Country Music Tattle Tale

Country Music Tattle Tale features Charles Wesley Godwin

West Virginia is far more than meets the eye. A native of Morgantown, singer-songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin paints a rich and honest portrayal of his homeland and its people with his debut album. Seneca is a moving snapshot of his 26 years of life and well-soiled roots in the Appalachian hills, a backdrop that has given birth to some of the most intelligent and hard-working people in the country.

When you partake in his gripping storytelling, it comes as no surprise that Godwin’s shared bills with the likes of Shooter Jennings, Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Luke Combs, Aaron Watson, David Allan Coe, Sundy Best, Waymore’s Outlaws and Nicholas Jamerson. Godwin is truly at home on stage and alongside like-minded musicians who go against the grain and shake up the status quo.

“This album will give people a really good look into what it’s like culturally in Appalachia. People have a way-off view from the outside of what we’re all about, what our priorities are and how smart we are,” says Godwin. The record is steeped to perfection in gentle mountain streams and a way of living that is surprisingly universal. Through earnest, sinewy craftsmanship, he mitigates the stereotypes that plague the state and reconfigures expectations.

“Coal Country” brings the listener into the reality of coal workers and their families with a sharp, warm humanity.

“This song, in particular, is not an attempt to make any statement about what’s right or wrong. It’s my best attempt to examine the current state of things. I wrote it in 2016. At that point, I was trying to put into words the emotion and reality of the way things stand. It’s not necessarily good or bad. It’s a little bit of both. I tried to give a perspective of what happened and what came out of it and how I see things playing out, for better or worse.”…..READ MORE

by Baby Robot Media

Country Music Tattle Tale Presents Charlie Overbey

Charlie Overbey may be a lifelong Californian, but his songs are steeped in the timeless traditions of the American South. After years of touring the world supporting acts ranging from David Allan Coe and Blackberry Smoke to Social Distortion and Motorhead, Overbey slowly amassed a collection of introspective original songs that transcend the endless rock & roll party, taking a stark, undeniably honest look at some of life’s most gritty moments. The result is Charlie Overbey’s new LP, Broken Arrow, which comes out April 20.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Overbey was exposed to country music early and often. It wasn’t something he sought out on his own—his father owned a 1947 Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar, and almost every time it was played, out spilled a Johnny Cash song. Overbey recalls these times fondly and admits they shaped his musical growth, though it took years of punk-rock rebellion before he’d come to appreciate the genre’s influence on him.

Overbey’s first success in the music industry came when his cowpunk outfit Custom Made Scare landed a deal with Side One Dummy Records in 1998. But before the band’s debut album dropped, Overbey went on the run from the law for months, finally turning himself in and spending a year in prison. The very same week he was released, the band hit the road immediately, and toured heavily into the new millennium alongside seminal punk acts such as Suicidal Tendencies, Social Distortion, Agent Orange, Zeke and REO Speedealer.

by Baby Robot Media

New & Noteworthy: Ross Cooper

Ross Cooper is the rare country musician who has actually lived the life of a cowboy. The former professional bareback rider was still bustin’ broncs when his music career began. Though a knee injury sidelined his rodeo career, Cooper drives a band like he’s still wearing spurs and holding on for eight. His new album, I Rode The Wild Horses, pushes country music way past traditional territory just for the rush. It’s the new Nashville sound: glimmering pedal steel, rollicking & rocking telecaster riffs, soulful keys, and gorgeous harmonies.

Cooper grew up surrounded by music taking piano and guitar lessons. By the age of ten he’d written a gospel song with his mom, and set his mind to playing guitar and a life of music. He’s been in Nashville for five years, but Cooper hails from Lubbock, Texas, the hometown of Buddy Holly, and Holly’s influence upon Cooper’s music is clear. Every country song rocks, and every rock song has an unmistakable twang.

A fan of both indie-rock and country-folk greats like Guy Clark and John Prine, Cooper draws largely upon small town life and the simplicity it affords. It’s this eclectic taste in music and his time in the trenches with other talented songwriters that makes I Rode The Wild Horses special. The sound of the record ranges from country torch bearers to dirty garage rockers, and from the first note you know this is something different.