You’ve heard me express, both in person and in podcast, (as well as having read it before in any of my previous essays…) that I hate \u201cboth kinds\u201d of music. Country AND Western. Yes, \u201chate\u201d IS, indeed, a very strong word, but I just can’t get over my abhorrence of \u201cthat sound\u201d. I don’t know if it is the \u201cdrawl\u201d or the sound of the steel guitar. Maybe it’s the disparity of \u201cold\u201d and \u201cyoung\u201d Country. Whatever it is, I don’t like it.<\/p>\n
Now, C&W sort of \u201cruns in my family\u201d. My uncle had a C&W nightclub in Newark, NJ years ago. He was also a partner in a C&W record label back in the 70’s and 80’s. Some of the music played in my home, as a small child, was music from people like \u201cHank Sr.\u201d, Patsy Cline, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. \u201cRudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer\u201d aside, I had NO use for it.<\/p>\n
It has been a source of agony to me that the lion’s share of music that bears even the slightest nod to our values as Americans has been of the two genre in which I take the absolute least delight. All the way back to the 50’s, you’d be hard pressed to find any broadly patriotic popular tunes by popular artists. The mention of a city, yes, but the Union as a whole? Far from the top-ten in \u201cYour Hit Parade\u201d.<\/p>\n
This became more evident after the first Gulf War. Songs from \u201cThe Man In Black\u201d, Johnny Cash to \u201cHank Jr.\u201d were being given airplay on \u201cpop\u201d stations. After the attacks of 9\/11 the C&W stars started rolling in like so many Conestoga wagons. Yes, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard were back, and so was Hank. Joining their ranks were many more…from Trace Adkins to Big & Rich. From Toby Keith to Alan Jackson to Billy Ray Cyrus. Dozens of them. Boots, hats, guitars and all. Some folks will argue with me on this point, bringing up songs like \u201cWe\u2019re an American Band\u201d by Grand Funk Railroad, “Back in the USA” by Chuck Berry or even \u201cThe Heart of Rock and Roll\u201d by Huey Lewis and the News. Yes, there IS the \u201coccasional\u201d song here and there, but five, six or even a dozen songs in fifty years hardly make up a \u201cpreponderance\u201d.<\/p>\n
It’s not often that you’ll see me endorsing a musician or band. Even less so when it isn’t MY, (albeit former), band. I’m going to make some exceptions here today. I’ve found some real, live ROCKERS who share our sentiments and sensibilities! Ladies and Gentlemen! It is my pleasure to introduce to you:<\/p>\n
Ava Aston, ( http:\/\/www.avaaston.com\/home.html<\/a> ), and her hit single \u201cWe The People\u201d.<\/p>\n Krista Branch, ( http:\/\/www.kristabranch.com<\/a> ), with hers, \u201cI Am America\u201d.<\/p>\n