Dead End or Three-Way Stop?

When trying to write a song, write what you feel. OK, but what about when you aren't even sure of what you're feeling? I try to write my feelings, but I don't know what is going on in my head. It seems to just be a hurricane of emotions and thoughts and dreams. The result is a lot of unfinished work and frustration in failing to be able to know myself. I've never been very good with emotions.

There are times that I get thrown into an emotional funk. I'm not quite sure what ends up pulling me out of it, but I always seem to come around. I can't wait until I do.

For now, I'm not sure if I'm at a dead end or a three-way stop. By that I mean, is my songwriting creativity over, or am I stopped while I determine whether to turn left or right?

3 for 3

I am very happy with the last 3 albums I have bought. They are: Brad Paisley's American Saturday Night, Darius Rucker's Learn to Live, and Jars of Clay's Long Fall Back to Earth.

Brad Paisley has done it again. A review I read in Billboard today said it well that Paisley knows what his fans want and how to give it to them. In my opinion, this album was toned-down slightly, much like Keith Urban's latest. However, it is still a great album. The songwriting is great - pondering who his son will grow up to be, the first meeting of BP and his wife, the blender bowl we know as America. There is even a guest appearance by his son, Huckleberry Paisley. There are a couple songs on the album that almost don't sound country, including the second track "Everybody's Here." Go buy this one.

The frontman for Hootie and the Blowfish has done what he has been trying to talk the band into for years. I heard on an interview a while back that Rucker tried to convince the Blowfish they needed to do a country album. But the Blowfish blew him off. Rucker showcases his songwriting skills, co-writing all but one track. Paisley even makes a guest appearance, playing guitar on one of the tracks. Paisley's producer, Frank Rodgers, also produced this album. You know it's got to be good.

Finally, the band that makes the music other Christian artists should be making. Jars of Clay upped themselves once again. While I have liked most everything they have done (partly because each album is so different), I thought Good Monsters was their best. Now I believe it is their second best. Musically, this album sounds like it could be played on mainstream radio. The musical creativity is there in abundance. They may not mention God explicitly in the lyrics, but should they have to? There are hints of Coldplay and Kings of Leon in the folds of these tracks. If you don't listen to any other Christian music, you should listen to this album. Check out "Closer" just for me.

It Really Is Therapy

I've heard writers say that songwriting is therapy.  I never understood what they really meant, but now I do.  With the last few songs (or partial songs) I've written, it's been some great therapy.

Keep on the look out for reviews of Darius Rucker and Jars of Clay in the near future.

This Thing Called Radio

I just got back from a road trip last night that took me about a week by myself visiting friends.  My trip took me from Nashville to Little Rock to Dallas to Houston to Waco back to Dallas and through Little Rock again on my way back home.  When I left, I took with me a large stack of CDs with me to keep me company (since I don't have the ability to connect an iPod to the stereo in this vehicle).

When I first pulled out of the driveway, like on most other road trips, I had the radio tuned to a local station.  However, instead of inserting a disc when the signal became weak, I simply hit the seek button.  I proceeded to do this anytime the signal got weak or a song that I didn't particularly like started playing.  Before I knew it, I had gotten all the way to Dallas without having a disc in the CD player.  By that time, I thought, "How cool would it be to finish the road trip without listening to a CD?"

While there were a couple times there were no songs I liked (or even knew), I got to listen to a very wide variety of songs.  I heard brand new songs, hits from a few years ago, 90s one-hit wonders, super (and not-so-super) singles from the 80s, and a load of classics.  All ingredients to a very eclectic collection for a road trip soundtrack.

So, for any of you heading out on a road trip, I challenge you to do what I did - forget the iPod or the road trip mix discs.  Take your pointer finger and point it towards the seek button.  And here's an idea: keep a list of some of your favorite songs that come on during your trip.  When you get home, make a mix of some or all of those songs.  It might also give you a chance to get to know your road trip buddy a little better by sharing stories of what the songs being transmitted through the airwaves mean to you.

Happy and safe travels!

I Want to Be A Rockstar

I have been asked this question several times lately: "What do you want to do after graduation?"

My response is simple - I want to be a rockstar.  Some have laughed until they realize I'm serious.  Others, especially those who know me best, know that I'm serious.

So, laugh if you want.  I know it sounds silly.  But I'm serious when I say it.  I want to play guitar, and maybe sing, for a living.  As a runner once put it, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure" (Chariots of Fire).  For me, I feel God's pleasure when I play guitar.

Some Reviews

Dierks Bentley - Feel That Fire

I am really enjoying this album.  From admiring the beauty in the world to running from the cops, from picking up girls at the honky-tonk to praying for girlfriends past, Dierks covers it all.  I have especially enjoyed the duet with Pattie Griffin on "Beautiful World."  Like Keith Urban, Dierks pushes the limits on country, moving more towards a rock/pop sound.  Two thumbs up.

Keith Urban - Defying Gravity

Some reviews of this album were so-so.  They said he was playing it safe; they said he could do better.  I agree - he could do better musically.  But at this point in his life, who cares?  He wanted to go into the studio, have fun, and let the world know what his life is like.  You get a good picture with this album.  If I need some happy music, this is definitely one of the first albums I go to.  Way to go, KU.

John Mayer - Where the Light Is

I must admit, I wasn't too thrilled the first couple times I listened to this album.  Once I began to listen to it for its musicianship, I started to really enjoy it.  Mayer demonstrates his commanding ability to make his instrument sing.  The boy just likes to play.  That's the kind of thing I like to hear.  My favorite tracks, you ask?  "In Your Atmosphere," "Good Love Is On the Way," and "Neon" definitely make the short list.  Sometimes Mayer rambles too much instead of singing and playing, but that's when I just hit the skip button.

Nickelback - If Today Was Your Last Day (Single)

I've heard this song on the radio a couple times, and I like it.  Call me crazy, but I've liked several Nickelback songs as of late.  This one is no exception.  Take a listen.  You can stream it on their MySpace.  What would you do if this was your last day?

Billy Currington - People Are Crazy (Single)

When you really think about it, people are crazy.  I know I am.  We all do things that we can't explain.  Humans are pretty weird, and Currington witnesses this when he inherits a couple mil from a man he met at a bar.  Granted, he didn't really inherit a million bucks like the song suggests, and I'm sure the songwriters didn't either, but it would be cool if it really happened.  Especially to us.

A Little Catch Up

It's been a while since I've written, and I apologize to the 2.5 people that have ever come across this blog.  Here's what's been going on:

This semester I began an internship (unpaid, of course) with 821 Entertainment.  It has been a lot of fun learning about making movies.  Those guys are a lot of fun with whom to work.  I work there every afternoon answering phones, doing research, running errands, proofing documents, and making copies.

Next on the list has been my paying job.  My boss' daughter tied the knot yesterday afternoon in a beautiful ceremony at Second Presbyterian Church here in Nashville.  That meant that I had to have the farm looking good for hosting friends and family this last week.  It was a busy couple of weeks and months leading up to the date, but it was also nice to have a day off on Saturday.

Between jobs, I had a few classes to attend.  While I am only taking 10 hours of classes (plus 2 hours of internship credit, equalling 12 hours to remain a full-time student), every class has group projects that required meetings whenever there was a free moment.

I have also begun to get something rolling for launching a career as a performer.  I have launched my own website - www.bradleyminnigan.com.  Well, kinda.  Right now it just links to my MySpace page.  I encourage you to go check it out.  There's a link to a free download of a song I wrote and recorded about 4 years ago.  The story behind the song is also on MySpace.  I have plans to have an EP recorded and available for download by the end of the summer or beginning of the fall.  Hopefully, if things go well, I'll also start playing some shows in Nashville and maybe up in Knoxville in the summer and fall.

I have some new music to discuss, but that can wait for a later date.  Come back soon to see my thoughts on KU's Defying Gravity, John Mayer's Where the Light Is, and Dierks Bentley's Feel That Fire.