Metalheads Respond to Pistol Annies

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Pop country is glam metal with pedal steel in place of guitar histrionics. Warrant's "Heaven" is a perfect modern country song.

Well it's hardly a new observation, Chuck had it pegged two decades back and the introduction on country in the recent essay collection sums up the reasons and the functions why for a certain age group. But obviously it didn't stop there, otherwise there'd be no younger fans! Still it was amusing when my girlfriend agreed on the hair metal front.

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

says it all really:


Time: 02/02/2012 11:38 AM Artist: They Might Be Giants Title: Ana Ng
Time: 02/02/2012 11:30 AM Artist: Wilco Title: Whole Love
Time: 02/02/2012 11:26 AM Artist: Old 97's Title: Murder (or A Heart Attack)
Time: 02/02/2012 11:22 AM Artist: Bob Marley Title: Get Up Stand Up
Time: 02/02/2012 11:20 AM Artist: J.j. Cale Title: Call Me The Breeze
Time: 02/02/2012 11:12 AM Artist: Dr. Dog Title: That Old Black Hole

scott seward, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

It definitely isn't a new phenomenon or an original observation.

EZ Snappin, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

xpost

EZ Snappin, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

That's a weird playlist

La Lechera, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

Cool music you can listen to with yr kids?

La Lechera, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

aw i like the pistol annies album a lot. i know very little about country music, though, so m@tt's observation likely applies to me.

horseshoe, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

also not a metalhead i probably shouldn't be here, huh

horseshoe, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

Tangential but interesting note -- in Erin MacLeod's story on Celine Dion ruling Jamaica she also mentions this as a side note:

If you expect Jamaica to be the home of reggae and dancehall, you’d be right, but it’s also home to one of the most committed groups of smooth adult contemporary and country music fans. If there’s one thing that Jamaicans love, it’s darned good singers singing darned good songs. From bad men to rude bwoys to Rastafari to uptown top-ranking folks, Jamaicans are just as, if not more, likely to love Kenny Rogers and Air Supply as they are the Marleys, Buju and Kartel.

I'd love to know more about country in Jamaica, makes perfect sense, really.

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

i believe this album is classified by the record biz as "down home country" i.e. not exactly old-timey but with more or less traditional instrumentation and more or less traditional chord changes, no matter how glossily produced.

this is a tremendously fun and cathartic record imo. the only track that doesn't really do it for me is "beige", which i want to like but the singing doesn't feel strong enough

i am not a metalhead but i played one in junior high school

TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

you must have heard some of the zillion reggae country covers over the years?

x-post

scott seward, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

I never found it odd Toot's covered John Denver. Just kinda made sense in my head.

xpost

EZ Snappin, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

yep ok listened to housewifes prayer and i think i might hate it more than hell on heels actually. i can not stand this main singers voice, and the delivery is so mannered, its a total non-starter for me. lyrically edgy shania twain = DNFW. are there songs that are not ploddingly slow that someone can point me at, because thats the other thing - both this and hell on heels just draaaaaag

Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

they really love marty robbins in jamaica. i can appreciate that.

scott seward, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

that's my favorite track

xp

horseshoe, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

oh and another amendment - i forgot the lana del rey track so actually i need to bump hell on heels to third worst track result

Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

you must have heard some of the zillion reggae country covers over the years?

Not as much as I should have, obv!

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

my favorite country rock cover:

scott seward, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:52 (1 year ago) Permalink

"The Hunter's Wife"

http://youtu.be/apBPxoM7o9o

^give this a shot, JJJ! It has a cool honkytonk vibe to it

Drugs A. Money, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

"takin' pills" is a good uptempo pistol annies song

first period don't give a fuck, second period gon get cut (lex pretend), Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:54 (1 year ago) Permalink

Okay, that "Midnight Rider" cover is amazing.

EZ Snappin, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

idk who's heard miranda lambert's solo stuff in this thread but she's basically the reason people paid attention to pistol annies in the first place - "gunpowder & lead" is so bad-ass

first period don't give a fuck, second period gon get cut (lex pretend), Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

its not very uptempo lex (and thats coming from someone who listens to the slowest doom metal out there)

Armand Schaubroeck Ratfucker, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

I have a lot of love for "Gunpowder & Lead"

Drugs A. Money, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

i think miranda lambert might be the one whose voice jjusten hates :(

horseshoe, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:57 (1 year ago) Permalink

Jim reeves is popular in nigeria

the 500 gats of bartholomew thuggins (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:58 (1 year ago) Permalink

i don't think i am an actual metalhead either, but i don't know where i fit in ever

imo:
lana - dislike, strong
pistol annies - dislike, with caveats
gucci gucci - love in moderation
marty robbins - love immoderately

make of that what you will

NKOTB was really popular in Colombia in the mid 90s.

La Lechera, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:59 (1 year ago) Permalink

Well, maybe not "really popular" but I knew a few people who genuinely thought they were good. New Kids.

La Lechera, Thursday, 2 February 2012 16:59 (1 year ago) Permalink

I like "Gunpowder & Lead" more than any Pistol Annies song I've heard.

EZ Snappin, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:00 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah, jim reeves was huge in jamaica too. lots of great jim reeves reggae covers.

scott seward, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

When I was on Grand Cayman, it seemed like every other song on the radio was Kenny Rogers. And "Members Only" by Bobby Bland. It was not what I was expecting at all.

Hawaiian mime montage (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:12 (1 year ago) Permalink

ok i just listened to gunpowder and lead and now i am wondering why they watered this lady down so much on the pistol annies album.

Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

well she was a willing participant! i think they were going for a specific sound for the personae they were presentin on the pistol annies album.

horseshoe, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

the title of this thread reminds me of this:

http://youtu.be/uLAJ0v_5THQ

I spend a lot of time thinking about apricots (DJP), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:21 (1 year ago) Permalink

oh wait is this pistol annies some sorta country concept album because ugh then

Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

idk I was under the impression that Miranda wanted to do a country girl-group?

Drugs A. Money, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

Longtime friends, Monroe, Miranda Lambert and newcomer Angaleena Presley debuted their trio girl band Pistol Annies, with their song "Hell on Heels," on April 22, 2011 on CBS' airing of ACM Girls Night Out. The trio surprised the audience in place of Miranda singing with now husband Blake Shelton. The girls, who all met through working in the industry, have dubbed nicknames for themselves via their band name. Lambert serves as "Lonestar Annie," Monroe "Hippie Annie," and Angaleena as "Holler Annie," as she is from the hills of Kentucky. Per Lambert, whether or not the Annies would release an album will "be up to the fans." The single "Hell on Heels" was released for purchase via the Pistol Annies' website on June 12, 2011. The Pistol Annies' album Hell on Heels was released on August 23, 2011.

I spend a lot of time thinking about apricots (DJP), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

Lonestar Annie
Hippie Annie
Holler Annie

^^^ poll

I spend a lot of time thinking about apricots (DJP), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

Hippie Annie all the way

Drugs A. Money, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:25 (1 year ago) Permalink

None of these Annies

La Lechera, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:25 (1 year ago) Permalink

which yeah makes some sense because country stepford wives is pretty much my exact reaction, so if you are saying theres sort of an intent behind the sorta plasticated neutered vocals and the slogging tempos then huh. i mean i still dont like it but if its intentional then i think it worked i guess? thats weird tho.

xpost oh i guess not? well then sorry peeps this album just sucks

Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:26 (1 year ago) Permalink

that was all wrt concept album which is apparently not true but idk

Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

haha i don't read the personae as stepford wives!

horseshoe, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

I mean, there are three female stereotypes there and I am not identifying with any of them whatsoever. That makes me kinda sad tbh.

La Lechera, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

Little Annie Fanny

EZ Snappin, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

Manny Annie

La Lechera, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

Grannie Annie

La Lechera, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

Polk Salad Annie

EZ Snappin, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

oh horshoe i dont know anything abt the intended personae i am just talking abt the "flatness" of the vocal performances.

also shit like this "Per Lambert, whether or not the Annies would release an album will "be up to the fans." drives me crazy because its such blatant pr bullshit

Thu'um gang (jjjusten), Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

i don't know that i identify with most artists i listen to tbh. it's not really something i expect to happen. i feel like the album explores some narratives about femininity and sometimes defiantly picks up and champions pieces of them ("hell on heels") and sometimes renders the incredibly sadness of falling short ("beige") and is sometimes defiant about being regarded as a failure as a "lady" ("bad example.") the experiences rendered on the album are pretty far from my own (though i agree with lex that it's zeitgeisty about the recession. i think that's why "housewife's prayer" means the most to me) but they are interesting/moving. to me.

horseshoe, Thursday, 2 February 2012 17:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

it takes a while but yes it's quite good

A deeper shade of lol (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 7 May 2013 19:27 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Agreed on Unhappily Married.

big firework, Wednesday, 8 May 2013 06:46 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

the album kinda flamed out for me by the third or fourth day, solid but not outstanding somehow.
Brandy Clark is still worth a spin though. No idea why this isn't a hit:
http://on.aol.com/video/brandy-clark--get-high----conference-room-country-517714963

UTW, USA, ILX LIFER (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 16 May 2013 01:05 (6 days ago) Permalink


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