Here are this week’s five songs worth listening to.

Wade Bowen & Randy Rogers–Rodeo Clown

Starting this week off with some tongue-in-cheek country comedy from a couple of buddies pairing up once again. Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers have run around together for years, then teamed up for an album in 2015 called Hold My Beer, Vol. 1. That album checked in at number six that year on the I Am Weez chart. And the boys are back with a couple new ones so far, with the full Vol. 2 due out May 8.

Rodeo Clown is a bit song, but we need those in our life every now and then. It never hurts to chuckle in music. Just ask the ghost of Mel McDaniel.

Sadler Vaden–Anybody Out There?

Sadler Vaden is best known as a former guitarist for Drivin’ N Cryin’ and the current guitarist for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. He has a couple solo albums out, with 2012’s Radio Head and 2016’s self-titled album. The last few years, however, he has been picking up the songwriting craft from his band leader, one of the best, if not the best, writers out there right now. The sharpening of those skills in showing. Plus, while the album coming out right before the world as we know it ending may not have been the best time, he did put out a hell of a quarantine anthem.

No one asks if I'm doing alright
Does anybody seem to care?
I'm just trying to get through tonight
So tell me, tell me is there anybody out there?

Cody Jinks–Which One I Feed

This is actually the second song off of Cody Jinks’ 2019 album The Wanting I have featured in Fab Five Friday. I revisited this one after stumbling upon something in a book I’m reading right now, Dottir. The book is an autobiography from two-time CrossFit Games champion Katrin Davidsdottir. On a day I actually listened to Cody’s album, this was the lead to the chapter I read that night. Sometimes, timing is weird.

John Baumann–Next Ride Around The Sun

Ryan Culwell tweeted that I should listen to this song, and I always do what Ryan says. Dude is a musical badass. Baumann is a Texas troubadour who runs with the likes of William Clark Green and Josh Abbott some. West Texas rugged songwriting. He has a couple of albums out. Last year, he went to Nashville to record a new one, then didn’t like the sound, went back home and re-recorded it. That one will come out in June. This is a song about making every day count.

R.A. the Rugged Man–Dragon Fire ft. Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Kool G Rap and Xx3eme

R.A. Thorburn, stage name Rugged Man, is a New York rapper who also moonlights as a screenwriter, director, producer and as a boxing commentator. OG has been around since the early 90s and has the Biggie Seal of Approval. Good enough for me.

This one is heavy on the Wu Tang cameo. One of the universal rules is that Wu Tang is forever. Hey, I didn’t make the rules, I just live by them. No, wait, I forgot: my list, my rules. And one of those rules is that We Tang makes the list. Plus, another New York old school heavyweight, Kool G Rap, appears. Even among the hitters, R.A.’s verse stands out (third verse).

Eyes Wide Shut masquerade, got Bob dancin'
I'm in the moshpit at the Rothschild mansion
I'm Coleman, Orson, Thorburn, John Foreman
A livin' baptism in the river of Jordan
Rock bells when I kick the gospel, gods fell
Abort rappers like Kermit Gosnell, I'm not well

We’ll be back with five more next week. Until then, remember the immortal words…
“Songs are really just interesting things to be doing with the air.” Tom Waits