Country DDS #510.1 (Classic Country).
One sign that a new era of country music is upon us is that the host performers who started out as street performers, train hoppers, and hitchhikers are now some of the genre’s most famous artists, and the overly-decorated This means that the song has received more support and attention than the original song. and well-rehearsed up-and-coming major label artists. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that true meritocracy has finally arrived. But there are now examples of people who started at the lowest rungs of the music world climbing the ladder to respectable sustainability and even stardom.
Charlie Crockett, Sierra Ferrell, and Benjamin Todd are great examples of this phenomenon. Technology is leveling the playing field, opening up the world to us as an audience, and permeating society as we capture on video the musical magic honed by performers on street corners for crumpled dollars. Satisfy your voracious appetite for true story stories. He had lived experience and was not influenced by the music machines of major corporations.
Benjamin Todd’s main effort, called the Lost Dog Street Band, is not what you would classify as a traditional country music project that seeks to recapture the sound and grandeur of the genre’s golden age. Rather, it’s a street folk and Appalachian strings project with a DIY punk attitude. Lost Dog and Benjamin Todd became more than underground heroes due to the coincidence of many people’s search for authenticity and Todd’s stubborn refusal to give up.
Throughout his solo career, Benjamin Todd has stayed true to his hobo roots, writing fresh, raw anthems about navigating tough terrain, severe addiction, poverty, and the struggles of mental health. All of this was serviced by a lo-fi spirit that was never superficial. messages and morals. It was blood on the vinyl. But it’s clearly not Shooting Star. Some of the stories are collected from the time he spent riding trains and traveling around the country. But this is his very intentional classic country music project.
Raised just north of Nashville and having spent much of his childhood in the city, Benjamin Todd is one of the few people who can claim to be a native of the city. He’s been in the business for about 15 years, and has seen classic country grow from an orphan kicking the can on abandoned Lower Broadway to the most popular product in East Nashville, the most trending product in town. We’ve seen sensitives and now even mainstream men hone their wildness. While the cool kids and posers did their best Brooks and Dunn impersonations, Benjamin Todd decided he wanted to join in on the chat, as is the case these days for true Nashville natives.
Rather than picking on a specific style or era like many of today’s nostalgic country artists, Todd instead expands on his wide range of classic country references by interpreting different eras across Shooting Star’s 10 tracks. I decided to show off my skills and knowledge. Helping in this effort is Andrija Tokic, a producer who understands not just the style but the seasonal nuances of country music better than anyone. He tends to be one of the guilty parties whenever a project of this kind comes out victorious.
From the Bakersfield honky-tonk of “Mary Could You” to the Western swing of “Satisfied With Your Love” to the countrypolitan of “Nothing More,” Todd offers lovers of classic country something to enjoy, no matter your tastes. It will give you something. But the message here goes beyond mere entertainment. Benjamin Todd sings on the chorus of the title track.
Music City is on the rise, but I’ve always been denied it. Caught between the railroad tracks and the gunAnd the gate is locked, I’m a stick of dynamiteAnd I have paid all my obligations so far. But I won’t kneel for you or anyone.
The irony here is that in recent years, artists no longer have to knock on the doors of Music Row gatekeepers seeking contracts. Now, when a performer like Benjamin Todd comes to this city looking for distribution, he does it from a position of strength and with a strong legion of fans already in his back pocket.
Benjamin Todd is not a crooner. He’s not fake either. He may be from Tennessee, but there was no heaviness in the way he spoke. Instead, his songs are quite strict and dry, which allows him to work well in the realm of aggressive and serious folk. In terms of playing classic country, this production may seem a little harsh and difficult to warm up to, even if you can’t help but admire him for not falling into false sentiment. yeah. Best of all, Benjamin Todd shoots straight.
Benjamin Todd is also a bit quick to give himself praise and a sense of superiority. But that comes with the territory. He takes stubborn pride in refusing handouts and shortcuts, and wants to make sure that every goddamn penny that comes his way is earned. He’d rather spin his tires at home in Kentucky than bend the knee in a suit on Music Row. Here he is expanding his Shooting Star repertoire after considering quitting a few years ago.
The album concludes with Sierra Ferrell joining Todd on the song “One Last Time.” This is the same as when the two met while hopping trains and busking. It is these experiences that have made their perspectives so intriguing to audiences and honed their performance chops in the most terrifying of furnaces.
Now, having finally paid their untold dues, the likes of Sierra Ferrell and Benjamin Todd can step into Music City, find the respect and opportunity their talents always deserved, and make their mark. You can get what’s yours while doing it your way.
1 3/4 Guns Up (8/10)
– – – – – – –
Purchased from Benjamin Todd
Buy from Amazon
