'Merica Notes

On Sunday, at approximately 11:30AM; at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX- a shooting left at least 26 people dead. As innocent Christians, Texans, were gathering to attend their usual 11:30 church service that Sunday; a man named Devin Kelley opened fire on the church-goers. Kelley was an avowed atheist, and a former Airman who was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force some years back under two counts of domestic abuse and disorderly conduct. Sutherland Springs is a small town with a population of only 400, just southeast of San Antonio. Several of these victims were children. The pastor’s wife, Karla Holcombe; their son, Marc Holcombe, 36; and his 1-year-old daughter, Noah, also died.   This happens just a day after the supposed November 4th "Antifa Revolution". Maybe its just a coincidence that Kelley just so happened to be targeting "christian conservatives", and had a history of threatening Christians online as well as his Christian family ...

The Beatles have remained one of the most influential bands in music history, if not the most influential. I've had songs by the Beatles before on here, but I never really much went in depth about the band or any of their songs and albums. Their music ranges from hard classic rock to psychedelic and trippy drug-inspired tunes that made up a majority of the Beatles latter years together as a band. But what really sets the Beatles apart from other 60s rock groups was their showmanship. Before Elton John and Lady Gaga's outrageous costumes, there was the Beatles. Yet, this wasn't a bunch of old junk strapped together to form a poncho found in a trash can, this was attire a lot of 60s Beatles fans recognized as their signature style. Most famously employed in the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", the Beatles donned their signature bright and vibrant hippie apparel and still somehow managed to make music that most of us who don't take drugs could c...

It's been confirmed, the Houston Astros are officially going to the World Series! In honor of the Astros, Houston, and our decisive victory over the New York Yankees- I want to do songs and artists from my great hometown of Houston, Texas! And in case you didn't know, there are a LOT of artists from Houston. Beyonce, Robert Earl Keen, Kenny Rogers, ZZ Top, and Chamillionaire just to name a few. So to honor the Houston Astros going to the World Series, with their 4-0 victory over the Yankees, this week will be all about Houston and Houston-based artists. Here at MericaNotes, we don't talk to Dodgers fans. #LetsGoAstros ZZ Top   First off, I already love ZZ Top. The fact that bassist and lead vocalist Billy Gibbons is from here is even more so a reason to listen to the Texas Rock band. ZZ Top has the ability to still keep performing as well as they did in the 80s. Everybody loved the 80s; we had Nolan Ryan, Ronald Reagan, MTV, and ZZ Top. ZZ Top's hard southern rock s...

  It's now the middle of October, and we all know what October means. It's that time of year where folks put up decorations of dead bodies in their yard and cut up perfectly good pumpkins; which at any other time of year would probably land you a few visits from the FBI and most likely a search warrant on probable causes of homicide. But, like I said, it's October- where we actually can put up creepy decorations, get offended over someone's costume, and demand some stranger give us candy that they bought with their own money, because why not. Let's get away from that though and get back to music!      My focus is music, and while there's not per se a whole lot of Halloween music that would normally leave you legitimately paranoid that someone's watching your every move or at least scare you enough to the point where you have nightmares- I can try. This is yet another playlist. The MericaNotes Halloween Playlist. 1) The Beautiful People by Marilyn ...

I wanted to take a break this week from artists we all grew up on and know by name, and instead, focus more on artists whom I've come to appreciate recently. Most of which names, I'm sure many have never hear of. But their music is arguably some of the best contemporary I've head. (Meaning that you won't find any Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran here.) These are artists we can all appreciate, and frankly, I think they deserve some recognition in the music industry for once and maybe let some of the more bigwig names in music take a back seat. It's not hipster music if its actually good. First off, this artist I've met personally and I know he has a lot of potential. Niic (pronounced as nice) is a pop/rock artist based out of Pennsylvania. I've been a fan of his music a little over a year now, and I believe that he's definitely gotten better, along with more popularity he's played at venues all across the US. (I've been trying to get him to do a US...

Approximately 4 hours ago, the rock music legend Tom Petty passed away at the age of 66, leaving behind a family, his band, and millions of adoring fans. Tom Petty may be gone, but his music will be with us for generations to come. This week, I'd like to pay a special tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I'm becoming increasingly worried this week is humanity's Hell Week. Sunday night, 59 people are killed in Las Vegas, followed by the immediate politicalization of the tragedy by several people whose names I will not mention, and now the death of the great Tom Petty. It is only Tuesday.  But Tom Petty's music will always be around. I was listening to Tom Petty Radio on Sirius XM last night trying to get updates on his condition, and one host described Tom as a sort of "redneck hippie". And that's kind of what described southern rock; you could be sensitive but you could be an ass at the same time. That's not to harp on southern rock, but rather...

This wekend, our scout troop went on a camping trip up to Perdenales Falls, TX- up near Austin. From Houston, the trip took a total of 5 hours. Yet, it hadn't dawned on me until we got to the church to pack up that I had no means of music other than what was on my phone. The radio worked, but the scoutmaster Mr Carroll has a knack for changing stations in the middle of a song. But, it was his truck, his rules. I realized, had I of downloaded Spotify or Pandora, I wouldn't have been stuck listening to John's god-awful mumble rap the entire way there. (Or at least until I was able to get a signal at a Whataburger in La Grange.) So, I have taken up the liberty of providing y'all with a light driving and road trip playlist, so as you might not be stuck listening to Fetty Wap and Migos for hours on end. (And for the love of God, if I hear Despacito  one more time I'm throwing that damn phone out of the truck.) Without further a due, I give you the official 'Merica No...