The purest form of love inspires us to find the best within ourselves; it causes us to confront and defeat our demons, so that we can show up better than we ever have.
Max McNown wrote about that type of life-changing love to create “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes),” from the forthcoming album Night Diving (out Jan. 24, 2025). The Billboard Country Rookie of the Month continues his scorching hot streak with an introspective pop-country ballad about rising to the occasion for the girl of his dreams.
“It’s more than just her alluring brown eyes that captivate him,” shares Max. “She imbues goodness and, above all, has a ‘heart of gold.’”
The release of “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)” is accompanied by an official performance video, which you can watch below. If you want to catch McNown live, you won’t have to wait long — his debut headline tour kicks off in January. However, you’ll want to get tickets fast, as dates in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, and other cities have already sold out.
The late summer sun was shining. Shades of sky blue and kelly green draped over the Canadian landscape, as I drove into Ontario by way of the Ambassador Bridge, connecting Detroit to Windsor.
I — and UMC — had never been here before. Not only did I find myself in another country, but I was there on behalf of this plucky little platform I started with a USB mic, laptop, and idea in my childhood bedroom 11 years prior. Surreal.
I still had a few more hours to go before I’d arrive to my destination: Cookstown, about an hour north of Toronto. Gussapolooza — an emerging festival for independent artists — was set to begin.
I arrived shortly after 5 p.m. ET, where I was greeted warmly by organizers and volunteers. After getting camp situated, I grabbed my camera and walked up to the festival’s dual main stage setup.
Suddenly, we were off to the races.
Throughout the evening, I found myself remarking at the talent and diversity on the lineup. It felt that, with each new performance, I had found my new favorite moment of the night.
Moreover, all of us in attendance were free and encouraged to create and enjoy it all. It became evident quickly that Gussapolooza is more than a festival; it’s a community that brings us back to the fundamentals, while providing meaningful opportunities for artistic expression.
Certainly, to build a career in this industry, there is a necessary emphasis on the business side that we all must embrace. However — if just for a weekend — Gussapolooza invited us all to drop the pretense, come as we are, and find unity in the art form that inspired our creative journeys.
Gussapolooza was here for another year, and it was ready to remind us why we do what we do.
Note: I tried to get to every performance, but there were a few I missed throughout the weekend, in the flow of things. If I missed yours, I offer my humblest apologies. Let’s make it up sometime!
One of country music’s modern-day stars took the 3rd & Lindsley stage in Nashville this week, gathering a few notable friends to honor a folk legend.
Tenille Townes headlined a sold-out evening celebrating the songs and stories of multi-time GRAMMY winner, Patty Griffin. The 90-minute set featured a variety of cuts from throughout Griffin’s revered 30+-year career, presented with the passion and reverence befitting a folk icon.
Townes was joined by an all-star lineup of special guests throughout the night. These included GRAMMY-, CMA-, and ACM-winning Ashley McBryde; Nashville-based Southern rockers The Cadillac Three; and rising country artists Caylee Hammack and Meg McRee.
San Diego power punks Blair Gun — set to release their new album, There Are No Rival Clones Here, in just a few weeks — are showing off their range on their new, folk-infused single, “Don’t Think.”
The new tune — in contrast from previous single, “The Thief” — is built on a rootsy acoustic foundation, letting the band’s Americana sensibilities shine, while not losing the fuzzy, gritty edge that we fell in love with in the first place. Thematically, “Don’t Think” inspires quite the opposite, making us ponder how easy it can be to let ourselves become entangled in situations that do not serve our higher purpose.
“I wrote it about how hard it can be for anyone to make meaningful change in their life, and how often we can all end up complacent in toxic situations,” said vocalist/guitarist Joedin Morelock.
Produced, engineered, and mixed by Eric Bauer, There Are No Rival Clones Here will hit your favorite streaming platforms on Friday, June 7. Get another taste below!
We can’t forge ahead without leaving some things behind.
Paige Davis examines this reality — trading love and the starry night sky for big city dreams — with her new single, “The Stars & You.”
“I had this idea when I first moved to Nashville—this is the first time I’ve lived in a city and not a small town. I looked up to the sky one night hoping to get some inspiration the way I used to and couldn’t see any stars,” Davis said. “I was thinking about how, up until that moment, whenever I was missing someone, I could always look to the night sky and find some clarity. For the first time, I didn’t have that comfort or reassurance. I brought this idea to some of my besties, and luckily, we were totally on the same page.”
“The Stars & You” is a warm summer night wrapped up in an ambiance not unlike early, pop country Taylor Swift. Davis’ earnest storytelling details the hard truth that comes with moving on, while also looking ahead to new experiences.
“My hopes are for people in a similar situation to connect with this song and understand that it’s okay to take the road less traveled,” Davis said. “Sometimes, that road can even lead you to some of the best experiences of your life.”
As you begin another week of pursuing your dreams, please remember that the journey is often more important and valuable than the destination itself.
Our friend Carlos Barata is back to reinforce that idea with “Please Know This For Sure.” This upbeat folk offering sways with positivity, as Barata (accompanied by special guest mandolinist Ryan Guillen) offers us perspective through the rigors of the creative grind.
“‘Please Know This For Sure’ is just a simple and sweet self-affirmation of those relentless pursuits of fulfillment, meaning, and connection we all have – despite the inevitable hardships, judgement, and rejection that might come along the way,” Barata said. “In my own experiences, a lot of beauty has come from trying, falling short, and going for it anyway. I hope this song resonates with whatever pursuits you’re facing now.”
Musically, “Please Know This For Sure” is well-crafted, both in its intricacy and in the way the sonic landscape supports the song’s message. The tune was tracked independently at The Music District in Fort Collins, CO, and mixed and mastered by Brooklyn-based engineers Kory Burrell and Jesse Morvan.
“On percussion, Brett Ross throws down an unexpected, Pleña-like latin rhythm on a pretty basic folk song that really drives the momentum and gives the tune a different flare that I just love,” Barata notes. “The Hammond organ in the second verse is intended to represent those moments of uplifting clarity we’ll get through the trials we face — the “a-ha” light-bulb moments.”
Certain events in our lives leave us searching for meaning.
Sometimes, they leave us only with “Questions, Chaos, & Faith.”
That is the title of Joy Oladokun’s latest single, released April 19. A stark reminder of the fragility of life, “as it “Questions, Chaos, & Faith” honors the memory of Oladokun’s childhood best friend, Casey.
“for those of you that follow me, its no secret that i’ve been sad. i have wrestled deeply with the ways my life has changed. as i was processing my current affliction in therapy, another instance of mourning came to mind—the passing of my childhood best friend casey. we were a pair. i was the weird immigrant kid and she was the fiery new girl with great music taste. we would trade songs and secrets every day after school. i even play the guitar because casey told me not to give up. i wrote questions chaos and faith in one take. sat in my home studio with my guitar and my feelings and let it out. today, i release it here in casey’s honor her birthday was a few days ago). i hope it heals something in you like it has me.”
Sonically, “Questions, Chaos, & Faith” is a brilliant soundtrack for the moments that leave us pondering our very existence. The track’s solemn, yet wondrous ambiance recalls the feeling of standing under a starry night sky, in the faint hope that the ones we’ve lost can hear our cries. A gentle acoustic guitar progression accompanies Oladokun’s vulnerable musings about the ways our modern world distracts us from the finite nature of life.
We couldn’t let you step all the way into the weekend without some new tunes, could we?
The three songs here — while all unique from a sonic standpoint — have one thing in common: they challenge Music City’s status quo. Whether providing commentary on Lower Broadway’s culture, or testing the limits of what country music “should” be, there’s plenty for you rebels to dive into this week!
Artist: Gloom Girl MFG Song: Batshitlorette Genre: Punk/Alternative Why You Should Hear It: If you’ve been to downtown Nashville, you can probably already tell what this one is about, based on the title alone. If you haven’t, well… we’re pretty much the bachelorette party capital of the world right now — for better or worse.
‘Lead singer Paige McKinnon says: “‘Batshitlorette’ is a dogfight. Picture the Greasers vs. the Socs, except make it the Nashville Locals vs. the Bachelorettes. In this song, we’re at play with the idea of local insularity in contrast with bachelorette party mayhem here in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a song that is both dead serious and absolutely absurd all wrapped up in an epic punk package. On brand with the EP, we can’t help but expand our grief and frustration beyond our city walls, and turn it into a bigger declaration: Ignore the future of our youth, and you will pay the consequences.”
Artist: Jess Antonette Song: Three Two One Genre: Pop Country Why You Should Hear It: Inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey, this sultry, smoky tune “delves into the theme of bold exploration of sexuality in a genre widely known for its reputation for more conservative ideologies.”
About the creative process, Jess tells us: “The weekend before we got into the writing room, I had just watched Fifty Shades of Grey. I was never interested in seeing it, but figured I’d give it a chance. What struck me was that I personally felt the soundtrack didn’t quite match the essence of the movie. When my co-writers and I got into the writing room together, I thought it would be fun to try something completely different from anything I’ve done before in my artistry. I wanted to take listeners on an unexpected journey, pushing the bounds, a topic that is not seen or common in country music. Fortunately, my co-writers were fully on board with the idea. I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous. Despite being outgoing and expressive, I usually don’t talk openly about my sexuality. Writing these lyrics with two of my platonic guy friends made for a ton of awkward giggling, but it was super fun. And no, I don’t have a ‘red room,’ but it was fun to play this character.”
Artist: Surtsey Song: Knot to Force Genre: Alt-Country Why You Should Hear It: Rich vocal harmonies, well-crafted guitar arrangements, and some beautiful pedal steel experimentation are the salient features of this prime cut of Americana. From their new EP, Nothing Doing, this is far from your run-of-the-mill country song, as it offers a well-read assessment of the human condition.
“Lyrical references involve the universal human experience of not forcing things that aren’t meant to be or out of our control, derived heavily from Alan Watts’ books, excerpts, and lectures,” said frontman and songsmith Joe Bassa.
Got something you think we should hear? What are you waiting for?! Shoot it our way, and you could be featured in an upcoming edition of Songs You Should Hear!
Love can make us fall into madness. Sometimes, it can even feel like we’re being buried alive.
That metaphor is on full display in Cole Gallagher’s new video for “Don’t You Know.”
The video — directed and edited by Andrea Jako — stars Gallagher opposite Alexander Karavay and Samantha Violet, who portray an outlaw couple who kidnap Gallagher, drive him to the high desert of California, and force him to dig his own grave. While most of the scenes transpire without a hint of remorse for Gallagher’s character, we come to find that one of our antagonists may have struggled with the decision all along.
The song itself — produced by GRAMMY-winner Vance Powell (Phish, Chris Stapleton, Jack White) and featuring current and previous 400 Unit members Chad Gamble, Sadler Vaden and Jimbo Hart — sets an ominous tone. Supported by nostalgic mellotron tones and gritty, blues-influenced guitars, we feel a downward spiral of emotion as Gallagher laments a failed relationship.
“‘Don’t You Know’ is a track that I have been waiting to release for a long time,” Gallagher shared. “At its core, the lyrics tell the story of one of the toughest internal battles I’ve ever encountered. This song was beautifully produced by Vance Powell, and the players from the 400 Unit somehow created a track that was both gnarly and smooth at the same time.”
Rock and roll is alive and well, as you’ll hear throughout the first half of this week’s UMC20.
This week’s compilation is frontloaded with a variety of electric guitar sounds and turbo-powered swagger. But, as always, there’s something for everyone this week. Americana lovers will want to pay close attention to the middle of the playlist, while pop, soul, and hip hop fans will particularly enjoy the latter portions.
And, as always, we’ve got some useful nuggets from that Official Podcast of ours waiting for you at the end. Check those out — especially if you fancy yourself an artistpreneur!
Track listing Another Dead Rockstar – 1985 (Can You Help Me) Gloom Girl MFG – Crimes The Mad Sugars – Lost Among the Avenues The Fever Haze – Last Night I Killed a Man JT Loux – look into my eyes Lurve – Run, Get Drunk, and Fall in Love Again Lone Tree – Miss You OPIATE – Lay Black Suit Devil – Passage Medium Build – Knowing U Exist Old 97’s – Somebody Travis Feutz – Utah The Flying Raye – The Ballad of Leslie Cochran Swamp Dogg ft. Jenny Lewis – Count The Days Annie Scherer – You Like The Blues Eliza Hardy Jones – Counterfeit Rex & The Rhyhtm – Umbrella Lindsey Lomis – Long Way Down pher, – moon Spence Brown – By My Lonely
