Kyle Turley - What Country could be.

This past Thursday I went to a rock show in Nashville.  What’s funny about that isn’t that a metal fan like me went to a rock and roll show; what’s really funny is that the show was performed by a Country artist.  Yes, I “technically” went to a Country concert, but it certainly didn’t feel that way to me. In fact, the whole band was more rock (and metal) than most Country sensibilities would allow. But that’s not the only boundary broken that night in Nashville; and it got me wondering: Is it even possible to remain a real Country artist when you do a show that extreme?  Well, if you’re Kyle Turley it is.

When Kyle Turley and Tim Pickett (President of Gridiron Records) invited me to Nashville to see the showcase, I knew I had to go. I had never spent time in Nashville but I kept hearing how cool it is. And since it takes about a tank of gas to get there from here, there was really no reason to miss the fun.  And I’m so glad I went.  Not only did I get a serious schooling in music done authentically, but I also made some new friends in the process.

Turley played five songs for the fans, record executives, agents, critics, and other industry people attending. I’d like to explain the show sonically in terms that a country reviewer would use, but I keep going back to metal classificatory terms which may or may not serve my purpose here. Basically, Turley kicked my ass. So there. I said it. I was impressed with a Country show.  And so much so that I am officially endorsing this artist. Fuck you if you don’t like it.

You might actually be impressed to know that the Turley band is made up of metal and rock musicians: Joe Fazzio of Superjoint Ritual, and Zak Godwin and Rob Ogles of Flexar.  And you might also be impressed to know that Turley is an extreme metal fan and has been all his life.  But what is most impressive is how Turley and his band have used their influences to reinvent a Country sound that is more than just some guys trying to sound Country. No, it’s a true organic evolution and a real representation of what happens when you let Country music happen instead of manufacturing what a pollster tells you is popular.

This weekend in Nashville I got to hang out with some of the coolest people on the planet (that’s a story for another time) and I got to hear some great music - some great Country music.  I can’t explain why this is not a typical review of a showcase, rather in some way it’s just a statement on how it all felt.  Before Katrina, New Orleans always felt like home to me. And since moving back to Alabama, I have had that sense of coming full circle; but nothing has felt like home faster or more gracefully than Nashville.  And in some way, the Turley show had a lot to do with that. 

Good Advice for the Sheeple

Yesterday I interviewed Kyle Turley on my metal radio show, Annie Christ's Metal Monday. At first, we concentrated on his music and his CD "Anger Management." We touched on his pro football career and the charity he raises money for. The last 15 minutes (or so) of the interview took a very different tone. Turley basically schooled us all on his beliefs and on what we need to open our eyes to. I was not expecting such an amazing and interesting rant from this guy. And whether you like his music or not, this is well worth a listen - especially if you care about what is right and wrong. I'd love to hear your comments. Do you agree with what Turley says at the end of the interview?

Listen to internet radio with Annie Christ on Blog Talk Radio

Annie Christ goes Country!

Yes, the title of this blog post was meant to shock you. (I was giggling when I wrote it.) Let me calm your nerves by saying up front that I am still (and will forever remain) a faithful and ardent supporter of all things METAL. \M/

Here's the deal:

Because I am from Alabama (and grew up in a trailer), I have what the folks back in the woods call "Redneck Credibility." This means that I not only can identify TRUE and GREAT country artists, but can also suggest them to you, my metal family, without impunity.

Usually, when I am forced to hear country music (when visiting family back at the double-wide or at the barn tacking up) I feel intense pain and sorrow. It's just so sad that something so vanilla and soulless gets put to music and sold to the mindless and the young. Getting a country song stuck in my head is like self-mutilation without the release. I've often wondered if they used that "Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee - it get's hotter than a hoochie coochie" song to torture prisoners at Guantanamo. If you've ever heard that song, then you know how effective it could be in "enhanced" questioning scenarios.

Anyway, I've already mentioned this artist in an earlier Friday shout out video. (You can watch it here.) Kyle Turley used to play pro football but now he is committed to his country music career. He calls his style of country "Power Country" and no- do not make the correlation to Power Metal. "Power Country" is Rock and Country but with outlaw and Metal sensibilities. It's recklessly dark, deliberately truthful, and refreshingly determined, oh, and it's nice to listen to.

Basically, it's what country music would be if it had a soul and a giant set of nuts.

Please friend Kyle Turley's Myspace page. You will see there that he is also a Slayer fan and has opened for Hank III.


And if you have any other Metal endorsed Country artists, I'd love to hear from you!

Kisses,
Annie Christ

Friday Shout Out Video - 5/7/2010