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Stina commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

Excellent article. You've brought up a question and the answer that I've been mulling over myself for quite some time now. At the end of it all, this is just music evolving yet again. After all what is rock once you break it down?…

Jan 2, 2011

KittraKittra commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Album Review: John Cowan--Comfort and Joy'

"East Meets Wes" Lovely . I've always adored Shad Cobb. He is just so darling! As for Mr. Cowan, I LIKE his hair. It's a performace all it's own. Makes him look like a "Mad Maestro."

Jun 21, 2010

Tommy Lee commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'John Hiatt--The Open Road--New West'

You have a point there ! My Tiki Bar is calling my name right Now ! Saying it is finally happy hour . DeadGuy Ale for me ,please.

May 18, 2010

sluggo commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'John Hiatt--The Open Road--New West'

mr hi-hat is a fine songwriter..I especially like him with the goners mind you everybody went low and tiki bar were pretty damn good. You ever think the tiki bar was a metaphor for A.A. ?

May 18, 2010

Tommy Lee commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'John Hiatt--The Open Road--New West'

Saw John & the Combo at The Birchmere in Va. What aGreat show ! He sure does surround himself with some Great musicians !

May 17, 2010

Jim Moulton commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

OK, Who shall we diss now? I did not hear any alternatives, just negatives. You know "The Grass is always Bluer On the other Side."

Apr 24, 2010

johnrunion commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

i agree with Renee Hopkins . i knew things were taking a sharp turn for the worse when garth started talking about journey, styx, reo, kansas, etc. instead of merle, waylon, buck, cash, lefty, hank, etc.

Apr 21, 2010

Jefferson Ross commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

Excellent writing! Bravo. Clear Channel is also to blame here. Most Country Music radio stations have about a 12 song play list...no kidding. (One very small correction on the timeline. That evil Shania record came out in '95 not '97.)

Apr 21, 2010

Rudyjeep commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

The bands Steve mentions (Bon Jovi, Def Leppard) are played on rock stations and while they are not my cup of tea, that era produced some of the biggest ratings rock radio stations ever received. It was a female friendly type of rock and crossed…

Apr 21, 2010

Robert Brom commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

Arty is right that the blandness also does result simply from the Nashville practice of stripping the singer from his touring band. Even the worst rock bands recorded their own music - or at least picked out the studio assist. (Though admittedly…

Apr 20, 2010

Robert Brom commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

John, the author probably thought it went without saying that this movement is a soulless echo of the "classic rock" era; neither classic nor rock, but it reminds you of both. Which leads me to agree wholeheartedly with Old Soul - few…

Apr 20, 2010

Charlie Silvestri commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

I agree with John Gallagher. Going back to the 80s for an example of Classic Rock isn't going back far enough. All the 'mainstream Country' acts I've seen in concert, seem to reference Beatles and Stones (Collin Raye), Zeppelin…

Apr 20, 2010

Jason Gross commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

Great article! Also remember that in the 70's, alongside the Outlaw movement, you also had Olivia Newton-John and John Denver stretching the idea of country way into the pop realm.

Apr 20, 2010

Tim Letscher commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

Good read, but there are plenty of guitar solos in what I guess would be deemed "alternative." Listen to "Impossible Germany" from Wilco or just about ANY Built to Spill song. While they may not be screaming,…

Apr 20, 2010

Arty Hill commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

I agree the production, instrumentation, etc of new country sounds like some classic rock. But the big difference between classic rock and current Nashville product is that the labels control every aspect of the product. If they didn't, then…

Apr 20, 2010

Brad Boyer commented on Steve Leftridge's blog post 'Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock'

"Who is Billy Covington? The son of Bucky Covington and Billy Currington? " - HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! That made my day!

Apr 20, 2010

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Steve Leftridge's Blog

Pour Some Sugarland on Me: Why Country Music is the New Classic Rock

In Mark Wills’ 2003 hit “19 Something”, Wills waxed nostalgic about the ‘80s, cataloging Reagan-era American pop-culture touchstones, one of which was “watch[ing] MTV all afternoon”. It was a revealing claim, given what aired on MTV afternoons in the late ‘80s when Wills was a teenager. What he had to have been watching, for the most part, were pop-metal videos, which at that time dominated the Dial MTV charts, which counted down the top ten most-requested videos of the… Continue

Posted on April 14, 2010 at 9:30am — 22 Comments

John Hiatt--The Open Road--New West

John Hiatt--The Open Road--New West

The last we heard from John Hiatt, he was singing “Let’s Give Love a Try”, the final tune from 2008’s Same Old Man. On that song, Hiatt admitted, “Sometimes I don’t like being where I am”, a notion that Hiatt has explored for much of his going-on-40-year career as a singer-songwriter. Calling himself “old” (sort of) in the title of that record marked a transition of sorts for a rascal… Continue

Posted on March 19, 2010 at 7:18am — 9 Comments

Album Review: Johnny Cash--American VI: Ain't No Grave

Johnny Cash--American VI: Ain't No Grave--American/Lost Highway

The newest, and purportedly last, installment of Johnny Cash’s “American series”, the priceless Rick Rubin-produced string of albums that rounded out Cash’s life, is American VI: Ain’t No Grave. This is the second of the American albums to be released posthumously, following American V: A Hundred Highways, and these 11 songs are mined gold from the… Continue

Posted on February 26, 2010 at 5:30am — 3 Comments

Album Review: Emmitt-Nershi Band--New Country Blues

Emmitt-Nershi Band--New Country Blues--SCI Fidelity

Few musical styles are quite as polarizing as that of jam bands. The haters deplore the never-ending and meandering solos, the emphasis on instrumental improvisation over singing and melody, and the conspicuous uniformity of the fans, with their emphasis on drugs and identical dancing. The lovers argue for the unmistakable musical…

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Posted on February 5, 2010 at 1:00pm

Album Review: Patty Griffin's Downtown Church

Patty Griffin--Downtown Church--EMI

It’s hard to think of an artist in a more enviable position than Patty Griffin. Fifteen years ago, she had a guitar, a sweet voice, and a crush on Bruce Springsteen, but no recording contract. Today she’s perched among the elite singer-songwriters of her generation. She has released five critically acclaimed records, each more accomplished than the last, won over a legion…

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Posted on February 5, 2010 at 1:00pm — 3 Comments

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At 4:45am on April 27, 2011, Steve Hatch said…: Hi Steve

      As a featured contributor to No Depression, I’m particularly keen on getting your feedback for the following – Please forgive the intrusion if you don’t have the time or inclination to reply.

      I’ve posted the following to the No Depression discussion board – you can either respond there or alternatively drop me a line at shatchsurvey1@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks very much for your time

Kind regards,

Steve

My name is Steve Hatch and I’m currently conducting research for my Master’s in Songwriting at Bath Spa University in Bath, England (though I happen to be an ex-pat Georgia boy). I would be extremely grateful if you could find the time to listen to the track (link below) and answer the 2 accompanying questions. The more detail, the better of course (more to say in my final analysis) – but all feedback will be useful and very much appreciated.

Sadly, as this is an academic pursuit, there is a deadline. Please reply by May 20^th if at all possible so that I can have time to chew over your response and include it in my final write-up.

            The track: http://soundcloud.com/stevehatch

1)     Which artist/band(s) would you say the track is most similar to and why?

2)     Which genre(s) would you say the track belongs to and why?

At 6:10pm on March 15, 2010, Paul Masson said…: Steve,

Thanks for the add. Hope you enjoy the songs.

Best,
Paul

At 12:37pm on November 12, 2009, Rob Carey of The Headlocks said…: hey steve! hope you get a chance to check out the headlocks new album cuckoo bird which i have posted on my page... if you'd like a physical copy, i'd be happy to send you one. glad to be friends!
rob carey
the headlocks

At 7:20pm on November 9, 2009, chris sweeney said…: Steve, I thought you might enjoy this photo I took of one of my dogs in St. Louis.
Chris

At 12:16am on October 3, 2009, Forthesakeofthesong said…: Thanks for stopping by!

At 8:59pm on June 18, 2009, mike bruhn said…: Steve, sounds amazing. glad you could be there. wish i could. i lived there for 10 yrs and did backstage catering for the show. god i miss it. anyway, e njoy your time and i loom forward to more updates. And stop by the Last Dollar Saloon. ask for michael lee, tell him "spooey" sent ya. he'll treat you well

At 10:06am on April 29, 2009, No Depression said…: Hi Steve - Welcome to the new community site! We hope you're finding everything okay. Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback (here are some FAQs in case anything's confusing). Thanks for joining. Cheers!
Kim