CMT salutes One Star Flag

We told you about our friends in Casey Donahew band in our review of Double Wide Dream. Now CMT is taking note as well. Their video for One Star Flag has just premiered on CMT. Congratulations to Casey and the band! We know this is just the beginning for you!

Song of the Week: How How How by Turnstile Junkpile

Hope everyone's summer is off to a good start. As you can tell by our light blogging, we've been enjoying the lazy days of summer as well. But we'll try to get back in the groove of things. To help kick things off, we'd like to share a band we recently discovered from the deep south - of England! Tunstile Junkpile is an alt-country band from London who describe themselves as "a four-piece band influenced by alt-country, sixties soul, southern twang, a healthy disregard for the ageing process, and the finest Polish lager that their corner shop sells." No matter how you tag them, we like them. We're especially fond of "How How How" from their debut EP Everything Is Cheaper Than It Looks. The song has an irresistable banjo and drum driven melody with some nice bass and harmonica thrown in for good measure. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear these guys were another great alt country band from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But knowing their true British identity, I detect the faint influence of Beggar's Banquet era Stones or Muswell Hillbilly Kinks. In fact if Ray Davies played banjo, I'm sure he would sound a lot like Tunstile Junkpile - and I mean that as a complement to them both. Like a Ray Davies song, "How, How How" has its share of cynical wit. Thumbing their noses at some unidentified son of privelege, they taunt, "Hey, hey, hey your daddy's gone away. Sixteen and boring and nobody wants to play." And if the message doesn't come through clear enough, they double down with, "It's time you realize your not God's only son..." They swagger through the rest of the EP showing off their self described influences of rock, country and soul to varying degrees. Although the EP may be "Cheaper than it looks," the music is every bit as rich as it sounds.

We Won! We Won!

Family Reunion is proud to announce that FAMILY ALBUM has won the

2012 ICMA Award

for

Country Album of the Year!

You can check out the entire ICMA Awards show on The Nashville Network. Our part comes in at about 1:01:50.

Thanks to all the fans and judges who selected us for this incredible honor. We are absolutely thrilled, humbled, and amazed!

Family Reunion steps out in fashion!

Family Reunion was honored to be invited to play live at the "Experience Music & Fashion" show at the Hard Rock in Nashville on Wednesday, June 6th. Sadly, we were not able to coordinate our schedules to play the event. However, several of our songs were featured during the show which highlighted the fashions of world famous clothing designer, "Manuel." The event was headlined by Phil Vassar and featured several up and coming new country acts. In addition, proceeds from the event are going to benefit the “I’ll Fly Away Foundation”, formed to bring music education and preservation to school and college students throughout the US.

Album of the Week: Uncle Bones by Mark Lucas

Uncle Bones by Mark Lucas is musical storytelling at its finest. The album opens with a southern fried version of the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (How often do you get to throw a Eurydice reference into an album review?) Apparently the lord of the underworld is in need of a new fiddler (after getting his butt kicked by Charlie Daniels no doubt!) So he arranges to steal away the new bride of the most talented musician in the area. Desperate to get her back, the fiddler offers his musical services in exchange for the release of his beloved bride. But unlike the Charlie Daniels face off with "Uncle Bones," this story does not have a happy ending. The second song continues the story fest with a variation of the folk tale of the girl whose tears turn to pearls. As you might guess, greed gets the better of those who are supposed to care for her and she is forced to make a tragic decision. Mark continues the expert story weaving with tales of a father bearing embers to the end of the world ("Carrying Fire"), and a widow who phones her husband's casket ("Pick Up") and even a Hannibal Lechtor inspired account of a killer who speaks in riddles ("Dragon Reel".) He does add touches of humor with "Everyday I Have the Greens" and "Grits and Redeye Gravy." All of the songs are thought provoking and mesmerizing. Luckily, he includes the lyrics for each on his website. Not to be lost in the magical spell of these wonderful stories is the fantastic, down-home music that permeates each story in song. The accoustic guitars, fiddles, and banjos set the perfect Deep South backdrop for his original Southern Mythology. He has been compared to Ray Wylie Hubbard (and rightfully so) and he compares favorably to Darrell Scott as well. When you're in the mood to kick off your dance shoes and really listen to some great music, this is an album you'll want to come back to again and again.

Happy Memorial Day: Song of the Week

Yes, I know you've heard this song before and yes, it's not even close to new, but this Memorial Day please take a moment to remember everything our soldiers sacrifice for our freedom. Thank you and God bless you to all our soldiers!

100 Stations and Counting!

Hey Y’all, Family Reunion is now getting airplay on over 100 US Country radio stations! Here’s some of our newest radio family: WXRO in Beaver Dam WI KXOX in Sweetwater, TX KWRE in Warrenton, MO If you’re in the area (either real world or cyberspace,) give ‘em a ring (or line of text) and ask to hear Family Reunion on their station. Thanks. We’ll see ya’ on the radio!

Song of the Week: Same Old Road by Travis Linville

Here's a song to help you start your weekend, especially if your weekend plans include any sort of roadtrip. Same Old Road by Travis Linville is a catchy, bluesy take on the nomadic life of a musician. Punctuated with nice guitar and harmonica riffs, Same Old Road rises above the usual life-on-the road lament by seeing the bigger picture behind the travelling metaphor. No matter what we do for a living, Travis reminds us we are all on a road trip through our own life. And as he rightly points out, "It's the journey that I'm looking for, it's not the pot of gold; I'm walking down the same old road." So no matter where you journey takes you, I hope it's filled with good friends, good memories, and good music - like Same Old Road!

John Rich helps St. Jude take a sad song and make it better

Country star, TV star, businessman, and philanthropist John Rich is putting his assets in the saddle to ride to the rescue for St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Having already raised $700,000 for St. Jude from his appearance on last year's Celbebrity Apprentice, John Rich is back at it leading a benefit concert to raise even more money. John and musical partner Big Kenny along with Kelly Pickler, Darious Rucker and Jeff Foxxworthy will present a kickoff concert to the 2012 FedEx St. Jude Golf Classic in Memphis, TN. The concert takes place on June 5th at the Cannon Center. For those who can't make the concert, you can still donate via the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital website. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. No family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives and, for every child treated here, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries. The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children.

Album of the Week: Tired Eyes by The Washers

From the first guitar notes of "Good Ol' Days" it's clear that The Washers' new album, Tired Eyes is not your typical Country album. It is unashamedly as much Rock as it is Country. Like the delicious taste combination that is a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, The Washers have combined two great musical tastes into one tasty piece of ear candy. From the Black Crowes' influenced "Everybody But Me" and the soaring guitars of "Good Ol' Days" to the down home "Couple Extra Dollars" and the unplugged "Park Light, Drive," The Washers move confortably and competently from crunchy guitar chords to melodic banjo lines. Much like Old 97s and Reckless Kelly, The Washers straddle that line between alt-country and roots rock with spledid precision. Splitting time between Country and Rock might leave some bands feeling like they're dancing with two left feet. But in the song, "Two Left Feet," The Washers sing, "I've got two left feet and they're bound to take me somewhere, take me to a place I've never known. Yea these two left feet sure did see a lot of dark days, but I'm proud to say I'm standing on my own." However you try to label them, they definitely stand on their own. Whether you're a country fan or a rock fan, if you like brilliant guitar work and catchy melodies you need to check out the Washers.