Country Party

You work hard all week long, and when you punch out for the weekend, you play even harder. That's what being country's all about, friends, and that's where we can give you a hand, with a playlist packed like a long-haul big rig stuffed with hits. Alan Jackson unveils the secret to maintaining a happy-hour state of mind 24/7 in his anthem for thirsty clock-watchers everywhere, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere." Hank Williams, Jr. underlines the outlaw in outlaw country with the barbecue-burnin', Jacuzzi-jumpin', all-night invite " All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight." And when redneck woman Gretchen Wilson shows up at your door and declares she's "Here for the Party," you know this throw-down's going down in honky-tonk history!

Tough-talking cowboys and hard-rocking rebels turn up the heat in Next Steps.

Faster, louder, looser, and tougher isn't the nameplate on a Nashville law firm's office door; it's the way we jump into the next round of party favorites in our hand-tooled playlist. Dwight Yoakam stakes his claim to the heartbreakers' hall of fame with some razor-edged riffs and a nice 'n' greasy growl in "Fast As You." Confederate Railroad's country-rockin' rebel yell brings "Trashy Women" sashaying onto the scene in ten-inch heels and hot pants. And remember, it ain't a party until something gets broken, but you'd better mind your manners if you don't want it to be your jaw, when Justin Moore starts talkin' trash and kickin' up the sawdust on the floor with "I Could Kick Your A*s."

As you'll discover in our Deep Cuts, the living may come easy, but the loving —well, sometimes it goes down hard.

At some point, the wheels are bound to come off, and the party's gonna roll into sudden-life overtime on its way to the history books. You'll stumble out sweat-soaked but satisfied come sunrise, but for now, just hang on tight and go with the flow. Toby Keith bellies on up to the bar for a double shot of T.G.I.F. with the working-man's war cry, "Get Drunk and Be Somebody." The Charlie Daniels Band gets a good barroom boogie goin' to douse the ashes of love gone up in smoke on "Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye." And when Travis Tritt comes swaggering into the saloon with a banged-up heart and a soul full of sass on "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)," you'd better believe this bash is getting fired up to four-alarm status.

The 5 o'clock whistle blows, and it's time to trade in the Dickies and Red Wings for Levi's and Luccheses, time to take this job and shove it (if only for a couple of days), climb into the king cab and amp it up for a weekend-long boot-scootin' boogie. And nothing quite sets the mood for a country dude (or gal, for that matter) like a bunch of tunes stacked higher than a Waffle House Sunday special — and that's where we come in. From Rascal Flatts to Sugarland, and from Montgomery Gentry to Dierks Bentley, we've got all the U.S.D.A. prime cuts from your favorite country legends, superstars, and rising lights. And whether the party's happening at the bar or the barbecue, the beach or the backyard, we'll help you kick it up, cool it down, or blow it out — whatever your hard workin' heart desires. You've earned it.