Censorious Country

Once again, censorship of music is rearing its ugly head. It's been going on for some time now, but this latest example managed to make the news, for once. Country music radio has seemingly always pandered the lowest common denominator in listeners and here we have a case of them having to cave in to the wishes of a vocal few where the band Little Big Town's latest song, Girl Crush, is concerned.
   Those of use who listen to country music have seen this going on for years, now. Radio stations blank out a word, or repeat a phrase on a recording (as with the Zac Brown Band's "Toes") or just flat out refuse to play award winning music because they are pandering to a few vocal listeners who threaten them with leaving. Let 'em leave, I say. Every DJ out there should be required by management to tell these fools to not let the door hit them in the ass on the way out. The demographics of country music listeners has changed dramatically over the years. No longer should stations be playing to the whims of 60 and 70 year old listeners, (unless you have a country oldies station or segment specifically geared towards the geezer crowd). Many of today's listeners are much younger, well below 40, and the artists are gearing their music music to a much younger demo. Just look at the likes of Eric Church, Luke Bryan and the other young artists.
   Here in Central Indiana you would be hard pressed to find a station that has played Kacey Musgraves' "Follow Your Arrow" or her new song "Biscuits". Requests for the songs go unheeded and commentary about their refusal to play goes unanswered. Even the largest stations, like WFMS, NASH FM and the others, play the censorship game, much to the detriment of the artists and the listening fans. It's a sad day when the listening public is fed only "approved" music. We are left with the Top 40, pop inspired, insipid music that has no real country soul to it. There was a time when country liked it's music with a bit of edge. But now they'd rather not offend the bigoted few out there. What a sad commentary on the state of country music.

It's no o wonder so many people are moving from terrestrial radio to satellite and streaming. The radio stations are going out of their way to alienate fans with their idiotic censorship of music. If they wish to survive in the coming years they really need to up their games and embrace freedom to listen. In the meantime here at UnCivil Defence we'll play what we like.

A Musical Interlude

Here's a little something to take your minds off of the election day sadness. Music from a time when they actually made really good videos to go along with it.

A Heavy Metal Anniversary

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the birth of Heavy Metal. I must say that I have certainly listened to more than my fair share of that head banging goodness (and badness) that sprang from the Black Sabbath's birth. It certainly helped get me through the late 70's when there was a drought of decent music and I still manage to get in a listen now and again, even this late. Happy Birthday to Ozzy and the boys!

It began with a clap of thunder and a tolling bell. Then, as a heavily distorted guitar played a diminished fifth — a tone sequence once banned by the Roman Catholic Church for being the “Devil’s interval” — a male voice started to wail as if from the grave. A few bars later the drums came in, and the resulting din was loud enough to make it seem as if Earth was coming apart at the seams.

The date was February 13, 1970 — 40 years ago today — and the album Black Sabbath, by the band of the same name, had just been released. It gave birth not only to heavy metal, but also to a new kind of dance move for the working-class male: headbanging.

Here's to 40 more years of music. Good and bad.

The Mistress And The Master

Closing your eyes is advisable some days. Here's a piece of ballad metal goodness from Lita and Ozzy.



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Ozzy, Lita Ford, Music

He's Left The Building

In all the political hoorah and angst that's been in the news lately it completely escaped my notice till now that one of the great poets and punk artists of the 20th century has died. Jim Carroll is dead and the world is a worse place for the loss. It's sad that it didn't make headlines, the way some politicians did.


Goodbye, Jim. Thanks for the tunes.

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Jim Carroll, Music