Todd Snider's plan is to get excited
Sunday, March 15, 2009 – Humorous country/rootsy singer Todd Snider is back with a label after going his own route. "The Excitement Plan" comes out June 9 on Yep Roc. Don Was produced the disc, which includes an appearance by Loretta Lynn.
"The Excitement Plan" is "an old gypsy term" Snider adopted from his father. He said, "I know right now that times are hard for all of us and that new songs from a folk singer are not at the top of so many grocery lists but these 12 songs are different. These 12 songs can be part of your solution. Just give them a chance. Take them in. Use 'em to help you appreciate your girl if you still got one, and/or your job if you still got one. Trust them, trust me and I promise you as god is my witness sometime here in the next 60 to 90 days we will be layin 'em in the sweet peas."
Yep Roc will offer a limited edition deluxe box set version of "The Excitement Plan" that will include a bonus CD, DVD, stickers and more.
Snider will tour throughout the spring including June 11th at NYC's The Bowery Ballroom and his first performance at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival June 14th.
More news for Todd Snider
CD reviews for Todd Snider
The Excitement Plan
It would be easy to assume that using a well-known producer like Don Was was meant to bring about a slicker, more refined Todd Snider, one with some of the rough edges burnished off. But Was takes a different tack, capturing the loose, easy going feeling of a live show. It's a vibe that suits Snider's story-telling, troubadour style. The minimal instrumentation never gets in the way of lyrics that ruminate on an oddball collection of misfits and outcasts.
There are some slight songs »»» |
The Devil You Know
Todd Snider isn't really about the next big hit or the immediate gratification hit. He's more subtle and thoughtful. You need to listen carefully to determine that he's really talking to our Commander in Chief on "You Got Away With It." He's anything but shy when it comes to political or social commentary here: "You never did tell me what happened with you and your brother down there in Florida/I heard they gave you a hell of a time/Everybody around here was »»» |
Near Truths and Hotel Rooms
This is probably the best way to absorb Todd Snider's music. This live disc has 23 tracks, but 7 are song introductions and 1, "Beer Run" is repeated. The music was recorded at a half dozen different live venues and on one radio show. The reason this one-man show is the preferred exposure to Snider is because he doesn't have a great voice, and he's not a great guitar player. But he has a warm yet acerbic wit in both his between-song repartees and the tunes themselves that sound more appealing in this environment. »»» |
Editorial: American Idol's Carrie Underwood can sing –
If anyone saw the Super Bowl – what a great great game that was – they would have heard American Idol winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood sing the National Anthem. Underwood did with her voice what Kelly Clarkson did last week with her written words – give it to Scott Borchetta, the head of Big Machine Records,, who tried defending Taylor Swift by knocking American Idol performers. »»»
Concert Review: McBride, Adkins shine sometimes –
As Martina McBride pointed out, the pairing of the country singer with Trace Adkins on their current jaunt was surprising. After all, she's of diva-quality voice, petite, non-controversial unless you call singing songs that empower women controversial. Adkins, on the other hand, has not been afraid to speak his mind with a kick butt attitude.... »»»
Concert Review: Eilen Jewell wears her musical hats well –
Eilen Jewell wears a lot of musical hats. The Idaho native, who now lives in Boston, fronts the Eilen (ee-lin) Jewell Band, a pretty much traditional country band. She's a member the Sacred Shakers, an octet doing gospel country with a country beat. And she has yet another project, Butcher Holler, covering Loretta Lynn songs.... »»»
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