Tag Archives: kenny chesney

by | March 5, 2016 · 7:00 am

Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Country Urban Bridge

Photo: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v_dXpJvNyyA/maxresdefault.jpg

Photo: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v_dXpJvNyyA/maxresdefault.jpg

Ask most people in the United States what they did as kids between the hours of 7:00am and 11:00am on Saturday mornings, and they will answer you “I turned on the TV to watch Saturday morning cartoons.” No, not everyone enjoyed this blissful weekend activity, but for the (for everyone’s sake, hopefully) majority of Americans who did, the thought of Saturday morning cartoons brings a sense of nostalgia and happiness not easily replicated by many ideas. Whether they watched Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel, Kids WB, Fox, PBS, or local TV, most people think fondly of the times when they hurried to the couch at 6:58 and caught the end of a poorly-made infomercial. Though to most people, country music seems to evoke thoughts of trucks, beer, and romance, country music makes me think of the little things in life. I think of the commonalities people of different backgrounds share with each other, and of the things that can simplify our hectic lives. Is there anything that fits that description more than Saturday morning cartoons?

Photo: http://image.blingee.com/images19/content/output/000/000/000/7cd/787180849_973534.gif

Photo: http://image.blingee.com/images19/content/output/000/000/000/7cd/787180849_973534.gif

I ran down every Saturday at 6:58 to avoid missing the opening seconds of Scooby-Doo. After Scooby-Doo, and Yu-Gi-Oh!, I ran to my room to get dressed and brush my teeth. I was a Kids WB guy, but I made sure to watch Fox when Digimon came on. After one episode on Fox, I returned to WB to watch Jackie Chan’s Adventures and, of course, Pokemon. Breakfast usually came in between Digimon and Jackie Chan’s Adventures, but I made sure to sit in position to watch the show while eating.

Although my TV schedule changed several times (I’m not even sure if the one written above is 100% accurate), I always loved cartoon time. Other shows that I remember liking are Transformers, Saved by the Bell, and especially Batman Beyond, so somehow and at some point those shows made it into the Saturday morning lineup. In a world in which not everyone enjoys the taste of beer and more and more people choose to drive environmentally conscious vehicles, country music is going to have to choose whether it is the music of the people, or the music of a people. Historically, it made the switch from “hillbilly music” to “middle class music” to become something with which more people can identify. Luke Bryan even wrote a song about country music’s ruralization. Certain songs by Kenny Chesney and Kip Moore have shown the more rural side of country music, but I for one do not identify with many of their all of their ideals. I’m a die-hard patriot so I identify with Patriot songs, but even having grown up in Texas, never had to work on a farm or . George Strait once sang about passing notes in class and Darius Rucker’s “Alright” and Phil Vasser’s “Just Another Day in Paradise” very much talk about the day-to-day activities that make life worth living. A song about Saturday morning cartoons would fit right in.

5 Comments

Filed under Blog Post 3

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

by | March 28, 2015 · 8:00 am

Country Finds Its Beach

After spending the past week on a beautiful Bahamian beach listening to nothing but the waves on the shore and country music, it dawned on me that there may just be a new subgenre of country that, though small, is growing. Usually country contains themes of back roads and conservative ideals, but beach country has definitely changed that, evoking themes of sand, surf, and piña coladas.

This trend seemed to grow out of greats like Jimmy Buffett and his Margaritaville to Kenny Chesney and is now dominated by Luke Bryan and, to an extent, Zach Brown Band. Of course there are many others who have made music that sounds more beach-y than country, from Brad Paisley to Garth Brooks, everyone is hoping on the sandy bandwagon.

Luke Bryan in particular took advantage of this niche market by creating multiple spring break sets and performing in popular spring break locale Panama Beach. For the past seven years, Bryan has released a Spring Break EP to accompany his shows. Although the music isn’t his highest quality, it definitely is meant for the beach and the young adults that flock to it. This spring break marks his final shows and at 38 that’s probably an appropriate move as he’s two decades older than the average college freshman.

I think the expansion creates an interests from a wider fan base, one that might have traditionally listened to soulful and smooth Colbie Callait or Jason Mraz and wants to hear more sunny tunes. It definitely appeals to younger audiences and allows them an easy segue into more traditional country, particularly when such big names and well-known artists delve into the beachy trend.

However, I think the island tunes are become a lot more than a trend. Many have begun to incorporate more Caribbean sounds like the steel pan and mimic some defining characteristics of Calypso music with rhythmic and harmonic vocals.

Here are some of what I think are the most defining songs of the beach country movement:

Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett

This is probably the most iconic and well-known beach country song. First recorded in 1977, it eventually reached number 8 on the USA music charts and number 1 on the Easy Listening charts. It evokes images of the beach, margaritas, and women. What makes it country is mostly the guitar and the alcohol and women references.

https://youtu.be/J17sdUGOct0

Two Pina Coladas- Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks is largely celebrated as one of the best country artists of all time. When he released this song in 1998, it hit number 1 on the US and Canadian country charts. It, too, evokes the slower, harmonic vocals with some call-and-response tactics while using themes of alcohol, lovesickness and the beach.

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem – Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney is nearly unparalleled in his ability to capture the laid-back living that comes at the seaside. In this instant classic, there’s a clear mix of country and Calypso with steel guitars, acoustic guitars, drums, and tambourine. The island escapism so often seen in many of these songs is clearly evident here as he sings, “no boss, no clocks, no dress code.”

Suntan City – Luke Bryan

Like said, Luke Bryan’s spring break EPs aren’t his greatest works. While this song sounds different from the previous three, I think it still stands as beach country or a blend of bro-country and beach. It was released on Luke Bryan’s first spring break EP, “Spring Break… Here to Party.” It talks about a lot of similar themes as bro-country like women, beer, and kicking back with friends (in this case on the beach).

3 Comments

Filed under Country Subgenres, Live Music, Music Videos, Progressive Country

Tagged as , , , ,

by | September 30, 2014 · 9:21 am

Country Nights on Spotify

I recently caved in to the pressures from society, and all of my friends, and made myself an account on Spotify. I had never really understood what the big deal was, because I had music on my ITunes and listened to the radio whenever I was in my car. I got my fix of music, both country and other, or so I thought. I went online and decided to take the plunge and create an account just to see what all of the hype was about.

Needless to say, my life has been changed forever. I went for the Premium option since it’s half off for students, and why not spend more money as a broke college student. I didn’t really know what I was doing, as I was new to the Spotify experience, so I just started clicking random things and searching for random music.

Of course, being the fanatic I am, my first search was for anything country. I stumbled upon a playlist titled Country Nights, which contained a mix of country-dance music and many songs that you might hear on your typical country radio station. To say that I listened to this playlist non-stop in all of my free time would be an understatement because I listened to this music even when I should have been studying or paying attention to other things. Imagine my excitement when I realized the true glory of Spotify playlists; they are continuously adding new music.

In the past week, there have been five new songs added to the list: “Burnin’ It Down” and “Tonight Looks Good On You” by Jason Aldean, “Drink It Up” by Kenny Chesney, “Lonely Tonight” by Blake Shelton ft. Ashley Monroe, and “Day Drinking” by Little Big Town.

  1. “Burnin’ It Down” by Jason Aldean Like a lot of Jason Aldean’s music, this song has a very pop feel, with the addition of some techno/alternative hints at the beginning of the song and a little bit throughout. It is trying to be a slow, more intimate song, but the background bass and electric sounds are leaning more toward a dance song. The words themselves are kind of country, but, honestly, I don’t think the song really fits Jason Aldean’s personality. Even though Jason has, as of 5 days ago, a fiancé 10 years younger than him, he is typically seen as more of a family man with his 2 young daughters. This song, however, is a very sexual song, which, aside from his photographed affair in 2012, is not typically Jason’s style. Overall, I’d say this is more R&B than country in its makeup.85fcc9e1717888a8ccbb031dab8eb44398e12a85
  1. “Tonight Looks Good On You” by Jason Aldean Just like “Burnin’ It Down,” this song has a very techno background feel throughout the song. My feelings about this song are pretty similar to my feelings of “Burnin’ It Down.” I don’t think that this is really a country song, and honestly I think that Jason is pulling a Taylor Swift move and drifting toward pop music. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but I think these songs are definitely showing this dramatic change in his production standard. Only time will tell whether this is a good move or bad move for Jason.
  1. “Drink It Up” by Kenny Chesney This song is totally country in my opinion. It has a strong rock influence, but I think that in this case it really adds to the country feel. The drinking theme throughout the song is one that is very frequently used in country music, and the asymmetrical rhythm gives the song more of a rough, redneck feel. Kenny Chesney has come on to many people’s radars recently with the popularity of “American Kids,” but I definitely think that this is one of my favorite songs of his I have heard.
  1. “Lonely Tonight” by Blake Shelton ft. Ashley Monroe Before I saw this song appear on the playlist, I had never heard of Ashley Monroe, so I was very skeptical at first. However, as normal, Blake Shelton did not disappoint with his song or his duet partner. This song encompasses everything that I think of when I think of a country love song. The lyrics flow without being overwhelmingly cheesy, and the song tells a story. That, plus the fact that Blake and Ashley’s voices perfectly complement each other, makes this song perfect in my eyes.
  1. “Day Drinking” by Little Big Town This song has been playing for a while now on country radio stations, so, having heard it before, I was very excited when I saw it had been added to the playlist. The whistling at the start of the song sets that initial country feel that is portrayed so heavily throughout the song. Like “Drink It Up” by Kenny Chesney, this song plays off of the theme of drinking and having a good time that is so prevalent in so many country songs. This is just a really happy, feel good song, which I think will stay in the country scene for a long time, especially with the catchy beat that will make people want to sing along.

Although not all of the recently posted songs are one hundred percent country in my eyes, I love how great this playlist is. I’m really looking forward to seeing what songs are posted in the coming weeks, because I have already discovered some great new music, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

3 Comments

Filed under Lists, New Country, Song Analysis

Tagged as , , , ,