Flop Eared Mule A Country Music Death Beast and Worker in the Dylan Industrial Complex | Sydney, Australia | Est. 2004

I've been meaning to post about some of the 2009 releases I've enjoyed in "Q109" so let's start with One to the Head, One to the Heart by Gretchen Peters with Tom Russell. Now obvs TR is one of my faves, hence me getting the record, but of Gretchen Peters I confess to woeful ignorance, other than she had done some singing on previous Russell albums. So turns out, she's a big deal Nashville songwriter for everyone you've ever heard of, including her biggest hit "Independence Day" for Martina McBride. I will return to this. The record itself is singer-songwriter folk/country with but an unmistakable south western flavour. Not only the generous accordian but the songs, lovely originals like "Blue Mountains of Mexico" and "These Cowboys Born out of Time" and covers "Snowin' on Raton" (TVZ, here singing it with Blaze Floey. Love that song.) and a pretty great version of Dylan's "Billy 4." (YouTube, the Gretchen/Tom version. And here is "Prairie in the Sky" from the record.) She has a lovely expressive voice if not distinctive for me yet. When I first had the record it would pop up on my iPhone and I'd think "That is .... NOT Patty Griffin but ... I ... do ... not? Know who it is." But I liked it. As I always say, if you are reading this blog and are not doing so because you are related to me, you will like it too.

The making of the record on YouTube.

So, ALSO. Even I who mostly floats along quarantined by the Pacific Ocean from exposure to the Billboard Hot Country hit parade has heard of Martina's "Independence Day" (Wikipedia Martina entry: "The third single, "Independence Day," a song about domestic abuse nearly reached the Top 10. The song didn't reach the Top 10 particularly because many radio programmers went against the song's subject about a mother fighting back [against abuse] by burning their home to the ground. However, the song has ... sold a million copies in the United States to date.") Heard of it, never paid it any attention. SO anyhow, good for her and half yer luck ka-ching, big deal right? Well, I found out a cool thing about which I will quote from her site:

When Sean Hannity began using Gretchen Peters' song "Independence Day" as the theme song for his Citadel Broadcasting radio talk show, Peters quietly stepped up her donations to causes including the ACLU, PFLAG, and Moveon.org.

But when the GOP used "Independence Day" to usher Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin to the stage after the debate in St. Louis, Peters realized the party was truly perverting the chorus of her composition to suit their agenda and it was high time for Peters to make her feelings known.

"The fact that the McCain/Palin campaign is using a song about an abused woman as a rallying cry for their Vice Presidential candidate, a woman who would ban abortion even in cases of rape and incest, is beyond irony," Peters says. "They are co-opting the song, completely overlooking the context and message, and using it to promote a candidate who would set women's rights back decades. I've decided to donate the royalties from 'Independence Day' during this election cycle to Planned Parenthood, in Sarah Palin's name. I hope with the additional income provided by the McCain/Palin campaign, Planned Parenthood will be able to help many more women in need."

The following is a video of her at a Planned Parenthood event. So, Gretchen rocks.