• It seems that it’s New York Times day at Ranch Twang; the paper features a nice write up on legendary singer/songwriter John Hiatt whom they talked to just before he shared the stage with Lyle Lovett in Greenville, South Carolina.

• Is McCain supporter John Rich, the shorter, and more homophobic half of Country Music comedy duo Big and Rich, a badass? Maybe. TMZ (THE source of celebrity trash) reports that Rich “hit a guy in the face shortly after 4 a.m. Friday (Oct. 17) at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif. The guy was Jerry Montano, who previously played bass in the metal band Danzig and, more recently, with another metal band, Hellyeah. According to the TMZ report, some sort of disagreement led to Rich allegedly hitting Montano in the nose with a beer bottle.” Wow. If only Rich’s compositions lived up to his off stage hell raising antics.I wonder if he messed up his big fur coat?

• Men’s Health magazine seems to think that country music is one of the “13 Things a Man Should Never Fear.” Really? The magazine says of country music”Your snobbery betrays ignorance. Some of the greatest songs in the North American canon have come out of this genre. Also, if you think you have problems, just listen to some Merle Haggard. You’ll feel a lot better.” and lists it with hot tea, yoga and allowing the lady in your life to drive. Wierd. It’s like they meant to put John Mayer or James Blunt and ended up putting in Merle Haggard. So ‘cmon guys kick back in your aromotherapy bath with that cup of Darjeeling (spiked with whiskey, natch) and crank on Mama Tried.

I remember the comedian Chris Rock on a cable filmed stand-up special saying something like what is the world coming to when the top  rapper in the world is white (Eminem) and the top golfer in the world is black (Tiger Woods)?

I felt sort of like that the other night when Sen. Barack Obama’s historic speech at Mile High Stadium was capped off by  ”Only in America” by the NashVegas version of Hall and Oates, Brooks & Dunn. This is the same song George Bush used at the Republican Convention last election. One half of the duo, Ronnie Dunn is a staunch Republican but the song’s co-writer, Don Cook, is a founder of the Music Row Democrats so I guess it’s a Nashville pop-country equivalent of bi-partisanship.

Here’s a note to the DNC and Democratic candidates everywhere, there are great artists that make country music that actually LIKE you and stand for at least some of what you advocate. Ever hear of Steve Earle or the Dixie Chicks?

If that wasn’t enough I read that Mr.”Boot in the ass” Toby Keith has thrown his support behind Obama (though it seems it’s only because Obama is able to act white.) Keith states that he’s a life-long Democrat but he appears to be more like the right-wing Dixie-crats I remember when I was growing up in Dallas. Mr. Keith apparently gets peeved when people accuse him of being a GOP fan. I wonder where they might have gotten that idea?!

Thank goodness there’s some things you can still count on with Nashville pop-country music and uased as a backdrop for patiotic symbolism- John Rich. the shorter half of the insipid duo Big and Rich, and raging homophobic weasel, penned a love song to John McCain cleverly entitled “Raisin’ McCain,” The song will be featured at the GOP convention and it predictably sucks.

Toby Keith’s Pro-Obama Anthem (a parody)

• One of the original alt.country bands (they appeared on the cover of No Depression’s second issue), Blue Mountain, are back together after trials and tribulations and have just released their sixth studio album “Midnight in Mississippi” (Produced by Grammy winner Stuart Sikes) along with a re-recorded greatest hits album, “Omnibus.” I saw these guys for the first time about two years ago in Nashville and they are great live.
• It seems that Toby Keith is an Barack Obama fan and John Rich can hear Johnny Cash’s vioce from the grave (if that were rues I’m sure The Man In Black would have adviced Rich not to release his dreadful love song to John McCain. Not because it supports a Republican, but because it, well, sucks.
• The good folks over at the 9513 think the new George Jone’s release of duets “George Jones - Burn Your Playhouse Down: The Unreleased Duets” doesn’t live up the the Possum’s legacy.
• Pitchfork.com has a Q&A with David Berman of the band the Silver Jews.