Apr 13, 2010
Apr 12, 2010
Apr 11, 2010
Country Doppelgängers
Inspired by Rita Ballou's hilarious recurring Texas music doppelgangers, here are a few of my own. Sorry, no wonderfully snarky gossip between entries; I don't have any inside sources. :)
I've always thought Eric Church and former WCW World Champion David Arquette looked a lot alike.
The only real resemblance between Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum and Snooki of Jersey Shore is the pouf, but it's good enough for me!
Worry "warsher" Luke Bryan and star of annoying AT&T commercials and Idiocracy, Luke Wilson.
Here's a no-brainer. Miranda Lambert and Emilie De Ravin of Lost.
Stone country traditionalist Danny Gokey and MC Serch of early 90s rap group 3rd Bass. (Yes, there were good caucasian rappers before Eminem)
Here's another no-doubter.
Apr 8, 2010
John Rich's Songwriting Tips #33
Write because you love to do it. Art becomes product when you simply write from a viewpoint of "where can this get me?" Put your heart and soul, blood and sweat into everything you write. Bring something original to the table. Ha ha, who the f*ck am I kidding? Get them presidents, baby! Write to the rhyme, not the line. Recycle cliches. Make stuff sound deep by using a few sentimental words in a piece of fluff. Chase that dolla and make the ladies holla. Kneel at the altar of that almighty green if you wanna be seen. Words to live by, ho-bags!*Not actually written by John Rich.
Apr 7, 2010
Regular Guy Reviews: Hellbound Glory - Old Highs and New Lows
Hellbound Glory - Old Highs and New Lows
If Jason Aldean is your idea of outlaw country, you might wanna steer away from HBG. Can you imagine Aldean uttering the words "why take the pain when I can take pain pills?" or "...have a good hate f**k?" I thought not.
Lyrics aren't the only thing that make Hellbound Glory outlaws. Their sound is also a far cry from anything you'll hear on sanitized country radio. This is stone hard country - steel guitar, heavy twang, banjo and fiddle included - rocked up just a little, a la Waylon and the boys.
With subject matter like heroin, codependent relationships, fighting and drinking oneself to death, Old Highs and New Lows doesn't actually hit a lot of emotional highs. Instead, it drags you right through the gutter the characters indwell. As depressing as that sounds, most of the songs bounce right along at mid to up-tempo, Hellbound Glory sounding absolutely vibrant and invigorating while relating their gritty tales, keeping OH&NL from ever bringing you down to the lows of the losers inhabiting their debauched landscape.
You'll be cheerfully stomping your feet right along to such non-cheerful statements as "I'm too broke to overdose." Hellbound Glory has quite a way with sharply pointed hooks like that, also giving us gems like "another bender might break me" and "we saw the one way track marks on his arm."
There's not a bad song on the album, but my favorites would have to be bourbon drenched "Be My Crutch" and "Another Bender Might Break Me." There's also a jacked-up (in a good way) cover of ol' Hank's "I'm a Long Gone Daddy," retitled "I'm Leavin' Now," not to be confused with Merle's song by the same name.
If you're a fan of Waylon, Johnny Paycheck, Old Crow Medicine Show or any of the Hanks (particularly III), you'll probably enjoy this, unless you have a problem with the "f" word, because they certainly don't.
Hellbound is right.
Listen here.
Buy here.
YouTube Gems: Insane Clown Posse
Some videos I post as YouTube Gems because they are excellent tunes, videos or live performances. Some I post because they are funny. Some are so bad they're good. I don't know where this fits in, but I do know you need to watch it. It has some naughty words, but they add to the uh, charm (?). Enjoy! Or maybe ...I'm sorry... or something.
Joe Nichols Parody
Gimme Fat Girl
(Parody of Joe Nichols' "Gimme That Girl")
Take off those old sweats
Girl rest your butt,
Cancel those reservations
We'll order Pizza Hut.
As hot as your looking right now,
Like you're pregnant with ten babies
There are sides of you I've never seen
All of your creases they amaze me.
Gimme fat girl with the hair full of sweat
Chubby little cheeks with the ginormous breasts
That's the type that I like best
Gimme fat girl
Gimme fat girl that's as big as me
Old bike shorts stretchin' at the seams
That's the kind I want to please
Gimme fat girl, gimme fat girl
Gimme that girl monumental
The kind that you can roll over on
Looks like weather balloons,
Side by side when she wears a thong
Gams big and round make me drool
We'll be some plus size porno stars
Gimme fat girl the rest of the world,
Can see from wherever they are
Gimme fat girl with the hair full of sweat
Chubby little cheeks with the ginormous breasts
That's the type that I like best
Gimme fat girl
Gimme fat girl rubbin' up on me
She can't fit in size 30 jeans
That's the kind I want to please
Gimme fat girl, gimme fat girl
[repeat]
Apr 6, 2010
.99 Review: Rodney Atkins - Farmer's Daughter
Rodney Atkins - Farmer's Daughter
Listen HERE
The People's Take
ANOTHER HIT (5 Stars) - This song is great!!!! Another HIT from Rodney can't wait to hear the rest of the album.
-Redneck JB
Another hit! (5 Stars) - I love, love, LOVE it! ;D
-Robinson :)
Super! (5 Stars) - Another great song from country's best star!!!! Keep 'em coming Rodney!
-rodneyfan
My Take
The plusses: It's not nearly as puerile (yeah, I pulled out the thesaurus for that one) as most of Atkins' recent knuckle-draggers. Also, it's pretty catchy. One more: it's unmistakably country.
The negatives: From the moment you read the title, you know this isn't going to plow up any new cropland, and your assumptions are correct. Of course Atkins works for the farmer. Of course the farmer's female offspring is a dime. Of course Atkins gets him a piece of that sweet potato pie. Of course they get married. Of course the bridge is only there to serve standard procedure.
The WTFs: He goes from seeing the farmer's daughter to tapping it inside of two lines with little explanation of how he got from point A to point P. How romantic. I guess we should just assume that she immediately finds the dirty farmhand's potential big green tractor skills to be worth the suspicions and doubts her dad would undoubtedly have about someone he hired to shovel shit and feed bovine.
The bottom line: It's not as bad as I'd hoped it to be, and his career has probably not reached its omega as suspected in this parody. That said, it's still dumber'n a Jake Owens groupie and twice as forgettable.
Total Value: .45/.99
The Checklist:
Church/God
Mama
Boots
Name Dropping
Dying Person
County Fair
Lost Love
LoveHometown Pride
Kindly Advice
TruckWhiskey
Beer
Life AffirmationUSA
Soldiers
Pop Sheen
Star Power
Apr 5, 2010
Satire of country music Saturday night/Sunday morning songs
Note: This is a satire.
Play Hard, Pray Harder
©2010 Trailer satires
Saturday night I get my truck waxed up
Head down to the bar and drink a cup
And do some lines of coke
Came in with my girl but left with my ex
Had some public unprotected sex
Gave her clap but she don't know
Chorus
I play hard, so I pray harder
Sunday mornin' I ask the Father
To forgive me of my sins
Then I go and do it again
Yeah, I play hard, so I pray harder
Sunday mornin' in the Baptist church
Track marks achin' and my head it hurts
Singing Amazing Grace
Thinkin' 'bout fightin' the night before
I hope the cops don't find the corpse
But the Lord says it's okay
I play hard, so I pray harder
Sunday mornin' I ask the Father
To forgive this sinner's soul
For smokin' a big fat bowl
Yeah, I play hard, so I pray harder
Bridge
I love Jesus and the US of A
You know what I mean?
But I like gun runnin' and gettin' laid
So thank God I'm redeemed
I play hard, so I pray harder
Sunday mornin' I ask the Father
To forgive my dirty deeds
My arson, lust and greed
Yeah, I play hard, so I pray harder
Apr 4, 2010
Regular Guy Reviews: Nightjar - Hometown Stranger
I caught wind of this album while chatting Butler (I'm rooting for you Monday night!) basketball with co-lead singer Christopher Hess on Twitter. I checked out the (3 free!) songs on his band, Nightjar's website and was hooked. Sometimes the best music is right under your nose and you don't even know it.
Hometown Stranger is a feast of heartland rock, complete with yearning lyrics, horns, organs and plenty of guitar. It's custom built for spring and summer with the windows down.
Check Your Mirrors opens the album with a Slobberbone-esque upper-shelf bar band sound and a "Bad radio vocal effect" they were very happy with (as Hess told me on Twitter). This song rocks - it's one of my favorite songs of the early year - and it's a fantastic way to lead off a varied and satisfying album.
Much like Two Cow Garage, whom they also bring to mind, Nightjar alternates between 2 lead singers with contrasting voices. There's the bumpy gravel road voiced Hess (who is a professor by day!) and the smooth voiced Greg Osborne, the respective songs they sing giving the band almost an entirely different sound. You get a more mainstream AAA leaning with Osborne and a gritty, roots rock feel from Hess.
Diamond Joe Hodson shreds on the guitar, blending hard rock-ish riffs and solos into the Americana with ridiculous ease. His playing is a definite stand-out on this album, but it never overshadows the overall product.
Besides Check Your Mirrors, my other faves include album-closer, Lonesome Whistle, a touching ode to a dearly departed grandmother, and Catch My Soul, a hook-laden pop-rocky (not to be confused with the mouth tingling candy) track which would have sounded right at home on the radio between the Gin Blossoms and Blues Traveler in the 90's (though the sound is not dated).
Fans of Bruce Springsteen, Lucero, The Replacements, Whiskeytown and the aforementioned Slobberbone and Two Cow Garage should find Hometown Stranger to be right in their sweet spot.
Check out previews and/or buy it here.
Apr 2, 2010
YouTube Gems: Dirty Sweet
From their new album being released Tuesday, American Spiritual, here's Dirty Sweet with "You've Been Warned." RIYL: The Black Crowes, Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, The Stones.
Apr 1, 2010
FWC&G: Rascal Flatts
Note: this also appeared on Roughstock as a little one of these.
And the Band Perry review is a fraud in case you didn't realize what day it was.
.99 Review: The Band Perry
.99 Review: The Band Perry - Hip to My Heart*
The People’s Take:
Surefire sign that the endtimes are near! (1 star) - I honestly lost faith in country radio this week when I heard this song. It’s the most trite, sorry and weak excuse for a song I have heard in my life.
- notwithstanding
As Simon would say, Simply Horrible! (1 star) - I’ve been a musician for 34 years, I’ve gone through a lot of different styles (disco comes to mind) but I can honestly say I have never done anything this bad. The lyrics are bad. They may have potential with a good writer! – javajoecool.
My Take:
Scott Borchetta already has the top “country” artist; now he’s aiming squarely at Lady Antebellum with the Band Perry for the top “country band.”
Much to my surprise, this debut single, “Hip To My Heart,” is a great start towards doing just that. It contains such cool phrases like “I like your lips like I like my coca-cola, yeah ooh how it pops and fizzes…” and “purr baby purr go ahead and say the word lets go…” but while these are clearly some of the weakest lyrics of all time, I somehow still find my foot tapping to Kimberly Perry’s kinetic Nettles-like vocal.
Despite the mandolin and fiddle fills this song is far from a country song but as far as mainstream songs go, it feels almost traditional in its arrangement and it clearly has ‘got that something’ “because brother man” The Band Perry “knows how to get hip to my heart” with this guilty pleasure.
Total Value:
.75/.99 So sue me.
Checklist:
(Checklist taking a vacation for a bit)
*Okay.... so this is obviously one of these: ****
Written by Mr. Matt Bjorke of Roughstock fame. Thanks Matt!
Oh, and this song sucks... country or not.
Mar 31, 2010
In the Year 2030 #2
•Contemporary male country singers now name drop Justin Moore, Eric Church and Jason Aldean as proof of their country cred
•King Obama proclaims September National Western Swing Appreciation Month
•Martina McBride killed in 5-hour shootout with Mexican border narcotics officers
•Grunge hip-hop latest musical trend; flannel and bling shortages reported nationwide
•Big Kenny saves 5 refugees from house fire during Costa Rican civil war; John Rich saves flask of Black Label from flipped Land Rover
•Digital music can be downloaded from iTunes by thought to a 3 terabyte chip in the purchaser's temple, bringing new meaning to the phrase "that damn new Flo Rida song is stuck in my head"
•Kristian Bush sues Jennifer Nettles for half her career earnings, despite Sugarland having broken up 17 years prior
•Miley Cyrus' jazz album tanks
•Kings of Leon loses last original fan by covering Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Day" non-ironically
•Tobacco references banned from ClearChannel; Jake Owen, Jerry Reed catalogue royalties plummet
Mar 30, 2010
Spotting the Fakes
Since the dawn of Twitter...all those many months ago, there have been fake celebrity accounts. Most of the b.s. accounts were and still are bored people actually pretending to be such personalities as Taylor Swift or Perez Hilton or whoever, starting all sorts of rumors and generally confusing their fangirls and boys. Bored and boring. "Verified" accounts have mostly put an end to these dopes, thankfully.
Lately there has been a much more interesting trend of imposters just doing it to entertain their followers with dirty jokes, idiotic opinions and other general absurdity. These fakers make no pretense about their falsehood. In fact, most of them say so right in the user name.
Since this sort of jackassery is definitely right up FTM's alley, today we take a look at some of the doppelganger country singer accounts and let those of you who are Twitter users know who is and isn't worth your follow.
And as far as you know, none of these is run by me...
We start with probably the most buzzed about falsie. Fake Jake is subversive, egotistical and gleefully sexist. He also seems to be a Nashville insider. Possibly he's just done his research, but he knows an awful lot about uh, himself, and his Tweet subjects (he often pokes fun at other artists and songwriters) - enough to hit the really hot buttons. Jake Fauxens even interacts with some of the other artists on Twitter, tossing insults directly at them. Not for the easily offended (actually Twitter may not be for the easily offended in the first place), but worth a follow.
Fake Jake's brother in barbs, Kenny Fauxgers is a caricature of the bearded balladeer, proclaiming his love for groupies and dissing contemporaries like Neil Diamond at every opportunity. Like Jake's, Kenny's head is also about 3 sizes too big, to hilarious effect. I'm not sure who's behind these two accounts, which seem joined at the hip since they only follow each other and have a similar style of humor. I'm perplexed that they only follow one other person each and still manage to have hundreds of followers, but I'm no Twitter expert ...obviously. Anyway, fake Kenny is extremely funny.
New to the faker game, not-Mr. Chesney has a bit of a split personality. At times he's all about the ladies; others, he's hinting at possible homosexuality. He stays current with what's happening in pop culture and is generally pretty effective with his humor. Worth a look, if not a follow.
This one seems to have sprung up just after the previous entry, hinting that maybe the two are from the same author... or maybe just that there are a lot of fratboy-humor loving reactionaries with too much time on their hands. Fake Chuck is more consistently laughable than Chesney, while treading similar subject territory. Chuck is portrayed as a complete metrosexual who knows little about country music but a lot about fashion and style ...and other male country singers. It will be fun to see how this one develops.
Another trend-follower that started up just this week. So far, not really all that funny and frequently vulgar, but there are hints that this account could be entertaining in the long run.
The "former Hank Williams" doesn't say a whole lot and doesn't seem to be in it for laughs, except for the dark humor of his frequent "rolling over in my grave" Tweets. From time to time, ol' Hank recommends a country artist of today whom he grants his stamp of approval to. Interesting.
This guy says even less than Hank, but it's always funny. JR shows himself to be a drunk, self-important, horny hothead, much like... well, much like the real JR. Hopefully he'll start Tweeting more often.
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