Country Mike Blog

Stillwater, Cagle and more

Mike Sudhalter  |  February 23, 2008

Anybody who knows me realizes how hard I try to convert people into country music fans. It's a difficult task, especially if you're friends/relatives from New England. Sometimes, they see the light on their own or with the help of others.

I met my cousin and her fiance in San Francisco last Sunday, and we started talking about country music. He's an Oklahoma State graduate, so I asked him if he ever listened to Cross Canadian Ragweed. He tells me that he used to be friends with the members of CCR when he was in college and goes on to say, he also knew Jason Boland.

Then, my cousin tells me that she listens to some of the "Red Dirt" Country, but she won't go for the George Strait, Nashville Country stuff. I told her before I headed back to the valley, "It's nice to know you finally have some good music taste."

I was just listening to "That Ain't My Truck," by Rhett Akins, and it took me to another time and place. When I was in high school Spanish class, I tried to translate the lyrics into a spanish essay, with so-so results. I heard the acoustic, backporch version of the song on Akins' "Friday Night in Dixie." The Valdosta, Georgia native has some new songs on his online. Check them out because they sound pretty good - country, but also southern rock-driven.

Chris Cagle is touring, and he'll be in San Jose on Friday, but I'm going to have to miss it, previous engagements. But I love his new "My Life Is A Country Song" album. The title track is really good, because Cagle references lots of country hits from throughout the years. You also gotta like "What Kinda Gone" and "No Love Songs", both great tunes with nice beats and solid vocals.

Good to see that Jeff Bates is going to have a new album coming out in April. Bates achieved success with songs like "Long Slow Kisses" and "The Love Song." Hopefully, we'll here a lot more of this Mississippi native.