Sep 13, 2011
Sep 12, 2011
Sep 11, 2011
Sep 10, 2011
Feel Bad For You Mixtape: September
I forgot to participate for the 2nd month in a row, but you should still check out the monthly Feel Bad For You mixtape. It's always excellent!
YouTube Gems: Blitzen Trapper
Here's one of my favorite songs of the year from one of my favorite albums, American Goldwing. This is Blitzen Trapper with "Love the Way You Walk Away."
Sep 9, 2011
Honest Brantley Gilbert Tattoo
Before we get started, I'd like to say welcome to the throngs of people who have happened upon this blog by searching for "Brantley Gilbert's tattoo" or "Country Wide tattoo" or something like that. Next, I'd just like to give all of you some advice: STAY IN SCHOOL and GO LISTEN TO SOME MERLE HAGGARD. And now, the tatts...
What it should look like:
YouTube Gems: Frank Turner
From his 2011 album England Keep My Bones, here's Frank Turner with "If I Ever Stray."
Sep 8, 2011
Sep 7, 2011
99 Cent Reviews: Chris Cagle - Got My Country On
Chris Cagle - Got My Country On
The People's Take:
Finally! (5 Stars)
by MrsDaniLz
It's nice to have him back and making music again. Really hope radio picks it up and supports him because he is a true artist.
Confused (1 Star)
by ASClark84
i got this song confused with every other song that is currently on country radio…
(Editor's note: Review WIN!)
My Take:
If Chris Cagle has listened to the radio in his time away from the charts, surely he's noticed by now. If he's read Chet Flippo's CMT.com articles, Saving Country Music's rants, Country California's fake news or quotes, Farce the Music's anything (unlikely), or even a few random newspaper articles (even less likely), he must have recognized the trend.
I know you're familiar with the trend. Not only is it cliché; even mentioning it is cliché. I'm speaking of the "how country I am" songs in constant spin mode on your local country station since 2003. Complaining about them is almost as common as the songs themselves.
Based on his new single, Chris Cagle is either incredibly (almost willfully) ignorant, terribly stupid or does not give one single shit about the over-saturation of the subject matter. I'm going with a mixture of stupidity and not giving a shit – you couldn't not notice (could you?).
I guess Cagle and his management/record company figure that this type of song has basically become its own sub-genre in which at least 50% of the singles of that ilk find their way into the top half of the charts. It's like shooting fish in a barrel almost, so maybe it's not stupidity, on second thought.
Whether or not it's a good business decision to follow the canyon-sized ruts in this road is not my concern. My problem is with the bull-headed resistance to originality in today's country music scene. I'm not asking for a new political bent or even a change of scenery… but surely there are stories lived on these standard-issue backroads that could provide a much more interesting and personal connection between artist and fan. Country radio has truly become McDonald's. You always know what you're going to get, no matter if you drop in tomorrow or next November. While it's expected and guiltily appreciated from a fast food restaurant, standardization is tiresome and lazy when it comes to what is supposed to be an art-form.
There's little need to critique the actual sound of this song. It's what you're accustomed to from an upbeat country song these days. Loud guitars with a rock riff, ample drums, charging vocals. Jason Aldean is the standard-bearer for the modern country male, and Cagle does little to differentiate himself from that style.
Don't even get me started about this whole "get/got my _____ on" phrase. Unless I get a letter in the mail that says "You just got your million dollars on," I don't want to read or hear it.
This song reeks of desperation. Cagle's long absence from country radio's heavy rotation has led him to be a mere follower to artists who came after him in hopes of a return to commercial success. That resumed success is certainly possible, but suck-cess is guaranteed.
Total Value: .10/.99
The Checklist:
Mama
Boots
Dying Person
County Fair
Lost Love
Dog
Kindly Advice
Whiskey
Beer
USA
Soldiers
Pop Sheen
Star Power
Sep 5, 2011
Sep 4, 2011
Sep 2, 2011
YouTube Gems: Stoney LaRue
From the truly enjoyable new album Velvet, here's Stoney LaRue with "Has Been."
Sep 1, 2011
Aug 31, 2011
Aug 30, 2011
Larry Lee the Primitive Baptist Reviews: Brantley Gilbert
Brantley Gilbert - Hell on an Angel
I was appalled by the title of this song from the start. Why do so many country singers feel the need to promote that dark realm in their songs? Also, I'm no scholar but the frequent usage of "hell" in country songs as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, interjection, dangling participle and whatever else can't be correct. Can I get a Amen!?
I have another question. Why is this song labeled as "country?" It is clearly a southern rock song like that infernal Lynyrd Skynryd and dirty rednecks like that. Brantley Gilbert looks way more like a biker man than a good old Christian country boy. You don't see me going around calling myself Larry Lee the United Methodist, do you? That would be ridiculous ...because I'm not a drunk.
Anyway, the song… It actually had potential and I thought it was a song of spiritual redemption until he called God "baby." I was all like WTF (Why the falsehood)? And then I was like "oh no he didn't." I'm sorry for all the slang, I've been filling in some at the South Holcomb Missionary Baptist Church while the Right Reverend Percival G. Sparks recovers from shingles and I picked up a little of that yang, homeys.
This song worships the false idols of love and females. This man was a sinner and claims to have been redeemed by the fairer se… uh, a woman. Not only is this false teaching, it goes against human nature as well. Women have more evil in one brain cell than a man has in his entire body (not counting the no-no place below his abdomen). Also, Eve was the first sinner. That's good enough for me to know that no salvation ever came at the hands of a female and that a man should always lead the way. Don't tell my wife I said that though.
I believe this Brantley Gilbert only changed his ways for the promise of sexual favors, not true love. There is only one true love and that is with da big poppa in da sky. Believe dat, gee!
You might have guessed that this song has earned the following grade:
F
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