You hate to admit this

Hands up those who listen to country music!

There is a stigma attached to the admission isn't there?

Some think it's alright if it's a laugh, like, "oh, yeah, dolly parton's great, she made a comeback with the song from Transamerica." or "haha, achy breaky heart was such a fun song! What ever happened to billy ray cyrus?"

Even americans don't readily admit to liking country. people who like country in singapore are probably those into line-dancing. folks in their 50s and 60s, wearing jeans, stetsons, huge ass buckles, preppy shirts and scarfs tied around their necks. dancing every weekend or weeknights in their local community halls, at far east square and wearing a constant happy grin like line dancing is the way to eternal happiness.

So anyway, people do not readily admit to liking country music.

But these days, with shania twain and dixie chicks and so many "neo-western" singers, the line between pop and country isn't as distinct anymore. sure, you probably won't have songs with weird titles, which is a trademark of country music eg. Man, I feel like a woman and All the guys that turn me on turn me down...He Went To Sleep and The Hogs Ate Him (Now Claude's Gone Forever) <- what the fuck?

And then there is Ryan Adams. Alt-country or whatever way you wanna classify him.

And it so happened that on Saturday night after Concave Scream's gig, I met a friend whom I haven't met for some time. Knew her since 2000 through the queerest of ways. Won't elaborate here, yet. So we were catching up in between copthorne and zouk on the pavement along the road. She tried to tell me to catch elizabethtown when it was showing, quite sure that I would like the soundtrack at least. But it was during a rather hectic period of time so I couldn't really find the time.

Ryan Adams pop into our conversation and we both agreed that to admit a liking for country music is not a good way of being "hip and happening".

Ok, so I like Ryan Adams and he is country. There, I said it. Now give me my stetsons partner, and ride with me into the sunset. yee ha!