I ran across this album in iTunes while searching for something else. It caught my attention first because of the title, and then the whole concept and the interesting glimpses available through the preview.
Check it out: The Bottle Let Me Down - Country Songs for Young Suckers. (At Amazon for those who aren't iTunes-enabled.) Nice play on words. Yes, it's a kid's album, and yes, it's got a country theme... but that's not a problem because you have an open mind, right? Besides, most of them are pretty mild and they're honest country songs; not that glitzy fake western stuff.
Figuring it was worth $10 just for kicks, I bought it. There are a few notable standouts in the album.
The musical:
- Sad and Dreamy, by Alejandro Escovedo - "I hit the big 1-0, I feel so old, candy just doesn't taste as good any more." Oh, life is so hard when you turn ten whole years old! The mournful tone reminds me of Nil Lara.
- Three Little Fishes, by Andy Hopkins & Jon Rauhouse - definitely a kid's song, but the refrain is catchy.
- Little Red Riding Hood, by Freakwater - surprisingly dark and sexy. "You're everything a big bad wolf could want." Rowr.
- Rubber Duckie, by Kelly Hogan - she's got a very sexy voice, on par with Stacy Kent, and this is a fun song which shows it off well.
And the silly:
- Godfrey, by Robbie Fulks - "Godfrey, the sickly unemployed amateur children's magician... he's got tricks you haven't seen." Whoa.
- I Am My Own Grandpa, by the Asylum Street Spankers - fast-paced familial silliness, served up in bluegrass.
- Funky Butt, by Devil in a Woodpile - "She got the funky butt, stinky butt... open up the window and let the funk go out." The laid-back New Orleans blues sound is actually pretty nice on the ears too.
