Mamasox Getting Down to Bidness!

Go Mama! Go Mama!

Freshly signed to Shanachie Records,  Crystal "Mamasox" Bowersox, one of my all time favorite ladies of music, recently completed the live recording portion of her new album that's scheduled for release sometime in March.

She's been regularly giving updates on twitter, telling us how psyched she is with the production of the album, how she absolutely loves the way it's progressed, and says it's somewhat different in style from her debut album, Farmer's Daughter.

Now, in some ways Crystal was the original Phillip Phillips (who I absolutely love), only the timing was a little off for her. Like Phillips, she's acoustic guitar driven, her music roots lean folk/indie rock, she writes deep lyrics that are fearlessly autobiographical (and sometimes dark), she sings from the depth of her soul, and she isn't one to bow down to the powers-that-be to fit an image or style that's not her own.

Looking back at Farmer's Daughter, it actually was an outstanding debut album, filled with a nice blend of  acoustic folk and foot-stomping blues rockabilly, with a hint of gospel and soul. No, not every track was pure Crystal (Lonely Won't Come Around being the most egregious violation), but most was and it sold pretty well (220k copies) considering it was really not supported or promoted by Jive Records (her now-defunct former label).

In fact, taking it a step further, I'm convinced that if her Jive had been willing to make the investment necessary to promote her album and a single, Mama had a huge hit waiting with the killer rock anthem Speak Now, which I think had a shot to be like Home is for Phillip. [NOTE: Sound similar to a previous rant of mine about Spiderweb by my beloved Haley Reinhart? Don't even get me started!] 

Then again, the music world may not have been quite ready for Crystal in 2010 like it will be in 2013. At that time, her indie folk-rock style had not quite yet made the mainstream breakthrough it has today. In the current market, with bands like Mumford, & Sons, The Lumineers and Civil Wars experiencing tremendous popularity, the singer/songwriter folk-rock genre has made a big comeback and Crystal's now in prime position to capitalize.

Of course, another key for her was hooking up with Shanachie, one of the top Indie record labels. With that support behind her, and Phillips having melted away the negative stereotypes in a genre that previously shunned anything Idol, my confidence level is very high that this will not only be her best work to date, but that she'll also reach an audience and radio market that'll be accepting and welcoming of her music.

Timing is everything, and striking when that iron is hot is critical.

With that in mind, Mama is also doubling down on her music with acting to maximize the opportunity at hand. Some of you may recall a couple years ago that Mama showed she can be a hell of an actress with a substantive guest starring role in an episode of the drama Body Of Proof.  Well, this week, right after finishing up recording her LP, Mama tweeted she was in Hollywood filming for an upcoming acting gig that can only help to further increase her visibility.

Looks like it's all coming together for Crystal, and I personally can't wait to see and hear what she has to offer!

- Kenny Poo