I took a deep breath of relief when I closed the door to the office and headed home today. It was just one of those days – very stressful where I only wished I could have cloned myself to keep up with everything. My heart was racing from the stress, so I picked up my phone and tapped on the 104,9 The Cat radio-app.

It’s a country station from Albany, NY, that my friend Bianca and I tuned into the last time we were there – we used to listen to that station in our rental car. It’s just something about country music that makes it feel even MORE like you’re cruising in the USA. :-)

It didn’t take long until that soothing music made my heart rate go down. I could just breathe normally again. It’s amazing what music can do. You just need to know what to choose for every particular situation.

It’s fun with something new. Like discovering a type of music that I’m not familiar with. My dad was a big fan of Johnny Cash. I remember he had some well-played LP’s at home, that was traditional country music. I wasn’t that into it back then. The only country-record that I DID like, that was my parents’, was a LP by Nancy&Lee (Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood).

Lee had this super-cool deep “Marlboro-man”-kind of voice that I loved even back then, as a kid.

This song has been covered a million times – one that resembles the original the most, is this one –  featuring HIM’s Ville Valo : CHECK OUT THE VIDEO).

What I discovered, and liked, about country, is that many of the songs that I was listening to on my way home, had great lyrics. They were like personal letters, put to music. Topics that many people can relate to. I liked that. Here’s that one singer whose song I really liked, that got my stressed heart to go back to normal, Tim McGraw:

But every single song presented on the country radio was interesting or fun to listen to – like Kid Rock for instance. I can feel the summer vibe in this song so much – and also smile at the life he describes “when his hair was longer” – when we were all young and wild. Now when it’s still winter in Sweden (though heading for spring) I love seeing vids like this one and hear songs that celebrate summer and pool parties!

Then there is the HUMOR in country. There were plenty of those actually. But this I remember from out last visit to Albany… the guy who is good at nothing…. but he’s pretty good at drinking beer. :-) How can you not love a song like that?? :-))))

Last but not least – Hank III.
I was introduced to Hank III by my friend Kevin. I still remember him singing this particular song backstage in Oslo before a show, with his iPod on, looking very amused. We were all laughing.

When I visisted my friend Blackie in Nashville a few years ago, we heard that Hank was playing at this RIDICULOUSLY small, teeny-tiny BAR, and I absolutely wanted to see him.
Yeah. So did the rest of Nashville, we discovered…. Some people had been standing in line since early morning – and this was in the winter.

At first I was optimistic, thinking people had to leave sooner or later, so maybe the rest of us would get in…. but those that got IN were of course not going OUT so…. I just saw his BACK, cause the stage was right at the window, and heard a little bit before we walked to the next bar that had a less famous rockabilly-band playing. :-)

Crazy Hank performing one of his not-so-radio-friendly songs (go Google the lyrics!):

Some things in country music have similarities to rock/hard rock, I noticed. In some cases it’s the attitude, in other cases it’s the groove, the melodies and lyrics that could have made a great metal song if arranged differently.

There’s just so much music out there, and at times it feels great to just take a little break and step out from the usual music-frame that many of us are stuck in sometimes.

The apps are fun, I’m listening to something new every day, and it’s just so refreshing! :-)