Comments on: Album Review: Rodney Hayden – 12 Ounce World

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:47:38 +0000

Rodney just sings – and brings it song after song. He doesn’t show-off when he performs or thinks that he’s bigger than what he is. Plus I think his biggest asset are the lyrics in the songs that he writes.

One of my favorite lines from a song on his third CD is “If love were easy everybody’d be in it.”

I’ve been to shows where he’s fronted for Aaron Watson (College Station and the Washington County Fair) and I’ve wondered, “Why?”

By: Mindy McCready Hospitalized After Attempted Suicide | The 9513

Mindy McCready Hospitalized After Attempted Suicide | The 9513 — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:00:11 +0000

[...] Rodney Hayden will be recording his first live album at The Wildcat Saloon in McCoy, TX this Saturday. He’ll perform songs from each of his four albums, a few choice covers and a handful of new songs. (On a related note, read Jim Malec’s review of Hayden’s recent album, 12 Ounce World.) [...]

By: November ‘08 Album Review Wrap-Up | The 9513

November ‘08 Album Review Wrap-Up | The 9513 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:53:06 +0000

[...] Rodney Hayden – 12 Ounce World A brilliantly mixed album that is underlined throughout by the standout guitar work of bandmate Matt Slusher, Hayden’s latest is one of a rare breed, so good at certain points that it’s easy to forget you’re listening to the songs of a regionally successful Texas act and not a country music legend. — Jim Malec [...]

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:22:14 +0000

Amazace:

You said that bad red dirt is still original and that bad red dirt is still better than any mainstream music. i was just asking you to clarify those claims, and i suspect you arent doing that since those claims are relatively baseless.

ponyfan:

Actually, the red river (where there is plenty of red dirt) borders the two states and from the many items i have read, that is at least one of the inspirations of the term in its current state. regardless of ones interpretation of the term or its origins, the fact remains that texas bands make up the majority (or at least a large chunk of) the “red dirt” category, regardless of what anyone wishes wer the case. Also, few of the artists that started in stillwater have long since left for texas (ccr, boland, etc…)

By: PonyFan

PonyFan — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:05:36 +0000

I take offense at the suggestion that “Red Dirt” has anything to do with Texas. In Texas the dirt ain’t “Red”. Let Stillwater do there thang. Let the Texans give it the proper twang.

By: Amazace

Amazace — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:52:33 +0000

Kelly, With so much great music out there, I don’t focus on the bad music. Since I’m nowhere near Texas or Oklahoma, I go by what I research, learn and listen to on the internet. When I go to the Texas Red Dirt music site. http://www.texasreddirtmusic.com/Home.html I simply click on the dozens of artists listed and listen to their music. Overall I like what I hear, very much. Could this be a fan driven genre? I believe so since that’s one element of what Americana Music is.

By: scooter

scooter — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:27:52 +0000

I live close to the Texas Oklahoma border and everyone and their brother thinks they are a “red dirt” artist. I still have not a clue what the term “red dirt” means. At first I thought it was country music without steel and fiddles- just acoustic guitar-but that really doesn’t fit either. I don’t like some of the red dirt artists like cross canadian ragweed, but i like some like jason boland and some of stoney larue’s music. In a way it seems like a rehash of some of the progressive country – cosmic cowboy type stuff coming out of Austin a long time ago like jerry jeff walker, rusty wier etc. If anyone can explain it to me please do. I don’t get it. And the previous posts don’t help. If its just a region, I guess I can get my mind around that.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:07:49 +0000

I’ll take good mainstream music (it may be hard to find sometimes) over bad red dirt music (sadly, its easier to find than it used to be). It’s not about labels for me, its about whether its good or bad period (that goes for all genres). “Red Dirt” as a genre label is vague and has been attached to a region, not a style of music.

Also, what is so original about, Bart Crow Band, No Justice or Rich O’Toole? I am not saying that they are bad by any means, but there isnt anything that really sets them apart in a scene that has become really over-crowded with 4-5 peice rock acts basically. Also, please give specific examples of bad “red dirt” that is still orginal? I dont get that…

By: Amazace

Amazace — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:53:52 +0000

I never claimed all Red Dirt music is good, but I’ll take it anyday over Mainstream music. Especially “country”. I don’t consider Red Dirt music lame at all, and with so much out there to choose from it boils down to personal preference. Music IS always the point. With me anyway. Since “nashville pop”, consists of a core group of session writers and session players(for the most part), no matter what they put out will be an imitation. That why it bores me to no end. At least even bad Red Dirt is original.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:52:30 +0000

Amazace,

I dont see the difference between lame imitations, regardless of who they are “complimenting”. Whether it’s an imitation of nashville pop or “red dirt” music is not the point really. Who cares about flattery if it’s merely a bland retread of something thats already been done a gazillion times. You may have misunderstood my earlier comment, as I am not looking for imitations, but actually pointing them out and saying that just because people may like “red dirt” doesnt mean everything that claims to fit under that label is good. By you claiming to be ok with imitators in the red dirt scene, you cant really bash on imitators in nashville all that effectively.