Dime Store Cowgirl-Kacey Musgraves

Hello! It has been a while since I last posted. So, I wanted to start by sharing a few songs I have really enjoyed lately.







Just a little bit about Kasey Musgraves. She signed to Mercury Nashville in 2012 and has released two critically acclaimed albums on the label, Same Trailer Different Park (2013) and Pageant Material (2015). This song comes from the album Pageant Material. 

Bro Country

There is lots of talk lately about the recent trend in country music called bro country. Bro-country is a style of mainstream country music originating in the second decade of the 21st century. It is a general term for styles of country music taking influence from 21st-century hip hop, rock, pop and electronic music. (Source)

Now there are many ways in which people are pointing fingers as to who "Bro Country" originated with. My opinion is it all started with these guys.... 

Florida Georgia Line (FGL). They first hit the country world in 2012 with the song above, "Cruise".  FGL was nominated and won several awards in 2013. From what I have noticed since then, more and more groups are popping up with a similar sound. Surprisingly, I am not alone to name these guys as the originators of the "Bro Country" sub genre. Jody Rosen of New York Magazine first used the term "Bro Country" to describe FGL and their break through song "Cruise". Since then artists such as Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean have also delved into this sub genre. (Source)

So what is your opinion of "Bro Country"? For me, I feel that they are a sub genre of country music that is just flowing with the way mainstream media and other nuances of this generation are headed. I certainly enjoy a bro country song here and there. But I definitely prefer the classics. I guess you could say I am getting old...

Leave a comment. I want to know what you think!

Lady Antebellum - Compass

Lady Antebellum returns to the top of Billboard's Country Airplay chart, as "Compass" steers 2-1. The song is the trio' first No. 1 in nearly a year, and its eighth overall, on the Nielsen BDS-based radio airplay chart. This song marks the trio's return to the top and brings pop/R&B writing team Stargate its first country leader. (Source)

Wagon Wheel and its History

"Wagon Wheel" is a song originally sketched by Bob Dylan and later completed by Old Crow Medicine Show.  Old Crow Medicine Show's version was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 2011. The song has also been covered by blues artist Matt Andersen, in 2005, and Darius Rucker, in 2013.

Here are the links to each of these artists performing. I am fond of the Darius Rucker cover. It is true country to me, but the Matt Andersen cover is nice for the ear too.
Which is your favorite? 

Darius Rucker

Old Crow Medicine Show

Matt Andersen

Boy Dylan

Taylor Swift-22

While this song reminds me of everything good, great, and fun about college, I just don't think I can classify Taylor as a country artist after hearing it. What do you think?
 

 Leave a comment. I'd love to hear your opinion.

Randy Houser - How Country Feels

I have been loving this song lately. Have you heard it? He seems to have had a bit of success since he first signed to Universal South Records in 2008. This is the first song I can remember. Probably because this is his first number 1 hit on the Country Airplay Chart. This song hit number on on February 2, 2013. (Link)
 

Dustin Lynch - Cowboys And Angels

Have you heard the song "Cowboys and Angels" by Dustin Lynch? I think it is a great love story! Lynch moved to Nashville in 2003 to pursue a career in country music. He signed to Broken Bow Records in late 2011, and he released his debut single "Cowboys and Angels" in January 2012. Lynch wrote the song with Josh Leo and Tim Nichols. That same month, Country Weekly began streaming his songs on their website. He used to work at a chemistry lab and also worked as a song writer writing more than 200 songs in under 2 years. The album's second single "She Cranks My Tractor" released to country radio in November 19, 2012.
 I see some serious potential coming from Dustin Lynch. What do you think?

Florida Georgia Line - Cruise

It's been a little while since I have posted, but oh this song will be worth the wait. If you haven't heard it yet you are in for a treat! 

Florida Georgia Line is an American country music duo composed of Tyler Hubbard (from Monroe, Georgia) and Brian Kelley (from Ormond Beach, Florida). Their second EP, It'z Just What We Do, charted on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Florida Georgia Line played on the 2012 Country Throwdown Tour, sponsored as the Kingsford BBQ Band, along with acts such as Josh Thompson, Corey Smith, Gary Allan, Justin Moore, and Rodney Atkins. They have also opened for Brantley Gilbert, Jake Owen, Colt Ford and Dierks Bentley. On July 16, 2012, Florida Georgia Line signed with Republic Nashville, part of the Big Machine Label Group. They met through a mutual friend in Nashville, Tennessee while attending Belmont University.  (Source)

 So what did you think? I have this song stuck in my head all the time! It's a keeper and I think this group will go places.

Blown Away my 100th Post

This is my 100th Post on This Is Country Music. I have loved this blog and the opportunity it has given me to share my love of country music with you. The post to receive the most hits can be found here. At the time the 100th post was written it had received 6,565 views. Now to talk about this song!

Blown Away is the fourth studio album from American country singer Carrie Underwood. It was released in the United States and Canada on May 1, 2012. The album debuted at number one on Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 267,000 copies. (Source)
   

It became the second-largest opening of 2012. With Blown Away reaching number one, Underwood became the third female to chart at number one on the Billboard 200 with three country albums, tying her with Linda Ronstadt and Faith Hill. Like her three previous albums, Blown Away debuted at the top of the Country Albums chart, making Underwood the second female to send every album released to number one, along with Miranda Lambert. The album remained at number one for a second week on the Billboard 200, becoming Underwood's first album to spend more than one week at the top. (Source)

Kenny Chesney - Young

This song was on the radio this morning as I was driving to work. It really hit me especially after talking to a friend over the weekend about how we never thought time would fly the way our parents told us it would. Now I look back and see all that I have accomplished and the many different chapters in my book that I have closed. Thank you Kenny for putting the music to my thoughts and feelings.

Brett Eldredge - Raymond (Video)

Feature Friday this week features a song called Raymond, by Brett Eldredge. I came across this song on Pandora a while back and really liked it. I found the music video on YouTube a few weeks ago. It seems to be the perfect Feature Friday song. Eldredge released his first single, "Raymond," on September 27, 2010. It debuted at number 52 on the Hot Country Songs charts dated for the week ending October 16, 2010. It peaked at number 23. Eldredge performed on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time on October 29, 2010. (Source)

 On a side note, has anyone else noticed artists sing at the Grand Ole Opry a lot sooner than they used to?

Josh Turner - Time Is Love

"Time Is Love" is the title of a song written by Tony Martin, Mark Nesler, and Tom Shapiro, and recorded by American country artist Josh Turner. It was released in January 2012 as the lead-off single to his fifth studio album, Punching Bag, which was released on June 12, 2012. (Source)
I have really been liking this song lately. It just seems to put everything into a great perspective as to what is really important.  

"Time Is Love" debuted at number 56 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of January 14, 2012. It also debuted at number 91 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of April 14, 2012. (Source)

Also, I am taking requests for a special 100th post! Let me know if  there is someone you would like to see featured or someone you would like to know more about! 

Merle Haggard - "Mama Tried"

"Mama Tried" is an American country music song written and recorded by Merle Haggard. Released in July 1968, the song became one of the cornerstone songs of his career. It won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. Released in July 1968, Mama Tried became Haggard's fifth No. 1 song on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in August. The song spent four weeks at No. 1, and was his biggest hit to that time. (Source)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
 

Kenny Chesney - Come Over

Chesney released his thirteenth studio album, Welcome to the Fishbowl, on June 19, 2012. Its lead-off single, a Tim McGraw duet titled "Feel Like a Rock Star", debuted at number 13 on the country charts, making it the second-highest debuting country song since the Billboard charts were first tabulated via Nielsen SoundScan, and the highest-debuting duet on that chart. (Source) 

 I like this song, but I found it really funny when Kenny called this song a booty call song on the radio. He then said it is like a booty call for old friends. What do you think?
 

Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 20 of which climbed to the top of the charts. Over the life of his career, Chesney has been honored with numerous awards from the Academy of Country Music (ACM), Country Music Association (CMA), American Music Awards (AMA), Country Music Television (CMT), Billboard Music Awards (BMA), People's Choice Awards (PCA), and the French Country Music Awards (FCMA). Chesney recently produced and co-directed a film for ESPN, "The Boys Of Fall". Chesney has received six Academy of Country Music awards(including four consecutive Entertainer of the Year Awards from 2005 to 2008),[1] as well as six Country Music Association awards. He is one of the most popular touring acts in country music, regularly selling out the venues at which he performs.[2][3] His 2007 Flip-Flop Summer Tour was the highest-grossing country road trip of the year.[4] The Country Music Association honored Chesney with the Entertainer of the Year award in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008. Other notable awards include the Academy of Country Music's 1997 New Male Vocalist of the Year, 2002 Top Male Vocalist of the Year, and the Triple Crown Award in 2005. He was awarded his fourth consecutive Entertainer of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music on May 18, 2008. (Source)

Greg Bates - Did It For The Girl

Greg Bates is an American country music singer signed to Republic Nashville. In April 2012, Bates released his debut single "Did It for the Girl", which debuted at number 57 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated for April 28, 2012. Billy Dukes gave the song four stars out of five, saying that it is "instantly memorable — if only for its clean simplicity." Bates made his Grand Ole Opry debut in April 2012. (Source)

This song is currently the iTunes single of the week.

My Life's Been a Country Song by Chris Cagle

My Life's Been a Country Song is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Chris Cagle. It was released in February 2008 on Capitol Records Nashville. The album's lead-off single was "What Kinda Gone", which peaked at No. 3 on the country music charts in April 2008, the second single, "No Love Songs", peaked at No. 53, while the third single, "Never Ever Gone", failed to chart. (Source)
 

The album debuted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 37,000 copies in its first week. It also debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. [3] It is also Cagle's final album for Capitol. The song "I Don't Wanna Live" was also recorded by Josh Gracin on his 2008 album We Weren't Crazy as "I Don't Want to Live". "Keep Me From Loving You" was also recorded by Clay Walker on his 2010 album, She Won't Be Lonely Long. (Source)

I thought this song was much newer than it is. I hope you all like it. Leave a comment if your life has been a country song including what song. Happy Thursday.

Big & Rich - Lost In This Moment

This song "Lost In This Moment" by Big & Rich Hit the top of the Billboard Country Chart 5 years ago today!
 
 Big & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich, both of whom are songwriters, vocalists and guitarists. Rich was a founding member of the country music band Lonestar and later a solo artist for BNA Records, while Big Kenny was formerly a solo artist on Hollywood Records. (Source)

Hank Williams Jr & Sr - There's A Tear In My Beer

This Western Wednesday post takes us all the way back to 1950. "There's a Tear in My Beer" is a country song written and recorded by Hank Williams, and later re-recorded by his son in 1988. The original version was written and recorded by Hank Williams during one of his Nashville sessions in 1950-51, but he decided against releasing it. It was not until many years later, in 1989, that the original song would get its first official release. (Source)
 

Hank Williams, Jr.'s version is a duet with his father created using electronic merging technology. As the song had been previously recorded with Hank Williams playing the guitar as the sole instrument, his son and his band simply "filled in the blanks" and recorded additional vocals. The music video for the song combined television footage that had existed of Hank Williams performing, onto which electronic merging technology impressed the recordings of Hank Jr., which then made it appear as if he were actually playing with his father. The video was both a critical and commercial success, and was named Video Of The Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country music. Hank Williams, Sr. & Jr., would go on to "share" a Grammy award win in 1990 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. (Source)

Sunny Sweeney - From A Table Away

Sunny Michaela Sweeney is an American country music artist. She is signed to the Republic Nashville label. Her debut album, Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame, was issued in 2007. Although it produced three singles in "If I Could", "Ten Years Pass" and "East Texas Pines", none of these singles have charted. In June 2010, the lead-off to her second studio album, "From a Table Away," became her first single to chart. (Source)
 I didn't know she was who sang this song. I decided to look her up today because her picture was on my cereal box.

Phil Vassar - "Don't Miss Your Life"

Jared and I were watching the Country Music channel the other day and this song came on. It is so great. I said to Jared, "He is a great song writer." Well that is how he started. Enjoy this video and don't miss your life!
 
Phil Vassar  is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw ("For a Little While", "My Next Thirty Years"), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye, Bye", "I'm Alright"), Collin Raye ("Little Red Rodeo"), and Alan Jackson ("Right on the Money"). In 1999, he was named by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) as Country Songwriter of the Year. (Source)