Category Archives: Country Subgenres

Give Hank a Listen

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If I were to recommend only one country musician for somebody to listen to, I would have to go with Hank Williams, an artist whose songs originally piqued my interest in country music.  Hank Williams is considered one of the most influential figures in country music history, and was the first artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame alongside Jimmy Rodgers and Fred Rose.  Although he died at the young age of 29 in 1953, he left behind timeless songs that keep him relevant to country musicians and fans to this day.

One of the things that I like the most about Hank Williams is that I feel as if I can relate to him as a person.  For anybody who has ever lost a true love, you know that it is an incredibly painful and scarring experience.  Many, if not most, of Hank Williams’ songs deal with his experience with heartbreak and loss.  His music has definitely helped me work through some of my own feelings of loss, or at least helped distract me from it.  The first song I heard from Williams, “Alone and Forsaken“, is an old favorite of mine.

Another one of my favorite Hank Williams tracks is one of his more uncharacteristically positive songs, “I Saw the Light“.  It is an upbeat song that incorporates both folk and gospel elements, something that Williams was often known to do.   It is also refreshing to hear a different side to Williams than the pain-stricken one that we hear in most of his songs.  “Settin’ the Woods on Fire” is another song that focuses more on rhythm and rhyming than storytelling and sorrow.

Although Hank Williams didn’t live a long life, he certainly seemed old beyond his years.  It would be hard enough to live your entire life with spinal issues, never mind with the amount of personal and romantic trouble he found himself wound up in.  Nevertheless, he still found a way to share his experiences through songwriting.  His song “Lost Highway” paints a vivid picture of Hank’s lonely life, and offers advice for any listeners who can still be saved.  Although his songs are relatively simple, the emotion that Hank conveys makes listening to him a personal experience.

I recommend that you at least give Hank Williams a listen.  His songs are not very long, but they convey powerful messages that let you relate to Hank.

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Filed under Classic Country, Honky Tonk

10 Fantastic Years!

The date was May 25, 2005. My family was glued to the TV while dramatic music played and lights shone around a well-known stage. We watched intently with the rest of America and awaited the results of season 4 of American Idol. Carrie Underwood was our long-time favorite to win, although Bo Bice posed a threat. On that night, we held our breath as Ryan Seacrest finally announced, “The winner of Season 4 of American Idol is… Carrie Underwood!”

Carrie Underwood wins American Idol!

Carrie Underwood wins American Idol!

I’m proud to say that I picked Carrie to win from the moment she first auditioned for the show. For some reason, it was obvious that she just had something that no one else had, and apparently America saw that too! Since she won, Carrie has flown to superstardom and is now one of the biggest and most influential stars in the country music business. She has released four albums with 11 #1 singles and many singles hitting in the top 5 of the country music charts, and has toured six times in the US and around the world.

It is hard to believe that the moment that is so engrained in my mind took place almost 10 years ago! But believe it or not, the time has come to celebrate the success of Carrie Underwood during the past 10 years, and what better way to do that than with a Greatest Hits album? That’s right, Carrie is releasing a new album titled Greatest Hits: Decade #1, comprised of her most popular and well-known songs from the last decade. It is fun to go back and listen to the songs that really staged her career and shot her to fame, because the album truly shows how much she has grown. Some of my personal favorites are “Before He Cheats,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Undo It,” “Good Girl,” and “All-American Girl.” I’d definitely advise you to listen to her duet with Vince Gill, called “How Great Thou Art”; it is guaranteed to give you chills! Honestly though, it would be hard to go wrong with any of the songs on this album; it truly encompasses all of her greatest achievements.

Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits: Decade #1

Although the album does not actually hit stores until December 9, 2014, you can pre-order it here on Amazon!


Disc 1:

  1. “Something in the Water”
  2. “Little Toy Guns”
  3. “Inside Your Heaven”
  4. “Jesus, Take the Wheel”
  5. “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”
  6. “Before He Cheats”
  7. “Wasted”
  8. “So Small”
  9. “All-American Girl”
  10. “Last Name”
  11. “Just a Dream”
  12. “I Told You So” (feat. Randy Travis)

Disc 2:

  1. “Cowboy Casanova”
  2. “Temporary Home”
  3. “Undo It”
  4. “Mama’s Song”
  5. “Remind Me” (with Brad Paisley)
  6. “Good Girl”
  7. “Blown Away”
  8. “Two Black Cadillacs”
  9. “See You Again”
  10. “How Great Thou Art” (with Vince Gill)
  11. “So Small”
  12. “Last Name”
  13. “Mama’s Song”

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Filed under Movies and TV, New Country, Reflection, Women

All American Girl

From her audition on American Idol to her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, I have been a huge fan every step of the way. Carrie Underwood is by far one of my favorite artists ever. I love everything about her, her voice, her style, her story, the way she carries herself, and most of all her humbleness. I can listen to her albums over and over and never get bored. When I listen to her music it allows me to block out all the stress, worries, and problems. I guess you can say it’s kind of like my happy place. There’s a Carrie Underwood song for every occasion. I listen to her music when I’m doing laundry, studying, grocery shopping, and even for some of the tougher times in my life, like when my parents got a divorce. I have compiled a list of some of my favorite Carrie Underwood songs along with the cover art of the album.

carrie-underwood-some-hearts 1. “Some Hearts” (2005)
2. “Starts With Goodbye” (2005)
3. “Lessons Learned” (2005)
220px-Playon 4. “Change” (2009)
5. “Mama’s Song” (2009)
6. “Temporary Home” (2009)
Carnival_Ride_-_Album 7. “So Small” (2007)
8. “All American Girl” (2007)
9. “I Told You So” (2007)
10. “Something in the Water” (2014)

The songs above are only some of my favorites because the list could go on forever. I would love to one day meet Carrie Underwood and just tell her how much I love her and how fabulous I think she is. Her voice is just crazy amazing. When I’m at home I turn the music up really loud and pretend I’m at her concert. It is definitely on my bucket list to attend at least one Carrie Underwood concert. It would be so amazing to see her live. She did perform at the Thanksgiving game halftime show in Dallas one year but unfortunately I was unable to go. Oh, but believe me I was the first person in front of the TV when the half time show began.

My sister seems to think I have an obsession with Carrie Underwood, but truth is I just love her and how she doesn’t take anything she had achieved for granted. I see a little of myself in her. I just think it’s awesome how she grew up on a farm, put her dream of singing aside to go to school, and then ultimately in the end made her dream come true. I guess you could say Carrie Underwood is one of my idols. Who is your favorite artist? Do you have a country music idol?

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Filed under Movies and TV, New Country

Alabama’s Own: Hank Williams

Unknown Growing up in Alabama I’ve learned a lot about Hank Williams in my lifetime. Hank was born on September 17, 1923 in the small town of Mount Olive, Alabama. Hank’s family had little money when he was growing up. His family moved around many small towns throughout southern Alabama when he was a boy due to his father working for a lumber company. Hank was born with Spina Bifida Occulta, which led to many drinking and drug problems later in life and his death at the age of 29.

Enough with the boring stuff. Junior year of high school I took a class which was titled Southern Culture. We learned anything and everything there is to learn about the south, 2360756some which include: food, animals, plants, but most importantly music. It was taught by a guy named Phil Proctor, whose a teacher at our high school, but he’s also a musician. His band (The Deluxe Trio) plays anything that you can think of that involves country and or blues. You can find his website here www.PhilProctor.net. Halfway through the semester Mr. Proctor took our class on a field trip to see one of Hank Williams childhood homes in Georgiana, Alabama.  I know many of ya’ll are probably thinking, “Wow, this is what kids from Alabama do in school.” But no, it was actually really interesting.

Hanks original house in Georgiana burned down while him and his family lived there, but they moved down the road to 127 Rose Street. Georgiana, Alabama is about an hour and a half from my home in Mobile. His home is now turned into a museum, and you can see many valuables in the home that influenced Hank to become who he was. We got to stand on the porch where Hank learned how to play guitar from a street singer named “Teetot”. Being a foolish high schooler I obviously did not take any pictures at the time, and now regret that. Luckily I was able to find some off of the internet…

mdmd1fcl4zg2axmuz4ibHank’s family eventually moved out of this house in 1937 and relocated to Montgomery, Alabama. Even though Hank lived in multiple houses growing up, this home in Georgiana is specifically known to be where his musical success started to take off. Hank Williams died of a heart attack on January 1st, 1953 in the back of a Cadillac. When they found him, he was accompanied with empty beer cans and half written lyrics. I never really realized the influence Hank Williams had on country music before I took this class. His impact on country music has grown since his early death at the age of 29. Artists such as Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, and Dinah Washington have all done covers of his work. His son, Hank Williams Jr., has also done covers of his fathers songs, and also has made a name for himself in the country music industry. In 1961 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of fame, and in 1985 inducted into the Alabama music hall of fame. I hope this blog has helped you learn a little more about Alabama Native Hank Williams, let me know what ya’ll think!

“Hank Williams.” Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.

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Filed under Classic Country, Honky Tonk

5 Reasons Why the Dixie Chicks Need to Have a Reunion Tour

I love the Dixie Chicks. They’re possibly my favorite band and what’s sad about this is even though they’re my favorite, I’ve never seen them live. I constantly check their website to see if they’ll ever tour again and every time I check is a disappointment. I need to see them live. For this reason, I have decided to make a list of five reasons why the Dixie Chicks need to have a reunion tour.

The cover of my all time favorite album Wide Open Spaces

The cover of my all time favorite album Wide Open Spaces

1. Their music is timeless
You know those songs that you hear on the radio over and over again and get so annoying that you can’t stand to listen to them? I don’t think a Dixie Chicks song could ever be one of those. I could listen to their songs one hundred times and still not get tired of them. I don’t know what it is about them, but their songs are catchy, meaningful, and, in my opinion, true country (but more on that later). Seeing the Dixie Chicks live would make these songs even more timeless for me because there’s just something different about hearing a song live and not just on recording. For some reason, I think hearing them live would make me want to listen to them even more.

 2. The Dixie Chicks are true country

Yes, there is some pop in many of their songs, but I still think the Dixie Chicks are true country. They use country instruments like the banjo, fiddle, and steel guitars. Their songs are about country living, love, and nostalgia. They also just have that country sound and twang to them that makes them so connectable. Country concerts are my favorite because, well country music is my favorite kind of music, and country concerts are just so much more fun. You can dance and sing and really connect to the artist in ways you can’t with pop artists.

The girls at one of their last concerts in 2003

The girls at one of their last concerts in 2003

 3. They are great performers

It is hard for bands and artists to sound just as good live as they do when recorded, but the Dixie Chicks are very good at this. Natalie Maines has such a cool and unique voice and it sounds just as amazing live as it does recorded. I can only say this based on the recordings of their live performances, but I’m going to go ahead and assume she truly does sound that amazing. The girls also love their music and love performing it for people and you can see this in any recordings of their live performances. I would love to be able to experience this talent and love for music in person, but I can only do that if they have a reunion tour.

4. They need a comeback

Ever since “the incident” in 2003 when Natalie Maines insulted President George W. Bush, the Dixie Chicks have really struggled to win back the approval of the huge fan base they had in the late 90s and early 2000s. A think a reunion tour will allow the girls to reintroduce themselves and get some of their fans back. I think that if the girls came out and performed their songs and made no statements on the past and simply played their music, people could look past “the incident” and remember why they love the Dixie Chicks. They make great music and I don’t think it is fair for them to not be able to make music because of one mistake they made.

An example of the negative reactions the girls got after "the incident"

An example of the negative reactions the girls got after “the incident”

5. I have never seen them perform live

I know this is selfish, but it’s probably the most important reason why I think the Dixie Chicks should have a reunion tour. The last time they performed in Texas, or even in the United States, was December of 2006. That was EIGHT years ago and I was only 12 years old. At this point in my life, I never really went to concerts and the Dixie Chicks weren’t a huge part of my life. So basically, I never really had the opportunity to see the Dixie chicks because they stopped touring in the United States before I ever really wanted to go see them. I am absolutely obsessed with them now so I think it’s only fair that they tour again so I can see them.

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Filed under Lists, Live Music, New Country, Texas