WELCOME TO DODGE CITY
The LACS + HARD TARGET = RACKET
COUNTY
COUNTY
I must confess, it
has been a rough time trying to get this RACKET COUNTY
music review done. I’ve been very busy with a plate full of hard
knocks served at the daily buffet lately. There’s been too much
RACKET going on around here: too many doctors, lawyers, businesses,
record labels, travel plans, meetings, musicians, artists, Snakes
In the Grass, bottom feeders, another hurricane, catfish, cheese
grits, politics, boiled peanuts, the Truth about Life On
The Road, and people always wanting something for nothing, or
wanting to take credit for absolutely nothing of their own. You know,
it’s called “my LIFE in the world of music”. But, I have had the
absolute best time listening to this CD and the local Radio
stations while dealing
with all of life’s mysteries! Every beat, every chord, every lyric,
every word of this entire album hits home for me. Welcome To Dodge
City, RACKET
COUNTY‘S title song and
second track on this CD, is the latest musical score from the
combined talents
of The LACS
and HARD TARGET.
These two awesome bands comprised
of Clay Sharpe and Brian King, of The LACS,
and members of the band,
HARD TARGET’s
Ryan Fleming, Dustin Bennett,
and Wes Breit formed
RATCHET COUNTY, and I am
here to say…I LOVE IT! The
14 song compilation is the absolute best combination and mix of
music, guitar riffs, words and lyrics that I have heard in quite a
long time. I expected a mix of rap, hick hop, and country, but I
never expected this! WELCOME TO DODGE CITY
is a musical masterpiece chocked
full of potential #1 hits on
several Billboard charts,
and
at least half or more of the 14 songs have top 10 Billboard
potential! This album is an
amazing blend of what RACKET COUNTY
has now coined as a
“DIRT ROCK” music/genre, instead of a hick hop country music mix
like with previous LACS
albums.
has been a rough time trying to get this RACKET COUNTY
music review done. I’ve been very busy with a plate full of hard
knocks served at the daily buffet lately. There’s been too much
RACKET going on around here: too many doctors, lawyers, businesses,
record labels, travel plans, meetings, musicians, artists, Snakes
In the Grass, bottom feeders, another hurricane, catfish, cheese
grits, politics, boiled peanuts, the Truth about Life On
The Road, and people always wanting something for nothing, or
wanting to take credit for absolutely nothing of their own. You know,
it’s called “my LIFE in the world of music”. But, I have had the
absolute best time listening to this CD and the local Radio
stations while dealing
with all of life’s mysteries! Every beat, every chord, every lyric,
every word of this entire album hits home for me. Welcome To Dodge
City, RACKET
COUNTY‘S title song and
second track on this CD, is the latest musical score from the
combined talents
of The LACS
and HARD TARGET.
These two awesome bands comprised
of Clay Sharpe and Brian King, of The LACS,
and members of the band,
HARD TARGET’s
Ryan Fleming, Dustin Bennett,
and Wes Breit formed
RATCHET COUNTY, and I am
here to say…I LOVE IT! The
14 song compilation is the absolute best combination and mix of
music, guitar riffs, words and lyrics that I have heard in quite a
long time. I expected a mix of rap, hick hop, and country, but I
never expected this! WELCOME TO DODGE CITY
is a musical masterpiece chocked
full of potential #1 hits on
several Billboard charts,
and
at least half or more of the 14 songs have top 10 Billboard
potential! This album is an
amazing blend of what RACKET COUNTY
has now coined as a
“DIRT ROCK” music/genre, instead of a hick hop country music mix
like with previous LACS
albums.
Back
around the turn of the century, two mudslingin’ rednecks from Baxley,
Georgia, aka Brian and Clay from The LACS,
were told by Nashville and others that their music would never
make it in the music world; that
their southern country rap songs did not “fit” into the country
music scheme of things. Being from Georgia myself I can tell you
this: Don’t
ever tell one of us that we can’t do something, because we will move
heaven and earth to prove you wrong and make it happen. It’s our way;
it’s the southern way. You learn that
hard work by the sweat of your brow with
perseverance and
determination will get you everywhere! We
know what it’s like to earn a dollar; to be true blue-collar. When
you‘re
from a small town and have big dreams, sometimes that is your only
way “out”, out of there and away from the norm, so you put
everything you’ve got into your dream. Many times you get short
changed signing your life
away, go
busted and
broke, get
lied to and
cheated on, and
all while singing your
songs on the road in every honkytonk or dive you can find. You
don’t do it for the money, you do it because you love it….WELCOME
TO DOGE CITY.
If any of us just starting out did it for the money, we would all be
doomed our first show. I am of the mind that The LACS
just found the yang to their ying when they combined their
talents with the southern
rock guitar riffs, rhythm, and melodies of HARD TARGET.
RACKET COUNTY
is the
perfect blend of several music genre’s all wrapped into one nice
package; adorned with a huge bow and a mason
jar of apple
pie moonshine for sweetness.
10,000,000 million viewers
and fans, along with Billboard Rap and Country Charts agree,
“Nowhere
took me somewhere!”.
around the turn of the century, two mudslingin’ rednecks from Baxley,
Georgia, aka Brian and Clay from The LACS,
were told by Nashville and others that their music would never
make it in the music world; that
their southern country rap songs did not “fit” into the country
music scheme of things. Being from Georgia myself I can tell you
this: Don’t
ever tell one of us that we can’t do something, because we will move
heaven and earth to prove you wrong and make it happen. It’s our way;
it’s the southern way. You learn that
hard work by the sweat of your brow with
perseverance and
determination will get you everywhere! We
know what it’s like to earn a dollar; to be true blue-collar. When
you‘re
from a small town and have big dreams, sometimes that is your only
way “out”, out of there and away from the norm, so you put
everything you’ve got into your dream. Many times you get short
changed signing your life
away, go
busted and
broke, get
lied to and
cheated on, and
all while singing your
songs on the road in every honkytonk or dive you can find. You
don’t do it for the money, you do it because you love it….WELCOME
TO DOGE CITY.
If any of us just starting out did it for the money, we would all be
doomed our first show. I am of the mind that The LACS
just found the yang to their ying when they combined their
talents with the southern
rock guitar riffs, rhythm, and melodies of HARD TARGET.
RACKET COUNTY
is the
perfect blend of several music genre’s all wrapped into one nice
package; adorned with a huge bow and a mason
jar of apple
pie moonshine for sweetness.
10,000,000 million viewers
and fans, along with Billboard Rap and Country Charts agree,
“Nowhere
took me somewhere!”.
This Is
Racket County, the first track
on the CD, opens with guitar
riffs reminiscent of Ozzie, and the scratchy record sounds from a
favorite DJ that meets up
with Kid Rock, creating not
only a wonderful surprise, but also the
perfect music blend introducing
and identifying the new
band as RACKET COUNTY.
Racket County, the first track
on the CD, opens with guitar
riffs reminiscent of Ozzie, and the scratchy record sounds from a
favorite DJ that meets up
with Kid Rock, creating not
only a wonderful surprise, but also the
perfect music blend introducing
and identifying the new
band as RACKET COUNTY.
Moonlight, the
third tract song, is one of my favorites! The opening
musical score reminds me of
James Taylor meeting
southern rock for a ride
on a moonlit country
dirt
road and howling at the
moon. It’s
another perfect blend of
music and lyrics created by
both bands! “Holla at
the Moonlight….”
and yes, I throw my hands in the air every time I hear this song!
Just sayin’….
third tract song, is one of my favorites! The opening
musical score reminds me of
James Taylor meeting
southern rock for a ride
on a moonlit country
dirt
road and howling at the
moon. It’s
another perfect blend of
music and lyrics created by
both bands! “Holla at
the Moonlight….”
and yes, I throw my hands in the air every time I hear this song!
Just sayin’….
And
just when I was getting used
to the “Dirt Rock-genre” the band and fans coined, I hear this
morsel of goodness! James Brown
is track number four and one of the funkiest, upbeat songs I have
heard in a long time! I love this song! It’s
a blend of 70’s
funky disco era-ish
with an
outlaw rap
twist.
With
lyrics like “Tonight
I’m gettin‘
down like James
Brown” addressing
social issues such as
politics, big government, blue collar worker views, morals, land of
the free, and down to
“lookin’ confused
like
Bruce Jenner in
the freeway”. Ha!
I had to laugh at that one! “Bow-wow
wow-wow wow-wow wow-wowwwww….”
just when I was getting used
to the “Dirt Rock-genre” the band and fans coined, I hear this
morsel of goodness! James Brown
is track number four and one of the funkiest, upbeat songs I have
heard in a long time! I love this song! It’s
a blend of 70’s
funky disco era-ish
with an
outlaw rap
twist.
With
lyrics like “Tonight
I’m gettin‘
down like James
Brown” addressing
social issues such as
politics, big government, blue collar worker views, morals, land of
the free, and down to
“lookin’ confused
like
Bruce Jenner in
the freeway”. Ha!
I had to laugh at that one! “Bow-wow
wow-wow wow-wow wow-wowwwww….”
Reminiscent
of a DJ Glow party and it’s hip-hop
rap
dance music, Nowhere,
the fifth track, hits home with
their new
“dirt rock” music. “Hell
I was born and
raised in
the middle of Nowhere”
Georgia myself, so
I can honestly say you learn that hard work and determination will
get you somewhere; anywhere and
out of there. You dream big
and you work hard to make those dreams come true. “Ain’t
nobody ever gave me shit”,
“you have to earn your
way in the world”, and
learn that sometimes being from Nowhere
Georgia will actually get you somewhere on this
road called
life. We don’t take too
kindly to crooked dealings and hinky people, and we dang sure don’t
talk just to hear ourselves speak. We may be nobodies from the
middle of Nowhere
Georgia, but “Nowhere
got us somewhere” by
being honest, good folk.
of a DJ Glow party and it’s hip-hop
rap
dance music, Nowhere,
the fifth track, hits home with
their new
“dirt rock” music. “Hell
I was born and
raised in
the middle of Nowhere”
Georgia myself, so
I can honestly say you learn that hard work and determination will
get you somewhere; anywhere and
out of there. You dream big
and you work hard to make those dreams come true. “Ain’t
nobody ever gave me shit”,
“you have to earn your
way in the world”, and
learn that sometimes being from Nowhere
Georgia will actually get you somewhere on this
road called
life. We don’t take too
kindly to crooked dealings and hinky people, and we dang sure don’t
talk just to hear ourselves speak. We may be nobodies from the
middle of Nowhere
Georgia, but “Nowhere
got us somewhere” by
being honest, good folk.
Sunday,
the sixth track of the album, is another favorite of mine as
they change music styles once again!
This song is more a Bob Marley raggae island
man meets a
redneck fisherman who can’t seem to hold a job down for his bad habit
of laying out of work and going fishing every Monday! A
funny and witty tale that transports me away from life’s reality. It
makes me want to sip on coconut juice or
an ice cold beer with my
toes planted in the sand on a beach or river sandbar somewhere. How
Sunday is
always spent at home, and
skipping work on Monday just
so you can
go fishing
seems about right for a country boy/girls‘s
paradise, don’t you think? I
think I feel a sickness coming on…..(cough, cough).
the sixth track of the album, is another favorite of mine as
they change music styles once again!
This song is more a Bob Marley raggae island
man meets a
redneck fisherman who can’t seem to hold a job down for his bad habit
of laying out of work and going fishing every Monday! A
funny and witty tale that transports me away from life’s reality. It
makes me want to sip on coconut juice or
an ice cold beer with my
toes planted in the sand on a beach or river sandbar somewhere. How
Sunday is
always spent at home, and
skipping work on Monday just
so you can
go fishing
seems about right for a country boy/girls‘s
paradise, don’t you think? I
think I feel a sickness coming on…..(cough, cough).
Radio,
track seven,
is the perfect song about
riding around and getting lost in nothing
but me and my own
thoughts. Climb
in the truck, ride around
with “got no
place to go so I turn
on the Radio….
set my
cruise on 75…. and
just ride”. Getting
lost with the Radio
on and getting
lost in your own
soul. Turn
the cell phone off,
crank the Radio up to
some “Bob Segar and
Night Moves”
but
zeroing in on the dial to some “They
call me the Breeze” and “Racket
County on the Radio”.
Gotta
forget the world, shut
it out, and
“hope to God nobody
finds
you”. The Radio
and driving is an escape from the real world and all of life’s
complex hard knocks.
It’s a time to think and breathe, to
be free; to be You. So go
ahead, crank it up and sing along! Get lost; just be You and take a
listen to Radio!
track seven,
is the perfect song about
riding around and getting lost in nothing
but me and my own
thoughts. Climb
in the truck, ride around
with “got no
place to go so I turn
on the Radio….
set my
cruise on 75…. and
just ride”. Getting
lost with the Radio
on and getting
lost in your own
soul. Turn
the cell phone off,
crank the Radio up to
some “Bob Segar and
Night Moves”
but
zeroing in on the dial to some “They
call me the Breeze” and “Racket
County on the Radio”.
Gotta
forget the world, shut
it out, and
“hope to God nobody
finds
you”. The Radio
and driving is an escape from the real world and all of life’s
complex hard knocks.
It’s a time to think and breathe, to
be free; to be You. So go
ahead, crank it up and sing along! Get lost; just be You and take a
listen to Radio!
Life On The
Road, track eight, is a song
about life on the road as a musician and artist. It’s
not a glamorous life chocked full of money and fame as most think,
but more a reality of hectic
schedules, demanding
managers, promoters, record labels, producers, timing,
booking,
rushing for this, rushing
around for that, every night
is a late night, lots of practice and hard work, miles and miles on a
bus with the same people day in and day out, venue after venue, and
show after show, the bus
tires roll. Roll away from family and loved ones, roll away into the
unknown, and roll on
to the next show, and on,
and on, and on, and on to
another show.
“That’s
Life On The Road”
every single day.
Road, track eight, is a song
about life on the road as a musician and artist. It’s
not a glamorous life chocked full of money and fame as most think,
but more a reality of hectic
schedules, demanding
managers, promoters, record labels, producers, timing,
booking,
rushing for this, rushing
around for that, every night
is a late night, lots of practice and hard work, miles and miles on a
bus with the same people day in and day out, venue after venue, and
show after show, the bus
tires roll. Roll away from family and loved ones, roll away into the
unknown, and roll on
to the next show, and on,
and on, and on, and on to
another show.
“That’s
Life On The Road”
every single day.
Track
nine, The Truth, is
another favorite with it’s opening intro! There’s
a lot of truth on the Radio
and in the songs
that actually make it to the
airwaves. Songs; good songs
and great songs come from the heart. They come from experience; they
come from deep in your soul. It is a way of expressing your feelings,
your hurts, your accomplishments, your
sorrows. If the song, your
truth that you have
personally lived through,
reaches out to
hit home with it’s mark and
tugs
on those heartstrings of
recognition with just one other
person‘s heart,
that is a
good song,
but to reach out to millions and strike that chord among
the masses? Well, I would
have to say The Truth
and RACKET COUNTY
won the prize on this one! I
even heard a banjo playing
with Johnny Cash and “Elvis
wearing
Blue Suede Shoes” mentioned.
I thought it
a funky hillbilly diddy,
kinda mixed
with southern “dirt rock”.
I really loved the music, the hooks, the references to Creedance,
Otis Redding,
Joe Walsh, Tina Turner and
Garth Brook’s. I loved it all…. and that’s The Truth!
nine, The Truth, is
another favorite with it’s opening intro! There’s
a lot of truth on the Radio
and in the songs
that actually make it to the
airwaves. Songs; good songs
and great songs come from the heart. They come from experience; they
come from deep in your soul. It is a way of expressing your feelings,
your hurts, your accomplishments, your
sorrows. If the song, your
truth that you have
personally lived through,
reaches out to
hit home with it’s mark and
tugs
on those heartstrings of
recognition with just one other
person‘s heart,
that is a
good song,
but to reach out to millions and strike that chord among
the masses? Well, I would
have to say The Truth
and RACKET COUNTY
won the prize on this one! I
even heard a banjo playing
with Johnny Cash and “Elvis
wearing
Blue Suede Shoes” mentioned.
I thought it
a funky hillbilly diddy,
kinda mixed
with southern “dirt rock”.
I really loved the music, the hooks, the references to Creedance,
Otis Redding,
Joe Walsh, Tina Turner and
Garth Brook’s. I loved it all…. and that’s The Truth!
I
am growing short on space so suffice it to say, the entire album is a
masterpiece! Nothing,
Snakes In The
Grass, Keep Walking,
DOA, and DOA-Mix,
track eleven through
fourteen, respectfully,
are all just as awesome as the
others on the CD. Through all the hard knocks and Snakes In
The Grass you encounter in this
business and in
daily life; you learn to
pick yourself up, hike your big girl/big boy britches up, and you
Keep Walking with
your head held high. Why?
Because
you did it, you did it your
way! You’re not DOA,
you‘re RACKET
COUNTY and you
did it the DIRT
ROCK way!
Congratulations guys, “the
middle of somewhere took y’all somewhere”! HUGS:)
am growing short on space so suffice it to say, the entire album is a
masterpiece! Nothing,
Snakes In The
Grass, Keep Walking,
DOA, and DOA-Mix,
track eleven through
fourteen, respectfully,
are all just as awesome as the
others on the CD. Through all the hard knocks and Snakes In
The Grass you encounter in this
business and in
daily life; you learn to
pick yourself up, hike your big girl/big boy britches up, and you
Keep Walking with
your head held high. Why?
Because
you did it, you did it your
way! You’re not DOA,
you‘re RACKET
COUNTY and you
did it the DIRT
ROCK way!
Congratulations guys, “the
middle of somewhere took y’all somewhere”! HUGS:)
Cc:
pdh/Penney Holley, Country
Music News International, 17 October 2016.
pdh/Penney Holley, Country
Music News International, 17 October 2016.
