Floyd released a terrific EP earlier this year entitled Sunshine & Rainbows and this terrific song ranks as its very best. She took her very real heartache and turned it into a compassionate message of understanding. “It’s important to realize that you are not the only one who hurts this much," she told AXS.com. The lyric is painfully open: 'I don't even know where you are now/And you don't know what I'm thinking/Or what I've been through without you/We don't even know what we're missing/We let go but we didn't mean to/Oh when the people you know/Become the people you knew.'
11. Sarah Darling - "Montmarte" - Listen here - Unless you were a supporter of her crowd sourced upcoming album Dream Country, it's likely you haven't been blessed to listen to this song that whisks you away to the cobblestone streets of Paris. It highlights Darling's ethereal voice and is a powerhouse of a auditory celebration that fills the imaginary visuals in the corners of your mind.
13. Muddy Magnolias - "Take Me Home" - Listen here - Soul personified. That's the best thing that can be said about this beautiful track from this female duo. NPR says, "(Jessy) North and (Kallie) Wilson lean their vocal styles toward each other in a blend that isn't seamless, but rather mutually respectful: Trading runs and sharing high notes, they stand for a musical — and, by implication, personal — interconnection that keeps each player's home truths on equal footing with the other's." Here they call for the comfort of home with its muddy waters and whispers of memories with a beautiful acoustic guitar bed and towering vocals that showcase the ladies fantastic pipes.
The Top 50 - Narrowly Missing the Dirty (Bakers) Dozen (alphabetical):
Aaron Lewis - "Mama" - Listen here
AJ Hobbs - "The Bottle Let Me Down" - Listen here
Ashton Shepherd - "I Just Need A Minute" - Listen here
Becky Warren - "Stay Calm, Get Low" - Listen here
Brent Cobb - "Down Home" - Listen here
Brent Cobb - "Solving Problems" - Listen here
Brent Cobb - "Down in the Gulley" - Listen here
Brothers Osborne - "Stay a Little Longer" - Listen here
Charles Kelley - "Leaving Nashville" - Listen here
Cody Jinks - "Church at Gaylor Creek" - Listen here
Cody Johnson - "Half a Song" - Listen here
Craig Morgan (with Mac Powell) - "Hearts I Leave Behind" - Listen here
David Nail - "Old Man's Symphony" - Listen here
Dierks Bentley - Can't Be Replaced" - Listen here
Dolly Parton - "Forever Love" - Listen here
Drake White - "Makin' Me Look Good Again" - Listen here
Henningsens - "Texas Is a Woman" - Listen here
Holly Williams - "Settle Down" - Listen here
Jack Ingram - "Blaine's Ferris Wheel" - Listen here
Jamey Johnson - "Mama's Table" - Listen here
Jen Lane - "1st Day of Spring (in Saskatchewan)" - Listen here
Jenny Gill - "Whiskey Words" - Listen here
Joey+Rory - "I Surrender All" - Listen here
Jon Pardi - "She Ain't In It" - Listen here
Keith Urban - "Blue Ain't Your Color" - Listen here
Lockhart - "On My Way To You" - Listen here
Lori McKenna - "Halfway Home" - Listen here
Maren Morris - "My Church" - Listen here
Mark Chesnutt - "So You Can't Hurt Me Anymore" - Listen here
Megan Conner - "Love Me Slow" - Listen here
Miranda Lambert - "Tin Man" - Listen here
Mo Pitney - "It's Just a Dog" - Listen here
Phil Vassar - "Ballad of Pretty Mae" - Listen here
Randy Houser - "One Way" - Listen here
Randy Rogers Band (with Alison Krauss & Dan Tyminski)- "Look Out Yonder" - Listen here
Ashton Shepherd - "It's You"
Aubrie Sellers - "Liar Liar"
Aubrie Sellers - "Losing Ground"
Aubrie Sellers - "Loveless Rolling Stone"
Aubrie Sellers - "Magazines"
Becky Warren - "Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time"
Brady Clark - "Broke"
Brandy Clark - "Since You've Gone To Heaven"
Brandy Clark - "Three Kids, No Husband"
Brothers Osborne (featuring Lee Ann Womack) - "Loving Me Back"
Charles Kelley - "Who Gets Me"
Charles Kelley (featuring Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay) - "The Driver"
Charlie Daniels Band - "Nighthawk"
Charlie Daniels Band - "Old Chisolm Trail"
Church Sisters - "7 Years"
Cody Jinks - "Give All You Can"
Cody Johnson - "The Only One I Know"
Darrell Scott - "Big River"
Darrell Scott - "Down To The River"
David Nail - "Babies"
David Nail - "Fighter"
David Nail - "In The Ghetto"
David Nail (featuring Brothers Osborne) - "Good at Tonight"
Dierks Bentley (featuring Elle King) - "Different for Girls"
Dierks Bentley (featuring Maren Morris) - "I'll Be The Moon"
Dolly Parton - "Can't Be That Wrong"
Frankie Ballard - "Wasting Time"
Garth Brooks - "He Really Loves You"
Heather Rankin (featuring The Rankin Family) - "We Walk As One"
Henningsens - "Hank"
Jack Ingram - "Champions of the World"
Jen Lane - "Fools"
Jon Pardi - "All Time High"
Jon Pardi - "California Sunrise"
Kree Harrison - "How To Dance"
Kree Harrison - "The Time I've Wasted"
Kree Harrison - "This Old Thing"
LOCASH - "The Fighter"
Lori McKenna - "Giving Up On Your Hometown"
Maggie Rose - "Broken"
Mathew Mayfield - "History"
Megan Conner - "Aftermath"
Miranda Lambert - "Highway Vagabonds"
Mo Pitney - "I Met Merle Haggard Today"
Randy Rogers Band - "The Things I Need To Quit"
Ryan Beaver - "Vegas"
Sarah Darling - "Tell That Devil"
Vince Gill - "One More Mistake I Made"
William Michael Morgan - "Backseat Driver"
William Michael Morgan - "Lonesomeville"
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