onebuffalo
Diamond Member
#LiteralLegender
I am One Buffalo.
Joined: June 2009
Posts: 26,604
|
Post by onebuffalo on May 27, 2015 15:01:29 GMT -5
With summer time nearly upon us I see the "fun" summer songs are swinging into high gear. I really don't understand the reasoning that deep ballads can only be released and / or played in the winter months. People don't reflect in the summer months? Is there a law I'm unaware that people cant be depressed when its warm outside? Its like the entire country demo turns into beer swilling air heads from April to September. Im pretty sure this is a fairly new concept as well...like last 10 years. Well, Tim McGraw's biggest hit, Live Like You Were Dying hit #1 in July, 2004.
|
|
Uncle Lumpy
3x Platinum Member
The poster formerly known as Lumpster
Joined: September 2005
Posts: 3,425
|
Post by Uncle Lumpy on May 27, 2015 15:02:41 GMT -5
^Yup....11 years ago....
|
|
sabre14
Diamond Member
Vince Gill & the Muppets make everything better
Joined: October 2013
Posts: 26,916
|
Post by sabre14 on May 27, 2015 15:10:19 GMT -5
Gary Allan's "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" peaked at #4 in the dead of summer in 2006 as well. Keith Anderson's "I Still Miss You" peaked at #2 in the summer of 2008. I could go on and on. Labels and radio have to realize that this is a new thing. Sad songs and slow ballads in the summer months were common 8-10 years ago and beyond. Have they ever heard of "counter programming?"
|
|
Uncle Lumpy
3x Platinum Member
The poster formerly known as Lumpster
Joined: September 2005
Posts: 3,425
|
Post by Uncle Lumpy on May 27, 2015 15:15:37 GMT -5
Gary Allan's "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" peaked at #4 in the dead of summer in 2006 as well. Keith Anderson's "I Still Miss You" peaked at #2 in the summer of 2008. I could go on and on. Labels and radio have to realize that this is a new thing. Sad songs and slow ballads in the summer months were common 8-10 years ago and beyond. Have they ever heard of "counter programming?" Never heard of it but a quick google search told me. It seems like the opposite to me though. It seems as though country is pretty much offering up everything that can be found with their competitors.
|
|
sabre14
Diamond Member
Vince Gill & the Muppets make everything better
Joined: October 2013
Posts: 26,916
|
Post by sabre14 on May 27, 2015 15:26:21 GMT -5
Gary Allan's "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" peaked at #4 in the dead of summer in 2006 as well. Keith Anderson's "I Still Miss You" peaked at #2 in the summer of 2008. I could go on and on. Labels and radio have to realize that this is a new thing. Sad songs and slow ballads in the summer months were common 8-10 years ago and beyond. Have they ever heard of "counter programming?" Never heard of it but a quick google search told me. It seems like the opposite to me though. It seems as though country is pretty much offering up everything that can be found with their competitors. It would work better if let's say most of the charts was fun and upbeat songs. If you have a strong song that's a slow ballad, it might actually work to its benefit and stand out among the monotony of the rest of the competition. Forget summer though; sad or slow ballads rarely work at any time of year now, lol. The fact we were giving praise to Jake and Eric for releasing "What We Ain't Got" and "She Don't Love You" on today's radio is the problem right there - we shouldn't be saying that. Those songs should be released more often and labels shouldn't have to consider the fact that those songs don't work at radio anymore. Unfortunately we're so far down the ditch, it's hard to crawl our way out.
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on May 28, 2015 2:27:56 GMT -5
"Girl Crush" will be peaking in the middle of summer. That aside, I agree with the general sentiment and I wish there was more of a balance between up-tempos and ballad fare during the summer, especially when we have summer hits now oftentimes peaking in the late fall because of how slow the charts move nowadays.
And, since we're listing examples, the summer of 2010 had two big ones with "The House That Built Me" and "The Man I Want to Be." Together they reigned for 7 straight weeks from late May to early July.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 28, 2015 15:45:37 GMT -5
With summer time nearly upon us I see the "fun" summer songs are swinging into high gear. I really don't understand the reasoning that deep ballads can only be released and / or played in the winter months. People don't reflect in the summer months? Is there a law I'm unaware that people cant be depressed when its warm outside? Its like the entire country demo turns into beer swilling air heads from April to September. Im pretty sure this is a fairly new concept as well...like last 10 years. Radio only switches to beer swilling songs around April, it seems to me that's year round.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 28, 2015 18:57:35 GMT -5
I get really angry when people shove the ol' "if you don't like it, don't listen to it" argument. Sure, I don't have to listen to the stuff I don't want to and I also have complete control over what I listen to. You know what I don't have control over though? What stuff gets to the top. It makes me real sad when someone like Sam Hunt or Thomas Rhett reaches the top of the charts over someone like Stapleton or Simpson when its obvious that they don't care about the genre at all, while the guys who care about the genre's integrity are left at the bottom of the barrel. So when I vent about why certain songs reach the top of the country chart, its because sometimes they don't deserve to, plain and simple.
Also on that note, I can respect the fact that people like Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and countless others are happy doing their own thing. However, I can't help but get mad that they want to just sit back and watch the storm blow through. Waylon didn't sit around on his a** and wait for creative control, he demanded it. The only way that country is going to get back on track is if someone (or preferably, multiple someones) demand a change. We're already seeing it as multiple female artists are responding to the Hill comments. I pray that their words can bring some type of change. They're fighting for what they believe in instead of just being content with watching it all fall (which I'm sorry, at the rate its going, it will)
|
|
Uncle Lumpy
3x Platinum Member
The poster formerly known as Lumpster
Joined: September 2005
Posts: 3,425
|
Post by Uncle Lumpy on May 29, 2015 14:25:12 GMT -5
I get really angry when people shove the ol' "if you don't like it, don't listen to it" argument. Couldn't agree more. That one and "People just like to complain" remark. No, I actually don't enjoy complaining about the state of country music at all. But I probably am guilty of not stating the few songs and / or artists I DO occasionally enjoy. I love this genre deeply. Its a big part of my life and has been since I was a little kid. The other common remark that instantly pisses me off is the very weak "music evolves" argument. Well , yeah ...of course it does and it SHOULD. But don't point to FGL , Sam Hunt ,Kelsea Ballerini or Luke Bryan and claim that's some magical evolution of country music. Its an evolution of just about every genre BUT country music. I'm never going to come around to the notion that a song or artist should be classified as country because they are rapping with a southern accent.
|
|
sabre14
Diamond Member
Vince Gill & the Muppets make everything better
Joined: October 2013
Posts: 26,916
|
Post by sabre14 on May 29, 2015 14:37:06 GMT -5
I get really angry when people shove the ol' "if you don't like it, don't listen to it" argument. Sure, I don't have to listen to the stuff I don't want to and I also have complete control over what I listen to. You know what I don't have control over though? What stuff gets to the top. It makes me real sad when someone like Sam Hunt or Thomas Rhett reaches the top of the charts over someone like Stapleton or Simpson when its obvious that they don't care about the genre at all, while the guys who care about the genre's integrity are left at the bottom of the barrel. So when I vent about why certain songs reach the top of the country chart, its because sometimes they don't deserve to, plain and simple. Also on that note, I can respect the fact that people like Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and countless others are happy doing their own thing. However, I can't help but get mad that they want to just sit back and watch the storm blow through. Waylon didn't sit around on his a** and wait for creative control, he demanded it. The only way that country is going to get back on track is if someone (or preferably, multiple someones) demand a change. We're already seeing it as multiple female artists are responding to the Hill comments. I pray that their words can bring some type of change. They're fighting for what they believe in instead of just being content with watching it all fall (which I'm sorry, at the rate its going, it will) I get really angry when people shove the ol' "if you don't like it, don't listen to it" argument. Couldn't agree more. That one and "People just like to complain" remark. No, I actually don't enjoy complaining about the state of country music at all. But I probably am guilty of not stating the few songs and / or artists I DO occasionally enjoy. I love this genre deeply. Its a big part of my life and has been since I was a little kid. The other common remark that instantly pisses me off is the very weak "music evolves" argument. Well , yeah ...of course it does and it SHOULD. But don't point to FGL , Sam Hunt ,Kelsea Ballerini or Luke Bryan and claim that's some magical evolution of country music. Its an evolution of just about every genre BUT country music. I'm never going to come around to the notion that a song or artist should be classified as country because they are rapping with a southern accent. Steer clear of those awful YouTube comments, lol.
|
|
|
Post by Daryl the Beryl on May 30, 2015 10:07:44 GMT -5
New ones 1) I like Kick the Dust Up. That said, Luke needs better lyrics in his future material ("let's tear it up, up", really?) 2) I am in agreement with zack97 that the "don't like don't listen" argument is total bullshit. We all have the freedom to express our opinions, as I recently did in the Kick the Dust Up thread. And that's the reason why many reviews on YouTube get many dislikes just because the reviewers give the albums bad ratings. It's just sad.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 10:11:38 GMT -5
Here's one for myself. I find Reba and Josh Turner to be very overrated.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 10:42:34 GMT -5
As bad as this Hill controversy has been, I think (or rather hope) that it could help mainstream country. This has certainly been one of the biggest controversies in a while and has certainly helped to reveal the horrid truth of the way mainstream country operates today. I feel like if more females continue to voice their disdain and fight for their chance then we can finally see the overthrow that mainstream country NEEDS. A revolution for women and perhaps the chance to tame the wild horse that country is right now and give it back its identity and its true fan base. Not people my age who couldn't give a crap about lyrics or country or the history of the genre or anything.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 30, 2015 16:57:43 GMT -5
As bad as this Hill controversy has been, I think (or rather hope) that it could help mainstream country. This has certainly been one of the biggest controversies in a while and has certainly helped to reveal the horrid truth of the way mainstream country operates today. I feel like if more females continue to voice their disdain and fight for their chance then we can finally see the overthrow that mainstream country NEEDS. A revolution for women and perhaps the chance to tame the wild horse that country is right now and give it back its identity and its true fan base. Not people my age who couldn't give a crap about lyrics or country or the history of the genre or anything. I agree, I think this could help radio too. He has painted himself as a very unattractive character, and is getting AWFUL, but very much appropriate, backlash, radio doesn't want that anymore than they get now. Hope it helps.
|
|
|
Post by Daryl the Beryl on May 30, 2015 20:20:01 GMT -5
New one since Buffalocountry changed his profile picture;
I like the Mediabase chart too.
|
|
Ten Pound Hammer
9x Platinum Member
Banned
I watched it all on my radio
Joined: August 2006
Posts: 9,595
|
Post by Ten Pound Hammer on May 30, 2015 20:28:52 GMT -5
A few more:
* I liked "Still a Little Chicken Left on That Bone", even though it was a shout-fest.
* So many of Merle Haggard's songs sound exactly the same. Granted, I don't think this diminishes their brilliance that much. But to my ears, it's really noticeable when he does something he didn't write, like "That's the Way Love Goes".
* I have liked everything the combination of Billy Currington and Dann Huff has produced so far. Even though "Doughnut" "Don't It" took a while to grow on me.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2015 22:19:56 GMT -5
Little Red Wagon > Smokin' and Drinkin'
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2015 22:51:03 GMT -5
Despite its massive critical acclaim and the consensus that "Crazy Ex Girlfriend" seems to be hailed as Miranda's Lambert's best work, I don't quite get the love.
I've probably only listened to the album in full maybe one time, and although I like or love a good number of the tracks, as a body of work, I find it a bit hard to listen to as a whole.
I can see why it's praised among a more traditional crowd, but I personally don't care for it too much, and I find myself going back to a handful of tracks.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2015 13:29:52 GMT -5
Jason Aldean is one the the best album artists in modern country music, but one of the worst singles artist at the same time. Why can't he release the good songs from the albums?
|
|
slowmo
Platinum Member
Joined: December 2003
Posts: 1,466
|
Post by slowmo on Jun 19, 2015 17:53:46 GMT -5
Going off the recent controversy brought on by Hill's comments... as a female that does like to and would prefer to listen to females singers, 1 of the 2 leading ladies of country is an instant channel changer for me. There's been 1 song in the last 10 years that didn't elicit that reaction from me.
Not related to the above, "Platinum" hasn't held up very well for me with the exception of a couple songs. To piggyback that, since Miranda's image update corresponding with its release, I also haven't enjoyed her as much. It's stupid to say that and I fully realize that, however she seems really aloof to me now. I do want to say good for her though, especially if that's something that she wanted to change and wasn't pressured by whatever forces to make it.
After my WTF Blake?! response to my first "Boys 'Round Here" listen, I like the song.. a lot. It's fun and not serious.
|
|
Andy
2x Platinum Member
Joined: November 2013
Posts: 2,061
|
Post by Andy on Jun 20, 2015 6:37:57 GMT -5
-The class of '86 > the class of '89.
-I know it basically miscast Willie Nelson as an adult contemporary singer, and much of it is very overproduced, but I think The Great Divide is a fairly decent album with some really good cuts. "Mendocino County Line" is one of the best songs of his career, "Recollection Phoenix" and the title track are legitimately good songs, and I even like the Kid Rock duet as well as the Cyndi Lauper cover.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2015 8:36:41 GMT -5
-The class of '86 > the class of '89. Oh definitely agree with you here! Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, and Randy Travis were all extremely different from each other and yet each one sparked a fire in country and brought some integrity to the genre. The class of 89 was alright, but the only ones I can say I truly love are Garth and Alan
|
|
Ten Pound Hammer
9x Platinum Member
Banned
I watched it all on my radio
Joined: August 2006
Posts: 9,595
|
Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Jun 20, 2015 19:49:55 GMT -5
Going off the recent controversy brought on by Hill's comments... as a female that does like to and would prefer to listen to females singers, 1 of the 2 leading ladies of country is an instant channel changer for me. There's been 1 song in the last 10 years that didn't elicit that reaction from me. As I've said, I find myself becoming increasingly infuriated by "Automatic" to the point that it's become a station changer for me. I'm apparently not the only person who thinks it's overrated, but am I the only one here who outright disagrees with its message? After my WTF Blake?! response to my first "Boys 'Round Here" listen, I like the song.. a lot. It's fun and not serious. I was fine with "Boys 'Round Here" because of the interesting production and the way Blake was obviously not taking the song too seriously. Even Todd in the Shadows said that one was "too silly" for him to dislike.
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on Jun 21, 2015 0:03:15 GMT -5
Going off the recent controversy brought on by Hill's comments... as a female that does like to and would prefer to listen to females singers, 1 of the 2 leading ladies of country is an instant channel changer for me. There's been 1 song in the last 10 years that didn't elicit that reaction from me. As I've said, I find myself becoming increasingly infuriated by "Automatic" to the point that it's become a station changer for me. I'm apparently not the only person who thinks it's overrated, but am I the only one here who outright disagrees with its message? Pretty sure based on the wording of that post, she wasn't talking about Miranda being the "station changer." And what is it that you disagree with so vehemently? I know it angers you that she puts the quarter in a payphone in the wrong verse for your liking and some have contested the idea that married couples had to "work it out" (which I interpret as a knock on how everybody is just quick to divorce these days like it's nbd and not a "thou shall not divorce or God will smite you"), but I don't see any problem with the song's message. It's your pretty typical nostalgic look on the simplicity of a small town/country way of life. Nothing out of the ordinary, imo.
|
|
Ten Pound Hammer
9x Platinum Member
Banned
I watched it all on my radio
Joined: August 2006
Posts: 9,595
|
Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Jun 21, 2015 9:46:29 GMT -5
And what is it that you disagree with so vehemently? I know it angers you that she puts the quarter in a payphone in the wrong verse for your liking and some have contested the idea that married couples had to "work it out" (which I interpret as a knock on how everybody is just quick to divorce these days like it's nbd and not a "thou shall not divorce or God will smite you"), but I don't see any problem with the song's message. It's your pretty typical znostalgic look on the simplicity of a small town/country way of life. Nothing out of the ordinary, imo. The nostalgia angle per se isn't what bothers me. KU's new song is nostalgic and I enjoy it. What bothers me about "Automatic" is how it seems to bash technology. I think that technology is constantly making the world a much better place. I just don't think she makes a good case for why, say, handwritten letters, clothes lines, or road maps are "better". There are also my often mentioned issues with the song structurally. In short, I think the song presents a message I disagree with, and doesn't even present it all that well.
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on Jun 21, 2015 12:55:24 GMT -5
And what is it that you disagree with so vehemently? I know it angers you that she puts the quarter in a payphone in the wrong verse for your liking and some have contested the idea that married couples had to "work it out" (which I interpret as a knock on how everybody is just quick to divorce these days like it's nbd and not a "thou shall not divorce or God will smite you"), but I don't see any problem with the song's message. It's your pretty typical znostalgic look on the simplicity of a small town/country way of life. Nothing out of the ordinary, imo. The nostalgia angle per se isn't what bothers me. KU's new song is nostalgic and I enjoy it. What bothers me about "Automatic" is how it seems to bash technology. I think that technology is constantly making the world a much better place. I just don't think she makes a good case for why, say, handwritten letters, clothes lines, or road maps are "better". There are also my often mentioned issues with the song structurally. In short, I think the song presents a message I disagree with, and doesn't even present it all that well. The point of the song is that things to the narrator were "better" to her before they became "Automatic," or in other words, you actually had to put the love and care and effort in to things that are now just replaced with technology that does it for you. The song isn't saying that things would be better if we were all cavemen, but for people who live in small towns in the country, I'm sure many of them still prefer to keep things the way they are presented in the song (with laundry drying on the line and actually having to call someone because they don't have cell phones or don't get service). I think the song does nostalgia very well, and it really speaks to how fast this world is going in developing. I'm only 22 years old, and I remember when I used to look at road maps to see where we were going on vacation, when they still had payphones everywhere, car windows that had cranks, and when you still had to stand in a line to pay for gas. It's a simple "I'd love to just slow things down and go back to the basics" message that I'm sure many country fans can relate to. To me it's a very effective nostalgic song and it works better for me than the new Keith Urban one by far, which I just haven't been able to get into at all (I could also say the same for "American Kids," which I wasn't a fan of). "Automatic" is one of my favorite Miranda Lambert songs and she's one of my Top 3 artists, so it goes without saying that I really, really love this song. Maybe for you it's a song about how much she hates that they invented washing machines, but that's not what I get from it at all.
|
|
Ten Pound Hammer
9x Platinum Member
Banned
I watched it all on my radio
Joined: August 2006
Posts: 9,595
|
Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Jun 21, 2015 13:28:46 GMT -5
Personally, I remember a lot of things like this too. I remember using road maps and actually found them a lot of fun. But now I can use the very same iPhone I'm typing this post on to get directions in seconds I think that doing it that way genuinely IS better, and I don't think "Automatic" makes a good case of presenting to me why road maps or handwritten letters ARE better in her opinion. I won't disagree that doing things by hand can feel more rewarding -- and brewing my own sun tea generally gives me a better, more satisfying iced tea than a bottle of Gold Peak -- but I just happen to be generally a great deal more progressive than the song's target. At the same time, I'm also tolerant of opinions different from mine, so I don't want to take away from anyone who feel the song speaks to them. It just really really rubs me the wrong way.
That's why I like songs like "American Kids" or "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16" because they don't imply that the things touched on in those songs were "better" than they are now.
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on Jun 21, 2015 17:42:10 GMT -5
Personally, I remember a lot of things like this too. I remember using road maps and actually found them a lot of fun. But now I can use the very same iPhone I'm typing this post on to get directions in seconds I think that doing it that way genuinely IS better, and I don't think "Automatic" makes a good case of presenting to me why road maps or handwritten letters ARE better in her opinion. I won't disagree that doing things by hand can feel more rewarding -- and brewing my own sun tea generally gives me a better, more satisfying iced tea than a bottle of Gold Peak -- but I just happen to be generally a great deal more progressive than the song's target. At the same time, I'm also tolerant of opinions different from mine, so I don't want to take away from anyone who feel the song speaks to them. It just really really rubs me the wrong way. But it's not so cut and dry. I would argue that in some ways, replacing a road map with an iPhone isn't inherently better. When I went to the Missouri State Fair last year, I knew what highway to take in order to get to Sedalia (a city of about 22,000 that I'd only been to a couple times in my life, and never with me behind the wheel), but once I got there and realized I didn't know where in town the fair was located, I turned to my smartphone... which didn't get signal. My replacement for a road map was rendered useless. I eventually found where I was going, but I had to drive around and find it myself, because I didn't have a map. And I realize why handwritten letters are not commonplace now and I certainly don't have a need to write them myself, but I know that receiving one is a lot more special than a simple text with shorthand speech and improper grammar/spelling for the sake of time. Think about all the great country songs over the years that talk about soldiers and their significant others writing letters to one another and how rewarding that must be for them. I just don't get the idea here that the songwriters of "Automatic" feel washing machines and the Internet are somehow the downfall of society. It's a bit of a deeper song, but it's not *that* deep. It's just more of a reflective look back on a lot of the simple joys in life that either used to be, or in some cases, still are for some, and the concept of doing things by hand being more rewarding (which you agreed with). And even though in the song the lyrics imply that this way of life is "better," that doesn't give me the impression that the writers must be looking down their noses on people who own iPhones, i.e. Like to me that sense of 'hostility' isn't there. The lyrics are praising the old but not simultaneously tearing down the new, different (for instance) from the way Canaan Smith draws a blatant black-and-white comparison between the city boys and the country boys in "Love You Like That."
|
|
Ten Pound Hammer
9x Platinum Member
Banned
I watched it all on my radio
Joined: August 2006
Posts: 9,595
|
Post by Ten Pound Hammer on Jun 21, 2015 19:00:20 GMT -5
^ And that's where we differ. Even you agree with me that the lyrics imply that the "outdated" ways of life is better, and that's the crux of where I disagree. I get from the song a feeling that the writers are "looking down" at those of us of a more technological mind and "tearing down the new", just from the tone of the song. Yes, the technology we have now isn't foolproof, but I have no doubt that it will only continue to get better in time. As basic needs become increasingly easy to come by, that will only leave more free time and resources for those who still want to enjoy making stuff by hand.
You also brought up Canaan Smith's song. I didn't even notice the false dichotomy he brings up because I find the song so terribly unmemorable that it didn't move me either way.
But this is all a matter of interpretation. And if we all had the same takeaway from every song, music would be boring. I enjoy engaging in dialogue like this, even if I sometimes struggle to articulate my opinion properly.
|
|
Todd
New Member
Joined: February 2007
Posts: 360
|
Post by Todd on Jun 21, 2015 20:24:31 GMT -5
-The class of '86 > the class of '89. Oh definitely agree with you here! Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam, and Randy Travis were all extremely different from each other and yet each one sparked a fire in country and brought some integrity to the genre. The class of 89 was alright, but the only ones I can say I truly love are Garth and Alan One I like is Ricky Van Shelton. He slipped in at the tail end of '86.
|
|