Eric Church "Record Year" Single Review

     Eric Church is at it again, releasing another great single to radio. His latest hit is “Record Year”, a well written sad song about the healing power of music. When Eric Church surprised everyone with an unannounced album drop last fall, many great songs were included. Right off the bat, this was the one I wanted to see released as a single. It has the “it factor”. “Record Year” continues Eric Church’s string of great songs and builds on his already impressive resume.

The 10 Best Albums of 2015

      As the sun sets on 2015, the inevitable "Best Of 2015" lists begin to appear.  2015 saw some great albums from big names in both the mainstream and independent country worlds.  Making a full album of great songs is still a major accomplishment.  While much of the music industry is seeming to move away from the album format, these artists still make a full collection of songs that matter.  These are your ten best albums of 2015.

Eric Church "Mr. Misunderstood" Album Review

     The night of the CMA Awards, Eric Church dropped a surprise album titled Mr. Misunderstood.  After making an interesting-to-a-fault album in The Outsiders, the release of Mr. Misunderstood finds Eric back in his wheelhouse.  While most artists spend countless months prepping and analyzing every line on an album, Eric wrote, recorded, and shipped this album in a little under 3 months.  Members of his "Church Choir" fan club received free surprise copies the day of the release. Clearly, the roll-out of this album bucks any and all Nashville trends.  Thankfully, the music does as well. Mr. Misunderstood feels fresh, gritty, and unique.  This is Eric Church at his best.

Keith Urban and Eric Church "Raise 'Em Up" Single Review

     When Keith Urban released “We Were Us”, the Miranda Lambert duet, as a single, I was bummed. Not because I dislike that song. It actually is a fairly decent tune. But, I didn’t think that Keith would release two duets from Fuse, and “Raise 'Em Up” was the highlight of the album. Thankfully, Keith proved me wrong and released this as his new radio single. “Raise 'Em Up” is a really cool track that is bound to be a big hit with fans and critics alike.   With two of the biggest names in country music on a well-written song, how could you go wrong?

Eric Church "Talladega" Single Review

     Eric Church’s latest album, The Outsiders, took a lot of sonic risks. The album is a trip through country, rock, and metal that leaves more questions than it answers at times. Some of the risks paid off into fantastic songs, some of it sounds like a mess. One song that he did not take any risks on was “Talladega”. This song is not anything outlandish or different, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a great song. Sometimes, less is more.

Haters, Evolution, and Chinese Food

This is what Hank thinks of your silly arguments

      With the latest albums by Jason Aldean, Chase Rice, and Florida-Georgia Line drawing heavy amounts of criticism despite topping the charts, the bro-country supporters have been out in full blast, defending their music ad nauseam. They make claims of “evolution” and “if you don’t like it, don’t listen to it” and of course, the “country music doesn’t have to just be about lost dogs, lost wives, and broken-down trucks” argument. If you dare to share your opinion on the music, you get called a bully, an old man, or “close-minded”. There are so many accusations and proclamations with absolutely no truth and value in them that it can be very frustrating to even talk to these people. So, I’ve decided to deconstruct all of the tired, old arguments that the bro-country defenders drag in one all-encompassing post: Haters, Evolution, and Chinese Food.

Eric Church "Cold One" Single Review

     Eric Church has had quite the eventful 2014. From releasing a polarizing new album, to firing up a headlining tour, to cranking out radio singles, Eric has been all over the news. While The Outsiders had a lot of missteps and self-indulgent songs that didn't quite click, it also had some gems. “Cold One” is one of the highlights. It’s the perfect blend of summer fun and crafty songwriting that makes “Cold One” an obvious choice to be a big single.

The Top 10: Eric Church

In a new feature on Keep It Country Kids, we will countdown the top 10 songs from different artists.  We will range from the big headliners of today, to legends of yesteryear, to the under-the-radar artists who have been making great music over the years.  Today, we start with one of country's biggest stars: Eric Church.  With The Outsiders selling so well and "Give Me Back My Hometown" climbing the charts, it seems like the perfect artist to kick off our series right now.  Without further ado, here are the top 10 Eric Church songs.

Eric Church "The Outsiders" Album Review

     Eric Church's The Outsiders is easily the most anticipated album of 2014.  Eric Church has slowly rose to the top of country music with music that evokes equal parts attitude with sentiment, hard rock with classic country, and silly one-liners with rock-solid story-telling.  With The Outsiders, Eric didn't hold back and didn't pull any punches.  The result is an album that may not be the most "country" album on the charts, but certainly the most creative and unique album in the genre right now, for better or worse.

Eric Church "Give Me Back My Hometown" Single Review

      After the title track to Eric Church's upcoming album, The Outsiders, raised some eyebrows and sparked discussion but failed to tear up the charts, Eric has released the second single, "Give Me Back My Hometown".  While this song is a throwback to other songs in the Eric Church mold, it features some new elements that make it a very different and very intriguing song.

Eric Church "The Outsiders" Single Review

     Eric Church has been doing a good job of staying creative and fresh in a mind-numbingly unoriginal mainstream country format.  He has seamlessly blended hard rock and classic country to create a unique sound that was fully realized with his stellar album Chief.  Eric has taken some time off to try to follow up that great album, and "The Outsiders" is our first taste of the new material.

Eric Church "Caught In The Act" Album Review

     Eric Church has completely blown up the past two years.  Eric went from low-level opener to headlining superstar virtually overnight.  To celebrate that huge jump, Eric has released Caught In The Act, a full length live album, recorded in Chattanooga, Tennessee during his Blood, Sweat, and Beers tour.  Eric’s live shows pack serious punch, but could that raw energy transfer to an album?

Eric Church "Like Jesus Does" Single Review

        Eric Church continues the stellar run of his 2012 CMA Album of the Year Chief with his latest single, the somber "Like Jesus Does".  In this tune, Eric sheds his bad boy image for a more sensitive and tender side.  Does it work?

The 10 Best Songs of 2012

2012 has come and almost gone.  Now, it's time to look back on the best and worst of the year.  First, we will look at the 10 best songs, followed by the Top 5 albums and the Worst 5 songs of the year.  The songs chosen for this list were either tracks on albums released in 2012, or a single released in 2012.  Who walks away with the best song of the year????