Toby Keith

Top 10 Black Pop Stars Who Should Go Country

With the nation's major-party political conventions recently drawing to a close with a rousing reelection appeal from the nation's first black president, it seems fitting to cast a spotlight on an equally rare profession: the black country music artist. Or, rather, the former black pop star seeking ... More >>

America's Petro-Terrorists: How Speculators Drove Up Oil Prices

With the nation's major-party political conventions recently drawing to a close with a rousing reelection appeal from the nation's first black president, it seems fitting to cast a spotlight on an equally rare profession: the black country music artist. Or, rather, the former black pop star seeking ... More >>

Fourth of July: Five Excellent Pro-America Songs to Soundtrack Your Party Today

Happy Fourth, everybody! As we all know, patriotism in this fine land of ours often sounds frickin' terrible when presented in song form. But feeling happy to be American doesn't -- we repeat, doesn't -- have to involve Toby Keith. Or Keith Urban. Or, well, anyone named Keith actually. Here then, ar ... More >>

Willie Nelson Says Pot Saved His Life

Willie Nelson, king hippie of country music and walking THC repository, was recently asked a question about legalizing marijuana. And guess what? He's for it. The fact that ol' Willie thinks weed oughta be legal and taxed is about as surprising as hearing that Ted Nugent acquired his dinner with a ... More >>

Live Review, 4/27/12: Miranda Lambert Is a No-B.S. American Great

Miranda LambertChris YoungJerrod NiemanFriday, April 27, 2012Shoreline AmpitheatreBetter than: Every other currently touring Nashville hitmaker, for reasons gone into below. The short version: Blake Shelton showed up. The Pistol Annies did five songs. Lambert's band actually rocked when it tried to ... More >>

Fucked Up vs. Katy Perry: The Top Five Most Offensive Videos That Glamorize War

Fucked Up's gloriously unhinged frontman Damian "Pink Eyes" Abraham got all righteous on Katy Perry's ass this week after apparently viewing the video for her "Part of Me" single. First he Tweeted: "Seeing Katy Perry as a soldier in the video for 'Part of Me' really makes me think that we need to st ... More >>

The Annotated Robert Christgau: A Public Service

Seriously, the b-side was called "I Killed Christgau With My Big Fucking Dick."​Robert Christgau has long been held as the dean of rock criticism and perhaps the discipline's greatest practitioner. He listens widely, with an open mind, and has over his 40 years in the business been bang-on righ ... More >>

Saturday at Hardly Strictly: Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson Become the Great HSB Unifiers

Merle Haggard & Kris Kristofferson A.A. Bondy Robyn Hitchcock Hugh Laurie October 1, 2011 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Better than: Seeing Neil Young after he released Greendale, that's for sure. A man dressed in an official Hardly Strictly shirt walks out to say that the biggest set of the day will ... More >>

Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney: Bullshit & Transcendence in This Week's Top Country Singles

Thing Toby Keith has never said: "Nah, man, that might be a little much."​On occasion, All Shook Down gives a listen to the music that is to real America what brine is to a cucumber. This is one of those occasions. Toby Keith, "Made in America" Chart Position: No. 5 Verdict: Fantastic, but ... More >>

Billy Ray Cyrus' 9/11 Album: The Tragedy America Forgot

​Unlike his rash colleagues Alan Jackson and Toby Keith, Billy Ray Cyrus passed a full decade in contemplation before sharing with the world art wrung from his feelings about life in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001. Unleashed this June, the resulting disc, I'm American, should clear ... More >>

On the Unifying Power of Angry 9/11 Songs: "It's Like Attending a Memorial"

Toby Keith at Shoreline last month.​ It's a scene that's played out innumerable times since 2002 -- and with the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 here, it will now be executed with even more patriotic fervor and bicep-flexing machismo. Behold, a Stetson-wearing, sleeveless Toby Keith, his American ... More >>

Toby Keith at Shoreline Ampitheatre: The Sound of America Hulking Out

​Toby Keith Eric Church Shoreline Ampitheatre August 5, 2011 "Never apologize for being patriotic!" Toby Keith calls as he gladhands soldiers in full desert camo, as his pyrotechnicians light up the sky, as tens of thousands stomp and holler, hoisting their beers and waving teensy American flags ... More >>

The Band Perry and Ashton Shepherd: In Today's Country, Women Roar While the Menfolk Whimper

The Band Perry, apparently on the set of the "Losing My Religion" video.​ You don't have to see the numbers to get that country radio skews female these days. The hatted hunks who a generation back might have had ramblin' fever now sing of sunny-forever fidelity that would be right at home o ... More >>

What Do Police Do With Massive Ford F-250 Pickup Trucks?

Are you gonna go my way?​Like many San Franciscans, your humble narrator has often wondered just what need the San Francisco Police Department has for massive pickup trucks of the sort one would expect to see in a North Dakota rock quarry or Toby Keith video. After noticing the truck in this snaps ... More >>

Top 10 Country Records of 2008

By Michael McCall Photo by Michael Alan GoldbergTwo young blondes with toothy smiles and hard-core work ethics, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, helped country expand its fan base in these years of shrinking music sales. Meanwhile, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGra ... More >>

Hitsville: The Year in Music, by the Numbers

By Randall Roberts You don't need a half-wit music critic to tell you it's been a remarkable year for America, one historians will be discussing and researching for centuries to come. War, financial collapse, politics, technology: All have been dinner-table topics for many Americans. Racial barrier ... More >>

TiVo Alert: Dysfunctional Family Re-Opens Fancy-Schmancy Restaurant

By Meredith Brody You may have noticed that there's precious little new stuff to watch during the holidays - a period which The New York Times describes as "a profound holiday slumber of repeats and musical specials." But we can't even find any musical specials, and are reduced to re-watching A Co ... More >>

Examiner on Newsom: Turkey Wraps, Shiny Suits and Toby Keith

By Meredith Brody You may have noticed that there's precious little new stuff to watch during the holidays - a period which The New York Times describes as "a profound holiday slumber of repeats and musical specials." But we can't even find any musical specials, and are reduced to re-watching A Co ... More >>

Silver Jews

Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)

The DEWmocracy Campaign's 10 Most Moronic Elements

Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)

Red Meat

We Never Close (Rancho Records)

It Was a Year Of ...

Well, lots of things, actually

Radical Chick

You can't tell Natalie Maines to Shut Up & Sing

Fool's gold found in a martini glass

You can't tell Natalie Maines to Shut Up & Sing

A Star Is Born

Strange things happen when actors sing

Split Decision

Republicans want to break up "the 9th Circus," the San Francisco-based liberal federal appeals court. Whose side are you on?

Hear This

Republicans want to break up "the 9th Circus," the San Francisco-based liberal federal appeals court. Whose side are you on?

2003: Year of the Wonka Record

For the year's 10 best records, go somewhere else. For the year's 10 best "Wonka Records," you've come to the right place.

Willie and Family/Willie Nelson & Friends

Live/Honeysuckle Rose/San Antonio Rose (Sony Legacy) / Run That By Me One More Time/Stars & Guitars/Live and Kickin' (Lost Highway)

Hammer of the Gods

With a handful of artists, "classic rock" is not

a pejorative

War on War Songs

Iraq and roll don't go together well when rockers protest

Hear This

The many moods of country icon Willie Nelson

Night + Day

The many moods of country icon Willie Nelson