in defense of the moral ambiguity and musical innovation of the country charts

As Good As I Once Was, Toby Keith
rockabilly, southern rock, a bit of western swing, mainstream country. any song that advocates threesomes cannot really be considered upholding family values. toby keith workign the libertine angle.

Something More, Sugarland
girl pop, bluegrass, MOR

Mississippi Girl, Faith Hill
i have written about a ppgh on this on the country thread

Fast Cars And Freedom, Rascal Flatts
i have to think about this more, but i think the same arguements about the Flatts are covered by Gentry, they are almost gentry light.

Play Something Country, Brooks & Dunn
indicates the critically aware, self referential music that i dont think is conserative

Alcohol, Brad Paisley
the most tradtional,

Don't Worry 'Bout A Thing, SheDaisy

Do You Want Fries With That, Tim McGraw
tim is interesting, because i think that he has found his voice in a certain genre, but his politics are liberal, and he is aware of how he is using country. he is not politically conserative at all (this, drugs or jesus, red rag top)

A Real Fine Place To Start, Sara Evans
this actually rocks kind of, and has changed in her use of intstrumentation and voice, from something like suds in the bucket...and its call towards change, its call away from complaecney is something i find common in country--and a mark against the same old life of consterativism

Making Memories Of Us, Keith Urban
he is on ez rock more then he is on the country radio here, which makes him a mongrel, even if he is a bit white bred--he is also an aussie, which might mean something against the ubquity of nashville.

Help Somebody, Van Zant
Somebody's Hero, Jamie O'Neal
these two i am downloading as we speak

Something To Be Proud Of, Montgomery Gentry
the gentry has been talked about as genre shattering over and over again, by dozens of people, google them.

Redneck Yacht Club, Craig Morgan
this is the one t hat comes closest to his arguement, and one could make the same arguements that one does about brooks and dunn, but i think its too lazy even to make those. (its damn good fun though)

Arlington, Trace Adkins
actually mentioning the dead in iraq, as real people, is not something that the conserative elite in this country do (yeah its jingoistic, but it complicates the war--it isnt chely wright, remember the bush whitehouse refuses to allow people to photograph coffins)

Georgia Rain, Trisha Yearwood
this one is almost the exact same song as the new faith hill, but like faith hill's the audience is well aware of the explicit making of biography into art, i think yearwood's is the better sung and better written, but i find it less direct.

Keg In The Closet, Kenny Chesney
fantastic song, and about the sunbelt, about nostalgic, of course--but nostalgic in the way that is expected. its weird to call a song about fratboys progressive--but they put away childish things, they put away the college stuff, and go forward. it is much closer to the populist folk of jcm then it is anything like hank either.

Stay With Me (Brass Bed), Josh Gracin
(i havent listened to this one yet)

Hicktown, Jason Aldean
its a monster rock track