Reno, Nevada’s Hellbound Glory with be touring with Kid Rock on his “Rebel Soul” tour to transpire at the very start of 2013, trekking through the Midwest and South. Leroy Virgil, the frontman of Hellbound Glory is one of country music’s best kept secrets in regards to songwriting. The band first rubbed elbows with Kid Rock on his “Chillin The Most” cruise down in Florida last March.
Old School, New Rules is a self-important, self-promoting, self-gratifying opus of an American doofus offering no real depth, wisdom, originality, or creative engagement. It is the Shock n’ Y’all of 2012; a political album that relies on the same old tired Hank Jr. modes, and marks a moment of egotistical grandstanding future generations will look back on with embarrassment.
As frequent readers of Saving Country Music will attest, over the years we’ve christened fun little nicknames for some our favorite pals of pop country. If you ever wondered where these names came from and why, here’s the explanation behind some of our favorite terms of antipathy. Tim McGraw – The Perfume Magnate, Kid Rock – The Wet Cigarette . . .
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember Hank Williams ever recording any drunken sea shantys. I can’t remember any Ol’ Hank songs featuring trumpets, or classically-styled lilting mandolin parts either. And I guess the Hank song that is built around incongruent, sloppily-overdubbed harmonies is on that $70 box set I could never get the scratch to buy.
Last week as I was traveling through Tennessee, I took some time to visit downtown Nashville, where I hadn’t been in a few years, and I brought along one of my best friends named Pointer. Pointer goes wherever I go. Funny thing is, we don’t always like the same things. I thought it might be fun and informative to share Pointer and my pictures of our downtown Nashville trip for those who’ve never been there.
With Kid Rock hosting the CMT Awards, with country rapper Colt Ford performing, and with Jason Aldean and Ludacris closing the show out with a rap song, you can make the case that 15%-20% of the 2011 CMT Awards was either rap or rap inspired. I expect those percentages to increase until the number gets to 50%. Then the mono-genre will be fully realized, and the death of contrast will be complete.
Family Tradition, The Three Generations of Hank Williams, a new book by Susan Masino chronicling the lives of Hank Williams, Hank Jr., and Hank III, was just released today via Backbeat Books…she was given “unprecedented access” to Hank III, and being the first print book to deal with his story in detail, it carries a lot of before unknown facts and information about the youngest Hank Williams.
I feel the need to iterate to you some observations for last night’s 2011 Grammy Awards, if only to get them off my chest. This is not entirely going to be a bitch fest. Every year they air the Grammy’s, and every year people are left scratching their heads and feeling hopelessness for music, and so it was to be expected that this year would be no different…
In the last few years, cataloging the dizzying amount of names that have been associated with music that sometimes is fundamentally the same has become almost impossible, while true sonic variations on the 12 traditional genres abound.
Bogged down arguments about who is what, and what to call it feel so tired, unproductive, and irrelevant, and as the outmoded systems of music distribution and radio promotion continue to erode, classifying your music in one of the traditional 12 genres is becoming less necessary. . .
Please indulge me for a minute here because I need to blow off some steam. Yes I’m glad that The Kennedy Center honored Merle Haggard and I guess you should be grateful for what you are given and not look a gift horse in the mouth. But in my opinion, the Kennedy Center’s presentation to Merle was horrifically mild and uninspired. Merle Haggard is an American treasure and deserves better.
Tonight the Poet of the Common Man, Merle Haggard will be honored with a Kennedy Center Honors award for his contributions to American music. Well, actually he received the award on December 5th, but the ceremony itself from December 5th in Washington DC will air tonight on CBS (as they say, check local listings for times).
Savingcountrymusic.com has obtained some exclusive information that none other than genre bender Kid Rock is responsible for a string of hat snatchings in and around the Nashville area, all of which involve grandmothers over the age of 80. “I was going to buy my cat Mr. Mittens a new mouse toy at the pet store,” […]
It’s true. When wacko Pat Robertson proclaimed that Katrina happened because of all the sin in New Orleans and Haiti got hit by an earthquake because they made a pact with the devil, I thought he was high on more than just Christ Love. But apparently it’s true, and apparently God not only hates sin, […]
I love that pop country has become so contrived and transparent, that even other pop stars and people like Kid Rock can see right through the sham. Some people have been waiting for Billy Ray’s daughter to join the ranks of pop country, surmising that it’s not if, but when. But instead Miley Cyrus joined […]
Over his career Kid Rock has done quite a remarkable thing. No, I’m not talking about bridging the genres of rock, rap, and country. I’m talking about being able to make a successful career out of being a glorified trailer park king, while at the same time besmirching the image of trailer park kings all […]
I’ve seen this theme hashed out many times, in my blogs and blogs of others, on message boards, etc. etc. : How am I supposed to feel when one of my country heroes hooks up with a country zero of the modern pop country era? Whether you’re talking about the love fest between Hank Jr. […]
Well, it’s been just over a week since I suffered through watching the whole CMA Pop Country Award Infomercial, and I am happy to report that I am finally able to keep solid foods down, and I finally achieved my first solid bowel movement since Kid Rock took the stage with “Lil Wayne,” making me […]
Real quick: A Hank III tour announcement is imminent. According to hank3.com it’s gonna start on the 23rd. But remember last Spring there was a big brewha when a bunch of tour dates surfaced and they turned out to be false. So nothing is official until it’s official, and let’s not go chasing rumors. I’m […]
So first off, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sometimes the BEST information in these blogs comes in the comment section, supplied by YOU, my loyal and much appreciated readers. My LAST BLOG was no exception. So if you didn’t read through the comments, ESP. IF YOU LIVE IN OR NEAR MUSIC […]
Now before I get started, let me just say the intention with this blog IS NOT TO START DRAMA OR CONTROVERSY! All I am trying to do is get the CORRECT information out there. Also, this blog is a part 2. If you have not read part 1, I recommend you do so because there […]
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL ?!?! Well your ass will have to wait till September. This is not going to be a roasting of Hank Williams Jr. I know that lately it seems like he’s whoring himself at every turn on CMT, and that he hangs out with Kid Rock and all that. But […]