At this point, it’s just as much about the principal as it is the money. Garth’s latest studio album was put up for pre-order as part of his exclusive distribution deal with Amazon nearly two years ago now, on June 19th, 2018 to be exact. Garth said the new record would be released in the spring … the spring of 2019 that is.
Caitlin Cannon’s trash is the audience’s treasure trove of country and rockabilly pleasure that will have you first in stitches, then later sobbing with empathy, and then recycling the experience over and over again as you can’t get enough. Whether you’re looking for steel guitar-soaked tearjerkers, or the whip-cracking attitude of Bettie Page.
Not your standard and cliche-riddled country protest song, this more thoughtful, reflective, and hushed effort bemoans the passing away of important things in life—country music included—to the onslaught of progress and noise, while resisting the new favorite Americana pastime of laying blame.
Country music Hall of Famer George Jones passed away in 2013, putting an end to the recorded output from one of the most legendary singers in country music history. But multiple never-before-heard studio performances from George Jones could be sitting in a bank vault in Benton County, Tennessee as we speak.
It’s within a contentious environment that Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit deliver ‘Reunions’ to what will be thunderous and virtual universal applause from critics, while many conservative country fans will write him off without a fair listen. But like most things in politics and life, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
You can’t get 30 seconds into this new record from T.J. Hernandez without being convinced you’ve landed in the right place. The voice is somewhere between Cody Jinks and Jamey Johnson. The music is pure uncut country. The production is just about perfect. And the songs hit the spot. It’s a traditional country oasis.
Despite all the success Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell and other independent stars have enjoyed, they still haven’t been able to crack the mainstream radio paradigm. Without a million-dollar budget and a nine month commitment to a radio station tour, mainstream country radio just won’t play you. But something inexplicable happened this week.
Some new photos of Turnpike Troubadours frontman Evan Felker were posted by a photographer named Calvin Shofner late Monday evening, May 10th. They are the first physical signs they’ve seen of Evan Felker in quite some time.
Viral songwriter Zach Bryan released his second album on Friday, May 8th called ‘Elisabeth’ to mostly rave reviews, but some criticisms for taking the same homespun approach he brought to his first album ‘DeAnn.’ Zach was spotted working with Dave Cobb last November.
If you think all major label artists are built the same, you don’t know Mo. Before Chris Stapleton blew up unexpectedly, before Jon Pardi hit it big, Mo Pitney was one of the few major label artists that gave us faith in country music’s future. He’s now set the release of his second album.
Call him the Founder, call him the Father, but whatever you call him, make sure you recognize that without Fuzzy Owen, there may have never been a “Bakersfield Sound” in country music, and country may have never taken such a foothold on the West Coast.
North Carolina-based alt-country band American Aquarium is celebrating a career best debut for their latest album ‘Lamentations’ released on May 1st via New West Records after it appeared in numerous charts in the latest updates from Billboard.
This new song Rita Wilson just released called “Where’s My Country Song?” hits at the heart of something really important. Well-written aside from maybe the bouncy and somewhat list-like chorus, it’s the perspective forwarded in the song that makes it such an interesting specimen and discussion point.
Just as stunning in the strokes of writing as the first one, Elisabeth removes any thought that Zach Bryan was a lucky, one shot anomaly. Lightning has struck twice, and now you have to assign the attribute of “prolific” to the list of other plaudits to lump upon Zach Bryan.
The career trajectory of Tim McGraw over the past few years has been somewhere between confounding and nauseating. when he moved to Sony Music Nashville to facilitate being able to record and tour with his wife Faith Hill, it was one misstep in his solo career after another. But now he appears to be back on track.
Willie Nelson’s latest album First Rose of Spring has been postponed until July 3rd due to Coronavirus concerns (it was supposed to be released April 24th), but he’s celebrating Mother’s Day by releasing his cover of Johnny Paycheck’s infamous song “I’m The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised.”
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats. New songs have just been added.
Those that know Waylon Jennings know that one of the primary contributions he brought to country music was importing a little bit of across-the-tracks rock ‘n’ roll influence into the genre. Unlike many modern country performers, Waylon did it with a respect for the original roots of country music, but he undoubtedly did it.
Hold My Beer Vol. 2 is like a love letter to classic country from a Texas perspective. In many respects, it’s a country music album about country music. Along the way though, Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen don’t forget to have some fun. After all, that’s the underlying reason for this project.
A blazing tune of bootleg, intrigue, and power, it lives up to Kyle Nix’s promise that storytelling will be the centerpiece of his debut album, while the brazen and galloping tempo reminds one of Turnpike’s “Before The Devil Knows We’re Dead,” partly due to members of the Turnpike Troubadours itself being behind the effort.
Few debut artists and albums have taken us off guard recently like This Highway did from Zephaniah OHora. The Countrypolitan throwback sound with a hint of early Merle Haggard offered such perfect interpretations of the classic era of country, it was eerie how much the words and music took you back to when country music was country music.
“I’m trying to make Luke Bryan money singing Chris Knight-caliber songs,” Parker McCollum says. Parker says he’s taking his cues from folks like Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves who’ve found huge reception for their music despite a cold shoulder from country radio.
If your trek led you to North Carolina and the moonshining swamps of Johnston County, and you rooted around in the honky tonks or queried the locals where to turn for the best country music from the region, Jonathan Park is probably who would be the leading vote getter.
If you’ve been hankering hard for anything Turnpike Troubadours related, it appears your prayers are about to be answered, and in a huge way. Turnpike fiddle player Kyle Nix is preparing to release a solo record, and we’re not talking about some slapped-together bedroom EP.
