Album Review: No Time Flatt's "Calling After Me"
The first time I heard No Time Flatt perform was at the inaugural Tennessee Music Awards event. All five members of the ensemble (Kevin Wright, Patrick Cupples, Becky Weaver, Kevin Keene, and Steve Moore) lined up on stage, each with a microphone in hand, and proceeded to deliver the most beautiful harmonies. They performed to an enthusiastic crowd, who enjoyed the familiar songs and bluegrass twang.
This past August, No Time Flatt released a new album of both original songs and covers: Calling After Me. After having enjoyed their live performance, I was looking forward to hearing No Time Flatt on their record.
Calling After Me opens with a cover of Jim Croce’s “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song.” Being used to the understated original version, I’ll admit that hearing the song as a bluegrass tune was a little jarring at first. However, the excellent vocals conveyed the proper tone of the song, and by the end of it I was singing along. I think that’s where No Time Flatt’s speciality lies—their powerful vocals are infectious, and whoever is listening to them will inevitably find their feet tapping to the beat.
The album’s fifth track, “I’ve Lived A Lot In My Time,” reminds me of the genre of outlaw country and singers like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The original song was written by Jim Reeves, a “Nashville sound” country singer, but I couldn’t help but think about “Mama Tried” by Merle Haggard when I heard No Time Flatt’s take on it. The lyrics include references to fighting “the Grim Reaper down in the dark valley” and looking through “the bars of a cold, lonely prison.” The song’s narrator is one who’s seen and done it all, and the quick, upbeat music carries the listener through the story without pause.
“I think that’s where No Time Flatt’s speciality lies—their powerful vocals are infectious, and whoever is listening to them will inevitably find their feet tapping to the beat.”
“Calling After Me,” the album’s title track, is another great storytelling song; this time, No Time Flatt takes on the narrative of a Civil War soldier reflecting on the battlefield. The song was written by bassist Patrick Cupples and sung by guitarist Kevin Wright. It’s a somber take on the war, with the soldier seemingly hearing his mother calling for him in what may be his final moments. Even so, the banjo’s steady melody will stay with you long after the song ends.
Other notable songs on Calling After Me include “Ten Plagues,” a ballad about Moses and Pharoah, and “Whiskey & Tears,” the album’s fast-paced closer. Calling After Me is available on AirPlay Direct, Spotify, Google Play, iTunes, Amazon, and most other digital outlets. If you enjoy a classic bluegrass sound with a modern twist, check out No Time Flatt. They’ll have you singing and dancing along in no time.
Learn more about No Time Flatt on their website.
Originally from Medon, Tennessee, Olivia Chin is the Circulation Manager at the Union University Library. Her best Halloween costumes (so far) have been David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. Her favorite hobbies include drinking local coffee, reading true crime novels, and going to emo concerts with her husband.
Photography provided by No Time Flatt.
Music is something that has forever been woven into the culture of Jackson. While Carl Perkins and the Rockabilly sound are what most people think of first, that staccato rhythm and piano twang is only a part of what Jackson’s music scene was and is. The musical talent that Jackson has produced — from Full Devil Jacket to Erin Rae to LOLO — is as diverse as the community. The problem, though, is that Jackson never had an infrastructure to develop that talent. At least not until now.
However one might choose to gauge her, Lauren Pritchard, who goes by the stage name LOLO, does not situate comfortably into the traditional West Tennessee templates assigned to a middle class white girl. The church choir, theatre class, prom-going standards simply don’t work.
The first time I heard No Time Flatt perform was at the inaugural Tennessee Music Awards event. All five members of the ensemble (Kevin Wright, Patrick Cupples, Becky Weaver, Kevin Keene, and Steve Moore) lined up on stage, each with a microphone in hand, and proceeded to deliver the most beautiful harmonies. They performed to an enthusiastic crowd, who enjoyed the familiar songs and bluegrass twang. This past August, No Time Flatt released a new album of both original songs and covers: Calling After Me.
Wow—what an incredible second year of our 731Day Porchfest! Check out this highlight reel by Jameson Winter, featuring LOLO's revised version of "Wasted in Jackson," written just for this event.
At the end of every school year, I have my students create a portfolio of different types of original poetry. I’d like to think I do it in order to foster their creativity, but it’s really because I’m too lazy to grade eighty-four final exams. Either way, it’s a win/win for all of us: they get to write sonnets and pretend that they’re actually writing their first rap hit, and I get to sit back and not grade bubbled-in answer documents. One poem they always struggle with is an elegy.
When I was young, my family would take vacations to different cities to watch baseball games. While I loved baseball, the thing I looked forward to the most was seeing the skyline of whatever city we were visiting. In my single digit years, it was always St. Louis. Driving past the multitude of Drury Inns in the suburbs and waiting for the skyline to materialize in the distance never got old. Seeing the Arch stretch across the sky is something I can still see in my mind today. As I got older, the cities became larger: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York.
I had a college professor tell me once, “Remember, you are changing your generation and the generations of the people around you.” Those words are so true and are still relevant in my life today. In fact, that professor was living proof of that statement by changing my life with mentoring, advising, and pushing me to be better. It was not just that one professor, of course. There were (and still are) many people who continually wanted to invest in me as I grew up here. My father and mother met at Lambuth University, but my dad was not in school there.
It’s a cloudy, dreary December day outside, but the laughter between the three musicians I’m sitting with is making things seem brighter. It’s their first time at theCO, and I had them crash on the couches to create a comfy environment for our interview. Ben Gilbreath, Nathan Megelsh, and Tyler Marberry are meeting with me today to talk about their band, Forked Deer Homeschool Parade. If you’re from around the more southern West Tennessee area, you probably know that it’s pronounced “Fork-ed Deer.”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, y’all! Jackson has so much family fun for you this holiday season, so check out these five favorite events happening this December.
I bought the most reasonably-priced vinyl record of my life at a record store in Jackson. This is the kind of sentence I never thought I’d write. For one thing, reasonable prices, particularly for a brand new, remastered vinyl of an iconic rock star like David Bowie, are hard to come by in most record stores. If you go to Wuxtry Records in Athens, Georgia, you’ll find records for around twenty to thirty bucks.
If you have been to a lazy weekend day the West Tennessee Farmers’ Market or a night out at one of Jackson’s finer dining establishments, then you are no stranger to the soothing sounds of Scott Myatt’s music. Myatt’s song, a mixture of melodic singing and guitar playing, is a familiar sound often filling the air throughout our city. A part-time musician and a part-time visual artist, Myatt brings his lyrical touch on the senses to locals as a proud citizen of Jackson.
This Tennessee summer heat is almost more than we can bear, but at least there's lots going around in town to keep us busy and happy! From fireworks and 5k's to music and theatre, July will be a month to remember. Here are the events we hope to see you at!
It's officially summer, and that means that you're looking for events for the family even more than usual. Thankfully, June is full of family competitions, live music, and ways to keep both you and the kids learning all summer long. Check out what you've gotta be at this month.
With Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Memorial Day all on the horizon, we've got plenty of ways to celebrate in this perfect spring weather. From farms to food trucks, hot air balloons to how-to's, we've got your May weekends covered.
March means spring, and for Jackson, that means more races, concerts, shows, and overall fun for our community. Find out what special guests are heading to West Tennessee this month, what organizations you can support, and how your family can celebrate St. Patrick's Day. (It's on a Saturday this year!)
It’s time for another Valentine’s Day, and whether you’re excited to celebrate or planning to treat it as just another day, this playlist will have you singing along. Let’s give our local artists a round of applause and enjoy their romantic (or anti-romantic) songs this Valentine’s.
All my life I have heard people talk about how time flies. I have never actually witnessed a clock sprout wings and take off, but as a child, that's the only way I could picture time flying. As I got older and little bit wiser, I knew clocks did not really fly and understood it was just a figure of speech—but to me, it seemed like a joke because time felt like it was crawling. For many, it becomes a reality when children are born. One minute, you're holding your precious baby; the next, they are having babies of their own.
Jackson’s musical dichotomy has had a strange, often polarizing environment for musicians to grow in over the last decade. Often touted as the bathroom break between Memphis and Nashville, Jackson—with the exception of Carl Perkins’ aeonian influence on rockabilly—is not critically recognized as a musically significant city. To say that Jackson is part of a bigger delta blues triangle would be more plausible. Music scenes are often planted in Jackson but never seem to flourish.
There’s a new show in town; Jackson, Tennessee, has been chosen to host the inaugural TN Music Awards. The TN Music Awards is a red carpet event focused on fostering community feedback, supporting local music, and expanding entertainment. Nathan Hunnicutt, along with the Jackson Area Music Society (JAMS), has been planning an event like this with Jackson in mind for some time now.
Terry Prince & The Principles is a Memphis-based band with a well-developed sound and solid local roots. They’ve recorded a new EP entitled You Are Here at Rocket Science Audio in Memphis. Their talents will soon be showcased through a live set at the well-beloved Grimey’s, a Nashville record store. And, perhaps most importantly for our audience, Terry Prince & The Principles will be at Bassmnt Jackson this Saturday night.
Small Town Big Sound started off with a dream: Keegan Paluso’s desire to use his musical background to help others in West Tennessee realize their potential. What began as this idea soon formed into a community of local artists, each with different and diverse experiences, working together to create original music. Keegan shared with me about how Small Town Big Sound writes, records, and produces the music of our area.
Saturday, April 29, marked the third annual Catalyst Music Fest hosted by the student organization, SMACS (Student Members of the American Chemical Society), from the Union University Chemistry Department. Each year the event raises money to support local charities, with the proceeds from this year going to benefit the Star Center in order to provide scholarships for their programs like art and music therapy.
It can occasionally seem desirable to be someone else. Perhaps to be someone who doesn’t feel what we feel or who says the right things (or who doesn't care that they don’t). Sometimes I’d like to slip out of myself like an outfit poorly chosen at the beginning of the day and roam about for the rest of the afternoon as another person, as someone who is not me as I or others know myself but who in some way still reflects something essentially true about who I am.
Being young with creative aspirations takes hard work and initiative, sometimes particularly so in smaller towns. Yet Jackson is the lucky home to a plethora of up-and-coming talent with big plans for the future. Having lived and worked here for several years now, the members of Coopertheband are no strangers to the trials and rewards of the independent music world. They have recently played several shows back-to-back in the community, extending their central messages of hope and joy through their lyrics.
We've got the perfect selection of local gifts that will cover everyone on your list. Check out details below.
Rain falls steadily against the sidewalk, bouncing back up almost as soon as it brushes the ground, and all I have for a shield is my military-green rain jacket as I hurry into Alba. Throwing off my hood, I spota guy in a sharp polka-dotted button-up and a girl with cool eyeliner sitting in the corner of the coffee shop. Together, local artists Hunter Cross and Cameron Briley combine their talents as The Skeleton Krew, an original band with a 60s-inspired, blues-rock vibe.
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A few years ago I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in Denver about her plans for the evening. She told me she was going on a bicycle pub crawl. I had no idea what she was talking about. She explained that she and a group of her friends would rent bicycles and ride around downtown Denver and visit the local pubs and bars in the area. The idea was to have one drink at each location and then move on to the next place via bicycle.
I think most people would agree that there’s not much better than a good slice of pizza, especially after a long day at work or during an action-packed football game. You can get mediocre pizza from tons of places, but if you want some delicious, handcrafted, brick oven pizza, I’ve got just the place for you: Rock’n Dough Pizza + Brew Co. In addition to the aforementioned amazing pizza, Rock’n Dough offers grinders, salads, desserts, and weekly lunch specials, such as lasagna, shrimp and grits, and calzones.
Have you been through a breakup recently? Have you ever been let down? Have you ever wanted to let someone know how you really felt but weren’t sure if you could say it to their face? Or if they even deserved that luxury? Well, then I’ve got the music for you. Bo Kitzman got his heart broken, and he’s not afraid to tell you about it. I got a chance to sit down with him recently and pick his brain about his own feelings. He also asked me to share a few of my thoughts on his songs.