An interesting comparison. Over the past five or so years, it’s become increasingly apparent that country music is simultaneously bigger than ever while also the most fragmented it’s ever been. While some may argue that’s a bad thing, citing multiple factors such as lack of cohesion in the genre, many (myself included) have viewed it as a major step in the right direction in terms of overall quality and diversity in the genre. We’ve seen a plethora of different styles and subgenres receive more and more attention over the years. Whether it’s Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simspon ushering the first fave of independent artists towards the mainstream, Zach Bryan and Sam Barber pushing the indie, folk-inspired subgenre to new heights, bands such as the Turnpike Troubadours and Flatland Cavalry familiarizing new audiences to the Red Dirt sound from Texas and Oklahoma or other artists such as Treaty Oak Revival and Koe Wetzel popularizing a more grunge-inspired approach to country/southern rock, there’s been a whole lot to latch on to depending on your taste. Of course, this isn’t even mentioning what’s going on in the mainstream. While you have your powerhouses such as Morgan Wallen who continues to dominate the genre with his patented plent of pop/trap-inspired country, there’s been some relatively encouraging developments as of late. Just taking a look at this week’s CMA Awards, while not perfect, signalled a key shift in terms of the diversity in the genre with Zach Top continuing his meteoric rise to superstardom with a New Artist of the Year win while the likes of The Red Clay Strays and Cody Johnson also took home major awards for Male Vocalist and Vocal Group of the Year. All of this is to say that it’s been becoming increasingly clear that one of the biggest factors in country music’s rise over the past half decade has been the aforementioned diversity, complete with all the different subgenres and styles that come with it. Someone who recongizes this, and further made an incredibly interesting comparison regarding the industry (and Nashville itself by extension) is none other than Marcus King. King, who just released a gem of an album back in September with Darling Blue, recently appeared on the Zach Sang Show. Discussing everything from his relationship with his wife, Briley, to his sobriety, the “Honky Tonk Hell” singer opened up about his view on country music as a community. He’d open up the conversation recalling a story about being called one of the “cool kids” in Nashville by someone who he described as “really reputable” in the industry, something he admitted he’s never heard in his life. “I’ll never forget, this was probably like two or three years ago. Somebody who worked with someone really reputable was like, ‘Oh man, he’s so excited to come work with you ’cause you’re one of the cool kids in Nashville.’ And I was like, ‘Am I? I’m one of the cool kids?’  I have never been accused of that in my life.” King would take the metaphor of being one of the “cool kids” in the genre even further and delivered an incredibly interesting comparison that ultimately reflects what we’re seeing in country music today. To the South Carolina native, Nashville is nothing more than a big high school cafeteria. Comparing the different subgenres and in-circles within country music today, he’d note that, much like high school, there are different circles that he finds himself a part of despite the inherited differences between certain groups. “I think Nashville is a high school cafeteria, man. You got all these different tables, and just like I did in high school, man, I sit with everybody. Like I sat with everybody that smoked weed, if I’m being honest. The nerds smoked weed. The football jocks smoked a lot of weed. The freaks obviously smoked weed. So I like to sit with a little bit of everybody. Everybody had something interesting to say. I’ve carried that into my approach musically, and I think Nashville, they like me for that. I’m not trying to come for anybody’s gig because I’m just gonna do me.” Ultimately, King hits the nail on the head here. It’s become increasingly apparent over the past few years that he has not been afraid to dip his toes into pretty much any different venture musically, highlighted by his recent collaborations with the likes of Brooks & Dunn, Zac Brown Band, Ty Myers, Kashus Culpepper and Kameron Marlowe over the past year. Given the further divide between hardcore independent/alternative and mainstream country fans, it’s always nice to hear an artist such as King give a reminder that there’s compelling art to be found in nearly every single style of country music today. Watch here: @zachsangshow @Marcus King compares Nashville to a high school cafeteria #marcusking #nashville #country #highschool #fyp ♬ original sound – Zach Sang Show The post Marcus King Compares Nashville To A High School Cafeteria: “You Got All These Different Tables… I Sit With Everyone” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Not a fan of the new look, eh? Jelly Roll has been going through quite the personal transformation lately. He’s lost over 200 lbs and looks like a totally different (and much more healthy) person. It’s honestly been pretty cool to watch, because he’s served as such an inspiration for everyone who struggles with weight loss. But that’s not the only change he’s made recently. The “I Am Not Okay” singer recently debuted another big change that he made, shaving his beard for the first time in over a decade. Jelly says that the last time his face was clean-shaven was when he was fresh out of jail, and that he grew a beard to cover up his double chin: “A lot of things change when you start losing weight, and you realize things. One of the things I’ve realized is, I don’t know what I look like.” So he decided to surprise his family and shave his beard. He captured the transformation in a video posted to his YouTube, which also shows his daughter’s reaction to seeing her dad without a beard for the first time in…well, probably the first time that she can remember. As Jelly walks out of the bathroom after shaving his beard off, his 17-year old daughter Bailee Ann is clearly caught by surprise – and cracks up as she tries to process the new look, not entirely sure what to think: “Stay over there. Oh my God I’m gonna cry, I don’t like this. You look like a turtle! Oh I don’t like this. I don’t know if I’m laughing or if this is making me sad.” Jelly admits that he looks “like a Ninja Turtle” without the beard, so I’m sure it’s going to take some getting used to. And maybe he decides he doesn’t like it and ends up growing it back anyway. But what better time to try it than when you’re already going through a personal transformation anyway? In the same video, Jelly also reflected on being nominated for three Grammy Awards this year, for Best Contemporary Country Album with Beautifully Broken, Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen” with Shaboozey, and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Brandon Lake: “When I made it to my first Grammys the year I had New Artist, I thought to myself, ‘This will be the only time I’m ever at the Grammys.’ And to be coming back three years later with more nominations than I’ve ever had is just, first of all, the gratitude, man. And I don’t care what other artists say, I don’t care what artists act like, I’m going to tell you the real truth: There’s not an artist in the world who didn’t grow up watching the Grammys when they were a kid, and walking into their bedrooms after to rehearse their speech.  So the big question now is, will he keep the clean-shaven look for the Grammys, or will the beard be back by then? I’d say a lot of that depends on whether his daughter has warmed up to the new look any.The post “You Look Like A Turtle” – Jelly Roll’s Daughter Cracks Up After Seeing Him Clean-Shaven For The First Time In Over A Decade first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

In the 2004 Pixar movie The Incredibles, when Dash gets caught once again using his super speed to torment his elementary-school teacher, his mother admonishes him to try to fit in.

Harvard University officials have recently raised the alarm on grade inflation. More than 60% of grades awarded to students have been A's. That's up 25% from two decades ago.

Earlier this fall, Harvard University released a report from its Classroom Social Compact Committee. Among other things, it noted that rampant grade inflation allowed students to regularly skip classes. (The fact that the school, astonishingly, allows students to register for more than one class that meets at the same time probably is not helping.)