Song / Video Review – Eric Church’s “Creepin'”
Let’s not mince words: Eric Church is a two-faced prick. He’s cheesed off more of the mainstream country establishment than he hasn’t, and not for good reasons, but for being rude, arrogant, and at times hypocritical. And then there’s the whole thing where he swears he’s not an Outlaw, but then sells shirts that say that he is.
But the job of any honest music reviewer is to divest any off-stage drama or personal feelings about a man from his music. I’m still being nailed to the cross in some circles for giving Eric’s album Chief 1 1/2 guns up. Much of that positive review stemmed from the strength of this song.
Let’s first get the most obvious complaint out of the way. “Creepin'” isn’t country, it’s a rock song with some country-inspired elements. In parts it’s driven by arena rock riffs, and the chorus comes across as a little obvious. Just because something is rock though doesn’t mean it’s wrong, it just means it is mischaracterized in the country format.
The catch-all, stock argument made against folks that complain that rap, rock, and pop influences are encroaching too heavily into the country genre is to say that country must evolve. Eric Church has made that argument himself in the boldest of terms when he wrote the song “Country Music Jesus”, inspired by an article on Saving Country Music.
There’s this writer, at the time that kinda had written a critique of the new country Outlaw movement. Said something about “I wish all these new guys would do it like the old guys did it, and make the same music, the same way, over and over.”
Of course this is an erroneous take of Saving Country Music’s stance. Many times adding influences from genres outside of country results in devolution of the music because the motivation is to make the music appeal to the widest possible audience by attaining the lowest common denominator. Of course country music must evolve, and it has been in the independent, Americana, and underground country worlds for years to the general ambivalence of the mainstream.
But none of this has to do with “Creepin'”. In the mainstream of a genre that has grown stale with laundry list cliche songs, gimmicky pop and country rap fare, and droning adult contemporary ballads, Eric Church and “Creepin'” display bold, creative leadership. This song takes chances. There’s few “sensibilities” here, no resorting to the easy avenues of country lyrics delivered in rap pentameters, or overt pop elements to draw a bigger crowd. Instead there is striking out in uncharted mainstream country territory.
“Creepin'” has a very catchy, rhythmic base, but adds a depth dimension by layering and texturing the rhythms with different tones and instrumentation. This gives it a sort of epic, evolving, breathing nature. By Eric Church mouthing the hook of the song at the very beginning, it’s almost like he’s saying, “Okay, here’s the starting point. Now watch what we do with this.”
Country purists will be bemoan Eric’s moderate, but obvious use of vocal filters and loops, but the approach of these sonic tools is to replicate and emphasize decay as opposed to let’s say Auto-tune meant to deceive by feigning perfection. Eric’s employment of technology is more akin to megaphones and moog than drum loops and synth, and it is well-balanced. Any more and it would have eroded any “roots” in this song, any less and the spatial, trippy nature he envisioned may not have been realized. This is no different than what Emmylou Harris did on Wrecking Ball some 17 years ago, just this song may receive widespread radio play.
Lyrically “Creepin’ is refreshingly ambiguous and fey; subtle and oozy where it can crawl into the contours the mind of each individual listener to be interpreted differently by different perspectives. As Church told the Rolling Stone:
It’s a lot deeper than some people think. It’s really about this guy who’s haunted by a ghost of some sort, the main female character. What you don’t know is she’s the one feeding the coal that makes this train get crazier and go farther and take him back through all these memories.
None of this is easy to translate to the physical representation needed for a video, but that’s exactly what Eric Church does in this gritty, train-themed cinematic-style short.
Get More: Creepin’, Eric Church, Eric Church Videos
Eric Church has a large army of detractors that will look at this video, see his little rat-looking face and won’t care what transpires next; they won’t like it. And with all of his off-stage extra-curricular activity, it’s hard to blame anyone with an anti-Eric Church reactionary prejudice, or wonder why some will say “Creepin'” is Eric exploiting underground influences for mainstream fare.
I certainly don’t have much love for the guy and certainly don’t find the appeal in many of his songs. But he struck gold here, however intentional or accidental, and it’s good to see some substance finally “creep” onto mainstream country radio, even if it’s really rock.
1 3/4 of 2 guns up.
September 17, 2012 @ 9:28 am
as big of a jerk as the dude is, he is one of the better mainstream acts. i dont think i could ever go see him in a show though, i have a feeling his fans are some of the biggest dbag “suburban rednecks” there is
September 17, 2012 @ 9:41 am
I’ve mentioned before, I do like Eric Church’s music even though he is mainstream country and he has some of the strangest onstage maneurisms. He got my attention ever since his song and video “Lightning”. I felt that was a top notch song explaining the thoughts of one being prepared to meet his maker before being executed by electric chair. I was not a fan of “Homeboy” or “Springsteen”, but this new “Creepin” song is starting to get my attention.
September 17, 2012 @ 10:22 am
Yeah, this isn’t really a country song. I’d be pretty comfortable labeling it as ‘southern rock’, though, due to the sheer amount of rootsy sounds in it. It may not be country, but I’d much rather hear this on country radio than “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” or “Pontoon’.
September 17, 2012 @ 12:45 pm
Baby steps. We should be grateful for small victories.
September 17, 2012 @ 10:47 am
This kinda reminds me of Matt King whose album “Rube” is way better than anything Church has ever done, including this song. So if any of you dig this, give Matt King a listen.
September 17, 2012 @ 10:48 am
Sound reminded me of Copperhead Road but video was just a little over the top for me.
September 17, 2012 @ 12:47 pm
That might be because the heart of this song is not mainstream country, it’s alt-country, a combination of country and rock like Steve Earle and others helped pioneer.
September 17, 2012 @ 11:37 am
I’d like to point out that he’s frolicking about with a 6 string banjo in that music video. In my opinion, 6 string banjos are for guitarists who want to look like they play the banjo without learning to pick a real banjo (not to mention them things sound god-awful). Let’s only hope Eric Church isn’t trying to fool anyone into the delusion that he’s now a multi-instrumentalist.
September 17, 2012 @ 12:45 pm
And half the time he’s holding it there’s no banjo in the mix, or it’s so far down you can barely hear it.
September 17, 2012 @ 1:52 pm
FYI… the six string banjo has been around for quite some time (at least 1846) and believe it or not it more difficult to play than the open tuned five string version. This not to imply that Eric Church is an equal to say Doc Watson (who played both 5 and 6 string versions).
September 17, 2012 @ 3:54 pm
I”™m aware it has quite the history (it seems as though you learned of the year 1846 on Wikipedia) but I think it”™s best suited for something along the lines of ragtime or jazz which, yes, that fingerpicking is much more intricate than the patterns and rolls on a 5 string. Pokey Lafarge plays a 6 string banjo and does it up right; I”™ve never heard Doc Watson playing one but he went to town on every instrument he touched so it don”™t surprise me. However, I think some folks will only be lead to the wrong conclusion of thinking that Eric Church plays the banjo.
Here”™s Church playing, or rather playing his role, with it live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvDrm6KALuY
September 17, 2012 @ 4:31 pm
This is the thing. I think more than any other instrument, the banjo, and what style it is and how it’s played is criticized more than any other instrument in country music. Most folks want to see a traditional 5-string, played by fingerpicking or with the clawhammer-style or the criticisms come flying. I’ve seen this here, with the banjo player for Trampled by Turtles who flat picks, Joey Henry of The Calamity Cubes who tends to strum a lot, and even Taylor Swift in her song “Mean.” Hell, I even admit myself I stood in some opposition of The Calamity Cubes because of their banjo approach for a while.
But in the end, you have to ask yourself is the music good. I always would prefer to see and hear a banjo being played in one of the more traditional ways, but to keep yourself from good music just because of the style of the banjo work or how many strings it has seems like a situation where you could sell yourself short. Unless you’re playing traditional bluegrass and calling it traditional bluegrass, the banjo is just another instrument with a unique tone. If you don’t like the part, then you don’t like the part and that’s cool. This is supposed to be a progressive song.
September 18, 2012 @ 7:48 pm
i’m glad you put up a link, in which we could see the “banjo master” work his magic (favorite parts= holds his hands up for 7/8 of the video but you can still hear the banjo?! in the movies, they call it a prop)!! hopefully anyone with a good eye, can tell how completely disingenuous EC really is. even i think hes had some ok songs (these boots, ride the lightning), but all good things must come to an end… apparently, talent is slowly “creeping” out of his body as the years pass. he’s definately not apart of the solution to save country music, no matter how you slice it, no matter how many strings are on the banjo you pretend to play… designer pants and the front of your shirt tucked in don’t say country to me.. they say, holy moley, is luke bryan covering an EC song? no, thats still just EC. hes a fake, just like the rest of the pop, mainstreamers.. i would half a## imagine that he’ll slowly start creeping into acting sometime in the future (see Tim Mcgraw, TS,) when he feels like his “creative talents” are dry, or he needs to explore different avenues in his lifes journey.
lesson from this article: homeboy+creeping=bone thugs and harmony, not country. such a shame, and there doesnt seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
September 25, 2012 @ 12:24 pm
Thanks for posting the video of Eric Church playing this song live (the song sucks by the way). It doesn’t seem like anyone has noticed what chords he seems to be playing with left hand. Now if his banjo is tuned like a guitar, and most 6-string banjo players do tune them that way, he seems to be playing a D chord most of the time and sometimes a G. The issue here is the song is in the key of C (not D), so if you could actually hear what he’s playing on the banjo, you’d realize that it is in fact, just a stage prop. And don’t say it might be tuned like a banjo, because the chord shapes don’t match for that either. And that’s all without mentioning that he’s picking/strumming strings that you’re just not hearing. So how does he do it? My guess is that one of his backup musicians goes backstage and watches the song on a screen, only playing when Eric actually puts his hands back on the banjo. And it ain’t too often that he doesn’t have at least of his arms up in the air looking like a total toolbag, so it wouldn’t be too much work. You people say you like good country, this isn’t even good rock!
September 18, 2012 @ 11:49 pm
“Let”™s only hope Eric Church isn”™t trying to fool anyone into the delusion that he”™s now a multi-instrumentalist.” Well, it”™s too late for that. This is a comment from the YouTube video posted:
“he can play the banjo, write amazing songs, and top the charts? legend…340polaristxl 7 months ago”.
He”™s fooled at least one person.
“In my opinion, 6 string banjos are for guitarists who want to look like they play the banjo without learning to pick a real banjo”. I”™ll delve into this deeper in just a little bit, but this seems to be Eric”™s intent: to play guitar on a banjo And he can”™t be too good at that because, as Trig said, you can barely even hear the guy (and I don”™t think the recording device is to blame here).
“..and believe it or not it more difficult to play than the open tuned five string version.” Oh, really, says who? Certainly not anyone who has ever picked up an instrument before. If Eric”™s 6 string is tuned like most are (guitar tuning), it really isn”™t difficult at all to play considering he plays guitar. In that case it”™s a guitar disguised as a banjo. What makes you think it”™s any harder to learn than the 5 string? The fact it has 1 more string? Lemme tell you, put a three stringed dulcimer in front of a guitarist and you”™ll be waiting a while before you hear anything really good. It has 3 less strings and a heck of a lot less frets. It is no less or more difficult to learn than a 6 string guitar. Master squareneck Dobro player Mike Auldridge found that playing the 8 string Dobro was much easier than playing a 6. You know that 10,000 hour expert rule? It doesn”™t state 8,000 hours for a 5 string banjo and 12,000 for the 6 string version. The rule is 10,000 for anything, period. Gotta love fake expertise. ”˜
BCM, I would disagree with you here. “that fingerpicking is much more intricate than the patterns and rolls on a 5 string.” Fingerpicking, flatpicking, rolls, and clawhammer are all equally difficult/easy to learn. Personally, I find fingerpicking much easier than clawhammer; this isn”™t true for everyone. And don”™t tell me clawhammer is simple and easy”¦.take a look at Ken Pearlman and melodic clawhammer”¦..my God, that is intricate. As with anything it depends how intricate you are with your style and how good your are at it. Perhaps if you were simply strumming barre chords and nothing else”¦.but that would probably be very boring music.
“But in the end, you have to ask yourself is the music good. I always would prefer to see and hear a banjo being played in one of the more traditional ways, but to keep yourself from good music just because of the style of the banjo work or how many strings it has seems like a situation where you could sell yourself short.” Can I mathematically agree 120%? As a banjo player, I have always held 6 string varieties in contempt. About 2 years ago I wanted a guitar sound without having to learn guitar so I thought that perhaps I should just string a guitar differently. I was committing the sin I hated. (I never ended up doing that”¦.I”™m now in the lifelong process of learning to play an actual guitar instead). While I”™m still not 100% on board with 6 string banjos, seeing McDougal and Hillstomp live with their six strings really changed my view. Those guys made those 6 strings wail and I was completely astounded and had a new respect for people who mastered that instrument and treated it as its own instrument.
I”™m still a little leery on those who use a regular pick on a banjo, but if I really held on to my prejudices I wouldn”™t be able to listen to Munly (and his plethora of music projects that I love). I couldn”™t care less how Munly plays, as long as he keeps giving me material like Munly and the Lupercalians. I”™m glad I”™m more accepting now. I get to listen to and love really good music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdbbGkztwL0
Check this video out at about 3:47. A guy I admire so much talks directly about this.
So all this to say that Eric is pretty much a poser, is using the banjo to give him ‘country cred’, and though I”™m not 100% sure, I think he”™s treating his 6 string like any other guitar, rather than learning the beast that is the 6 string banjo. And many of his followers are completely blind to all of this.
September 19, 2012 @ 5:15 am
I can relate to what you’re saying and that’s some good, viable input. And yeah there are those select musicians who pull off the 6 string banjo and pick it like a monster but that seems to be mainly in the underground community (such as the artists you’ve mentioned). I reckon the overall point we’re getting at is that the approach you take towards any kind of banjo playing depends on how you’re applying your skills to the particular style at hand.
Also, this is sort of off-topic but do folks who approach the 6 string banjo as it’s own instrument put it in an open tuning rather than standard EADGBE?
September 19, 2012 @ 9:40 am
If you are interested in fooling around with a six string banjo a buddy of mine suggested to try “Nashville” tuning on mine. In my opinion it resulted an amazing “improvement” in sound and helped me be more comfortable with the instrument. Please know it involves swapping the low E, A, D, and G wound strings for lighter gauge strings and tuning them an octave higher so check the Google machine for complete details and gauges (yes I am guilty of doing research).
September 19, 2012 @ 11:05 am
It seems like that would do the trick in making it sound less like a lackadaisical hybrid instrument and give it the twang it needs. The 6 string banjos I’ve heard (in person, which is why I wasn’t too fond of the sound) had guitar strings which probably gave it such a dull sound. But I doubt Eric Church puts his in a special tuning or uses light gauge strings.
September 17, 2012 @ 4:06 pm
This song compares to meeting your daughter’s date. He may be nice, maybe he’s the captain of the football team. He smiles and says all the right things and that takes a little sting out of it but in the end you both know what he’s after…
September 17, 2012 @ 4:43 pm
Do grown-ups actually watch music videos? Seriously. I listen to MUSIC and couldn’t care less about some video producer’s four-minute, teen-targeted commercial for a song. I don’t care what’s in a video and I don’t care what the artist or producer had to say about social issues, politics, or whether people are achieving success the “right way.” I just want to find music that speaks to me and creates that satiating emotional experience that distinguishes wheat from tares. It’s a lot easier to enjoy music when you set aside all of that external noise (whether the music is “underground” enough to be cool, “rootsy” enough to be country, “gritty” enough to be authentic, or if the singer is d-bag…who cares! If it’s good, rock on). So, setting that stuff aside, Church delivers with Creepin’ and Chief as a whole.
Also, the reviewer makes a good point about rock not being a knock on a country song. Skynyrd walked that line, so does Hellbound Glory, whom posters (including myself) and the reviewer routinely praise, in songs like “Ballard of Scumbag Country,” “Chico’s Train” and “Another Bender Might Break Me.” They’re all good, but I wonder if posters here would apply heightened scrutiny to them if they were released by a major label. Actually, I don’t wonder.
Video truly has killed the radio star (and too much good music).
September 18, 2012 @ 7:52 am
To your comment yes adults watch music videos. I’m 34 and wish this site or others had a library of videos for all of the artists this site covers. I feel they can be good and bad. Sometimes by using visual images they can really portray the message or explain the story further than what the song itself can do. Great examples of this are “Hurt” by Johnny Cash, “Midnight in Montgomery” by Alan Jackson, “Distant Memory Lane” by Fifth on the Floor, “Safe and Sound” by Taylor Swift, or even “Bastard Child” by Hellbound Glory. Sometimes they can just be silly fun videos that stimulate. One song I feel needs a video to help explain it’s story is “Black Dog” by Shooter Jennings. I can see where they can be bad as well, because those who are musicians nitpick everything they do, even though most times when videos are made no one is actually singing or playing only mimicking in order to get editing correct.
Since I’m a guy so I’m also a visual person, so videos can sometimes sell an artist to me rather than just hearing their voice.
September 18, 2012 @ 8:00 pm
here, here. i second that motion. how else could you put a face, to the name, to the people who make your skin crawl when you happen to hear the crap thats spewing out of their mouth on the radio? got to have the videos, man. how else could we imagine bucky c.’s hair blowing in the wind, on stage, or invision Tim Mcraw bumping little wayne on his ipod, or all our other favorites getting mud on their lifted truck tires… after a smashing tailgate party in the BACKwoods with high maintenance red solo cup drinking daisy dukes running around? when you answer that my friend, then we will talk about NOT watching videos.
September 18, 2012 @ 8:06 pm
and country radio stars are killing country music… not video.
September 19, 2012 @ 5:45 am
I agree with you. A lot of music videos are lame, cheesy and/or geared toward teenagers. To add more defense to your opinion I’m sure entirely too much money gets spent in the process of making something that’s less than 5 minutes long. But Triggerman’s article on “viral videos” kind of sums it up: https://savingcountrymusic.com/viral-serial-videos-important-tool-to-independent-artists
The only “music videos” I fancy are videos that showcase the musicians playing the songs live, that’s being authentic about it. I’m with you on the basis of not caring to see a 4 minute “commercial” of a song.
September 19, 2012 @ 11:13 am
This is the thing about videos: Like them or not they are positively essential these days to promoting music, more essential then they have ever been. Even if it’s just a lyric video, or a video with pictures, if a song is released as a single and you want to get it out to the public, YouTube is the way to do it.
If you ask the majority of people where they go when someone recommends a band to them they’ve never heard, they’ll tell you YouTube. YouTube is the new radio, only better because it’s better than radio because it’s on-demand, and still free.
I don’t like most mainstream videos, mostly because they are dominated by the hip-hop template of showcasing women as objects and materialism. What I like about Eric Church’s is it does neither.
Everyone wants to embrace Shooter Jennings as the new savior of country music, but look at the filth that is his last video with Bucky Covington. Now, couple that with the theory that when folks want to discover music, the first thing they do is go to YouTube. So when they go to YouTube and punch in Shooter Jennings, what do you think the first (or second, depending on how you fit in YouTube’s search algorithm) thing that you’re going to see? You’re going to see “Drinking Side of Country” because it’s received nearly 2 million more hits than any other Shooter video. So ostensibly, “Drinking Side of Country” is the most dominant thing representing “underground” country for folks who see Shooter Jennings at the top of the heiarchy. And what sort of impression do you think those people are going to walk away with?
Furthermore, Shooter’s song “Outlaw You” is reportedly inspired in large part by Eric Church. Now, ask yourself who’s video would you rather see, or have representing the music you listen to? Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Eric Church fan, Just saying…
September 26, 2012 @ 7:06 am
“Everyone wants to embrace Shooter Jennings as the new savior of country music”
Really? Or are you just not a Shooter fan anyway, shape or form. I don’t recall anyone trying to call him the savior, and more importantly he never has called himself that. Maybe deep down he might think or pretend or wishes he was (although I don’t believe he does) Shooter is just a cog in the wheel. He has a bigger/wider voice or recognition than some others, but I don’t think he is trying to be anything more than any other underground artist.
Eric Church might be cutting a few good tunes, but lets not forget he tries to compare his career to Hank Sr. and Waylon/Willie. Come on dude, I don’t care how much banjo or underground “look” you go with, you don’t self-promote yourself as Hank/Waylon or Willie.
Bucky nor Shooter have ever done that, so although they might be dorks for the video/song they made, they don’t just throw on some fake bocephus glasses and never take them off! Jesus Eric, you can’t grow a beard, you probably look like a girl with long hair, so you go with the aviators…everywhere??? Creepin’ can’t hide your fake-ness.
September 26, 2012 @ 9:09 am
Ha! Shooter is no underground artist, and never has been. And the fact that he is trying to pass himself off as such, and others are attempting to parade him around as such, is at the core of the reason he is dividing the underground and causing general dissension amongst its ranks. Shooter isn’t a cog in the wheel, he’s a wrench in the cogs. At the same time, he’s not the talent-less hack some attempt to portray him as.
September 27, 2012 @ 8:44 am
Your the one parading him around as an alleged country music savior and you keep bringing up the fucking underground thing. Jesus man?!!?!?! Don’t you get that you are the wrong one here?
I don’t know that Shooter has ever claimed to be underground? He promotes acts that are to country for rock/to rock for country, amongst other types of acts he likes. He even promotes some mainstream acts (oh god, hang him for that). Who cares if an artist is “underground” or not?
What thershold of financial success is underground and what is mainstream?
What record label is to big for artist to be with to be considered underground?
Do you have to wear certain clothes to be underground?
Seems to me you’re so hung up on underground, why don’t you change your website to “Saving Underground Music”? Seems to me you get pissed off when anyone but you gets some credit for promoting bands like
Hank3
Hellbound Glory
Whitey Morgan
Jason Eady
to name a few, because you think somehow you shined on a light on them first? Ego man, ego…check it.
September 27, 2012 @ 10:01 am
Are you kidding me? Where did I call Shooter an underground artist? Please, show me a quote or a link. My reference to him as an underground artist was a response to your assertion:
“I don”™t think he is trying to be anything more than any other underground artist.”
And I think it is a nasty, misleading, and ugly tactic to attempt to represent that I feel I have ownership in the coverage of these artists, or that I don’t want anyone else promoting them. That has nothing to do with my issues with Shooter, nor is it true in any form. I applaud that he’s trying to do something, but as long as he’s does things like point tanks at the Country Music Hall of Fame and cut pop country songs with American Idol stars, for every fan he will turn on to underground country, he will turn two off.
September 17, 2012 @ 8:46 pm
I liked Eric Church from the beginning with Sinners Like Me and he hasn’t changed since the beginning. He said the same controversial stuff like making fun of Rascal Flatts, but nobody cared because he wasn’t a superstar as he is now. I think it’s funny nobody talks about that. I think he’s stuck to his guns and has not let commercial fame change him. He is the one legit commercial artist besides Dierks and Miranda. Keep rocking Church!
September 18, 2012 @ 7:52 pm
not necessarily a no talent, hack… but perhaps most definately he’s a small talent, hack.
September 19, 2012 @ 6:16 am
If the electric guitar wasn’t so cranked up with heavy-metal like distortion and the drum playing wasn’t so overwhelming, I’d call it country.
As it is, it blurs a line somewhere, kind of like “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Warrant, or “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” by Poison. It’s not quite hard rock, not quite country, has a lot of the good parts of both, and is a surprisingly good song considering the source and the built-in musical contradictions.
September 19, 2012 @ 2:45 pm
Triggerman, you have quite the ego to believe that you inspired “Country Music Jesus”. And I re-read the blog you posted about it at the time. And your ego was plenty large at that time too with your assertion “Mean” was about you.
I’m curious how you come to these conclusions when you are a simple blogger on your own site who has a hard time getting the attention of most underground obsecure bands, let alone thinking you get the attention of a Taylor Swift or Eric Church??? Much of what you blog is just recycled from true journalists or much of what you blog is simply not true.
September 19, 2012 @ 4:01 pm
First off, I’ve never said that Taylor Swift’s “Mean” is about me, I’ve simply pointed to the facts which very strongly point to it being either about me, or about Bob Lefsetz. Will you disagree with this based on facts and information? Or simply discredit me for being egotistical for saying it might be about me? And would this even be considered egotistical if Carly Simon hadn’t written a song about it, or would it be considered deduction and curiosity?
As for Eric Church and “Country Music Jesus” I was alerted to the song and the meaning behind it by someone very close in the Eric Church camp who was at the private show where this video was taken:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/eric-churchs-country-music-jesus-inspired-by-scm
He posted the video, and at the time was pretty sure it was about me. Since then, another reader who was working on Eric Church’s road crew asked him about it, and Eric responded that he was pretty sure I was the guy. Now this is all second-hand information so I can’t confirm 100% it was me, but who are the other candidates? I would like to know. Please post links, facts, dates, etc. to back your assertion up. I have. So as egotistical as you may want to paint this practice as being, and I admit, on the surface, it can look pretty egotistical. It doesn’t mean it is not true.
“a simple blogger on your own site who has a hard time getting the attention of most underground obsecure bands”
As I’ve said many times before, I don’t give a shit what any band thinks about me. THAT would be egotistical. It’s simply my job to attempt to raise awareness of underground bands, and posting reviews and such for them right beside big-time names is one way I do that.
A lot of folks surmise how big or small Saving Country Music is by anecdotal information: How many comments articles get, how many of their Facebook friends seem to be frequenting the site. In truth, none of this matters.
The majority of traffic that comes to Saving Country Music is organic, meaning they’re not following links, they’re not typing in the address, they’re coming here from search engines. On the average day, the majority of visitors have never been to SCM before, ever. SCM was built with the belief that just like radio and TV, the power of the internet can be used to reach the masses, and this idea has been built in to the back end of this site. On these underground bands that I can’t even get the attention of, if I have written about them before, likely this site will come up before their own. Why? Because SCM has a massive, monster search engine presence (there’s the ego again), from the articles I post, to work done on the back end.
Which leads me back to songs being written about me, and Eric Church and Taylor Swift finding this website. Taylor Swift for example has stated specifically that the way she read the negative reviews that inspired “Mean” was through Google alerts.
http://youtu.be/WbdUtqHS6SM
Taylor Swift had herself on Google alerts, so that articles posted about her would show up in her inbox. Most “blogs” aren’t big enough to register on Google alerts, but SCM is, and this has been tested, and specifically with Taylor Swift, because I had Google Alerted her name too at the time, to keep up with any new news about her, and I saw my article links coming in.
SCM’s foundation is based on the idea of converting music listeners through the power of search engines, and it has been found to be effective now for years. I know there’s a lot of folks that don’t like me, and I know there’s a lot of folks that think I’m egotistical. And that’s fine. My only concern is if I am effective. And I believe I am.
September 20, 2012 @ 7:38 am
Wow dude… Your a legend in your own mind.
He never said that you said the songs were about you, he stated that you have a pretty big ego to assert the songs are about you.
You rip and dispise the lowest common denominator and self made fame that is ramped epidemic among music these days, but you have used the same method as a “journalist” by blogs with self-indulgence and high praise for your “job”. It maybe a passion of yours, but it is not your “job” and you are not a “journalist”.
You wrote an entire 2-part blog about yourself and trying to validate yourself. Explaining to us common denominators, that no one can possibly understand you or assume things about you.
I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so all artists must be flattered that you clearly are dying/wishing to be an artist but I guess don’t have the talent, so you went to blogging about music and trying to convince readers, although you can’t pen a tune, you can influence one.
When confronted with this, you generally resort to the fact that you don’t really take a position on anything, but just like to poke the dog or stir the pot. That allows you to defend yourself by asking people to prove a negative, which is not possible.
Sure you didn’t come out and type the words “the songs are about me” But you asserted it very clearly. Yet, you have not proved it at all but that some mystery soure said it “probably is about you” or, and this is very strange and concerning, you seem to be monitoring Taylor Swift’s internet life to see when you pop up on her google alerts. Jesus man, how bad did Hank3 hurt you when you realized he could careless about you….you’re now hanging on Taylor and hoping she says hi????
bless you for believing in yourself.
September 20, 2012 @ 12:12 pm
“you clearly are dying/wishing to be an artist but I guess don”™t have the talent, so you went to blogging about music and trying to convince readers, although you can”™t pen a tune, you can influence one.”
I love it man. Just keep on pushing that idea. Take it far and wide, post it on Facebook and Twitter, PLEASE, before doing even an elementary amount of research to find out if it is true.
“When confronted with this, you generally resort to the fact that you don”™t really take a position on anything, but just like to poke the dog or stir the pot.”
Que?
” That allows you to defend yourself by asking people to prove a negative, which is not possible.”
What are you talking about man? If you think these songs are about someone else, then say who, and give reasons why. I have, and in great detail. There’s a damn good chance “Mean” is about Bob Lefsetz, and I spelled out exactly why I think that is. Conspiracy theories are the things that only have to create doubt without proving anything. Negatives are easy to prove, you post evidence of why the opposite is true. So where is it?
But you’re missing the whole point here man. What do you think about this Eric Church song? Eric Chruch said about whoever inspired him to write “Country Music Jesus”:
“Said something about “I wish all these new guys would do it like the old guys did it, and make the same music, the same way, over and over.”
Do you feel that is a fair characterization of my sentiments, or the sentiments of country music purists or people who are against pop country music? I don’t, and so I refuted that point. That is the point of this whole review, is to attack this ignorant notion that people that don’t like popular country music don’t want country to evolve. You can pick one sentence in it and attempt to nail me to the cross over it, but in the big picture, it’s irrelevant, in the past, and out of touch with the current topic.
You want to drive home the idea that I’m an egotistical bastard to everyone? Then fine man, you’re right. Right here, at 12:05 PDT on 9/20/2012, I, The Triggerman admit I’m an egotistical bastard who writes a blog to make up for having no music skills myself.
There. Now are we cool? Cause I’ve got some more shit I’d like to go write.
September 20, 2012 @ 1:39 pm
Man, you talk out of both sides of your mouth more than anyone I know. Do you even know which way is up any more?
” Just keep on pushing that idea. Take it far and wide, post it on Facebook and Twitter, PLEASE, before doing even an elementary amount of research to find out if it is true. ”
You ever consider saying this to the mirror before you take ideas/accusations far and wide with this website? How many things have you pushed that were simply not true? Where is your research and journalistic integrity? Right, you just say “I stick by my story” and quite a story it usually is.
“Conspiracy theories are the things that only have to create doubt without proving anything. Negatives are easy to prove, you post evidence of why the opposite is true. So where is it?”
Conspiracy theories can’t be proven and those that conjure them up know they can’t, but those that come up with conspiracy theories also can’t come to grips that things aren’t always in control.
Example- 9/11 conspiracies. The argument is that the gov. controls everything, so they must have made 9/11 happen, right? When in fact, the gov. doesn’t control everything and that day all control was lost. But the theorists can’t come to grips with that, so it must have been the government, right?
Also, negatives can’t be proven. Example- Your significant other says you are cheating on them, but you aren’t. So they say “prove it”. How do you do that? You go out and not cheat on them like you have been anyway?
You say these songs “could” have been influenced by you, right? And you lay out a case to guide the reader to that conclusion. Yet you offer no proof, you simply spin the tale in your favor. You even, and cleverly I might add, about the song “Mean” you use the idea it could be abot Bob Lefsetz. The approach of “oh, it can’t be me, it has to be Bob.” and that leaves your fans to say, “no Trigger, I really think it is about you.”
Also you stated ” You can pick one sentence in it and attempt to nail me to the cross over it, but in the big picture, it”™s irrelevant, in the past, and out of touch with the current topic.”
Hmmm? This from someone that picks apart current lyrics of an artist and compares them to lyrics of the past from the artist and tears apart an artist because they weren’t always “that way”.
The best thing to do would be call up Church’s people and ask them if the song was inspired by you. I mean, given this is your job, you should have some connection to do that right? Of course Chruch will probably say “who???”
On the topic of the article, I don’t think Church has a clue how to evolve music. I think he follows the flavor of the month. If Jamey Johnson hadn’t come along and shaken up the scene like he did a few years back, Church and many of these others wouldn’t be where they are, trying to copy something(Johnson) you can’t copy.
September 20, 2012 @ 9:08 pm
Yawn.
September 19, 2012 @ 5:56 pm
I’m surprised. I genuinely like this song. And he rocks convincingly, which typically isn’t the case when a mainstream country act cranks up the volume.
September 20, 2012 @ 1:46 pm
If this guy was named Jayke Orvis this would be SCM song of the year.
Perhaps Mr. Church is getting some influence from the underground, which doesn’t mean he is a fake, he is just “evolving”.
September 24, 2012 @ 10:15 pm
I don’t know about your first comment, but your second one possibly has some merit.
Artists evolve all the time. Rock stars go less or more commercial, sometimes even try to go country (Darius Rucker, Aaron Lewis), or throw out an unexpected, but amazing acoustic album (Alice in Chains, Godsmack), and even more rarely, an American Idol puts out a genuine album that even an AI-hater like myself can’t help buy love (Kellie Pickler’s 100 Proof). Hell, an artist can even go from all-but-trying to hide from the legacy he inherits to embracing it full-tilt (Hank Williams III).
The thing is, it’s hard to know sometimes. If Eric Church’s music were to continue in this direction (I genuinely love this song, hadn’t liked anything else of his I’d heard until now) or even skew even further towards traditional country, then yes, this would be the beginning of said evolution. If not, then it’s an aberration, though a pleasant one.
November 17, 2012 @ 4:28 am
whoever wrote this comment is an ignorant ass. Eric Church is one of the most country of today’s mainstream acts. Taylor frekin swift wins every award and there is nothing country about her, lets get that shit straight right now.
January 18, 2013 @ 2:45 pm
Serious question here. Aside from the whole “Outlaw” fiasco, would you give Eric Church a chance if he hadn’t gone mainstream? Some of his stuff lyrically is really good and he writes most of his stuff which is more than most in mainstream do. Sometimes I feel like unless they are underground they don’t have a chance on this page.
January 18, 2013 @ 4:10 pm
First off, wasn’t this a positive review, and didn’t I give ‘Chief’ a positive review? Seeing how I named Kellie Pickled my Album of the Year winner, I think I’ve proven no mainstream bias. Eric Church does have some personal issues, but I always try to divest my opinions on that from his music.
May 23, 2013 @ 8:55 am
““Creepin”™” isn”™t country, it”™s a rock song with some country-inspired elements.”
Where I’m from, we call that Country Rock (which is still a part of Country). Like many, I’m not a firm believer that Country music should sound like it did even 25 years ago, much less 50. Yes, the song is a bit heavy on guitar and light on twang, but Country and Rock are very much from the same stock in certain ways, so why not? The song is not Metal-esque like “Kick it in the Sticks”; rather, it simply has an edgier sound. Can Country not be loud every once in a while? Have you heard “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight” lately? I think to truly evolve a musical genre must embrace as many new elements as it does old (say 50:50), not have it be 99% roots and 1 new instrument or something. Plus, I’ll take this over Country Pop any day of the week.
January 29, 2014 @ 12:14 pm
Honestly. The times have changed faster than anyone expected when it comes to music genres. Personally I choose to listen to all types of music depending on my mood. I don’t care what you classify Eric Fucking Churchs’ music as because it’s the best there is. Plain and Simple! His songwriting skills and brilliance in performing are bar none! Go to a show and sit up front. I did. ; ) #Churchchoirforlife