Dusitn Durham and Safari Road- This "Two Lane" leads to one great country sound

If I had a dollar for every time I did something for no good reason, I would be a wealthy man. I walk around occasionally in a daze, wondering where the time slips off to. Mind you, it doesn't bother me too much since I seem to be taking care of business. But, I have come to a realization that not slowing down long enough to see what is going on around me is what really bugs me. A while back Melissa and I met a musician named Dustin Durham. He writes songs, and plays guitar for Safari Road.
Safari Road is a local band from Bosque County Texas that writes, and records, and performs pure Texas country from the heart, all over the state. For no good reason one day I was reading some e-mail correspondence between he and Melissa and ran across a couple of his songs, one of them being "Bosque Country Nights". It hit me that I had been in the little town he was singing about. It brought back memories of campfire picking and howling at the moon near Bosque Bottoms. So I decided to listen to the next tune called "Nightfall", and I hear more small-town Texas. I spend most of my time trudging around the DFW area, and I find it therapeutic to get back to the dirt roads, and small country towns of rural Texas. "FM 219" is a song everyone can identify with. Weather it’s where you live, where you want to live, or what you like to do it’s all in this song. "In My Own Time" personifies the Texas broken-hearted blues. It reminds me of Merle Haggard, or Waylon Jennings. The raw and soulful lap-steel guitar, and direct to the point lyrics make you feel the drama of the moment. "Sunshine" is an escape tune. It’s the 4-o-clock office daydream. The "Man it’s just too nice a day to be working!" feelings everyone knows. Kind of makes me want to play hooky from work and head to Galveston for the weekend. The remaining tunes "Change Your Mind", then "Superman", "Famous", and "Around" turned out to be great songs.
Before I knew it I had listened to the entire CD. Appropriately named "Two Lane", it’s available at all the usual online sites, or at any of their gigs. The CD boasts the phenomenal talents of Bob "Slim Bawb" Pearce who produced and sat in, along with Dusty. The album was released on www.radiofreetexas.org in early March of 2012, and already has five songs among the top in Texas music. The hit "FM 219 is currently at #6. The words and music of Safari Road is soothing and unrefined, clean-cut and well-played. The entire collection of songs is honest Texas country in purest form. It’s good for dancing, drinking, or just listening to when you are cooking out on the grill with your friends. So, if you’re out visiting your favorite Texas venue and Safari Road is playing, just throw a little sawdust on the floor and watch the magic happen. Remember while you are listening to "Two Lane" and Safari Road, it always helps to slow down and revel in the spontaneous moments of life. I promise you will be glad you did.

Dale Arnold
Co-owner, Co-Producer
Texas Red Productions
www.hwy82musicreview.com

The Washers - "Tired Eyes" - A little texas band with a lot of heart

The Washers

Growing up around South Texas I had the opportunity to get to know many classic country artists who passed through from Nashville. I got to see many greats such as Waylon Jennings, Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley, Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, and many more. I never knew there was an under-the-radar movement of great songwriters flowing just below this limelight. Although many years ago it seems, I will never forget how it felt the first time I heard a song by Doug Sahms, Ray Wylie Hubbard, or Townes Vanzant. Many times I exclaimed, “What great songs, how come I haven’t heard of these guys before now?” It was a rush of well-being. Just like finding a forgotten twenty dollar bill in the pocket of your jeans. It felt exhilarating, almost like finding buried treasure. It seemed to open a whole new chapter in my musical appreciation journal.

 A few weeks ago I was contacted to do a music review for a band of musicians from the Houston area I had never heard of calling themselves “The Washers”. I didn’t know what I was in for but I agreed to listen and find the time to write some words of encouragement. When I contacted Matt Kopycinski back asking him for a few of his favorites from their newly released CD entitled “Tired Eyes”, I literally had no idea what to expect. What I heard took me by surprise and back to those days in the late-seventies when I discovered Texas Americana and the likes. The immediate feelings of, “Why aren’t these guys touring all over the U.S. in a Prevost bus, packing every show to the front doors?” came back along with a flood of good memories. I started listening to each song, and making mental notes, trying to be professionally critical of the music. Pleasantly speaking, I found myself liking everything I heard, and having fun!

 The tempos in “Two Left Feet”, and “Like A Gypsy Should” immediately had my feet tapping, and my head nodding to the down-beat. The songs are polished, and recorded flawlessly, upbeat and totally dance-worthy. Even their mandatory “Texas song” “Here In Texas”,  was not the usual, overly self-absorbed, we-know-everyone-wants-to-be-a-Texan, trivial expression. It rings of missing loved ones waiting back in Texas, and how there is really no place like Texas. Harmonic vocal forms, and great lyrics permeate the bodacious ballads of “Park Light, Drive”, and “Regret”. These songs ring with sin, and the excitement of doing all the wrong things and making them feel so right.

By far my personal favorite has got to be “Ashes”. Not since The Mavericks went their separate ways have I heard such a blues-y, crying steel guitar, coupled with dynamite lead licks, and pinings of lost love, and jilted romance. A hauntingly good reverb sound and a little slide guitar tie it all together nicely. I listened to it several times over just to keep the feel of the moment.

The Washers are some of the best new Texas talent I have heard in a long time. It’s fresh, alive, and young country to the max. The musical styles of each of these multi talented musicians meld very well together. I’m what you might call a fan at first listen, and I’ll be catching up with these guys in person real soon. I got a huge hankering to take my "Two Left Feet" and spend the night making lots of four left turns with my sweetie.

 Hey! What do you know, I just found a twenty dollar bill in the back pocket of my old jeans. Must be my lucky day!

Dale Arnold

Co-Producer, Co-Owner

Texas Red Productions

Music Review