| Joel Melton |
Having grown up in a small southeastern Oklahoma town, Joel Melton reflects southern charm with a touch of urban influences in his songwriting. His songs spring from random thoughts, original ideas, and sometimes controversial topics. According to Joel, "Some of my characters I know, some are made up, some I've read about. Songs come to me when I'm thinking about people I love, watching people throw chairs at each other on daytime talk shows, or reflecting on the political state and nature of our country."
Joel's real artistic inspiration came several years back when he met pat Flynn of the New Grass Revival. Flynn's playing encouraged Melton to go beyond merely strumming the guitar, to learning the instrument and creating songs with it. Greg John, owner of Oklahoma City's Blue Door also receives credit for instigating Melton's desire to write his own songs. "I started hanging out there about eight years ago," he remembers. "Without Greg and the talent I was exposed to at the Blue Door, I might still be playing cover songs instead of writing my own." Some of the Door artists that have captured Joel's respect are the likes of Michael Fracassso, Beaver Nelson, Todd Snider, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
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| Item Number: Round Here (Music CD, 2005 |
Cost: $12.99 (USD) |
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Round Here is the fifth studio album from Austin area based Texas singer/ songwriter Joel Melton. Meltons straight forward style and performances have garnered praise and prompted fans and critics alike to compare his songs to a unique mixture of Wilson Pickett, Steve Earl, Townes Van Zandt, and Robert Earl Keen while remaining original at the same time.
As is the case with Joels previous musical offerings, Round Here retains an intimacy that smells of wood smoke and spicy Texas Bar-B-Que washed down with ice-cold beer. The songs on this strongest to date compilation cover the spectrum of personal experiences to political musings.
Having met and later performed with Texas singer/songwriters that set the standard of the genre like Michael Fracasso, Jimmy Lafave, Kevin Welch, and Ray Wylie Hubbard, Melton is continually inspired to write not only personal songs but also stimulated to create character driven protagonists that highlight the humanity in all of us.
Born and raised in a small southeastern Oklahoma town, Melton reflects a southern charm with urban influences. As is evident in Round Here his songs spring from random thoughts, original ideas, and topical events. From the perfect example of a heartfelt expression of idyllic love in the song, Girl and Shes Living With Me to the humorous and true story of gender confusion in Spike, Joel remains honest to his personal artistic voice expressing deep abiding life notions while never taking itself to seriously.
Recorded at The Zone in Wimberly Texas, Round Here is destined to become a singer/songwriter favorite while crossing over to a wider audience. Joels songwriting continues to be an earnest observation of the truth of living life to the full.
solid and succinct story songs. Not only are they tightly written, but Meltons guitar is clean and crispa songwriter with 24-carat talent!- Thomas Connor, Tulsa World.
Not only is his performance top-flightJoels songs have an edge that catches your attention and takes you on a ride! - Jim Hale, The Texas Rising Star. |
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| Item Number: Little Max (Music CD, 1999) |
Cost: $12.99 (USD) |
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Little Max centers on a full band feelinformed by the blues. Joel Melton's songs expand the genre of Roots Rock and leave the listener with a familiar recognizable motivation while remaining original in their own sense The songs feature the compost ion highlighting a life lived to the full in 'Bessie Begins to Play' to the rowdy bar favorite...'I Like My Women Like I Like My Chicken.' The CD has songs that reach out and grab the listener by the...well lets just say it keeps them listening. |
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| Item Number: Last Love Letter (Music CD, 1998) |
Cost: $12.99 (USD) |
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Last Love Letter is an alt-county masterpiece. Acoustically produced, the songs take the listener on aenjoyable auditory ride. The separate offerings include touching love songs alongside Texas style story songs with a humorous tongue-in-cheek edge. Featured are compositions that tell the story of Carla Faye Tucker's arrest and subsequent executionin 1998 and the popular relationship anthem, 'Crazy Stupid Bitch.' The CD received many accolades and continues to impress both the listening public and music critics alike. A must have for all Americana fans! |
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| John Bricker's Journey (1791-1836) CD |
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| Item Number: John Bricker's Journey (Music CD, 2003) |
Cost: $12.99 (USD) |
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John Bricker's Journey is an historically accurate CD that traces the emergence of John Bricker in the territory of Mexico in 1825 to his eventual death in the fight for Texas independence in 1836. Enlisted to chronologically trace the life of this Texas hero, Joel Melton captures the feel of the time along with the swell of freedom that covered the soon to be republic of Texas in 1836. The songs have a folk feel while remaining current and vibrant at the same time. A historical must have by any assessment. |
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