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Grammies Drop Polka Award Add Americana
Well, the Grammies just got a little lamer. They dropped the Polka award and added a "Country Music for people who think they're too good for Country Music" (aka Americana) award. Don't get me started on the Americana business. It's not a genre with history but rather a marketing strategy. Don't like the pablum on country radio? Take your ball and go home to a hipster musical ghetto to ensure the common man will never hear anything good and leave the Hoss alone to fight the good fight. Maybe you'll get a taxpayer subsidized radio station like an idie rock fan. Gotta love the wealthy 30-something urbanites who can get it off the backs of others. I digress... this is supposed to be a post about Polka. Polka is one of the grandpas of pop music. It may be one of the few still primarily regional popular music forms left. Plus, its never been anthropologized by the hippies. This is just my opinion but it is a truly underappreciated gem of a genre. There are radio stations that still dedicate time to the music. The Grammies gave an annual award (to Jimmy Sturr) for the best polka album. They've announced it to be discontinued. Polka or Old-Time Music is high energy, passionate accordion and brass music for dancing and partying. Great stuff.
Another new year and another look back at the previous year... In 2007, we named Dan Colehour's "Straight To The Highway" as the #1 album and in 2006 it was Chris Knight's "Enough Rope". Who'll be #1 from 2008? Let's keep our feet on the ground and reach for the stars to find out...
35. Carrie Hassler - CHHR2 34. Chris Sprague - Diesel Made For Two 33. Austin Lucas - Putting The Hammer Down 32. Rusty Brothers - Love, Guitars & Whiskey 31. Aaron Watson - Angels & Outlaws 30. Randy Rogers Band - Randy Rogers Band 29. Dan Tyminski - Wheels 28. Doc Marshalls - Honest For Once 27. Hank Williams III - Damn Right, Rebel Proud 26. Jason Boland - Comal County Blue 25. Dave Insley - West Texas Wine 24. Melonie Cannon - And The Wheels Turn 23. Owen Temple - 2000 Miles 22. Blue Highway - Through The Window Of A Train 21. The Derailers - Guaranteed To Satisfy 20. Justin Trevino - Take One As Needed For Pain 19. Rodney Parker - Lonesome Dirge 18. Lee Ann Womack - Call Me Crazy 17. Amber Digby - Passion, Pride, and What Might Have Been 16. Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof 15. Steeldrivers - Steeldrivers 14. Catherine Britt - Little Wildflower 13. Chatham County Line - IV 12. Hacienda Brothers - Arizona Motel 11. Zac Brown Band - The Foundation 10. Eleven Hundred Springs - Country Jam 9. The Dixons - Still Your Fool 8. Justin Townes Earle - The Good Life 7. Tejas Brothers - Tejas Brothers 6. Rodney Hayden - 12 Ounce World 5. Ashton Shepherd - Sounds So Good 4. Jim Lauderdale - Honey Songs 3. The Wrights - The Wrights 2. Chris Knight - Heart of Stone 1. Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind
"Marvelling at his old drinking buddy’s newfound moral rectitude, John Wayne wanted to know how Stu was managing to stay off the bottle. “Well,” said Hamblen, “it’s no secret what God can do.” “That sounds like a song,” drawled the Duke. So Hamblen made it one – “It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)” – and he had a hit with it, and so did Red Foley and Jo Stafford, and later Elvis."
Another historical Country Music figure that made his mark on politics was Pappy O'Daniel. Mr. O'Daniel was known for being the radio announcer behind the Light Crust Doughboys, which is the band that launched Bob Wills and Milton Brown to western swing fame. O'Daniel was elected Governor of Texas in 1938, re-elected in 1940, and then went on to beat future President Lyndon Baines Johnson for a U.S. Senate seat in 1941. He retired from the Senate after one term and made unsuccessful gubernatorial runs in 1956 and 1958.
Gov. Jimmie Davis, Country Music Pioneer & Politician
It's that silly season again. People are doing crazy things. It's all got to do with the coveted seats of power in government. Moviestars have become politicians before but what about country music stars?
Mark Steyn, author of the American Songbook recently wrote a nice little piece about former Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis and his legendary song, "You Are My Sunshine". Jimmie Davis recorded the song in 1940 and it became his most notable hit. CMT named it the #72 greatest country song of all-time in 2003. (Only 35 spots behind Faith Hill's "Breathe", which the Hoss doubts will be as fondly remembered even if Hill becomes a governor.) He served two terms as Louisiana Governor, elected in 1944 and 1960. He ran again in 1971 but lost.
The Zac Brown Band has the #1 Live365 country song of the week with "Chicken Fried". We've been playing that song off and on for about 2+ years. Told ya so. If you want to find a place where the stars of yesterday mingle with the stars of tomorrow, keep it double nickle, between the lines, and on the Hoss. Currently, Mr. Brown is at #19 on the Radio and Records Chart. With other songs we've been spinning, Ashton Shepherd's "Sounds So Good" is at #29 and Jamey Johnson's "In Color" is up to #21.
The Hoss is proud to play some of today's best new talent. Out of Denton, Texas comes Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward. They just wrapped up an intimate performance up in St Paul, Minnesota and are running around the Midwest. Check them out if you get a chance. They've got a high octane country rock sound that kicks butt. Right now, we're spinning their single "Atlantic City", tune in, turn on, and rock out. Their latest album is sure to land a spot on our coveted year end best of list.
Lately, we've been having some technical difficulties with your favorite radio station, The Hoss. Turns out 1 out of every 2 songs we upload is somehow silent. We find this to be really weird and annoying. Anyways, if you hear a silent track, drop us a line.
