Battle Of The Bangers: Blackberry Smoke vs. Cross Canadian Ragweed [VOTE]

Week 5 - Battle Of The Bangers

There's a plethora of music being released every single day. As a radio station, we can't play them all. I've put together a collection of some of my favorite tunes that either haven't made it, haven't been discovered, or simply haven't been heard. There may be artists you know, superstars you love, or names you've never heard of. I'll provide some backstory on the artist and my personal favorite lyrics from the song. You decide which one is the banger of the bunch to move on to next week's battle. Holding strong and then some, the week four winner is Blackberry Smoke's "Good One Comin' On". At this point, they seem unstoppable, so I thought I'd pull out another one of my favorite B-sides from another group that got their "come-up" from underground appreciation and fans, Cross Canadian Ragweed.

Blackberry Smoke - Good One Comin' On

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Blackberry Smoke is the epitome of modern southern rock twisted up with country storytelling. They are the first independent group to ever reach number one on the Billboard country albums chart in modern history.  I discovered the song "Good One Comin' On" while I was working in radio in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I did intros at a local weekend rodeo in Van Wert, Ohio. I would caravan a group of my girlfriends along with me, and this was our theme song for the rodeo ride to Ohio. It's the perfect toe-tapping, road tripping, good time song.

Lori's Favorite Lyrics:

"Throw in Ray Wylie Hubbard
Sing along to "Redneck Mother"
Any blues I had before are gone
Another workin' week is over
No chance of stayin' sober
I can feel a good one comin' on"

 

Cross Canadian Ragweed - My Chances

Most people say they're not country, but I assure you, their songwriting most certainly is. In fact, the Oklahoma-born band is known for their alternative country and actually has nothing to do with Canada. Their name comes from an interesting combination of the band members' names, which you can look into on their website. The group found its rise with five studio albums and three live albums, released between 1994 and 2010, but not because radio was spinning their records non-stop. Any celebrity status this group has is due to their fans and their rise on what's known as the red dirt music scene. Lead singer-songwriter Cody Canada is an excellent lyricist, which is what drew me into one of the few sappy ballads in their discography, and this week's banger.

Lori's Favorite Lyrics:

"I wish the fog would burn up in the sun
And let the light show me the way
Flip a quarter, watch it hit the ground
And leave it all up to fate

I'm lookin' for the answer
Sittin' right in front of me
Am i not ready to take my chances
Or have my chances overtaken me"