Patrick Thomas: Country's Latest Up and Coming Star

Patrick Thomas caught everyone’s attention when he belted out Tim McGraw’s, “Live Like You Were Dying,” in his blind audition for NBCs new hit show, The Voice.    You can watch it here…

***Due to copywrite infringements, NBC has taken down videos of Patrick's blind audition from YouTube, but you can purchase it on iTunes!***

Patrick has been singing since before he could walk and has never known another dream other than that to become a recording artist.  He is also an extremely gifted piano player, playing by ear (can hear a song once and play it back nearly perfect), teaching himself to play the guitar, and as a songwriter.  Patrick wrote his first song, “Sheppard” at age 9, already showing tremendous skill.  Patrick has worked hard to perfect his craft over the years and develop a sound that is uniquely his.  I don’t think I can give you a straight answer as to what his sound is, he has had offers to star on Broadway, held the lead in the Opera at Vanderbilt his sophomore year, and was known as the country boy on The Voice.  Patrick hopes to one day be a crossover artists, bringing a sound into the industry that has not yet been heard.  I think the ultimate goal is to achieve something on the Taylor Swift type where his music will be heard at on any radio station and can appeal to those with many different tastes.  Throughout the years Patrick sang numerous National Anthems, starting at age 9 for the Texas Rangers, the Dallas Stars, and the Dallas Mavericks.  After the Voice wrapped, Patrick decided to stay in school at Vanderbilt University (currently a junior) and has just recently signed a publishing deal with Brett James, country music’s current songwriter of the year.  There is much left in store for Patrick, and rumor has it he might be hopping on the tour bus with Blake Shelton to join him on stage as he finishes up his tour.  I have attached YouTube videos on one of his covers, “Colder Weather” by Zach Brown Band, and one of my favorite originals, “Waiting.”  Hope y’all enjoy and be sure to keep an eye out!

Cover of "Colder Weather"

  

  "Waiting" - Patrick Thomas                                  

"Own The Night" Hits the Charts!

So as I mentioned in my last post, Lady Antebellum’s newest album, “Own the Night,” hit the charts last Wednesday and if you haven’t already go snatch a copy up!  This group just has something special about them, releasing another emotional roller coaster of a record.  It will make you wanna dance and it will make you want to cry.  I guess I’m a depressing person because the two most heart wrenching tracks on the album, “Cold as Stone” and “Wanted You More,” are the songs I have constantly placed on repeat.  The evocative lyrics make it hard to pull yourself away from the music.  Only time will tell how “Own 

 Night” will fare in comparison to the 2011 Grammy Album of the Year, “Need You Now,” but I think it will live up to its standards.

I already attached a video of "Wanted You More," but here is the Spotify link to "Cold as Stone" if you wanna check it out: Lady Antebellum – Cold As Stone 

If you find yourself hooked on Lady A as I am, go ahead and give this song listen.  The song is written by my brother, Patrick Thomas, and fellow Nashville songwriter (Reba’s “Turn on the Radio”), Cherie Oakley, both from NBCs hit new show, The Voice.  It’s just a rough recording that my brother emailed me the other day but the lyrics sound very “Lady Antebellum” to me.  Hopefully they can record a good demo of it soon.  It’s called “I Will Remember This.”  Enjoy!

"I Will Remember This"-Oakley and Thomas

Lady Antebellum on Fire with 3 New Single Releases in the Past Month!!

The red hot country trio, Lady Antebellum, really took off last year with their multi-platinum album “Need You Now,” and their train has been power rolling ever since!  With their third studio album “Own The Night” set to release tomorrow, Sept. 13^th, the trio has been avidly promoting the new album.  Receiving a major last minute blessing from the album release gods, Lady A was asked to fill in for Mary J. Blige and sing the national anthem at the Cowboys game in NYC against the Jets on 9/11 (it doesn’t get much more high profile than that).  All eyes are now on the trio to see what the group that sang what is being described as a “beautifully simple and RESPECTFUL” rendition of the anthem, will do next.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWFlXKS73mA (Anthem starts at 2:35).

Releasing three new singles all within the past month, I wonder, does this all seem a bit rushed?  “We Owned the Night” (the single that the trio has been quoted as saying is the inspiration behind the whole album) was released on Aug. 12, with “Dancing Away with My Heart” coming out a mere 2 weeks later on Aug. 26.  Lady A fans received another last minute treat when the groups newest single “Wanted You More” hit the charts a week ago on Sept. 6.   When comparing the rate at which albums are usually released from one group, especially after a hugely successful album, this seems really soon for the group to release so much new music and a new album.  Taking the country and crossover music scene by storm, I have no complaints, and personally hope this starts a trend.  Who says you must wait several years after releasing a hot album to make new music?  Although it seems abnormal (singles are not usually stacked like this so to leave more time for a single to take off) I say keep it coming.  Lady A heads into their album release with “Wanted You More” currently at number one on the country charts and “Just a Kiss”—released back in May—still at number 5 on the charts; its looking like this album is going to be a huge success and the trio is not cooling down any time soon.  The songwriting skills and perfectly in synch harmonies never cease to impress.  Their sound is refreshingly light without feeling overproduced, as does much of the work currently being released by “hot” groups in the industry.  Lady Antebellum has created what I would like to call a refined country sound and has attacked the country/pop crossover market (everyone knows the song “Need You Now;” that kind of recognition is hard to do in country music).  Lady A has the gift of releasing music that is light and relatable, somehow managing to make each song feel as though it was written for you specifically.  I can guarantee that I will be one of the first people to purchase their newest album tomorrow and am excited to see how it compares to the success of “Need You Now.”  Their previous album had the perfect mix of somber ballads and rockin’, hopeful uptempos; can “Own the Night” accomplish this too, especially after being released so soon after their second album?  We’ll see tomorrow!

**Give their latest single, “Wanted You More” a listen here!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMORKMsAl20  

The Country/Pop Crossover: Duets

            The trend of creating something new and different in the music industry is always what the record companies are pushing…something people haven’t heard before; that’s what will sell.  In an attempt to accomplish this we see the definition of what exactly is “country music” become harder and harder to pinpoint.  New country has been becoming more and more pop with crossovers such as Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, The Band Perry, etc; but now we are seeing a new trend: the unlikely duet collaboration.  Lately I’ve noticed that a lot of the hottest duets hitting the charts are country duets not sang between two country crooners, but rather one country and the other singer typically pop.  My latest duet obsession is “Easy” by Rascal Flatts and Natasha Bendingfield. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDSCjmxO4T4

This collaboration is breathtaking and sang with such a powerful rawness of emotion.  I was shocked when I purchased this album to see that Bendinglfield had recorded with the country band.  While yes, Rascal Flatts is definitely of the new country style, I had not predicted Bedingfield going the country route, but in a way the two styles are becoming one.  With a song such as “Easy”, the melodies are pure country through and through, but having an artist without a typical “country” voice is beautiful and obviously very successful.  Another hugely successful yet unlikely duet collaboration is Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL-Oc4fqL9A&feature=related

Hitting number one on the Billboard Country Chart and staying at the top on the pop music charts is quite a feat.  While Kelly Clarkson might not be an “unlikely” duet partner; having previously collaborated with Reba on her song “Because of You”, her voice once again is not “country,” yet the result is amazing and still sounds country because the way the song is written.  These duets show the unlikely becoming all the more likely with huge support behind them.  “Bi-winning” you could say: fans win by hearing their favorite powerhouses duet no matter their regular genre, and record labels achieve much more play time with the pop stations playing the country guys and gals as well.  I say keep them coming!