[Kylan's Blog] CSOTW

During my undergraduate years, I really learned to appreciate country music. My roommate Weston and I became western aficionados, you might say, and we began publishing a list called the Country Song of the Week (CSOTW) on an early version of Dupyshon.com.  This went on for over a year, and we celebrated our first anniversary with a big top ten countdown party (we called it the "Big Bash"). Here's the complete list of country songs of the week, as well as a few details about awards from the Big Bash.

Date    Song    Artist
August 31, 2006    My Kind of Music    Ray Scott
August 24, 2006    How 'Bout You    Eric Church
August 17, 2006    Yee Haw    Jake Owen
August 10, 2006    I Don't Know What She Said    Blaine Larsen
August 3, 2006    A Little Too Late    Toby Keith
July 27, 2006    When It Rains    Eli Young Band
July 20, 2006    Nothin' But a Love Thang    Darryl Worley
July 13, 2006    Whever You Are    Jack Ingram
July 6, 2006    Brand New Girlfriend    Steve Holy
June 29, 2006    Real Good Man    Tim McGraw
June 22, 2006    Backwards    Rascal Flatts
June 15, 2006    Favorite State of Mind    Josh Gracin
June 8, 2006    Good Little Girls    Blue County
June 1, 2006    Yes!    Chad Brock
May 25, 2006    (This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing    Trace Adkins
May 18, 2006    Size Matters (Someday)    Joe Nichols
May 11, 2006    The World    Brad Paisley
May 4, 2006    Summertime    Kenny Chesney
April 27, 2006    Hillbillies    Hot Apple Pie
April 20, 2006    Get Drunk and Be Somebody    Toby Keith
April 13, 2006    Down on the Farm    Tim McGraw
April 6, 2006    Comin' to Your City    Big and Rich

Date    Song    Artist
March 30, 2006    You're Like Coming Home    Lonestar
March 23, 2006    She Don't Tell Me To    Montgomery Gentry
March 16, 2006    Drunker Than Me    Trent Tomlinson
March 9, 2006    Ain't Nothing 'Bout You    Brooks and Dunn
March 2, 2006    Mrs. Steven Rudy    Mark McGuinn
February 23, 2006    Celebrity    Brad Paisley
February 16, 2006    Good to Go to Mexico    Toby Keith
February 9, 2006    Nobody But Me    Blake Shelton
February 2, 2006    Good Ride Cowboy    Garth Brooks
January 26, 2006    Me Neither    Brad Paisley
January 19, 2006    Honky Tonk Badonkadonk    Trace Adkins
January 12, 2006    I Got a Feelin'    Billy Currington
January 5, 2006    I Should Be Sleeping    Emerson Drive
December 29, 2005    It's a Great Day to Be Alive    Travis Tritt
December 22, 2005    Best I Ever Had    Gary Allan
December 15, 2005    Dream Big    Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband
December 8, 2005    Everything I Want    Jace Everett
December 1, 2005    Nineteen Somethin'    Mark Wills
November 24, 2005    Friends in Low Places    Garth Brooks
November 17, 2005    Watch the Wind Blow By    Tim McGraw
November 10, 2005    Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off    Joe Nichols
November 3, 2005    Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right    Billy Currington
October 27, 2005    99.9% Sure (I've Never Been Here Before)    Brian McComas
October 20, 2005    Prayin' for Daylight    Rascal Flatts
October 13, 2005    Awful Beautiful Life    Darryl Worley
October 6, 2005    God Blessed Texas    Little Texas
September 29, 2005    That's What I Love About Sunday    Craig Morgan
September 22, 2005    Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)    John Michael Montgomery
September 15, 2005    So So Long    Dierks Bentley
September 8, 2005    Hicktown    Jason Aldean
September 1, 2005    Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On    Neal McCoy
August 25, 2005    Something to Be Proud Of    Montgomery Gentry
August 18, 2005    Pickup Man    Joe Diffie
August 11, 2005    Summertime Blues    Alan Jackson
August 4, 2005    Some Beach    Blake Shelton
July 28, 2005    Nothing On but the Radio    Gary Allan
July 21, 2005    Baby Girl    Sugarland
July 14, 2005    I'll Take That As A Yes    Phil Vassar
July 7, 2005    Arlington    Trace Adkins
June 30, 2005    Boot Scootin' Boogie    Brooks and Dunn
June 23, 2005    Five O'Clock Somewhere    Alan Jackson
June 16, 2005    How Am I Doin'    Dierks Bentley
June 9, 2005    When the Sun Goes Down    Kenny Chesney
June 2, 2005    Chicks Dig It    Chris Cagle
May 26, 2005    Pickin' Wildflowers    Keith Anderson
May 19, 2005    Big Time    Big and Rich
May 12, 2005    Somethin' Like That    Tim McGraw
May 5, 2005    Stays in Mexico    Toby Keith
April 28, 2005    Nothin' to Lose    Josh Gracin
April 21, 2005    I Don't Have to Be Me ('Til Monday)    Steve Azar
April 14, 2005    What's a Guy Gotta Do    Joe Nichols
April 7, 2005    Gone    Montgomery Gentry

The Top Ten Country Songs of 2005/06
1. Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On - Neal McCoy
This song by the talented Texapino has it all. It has great lyics, it's fun to dance to, has a strong beat, and a phenomenal ending. Not much more to say than that, except that it is truly deserving of CSOTW's highest honor. Don't believe us? Then you obviously have never heard it before.
2. So So Long - Dierks Bentley
We had a chance to see Dierks Bentley in concert this year, and boy was it a treat. He is a great performer, and sounds every bit as good live as he does on his albums. Dierks has a perfect voice for singing country, and he sings catchy songs which get stuck in your head and stay there for days. His sound is a bit more traditional than some of the Alt-Country artists we've been hearing lately, so there's a good chance that his music will stand the test of time and still sound good decades from now. "So So Long" was the encore tune that Dierks played when he was in Pullman, and we knew it was a good song from the first chord.
3. Honkeytonk Badonkadonk - Trace Adkins
Has there ever been a country song with more attitude? We are hard-pressed to think of one. Trace's relationship to the Country Song of the Week list is quite interesting. It all started over the summer, when Trace first heard about the list. He recognized the value and prestige of the list, and called his agent. "Why haven't I been listed on the CSOTW yet!? I think I am definitely qualified for such an honor. Maybe you haven't been doing your job very well. Do I have to fire you?" Now, Trace is a very good country artist, but Weston and I just hadn't been exposed to his music very much. He ended up firing his agent and publicist for not getting him enough attention, and began to handle all of his scheduling and advertising by himself. (Currently, he is the only major country star who manages himself.) At the top of Trace's To Do List: get on the CSOTW. He immediately booked a flight to Woodland, Oregon to talk to Christine Baker. (He had to buy new tickets when he found out that Woodland is technically in Washington, but his mistake is quite understandable). Anyway, Trace really wanted to talk to Kylan or Weston, but he figured that they were too busy making important decisions. He was a little intimidated because he had heard so many great things about us. Trace figured that he could tell Christine that he wanted to be on the list, and she could relay the message to us. It was nearly the Fourth of July, and he decided that his new patriotic song, Arlington, was his best shot. Trace went to the country club where Christine was working and gave her his autograph along with his request. Then Christine told Weston and I that he wanted to be on the CSOTW. We were impressed by both Trace's persistence and musicianship, so we agreed to give him the July 7th spot. When he came out with Honkeytonk Badonkadonk later this year, we were very excited. Here are our favorite parts of this song: "Slap your grandma," "like Donkey Kong," and "you hate to see her go but love to watch her leave."
4. Pickin' Wildflowers - Keith Anderson
This song is the definition of B.A. The best moment is at the end of the first verse, with the "Uh-ha-haw." Utilizing the Jew's harp was definitely a good choice. What cha' say we go pickin' wildflowers? You and me, baby.
5. What's a Guy Gotta Do - Joe Nichols
Artichoke hearts, Super Walmarts, and pretty girls with shopping carts make this a very, very good song. It's hard to sing the whole chorus in one breath (just try it sometime). This song makes the top ten because Joe Nichols is such a protagonist. By the end of the song you're really rooting for him to get a girl.
6. Something Like That - Tim McGraw
This guy just came out with a Greatest Hits album, and he has lots of material that would qualify as a "greatest hit." Tim McGraw is very well-respected in the country world, so we couldn't resist putting him on this list. "Something Like That" tells a good story about barbeque stains, mini skirts, Labor Day weekends, and New Orleans. Very American.
7. Gone - Montgomery Gentry
This is the one that started it all. "Gone" was the first ever CSOTW, and for good reason. It has a good dose of bad attitude and a real country-flavored theme. The chorus is the best part, though. What other songs talk about freight trains and the Civil War? What other songs include an onomatopoetic "Bang! Bang!"?
8. 99.9% Sure (I've Never Been Here Before) - Brian McComas
Another young artist, Brian sings this song with good energy and a clear voice. Truly a great song to dance to. The fast-paced lyrics make the it fun, reminiscant of Josh Gracin's "Nothin' to Lose" or "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" by John Michael Montgomery. Personally, I am a big fan of the banjo work of Leigh Reynolds in the background.
9. Me Neither - Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley has a way with lyrics... this song is hilarious. How can a guy get shut down so many times in the same conversation? This is a fast song with a good beat, and the guitar solo is quite impressive. Very fun.
10. Hicktown - Jason Aldean
Jason is a young, emerging country artist with a bright future. This song is his best so far, and it was selected primarily because it reminds us of Pullman, WA. Yes, Jason, we do like the way that sounds. And we know you ain't finished yet.

The CSOTW Artist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
The CSOTW Rookie of the Year
Jace Everett
The CSOTW Brokeback Artist of the Year
Cowboy Troy

Rachael's Predictions:
1. So So Long - Dierks Bentley
2. Some Beach - Blake Shelton
3. Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On - Neal McCoy
4. Nothin' to Lose - Josh Gracin
Christine's Predictions:
1. So So Long - Dierks Bentley
2. Honkeytonk Badonkadonk - Trace Adkins
3. Stays in Mexico - Toby Keith
4. Billy's Got His Beer Goggles One - Neal McCoy