Open Country

Ok... so we got to rant a little yesterday about the folks that we really hate... now... I'll give ya a few that you may want to check out. Things are lookin' up, even in mainstream country right now... assumin' ya know where to look.

Shooter Jennings: I know... Waylon's boy is a rocker... at least that's what everyone thought... Hell.. he subbed for Axle Rose twice! No worries. One day he was tryin' to write with his LA metal band.. and told them he was tryin' to go for a "David Allen Coe" thing... when none of them knew who he was talkin' about... he decided to hang it up. He put together a new band and they through together his new album.. Put the O back in Country. If you've not yet heard the first single.. Fourth of July... I'm stunned... no matter... it'll be on all weekend I'm sure. It's great stuff. The album is Bocephus Southern Rock / Country... just like Waylon would have wanted. And hey... if you ever see him in concert... he's prone to covering Paradise City! How many of ya can say you've heard GnR at a country show?

Jason Boland: I love boland. He's all texas... His covers of Carney Man... the Road Goes on Forever, and Charlie Robinson's My Hometown are staples on my mp3 list. His original stuff is just as good.

Miranda Lambert: Hot little Texas girl. Chick can sing. I don't know what else you can say... She way hotter than Twain... and she's got serious 4-wheeler redneckgirl tendencies. There's a lot of new chickies out there these days... but this one probably has the best voice.

Keith Anderson: Song writer turned singer. The album is called Three Chord Country and American Rock and Roll... and that's exactly what it is. Songs like Pickin' Wild Flowers and XXL are the anchors of this one... and they alone are worth the price. Podunk is another great song, and "Where the Sun don't Shine" is plain hilarious. You'll find rock guitars and driving percussion... all mixed up under fiddles and country singin'. Hard to complain about that.

Dierks Bentley: This is the guy that sang "What was I thinkin' " that came out a couple years ago. You remember that I'm sure... well... he's still writin' about chicks... but without the sap that's the downfall of so many country boys. Even when he does write a song about bein' dumped... it ends up with a title like "Domestic, Light, and Cold". Normally I woudn't condone the mentioning of lite beer in music... but hey... he's still young. The stuff is toe tappin' and singable with plenty of blues. What do ya want?

The Gourds: Ahh... the original college country band... no one really knows about the Gourds except for them that have heard the infamous rip of Gin and Juice... well.. and them what live in Texas... Everyone in Texas knows about the Gourds... hell... in austin they could out sell Garth Brooks. Songs like "Jesus and Tequila", "Smokin' and Drinkin' " among others make this guys just to good to miss. The arrangements are bizarre... but catchy... in a "these guys know to much music theory to be playin' this stuff" kinda way. If you ever get to hear them cover Pancho and Lefty... man...

So there ya go... 6 artists off the top of my head... I coulda put Mindy Smith and Trick Pony on there too but I am outta time... Just do yourself a favor... Stay away from Sugarland.

Wait... crap.. I forgot to mention Jason Aldean! More summertime rock and roll country! Good stuff! Check him out too!