Channel 19 of the Hoss Radio

O Tannenbaum

2009-12-11T18:13:00Z

You wanted it again and you got it. The Hoss Christmas Extravaganza is back on the air. Your favorite Christmas tunes by Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens, Dale Watson, Del Reeves, Emmylou Harris, Loretta Lynn, Mike Ireland, etc, etc, etc. It's Christmas time in the Honky Tonks, too, you know. Tune into the Hoss at our main page to hear it all.

CMA Awards Nominees

2009-09-17T16:53:00Z

It looks like we missed the announcement of the annual CMA Awards Nominees. This time they didn't do anything really stupid like nominating Reba McEntire for Best New Artist. Jamey Johnson The Raconteurs were nominated for "Event of The Year" and if they win, we'll return the favor to the CMA's and play a day of Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Sylvia, et al.

Too many ants in house

2009-07-14T04:27:00Z

If you got too many ants in your house, tell your unkles to take them home.

Grammies Drop Polka Award Add Americana

2009-06-05T17:46:00Z

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.

Best Country Albums of 2008

2009-02-12T20:09:00Z

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

Stuart Hamblen for President 1952

2008-10-24T16:32:00Z

Stuart Hamblen was the Prohibition Party candidate for President in 1952. He was best known for being in some old westerns and a string of country hits from the 40's and 50's. Mark Steyn writes about his signature song "This Ole House" inspired by Hamblen finding a dead body in an abandoned house on a hunting trip. Sounds morbid but the song is actually more about the fellow going to heaven and thus a bit celebratory. He quit drinking in 1949, which lead to his running for office as a Prohibition Party candidate. As Mark Steyn wrote in "The Passing Parade":

"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."

Hamblen finished 4th in the popular vote.

Texas Governor Pappy O'Daniel

2008-10-15T19:16:00Z

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

2008-10-09T13:53:00Z

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. Movie stars 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.

Zac Brown Band

2008-10-08T18:58:00Z

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.

Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward

2008-10-08T18:45:00Z

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.

Technical Difficulties

2008-10-08T18:38:00Z

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.

Q & A: TV

2008-07-06T17:06:00Z

Q:    If the Hoss were a TV station, what programs would you run?
        Sandy, Denton, TX

A:    The Fall Guy - exclusively
        The Hoss, Blue Earth, MN

Best Country Albums of 2007

2008-01-07T15:00:00Z

The Official Hoss Radio Oversight Committee has just finished compiling our 2nd annual list of the best Country and Western Albums of the year. We're counting 'em down even though the rankings don't mean much of anything. Most of what we play is golden classic country hits but when we spun a new tune from aught seven, it was probably from one of these here 35 certified albums:

35. Todd Fritsch - Sawdust
34. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex Girlfriend
33. Dave Insley - Call Me Lonesome
32. Jack Ingram - This Is It
31. Moot Davis - Already Moved On
30. Aaron Watson - Barbed Wire Halo
29. Gurf Morlix - Diamonds To Dust
28. Kelly Willis - Translated From Love
27. Gougers - Long Day For The Weathervane
26. Ted Russell Kamp - Divisadero
25. David Gleason - Just Fall To Pieces
24. A. J. Roach - Revelation
23. Jesse Dayton and Bennen Leigh - Holding Our Own
22. Cross Canadian Ragweed - Mission California
21. Drew Kennedy - Dollar Theater Movie
20. Jason Isbell - Sirens Of The Ditch
19. Owen Temple - Two Thousand Miles
18. Max Stalling - Topaz City
17. Truckstop Honeymoon - Diamonds In The Asphalt
16. Bobby Pinson - Songs For Somebody
15. Fox Hunt - Nowhere Bound
14. Gary Allan - Living Hard
13. Walt Wilkins - Diamonds In The Sun
12. Bruce Robison - It Came From San Antonio
11. Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Sings Buck
10. Dale Watson - From The Cradle To The Grave
9.   Leroy Powell - Leroy Powell
8.   Kevin Fowler - Bring It On
7.   Jamey Johnson - That Lonesome Song
6.   Rodney Hayden - Down The Road
5.   Shooter Jennings - The Wolf
4.   King Wilkie - Low Country Suite
3.   Ryan Bingham - Mescalito
2.   Chris Knight - The Trailer Tapes
1.   Dan Colehour - Straight To The Highway

Breaking News (Pun Intended)

2007-12-15T21:56:00Z

Cheese Maestro Garth Brooks tops himself. From CMT:

"Garth Brooks' new single will be "Workin' for a Livin'," a duet with Huey Lewis. The single is a remake of the 1982 pop hit by Huey Lewis & the News. Brooks' previous single, "More Than a Memory," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country airplay chart in September. The duet is included on the new compilation, Garth Brooks: The Ultimate Hits."

The Holiday Season

2007-12-15T16:54:00Z

We've added some Christmas themed songs to the Hoss. There are some from Emmylou Harris, Dale Watson, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakam, Roger Miller, and a few others. If this holiday cheer gets in the way of your usual honky tonkin' with the Hoss just drop us a line and we'll add another drinkin' song for you.

Darius Rucker goes Country

2007-09-17T19:51:00Z

Darius Rucker, former front man of pop superstars Hootie and the Blowfish is making a country album. He's saying it'll be too country for country radio... that's not too tough these days.

Crawfish Town USA

2007-09-06T03:07:00Z

Any chance Crawfish Town USA is going to open in Minnesota soon?

Garth Debuts at #1

2007-09-06T02:58:00Z

Good gravy... just when you thought he was done, here he comes back from beyond and debuts at #1. Does this harken back to an era of mediocre predictability on country radio? Er, wait...

Billy Joe Shaver Involved In Shooting Incident

2007-04-09T14:42:00Z

Looks like Billy Joe Shaver got himself into a spot of trouble. Apparently, he shot a man in the face during an altercation outside of a bar.