Little Big Town controversy

[Deleted]

Apr 3, 2015 19:25:33 GMT -5 miranda3 said:

I like the traditional country too, but there's just somthing about that old school southern rock that makes me feel good. I love just the right amount of country and rock properly mixed, but this "bro country" stuff lacks the magic formula. There's no feeling to it whatsoever. But a lot of times those southern rock ballads will hit you just as hard as pure country song. Granted nobody can take you through emotional wringer quite like Hank Williams Sr. though LOL

We should all love the music we love.

After I started posting on this board again, I went to the library and checked out a bunch of mainstream country CD's and listened to them. Most of them were Bro Country since that's what's been "in". Keeping in mind that I listened to the albums as a whole rather than as singles, nothing really stood out for me.

You know that feeling of hearing a song for the first time and oh, my gosh, you stop what your doing, turn up the music and your fully engaged. Either tapping your foot, dancing along, completely wrapped up in the story, or the voice is speaking directly to you.

I didn't get that a single time in any of the Bro Country albums I checked out from the library. I'm not saying they were bad. I'm just saying none of them felt like they had any power to walk through life with me, again and again and again as good songs do.

I know they are often criticized for being party on the dirt road songs but that criticism was around long before Bro Country. To tell the truth, in all the years I lived in a small town, I never once went to a party on a dirt road. When I wasn't busy working, I was at home or my boyfriends house. Obviously we went out. Tractor pulls. Demolition derbies. County fairs. An occasional movie. We went to the lake a lot and sat on the hood of his car and talked, watched the stars and listened to the water. There was a dam they'd built about a half hour away and a nice lake. Or we'd go for rides on his motorcycle. I didn't drink ...he didn't drink...it wasn't a thing. I loved wearing moccasins and big shirts and meditating.

This is just my personal opinion but it seems like those who are programming "small town" country music have a very limited view of what small town people are like and what living in a small town is like. It's not like everyone walks in lockstep. People are quirky and the smaller the town, the quirkier people can be. It's part of the joy of living in a small town.

You see that with Kacey's "Blowin' Smoke"



but I wasn't seeing anything but uniformity in the party on a dirt road songs. What fun is uniformity?

[Deleted]

This was the first video I ever saw of Kacey's and she looks so much like Miranda in it, I wasn't sure it wasn't Miranda for a minute. It's just that Miranda had been singing Kacey's songs ..made it confusing.

[miranda3]

I thought you would like Blackberry Smoke, Jo. They have several songs that are straight country, some old school blues and also the harder rock side of southern rock. They are really kind of eclectic like Kid Rock but with a bit more southern flair. Your should look up the video of them singing Yesterday's Wine with Jamey Johnson and George Jones

I have two of their albums. One of them is called The Whipporwhil (which is where all the songs I posted came from) and the other one is Little Piece of Dixie. They two other studio albums (their first one nd the newest one, Bad Luck Ain't A Crime and Holding All The Roses). I had the new one ordered from Amazon and fhe postal service Sent it back after it made it all the way to the post office here. I was so mad I haven't yet tried to order it again. LOL

[Deleted]

[miranda3]

Apr 3, 2015 21:07:31 GMT -5 @jolene said:

Apr 3, 2015 19:25:33 GMT -5 miranda3 said:

I like the traditional country too, but there's just somthing about that old school southern rock that makes me feel good. I love just the right amount of country and rock properly mixed, but this "bro country" stuff lacks the magic formula. There's no feeling to it whatsoever. But a lot of times those southern rock ballads will hit you just as hard as pure country song. Granted nobody can take you through emotional wringer quite like Hank Williams Sr. though LOL

We should all love the music we love.

After I started posting on this board again, I went to the library and checked out a bunch of mainstream country CD's and listened to them. Most of them were Bro Country since that's what's been "in". Keeping in mind that I listened to the albums as a whole rather than as singles, nothing really stood out for me.

You know that feeling of hearing a song for the first time and oh, my gosh, you stop what your doing, turn up the music and your fully engaged. Either tapping your foot, dancing along, completely wrapped up in the story, or the voice is speaking directly to you.

I didn't get that a single time in any of the Bro Country albums I checked out from the library. I'm not saying they were bad. I'm just saying none of them felt like they had any power to walk through life with me, again and again and again as good songs do.

I know they are often criticized for being party on the dirt road songs but that criticism was around long before Bro Country. To tell the truth, in all the years I lived in a small town, I never once went to a party on a dirt road. When I wasn't busy working, I was at home or my boyfriends house. Obviously we went out. Tractor pulls. Demolition derbies. County fairs. An occasional movie. We went to the lake a lot and sat on the hood of his car and talked, watched the stars and listened to the water. There was a dam they'd built about a half hour away and a nice lake. Or we'd go for rides on his motorcycle. I didn't drink ...he didn't drink...it wasn't a thing. I loved wearing moccasins and big shirts and meditating.

This is just my personal opinion but it seems like those who are programming "small town" country music have a very limited view of what small town people are like and what living in a small town is like. It's not like everyone walks in lockstep. People are quirky and the smaller the town, the quirkier people can be. It's part of the joy of living in a small town.

You see that with Kacey's "Blowin' Smoke"



but I wasn't seeing anything but uniformity in the party on a dirt road songs. What fun is uniformity?

Bro country isn't all totally bad. I actually like several of Jason Aldean's songs and have two of his albums. He IS capable of doing real country when he wants to. a lot of his music sounds good to me but it doesn't amount to much and he's not really a great vocalist either.

[Deleted]

We should have Aaron Lewis too.

[miranda3]

That was actually the first time I'd seen that yesterday's wine video. last time I looked it up I never saw that video, just a link to the song with no video.

I did see awhile back where someone had posted a video where they did a southern rock version of "Man of Constant Sorrow" at a live show. That was a doozy LOL

[miranda3]

Apr 3, 2015 21:25:46 GMT -5 @jolene said:

We should have Aaron Lewis too.

Yes, I like to hear him sing. I liked him when he was with the rock group Staind which was popular when I was in high school. I'm not sure if that group is still together or not. 

[Deleted]

Miranda,

Luke Bryan is the one I like. It's the farming thing. His dad is a dairy farmer. I come from homesteaders, grew up in a farm town in farm country. The homestead was sold when I was in my early 20's but I grew up the 4th generation of people from the same land. Luke sings about rain and tractors. I do so love that. : )

Jason Aldean has some good songs but mostly he's more intense as a person than Luke is. I like Luke's lightheartedness. It takes me back home. The irony is that Luke, while lighthearted, has the heavier load. He lost two of his siblings in recent years and took in one of his siblings kids to raise along with his own. He's a good man.

[Deleted]

I'll bet it was Miranda. : )

As for the post office, they are the pits. Gets worse all the time.

[miranda3]

Luke seems like a nice guy. I know somene who met him and his wife in Nashville. They couldn't say enough good things about them.

[Deleted]

This song and video just makes me happy. My grandpa had old calendars that went back years and years and years where he'd written the weather on them every single day. He'd pull those out and study them all the time.

[miranda3]

Apr 3, 2015 21:38:47 GMT -5 @jolene said:

I'll bet it was Miranda. : )

As for the post office, they are the pits. Gets worse all the time.

I know it. We deal with their ineptness at work on a regular basis. I could go into details but it would take all night. LOL 

[Deleted]

Apr 3, 2015 21:40:40 GMT -5 miranda3 said:

Luke seems like a nice guy. I know somene who met him and his wife in Nashville. They couldn't say enough good things about them.

That's good to know. I like nice people.

[miranda3]

 Here is a video for you Jo