If you're a dad in need of a good cry, consider this your warning: Luke Combs’ album Fathers & Sons hits hard. In this episode, the Country Music Dads give a full, unfiltered review of Fathers & Sons because, honestly, it was inevitable. The Dads weigh in on the best and worst songs and the overall impact of this album on country music, modern fatherhood and their emotional state of mind.

Plus: Dave goes full throttle in an impassioned “Minivan Rant” and tries to change Donnie’s mind once and for all.

03:11: First Reactions to the Album as a Whole: After Donnie recovers from "snot-bubble crying" during his passive listen, we discuss the songwriting quality, sincerity of the lyrics in a "songwriting-by-committee" approach and how "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" doesn't seem to fit (even though it is very sad).

14:01: The Dad Life Sound Check: Donnie is a better parent thanks to "Huntin' By Yourself" (even though he doesn't hunt), and Dave finds a pillar of his parenting philosophy in "Whoever You Turn Out to Be."

25:06: The Best Tracks from the Album: The Dads share more of their favorites, including "Front Door Famous" and "The Man He Sees in Me," and how those songs inspire us to live up to the higher expectations that modern dads rightfully (and finally) are measured against.

32:36: The Worst Tracks from the Album: The Dads discuss the songs, like "All I Ever Do is Leave" and "Little Country Boys," that seem more like filler material to get an LP out of this concept album.

36:00: "Fathers and Sons" Album Rating: The Dads wrap up the album review by rating "Fathers and Sons" on a scale of 1-5.

37:50: Change My Mind About Minivans: Dave launches into an impassioned and memorable "Minivan Rant" to change Donnie's mind about the classic and highly versatile “FUV,” the family utility vehicle.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love to hear what you think, so send us comments, suggestions, friendly banter on Instagram @countrymusicdads, or via email countrymusicdads@gmail.com.

• Intro Music: "Dark Country Rock" by Moodmode
• "Hurricane" by Luke Combs
• "When It Rains It Pours" by Luke Combs
• "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" by Luke Combs
• "The Grand Tour" by George Jones
• "Huntin' By...

The Country Music Dads dive headlong into the world of children’s literature, pop culture and its intersection with country music. We discuss the viral video of Ludacris’ incredible rapping of the book Llama Llama Red Pajama, discuss our favorite kids' books, which ones would make incredible country music songs and who should cut them.

2:22: The Kids Books We Love and Love to Hate: Dave and Donnie discuss the nighttime classics and some modern-day page turners for kids (and those reading them to kids). And what would a podcast episode be without some conflict -- so we jumped on a few we wish would just fall behind the bookshelf.

21:27: Books That Sound Like Country Songs: Before diving into who should sing our kids' book songs, the Country Music Dads explore the fairly significant crossover between country music songwriting and children's book writing -- and some of those people who did both. Namely, Shel Silverstein.

38:34: Who Should Sing These Kids' Book Country Songs? From Colter Wall to Miranda Lambert, the Country Music Dads consider the best artists to bring these books to life.

46:57: Dad Life Sound Check: This recurring segment is an opportunity for Dave and Donnie to discuss a song that is hitting home in recent days. For Dave, "Buy Me a Boat" by Chris Janson had been resonating in his house, while Lasers Lasers Birmingham’s "Shorter Letter" was touching a chord for Donnie.

52:22: Change My Mind: Donnie challenges Dave to think differently about the glories of shopping at Costco -- from the sea of beautiful TVs, to rows of top-shelf bulk-size booze to Costco staples, like rotisserie chicken, availability of eggs and the $1.50 hot dog and soda.

• Ludacris rapping "Llama Llama Red Pajama."
• "Magic Candies" animated short film
• "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is a GRAMMY Award-winning recording by Boris Karloff in 1968.
• "The Masked Singer"
• Haley Brown Spence of The Doohickeys
• Dolly Parton talent search
• Willow Avon
• "Goodnight Songs" by Tom Prout and Emily Gehry
• The Highwaymen
• The Highwomen

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website:

Country Music Dads is BACK for Season 2! And we are kicking things off by talking about the change (or lack thereof) that often accompanies the start of a new year. “New Year, new me” we say in January before seeing the “same ol’ me” staring back at us in the mirror in March. But is that such a bad thing? George Jones and Dierks Bentley provide support via two songs separated by 40 years but with the same name (different spelling), “Same Ole Me.” The Dads wrestle with self-improvement vs. self-acceptance, change vs. growth, and bro country vs. traditional country.

We also discuss changes to the podcast itself. What is different for Season 2, what is staying the same, and what, Dear Listener, do you have to look forward to when you follow the Country Music Dads? True to form, it’ll be the same ole show, but a little bit different.

Show Notes:

• 02:12: Dave shares a preview of Season 2 of the podcast: what has changed, what is staying the same, and how feedback from our early-adopting listeners has influenced our plans.
• 06:26: Meet Country Music Dads’ new co-host: Donnie C. Cutler!
• 08:22: Dave and Donnie discuss George Jones’ “Same Ole Me,” Dierks Bentley’s “Same ‘Ol Me,” how they think about goal-setting, personal change, and growth, and how their pursuit of improvement could influence their kids.
• 35:02: The Dad Life Sound Check: Donnie shares how the competing pressures of life on the road and family life in Jeremy Pinnell’s “Night Time Eagle” resonate with his own attempts to balance self-care pursuits and being there for the bedtime routine. Dave admits that “Halo” is his favorite Beyonce song and that Joshua Ray Walker’s highly countrified rendition of it takes him back to a simpler time before kids when weddings were ragers.
• 45:41: In our new, recurring segment called “Change My Mind,” Donnie posits that Bro Country is BAD for the country music genre. Self-proclaimed “recovering bro country aficionado” Dave attempts to convince him otherwise.

Mentioned in the Show:

• Country Music Dads podcast Season 1, Episode 9: “Country Cutler Talks Parenting, Country Music in LA and Strawberry Pie For Breakfast”
• The Country Cutler Substack newsletter
• "Atomic Habits" by James Clear
• The Marfa Tapes
• Dierks’ bluegrass album, “Up On The Ridge” from 2010
• HomeDadCon: the annual convention for at-home dads
• The backlash surrounding the “Bluey” Season 3 "Exercise" episode
• Eddie Izzard on British vs. American films

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can...