Gas Prices Up~~ the CDs Play On

I had just declared that I was cutting down on my fuel consumption when all kinds of trips, meetings, and opportunities came up. I'm using just about a tank a week, but at $4-Plus per gallon, that is way too much. I'm not buying a scooter, but I've dug out my tunes, and am enjoying my spendthrift ways.
The music is only partly the reason for my fantastic mood lately, but for this post, I'll talk about the music.
This pretty much started with the debut of the self-titled, Lady Antebellum CD. I liked the first release, and even went to see the group when they played at a local sports bar. They were bright, all of them good-looking, and more than personable. I seem to really gravitate to music with a heavy bass or drum-beat, and this CD is full of pieces like that. The opener, Love Don't Live Here is great. The words are good, too, especially if you have an ex who comes to mind when this plays. It's a "feel good" song for having been done wrong. "I'm over you, and you lose!" The rest of the music: Lookin' For a Good Time, All We'd Ever Need, Love's Lookin' Good on You, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, etc are all written by members of this group in any number of combinations. The music, the lyrics, and the spirit of this group just bounces out of the speakers, making this a wonderfully enjoyable CD. Track One is particularly great if you need to get tension out. On a scale of 1 to 10, this one is a 15!
Another winner, if just a few months old, is Gary Allan's Living Hard. This one starts out with the recent hit, Watching Airplanes. Other tracks of note are We Touched the Sun, As Long as You're Looking Back. When I first listened to this collection, I thought it might be a sort of healing piece after Allen's wife's suicide. But, listening more, I have decided that while there may be some dealing with that past, Gary is really stretching his music muscles with this. He sounds like the good-looking bad boy every girl wants to try out. I first became aware of him with his Smoke Rings in the Dark. His very sexy, almost growly voice in that one got my attention so many years ago, and when I got the chance to see him in person at the American Indian Summer Festival a few years ago, I wasn't disappointed. He's wildly sexy, and his constant reminders of his wife and children were as much a turn on as if he were actually stripping onstage. The growly, raw sexiness of Allan's voice comes through on each track as if it were standing alone. Half the songs beg the listener to crank the volume (especially if you're cruising down the highway with the sunroof open) and the nearly tribal drum beats don't hurt at all. My favorite of the entire CD is Like It's a Bad Thing. The play on words, as well as the wording itself just catches me right: "They say I drive fast; Say I like to push the limit; Everyday I'm living like it was my last -- I was put here to live and love; so, what if I don't do it like everybody else does".... that one is heard best at #11 on the volume dial.... I do believe I just about have that track worn out -- can CDs wear out?
I'm also playing some more Jimmy Buffett (only about 7 weeks to the concert!), and a couple of old Toby Keith CDs--can never get enough Toby Keith. Now I'm looking at Blake Shelton. He just redid Michael Buble's Home and I love it! Hope you give some of these a listen, I think you'll like them whether or not you like Country -- these are outside the country realm. Check out Jango.com -- you can pull up anything you want to play FREE! Enjoy!