So, Tell Us How You Really Feel

  •  November 22, 2005

One of the user reviews of the new Big & Rich album on iTunes:

This clown act makes me wish for a swift death. I feel like jamming pencils in my ears to stop the torture. Makes me believe EVIL really exists. Kill me now, please.

Listen, I’ve got nothing against Big & Rich. I thought they had a couple of good songs on their first album, and this second one, while basically generic (based on the clips I listened to on iTunes) still has its moments. Big & Rich is party music of the throwaway variety. You pop a few cold ones, act a fool, get down to their catchy riffs, and forget it all the next day. If you want high-quality, timeless country music, go buy some Willie, Waylon or Cash. With Big & Rich, it’s safe to say you know where they’re coming from, and you know what you’ll be getting.
All that said, the review had me laughing out loud.
Cross-posted from The Noonz Wire

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  • http://noonzwire.blogspot.com/ Alex Nunez

    Since we’re talking Country, I have to ask: has anyone here seen Walk the Line yet? I’ve read plenty of positive things, and I want to see it, but I doubt I’ll get to before the DVD release.

    The trailers certainly make it look promising. I’d like to know what you guys think if you saw it.

    Also, not that it has any bearing on the quality of the film itself, but I have to note that Walk the Line had one of the best advance one-sheet posters I’ve seen in years.

  • 2Hotel9

    Got to agree with MI, the internet is one of the greatest things to happen to non-label musicians since the labels were created. I know 5 local bands who are doing very well with local internet ads and sales. I will get thier webaddresses tomorrow and post them here. One is Angelblue, very good covers of R&B, Rock, and Jazz. Some original.

  • 2Hotel9

    Come on, Bull. Don’t be shy. Tell us what you really think! B&R is a party band. The whole MuzikMafia crew is a throw back to the hard drinking, woman chasing honkytonk days. I am listening to Trace Adkins and Dierks Benedict when I listen to country. Sara Evans ain’t bad. To look at or listen to! And Pandora rooks! I ran it 4 hours the first day you mentioned it and only rejected 2 songs. I really recommend it.

  • http://noonzwire.blogspot.com/ Alex Nunez

    Gee, Alex. Way to miss your host’s review.

    I’ll go hide now. Thanks, MI.

  • modern instances

    Amen Joe! What we’re hearing these days is NASCAR-flavoered “American Country Idol” crap. Thank god Hank and Johnny aren’t around to hear it.

  • http://noonzwire.blogspot.com/ Alex Nunez

    MI, I think that the Aimee Mann album did pretty good business on iTunes as well. iTunes, DRM issues aside (that’s another debate that I don’t want to get into here), has done a good job highlighting some of the smaller artists and labels (like Barsuk Records).

  • http://noonzwire.blogspot.com/ Alex Nunez

    At the end, of course, it boils down to the songwriting. The greats (and that extends to any genre) tell you a story, and that is what makes the song memorable. I only recently started listening to Country artists, but it’s clear that a lot of the new stuff can be classified fairly as NASCAR-pop (to steal a bit from MI) and not Country in the traditional sense. Hell, the satellite radio stations keep the modern country sepeaated from the classic country, and for good reason. The two don’t mesh together exactly well from a listening standpoint.

  • http://www.takingbacknd.blogspot.com/ Joe Miller

    Big & Rich is a joke. Party band tunes, whatever. If I am gunna party I listen music you can dance too and the words make sense. This type of music (along with Gretchen Wilson and the rest of the crap comming out of Nashville) is destroying Country music. What pains me the most is seeing these people with the old timers. Like having Goatboy (Toby Keith) on with the outlaws. Give me George Strait and Brad Paisly anyday.

  • http://randomnumbers.us/ bullwinkle

    I saw Big and Rich on Imus last week. I think the review you posted was a little on the mild side and misdirected. I’d jam pencils in THEIR eyes and ears before I’d listen to them again. It sounded more like a sack full of cats being beaten with a 5 iron than music to me. Speaking of beating someone with a 5 iron and jamming pencils in his eyes and ears, Imus would make a good candidate for that, not that I’ve given it a little thought.

  • http://noonzwire.blogspot.com/ Alex Nunez

    MI, I’ve been wondering which of the Iraq War books to read first. perhaps I’ll get on the waiting list at the library for the Crawford book. Thanks for the recommendation.

    Rob, I just tried Pandora. Very impressive tool.

    Since we’re talking about what we’re reading and listening to, I’ve got to recommend the new Buddy Guy album, Bring ‘Em In. I’m hoping he makes a tour stop close to me, because he is probably the greatest guitarist alive. Bring ‘Em In is a great listen.

    Reading-wise, I just started the second book in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series, The Great Hunt. I had never been one to read fantasy novels, but the universe Jordan has created is so rich, with a fully thought out history and equally well-thought-out characters, that it is easy to become quickly engrossed. And the friend who recommended the series to me said that the really good stuff doesn’t start until the 5th book or so.

  • modern instances

    It’s all in the name of mass consumption, boys.

    The internet is fast becoming a savior to the independent artist, with downloads, marketing, commerce, community, etc. Aimee Mann (famous for her tussles with record companies) did a great job with her latest release, The Forgotten Arm. She released 3 new songs every few weeks running up to the release date, and it was effective in keeping the release on top of the pile.

  • http://noonzwire.blogspot.com/ Alex Nunez

    Since we’re talking bands and internet, I’m going to take this chance to shill for my friends’ band, Simple Jim.

    Their entire first CD, “Six of One” can be downloaded for free in MP3 format. The second one can be streamed in Real format, and thery have some live cuts and other stuff available in MP3 format as well. It’s all under the Sounds link on the left.

    Hey, try ‘em out.

    Also, Barsuk Records always has MP3s of several of their artists available for free download. Good stuff.

  • modern instances

    Apropos of nothing, John Crawford’s “Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell” is pretty good. Not as good as the press it got, but not bad.

  • modern instances

    Rob posted a review of Walk the Line just a couple days ago I think. If the movie theater was anything like the one I went to this weekend to see “Good Night and Good Luck”, it was overrun with Harry Potter fanatics.

  • modern instances

    Yes, Aimee did an exclusive “album” with iTunes, including interviews, live clips, and a few cuts from the new album. She’s a very savvy business person, as well as a tremendous artist.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    There is nothing but crap coming out of Nashville these days. Nothing but pretty-boy cowboys and pop-princesses who couldn’t cut it on MTV writing long-winded, sugary ballads. Or “I’m tough, I drnk beer” throw-away “party songs.”

    Hank Williams III should be ruling Nashville right now, but instead we stuck with Kenny Chesney.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    Oh man, Robert Jordan. I read the first three books of his Wheel of Time series way back when, but haven’t read anything since.

    Right now I’m reading Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian. Its a historical fiction about the Vlad Dragula (Dracula, Vlad the Impaler) legend. I wasn’t sure I’d like it, but it has really been good so far.

    I’ll probably post a review of it when I’m done. Next book on my list after The Historian is Thomas Friedman’s The World Is Flat. I’ll probably have that one done this week to (over the holiday).

    Another interesting band I’ve been listening to is the Future Leaders of the World. They kind of do a lot of rock/rap stuff I don’t like, but their Let Me Out, Spotlight and House of Chains off the LVL IV album are excellent.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Richard Buckner. His “Song of 27″ and “Ariel Ramirez” are my favorite songs so far.

    I’ve also been listening to a lot of Dank Jones. Their We Sweat Blood has been a staple in my music player for the last month or so.

    I think you’d really like them, MI, if you haven’t listened to them already. Every once in a while I hear some Bon Scott in their lead singer. Not so much his voice, but the way he sings.

    Also, not sure if you guys saw me post on it before, but this Pandora thing is really, really cool. I’ve been downloading tunes left and right I’ve discovered on there.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    Cool Alex. I just downloaded all their tunes. I’ll give ‘em a listen later.

  • http://sayanythingblog.com robport

    I’ll second that, MI and 2H9.

    My girlfriend…er…fiance is a huge Hanson fan.

    Yes. I know. Hanson. But ever since the Mmmmm…bop days they’ve been fighting with their label, who wanted more cutsey bubble-gum pop from them. So they went independent. They’ve got a website, a new album, a new documentary and an absolutely die-hard following.

    The labels are right to be worried. No wonder the folks at the RIAA are being such a bunch of kill-joys. Their way of doing business could well be on the way out the door.

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