YouTube Gems: Butch Walker covers Taylor Swift

Wow. I'm not familiar with Butch Walker, but I'll be familiarizing myself after hearing this cover of Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me." The music begins (and the video ends) at 2:47 and I dug it and you'll probably dig it. I have to say I enjoyed this cover more than the original. And it's surely just as country.

Top Albums of '09 Thus Far: November

Watch this space in coming weeks as there's talk of a collaborative blog effort at a Best of 2009 chart. For now...

What do I need to hear and add to this list before the end of 09?

Top Albums of 2009

As of: Nov. 6

1. Charlie Robison - Beautiful Day

2. Magnolia Electric Company - Josephine

3 Ben Nichols - The Last Pale Light in the West

4. Buddy and Julie Miller - Written in Chalk

5. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park

6. Wrinkle Neck Mules - Let the Lead Fly

7. Son Volt - American Central Dust

8. BettySoo - Heat Sin Water Skin

9. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels

10. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies

11. Drew Kennedy - An Audio Guide to Cross Country Travel

12. The Black Crowes - Before the Frost...

13. The Devil Makes Three - Do Wrong Right

14. Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away

15. Joshua James - Build Me This

16. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell 'em What Your Name Is

17. Chris Knight - Trailer Tapes II

18. Miranda Lambert - Revolution

19. Krizz Kaliko - Genius

20. Mastodon - Crack the Skye

21. Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night

22. Joe Nichols - Old Things New

23. George Strait - Twang

24. Drive-by Truckers - The Fine Print

25. Pearl Jam - Backspacer

26. The Avett Bros. - I And Love And You

27. Tom Russell - Blood and Candle Smoke

28. Sons of Bill - One Town Away

29. Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day

30. Those Darlins - s/t

31. Grant Langston - Stand Up Man

32. Guy Clark - Somedays the Song Writes You

33. Pete Bernhard - Straight Line

34. Steve Earle - Townes

35. Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

36. Scott Warren - Quick Fix Bandage

37. Holly Williams - Here With Me

38. The Fox Hunt - America's Working So We Don't Have To

39. Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit - s/t

40. Eric Church - Carolina

41. Drive-by Truckers - Live From Austin, TX

42. Robert Earl Keen - The Rose Hotel

43. Old Californio - Westering Again

44. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

45. The Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours

46. Phosphorescent - To Willie

47. John Moreland & The Black Gold Band - Endless Oklahoma Sky

48. Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree in the Ear

49. Red Fang - s/t

50. Austin Lucas - Somebody Loves You

Songs Illustrated 8

John Rich's Songwriting Tips #21

A question from e-mail.

Bret in northern California asks: "John, in the songwriting world, does it pay to be an asshole in every case, or just your own?"

Bret, I can't answer for everyone, but in life you have got to be aggressive and go after what you want. Doesn't matter who you step on during the climb if you know there's no way in hell you're coming back down. Wait, did you just call me an asshole? You m***** f*****, I'm having your I.P. address traced and coming to your damn house. You piece of sh*t! You're gonna be tasting steel toe from the wrong direction.

Not actually written by John Rich.

A few 'shopped hip-hop covers