Hoss’s July 2009 Hossey Award Picks
These are all the songs I’ve chosen for this month’s contest. I know thousands of independent musicians who are deserving of having their songs in this dang deal. So narrowing my picks down to just a few is always the hardest part of my month. Oh well. Such is life.
Byrd and Street – Standing in Stone (Buy, Dang It)
Booted from the contest after Week 1
This duo from the Austin, Texas area has outdone themselves with their new, very powerful CD, “Love Broke the Fall.” If you have any inclination to feel down about anything in life these days, please get your hands on a copy of this CD. It’ll cheer you up and get you thinking right. This song is the most powerful on the album.
Ed White – Nobody’s Ugly After 2 a.m. (Buy, Dang It)
Well, Ed White sent me this song and asked me to consider it for the contest. As you see, I ended up picking it, because I’m sure a lot of HossTheBoss.com listeners can relate! Great party song! Unfortunately, when I asked Ed to send me some biographical information along to share here, he never got back to me, dang it. So, I guess his song will just have to speak for itself for now. It’s a good ‘en.
Jessica Erin – American Girl (Buy, Dang It)
Booted from the contest after Week 1
Jessica is an up-n-comer who still calls Chicago home but has recently moved to LA to explore the music biz. Her website says we shouldn’t worry, she’ll always be a Midwestern Girl at heart. I was really glad to get her CD. This song is perfect for a patriotic month like July.
John Deery – Trail of Blood (Buy, Dang It)
The email that John sent me about this song says it all: “The story behind “Trail of Blood” is one of the best stories I’ve got. I wrote that song with Billy Joe Shaver. I was on a Southwest flight to Nashville to visit my brother. I happen to have the luck to sit right next to Billy Joe Shaver. We talked for hours and their was an old man in our row that kept telling us stories about being in WWII and about his family. The sad thing was that man was going to Nashville to be with his sister as he faced the final stages of lung cancer. The man ended up being taken off the plane in Nashville by EMS. Billy Joe turned to me and said we have to write this man a song.  Don’t know the man’s name or what ever happen to him. But we’ll never forget him.”
Katie Mariah – Patience (Buy, Dang It)
Booted from the contest after Week 1
I really appreciate the intelligence and beauty in Katie’s entire CD “Hit The Ground Running,” but this song stands out in my book for it’s poetic lyrics. I think I hear Katie establishing Patience as a metaphor for God. What an amazing idea?! Who needs self-help books with songs like this one. Katie is an American treasure. I hope the country appreciates her, dang it.
Ray Withrow – Stand on The Rock (Buy, Dang It)
Booted from the contest after Week 1
Ray Withrow is a good ole’ boy who spent his whole life acting crazy and workin’ hard and now is livin’ it up in retirement with his music. You can catch him and some of his favorite fellow pickers playing some good ole’ country and blue grass music at the senior center in Tomball, Texas every Wednesday afternoon. Sound like a heck of a life. Ray is a great — funny guy — and I’m really glad he’s among the great Americans who are keeping true country music alive. Listen for Ray’s new CD of bluegrass classics like this one coming just as soon as he gets around to finishing it. I can’t wait.
Rick Ryman – I’m a Believer (Buy, Dang It)
Rick Ryman is as American as they come! His small-town Ohio roots, time in the military, and stints as a radio DJ have made him just the kind of man we need to keep the age-old traditions of country music alive. A few years back, Rick landed a truck driving job in Nashville just so he could be near the music scene and maybe get a few songs recorded. Well, the result was his CD “Leg Man,” that has a lot of songs that give me confidence that the future of non-sell-out country music is in good hands with guys like Rick. This song, in paticular caught my attention because it made me realize that this classic rock-n-roll song probably should have been a country song all along. Brilliant cover! (Predictably, Rick reports that a lot of people in the “music biz” tried to talk him out of doing this song. I’m really glad he didn’t listen to them.)
See My Previous Picks