Dixie Chicks...this has to piss off Tex/Snipe/limpwallperry
 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Musi....ap/index.html

#1 album in the country, over 500,000 copies sold in the first week.

Just like how it pisses you off that Sean Hannity has sold thousands of books.

It's all about equalibrium.

Sean Hannity is probably the greatest mental midget among the conservative pundits.

Rush can be entertaining, but he lost me when he repeatedly spoke out in favor of torture.

Hannity have the #1 book in the country? I don't follow him, much less have wet dreams about him.

Let's face it, when Hannity fans actually read a book, that's a victory for the entire world.

I have been follwoing this with some interest. These gals have made the decision to stick their middle finger out at country music fans anew, rather than just move on from the issue (which I think they could have done by just letting it drop and getting back to just making music.)

Clearly they have so much money that they can afford to do whatever they want, and what they want is to keep the controversy going. It is either brilliant or career suicide, but it is not he easy path. The other interesting dynamic here is that they are not getting radio play, but in the age of downloading (they are the #1 downloaded album) it doesn't seem to matter. They are bypassing the eastblishment.

Anyway, part of me wants to see them succeed because the country music establishment IS a joke as is most of the music right now (see the Bill Board charts for "Honky tonk badonk a donk" and "Tequila makes her clothes fall off" for examples of the forumlaic crap that turned me off.) On the other hand I think Natalie Maines is incredibly immature and that observation has nothing to do with the content of what she is saying, so I wouldn't mind seeing things back fire on her.

All that said, they got my ten bucks through itunes. I will continue to be interested in how this unfolds.

I agree with this. There are some very smart folks in conservative radio in Rush, Ingraham and others, and many many more in print, but Hannity (while right on some issues IMO) completely falls apart when confronted with someone halfway intelligent arguing against him.

I don't understand his popularity.

There is some really great stuff happening in country music right now. You just aren't listening to the right stuff.

Check out Kasey Chambers, Gillian Welch, Loretta Lyn, Calexico, Iron and Wine, Emmy Lou Harris, The Be Good Tanyas. If you think country is snoozing you must be listening to the wrong stuff. Country is on fire, and that isn't even scratching the surface of the alt.country movement (of which I know next to nothing... except I like Wilco, and I hear there is a lot going on).

Pirate some of this music. You won't be sorry... except when you are burning in hell for stealing. But at least your ipod will be full, so hell won't be so bad.

All country music sucks. Every single country song ever written sucks, it is that simple.

Except for, "My heart's on fire, for Elvira . . badoom, boppadoom, boppadoom, boppa mow mow, giddy-up, badoom, boppadoom, boppadoom, boppa mow mow."

Robin is right. There is some excellent country music out there, but very little of it is produced in Nashville. You have to go to independent labels for the really good stuff. The Nashville producers ruin good talent with packaging, formulaic lyrics, etc. the second someone with talent crosses the city boundary. The best stuff is coming out of Austin and elsewhere. In addition to the ones Robin listed, try out some artists such as:

James McMurtry
Jason Boland
Houston Marchman
Pat Green
Lyle Lovett
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Kacey Chambers
Jupiter Coyote
Robert Earl Keen
Steve Earle
Stone Coyotes
etc.

Some very good stuff there. And some excellent, highly intelligent, thoughtful lyrics. Stuff that would give a Nashiville producer turn purple.

I guess it sort of depends on how one edfines country. It is sorto fhard to put some of thos artists in that category. McMurtry and earle, for example seem to me not to be country.

Lovett is clearly country but also very unique. He is well worth a listen.