Yearly Archives: 2015

by | October 12, 2015 · 11:00 pm

Our ‘Buzzfeed’ Articles All in One Place

Before we turn our attention to writing new papers, let’s take a minute to celebrate the old ones. Here is a comprehensive list of the Buzzfeed-style articles that everyone wrote. Take a look, leave some comments, share your favorites with your followers on Facebook and Twitter, etc.

chesneyCrossing Lines

nataliemainesLiving & Learning

underwoodLoving & Leaving

Garth Brooks's wings

Raising Awareness & Showing Support

paisleyLooking Forward & Back

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Filed under Buzzfeed article, Class work, Lists, Politics

by | · 12:31 pm

Country Music at ACL

After these past two weekends, I’ve heard the same question in almost every conversation, whether I was involved in the conversation or not.

“Did you see who performed at ACL this year?”

acl_music_festIf you are from Austin or anywhere close to it, you almost undoubtedly know what people are referring to when referring to “ACL”. It stands for Austin City Limits music festival and is one of the biggest events held in Austin all year. Before I started attending the University of Texas here in Austin, I never really knew much about it since I am from Fort Worth. Little did I know, how much fun it was and how big of an event it was for all music industries and artists.

This year I attended ACL for my first time and even though the price for a weekend wristband is ridiculous, it was well worth the price, even with the crowds and warm weather. I was very surprised at the variety of music genres present at the festival. What I didn’t realize was that country artists were just as popular as the headliners were this year. The big names I saw on the list were Drake, The Weeknd, and Foo Fighters and while the crowds were massive for them, the crowds were big for everyone.

Some of the country artists who performed this year were Dwight Yoakem and Sturgill Simpson. Compared to previous years this years artists aren’t as popular compared to some of the artists who have performed at ACL like George Strait, Reba McEntire, and Waylon Jennings. (Not that I was at any of these performances, since they were all before the year 2000.) I had heard of these two artists before but I didn’t know the name of their songs but still enjoyed them a lot!

80Sturgill Simpson was very entertaining and the crowd for him was just as big as many other artists at the show. As some bloggers and writers online noted, not many people were two-stepping to the music but it still turned out to be a popular show.

He showed his outlaw-ish charm and while his music doesn’t deal with topics rated for PG audiences, I did see some younger audience members in attendance. I didn’t realize that all ages came to ACL, especially for artists who didn’t exactly sing about sunshine and rainbows.

While Simpson and Yoakam’s performance might not be considered in the category of “Best Country Artist Performances at ACL History”, they were both good in my opinion. Some of the performances that would fall under that category would be:

  • Willie Nelson 1974
  • Garth Brooks 1990
  • Hank Williams Jr. 1980
  • George Strait 1982
  • Waylon Jennings 1985
  • Merle Haggard 1978

These are a few that some people have put in their top 10 under that category and watching some of the performances online, I would have to say they were very good.

My first ACL experience was great including artists such as Drake, Echosmith, Twenty One Pilots, The Weeknd, Disclosure, Dwight Yoakam, Sturgill Simpson, and many more! I highly recommend attending the event next year if you haven’t ever attended it before!

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Filed under Austin, Blog Post 2, Concert, Live Music

by | October 10, 2015 · 7:00 am

Making the Most of Everything: Country Music Lessons

For every nostalgic song produced by country music, there is one that reflects on the opposite message. Living in the moment is important for everyone, especially in a time where little distractions are so common. In order to have no regrets, you have to make the most of every minute, which is a hard task. Country music always cuts to the heart of a matter, and this topic is no different. As someone in college who is trying to make the most of these four years, these songs will always have a special place. Here are five of the greatest ‘living in the moment’ country songs:

“I Hope You Dance” – Lee Ann Womack

This country pop song came out in March 2000, and won multiple awards. Lee Ann Womack reminds me of Carrie Underwood in some ways. This song is filled with hope about the future and emphasizes not letting any time go by without making the most of it. It’s hard not to feel inspired!

“Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along, / Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone”

“Don’t Blink” – Kenny Chesney

If you’re a fan of Kenny Chesney, then you know that this song is one of his all-time greats. It veers away from his traditional carefree, relaxed beach vacation songs. (Beer in Mexico will always be a classic!) It is fitting that the 2007 album was titled Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates. He tries to figure out the secret to life, and it’s pretty simple, just live! It seems like just yesterday when I first came to UT, so I definitely relate to this song.

“Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think…So don’t blink”

“I Saw God Today” – George Strait

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfe8Ik5vU2Y

You wouldn’t think that a song about new baby would really be relatable to most college students, but it’s the general idea that any major life event creates some reflection and a desire to not let things go by so fast. George Strait released this song on his album Troubadour in 2008- considered one of the finest in his long career.

“His fingerprints are everywhere / I just slowed down to stop and stare / Opened my eyes and man I swear, I saw God today”

“You’re Gonna Miss This” – Trace Adkins

A dad who is watching his daughter grow up narrates this song. Each stage of her life brings struggles but also blessings, something everyone can relate to. When the times get too trying, it’s easy to wish you get over the hump and be past it, but there’s so much good you could miss with that kind of outlook. He stresses to her to enjoy every stage of life, because there’s always a part of it she’s going to miss.

“You’re gonna miss this / You’re gonna want this back / You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast”

“Live Like You Were Dying”

In my opinion, this is the ultimate song about living in the moment. I have gotten to see Tim McGraw perform this song three different times in person, and I still get goosebumps. Between the lyrics, the sound, and the way Tim McGraw sings the song, it extremely powerful. The message is clear in this 2004 hit- don’t just live life, live it to the fullest and truly appreciate every moment.

“And he said someday I hope you get the chance, to live like you were dying”

No matter the situation or circumstances, or even the phase of our lives that we find ourselves in, country music remains clear on one thing. Enjoy life and don’t take time for granted- live in the moment!

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Filed under Blog Post 3, Classic Country, Country Pop, Song Analysis

by | October 9, 2015 · 7:00 am

Country Music: Today’s Time Machine

Country music does something well that many other genres struggle with: elicit a feeling of nostalgia. In a society such as todays where new conflicts arise daily and happiness is rarely depicted, a subconscious yearning for the “good times” dwells in a lot of people, and country music as a whole plays well into this need. Whether a memory of love or hate, summer or winter, family or friends, country music can bring you there. Just like that, an artist becomes a friend and a song becomes a happy place.

Thinking back on important times in my own life, it’s not hard to remember which country songs I have carried with me from it.

High school: freshman year.

It was a new school, but same quirky me. I hoped to thrive and learn, and of course have the perfect group of friends. Obviously all of this was wishful thinking. No better song to sum up my expectations and then, reality, than the classic Taylor Swift song that I jammed to on my way to the first day of 9th grade, “Fifteen.”  Hearing this song brings back all my excited and awe filled emotions from that day, and I cant help but reflect gladly on a year that didn’t begin or end the way I had imagined.

First love: a one and done ordeal.

What a weird but happy time it is to find a person whom one connects with so easily and matter-of-factly, a great time really. Country music does this topic well; everyone has a first love.  “Sunny and 75” by Joe Nichols, always takes me back to those times where I was sitting shot-gun next to my person going who-cared-where, feeling inarguably content. Country love songs highlight that feeling of when your time is consumed by the person you love, and how just looking at them makes you smile. A happy-go-lucky song, a first love must.

Summer: now please!!!

No matter how much I love winter, every time I hear  “Beachin'” by Jake Owen, I get excited for those hot June and July days. The beach, friends, no school, 4th of July, swimming, free time: summer has all things that are good. A song that connects with these good times is a great way to get people to relate to your music, especially teens and young adults. So many artists do this well like Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, and Brad Paisley to name a few.

Home: with the people who love you.

Families can have all different types of dynamics, but there is something special about each. Being in college and away from my family has made me incredibly aware of just how much I depend and count on my own family for just about everything. Feelings like missing home, growing up, and moving forward all remind me of my family. Listening to “The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert gets me every time, because it reminds me of how I grew up and became who I am now.

Genres like rap, indie, and techno are in a different universe when it comes to making listeners feel nostalgic. Song from those genres might remind me of certain people or memories, but they don’t take me back to them like country music does. There are so many other country songs that make me nostalgic from the things previously listed and more, which is another reason this genre stands alone when it comes to eliciting nostalgia. Every story has two sides, and country music is able to touch on them both. A genre that can evoke so much feeling SHOULD stand a part from the others. In an ever-changing present, it is comforting to be reassured by the past.

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Filed under Blog Post 2

by | October 8, 2015 · 7:00 am

What A&M and Miranda Lambert Have in Common

In 2007, Miranda Lambert released her song “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, a classic story about an insanely jealous, gun toting ex girlfriend stalking her boyfriend and throwing things at him in a bar. All of this is completely normal, apparently. And she’s honestly kind of proud of it.

While I can’t say I really identify with Miranda in this situation, it’s still a pretty entertaining song. It’s probably how ridiculous the whole idea is that makes it so good, not many people know what its like to go to 30 bars to try and find your ex boyfriend just to get drunk and throw things at him. But yet it’s so easy to picture it happening that listeners can still relate to it. It also helps to realize what not to do after a breakup, no matter how bad the other person messed up.

We all have some sort of crazy ex though; the one that just can’t seem to get over you. Most likely you haven’t been stalked and assaulted by your ex, but there’s always that one that’s just a little crazy. Usually it just means they can’t stop calling or texting you or even the ones that keep showing up in your life trying to get back with you.

The closest experience I have to this song would be being a UT student and interacting with Texas A&M students. In this situation, the A&M students are the crazy ex. It’s been almost 4 years since these two teams last played each other, and since A&M was beat by the amazing Texas Longhorns. And yet, they still can’t seem to get over us.

To this day, they refer to The University of Texas as “TU”, which is apparently a huge insult. They’re so into hating on us that they even sing about us in their fight song, saying “’They eyes of Texas are upon you’/That is the song they sing so well/So goodbye to Texas University/We’re going to beat you all to.” This song screams “craxy ex-girlfriend” over and over again, just like at the end of Miranda’s song.

I’d say the fact that they feel so strongly about us to incorporate us into their school song says a lot about their sanity levels. But its not just the song that makes them the crazy ex in this relationship, it’s the fact that after 4 years of not playing each other they still sing it. In the words of Mariah Carey, “why you so obsessed with me?”

MC giphy

The cult that is Texas A&M literally breeds their students to hate UT, while UT students somehow manage to find other things to concern themselves with. Meanwhile, Miranda is following her ex around with a pistol and physically assaulting him while he’s just trying to mind his own business. Maybe these two aren’t exactly equivalent, but you get the picture. Hopefully A&M can learn to get over us one day, and Miranda can learn to leave the gun at home after a breakup.

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Filed under Blog Post 3, Country Pop, Reflection