Attention Real Country Music Fans: We Are Winning

      Anyone who knows anything about country music knows that there is a longstanding and intense war being waged for the soul of country music. Tradition and fortune are at odds seemingly every day now. Traditionalists are fighting to keep country music rooted in the history that made the genre great, while moving forward to new heights. Mainstream country wants to make as much money as possible, while turning country music into a rock/rap/pop hybrid, citing claims of “evolution” and “progress”. While the fight has looked bleak for the true fans like me, the tides have turned. Not only are we making headway, I would go as far to say that right now we are winning the fight for country music.

The 5 Worst Songs of 2014

     2014 was seriously one of the best in recent memory for country music.  But, no year is truly perfect.  Bro-country may be finally on the demise, but there were a few floaters this past year that we couldn't quite get to go down.  These stinkers represent the embarrassing side of mainstream country.  Hopefully, as country continues to improve, this list will be less significant, but this year it still contains a lot of big songs. Cover your ears, kids, here are the 5 Worst Songs of the Year.

Jason Aldean "Burnin' It Down" Single Review

      I haven’t really torched a song in a while. Lately, a lot of the radio singles have shown some improvement. Luke Bryan and Florida-Georgia Line put out some decent songs. Even the dorkiest goober in country music, Cole Swindell, has a decent new single. But, this song just rubs me the wrong way. Of all the “bro” country singers, Jason Aldean has bothered me the least. At least when he rapped in a country song, it was a little more daring and bold, not fomulamatic and cliché like it is now. And in between his run of the mill party ditties, he has recorded some decent songs like “Fly Over States”, “The Truth”, and “Night Train”. That being said, Jason has really set me a blaze with “Burnin’ It Down”. This song is a pathetic, mind-numbing cry for attention, and needs to be erased from my memory as soon as possible.

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.

"Working Man's Poet: A Tribute To Merle Haggard" Album Review

     It's been a busy month for one of country music's biggest legends, the great Merle Haggard.  He turned 77 and was honored on the same day at the ACM Awards by Miranda Lambert, George Strait, and Garth Brooks, and the week before, Working Man's Poet: A Tribute To Merle Haggard was released.   A quick glance at the artists contributing would make most traditional country fans and Haggard fans simply laugh and turn away.  Aldean AND Luke Bryan?  But, if you give this album a chance, you'll see that not only do these artists all do these songs justice, but the best ones come from the guys you'd least expect.  This is a very good tribute album.

5 Worst Songs of 2013

     While 2013 had some monumental positives, it wasn't without some massive failures.  The evolution of the genre has produced a brigade of wanna be pop stars parading about in their big trucks, downgrading women, and making sure everyone knew just how country they are.  While we finally saw a lot of backlash to this trend, we still had a slew of bro-country songs.  If you can stomach it, lets relive the songs in 2013 that had us shaking our heads and covering our ears.

Jason Aldean "Night Train" Album Review

Jason Aldean's 5th studio album, Night Train, just dropped last week.  Jason has officially crossed the barrier from solid act to bonafide superstar.  The unveiling of a stadium tour that coincided with the album release proves this.  Few country acts can sell out big stadiums, but the powers that be have decided Jason Aldean is in that mold.  But how does Night Train stack up to his lofty expectations??