New Video: Eric Church - Cold One

More Saturday Night Music: Travis Meadows

If you don't know of Travis Meadows, now's the time to meet him. He's a Mississippi-born songwriter with an amazing story. He writes killer tunes about real life. He's currently experiencing quite a year for a writer - the title track on Dierks Bentley's newest album, Jake Owen's new single, and one of the stronger tunes on Eric Church's recent album. Here's "Learning to Live Alone."

Eric Church Was the Only Country Male in 2006

....or was he?

Paycheck on Church

D'oh.

Eric and Luke are Willie and Waylon?

http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/darius-rucker-calls-luke-bryan-eric-church-the-new-willie-waylon

Concise Album Reviews: Eric Church, The Bigsbys, Whiskey Myers

The Bigsbys - Good Will Suitcase (out March 1st)

Catchy roots rock via Texas by way of 90s alt-pop. What that means is that this is highly accessible and hookier than a tackle box. These songs would sound as natural playing on Texas radio between Reckless Kelly and Robert Earl Keen as on a rock station in 1997 between Matchbox 20 and Jewel. The writing is crisp and proves that just because a song is fun doesn't mean it has to be stupid. Music Row, take note. There are no bad songs in the bunch and there's even a cool Whiskeytown cover.

B+

Eric Church - The Outsiders

The Outsiders would make an excellent 5 song EP. I'll let you guess on the 5. Overreaching and pretentious in spots, right in the pocket on others. I'd call it a glorious mess if there was more glory and less mess. Pick your faves and download a few tracks.

C for the album (A for the middle finger aimed at Music Row convention)

Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes

Southern rock seems to be having quite a resurgence lately and Whiskey Myers' latest brings it good and strong with one boot planted in the Lone Star State. Good songwriting, expert playing. "Colloquy" is an early song of the year contender.

A-

Honest iTunes Country Singles Chart

Country Day Parody Album Covers 1-14 Part 1: Dierks, Church, Holy

Worst Country Songs of 2013

I've already talked enough trash about most of the following songs in 2013, so here are the worst country songs of 2013, presented without comment.

Country Day Parody Album Covers: Oct. '13 Part 3 - Avetts, Brandy Clark, Eric Church

Stagecoach Announces Lineup + Name Change

Kindly disregard the good artists on the list in relation to the "name change." You get the point...

Monday Morning Memes: Rascal Flatts, Hunter Hayes, etc.

2013 ACM Awards Drinking Game

Country Day March '13 Part 1: Eric Church, Darius, etc.

Monday Morning Memes: Luke, Band Perry, Bowersox

From Jon Bray

From Jon Bray

From Jeremy Harris

3 Up 3 Down: February '13

3 Up

George Strait - Give It All We Got Tonight
It's a new song from King George. What else do you need me to say? I'm just happy it's getting airplay and is steadily rising up the charts. Not the best song of his career, far from the worst...but it's George.
B+


Miranda Lambert - Mama's Broken Heart
This is the kind of song that made Miranda famous, but better written. She's taken the "wronged girl dealing with a breakup" theme and infused it with more wit and personality than she was capable of earlier in her career. Comparing a more genteel generation's coping mechanisms to her own wide-open approach, Lambert salvages the weak (for her) single era of her Four the Record album with a gem.
A


Lee Brice - I Drive Your Truck
The title had me wincing before I ever heard the song. Being the open-minded individual I am (okay, I was hoping to be able to make fun of it), I gave it a shot and was shocked. This isn't the first "drive the vehicle of a departed soldier to honor and remember him" song (Bobby Pinson did it a little better with the Tracy Lawrence cut "If I Don't Make it Back"), but it's full of passion and power. The more hard-hearted among us won't be able to get past the title and the Nashville-sheen, and that's a shame. "I Drive Your Truck" is a strong contender for mainstream country song of the year.
A-


3 Down


Jason Aldean (w/Luke Bryan and Eric Church) - The Only Way I Know
This is more of a talking-country song than a hick-hop song. That's literally the only thing I can say about the song that isn't negative. It shoots for the top of the charts by offsetting the lack of melody and substance with star power. Luke Bryan's corny flow is the only thing that gives the single any semblance of personality. Eric Church, too cool to rap, phones in his bridge. It's another typical "we're country and this is what we do in the country" song that will be tossed on the scrapheap of unmemorable #1 hits that Nashville churns out like sliced bread these days.
F

Blake Shelton - Sure Be Cool If You Did
Blake's latest pop-country confection starts with awkward slang (I was gonna keep it real like chill...) then drops off into drudgery and kowtowing to the young female demographic. If this is where "one of those people that gets to decide" where country is going is taking it, I'm not on-board.
D-

The Henningsens - American Beautiful
Oh joy. Another vocal band a'la Gloriana and Lady Antebellum. Because there aren't enough of those. Another country song with "America" or "American" in the title. Because we're suffering from a lack of vaguely patriotic songs about country girls. The other day I was listening to the country station (because my 5 year old wanted to) and apparently this song played right before Gloriana's latest. I thought it was just one really long, boring tune until the DJ said that, in fact, it was two separate songs.
D

Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes???

*editor's note: I didn't like Eric Church back then - I do now*

Honest Eric Church Radio Promo Ad

Lyric Parody: The Only Way I Pose (Aldean, Bryan, Church)

The Only Way I Pose

(Parody of "The Only Way I Know" by Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Eric Church)

(Jason:)

Well, I stand up here but I don't dance around

Where my lips pour out a kinda whiny sound

Jeans so tight they injure my pair

Telling you I'm country's all I've got to share

I just cover rock music in dust

So country radio don't make a fuss

Sometimes I rap, soccer moms love the fun

Let 'em see my Wrangler buns

That’s the only way I pose

Country for the bros and ho's

Lame-ass songs and wallet chains

Make them dollaz, make it rain

Pluck guitar, I'm holdin'

Can't play it but you don't know it

Dig a little deeper and you won't find anything more

That’s the only way I pose

(Luke:)

The truth, it hurts ‒ I'm a straight-up tool

Used to sing okay till I had you fooled

Country twang to country corny

Found out how to make dumb girls horny

Dance around in my skin tight denim

There ain't even a set of balls in 'em

Bump and grind in my jeans so shiny

Gonna turn round and let you see my hiney

That’s the only way I pose

Country for the bros and ho's

Lame-ass songs and booty shakes

Boom boom speakers, make it rain

Smile big till you're blinded

Credibility, I can't find it

Dig a little deeper and you won't find anything more

That’s the only way I pose

(Eric:)

Behind shades, to the bank I'm laughin'

but I'm way too cool to join in rappin'

I'm an outlaw who's as safe as he can be

That’s the only way I pose

Country for the bros and ho's

Arrogance and indoor shades

Get some cred off Waylon's name

Hey ladies, no peakin'

Just show my ass when I'm speakin'

Dig a little deeper and you won't find anything more

That’s the only way I pose

(All together now)

That’s the only way we pose

Country for the bros and ho's

Diggin' graves, in soft ground

Buryin' the country sounds

Bank vaults are wide open

Hey Jason, stop that gropin'

Dig a little deeper and you won't find anything more

That’s the only way we pose

That's the only way we pose

Top 10 Dumbest Things You Can Do at a Country Concert

Rolling Stone published this list of the 10 most annoying concert behaviors recently. It's true and all, but maybe... they've never been to a country concert?

Soooo....

Top 10 Dumbest Things You Can Do at a Country Concert

10.  Get so drunk you trade glittery dragon jeans with some dude in the bathroom

9. Loudly complain "Who is this Hellbound Glory crap? We want Kid Rock!"

8. Bum beers off friends ...with a $36 Jake Owen concert shirt hanging over your shoulder

7. Break a restraining order because you just had to see how beautiful

your ex would look singing along to "Cruise"

6.  Play air guitar during a piano solo

5. Yell "Play 'Country Must Be Countrywide!'"

4. Smoke during "Smoke a Little Smoke," hold up boots during "These Boots,"

feel up underage girls during "Creepin'"

3. Call your lawyer about suing the arena after you slip in some urine (yours) by your seat

2. Sing along to the three hits, not recognize the album cuts and complain about what a dumb song the Waylon cover is

1. Realize you're at a Luke Bryan show

*Gif image you will never unsee blatantly stolen from http://-dixiefried.tumblr.com/