Steven Hyden has to be one of the three or four writers I’ve linked to most over the years. I think he’s the best music writer going these days, and have followed him across Pitchfork, the AV Club, Grantland, and now Uproxx. I appreciate both his musical sensibilities and his writing style. I’d say eight times out of ten when he is enthusiastic about an artist, I end up loving them too.[1]
So when he flagged his latest article on Twitter last week and mentioned it was kind of lengthy and “think-piecey”, I was all-in. Even with that warning I was not expecting how excellent it would end up being. It’s a deep look at Kid Rock of today, John Mellencamp of the 80s, the growth and collapse of Heartland rock, and the intersection of politics and music.
From Farm Aid To F@#$ You: Kid Rock, John Mellencamp, And The Fall Of Heartland Rock
Yep, I’ve been listening to some Mellencamp over the past week because of it.
- The only hole in his game is his podcasting style. I’ve tried to listen to his podcast several times and he drives me nuts by talking way more than his guests. ↩