Maines felt bullied out of country music, but Paisley hosts the Country Music Awards and revels in ranging from celebrating the election of Barack Obama (“Welcome to the Future”) to being no less upbeat about schlocky ’80s country (“Old Alabama”). Wheelhouse, the new album from country’s ultimate postmodernist and how retro is that? begins with a 1919 snippet of “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm,” employs rhythm loops and offers Charlie Daniels rapping for those less into LL, the comic tal
