Rolling Country 2013

oh wait i guess that isn't a single w/e

the label that released that compilation w/ musgraves's "see you again" cover on it (triple pop) says it was released in 2008. itunes says the same.

OK thanks. Rhapsody actually lists the label as TuneCore, whatever that is (one of my top 10 P&J singles, a Southern Soul song, has the same label listed), but I'm going to take your word for it and assume that opens up a slot on my Top 100 for something non-Musgraves. ("See You Again" didn't make my Nashville Scene ballot anyway actually.)

tunecore is the most prominent of the services that lets any artist or label self-distribute ther work to online services. it's mostly unsigned artists, but some smaller labels use it too (as well as a few bigger artists who are over the whole label thing). don't know if they have ther own label on the side. maybe some people who use them enter "tunecore" as their label 'cause they've got nothing else to put in that box.

A few more pretty-good-or-better singles I forgot to list above:

Lauren Alaina – Barefoot and Buckwild
Lee Brice - Parking Lot Party
Brandy Clark – Pray to Jesus (came out months before the album, lead cut on a 3-song, uh, TuneCore EP -- possibly a demo version)
Toby Keith – Hope On The Rocks
Mavericks – Back In Your Arms
Willie Nelson feat. Mavis Staples – Grandma’s Hands
Johnny Solinger – Rock n Roll Cowboy Man
George Strait - I Got A Car

As well as stuff already mentioned, I'm quite partial to the McAnally-penned "Fuzzy" by the Randy Rogers Band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NreVs1e4GM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_udpQffCt4Y

How do people feel about Eric Church's "The Outsiders"? AFAIK Al hates it, but that's all the talk I've seen about it.

So I relistened to Charlie Worsham's "Could It Be" and it drifted into the sunlight and off my list (though he does an okay cover of "Gangnam Style"). Working my way through your recommendations. Toby Keith sings best; Chris Stapleton sings worst but has the best song, and he'll probably get the nod for not disappointing me (in that I don't think I've heard anything else of his ever). I'll probably decide that "22" is country eligible (though it makes no effort to convince me it is). This still leaves one spot to fill, and I'll give these more of a chance. With Gary Allan I keep feeling "He's been there and done that," which I realize isn't much of an explanation for why I've gone meh on him recently, given that I regularly fall for freestyle and disco rehashes from South Korea.

Do u Spotify? I do, now that we don't have to sign in via Fecebook. I thought the same about Allan before hearing the whole album a couple times. But if you're not into albums, may not help (the whole Drinks After Work seems amazingly good so far, compared to my expectations, anyway).

The extra, self-written track on the new Keith album is pretty.

Pretty sure Stapleton is only the worst singer on those lists if you never got around to Solinger.

And Gwen Sebastian does an okay "The Fox" (as in "what does the fox say?"), actually.

And I might well not cringe at Sturgill Simpson so much if I didn't now live in Central Texas, where there is actually a "Texas country" station where every song sounds every bit as stodgy as he does. Fwiw, the one song in that style that might've made my single ballot if in fact it was a single is "Electric Bill" by Jason Boland (whose album was way too hard work to get all the way through otherwise, though I'm pretty sure I did once anyway.) Though admittedly there are plenty of songs in that style I haven't heard -- I've developed an increasingly low tolerance since moving here. (PS: I have no idea where Simpson is actually from, but judging from what I've heard he would fit right in.)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/every-country-song-was-the-same-in-2013

Perpetua links to a Youtube mix made by an EW writer who likes Jason Isbell and Brandy Clark but mocks mainstream country cliches re trucks, dirt roads, and beer

Isbell and Clark have sung about all three, o course. Not spotting it now, but somebody on here favorably mentioned Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison's Cheater's Game---thanks so much! Lots of catchy contemplation, and it just now held its own on Spotify, even with laptop headphones vs. a very proximate boombox blasting a cathedralful of Christmas music. Also sounded real good beyond that battle, when I listened to the whole thing again. Any other album rec's? (Think I'm okay w singles).

My backhanded 800+-word defense of a few dumb (or maybe not) songs

http://www.rhapsody.com/blog/post/defending-bro-country

Thanks for that! I'll have to check out the whole Crash My Party when I have a little more time. Bryant seems like a romantic bastard, eh---and/or smart enough to know which side his beef gets the mustard on--guess some Southern boys really do learn to say "Thank you Ma'am" to Grace---judging by how truly fervent he sounds marching to "That's My Kind of Night" and getting (somewhut ride my prOny imagery at times but still sincerely) thrilled to see her drinking that "Beer In The Headlights", and gosh she can "Crash My Party" anytime, never mind another night with the boys. These are all a little too long for me, but they're not for me (anyway I'll listen more).
Lee Brice! "Ain't no party like the pre-party, And after the party is the after-party" is a true sing-along chorus, I have to give it up to that! Very cool range-wise to see it's only another song away from "I Drive Your Truck," a true fallen-bro (or maybe fallen Dad?) anthem, also very good to sing along to, for my own imaginary (much-missed) bro. The one in between is "Don't Believe Everything You Think," which is certainly good advice, even if the song itself is a corny how I met yore etc.
"Cruise (Remix" is fly when Nelly takes over, though I'm not thrilled by F-G's ownautotuned Mac and cheese. Sarah Buxton's on another track eh, I'll check 'em all.

garth brooks tributing billy joel with "allentown" and "goodnight saigon" at the kennedy center honors. kinda great.

Took me a month to catch up on year-end lists, but 2013 was a fine year in country. Stand outs for me were:

Kacey Musgraves - "Merry Go Round", "Keep It to Yourself", and "Follow Your Arrow"
Sturgill Simpson - "Life Ain't Fair and the World is Mean"
Ashley Monroe - "Like a Rose" and "Two Weeks Late"
Dean Brody feat. Lindi Ortega - "Bounty"
Brandy Clark - "Stripes"
Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison - "Leavin'"
Jason Isbell - "Elephant"
Guy Clark - "My Favorite Picture of You"
Kellie Pickler - "Buzzin'"
Pistol Annies - "Hush Hush" and "Don't Talk About Him, Tina"
The Band Perry - "DONE."
Caitlin Rose - "Only a Clown"
Patty Griffin - "Go Wherever You Wanna Go"

"Bounty" didn't get enough praise. Helluva song.

Thanks, and come on over to RC 2014 for more lists etc.