Harmonization or lack of difference?

I have 'One More Drinking Song' stuck in my head so this may turn out interesting.

I had been trying to post something twice a week at least, and I was having no issues with it.  However slowly I'm finding myself unable to say anything about country music today.

Why?

Almost every single artist sounds the same.

I heard Allen Jackson the other day and honestly I didn't even know it was him till the DJ said who it was.  I go back and listen to his older stuff, "Little Bitty" in this case and it sounds like him.  New stuff, sounds like everyone else.

I honestly can't tell the difference between artists anymore, and it's not my hearing, I sware they've taken lessons in how all to sound the same.

I mean sure you have a few that stand out still, Darius Rucker being one of them. 

Females are the same way anymore, as well.  Sugarland has that difference that I love cause I can tell her apart, same as Reba.  But seriously I hear some songs now and I have to google who sang it. 

I honestly miss the good old twang some of the singers had.  I miss those oddities that made you go 'yep that's Dwight Yoakam' or whoever.

And just cause I can, A thousand Miles from Nowhere.  Gotta love him in that video.

Hank Williams JR

I'm sure by now most if not everyone has heard of Hank Williams Jr's statements and the resounding outfall from that.  If not... Hank said some stuff about the President and the government that most media people are not comfortable with.  As a result for the first time since he had a contract in place Monday Night Football yanked his song from their opening.

He has since then written a song, 'Keep the Change' which you can download for free from his website, here: http://www.hankjr.com/

I've listened to it several times since downloading it, and I can say for sure you will NOT hear this one on the radio.  Nothing is 'bad' about it, but most media places are not comfortable airing 'controversial' songs.

Irony is, ever since I've heard about this happening I've had If the South Woulda Won stuck in my head.

Dirt Road Anthem, Stuck Like Glue, & country rap

Already I'm ready to tackle this one.

Before I start I'd like to emphasize I love Jason Aldean... that being said... this song.  Just no.

I'm sorry it's just rap?  Anyway you put it he raps in it.  I like rap, I will admit that, but not in my country music.  Sugerland I'm looking at you too with this one.  Adding in rap is the perfect way to take what would be a great song and turn it into something I can't even classify.  Country rap just doesn't compute.  Yes, both Dirt Road Anthem and Sugerland's 'Stuck Like Glue' are soft rap, as opposed to a few other 'country rap' songs that are out there. 

Honestly, I do realize this is a fad and hopefully will fade, but it saddens me that a song I would other wise like decides to make its self unattractive by rapping.  I will extend my dislike to not buying the cds these songs appear on.  I honestly wish Sugerland would release a CD with the 'less rap' version of 'Stuck Like Glue', I've heard one station in the area edit out the rap and the song flows perfectly fine without it.

As for Dirt Road Anthem, I love the part he actually sings in.  I love it enough to ignore the rap and listen to it sometimes, but like with Sugarland I will not buy the CD due to the rap.

I kinda get what Tim McGraw means when he says 'I'm readin' Street Slang For Dummies//Cause they put pop in my country' in 'Back When' now.

Little Goodbyes & Goodbye Says it All

Hmm, could it be may just be related to?  Nahh.

You never listen when I talk// Maybe you'll listen when I walk 

But no more wasted words on me// No, she kept short and sweet

But every light in the house is on// Everything is gone

Empty hangers by the closet door // Lipstick tube on the bathroom floor

Nahh, clearly the two songs have nothing in common.  I mean its not like they fit together rather well, and it's not like they came out kinda around the same time or could have inspired one another.  Completely random, yep that's it.

Songs quoted are:

Blue: Blackhawk- Goodbye Says It all

Purple: SHeDAISY- Little Goodbyes

Lyrics don't belong to me and are used here to make a humors point.

Free And Easy (Down The Road I Go) & Last Dollar

Just wondering if anyone knows who or what 'Ragweed' is.  No, not the plant, I mean 'Ragweed's rockin' on the radio'  A band I assume? Yeah no idea at all.

This one goes on my list of happy fun songs. 

Play it back to back with Tim McGraw's Last Dollar (Fly Away) for an even happier mix.

Both have that worry about nothing feel that makes you want to blast them while driving. (Helps 'Free & Easy' mentions driving several times.)  Still the best times to listen to some songs is when your in motion, just remember not to speed.

'Last Dollar' does have an adorable feel that 'Free & Easy' lacks when it brings in the children singing.  To be honest when I got the CD with 'Last Dollar' I spent a bit of time just listening to the kids part.  The video, if you have not seen it has an even greater 'aww factor' when it actually shows the kids in the studio.

'Free & Easy ' has a bit of a more adult feel then 'Last Dollar' due to it's lyrics.  Both pretty much are about enjoying lift to it's fullest.

So any ideas about that Ragweed thing?

Sarah Buxton, Outside My Window

Ever just heard a happy fun song, went oh that's cute, then went to watch the video and kinda gone 'wait what'?  This is that song, 'Outside My Window.'  The song is cute, the video is kinda a bit... goofy for lack of a better word.  It has a very hippy feel to the whole thing.  Not that it's that bad of a thing, it's just kinda a happy video.


To be fair and give props where props are due, the lyrics remind me of Creedence Clearwater Revival's Lookin' Out My Backdoor, it's got that same 'goofy' factor, kinda yeah she's looking outside imagining things.  Like this is the way the would should be, and wouldn't it be nice if it was that way.

It is important to keep in mind, this video was made with a budge of about $90 and made on Adobe Premiere (if I have my programs correct, I've been able to stop a few things like after effects and other Premiere elements.)  Given how it turned out, kinda makes one wonder if big budgets are really needed on all of those other videos.


If you decide to watch the video look for other singers, she's got a few that did cameos. I caught two other groups but I may have missed some.

Hunter Hayes - Storm Warning

Wow, just wow.

I'll be honest, first time I heard Storm Warning I swore it was a Rascal Flatts song.  I've been hearing it the past few nights, but it wasn't till today I actually looked into who it really was.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it was in fact a new singer.

His music style is a mix of Jesse McCartney, and Rascal Flatts, and to be honest he does remind me of Jesse in his video.  He's got some great vocals, and if his video is any indication he's very talented.  The video shows him playing various instruments, not sure if it's done for dramatic effects or if he really does play them all.  I know he at least plays the guitar.

I've listened to another song, acoustic, that he has on youtube, which if it is an indication of his new CD it should be a great buy.  I'm planning on getting a copy as soon as it's out. 

I honestly hope to see more of Hunter as he gets older and his music style matures.  He's off to a great start from what I've heard and I can't wait to see where he goes in time.

Before you act, think

Before you act, think about what you're saying and doing.  Think of the others your life affects, think of your actions toward them.

What If Jesus Comes Back like That?

Even if you're not 'religious' go and listen if you don't know that Collin Raye song. 

I'm tired of hearing about people putting others down cause they think they are better then others if people work in service jobs.  Someone will always be that person serving you food, or doing some sort of service for you, and I can bet in most cases their doing that job cause they have to, not because they want to.  I work in a service job (delivery), and I've been called 'stupid' and other not to nice words just because something out of my control happened.  I am not stupid, I'm doing my job because I have college loans to pay off, a house to pay for, and people that rely on my job to eat.  Snide comments about how stupid/slow I am to mess up a paper actually do hurt, and no I can't control what's in the paper.  I'm college educated, and I have a start up business, I'm definitely not the trash people seem to think I am.  My job pays my bills (kinda... ish...)

The entire point of this is 'think.' People you talk to are real people, just like you.


So, what if Jesus comes back like that? Will he cry when he sees where YOUR heart is at?

Chris Young, Tomorrow

Sorry, not matter what way I play it or watch it, Tomorrow comes across as a guy who wants one last booty call before he ditches the girl.  While the video does make it look more like she's leaving him not the other way around the lyrics still don't quite tell that story.

My roommate who loves this song will probably hate me for this blog, but lets break down this song a bit.

"Tomorrow I'm gonna leave here" - Okay so the guy knows he's leaving, he's made that up in his mind, no way to change it.

"But tonight, I'm gonna love you like there's no tomorrow" -So a booty call? 'Hey hon lets have sex like we normally do, I'm not gonna tell you that I'm gonna leave you though.

"And tomorrow, You won't believe it// But, when I pass your house" - So you just admitted she doesn't know you're leaving her, nice guy you are.

Mmk, so if she doesn't know you're leaving, you two have sex and she gets pregnant what then?  Bye hun, left you with a present?  Sorry but there is no way a song that advocates a last booty call then running away can be romantic or even good to me.  If your gonna bang her and run, at least tell her so she's not expecting you to stop by 'Tomorrow.'


(Disclaimer: Lyrics clearly not owned by me as they're in a Chris Young song, official video is link in this and they own the rights to the lyrics.)

Kevin Fowler, Pound Sign

It dawned on me while driving the other day (and listening to the radio of course) that I don't have a single Diamond Rio CD, nor do I have a single Alabama one, for that matter I do not have Kevin Fowler's CD.  I can't even find the CD anywhere in stores, and trust me I've been looking ever since I heard his Pound Sign song (not an official video.)

I think almost anyone can connect with this song, I mean  how many of us just haven't had a day where we feel like '#?*!' and just wanted to let the whole world know (but in a slightly proper way).  I've come home from work to the question 'so how was your day' only to answer it, 'you know that Pound Sing song? Go listen to it.'  Sometimes I think it's almost a theme song for my life.

Not much else to say about Pound Sign.  I wish the radio played it a bit more, they've kept up with other songs that came out around the time this one did, but for some reason I've only heard one station play it.

As for the CD it's one, assuming I can ever find it I'll write up a quick review of it.  Hopefully the full CD will be as good as the one song I want it for.

Danny Gokey, My Best Days

I love music, like really love it.  I love stuff that touches me, the stuff that makes me happy, the ones that can make me sad, the ones that make me think.  Almost any song that makes me have some type of reaction I will instantly love.

Danny Gokey hit it on target with me in his song 'My Best Days Are Ahead of Me', if for some reason you have yet to hear this song go watch it now. Normally I dislike people who do American Idol so I stayed away from him for a bit till I ran into his song on the radio, I rather regret missing him now.

How truthful can you be when you have lyrics such as 'old enough to look back and laugh at my mistakes, young enough to look at my future and like what I see, my best days are ahead of me.' For me this song speaks of getting older, moving on, and regretting nothing you did.  You're future is always ahead of you and your life is what you make of it.   It's full of promise of new days, and energy.  Go out there, try it, you never know just what you can do with your life.

I would seriously recommend anyone who's feeling down about their lives to sit down and listen to the lyrics in this song.  I'm working on an anti-depression play list, and this song is on it.

Now I will be honest, I went out and bought the 'My Best Days' CD based on the one song and the reviews for it, and I'm not to overly fond of the rest of his songs on the CD.  They lack the energy and emotion behind 'My Best Days Are Ahead of Me'.  I've sat down and listened to the entire album three maybe four times since buying it.

A Cute Story- I'm begging you 'Fran'

While I have a few minutes, and I'm thinking about the hurricane that should be coming up the coast, I figured I'd share a cute story.

Back when my husband and I were still dating we started talking about some country songs we liked and some of the lyrics as we would miss hear them as. (For example my father is convinced Sugerland's 'Stuck Like Glue' like is really 'Satellite Blue' for some reason, not that it makes much sense with the song lyrics as they are but meh his hearing is a bit off at times anyway.)

Apparently at the time "Don't Take Her She's All I Got" by Tracy Byrd came out it was around the time hurricane Fran hit the area, or the song was being played a lot on the radio, something like that.  Anyway every time my husband would hear it he kept thinking Tracy was singing 'Fran' instead of 'friend' so as time passed he began to sing the song as Fran instead of the lyrics as they really were.  We got into a discussion about what they lyrics really where and I had to pull them up online to prove to him exactly what they were.  Randomly, still, to this day I will catch him singing 'Fran' instead of 'friend.'

Short yes, however it's cute.

A Bit More About Me

I should possibly do my first post with a bit more about me for those curious as to just who this nutcase is, so here goes.

I am an English major who went to college in a big city and as soon as she could ran back to her country home.  Yes, I live in 'rural America', 'the country', or 'hick's-ville' as some may call it.  I am in fact a farmer's daughter, and yes I did marry the preacher's grandson.

At one point I was an aspiring writer, who's dreams were crushed by that reality known as the 'real world.'

I listen to country music a lot, more so then other music types so it just seems natural, country music plus blogging.  Not to be said that I don't listen to other types, I like classic rock, and will give anything else a try at least once.  I wouldn't be surprised if my varying music likes are referenced in my posts.

So here goes, life is ride and who knows where we'll end up if we give it try.