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Jimmy Wayne – “Sara Smile”
Songwriters: Daryl Hall & John Oates.
The 1970s and ’80s get unfairly maligned as across-the-board musical low points. It’s truth that the ’70s, being the decade that gave us both disco and “Afternoon Delight,” don’t have a lot of defense, while the 1980s music retrospectives that VH1 used to air (before it turned into a celebrity [...] -
Heartland – “Mustache”
In its own way, “Mustache” is every bit as touching as the surprise hit that put Heartland on the map back in 2006. “I Loved Her First” addressed the special bond between a man and his little girl (who remains such even into adulthood), becoming an instant classic for father-daughter wedding dances. “Mustache” is a [...]
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Darius Rucker – “History In The Making”
Songwriters: Darius Rucker, Frank Rogers and Clay Mills.
Darius Rucker’s music career has been one of dichotomies. Like his commercially successful but critically spotty stint as frontman of rock outfit Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker’s foray into country has produced strong album sales and a handful of number one hits, but has also earned him reviews [...] -
Lee Greenwood – “Why Lie”
To the casual Lee Greenwood fan—that is, anyone who solely associates him with “God Bless the USA” and his 90s-tastic stars and stripes bomber jacket—the singer’s latest single may appear to be a quite a departure from Lee Greenwood the Patriotic Figurehead to Lee Greenwood the Country Crooner.
Sure, “God Bless the USA” is technically a [...] -
Fast Ryde – “Make It Rain”
Boasting a repertoire filled with titles like “That Thang,” “Ridin’ Dirty” and upcoming second single “Make it Rain,” James Harrison and Jody Stevens–the two men behind the new Republic Nashville duo Fast Ryde–seem to be betting their career aspirations on their ability to spin phrases from prominent hip hop songs into slick pop-country fare for [...]
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Jason Aldean – “The Truth”
Songwriters: Brett James and Ashley Monroe.
Jason Aldean definitely knows what his fans want and expect—country songs about country life and country living…as long as they don’t sound too, you know, country.
Sure, you can throw in a fiddle or a steel guitar, as long as those instruments don’t take away from the drums and electric [...] -
Rosanne Cash with Bruce Springsteen – “Sea of Heartbreak”
When Rosanne Cash turned eighteen, her father gave her a list of what he considered the 100 essential country songs. By way of an eleventh studio album, she recorded a dozen of them with a loose, jazzy backing band and an array of guests including Jeff Tweedy, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen.
Without that backstory, The [...]Continue reading "Rosanne Cash with Bruce Springsteen – “Sea of Heartbreak”"
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John Fogerty and Bruce Springsteen – “When Will I Be Loved”
These days, the Everly Brothers might be best remembered for singing odes to teenage love, but Phil and Don Everly had an abiding love for straight-up country music, as anyone who’s heard the rootsy Songs Our Daddy Taught Us knows. These Brylcreemed boys could write damn good songs as well.
And although the brothers themselves [...]Continue reading "John Fogerty and Bruce Springsteen – “When Will I Be Loved”"
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Randy Houser – “My Kind Of Country”
Songwriters: Dallas Davidson and Randy Houser.
Randy Houser debuted as a balladeer of uncommon skill with the soulful “Anything Goes,” but it was the Adkinsesque rocker “Boots On” (in the vein of, but not quite as interesting as, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”) that very nearly took him to the top of the charts, blocked only by Jason [...] -
Kevin Fowler – “Beer Season”
Texas country rocker Kevin Fowler trades Bambi for Budweiser, hunting for Heineken and ammo for Amstel on his new single “Beer Season,” a catchy, silly song that is refreshingly fun for the sake of being fun.
Unlike current chart-topping “good time” songs that are so calculated and slickly produced (think Craig Morgan’s “Bonfire” or Brooks and [...]
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- Mayor JoBob: Or Alan Jackson, Rodney Crowell and Marty Stuart with guest appearance by Jimmy Buffett!
- JCH: Jamey Johnson, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert. No idea where the heck that came from.
- Mayor JoBob: Brad Paisley, David Ball and Highway 101!!!!!!
- Noeller: Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Eric Church and Zac Brown Band. It's the Bearded Saviours of Country Tour - would ...
- Sparkles: OMG - have you seen this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYENOUcaAsM I LOVE DOLLY!!!!
- Ben Milam: On three alternating stages: the pogues mahone, steve earle, eric b. & rakim, the band, emmylou harris, the drive by ...
- Bob: Suzy Bogguss and Hal Ketchum
- Jon: Alison Krauss+Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, and Shania Twain. It almost happened back in 2003-2004; the "Up! Close & ...
