The Best* Country Singles of 2013

*best = my favorite

15) "Songs About Trucks" - Wade Bowen (Brandy Clark / Shane McAnally) Possibly the best song ever released titled "Songs About Trucks" that is not, in fact, about trucks. Country radio is filled with trite songs about how cool and country trucks and dirt roads are, but sometimes you just want to hear a song about drinking alone. Bowen delivers his statement with mainstream sheen but without managing to come off like a cynical jerk with an axe to grind. The rhyming of all the different kinds of trucks country songs are famous for in the chorus is impressive, and the lyric video is one of the best I've seen.
 

14) "July in Cheyenne (Song For Lane's Momma)" - Aaron Watson (Watson) Beautiful song and heartbreaking story about a bull rider named Lane Frost who died at the age of 25 doing what he loved in Cheyenne, Wyoming. If you've seen the movie 8 Seconds with Luke Perry (I haven't), it tells Frost's story. The song and music video by Texas country artist Watson is a fitting tribute.

13) "Whiskey" - Jana Kramer (Catt Gravitt / Sam Mizell) Following the number one "Why Ya Wanna," Kramer decided to go with a ballad that draws on a classic country theme and includes audible steel guitar, a gutsy move in today's contemporary country atmosphere. It didn't even crack the top 20.

12) "Give It All We Got Tonight" - George Strait (Mark Bright / Tim James / Phil O'Donnell) Despite some fairly cheesy, digitally distorted background vocals in the chorus, Strait redeems this love song with his confident and passionate vocals. A perfect choice of lead single from his 2013 album Love Is Everything.

11) "Blue Ridge Mountain Song" - Alan Jackson (Jackson) You really can't make a debut bluegrass album without including a song that references the Blue Ridge Mountains. This one has the master of simplicity singing a story about mountain love and loss, and never sounding more at home.

10) "Like A Rose" - Ashley Monroe (Monroe / Guy Clark / Jon Randall) When you write a song with Guy Clark and invite Vince Gill to sing harmony on it, it would be difficult if not damn near impossible for the end result to be a clunker. A pleasant melody and understated production are buoyed by Monroe's always stunning vocals on this track about emerging on the other side of tough times.

9) "Tonight I'm Playin' Possum" - Randy Travis feat. Joe Nichols (Travis / Keith Gattis) A simple, glorious tribute to the late George Jones. Drop the needle, drink up, and listen.

8) "Stripes" - Brandy Clark (Clark / Matt Jenkins / Shane McAnally) This might be the cleverest song written this year. It's somewhat in the vein of the Dixie Chicks' "Goodbye Earl" thematically (not musicallly--"Stripes" is an excellent example of the old school country sound in a modern day song), except the protagonist in "Stripes" doesn't actually go through with it--you know, killing Dennis Farina and all. And all because her sense of fashion is too high-fallutin for prison. "I hate stripes and orange ain't my color/ If I pull that trigger tonight I'll be wearing one or the other."

7) "Follow Your Arrow" - Kacey Musgraves (Musgraves / Brandy Clark / Shane McAnally) Much has been written about this song's content, which includes lines about smoking a joint and girls kissing "lots of girls, if that's what you're into." That's all well and good, but beyond the social statements, this is simply a great song about something our parents try to instill in us from the day we are born, and something we'd do well to remember over the course of our lives: Don't be afraid to be yourself, regardless of what other people think or say about you.

6) "Tin Star" - Lindi Ortega (Ortega) The smoky-voiced Canadian songstress' ode to struggling to "make it" as a country singer. "If the music wasn't runnin' through the blood in my veins, I might just walk away." Thankfully, her star seems to be rising by the year, as it should be, so hopefully she won't be walking away any time soon. Her rich and evocative voice is too much of a gift. And if you care about such things, she is a delightful follow on Twitter.

5) "Bourbon in Kentucky" - Dierks Bentley feat. Kacey Musgraves (Hilary Lindsey / Gordie Sampson / Ryan Tyndell) Proof that if you try something remotely different for modern country radio, modern country radio will say, "No, thank you, please take your artistry elsewhere and write me something that strippers can dance to and will make me millions." This only made it to #45, which seems rather shocking for an established artist like Bentley and a hot newcomer like Musgraves, until you realize it doesn't sound like anything on mainstream radio. But this song has me stoked for Bentley's new album release next year. It was an excellent choice calling up Musgraves for harmonies--their voices sound really good together. And you've got to love a title as straightforward as this and that name drops my home state.

4) "What Are You Listening To?" - Chris Stapleton (Stapleton / Lee Thomas Miller) The debut single from the co-songwriter of several past country hits (Kenny Chesney's "Never Wanted Nothing More" and George Strait's "Love's Gonna Make It Alright") and former lead singer of rockin' honky-tonk bluegrass band The Steeldrivers. As usual, Stapleton's voice is the standout here. He was supposed to release a major label album in 2013, but the single's failure to chart may have impacted whether that's still happening or not.. I hope it does, because the sweet, soulful ballad by this Eastern Kentucky native, talented songwriter, and one of the best voices in all of music only makes me want to hear more.

3) "Electric Bill" - Jason Boland and the Stragglers (Boland) An humorous ode to true love that can withstand tough times during a bad economy. This couple even tell federal spies to spy on them if they want to see what real love is all about. I admit to not knowing what "kill" was, though I did have an idea (I'm not a complete idiot), until I looked it up in the urban dictionary. The result is an excellent song with one of the best hooks of the year: "If they take away everything, they won't take us apart/ We'll roll some kill in the electric bill, and smoke it in the dark." Boland is an effortless country singer, and the fiddle and pedal steel laid on by The Stragglers makes for one of the best sounding songs of the year.

2) "It Ain't the Whiskey" - Gary Allan (Greg Barnhill / Jim Daddario / Cole Degges) The standout track from his Set You Free album. I was pretty shocked they released it as a single, because it would be a minor miracle if it made any kind of dent in today's charts. In it, the narrator claims that it's something far more lethal than his love of drink that's killing him. At the risk of hyperbole, Allan gives a powerhouse of a vocal performance on this song. He also killed it when he performed on Leno too.

1) "Sober" - Little Big Town (Hillary Lindsey / Lori McKenna / Liz Rose) One of the finest singles ever released by the best group on country radio. Included on their 2012 album Tornado, it was also one of my favorite songs of that year. Karen Fairchild hands lead vocal reins over to Kimberly Schlapman, whose buoyant and delightful personality absolutely shines through on the track. Where Fairchild sings with a throaty confidence, Schlapman sings with an assured vulnerability, as if even on the happiest of songs she could become overcome with emotion at any moment. It really brings this sweet take on the concept of being "drunk on love" to life. If Schlapman's vocals are the festive and colorful wrapping paper on this Christmas gift, the group's always immaculate harmonies in the chorus are the neatly tied bow on top. After the relative floundering of "Your Side of the Bed" at radio, here's hoping that after the holidays "Sober" can gain the momentum of previous hit singles "Pontoon" and "Tornado." A song this good deserves it. "I love being in love, it's the best kind of drug/ Drunk on the high, leanin' on your shoulder/ Sweet like wine as it gets older/ When I die I don't wanna go sober."

Other Singles I Enjoyed:

"Fuzzy" - Randy Rogers Band (Shane McAnally / Josh Osborne / Trevor Rosen) This is how write a fun, accessible party song. An example of the ensuing hilarity: "Who the hell is Heather? And when were we together?/ 'Cause I've got every letter of her name on my chest."

"All Over the Road" - Easton Corbin (Carson Chamberlain / Ashley Gorley / Wade Kirby) As far as the men go, he might be the audible steel guitar on the radio's last great hope. Hopefully he doesn't have an "Aw Naw" somewhere up his sleeve.

 "Another Song Nobody Will Hear" - Will Hoge feat. Wade Bowen (Hoge) The co-writer of Eli Young Band's hit "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" wrote a song about how honest songs aren't popular anymore. Nobody wants to hear them. We want nothing but an unhealthy spoon-feeding of escapism. "I came here to Nashville with a million tales to tell/ The first thing that I found out is that the truth don't always sell/ They want songs about the backroads, tractors, trucks, and beers, while I write another song, another song nobody will hear."

 "All Kinds of Kinds" - Miranda Lambert (Philip Coleman / Don Henry) "At some point the finger let ignorance linger/ if they'd look in a mirror they'd find/ That ever since the beginning, to keep the world spinning/ It takes all kinds of kinds." Amen, sister.

"Someone Somewhere Tonight" - Kellie Pickler (Davis Raines / Walt Wilkins) Back when she won American Idol, who would have thought Pickler would be one of the good ones? Integrity, in tact.

"Pieces" - Gary Allan (Allan / Odie Blackmon / Sarah Buxton) The kind of rock song country radio should embrace. Great chorus and, as always, great vocal from Allan.

"The Last Goodbye" - Reckless Kelly (Willy Braun) The Red Dirt veterans are understated in bidding a final farewell to a fool-makin' woman in this ballad penned by lead singer Willy Braun. But you know, the last goodbye is a lot like the last one.

"Helluva Life" - Frankie Ballard (Rodney Clawson / Chris Tompkins / Josh Kear) Lyrical cliches aside, something about this chorus just does it for me. Gives me a good feeling.

"Wild & Lonesome" - Shooter Jennings feat. Patty Griffin (Jennings) If you want your song to stand out, ask Patty Griffin to sing harmony and throw a heavy dose of steel guitar into the mix.

"The Rose Queen" - William Clark Green (Green) I'm not very familiar with Green, but if this song is any indication of his vocal and songwriting talent, I've been missing out. Great country rock.

"Little Too Late" - Zane Williams (Williams) With vocals reminiscent of Radney Foster, Williams maintains his integrity while aiming for mainstream success.

"Days of Gold" - Jake Owen (Jaren Johnston / Neil Mason) Contains a list of country cliches a mile long but is redeemed by its ragged and rugged instrumentation, including banjo and harmonica turned up in the mix and not relegated to the background.

"Drinks After Work" - Toby Keith (Barry Dean / Natalie Hemby / Luke Laird) Not country at all country and a bit corn-pop in the production department, but highly enjoyable if it strikes you in the right mood.

"Hush Hush" - Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert / Ashley Monroe / Angaleena Presley) Fun tongue in cheek tale about family secrets nobody wants to talk about. Ashley Monroe's verse, per usual, stands out.

"Speak of the Devil" - Randy Rogers Band (Sarah Burton / Ashley Gorley / Jedd Hughes) A song about exes that everybody can relate to.

"Wagon Wheel" - Darius Rucker (Bob Dylan / Ketch Secor) OCMS's version is superior in every way, and I feel like it'd already been worn out by the time Rucker released it, but it's such a classic, well-written song. Nice to hear fiddle on country radio again too. And they didn't edit out "toke."

"You Can't Make Old Friends" - Kenny Rogers feat. Dolly Parton (Ryan Hanna King / Don Schlitz / Caitlyn Smith) Grab your tissues, these two still got it. Once you hear it you can't imagine any other two people singing it.

"Back In Your Arms Again" - The Mavericks (Raul Malo / Gary Nicholson / Seth Walker) Nobody makes me want to get up and dance like The Mavericks. Nobody sings like Raul Malo. No other band uses brass instruments so well.

"Brand New Me" - Charlie Robison (Bruce Robison) This country rock jam has Robison slyly ruminating on the man now with his former flame. Great chorus on this one.

"How Could I Want More" - Jamie Lynn Spears (Spears / Rivers Rutherford) Yes, this is Britney Spears' sister. Just listen. Then get back to me.

Listen to the Spotify playlist:



Other 2013 lists:

Worst Country Singles

Best Country Singles of 2012 (#30-21)

If you missed #40-31, you can check them out HERE.

30) Clay Walker - "Like We Never Said Goodbye" (Released January, peaked at #46 in March on Country Songs Chart)
Songwriters: Cory Batten, Tiffany Goss
Walker's last big hit, "She Won't Be Lonely Long," was one of the best singles of 2010, cracking the top five and becoming one of Walker's most successful singles in years. I'm not quite sure when or why he fell out of favor (for the most part) with radio, but nothing since has seen much success. "Like We Never Said Goodbye" is quite simply classic Clay Walker: a smooth-as-honey vocal performance, a modern traditional arrangement, and a sweet story you can invest yourself in for three minutes.

29) Kelly Clarkson feat. Vince Gill - "Don't Rush" (October, peaked at #23 in November, currently at #37 on Country Airplay chart)
Songwriters: Blu Sanders, Natalie Hemby, Lindsay Chapman
With only a few contributions to the country market in her career, I'm still not sure about Kelly Clarkson's nomination this year for Best Female Vocalist at the CMAs. But if she continues putting out classy, pleasant-sounding tunes like "Don't Rush," you won't hear much complaining from me. Of course, for my money, Vince Gill's harmonies make the song, but give Clarkson credit for featuring a talent who hasn't had any sort of presence at country radio for roughly a decade. Their performance of the song at the CMAs was more impressive than its radio success has been; Clarkson's duet with Jason Aldean, "Don't You Wanna Stay," has crushed it commercially in every respect, yet more proof that it is an unfair and unjust world we are living in.

28) Wade Bowen - "Saturday Night" (November 2011, peaked at #39 in February)
Songwriters: Wade Bowen, Lee Thomas Miller
Wade Bowen's song with a non-conformist narrator is country in theme, rock in execution, and pop in catchiness. It's about a guy who's out on a Saturday night watching everyone around him have a good time but -- shocker -- he is not. We've all had nights like those where we refuse to conform to the fun-lovin' going on around us, and it's usually due to a -- shocker -- recently broken heart. Bowen's voice is strong, and he's one to keep an eye on for bred-in-Texas Eli Young Band-esque mainstream success in the next few years. Of course, he believes country music is supposed to be sad, so then again, maybe not.

27) Dwight Yoakam - "A Heart Like Mine" (October, did not chart)
Songwriter: Dwight Yoakam
A lot of reviewers of the latest Yoakam album 3 Pears have gone out of their way to mention how they think it's his best album of original recorded material in several albums. I thought Blame The Vain (released in 2005, his last album of new material) was fantastic, however, and I personally haven't enjoyed 3 Pears nearly has much as a cohesive work. Co-produced by Beck, "A Heart Like Mine" is one of the standout tracks on 3 Pears. Loud, jangly guitars, Yoakam's unmatched wailing vocals, a music video showcasing his considerable well-known dance moves -- this is a talented artist at his best and most fun.

26) Zac Brown Band - "Goodbye In Her Eyes" (October, currently at #5 & #3 and climbing)
Songwriters: Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, John Hopkins, Sonia Lee
Zac Brown Band have consistently released the best singles to country radio over the last few years. Slick guitar work, tasteful harmonies and fiddle-playing, and a chugging beat propel this tale of a man who can see the writing on the wall in his lover's eyes. Her kiss is passionless, her smile is awkward, and then he sees it in her eyes and "knows for sure." Sadness but also stubbornly reluctant acceptance is present in the way Brown sings this one.

25) Easton Corbin - "Lovin' You Is Fun" (February, peaked at #7 & #5 in October)
Songwriters: Jim Beavers, Bob DiPiero
This guy just has a great voice for singing country music, certainly one of my favorites out there in radioland. "It's alright to keep it light now, mama, don't ya think?" he sings in "Lovin' You Is Fun," and that's exactly what this song is: light, fun, and sung really well. Not that a reminder to not take yourself so seriously is in short supply at country radio (mostly because the songs lack any semblance of substance), but if a reminder was ever needed, Easton Corbin is the man to sing about it. (I wrote more about the song earlier this year here.)

24) Dierks Bentley - "Tip It On Back" (August, currently at #22 & #16 and climbing)
Songwriters: Ross Copperman, Joe Knight, and Tully Kennedy
I think by this point many people agree that Home was nowhere near as good as Up On The Ridge, but that would have been a near impossible task to ask of Dierks. Home does have a few good tunes though (and I must say that it's still one of the strongest mainstream country releases of the year), and I think this is one of its best. With a narrative set firmly within the reality of the recession and a tone that is wonderfully dark, "Tip It On Back" is quite literally a song about drinking to forget the harsh realities of life, even if only for a few hours. "Tip it on back, make it feel good, drink a little more than you know you should" -- once you've lived enough life to know that it's not all candy and roses, there are times this can seem the only advice to heed.

23) Greg Bates - "Did It For The Girl" (April, peaked at #14 in October, currently at #5 and climbing)
Songwriters: Greg Bates, Lynn Hutton, Rodney Clawson
Well, since Easton Corbin has fizzled out at radio... oh wait. Easton Corbin had a hit single at radio this year? Nevermind. Anyway, the first time I heard this song it immediately reminded me of Corbin: voice, style, subject matter. "Did It For The Girl" would fit perfectly on a playlist between "Roll With It" and "Lovin' You Is Fun." I'll wait and see what he releases as his next single (which probably won't be until well after the new year as this one is still climbing the Airplay charts) before I determine if he's someone to watch, but it's hard to think of a better first single to introduce yourself to a mass listening audience. (More on "Did It For The Girl")

22) Big & Rich - "That's Why I Pray" (May, peaked at #16 in September)
Songwriters: Danelle Leverett, Blair Daly, Sarah Buxton
Say what you want about Big & Rich, but even on their worst songs the dudes sound good harmonizing together, and it's especially evident on ballads such as this and "Holy Water" from their 2004 debut album. You won't find deep theological insight here, only a song about practical, personal, life-affirming, facing-life-head-on faith. And it's one of those songs that just makes you feel good. It seemed to have a lot of momentum after its release but unfortunately only reached as high as #16. Based on that chart performance a cynic might say something snarky about how prayer doesn't work; but, though I can indeed be quite the cynic, I'll just say that even if you don't pray, you might still find yourself humming along.

21) Josh Abbott Band - "I'll Sing About Mine" (November, did not chart)
Songwriters: Brian Keane, Adam Hood
To really let you know what this song is about, I'll just share the lyrics of the chorus with you:


Because tractors ain’t sexy
And workin' is hard
For small town people like me
And the radio's full of rich folks singin'
About places they’ve never seen
Now I ain’t sayin' their lives ain't hard
I'd love to hear about it sometime
Let 'em sing about their own life
And I’ll sing about mine

I would say that's a hell of single to release from their major label debut, one that's certainly going to be pushed for mainstream airplay more than any of their past albums. It's honestly quite surprising that the label let them release it as a single. I always wondered if they were talking about Eric Church with this line: "When you talk about the Dairy Queen, pickup trucks, and Springsteen/ Make the place I love sound like a bad cartoon." But page two in this Billboard Country Update PDF clarifies that Abbott was not knocking Church's "Springsteen," and that he actually likes the song. In the same article co-songwriter Brian Keane says the "Because tractors ain't sexy" line was actually about Jason Aldean's "Big Green Tractor" and not Kenny Chesney's "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy." But anyway... It would have been awesome to hear this on mainstream country radio sandwiched in between all those songs it rightfully calls out, but alas, it was not to be. It didn't even chart.

*first number in parentheses is chart position on Billboard Country Songs; second number is chart position on Billboard's recently created Country Airplay chart (which is basically the old Country Songs chart that had been around for decades), unless otherwise noted. (None of this will never not be confusing)

Thoughts on the 2012 CMA Awards

I did not get to watch the CMA Awards live last night due to having the opportunity to witness Radney Foster, a gentleman who has written hit songs for some of the artists who were in that auditorium and who had a few radio hits of his own back in the late-eighties/early-nineties, perform solo at Natasha's Bistro and Bar in Lexington, Kentucky. It was an excellent show and I will blog about it soon. But I was able to catch the spectacle that is the CMAs online earlier today, and recorded some random thoughts as the show went along. From beginning to end, my thoughts on the night are as follows, some snarky, some sincere, all scatterbrained and, of course, lacking brevity. Enjoy!

-Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Eric Church team up for the first performance of the night. Church seems overly unenthused, as hard as he's trying to pretend otherwise with his erratic hand motions.

-I think Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood do a pretty good job hosting year after year.

-"Moves Like Haggard" was pretty funny.

-Only thing missing from that "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" joke was the camera cutting to Taylor Swift. Other than that, I'm glad they went there.

-Carrie Underwood looks a lot better doing the "Gangham Style" dance than Brad Paisley. I mean, like, A LOT.

-Brad Paisley telling Carrie Underwood what "motorboating" is with the appropriate sounds effects is pretty good entertainment. "It's too bad Dolly isn't here tonight." Score one for tig ol' bitties.

-Single of the Year goes to Little Big Town for "Pontoon." They look genuinely thrilled to have won. Probably should have gone to "Springsteen" but still well-deserved in my opinion, if only for all the years they've put in and the underappreciation they've endured. I'm surprised "Drunk On You" by Luke Bryan wasn't a nominee. That song was ubiquitous. And a loss for "Dirt Road Anthem" is a win for everybody.

-I'm kinda surprised "motorboatin'" is getting as much play as it is. It's kinda risque, no?

-Shocked Tim McGraw isn't performing "Truck Yeah." Maybe he regrets recording it? (Doubt it.) This song ("One of Those Nights") is infinitely better than that one and actually kind of enjoyable.  This and "Better Than I Used To Be" are his best singles in years. His voice sounds really good too. I'd forgotten the guy can actually sing.

-Thompson Square wins for Vocal Duo of the Year. Out of the nominees, and in this context, they were the best choice. I love The Civil Wars as much as the next person, but it would have been weird if they had won, seeing as they have absolutely zero support from country radio as far as I'm aware. (EDIT: After watching The Civil Wars perform on Austin City Limits, whether them being nominated makes sense or not, I say screw it, they should have won, and give them all other awards for Best Duo at all the other awards shows too. Shit needs to be shaken up. EDIT #2: Well, The Civil Wars have broken up, or so it seems with the somehow too detailed yet too vague statement they recently released. Wishing them the best, and hoping it's not over for good.)

-Next up is Miranda Lambert with "Fastest Girl In Town." Not a fan of the song, not a fan of this performance.

-Zac Brown Band playing "Goodbye In Her Eyes" and sounding good, per usual.  Hope to see these guys live one day. Their new album is decent, but this song is definitely a standout. Love the driving beat.

-Dierks Bentley performing "Tip It On Back," which I think is one of the best songs on his new album Home. He's gotten a lot of flak for it not being of the same caliber as Up On The Ridge, but that was gonna be a hard feat to accomplish no matter how you look at it. This song has a little more depth and a little more darkness than your average contemporary country radio drinking song. Really good performance.

-"Better Dig Two" by The Band Perry. Dark tune with an updated murder-ballad feel to it. Love the banjo intro and the fact they don't push it completely to the back throughout the rest of the song. Not a huge fan of the hard rock guitars that come in and drown everything out, but I AM a huge fan of the pants lead singer Kimberly Perry is wearing. And her singing's sounding damn good as well.

-I've written about my love for "Springsteen" quite a bit on this blog, but I'd have really loved to hear Eric Church perform "Creepin'." That back to back with "Better Dig Two" would have sounded pretty cool. Not even interjecting "Springsteen" with a verse from "Born To Run" can save this performance from the "we've already seen this before" feeling.

-Eli Young Band sounding pretty good with a performance of "Even If It Breaks Your Heart." A little shaky on vocals during the verses but I know Mike Eli can sing. Could be technical issues. Last I checked their new single "Say Goodbye" was struggling a bit on the charts, and I've yet to hear it on the radio. I think "The Fight" would have been a better single choice.

-Kelly Pickler presenting for Song of the Year with Darius Rucker. It has got to be an awkward feeling when you release one of the purest traditional-sounding mainstream records of the year that's all but shunned by fans and the industry, and then have to present an award in front of them. I hope she hasn't lost faith in her own abilities and artistic integrity because 100 Proof was an apparent "flop."

-Miranda and Blake win Song of the Year with "Over You." I'm not particularly a huge fan of it personally but I don't mind it and find it hard to say anything bad about a song that was obviously very personal to write and means a lot to them. (And damn, I almost teared up as Blake was talking and Miranda about busted out in tears as they accepted the award.) I would have given it to "Springsteen," as I think that's an exquisitely written song, though the most interesting winner would have been Dierks' "Home," what with the controversy over the past year about whether or not he and his co-writers stole the melody from Jason Isbell (I'm perfectly fine believing it was just a coincidence, by the way, and of the opinion that the issue was probably handled badly by both parties on Twitter.) But you knew the CMA wasn't going to go walking down that wave-crashed coast.

-Brad Paisley picking out the tune to The Andy Griffith Show on acoustic guitar is a cool moment. God don't make 'em like that anymore.

-These elaborate set pieces are kind of stupid. Just sing the damn song. "Begin Again" isn't terrible and Swift has improved as a live vocalist (she's not Carrie Underwood, mind you), but she always seems to be faking/acting the emotion of the song while she's singing instead of actually feeling it. Maybe it's just my age (not a teenager) and gender (not female) and attitude (cynical), but it comes off as contrived.

-I don't hate "Pontoon" but I don't need to see another awards show performance of it. I'd much rather hear Little Big Town's new single, "Tornado," or my personal favorite from the album, "Sober."

-All these commercials for Nashville. I hope they are being ultra-soapy with it at the get-go to draw in viewers, and that eventually the focus will level out toward the music and songwriting and the inner workings of the country music industry as a whole. We'll see, but Grey's Anatomy in Music City is not what I had in mind.

-Luke Bryan is kind of annoying at times (sparkly jeans, uber-bleached teeth, uncalled for pelvic thrusting) but I actually don't mind "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye." It is nowhere closer to being country music than Taylor Swift is, but it's catchy, and "Love me like you loved me when you loved me and you didn't have to try" is a killer line.

-Sugarland's still around? Damn. And meh.

-Eric Church's Chief gets the well-deserved win for Album of the Year. It truly was. Classy acceptance speech. Unfortunately no cutaways to Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, or Keith Urban. I think Entertainer of the Year is somewhere in Church's future.

-Hunter Hayes now performing "Wanted." I have nothing much to say. Talented kid. Not country by any stretch of the imagination. Vocals sounding really off tonight. Has way more talent than Brantley Gilbert.

-Faith Hill performing her new song "American Heart." Nothing of hers is catching on at radio, and it's been that way for awhile now. As pandering as this song is, it might actually have a chance. But radio does seem to have moved on from her. At least it's not a One Republic cover.

-I hate "Country Must Be Country Wide" and will never understand the appeal of Brantley Gilbert. This would be the direction I'd absolutely hate to see mainstream country go. Faux-machismo-country-boy-cock-rock is soulless and not even close to the spirit of country music. At least "Kick It In the Sticks" was kicked to the curb.

-Who decided to put Batman on the screen behind Keith Urban and Zac Brown during this performance? Anyway, song's kind of bland.

-This crop of Best New Artist nominees is kind of depressing. Hunter Hayes wins. Well, he seems like a good kid, and at least it wasn't Brantley Gilbert.

-Brad Paisley performing "Southern Comfort Zone," beginning with a shout-out to New York and New Jersey in the form of Alicia Keys' chorus on "Empire State of Mind." "Southern Comfort Zone" is a good song that seems to be misunderstood by some as just another "laundry list" song about Southern culture and stereotypes. But if you listen to the lyrics, I think he's actually calling those kinds of songs out. "Be proud, not obnoxious," he seems to be saying. Anyway, it's a good song, I just don't like the production. And the choir at the end of this performance is a bit overkill.

-Carrie Underwood can definitely belt out "Blown Away," but it is a little weird that they decided to go with this song considering the circumstances with Hurricane Sandy. There's some pretty stark imagery in there. Also, she still has the best legs in the biz.

-Scotty McCreary and Shawn Johnson look scared to stand close to one another. I bet they made out backstage.

-After all these years Little Big Town finally wins Vocal Group of the Year and their acceptance speech gets cut short.

-Jason Aldean performs "Take A Little Ride," a generic earworm of a rock song that sounds practically the same as almost every other song that he's released the past few years.

-Interjection: Damn, this is a long show. I'm getting to the point now where I was actually able to watch live last night, and getting a little bored, so the blurbs will be getting shorter.

-Kelly Clarkson and Vince Gill give a classy and uncluttered performance, the best of the night hands down. I don't even know what song this is. And who doesn't love Vince Gill? Country radio should be ashamed for kicking him off their playlists. I was glad to see lots of love for him and just outrage over his now lack of mainstream acceptance on Twitter last night.

-No problem with Shelton winning Male Vocalist, just wish he'd start releasing better songs as singles.

-"Come Over" is such a boring song. Chesney should have performed "El Cerrito Place."

-I think all these women from Nashville are drunk. So seems Miranda Lambert as she accepts Female Vocalist award, though she does say something very nice about all the other nominees.

-Pretty good Willie Nelson tribute despite Lady Antebellum's involvement. And based upon the look on his face, he was thinking the same thing as everyone else when Hilary Scott started singing "Crazy" -- she's no Patsy Cline. But to be fair, nobody is. Also, Willie sounded as good as ever singing "On The Road Again."

-Blake Shelton wins Entertainer of the Year. Huge upset I feel like. I was thinking either Aldean or Swift would win. He seems genuinely surprised. He says, "I love country music more than anybody in this room." I just hope he starts releasing some again.

Additional Observations:

-Taylor Swift wasn't on camera nearly as much as she has been in years past, which is surprising, and good.

-Blake Shelton seems a lot more at home and happier singing "Whiskey River" than "Footloose." Hope he takes note. (And of course, "Footloose" is the song they play as he wins EOTY.)

-The Willie Nelson tribute unfortunately serves to remind us that the days of country music sounding like that are over. As Merle Haggard says, a lot of the songs don't seem to have much soul anymore.

-Jason Aldean not winning any awards tonight is a good thing. But he sure makes a wallet chain look cool. It's coming back, folks!

-No representatives of neo-traditionalism with any face time whatsoever, much less a nomination. I'm speaking of guys like Easton Corbin and especially Chris Young. How does Young not get nominated in the Male Vocalist category? Did releasing the ever-too-country "Neon" as a single hurt him that badly?

-In that same vein, it's thoroughly disheartening knowing that these awards shows don't give two shits about George Strait or Alan Jackson anymore (naturally, I suppose, following radio's suit). As much as I would have liked to see the younger neo-traditionalists represented, they do not hold a candle to these two legends. 

-Little Big Town has always been better than Lady Antebellum (and I like some LA songs). It's about time they were recognized for it. Huge night for them.

-Ultimately, with Shelton's EOTY win I'm left feeling a little more optimistic than I would have if Aldean or Swift or anybody else that was nominated had won, if for nothing other than the fact that Shelton has waded around in neo-traditionalist waters some in the past. He has now attained close to the largest platform a country artist could ask for in terms of exposure. I just hope he seizes the opportunity to, with his next album, come back around to his roots a little and truly represent what real Country Music -- that he so often claims to love -- is, this music he says he has a passion to spread the gospel of. If Aldean or Swift had won, it would only have been a victory for pop or modern rock, not country music. And in a way, though to a lesser extent -- and as evidenced by his recent output -- Shelton winning is just a victory for volvo-driving soccer moms everywhere. But it could have been much worse. That said, his victory could eventually mean so much more. We shall see.

-Oh, to dream that one day artists like Turnpike Troubadours, The Trishas, and Randy Rogers Band will be represented at events such as this. I do not count on it, but it is fun to dream.

-The other really big winner tonight: BOOBS (mmmm-motorboatin').

Thoughts on the Top 30 songs on the Billboard Country Radio Charts - Numbers 30-21

30. "Didn't I" - James Wesley - This is the typical song country radio programmers seem to love in these modern times. Overblown production, a fairly generic melody, standard electric guitar solo at the end, trite lyrics ("Didn't I give you everything you ever wanted, love you like crazy, let's be honest"). Wesley has got a decent voice (think Josh Turner but not as deep), but he needs better material to do it justice. I don't necessarily hate the song, there just isn't one thing special or unique about it. Country radio will be none the better if this keeps climbing the charts.

29. "My Heart Can't Tell You No" - Sara Evans - "Stronger" was one of the most overplayed songs at country radio in recent memory. I went from hating it, to thinking it was okay, to hating it again. All the way around, this seems to me a better song and better single. And I actually just discovered that it is a song that Rod Stewart did in the 80s. I'm not even going to bother to listen to it because I will probably hate it, but Evans really owns her version. The best part is the steel guitar ride that comes in on the chorus. That damn instrument just sounds good on any song -- it's so emotive, and thusly, adds some emotional depth to the song here. There are, however, some pretty needless and pointless background vocals at the end of it. I'm not sure what they were going for with them, and they just end up sounding cheesy.

28. "Red Solo Cup" - Toby Keith - The video for this song became an instant viral sensation. I really didn't expect radio to pick it up because it is so blatantly about getting wasted simply for the fun debauchery of it. Plus, it says the word "testicles," not to mention the production is sparse and not overblown pizazz. Keith himself admitted it's the dumbest song he's ever heard, but since when did that make a song bad? It's an absolutely perfect and fun-as-hell drinking song that is impossible not to sing along with after you hear it even just one time. The lyrics are pretty funny and clever, and the video is a must see. I'm sure this will be played loud at some ugly sweater parties this Christmas when things get a little out of control, as they tend to do.

27. "Where I Come From" - Montgomery Gentry - I will admit to being a little biased toward these guys as they hail from my home state of Kentucky. I think they've released a majority of good singles since the beginning of their career, "Roll With Me" being one of my recent favorites. Though they don't write much of their own music, the duo has a knack for choosing songs that make you proud to be who you are and where you're from, especially if you're from a small town. Sample lyric: "See that door right there, man I swear that it ain't never been locked, and I guarantee it never will"; I can't tell you how many times I've heard my parents and their siblings say things like this when they talk about growing up in Eastern Kentucky, back when "things was different." Unfortunately, this song may succeed more on it's heavy dose of nostalgia than a summation of how of life really is today in small-town America, or at least in small-town Appalachia, where drugs, poverty, and corporate exploitation are rampant. Still, it's a meaningful song. The music video depicts a military battle, and in so doing brings attention to the fact that much (and maybe most) of those making sacrifices for our country come from and have roots in these small towns. It is a fitting tribute. It seems to have a taken this one a while to crack the top 30 but I'm glad it did, and maybe it can put a little spark back into these Kentucky boys' careers.

26. "Bait A Hook" - Justin Moore - I didn't like "Small Town U.S.A" at first but it grew on me, "Backwoods" I hated, and "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away" was good but overplayed. In general, I'm not a huge fan of Moore's, but that may be because he has proclaimed himself one of the few outlaws in country music today, his latest album release even being titled the oh-so-unsubtle "Outlaws Like Me." He's had some good singles, but by an "outlaw's" standards -- hell, by country radio standards -- they have been nothing out of the ordinary: by the book ballads and a Jason Aldean rip-off. "Bait A Hook," however, is my favorite single Moore has released, and one of my favorite singles currently on the airwaves. Sure, he's making fun of a guy who can't even do the basics of fishing (perhaps that guy should be made fun of; also, a guy who drinks "umbrella drinks"), but I also take it as being a little tongue-in-cheek. For example, I care about environmental issues (which, if you consider yourself a "country" person, shouldn't that be a given? Alas, that is for another post), but I found the line about the Prius amusing: "I heard he drives a Prius 'cause he's into being green". The best part of the song is the production, the beat chugging alongside a wonderful steel guitar riff throughout the whole song. The worst part is the unfortunate line, "Sounds like it sucks," but that is something I can overlook since I enjoy the rest of the song so much.

25. "Amen" - Eden's Edge - I've heard and read very little about this group, so I'll have no preconceived notions listening to this. Judging by their promo pictures, is this the new Band Perry, only with two gals instead of two dudes with bad haircuts? Upon hearing the first notes of the song, my question doesn't quite seem that unfair and off-base: there's some bluegrass instrumentation (dobro) and clever lyrics ("I heard from a friend of a friend of a friend that you finally got rid of that girlfriend"). I suppose the song is pleasant enough, and the lead singer has a really great voice (vaguely reminiscent of Dolly Parton). It seems the only glaring difference between them and The Band Perry is that Eden's Edge has two members that are easy on the eyes rather than just one. Country radio has done much, much worse. I'll be watching for what this group releases next.

24. "Long Way To Go" - Alan Jackson - I thought his last two singles, "It's Just That Way" (bad) and "Hard Hat And A Hammer" (a little better), were not the greatest choices to release from his Freight Train album (it is a crime that "Taillights Blue" was not released as a single off of it). "Long Way To Go" is a stellar choice, but I have no idea why it was not released at the end of Spring/beginning of summer instead of the end of June (I guess technically, the release date wasn't too bad, it just didn't climb the charts fast enough). It has an obvious fun-loving summer vibe that can (I guess) provide some escape during the colder weather or just make you mad that it's cold and you're not at the beach. Regardless, maybe it will work as an escape from what has now become winter, and I hope it makes it to the top ten as neither one of the last two singles even cracked the top 15. George Strait and Alan Jackson are the two elder statesmen of country music, and if radio stops playing their songs to make room for a 35 years old or less generation to take over, only bad things can come of it. I believer Jackson is in more danger of falling off than Strait, but both their presences are necessary at country radio.

23. "You Gonna Fly" - Keith Urban - Is there a mainstream country star who loves to stick a banjo line into pretty much every standard pop/rock tune he releases more than Keith Urban? The banjo being my favorite instrument, I actually kind of dig it, but it makes this song no more country than his last song. As has been covered extensively, Urban is a virtuoso guitar player and has a gift for a catchy melody, which "You Gonna Fly" definitely has. And there's nothing better than a stone cold down on your luck country song, but I appreciate the positivity Urban seems to be striving for with his recent singles. He may be the ringleader of the pop/rock/country crossover movement, but there aren't many, if any, who do it better, and he's earned his spot at country radio as all of his songs seem to chart well. Plus, he's a fan of Radney Foster.

22. "Camouflage" - Brad Paisley - I would love to have seen "A Man Don't Have To Die" released as a single, but "Camouflage," though obviously completely different, is a decent choice. It's a fun and fast-paced song with plenty of steel guitar and fiddle to whip your ass into a frenzy. I know some people think Brad Paisley's "non-serious" songs are stupid, but I've always thought the majority of them contained some pretty clever wordplay (see: "Ticks", "Alcohol", "Mud On The Tires", and of course "I'm Gonna Miss Her"). I can easily see "Camouflage" fitting in nicely with these songs and becoming a country/redneck anthem of sorts. You've got a guy who paints his car camouflage and it disappears when he pulls it out of his garage (pretty funny), and you've got a couple who go to prom dressed in the familiar duds and you can only see their faces and their hands, and "you should have seen the way it popped with her corsage." There is also an interesting line about the rebel flag offending some people (and Paisley is empathetic as far as that goes), but camo can be used as a great substitute to still show your southern pride. It's a nice sentiment that's not shoved down your throat. The song is harmless fun and will probably be another hit for the guitar-shredding songwriter.

21. "Home" - Dierks Bentley - It doesn't seem right; a patriotic song on country radio that is not afraid to come right out with the fact that America is far from perfect: "We got a ways to go, but this is still the place that we all call home." But if you ask me, a song like this makes me feel even prouder to be an American. We have the freedom to disagree vehemently with one another on keys issues, yet that freedom is the thing we all have in common, that binds us all together. When our disagreements turn to hatred for one another, which, at least if you ask the media, they too often do, then there's a problem. A nice melody and jangly guitars compliment the lyrics well, and Bentley's voice as always is a force to be reckoned with. There is a haunting verse at the end of the song that captures superbly what it means to be not only a free American but a free human being: "Red, how the blood ran red, and we laid our dead in sacred ground. Just think, wonder what they'd think if they could see us now." Sacrifices have been made, militarily and otherwise, by those we have been close to and those who were strangers to us; regardless, we must continually ask ourselves if we are living up to the sacrifice of those who have gone on, as individuals, families, and collectively as a nation. If this is Bentley's indictment of the extreme polarization our country has grown accustomed to, then I think it's a timely message, and one that the often way-far-right rhetoric of country radio would do well to open it's mind to. Based on it's chart position the past few weeks, it seems radio is giving "Home" that chance. It's a worthy follow-up to the why-won't-anybody-drink-with-me fun of "Am I The Only One?" (An aside: normally I HATE politics with my music, but when the message is subtle and doesn't have to beat you over the head and comes down, ultimately, on the side of getting along with one another and being grateful for the freedoms we all have in common, I become an appreciative fan. There's nothing more American than that.)