Jessica’s single is the perfect country-pop fodder for the demographic flock of sheeple mainstream country has attracted to itself. If “Today’s/Modern Country” hasn’t yet completely fallen into the abyss of total mediocrity, its getting closer. Jessica’s catchy and commercial single has given it a little nudge towards the cliff. I don’t call it “Airhead Country” for nothing!

PS - Last night on the Opry Joe Nichols, Emily West, Kieran Kane, and Gene Watson reminded me why I love country music so much! (Thank goodness!) And Daily & Vincent tore it up on the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree. Thank goodness for WSM online (now if only they had a higher bitrate feed for better sound quality). Note: Elizabeth Cook will be on both Tuesday Night Opry’s this coming week, but I don’t know if WSM will broadcast both online. Hmmmm…..

It has not. Luckily, there are still more than two artists in country music.

Has it really come down to this? That we have to choose between the lesser of two evils — or is is the evil of two lessers? This is exactly why I turned off my radio a couple of months ago. I only listen to my own CDs, or the Classic Country and Americana channels on digital cable. I’ve had enough of the “Today’s Country” garbage.

Re: Jessica Simpson: Its hard for me to be angry about Jessica Simpson releasing a country single. Her song isn’t that good, but its better than some of the stuff on radio now. Some people are calling Simpson a “carpetbagger;” but if a “carpetbagger” can make better music than some country singers then I’m not against all carpet baggers.

I’d much rather hear Simpson’s “Come On Over” than Kellie Pickler’s new ode to self-esteem.

Songs like “Want To” and “Stay” converted me to their camp as she sounded really good on those songs. But “All I Want to Do” and the song linked above are making me think I’m not going to like the new album, as her singing is almost incomprehensible.

Would Garth Brooks have sold 120 million plus units had he not signed autographs for 23 hours at Fan Fair or leaped out into the crowd at his shows? Probably not. While Garth made some killer music, it was his devotion and interaction with the fans that made him the biggest selling artist of all time. Well, a degree in marketing didn’t hurt either.

So I say kudos to Sugarland for following in the footsteps of artists like Brooks & Dunn, Garth, Reba, and anybody else who wasn’t restricted by the format from having a big rock-styled production show.

Because country fans are tired of artists that they’ve supported and helped propel to stardom abandon them for greener (as in $$$) pastures in the pop world. And then to add insult to injury, these artists usually deny that they’re trying to cross over, which is an affront to the intelligence of country music fans.

I’m not saying that artists should never experiment or try something new. But be honest about what you’re doing, and “come home” every now and then and throw your old fans a bone by recording a real country song every now and then. Country music shouldn’t be used as a stepping stone for bigger and better things, any more than it should be the genre of last resort for those who didn’t make it in the pop world (this means you, Jessica).