Dog Country: Our First Giveaway

It's a well-known truth that country music carves a welcome container for some of the most heart-warming and heart-wrenching lyrics ever written.  So when Steve Christopher of Cloud 10 Music in Nashville, Tennessee, approached me to check out his recent project--a compilation of country songs that celebrate dogs--I knew I was in for more than your average Milkbone.

Dog Country came to life when Steve's song, "Half the Man," which reflects a dog's unconditional love for his human master, wowed his live audience at the world-famous Bluebird Café.  His open call for songwriters across Nashville to dust off their best dog songs was not only answered--the resulting canine tribute boasts the work of some of Nashville's most renowned writers.

Although Steve was overwhelmed by the response, he was not at all surprised by how many writers had a dog song (or several) in their repertoires. "Dogs and country music go together as easily as peanut butter and chocolate," says Steve.  "Our relationships with our dogs strike at the heart of country music's core values--down-home simplicity, family bonds, and good old-fashioned story telling."

Besides adorable cover art, you can expect to find on Dog Country themes that resonate with anyone who understands why dogs have for so long been referred to as man's best friend--helping us through heartbreak ("Bebe's Riding Shotgun"), protecting us from harm ("Sarge"), and being faithfully at our sides until the day they depart for Doggy Heaven ("For Pete's Sake").  The tongue-in-cheek pleas from humans who yearn to be revered like their four-legged counterparts ("Lucky Dog" and "Treat Me Like the Dog") are catchy and fun in that oh-so-true way as well.  But the song that charms me the most is "Dog Gone," a convincing love ballad from an old hound who knows he'll never chase cats the same way now that his beloved Pekingese next door has moved away.  Oh, you can just feel the poor boy's pain!

Of course, it wouldn't be Dog COUNTRY if it didn't offer that same deeply touching lyrical quality you've come to appreciate from the genre--the kind that plucks at your heart strings and tear ducts.  As Steve sums up, "Dog Country is about love and loss, heartbreak and companionship, honor and humor, loyalty and laughs.  In short, everything we hold near and dear to us as Americans.  It reminds us of home.  And who better to greet us at the door?"  This is the very reason the album had to be made, he explains.  "It picked me like my old chocolate lab, Vassey, who I miss like home."

But if you're an emotional sap like me, don't dare try listening to them while you're driving. :)

Want to win a FREE copy of the Dog Country CD?
 
1.)  Go to www.dogcountrysongs.com and listen to a few of the track samples by scrolling over the hound or clicking on the "listen" tab.

2.)  Come back to this post and leave a comment with the following information:

• The title of your favorite track
• A brief note explaining what you like about it
• Your geographic location

3.)  Gain a bonus entry by becoming a follower of www.jillofark.com.  (Click the "follow" button on the left rail of the site.) 

That's it!  We'll be drawing a winner on Saturday, April 30, 2011. 

And if you can't wait another minute to get your paws on these super-sweet, dog-loving songs, you can purchase a CD or download tracks for iTunes from the website.  A portion of the proceeds benefits Happy Tales Humane in Franklin, Tennessee.  Even sweeter. 

FTC Disclosure: Jill of Ark received one Dog Country CD for personal review plus additional copies--at her request--for promotional purposes such as this giveaway.  She is happy to spread the word about such a wonderful project and hopes you will be, too!