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.

The 10 Best Albums of 2014

     Writing a great song is no minor feat.  It takes skill, determination, and talent to write a country song that moves people.  It is an even greater feat to write an entire album worth of great songs.  That's what these 10 artists did.  These 10 albums represent the best of country music in 2014.  From throwback records to "metamodern sounds", all facets of country music are covered here. Keep It Country Kids proudly presents the 10 Best Albums of 2014.

The 10 Best Songs of 2014

     2014 saw a noted increase of quality from the country music mainstream.  Country music is nothing without great songs; songs that touch our hearts, make us laugh and cry, make us feel something.  It is very refreshing to be able to turn on country radio and actually hear some decent, heartfelt music.  We still have a long way to go, but baby steps are important.  These 10 songs come from mainstream country, independent artists, bluegrass artists, and everything in between.  Here are the 10 Best Songs of 2014.

Shooter Jennings "Nashville From Afar" Single Review

     “Shooter Jennings isn’t a fan of the Nashville system” would be a strong contender for most obvious headline of the year. Shooter has made no secret of his disdain for the mainstream country scene that his legendary father once called home. He’s recorded anti-establishment songs like “Solid Country Gold “and “Outlaw You” , and has been a constant reminder of the crooked and devious ways of the suits in Music City. Shooter is at it again with his new single “Nashville From Afar”. I’m sure the song won’t get much attention outside of the underground world; this is a song the rest of country music needs to hear. Shooter tells it like it is and makes a strong case against the powers that be.

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.

Eric Paslay "She Don't Love You" Single Review

     2014 has been a nice turnaround for traditional country music, with mainstream artists singing songs of more substance, lesser known acts like Sturgill Simpson and Brandy Clark getting recognition, and legends like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash releasing great new music. One of the mainstream guys who has been getting some buzz is Eric Paslay. He co-wrote “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and had a number one single with the forgettable “Friday Night”. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Eric Paslay has released one of the best songs on the radio with “She Don’t Love You”.

The Band Perry "Gentle On My Mind" Single Review

     I’m not sure if this is a popular opinion among the independent and traditional country world, but I am a fan of The Band Perry. Sure, the big hair and over the top performances on award shows in the past comes across as gimmicky and flashy, but they consistently put out some darn good songs. “Better Dig Two” has a cool, dark vibe, “If I Die Young” is a modern classic, “You Lie” and “Postcard From Paris” are great radio singles, and “Don’t Let Me Be lonely” is a fantastically written song, even if it is closer to pop than country. In today’s mainstream country wasteland, they are an actual bright spot. Their new single is a cover of “Gentle On My Mind” by Glen Campbell, and it is one of the best songs on the radio today.

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.

Garth Brooks "Man Against Machine" Album Review

     Well, it finally happened.  Garth Brooks released his big comeback album.  Many, myself included, predicted a massive changing of the guard in country music, with a return to past glory.  Those big plans never really came to fruition  Garth's debut single was underwhelming and hasn't performed well on radio.  Then came the Toby Keith circa 1999 album cover and the doubts began to rise.  What was once the most anticipated album of the last 5 years turned into a barrel of worries of misdirection.  All of that doesn't matter now.  Man Against Machine is here,  So, what do we make of this album?

Little Big Town "Pain Killer" Album Review

      Wow, where do I begin?  Little Big Town has been one of my favorite mainstream bands for quite a while.  Some of their songs like "Shut Up Train", "Sober", "Little White Church", and "Your Side of The Bed" are some of the best radio singles in recent memory.  When their last album, Tornado, dropped, I was nervous going in.  The lead single, "Pontoon", was one of the dumbest, most annoying songs I've ever heard.  The album ended up being fantastic.  This time around, they have an even more annoying lead single, "Day Drinking".  I decided to be excited for this one, as the last one was just fine despite the slow start.  I was wrong.  Pain Killer isn't the worst album I've heard, but it is a significant drop from a band that previously was fantastic.