Sarah Shook and the Disarmers have arguably the most badass record out there in country music right now with Years on Bloodshot Records, and they’re also one of the most badass bands to step foot in a dive bar and see live. This might be one of those bands you’ll be kicking your own ass for not seeing in a smaller venue when you had a chance.
The man who’s most responsible for keeping the traditional country backbone in Red Dirt music strong and rigid for many many years is probably not the one your would finger as being the most enigmatic of all the founding fathers. But that’s exactly what Jason Boland has become as his mane has gone silver.
The sound of Wes Youssi and his new album ‘Down Low’ is definitely a throwback, Golden Age, old-soul style of country, indicative of Hank Williams, Earnest Tubb, Jim Reeves, and early George Jones, even if a few of the themes in the songwriting are a bit more contemporary.
It’s 24 weeks atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for Bebe Rexha’s collaboration with Florida Georgia Line, “Meant To Be.” This means the song first recorded and released solely as a pop single has now tied Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” for the 2nd longest-running #1 single in the Billboard Hot Country Songs history.
It was these two 4-song EPs being passed around that helped put the songwriter and east Kentucky crooner on the music map. The promise those two EPs showed had folks in Kentucky and West Virginia salivating of what Childers could do with some proper studio time. Now the two EPs are being combined together and re-released.
It’s not just that Sam Hunt isn’t country. It’s that Sam Hunt is the exact opposite of country. Quite literally. If you want to hear a song that is the direct antithesis of what a country song is, listen to a song by Sam Hunt. Country equals rural. Urban equals city. It’s very simple to understand.
There’s nothing more unnerving for music fans to hear about than a musician having their livelihood potentially taken away at the hands of a petty thief. And there’s nothing more rewarding than to hear when those thieves get caught. Three houses full of stolen property totaling some 800 items were recently recovered in St. Louis.
The Americana Music Association has announced their nominees for the 2018 Americana Music Awards. In a ceremony held at the Country Music Hall of Fame on Tuesday afternoon (5/15), nominees in six categories were announced, with five total nominations going to Jason Isbell, and three going to both Brandi Carlile and Margo Price.
I don’t think Hank done it this way. And neither did Waylon. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that this Waylon doesn’t know what he’s doing. I just don’t know what we’re supposed to do. Are we to laugh, cry, get angry, be happy? Here’s “Waylon” ladies and gentlemen.
Barring a miracle from Country Music Jesus, Ashley Monroe will never see the kind of career recognition that her talents deserve, at least in the here and now. That’s just the unfortunate product of the era in which her music matured. These are the real world results of the lack of support for women in country music today.
Johnny Lee was one of country music’s biggest stars in the early 80’s, amassing five #1 hits, twelve Top 10’s, and was the singer of one of the era’s most iconic songs, “Lookin’ For Love” made famous by the movie Urban Cowboy. The movie was inspired and filmed at the club of Johnny Lee’s good friend, Mickey Gilley.
Song selection was just the beginning of the disappointment in Kacey’s performance. Her “High Horse” rendition began by the camera zeroing in on a bedazzled saddle hanging from the rafters, and that was apt symbolism of how the performance would be much more about presentation and appearance as opposed to substance.
Swedish Sister Duo First Aid Kit will be making their way to the United States and parts of Europe as part of the extensive Rebel Heart Tour in 2018. The sisters will be in the United States in June, and then again in September through October. In July and August they will be touring in Europe.
“Beautiful Crazy” is much more similar to what we were hoping from Luke Combs when he first emerged on a major label. Full of steel guitar and fiddle, and ramping up to be a quality showcase for his barrel-chested country voice, “Beautiful Crazy” is easy to love regardless of your country music alignment.
Now celebrating 20 years hacking away at blending country, punk, soul, blues, and R&B smothered in Memphis gravy, the band is readying the release of their latest studio album, ‘Among The Ghosts.’ It features 9 new songs written by Ben Nichols and was recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis.
Somewhere on the highways and byways of Heaven, Jerry Reed is driving a semi truck full of Coors on a delivery for Jesus, slapping the dashboard maniacally with a big ol’ Georgia peach-eatin’ grin screaming “Hot damn son, get after after it!” as the tunes of Brent Cobb’s new album ‘Providence Canyon’ come blaring out of the speakers.
It comes up so often in the realm of music criticism: “If you don’t like something, just don’t listen.” But they’re missing the point. The point is not just about what music you like or you don’t like. And in some respects, the point is not about music at all.
It’s easy to pawn off the fault for the inappropriate moment on Kane Brown, but Kane is surprisingly saying he wasn’t on board with the moment either, and it was the ACM choreographers and producers who insisted on it. “It was super awkward. Lauren was like, ‘Might as well go ahead and grab his butt too!'”
If there’s any hope for the future of mainstream country music, it lies in songwriters like Lori McKenna. Whenever you see a quality song from a major label country artist, it’s uncanny how often Lori McKenna’s name comes up in the songwriting credits. True country fans know that if you want to find the best music, you have to go straight to the source.
It doesn’t matter if you’re playing your music with an acoustic or electric guitar. Are you testifying? Is it washed in the blood? Are you conveying your true emotions in all their ugliness? If the answer is “yes,” then it’s still roots, and righteous. And Other Arrangements is downright righteous, whatever you want to call it.
Country music in 2018: “Man Artist feat. Woman Artist.” Wash, rinse, repeat. This is one way to get Miranda Lambert back on the radio I guess, releasing Jason Aldean’s “Drowns The Whiskey” as a single. Too bad Jason Aldean has to be involved, and the only way virtually any woman gets on country radio these days is being “feat.”
Texas music and independent country continue to gain market share and offer a better, and more healthy alternative to the mainstream, and we’re continuing to see this reflected in the ever-expanding festival space. A new festival in Oregon is gearing up to offer the Pacific Northwest their first taste of the Texas festival experience.
We’re supposed to be avoiding discussion of Taylor Swift in country music. That wasn’t just the hope of traditional country fans who were glad to see her finally come out a few years ago and say that she wanted to be considered pop and pop only henceforth. That was the wish of Taylor Swift herself and the entire point of her “I’ve gone pop” declaration.
The best bands don’t begin as business ventures. They begin as groups of friends who get together to play a little music, and end up melding so well there’s no other choice but to start playing that music for others. Similarly, their success is organic, almost accidental. Even they may not know know it all happened exactly.
