Song Review: "Let's Roll" by Arabella Jones

When it comes to stupid cliche truck songs, I thought we only had to worry about the guys in pop country. This girl, 17 year old Arabella Jones proved me wrong with her debut single. She got famous by posting "country" cover songs by people like Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, and Taylor Swift on YouTube. She has a decent voice but this mess of a "country girl anthem" sounds like some bad old Carrie Underwood song.

Let's first look at the obvious elephant in the room right now. Since the country culture is "in" right now, we got a girl in extremely short cutoff shorts, a tied up plaid shirt, cowboy boots, a big truck, in front of a lake, covered in mud. Please don't try to tell me this girl actually rolls around in the mud looking like that. Impressing boys with your big truck and playing in the mud is ultimately what this song is about. Gretchen Wilson, who sang similar songs like "Redneck Woman," at least lived by her redneck anthems. She was an actual redneck woman unlike this girl who, judging from her social media looks like a fake. Do people really have to try that hard to look country? Isn't country supposed to mean being yourself and not being fake to fit in? She can probably sing pop just fine instead of taking advantage of country when it's in a confused messed up state. The only thing this song does is teach people the necessities to fit in with today's wannabe hillbilly culture. It's nothing special at all but country radio will eat it up because it's very easy to market. She is currently unsigned but I'm sure some label will swoop in and pick her up soon. So many deserving real country artists out there and this girl gets attention because she sang Taylor Swift covers and has her ass hanging out of booty shorts. It's just not fair.

Rating: F

Two For Tuesday: If It Ain't Broke... 9/3/13

I know mainstream singers are adding new outside influences into their music to keep it "hip" and appeal to a big audience. I don't get it though. Why are they trying to appeal to people who don't like country music by making them believe their rap or pop song is actually country? Then the new listener just goes around thinking they like country music when actually they never really heard it. This new song "Keep It Redneck" by "country" rap group The Lacs was released a few weeks ago. It isn't rap and it sure the hell isn't country. It's neither, it's insulting to both genres. 

If you actually watched that I am so sorry, I sincerely apologize, really. It's just why is that promoted on ITunes? Why is that acceptable as country music? I don't have an answer for it and it just sucks you know because there is real country music out there. Take this Honky Tonk band from Michigan, Whitey Morgan and the 78's, good, real, country music. Of course since the main fan base for modern country music is non country fans they can't get recognition. This song is not acceptable in country music today, but pseudo-redneck rap is. Like they say in this song country music isn't broke, people like them prove that it is alive and well. So stop trying to add in your hip hop beats and autotune to make it popular. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Is Today's Country Music Supporting Bad Behavior?

Back in the day, when a country song referenced getting drunk, a lot of the time it was viewed as an obstacle the singer was facing. Drinking away a past love or drinking your troubles away songs looked at alcohol as a demon and was mostly listened to by adults. These days alcohol is widely celebrated throughout country music. It is viewed as a fun good time. Since the most popular age group in country music today is teenagers some may find that especially alarming.

I'm sure other music genres have their fair share of underage drinkers too, but country music is the "hip new thing" now. And I'm sure country shows from a few decades ago had their share of drinkers, but it was never this bad. Even in my own experiences with mainstream country shows I can say the audience has gotten progressively more rowdy and disgusting. With songs like Lee Brice's "Parking Lot Party" you can see that the country singers are catering to the fact that the drinking starts way before the gates even open. I went to a Justin Moore show at my county fair this year (by force) and it was unquestionably the worst concert experience I've ever had. The parking lot was full of pseudo-rednecks in their cowboy hats and boots who probably got pre-drunk then were drinking and playing party games on the tailgate of a truck. There were many fights going on with the wannabe "tough guys" who were arguing about whose "more countrier" than who probably. Then those same people went inside and either bought alcohol or sneaked in alcohol and continued their booze fest. There were people screaming, drinking, spitting tobacco, splashing beer, taking off parts of their clothes and waving them around. There were girls crowd surfing with guys spanking their ass as they came across. One guy even threw up his beer two inches away from my feet. Not to mention the fact that there were also really little kids present at the time. Oh yeah and it was at like 2 in the afternoon, not even at night. Then those people are going to attempt to drive home. It was the first time I ever left a concert early. I've been to some crazy shows, but it was never that bad. What happen to going to a concert to well I don't know, listen to music! 

I have seen a countless amount of people being arrested for drunk driving after concerts, many of them are underage. Just last week a man was killed after a Jason Aldean concert and that's not the first time I've seen it happen either. People are actually dying after concerts because of stupid people's decisions to drink and drive. Now on top of the fact that the music is bad, it's dangerous too! I know teenagers will find their way into drinking, smoking, etc. on their own or with their friends. It doesn't need to be glorified across country radio. Since country is a trend now, everyone wants to fit into the fake redneck culture they talk about in the pop country songs. Songs about drinking an ice cold beer in your truck with your girl by your side, getting into fights with some dude in the parking lot, yeah all the stuff you see at a show is in those songs. Going to a concert is the best way to show off what they learned. How about some songs about being yourself and doing your own thing, you won't see any of that on the radio. Mostly because the singers follow the latest trends just the same way the teenagers do. Don't say what they are singing about doesn't matter, because I guarantee you won't find that behavior at a Reba or Merle Haggard show today. They go to the shows of the guys like Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Brantley Gilbert, etc. because they think oh that's country, we get to go dress up and party like rednecks for a night, how fun. As a teenager myself I can say I know for a fact that that is what the "country fans" at my school do. If you go to a concert for any non-musical reason, then just don't go. No one wants to deal with your drunk annoying ass the whole night, it ruins it for the people who actually came to see the show. Music should be loved by people who love music, not by idiots who want to party. The demand for party songs is high right now, so they make party songs. If mature, more genuine country songs hit the airwaves I bet the whole I want to be a drunk hillbilly culture will stop. All in all country music will have to decline in popularity for any change to take place. Once country concerts stop acting as a dumbass breeding ground I bet the singers would be able to have more creative control and the disgusting rowdy crowds will move on. What it comes down to is the fact that there are a lot of ways the younger generation can get into trouble, music in general, has to stop promoting it.

Two For Tuesday: Memory Of A Past Love 8/27/13

If you're looking for a simple sad song about getting over a memory of someone, you won't find it easily in today's country. When sad songs do come around today a lot of the time they spend so much time trying to make it catchy and radio friendly that they forget the purpose of it in the first place; to ease the pain for someone else, and the writer. Sad love songs written in big Nashville office buildings just aren't the same.


"Outta My Head" - Craig Campbell
This song tries to sound serious, yet to the casual listener who isn't paying much attention it sounds no different than the happy love songs. The chorus has so many "Yeahs" and "Girls" you probably wouldn't know the difference. This song sounds like sing-along pop, which is probably why it's big right now. I just don't get it. If you're gonna write a sad song the very least you could do is make it sound like you wrote with actual feeling. If the only reason you have a depressing song out is because you did too many happy songs in a row, just go ahead and keep making happy stuff because a sad song with no feeling is just pointless.



"Sweet Savannah" - Shooter Jennings
This song tells a story. If I was a guy who couldn't get over a long hard relationship, I would want to listen to this. You could tell that the listener would pay attention because real thought and feelings were put into here and it seems real. The first song just used a gimmicky hook to make people listen. I don't get why songs like this can't be on the radio. I can't believe a song needs to have a certain amount of happiness to be accepted as a sad song these days.

Single Review: "I Hold On" by Dierks Bentley

Dierks Bentley is a name most mainstream country fans are familiar with. With songs like "5150" and "What Was I Thinkin'" a traditionalist would be quick to roll their eyes and put him in the pop country throw away genre like many others. If you dig deep enough you would discover that he is a lot more than what meets the eye. Compared to Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, and others, he is usually one we never have to point a finger at. Considering the fact he had a bluegrass album back in 2010 and some great releases off his new record, I think Dierks is one of the few mainstream stars who is on the right path.

"Bourbon In Kentucky" was originally going to be the lead single off of his soon to be released album Riser. I thought it was a very good song, but the record label pulled it at the last minute despite the fact that it got great reviews. It was most likely due to the fact that you can't release a heavy depressing love ballad in the summertime. *Rolls eyes* Summer is a time all the bandwagon "country fans" jump on in because of the songs about beer and sun and fun yay. *Rolls eyes again* It would have been refreshing to hear a song like that on the radio next to all the summer garbage. It got pulled anyway, and now since summer is almost over people can start releasing sad songs again. His new lead single is "I Hold On" and I think it was a just as great, if not better choice as the first.

I first heard this song when he sang it live at the 'Locked And Reloaded' tour which he co-headlined with Miranda Lambert. He really didn't have to say much to introduce it, you can just tell he meant every word he was singing. When you listen to this song there isn't a doubt in your mind that he took part in writing it. I can actually justify singing about a truck in a song if it's done this way. The first verse talks about how even though he has the money to buy a new one, he still keeps his truck he had practically his whole life. He holds on to it because of the memories it has, like how his dad, who passed away recently, and him drove it to Nashville when he was 19 to start his new life. And that guitar with holes and dents in it, he always keeps it because it reminds him of all the old bars he payed his dues in. I can relate to this song a lot because I do hold on to things a whole lot. Not even big things, just little things that bring back good memories, like my big cup of old concert tickets. I think other people will relate to it as well.

The instrumentation is country rock with a big bass lead. Overall it still sounds like a Dierks song. With everyone changing themselves to fit into the what's hot at the moment category it's cool to see artists still be who they are. To keep the sound you want and to write meaningful songs from the heart is very rare in mainstream music. It might not get you all the money or fame, but 20 years from now it will get you remembered as an artist. As long as Dierks keeps on the road he's on now, and doesn't try to rap about trucks or whatever the sellouts are doing these days, I think he can do a lot of good in country music. I'm looking forward to see what's in store for his new record.

Rating: A

Two For Tuesday: Name Dropping Legends 8/20/13

Name dropping classic country singers in mainstream country songs is always something I hate. It's never saying what an impact the singer had on their life, it's almost always just a way to make a rhyme work, and of course to sound cool and make your music "countrier." Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of songs out there that do talk about a country legend in a way that shows the importance of them in that singer's life, usually not in mainstream though. They usually just use it to make George Strait rhyme with tailgate, or (in the case of Jason Aldean's "Dirt Road Anthem") George Jones rhyme with dirt road! Okay so if you are going to use a legend's name in a fun way how should it be done? Funny you should ask.


"Johnny Cash"- Jason Aldean
It should not be done like this. This song is about a guy who loses his job so he picks up his girl (in a sundress of course) and they go rocking down the highway listening to Johnny Cash. Okay, but why though? Is it really necessary to name drop Johnny Cash? The reason is because by saying "Johnny Cash" or any other country legend's name in a pop country song it fools the listener into thinking they are badass. No really, I think people like to hear a legends name in a song because it paints some illusion that the song has something to do with them. So they think they are cool for listening to a song about a legend. In reality it's just a way to get a good rhyme and cover up the suckiness of a stupid cliche pop country song.


"Hank William's Records"- Hellbound Glory
This song is one of the first songs that turned me onto this band. Besides the fact that this does in fact sound like a real country song, the name drop is very well done. It's about a drinking away a past love in an apartment whilst blasting some old Hank, with some very choice words to the landlord who doesn't like it. This song is fun, upbeat, and hilarious. It's what we need more of these days, just a good ole country song.

Girls Are Taking Over Country In 2013

It seems like all the guys in mainstream country are off in truck land. They may think they're "outlaws" with their ripped jeans and wallet chains but it seems like the ladies of country are the ones keeping the traditional country sound alive. Here are some of the top female artists to watch out for, all of them have new records out this year.

Holly Williams-
Just because she is the granddaughter of Hank Williams Sr. doesn't mean she will make super twangy honky tonk music to follow in his footsteps. I think she is receiving the amount of success she is because she just does her own thing. She has a very soft Americana sound with many country elements, vivid story-like lyrics and a beautiful voice. Her album The Highway was one of the best albums of the year so far.


Kacey Musgraves-
Kacey is unquestionably one of the best things mainstream country has got going for it. Same Trailer Different Park was one of, if not the best mainstream country album of the year. It seems like every hit country song today is about fun times and partying. Kacey sings songs that are darker and a whole lot deeper than the country pop stars. I'm pleasantly surprised that the mainstream country fan base likes her as much as they do. 




Ashley Monroe & The Pistol Annies-
Ashley's album Like A Rose and the Pistol Annies' Annie Up all sold a decent amount of copies, nothing groundbreaking, but still good. The reason is because people know Miranda Lambert, so they support the Annies as well, and guess what? Both albums were country, really good country, and get this, people bought it, and they liked it! Ashley, Miranda, and Angaleena are an example of how accepting country fans would be of a change. There were rumors this year of a Pistol Annies break up because of cancelled tour dates. I think they are all just busy doing their own thing right now. Ashley just recorded an album, Miranda is working on a new one, and Angaleena is working on hers too, which according to her Twitter will be "some good old fashioned country music." Together or apart, the girls can each bring a lot of good into country today.


Amanda Shires-
You can call her Americana, rock, folk, country, whatever, Amanda is the perfect example of someone who doesn't need to be labeled. I don't care how country it is as long as it's good. That is how I feel towards most things. Days when music is becoming so repetitive and unoriginal, music like hers really stops you in your tracks. Her songs are like dark poetry and her voice perfectly fits it. Her album Down Fell The Doves is another one of the best things I've heard this year. It's not country in a traditional sense like Ashley Monroe's is, but it is so good. Her incredible fiddle playing and other country elements always push her music into the country genre, and I will gladly accept that.