Top 10 Country Music Rebels

He backed pro-legalization Gary Johnson but now likes Kucinich

(NEWSER) - After voicing support for pro-pot Gary Johnson as a presidential candidate , Willie Nelson has apparently changed his tune, notes the Daily Caller . It's "too early for me to endorse anyone,” the singer said in an email to a member of his marijuana-legalization activist group, the Teapot Party. (The exchange is recounted here .) Though he acknowledged backing New Mexico's former GOP governor, who no longer indulges himself but backs legalization, Nelson wrote: “I think I will wait and see where he stands on other things. My bad. Sorry." More»

Teen queen snags artist of the year in an upset

(NEWSER) - Taylor Swift unexpectedly captured artist of the year honors at tonight's American Music Awards, preventing a sweep by Michael Jackson. The 19-year-old country-pop crossover sensation called being included in the same category as the King of Pop an "unimaginable honor." She won five awards; Jermaine Jackson accepted two of his brother's four trophies wearing a sequined glove on his left hand, the AP reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Some complain about the explicit lyrics in rap, but modern MCs have nothing on early-20th-century blues singers. Compared to them, “the members of NWA are levelheaded concerned citizens,” says Cracked. A sampling:

• "A to Z Blues," Blind Willie McTell, 1956: "I'm gonna cut A, B, C, D on top of your head; That's gonna be treating you nice like mama you ain't gonna be dead." Don't worry—he finishes the alphabet.

Second album has a twang, but don't typecast her: She likes Radiohead, too

(NEWSER) - Holly Williams is a descendant of country legends—Hank Williams was her grandfather, Hank Williams Jr. her father—but she’s no “cowboy hat-wearing country girl,” she tells the Telegraph. The singer and boutique owner, who admires artists from Dolly Parton to Radiohead, releases her second album Tuesday, and she says she hopes Nashville is ready to see that “you can do things outside the box and still be successful.” More»

Study says music reflects our personalities

(NEWSER) - Our favorite music speaks volumes about who we are, according to a new psychological study. It turns out that Indie fans are miserable, and metal heads act a lot like classical music lovers. The Independent breaks down personalities by genre:

• Indie: Low self-esteem and lazy, not to mention selfish and unkind.

• Rock: Hard-working and creative, but also unfriendly and hardly generous.