I'm a little bit country, I'm a little bit rock n roll

I was born in the mid 1970's and it wasn't until I was in the 5th grade that I found out that music other than country had been created between the years of 1974 and 1980.

My parents really love music and nearly every memory I have associated with childhood is accompanied by country music. Family vacations? Ray Stevens' "The Streak", or the Statler Brothers' "Flowers on the wall". Home? Anne Murray's greatest hits, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", "Rhinestone Cowboy", and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys". The first album I ever owned? Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits (along with Billy Joel's Uptown Girl, but we won't talk about that.).

As I got older and entered elementary school I of course found out there were other kinds of music, but it took me a while to discover that not everyone grew up listening to Waylon and Willie, Dolly, Johnny Cash, and the Statler Brothers. There are people in the world who've never heard of Ray Stevens, let alone know all the words to "Get Your Tongue Outta My Mouth 'Cause I'm Kissing You Goodbye!". I found out that other music was written, produced, and performed during the last six years of the 1970's. My father scoffed when I brought this up, telling me, "The only thing worth listening to from the 1970's is country music."

I disagreed. I found that I LOVE disco (sorry everyone, but I do.); Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" is one of my reasons for living. I discovered James Taylor and Carly Simon, Credence Clearwater Revival, and The Clash. I discovered Generation X and Queen, Bowie and the Eagles. I discovered that I loved early Elton John and everything from ABBA. It was a shock to the system, I realized that I could have opinions separate from my father's. As an act of rebellion I declared that I HATED country music.

For a few years I was a music snob. If it was top 40 I wouldn't listen to it (until Nirvana came along and made radio better for a while. I still miss you Kurt Cobain). I loved Depeche Mode with a complete and utter devotion, along with REM (when Michael Stipe had long curly hair and they were played on college radio exclusively), U2 and the like. I loved KROQ, a pretty famous alternative radio station in Southern California, and the moment when you could finally tune it in on our way to LA.

I made fun of Willie Nelson and told my father that everything about country sucked. He calmly replied, "It's ok, you'll come back." I assured him I would not. He also told me, "Some day, the music that you love now will be country." I was in the middle of my love affair with Sting and replied, "Sting will NEVER be country."

Flash forward a few years later and Sting's releasing some country songs. "It's fine! He's doing this IRONICALLY." I told myself. Flash forward a few more years and I'm just home from my mission. I turn on the radio to hear TOBY KEITH singing "I'm so Happy I Can't Stop Crying" and I know that, once again, my father is right. It would take me a few more years to admit this to him, however.

I then made some allowances for Country-like artists. I fell in love with a singer named Peter Breinholt (Peiter!) and bluegrass band called Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband while in college, but reasoned that they weren't REALLY country. I'd already fallen in love with Lyle Lovett and Chris Isaak, but could, once again, reasonably argue that they weren't, strictly speaking,country.

About 4 years ago I came back to the music of my childhood, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson first, Dolly next. I found a compilation of many of the songs I'd loved as a child. Every song enveloped me in warmth and sparked memories eliciting such strong emotions that I wondered why I'd turned my back on them for so long. Again, my father was right.

But I had a problem. Most of what is played on country stations is just NOT for me. I love Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw (other than the abominations that are "Indian Outlaw" and "Don't Take the Girl"), Josh Turner, and a few others, but I want to ram people with my car when I hear Toby Keith or Kenny Chesney. I still hate the maudlin and emotionally manipulative country ballads ("If this is Austin, I still love you" and "Alyssa Lies" are two excellent examples), and I just can't get behind those uber patriotic, chest beating anthems that are currently so popular. So, what's a girl to do? Turn to Alt country, that's what. I've been exploring this genre quite a bit and I like a lot of it. My current favorite, hands down are the Old 97's. They speak to my soul and make me want to dance in my seat as I drive to work.

Rhett Miller



the lead singer and resident dream boat of the band is my new unattainable love interest. I mean, how can I resist a man who sings lyrics like, "I believe in love, but it don't believe in me"; or wrote the most truly romantic, yet uncheesy love song I've ever heard "Question"; or makes me laugh out loud because of lines like "Do you wanna mess around? I mean deep down in your bones"; or melt because he's singing about a girl like me with "Big Brown Eyes". Yeah. Old 97's. They're GOOOOOOOOOOD.



And, like me, a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll.

Here's the song they wrote about me, 'cause I'm pretty: