“Please Don’t Die, I’ll Be Back” – 9 Year Old (With A Slick Mullet) Sprinted Over A Mile To Save His Parents After Oklahoma Tornado Crushed Their Truck

With great mullets come great responsibility. A 9-year-old, mulleted, Oklahoman by the name of Branson Baker is being deemed a hero after he saved his parents' lives during last week's deadly tornado that ripped through the Sooner state. He and his parents were desperately trying to make their way to a friend's storm shelter when they crossed paths with an EF-4 tornado. The massive, powerful supercell has puzzled some meteorologists as the twister, at one point, was "spinning backwards." It's believed that rare weather event helped to make the tornado all the more powerful, and completely devastated a number of Oklahoma communities. And the Baker family was almost a part of that devastation if it wasn't for little Branson Baker. As Branson and his parents were driving in the terrible conditions trying to make it to a storm-safe place, the tornado picked their truck up off the road and swung it into a pile of trees. The impact and the crunching of the vehicle left Branson's parents with broken necks and backs as the front half of the vehicle was crinkled up like a can. Fortunately, the back half of the truck managed to stay in tact, and the 9-year-old was unharmed and able to run for help. Branson reportedly ran over a mile to a neighbor's house in the pitch black darkness of the storm. The mullet-sporting kid dodged downed power lines and dangerous debris as he literally ran for his parents' lives. Johnny Baker, Branson's uncle, explained how the little boy was able to be a real-life hero in an interview with CBS: "The only way he found his way back was with lightning strikes that lit the road. He ran as fast as he could, as hard as he could, he made a mile in 10 minutes. That's pretty impressive for a little kid." Not all heroes wear capes, but most heroes do have mullets. Branson must have tapped into his hairdo to dig deep and run as fast as he could to get help. Branson's uncle went on to say in the news spot that the 9-year-old had the wherewithal to first give his parents this message before he crawled out of the totaled car: "The last thing Branson told them was, ‘Mom, dad, please don’t die, I will be back.'" Now, Branson's parents are recovering in the OU Medical Center's Intensive Care Unit, and they are expected to make a full recovery. It's undoubtedly a tough road ahead with the injuries they sustained, but they have their young son Branson to thank for their lives. You can check out the local news story about the mullet-sporting-superhero in the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBg2k6LZKEY

Colby Acuff Tackles Mental Health In Latest Single “Scared Of The Dark”

There's only one correct protocol when Colby Acuff releases new music: Drop what you're doing and it give it a listen. Coming off of a massive 2023 that saw the release of his breakthrough 10-track record Western White Pines, as well as Western White Pines Deluxe that tacked on six more impressive songs to the project, Acuff is already picking back up right where he left off with a brand new hard hitting single. Titled "Scared of the Dark," the Idaho native and Nashville resident's latest single addresses the hot button topic of mental health and the complicated nature in which mental struggles and negative thoughts can inexplicably become pervasive and all consuming of one's psyche, rendering even the strongest individual hopeless at times. A cause close to his own heart, Acuff delicately and succinctly displays the inner struggle that so many people deal with on a daily basis through deftly allegorical lyricism while ultimately offering an optimistic outlook on the matter in the song's chorus and final verse. The first single off of his yet to be formally announced fifth record, that could presumably be released later this year, Acuff provided some brief context behind the new tune in a recent post on X. "Friday begins the release of my 5th project. The first single 'Scared of the Dark' is a song I wrote to help people who have been affected by mental health. I personally have lost too many friends to suicide and have definitely had my days of dealing with anxiety. I just wanted to make a project that had the ability to truly make a difference. I hope that you see it that way as well. I hope that when you listen to 'Scared of the Dark' you find some light." https://twitter.com/cacuff15/status/1786049725306647019 And as seems to be the case with each new song he releases, this is some of Acuff's best work yet. Give "Scared of the Dark" a listen for yourself here: So let me shield you from the rain I'm not even you, and yet we look the same I know this place, yes, I know where you are And it made me scared of the dark I am here to help I'm just something that you need I'm a voice of forgiveness Here to shine when days are bleak Times they are a changing Today begins an age Tomorrow will be better than all your yesterdays... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5qWxHXAIfY It's great news to hear that Acuff's next project is on it's way, and I'm sure more details will be announced here in the near future. If you like what you heard with "Scared of the Dark," I highly recommend checking out (or revisiting) Acuff's latest Western White Pines project in the meantime. Here are a few of my personal favorites: "Cherokee Rose" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG3SbS7dy2A "Welcome to Tom's" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGzu7S9kLXY "Western White Pines" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIAzEBCwdPA Colby Acuff and his band put on one of the best live shows in the business, so make sure to check out his upcoming tour schedule as well. These guys are true road dogs, so it is highly likely they'll be playing a show near you soon. https://www.instagram.com/p/C5ToophrcW8/

Miranda Lambert Is BACK With Fiery, Vengeful New Song “Wranglers”

Miranda Lambert is back and better than ever with an absolute HEATER. The Texas native dropped a new song today called "Wranglers," which is her first release with her new label Republic. The fiery lyrics and take-no-shit message certainly harkens back to 2007 Miranda and songs like "Kerosene," and like I’ve said plenty of times, scorned Miranda is my favorite… so yeah, I’ve been really excited to hear this one. It tells the tale of a woman “taking her power back” and settling the score when someone does her wrong, and that line “wranglers take forever to burn” is already stuck in my head. I also learned something new about flammability of the iconic jean brand, which I will certainly keep in the back of my head just in case… Miranda says "Wranglers" is ultimately about finding strength, but also a fun revenge song that we can all relate to in some way, big or small: "‘Wranglers’ is a classic tale of a woman taking her power back. I think we can all identify with the character in this song, because we have all had a time in our life where we needed to find our strength, and also get a little revenge on someone who did us wrong or hurt us. This offers such a cool, raging take on how something like this unravels; I think the songwriters nailed it." Written by Audra Mae, who also sings on the track, Evan McKeever and Ryan Carpenter, she admits that the new song feels like it could've been a song she cut back in 2007: "I am so proud to sing this song. It feels like it could have been on the same record as ‘Gunpowder & Lead’ in a lot of ways. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned is a pretty powerful statement, and the way it’s written, you can tell, we’re not kidding." Miranda also hinted at a new album coming this year, saying she has "a lot more music" coming soon: "Country music at its core tells the truth about life, but it makes you feel something. Sometimes you laugh. Sometimes you throw your fist in the air. Sometimes that fist goes through the wall. All I know is I’ve got a lot more to say, and a lot more music coming soon. So for anyone who’s ever seen themselves in one of my songs, especially the rowdy ones, get ready! We wanted to come with something that really says something from the start. And there’s a whole lot of feelings and rhythms and great playing to come." Miranda previously debuted the song during her headlining Stagecoach set last Saturday, which was so fun to watch, and it's likely the the beginning of much more to come. Miranda most recently released her Palomino album back in 2022, so I’d say we’re long overdue for a new project. Republic Records is a massive, New York City-based label, and Miranda has also inked a partnership deal with Nashville-based label Big Loud to help with country radio promotion, in addition to other marketing and strategic efforts. She also recently started a new venture as partner at a brand new label, an offshoot of Big Loud called Big Loud Texas, so I’m not surprised to see her make a deal like this and hopefully it will serve her well in terms of reaching a much broader audience beyond her country fanbase having Republic involved. Stay tuned... And obviously, turn this one up to 10 and enjoy. These are the kinds of songs that Miranda does best, and put her on the map for many country fans so many years ago, so I'm quite happy to see her back and more vengeful than ever. When she's in form like this, she never, ever misses: "Wranglers" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReJCMNTNB5w

Tracy Lawrence Is Back And Feeling “Pretty Dang Good” With New Single: “Never Done Anything Like It”

Tracy Lawrence is feeling pretty dang good. And why shouldn't he be? The country music legend is gearing up to drop his upcoming EP, Out Here In It, on June 7. He's been out on the road with Riley Green on his Ain't My Last Rodeo tour. And tomorrow, he's headlining the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium, for the first time in his storied career. Seems like Tracy has no intentions of slowing down any time soon. And ahead of the release of his EP next month, Tracy dropped a brand new single from the upcoming project. "Pretty Dang Good," written by Bobby Pinson, Wyatt McCubbin and Carson Chamberlain, is a swampy toe-tapper that you can't help but smile as you listen to: "It's a dang good day to be upright With a dang good girl by my side A dang cold beer I'm sittin' here drinkin' A dang good shade tree song I'm singin' It's a pretty dang good life I'm livin' Even when it ain't goin' like it should It ain't always pretty But it's always pretty dang good" It's not exactly what you'd expect from Tracy, whose massive catalog of hits include heartbreakers like "Alibis" and "Paint Me A Birmingham," and introspective songs like "Time Marches On." But speaking to Whiskey Riff about the song, Tracy says that he enjoys the change of pace - especially when it comes to adding the groovy tune to his live shows: “I’ve never done anything like it. I love the opening line, ‘One day it's chicken, one day it's feathers.’ It’s just so different from anything I ever considered myself doing but I love the groove of it and it’s fun to sing. I think the video’s really cool. I haven’t done a lot of songs like this throughout my career – I’ve always been more of a serious artist, heartbreak songs, crying in your beer kind of stuff. So this will be something a little bit different. I love singing it live, it’s a really fun song to sing.” Well as Tracy mentioned, he's also dropping a funky new video to go along with the song - and we've got your first chance to see it right here. Just try to listen to this one without a smile on your face. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_bs03-fww8

Goose Lands In Kansas Zoo’s Gorilla Exhibit & The Encounter Ends In Shocking Fashion

Didn't see that coming. Zoos are a great place to spend the day with the family. You always know what you are going to get when you take a trip to the zoo, and by that I mean you'll see some animals and pay $15 for Dippin' Dots (and you'll like it). The only issue that often arises, other than maybe the animals not being visible in the exhibit sometimes, is when animals that are not supposed to be at the zoo accidentally find themselves right in the "middle of the jungle," so to speak. We unfortunately saw that play out recently with a grizzly bear eating up little baby ducklings right in front of children, and have also seen nature take its course (in a strange way) when an innocent white-tailed deer accidentally wondered into a lion's enclosure. If a family took a trip to those respective zoos on those days for a memorable experience, I can assure you that those kids will never forget what happened. And in this video from 2013, another weird encounter was captured on camera at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas (which has wonderful reviews online). A lone goose landed inside the gorilla exhibit, and not too long afterwards, the ape came over to check things out. Now if we're going based upon how the other two stories I mentioned previously went down, the goose in this Kansas zoo is in trouble. If there were Las Vegas odds on this fight, the gorilla would be a heavy favorite, and the goose would be paired with long shot odds. That gorilla could rip its head clean of its long neck if it wanted to... But I think we're all forgetting that geese are some of the most vile, disrespectful, mean-spirited animals on this entire planet. I'd guess most of us have had a stressful encounter with a goose before, and if you haven't, consider yourself lucky. The goose in this clip wasn't in an ideal situation by any means, but it was far from cooked. The gorilla saunters over to inspect the goose, though it wasn't able to get too close. That's because the goose knew that sometimes the best defense is a good offense, and before the intimidating ape could get comfortable, the noisy bird dropped its head and went after it. Bringing the fight to the gorilla proved to be a successful decision, and one that sent the ape running for the hills... or at least the limits of its exhibit. And then seemingly out of nowhere, another goose came flapping its wings, seemingly acting as back up. The gorilla certainly didn't want any part of the fight with two geese, let alone one. This just goes to show that you shouldn't ever judge a book by its cover, and more importantly, you shouldn't ever (under any circumstance) pick a fight with a goose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq0gZiJxP5Q