Underwood Will Lip Sync at Super Bowl, Fault of Garth Brooks

February 2nd, 2010

This Sunday at the Super Bowl, Carrie Underwood will very likely be lip-syncing the National Anthem, whether she wants to or not, and it is mostly the fault of the king of pop country, Garth Brooks.

This story starts way back in 1993 at Super Bowl XXVIII in Pasadena, CA. In 1993, Garth Brooks was not [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country

30 Rock Goes Country & Garth Goes Vegas

October 19th, 2009

I really cherish the few opportunities I have writing this thing to laugh a little, and today is one of those days. They say all good humor is rooted in truth, and what is more true than the joke that is actors and 80’s pop stars slipping on a pair of boots to “Go Country” [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country

Brooks & Dunn Breakup Reveals Ill’s of Nashville

August 17th, 2009

Last week the pop country world was rocked when the duo Brooks and Dunn announced they were breaking up. Though the duo has never had any particular reason to be in my crosshairs, information that came out in the various stories about the breakup painted a clear picture of the overly commercial approach that the [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country

The Role of Tradition in Modern Country Music

May 28th, 2009

Recently, especially after the Newsweek article decrying pop country came out, I’ve seen an uptick in blogs and articles wondering if the pop influences in the genre have gone too far. We all know my opinion on the matter, but I have been encouraged in this uptick in commentary. Even if the majority of people [...]

Filled Under: Random Notes

BR549 & The Beginning of the Neo-Traditionalist Movement

April 14th, 2009

Country music is an interesting thing. More so than in any other genre of music, you can look back at it’s history and almost see a grand design; an underlying purpose to all of it’s ebbs and flows. Country music has created folk heroes and arch villains within it’s ranks of performers and business handlers. [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Newsweek Calls Out the ACM’s / Pop Country

April 5th, 2009

Tonight (Sunday) the joke that is the Academy of Country Music awards will be going down in Las Vegas.

Place your bets that this show will SUCK, and I guarantee it will pay off in spades.

I was going to write at length of why the ACM’s are a sham of the highest order, but [...]

Filled Under: News

The Descent of SNL, Austin City Limits, & The Rolling Stone (A rant)

November 25th, 2008

So on Saturday night, I get a phone call from a friend who knows I like pop country about as much as getting a splintered board shoved up my ass, telling me that the perfume peddling Timberly McGraw is the host of Saturday Night Live. So I tune into the last half of the [...]

Filled Under: Causes, Down with Pop Country, Outlaw History, Random Notes

Random News Roundup Vol. 5

November 9th, 2008

Hank III News:
–There’s a great new interview with Hank III, probably one of the best I’ve ever read on americanroots.com.
–There a contest to win an Epiphone guitar and other Hank III gear you can read about on the Hank III MySpace blog.
–Please if anybody recorded the Hank III stuff [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country, Free Hank III, News, Random Notes

The Most Influential Country Music Albums of All Time

November 6th, 2008

I’ve always said that Hank Williams III’s Straight to Hell was one of the most significant albums in country music history. But since no mainstream media outlets are willing to recognize this, I will, and to prove that this is not my biased opinion as a simple Hank III fan, I’m going to [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History, Reviews

The Highwaymen & Hank VS. The Here and Now

September 6th, 2008

I found this on Charlie G’s page. It’s about as poignant and true as it gets. Sure, these old farts are straining to harmonize and the whole thing seems a little contrived, but the verses are so true it hurts.
Charlie G. pointed out in the comments of my last blog that [...]

Filled Under: Causes, News, Outlaw History

Pop Country Gets It’s Ass Handed To It !!!

July 19th, 2008

Check This Out:

I’m not lying when I tell you that without asking Mr. Google, I could not name you one song, not even one song by Kenny Chesney or Keith Urban. I just don’t pay attention to pop country. But the other day when I was sitting in Subway enjoying a scrumptious footlong [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country