Snobbin: Beautiful Trash in the Pop Culture Gutter

6. Baroness - Purple (Abraxan Hymns)   Savannah, Georgia's Baroness returns with another intricate record that relies less on experimentation and focuses more  on tuneful songwriting than most of their earlier catalog. Their two guitar attack is clean and tuneful, and John Baizley's vocals hit a sweet spot between hardcore growler and 90s indie singer. Equal parts metal, indie rock, prog, and (dare I say it) hard rock, are all present in an inventive mix. "Shock Me" stands out with its tight drumming, clean guitars, and tasty phasers. The brilliant guitar solos and innovative arrangements are proof that Baroness is getting more interesting and dynamic with each new release. While they are rooted in metal, they continually push the boundaries of the genre, bringing in disparate elements from all over the musical landscape.  Purple relies more heavily on melody and  power, and Baroness effortlessly mixes its influences to create the last heavy musical hom...

Growing up in a small Wisconsin town, I developed an early aversion to country music bars. My aunt owns a cool bar now, but it is still in the part of Wisconsin that caters to a clientele that likes "both kinds of music -- Country and Western." Dan Aykroyd in his sagelike wisdom pointed this anomaly out in Blues Brothers. No one ever threw bottles at me, but they played a hell of a lot of Garth Brooks. So I guess many of those bars are County radio bars, but not the kind that play old school honkytonk, the kind that play Country with a drum machine. Sitting in one of these bars, I commend them on sticking with the country theme. Personally,  I would rather drink my beer at a bar that plays real honkytonk. I'd take some Johnny Horton or Slim Whitman. Or give me some outlaw country. Ol' Waylon or Billy Joe Shaver would go down smoothly right now. I could kill for some Jason Isbell or John Moreland to be honest. I raise my glass to the real country heroes. I'm head...