DISClaimer: Buddy Brown Offers Some Humor In Troubled Times With "The Coronavirus Song"

Buddy Brown

Name attractions on indie labels is today’s theme.

Brett James, John Anderson, Delta Rae, Dean Miller and Sara Evans all used to record for major conglomerates. Now they’re all here under their own steam, sounding as good as ever.

In fact, Miller snags a Disc of the Day prize for his new slab of sound. Pay heed also to Jenee Fleenor‘s tough little rocker.

Give a DisCovery Award to Buddy Brown. I guarantee he’s make you smile and provide you with a light-hearted view of the pickle that we’re in.

DEAN MILLER/1965
Writer: Dean Miller; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; DM
-Awesome. His singing has never sounded more resonant and powerful. The song is stirring, nostalgic, pulse-quickening and truth telling. Play it once and you are hooked completely.

JOHN ANDERSON/I’m Still Hanging On
Writer: none listed; Producer: Dan Auerbach and Dave Ferguson; Publisher: none listed; Easy Eye Sound
– This guy is one of the great country vocal stylists. World weary, yet hopeful and somehow sweet, this soars with echoey atmosphere. Lay back and let this superb production roll over ya.

BUDDY BROWN/The Coronavirus Song
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; BB
– It’s a YouTube video with this dude playing guitar and sitting on the tailgate of his pickup truck with Clorox disinfectant products and toilet paper stacked behind him. It’s country and cute as the dickens. The virus might not be funny, but the song is. There’s a follow-up, too. It’s called “I Got a Case of Corona.” This man is performing an important public service. I believe they call it morale boosting. Play and smile.

JENEE FLEENOR/Good Ol’ Girls
Writers: Jenee Fleenor; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; TuneCore
– The CMA’s Instrumentalist of the Year rocks out on this fiddle-driven quick stepper. Her drawl is charming as is the country name-dropping lyric. The recording session sounds like it must have been blast. Lend this lady your ears.

JASON ALDEAN/Got What I Got
Writers: Alexander Palmer/Michael Tyler Spragg/Thomas Archer; Producer: Michael Knox; Publisher: peermusic; BBR
– Despite her concerns, he swears he’s content and happy with her. The echo-chamber production helps what are otherwise fairly routine proceedings.

AVENUE BEAT/Ruin That For Me
Writers: Justin Ebach/Samantha Backoff/Savana Santos/Sami Bearden; Producer: David Garcia/Ashley Gorley/Santos/Justin Ebach/John Dennis/Salvatore; Memory Days/Curb Wordspring/Big Blue Nation/Indent; BMLG
– The female trio harmonies are as smooth as a Dairy Queen cone. The lyric is a girlie-survival treatise. Catchy, commercial and cool.

SARA EVANS/If I Can’t Have You
Writers: Barry Gibb/Maurice Gibb/Robin Gibb; Producer: Evans/Jarrad K; Publisher: none listed; Born to Fly
-Yes, it’s the 1978 Yvonne Elliman pop hit penned by The Bee Gees for Saturday Night Fever. Who can resist? Those boys sure knew how to craft a hooky melody.

ERIC ETHRIDGE/Dream Girl
Writers: Dan Smyers/Shay Mooney/Jennifer Schott/William Bradford Weatherly Jr.; Producer: Brian Howes/Jason Van Poederooyen; Publisher: none listed; EE
– She’s left, so now she only exists in his dreams. He sings well, and the well-crafted song has an excellent pedigree, as well as lotsa hooks. Ethridge is regarded as a promising up-and-comer in his homeland, Canada.

DELTA RAE/Only In America
Writer: Eric Holljes/Ian Holljes; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; DR
– This genre-defying sextet has released its first crowd-funded indie project, The Light. This political track from it shouts for Southern progressivism. It’s basically saying that it’s great that we’ve tackled segregation and women’s suffrage, but that the country still has a long way to go. The production becomes too busy-sounding as it strives to make an Important Statement.

BRETT JAMES/True Believer
Writer: Brett James; Producer: Brett James; Publisher: Songs of Brett, ASCAP; Ingrooves/Label Logic (track)
– This Music Row songwriting superstar (25 No. 1 hits) has also had a recording career at several points in his journey. His new EP drops tomorrow [Friday] and is titled I Am Now. The five-song set concludes with this touching ballad of reassurance and shelter, written for his daughter. It’s beautifully framed with an arrangement involving acoustic guitar and string quartet. His vocal is a soul-drenched with greatness. Essential listening.