Zach Brown Band

I don't like country.  I also don't like to start with a qualifier, let alone a negative one.  It must be said, though, I don't like country.  I don't like everything about it.  I don't like pedal slide being jammed into every available breath.  I don't like guys to singing to me about ranchin' and honky tonkin'.  Unless you are old and ugly, I don't want to hear it.  Do you know how to drive a manual transmission with the gears on the column?  It's called 'three on the tree', and it sucks ass.  If you are driving a truck that has this, it likely doesn't have power steering.  Guess what, until you have driving one of these, you can't sing country.  So, shut the fuck up and wipe that cowboy hat off your face.

New country makes me even sicker.  I don't want to hear the working class blues from a guy who is rich and great looking.  That ain't the blues, brother.

Why did I start with that?  To say this:  I love Zach Brown Band.  Maybe I love them because it doesn't sound very country to me.  Maybe it is because the songs are incredibly well written.  Maybe it is because he NEVER wears a cowboy hat.  Maybe it is because live, he is closer to Dave Matthews Band than Toby Keith.  Maybe it is because his videos are brilliant.  Seriously, watch these.  Maybe it is because he covers Ray LaMontagne.  Maybe it is because he was discovered by Kid Rock.

I think it because who turned me on to him.  All my friends know I hate country.  I am militantly snobbish about the whole thing.  The thing is, all these people whose opinions I really respect kept telling me about this guy.

So, I listened to Chicken Fried.  That is his big hit.  God, what a cliched piece of shit that song is.  It is trite, and formulaic.  Sure, I sing along like crazy when it comes on... but I resent myself for it.  See, I told you I was an insufferable snob.  It reminds of me the loathesome Gretchen whatherface that everyone thought was such a bad ass.   So, it didn't start well.  I tried one more song, because I am a nice guy.  I found this and it changed everything.  Dig it!