Country-rock is commonly seen as the domain of the Red State Republican, with such luminaries as Bush-endorser Toby Keith producing flag-waving anthems which sing the praises of the Tough American such as Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American): "And you'll be sorry that you messed with The U.S. of A./Cause we'll put a boot in your ass - It's the American way."
It's also the American Way to question whether authority knows what it is doing.
Questioning Authority is the theme of Kakistocracy, a new liberal-oriented country-rock CD by The Spicewood Seven released by Austin Records. It's a yeoman effort, honestly performed with good production values. It may lack the polish of better-funded productions, but such polish would only dilute the angry populist message of Kakistocracy: We're being played for fools by fools - and we want to know why.
Are the Spicewood Seven seeking to turn things around all by themselves? No. "This song won't change the world" sings writer-producer and driving musical force Tommy Spurlock in "Prayer For The Living And The Dead," but the CD does ask a lot of overdue questions in 17 tracks.
"Did the White House tell a lie?" is one such question asked by the tune "Poor Boy."
Luke Powers - writing partner of Tommy Spurlock and singer of several of the tunes - is "a Perot independent sick of both parties" who feels that "everything is too big." He came up with Kakistocracy's concept thumbing through an old dictionary while drinking in a bar [something he no longer does].
What is Kakistocracy?
Kakistocracy is defined as "Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens." One could certainly make a strong case that the governance of America is now in the hands of such people. A lot of people, both here in America and all across the world have asked why this is so. How could we allow this to happen?
It's why David Herne sings America, What's Happened To You?: "America you're making me blue/I'm praying that you'll come around/nd find your way to higher ground."
The reason we need to be asking these questions is offered up in "Easy Answers": "You're living your life to the tune of someone else song/You bought the easy answer, easy answers to get along."
Where we are going and how we are getting there is a common topic of country songs, and Kakistocracy doesn't ignore them. Roads - another country music staple - are in ample evidence along with these two questions as the environment and objective of the GI fighting the War on Terror: "Going down the road to Baghdad might be the last trip I ever had." ["Going Down the Road to Baghdad"] and the reason that GI is fighting in Baghdad: "long as you're driving a car, don't tell me you're anti-war" ["Iraqi Soldier Blues"].
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