Yarr there matees, it’s time once again to peruse over the lineup for the annual Outlaw Country Cruise, and ponder just exactly how “Outlaw” it is to board a luxury cruise ship bound for an exotic tropical destination, or if seawater will ruin your favorite black leather vest.
Rarely, if ever before have we seen an artist who illustrates both the complexity of American roots music, yet ratifies their striking similarity as Charley Crockett. He possesses the ability to intuitively blend various roots forms together naturally because he holds by God authenticity in multiple cultures where specific strains of roots music originated.
What Joshua Hedley has done on Mr. Jukebox is compose a haunting reenactment of country music from the 50’s, from the writing, to the phrasing, to the instrumentation and approach, marked by incredible detail, inferred by studious comprehension and tireless devotion to the effort…
Once again artists and fans will come from around the country and world to congregate in Nashville for AmericanaFest this September. Part industry conference, part fan festival, it combines scores of venues across Nashville for hundreds and performances and showcases. The 19th Annual festival will include some 250 performers.
Carrie Underwood co-produced her entire new record out in September. This takes Carrie Underwood—a top tier country performer—into virtually uncharted territory in the mainstream, at least in the near term. This move by Carrie Underwood is incredibly audacious for country, mainstream or otherwise, from a man or a woman.
Being an independent music artist is not easy. Adversity lurks everywhere, and the cards are stacked against you. But it’s nice to have auspicious enclaves of support to help you upon your journey. For many years, a small nonprofit radio station based in Seattle called KEXP has been that very thing for bands.
Just like country and Americana bands from places outside of the United States, local and regional bands can be an excellent hiding place for some of the best music being released in a given year that is going regularly overlooked by the rest of media. Left Arm Tan from Ft. Worth, TX fits right into that mold.
One of the most important men behind-the-scenes who had his hands deep in the iconic sounds of country music, while also keeping the flame of one of the most famous families in country history alive has passed away. Randy Scruggs, whose playing, writing, and producing ran deep throughout country music for decades, passed away on Tuesday.
When the Miranda Lambert camp announced the next single they’d be sending to country radio was the mid-tempo “Keeper of the Flame,” it didn’t leap off the page as a smart pick for today’s radio landscape. But that probably wasn’t the most important consideration that worked itself into the calculus.
Blackberry Smoke is once again #1 in country, at least when you consider pure album sales. Their most recent album Find A Light released on April 6th sold more cohesive records last week than any other country release according to the Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. They also charted in Rock and Americana.
In 10 years and 11 days of owning and operating Saving Country Music dot com, I have never once seen someone display such bold-faced effrontery and wanton disrespect for the gorgeous and historic institution of country music as this wash up and his $50,000 diamond-encrusted gauge earrings.
Hank3 has been out of the spotlight for the last few years as he takes an extended period off to reshuffle his personal life, but he has re-emerged recently as part of the heavy metal band DevilDriver’s upcoming tribute to Outlaw country called “Outlaws ‘Til The End” to be released July 6th.
Americana stalwart Jason Isbell has just loaded his tour schedule up with a ton of new tour dates with his band The 400 Unit, and fans better be on their toes because certain dates will sell out. Adding to previously-announced dates, he’s now announced additional dates starting in July and going into late September.
So here we go again. Another new Jason Aldean album, and another machine gunning of blistering arena rock guitars, braggadocios rural boy aphorisms, self-aggrandizing affirmations of what a badass he is, with very little substance or sincerity delivered between the lines to find enriching. But let’s also give Jason Aldean some due credit.
When we saw the expansive list of performances scheduled for the 2018 ACM Awards Sunday night (4-15) in Las Vegas, we knew something would need to be axed from the presentation to make room. During most every awards show in the modern era, performers and dignitaries of note who have passed away in the last year are honored.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the official 2018 ACM Awards LIVE blog. For those of you not familiar with this exercise, for the next three hours we will be ranting and raving, holding feet to the fire, showering others with praise who are worthy, and trying to make the excruciating practice of watching a country music show that much less painful.
All the information on the 53rd Annual ACM Awards in one place, including the presenters, the performers, the collaborations, the nominees, and other things to watch for. Will Chris Stapleton have another big night? What do traditional country fans have to look forward to (if anything)? And awards that have already been handed out.
Everything is better with a little bit of Alan Jackson. Even if it is just a full-sized cardboard cutout of him from the 90’s with a mullet pouring out of the back of his cowboy hat stuck in the corner of a record store, his mere presence reminds you of a time when popular country music didn’t completely suck.
We’re blessed to live in a time period when there are plenty of woman-led singing duos, trios, and quartets to peruse for your listening pleasure. But the one issue a lover of female harmonies who also happens to be a lover of country music will find is they often veer way more folk than what you’re hoping for. Enter the band El Coyote …
“Just book more women! Why is this so hard?” This is the question many women artists and their fans ask when the lineups of certain festivals in country music and beyond are released, and there is a clear imbalance between the amount of male and female performers, or in certain circumstances, no women performers at all.
Life is a strange thing. Most of John Prine’s songs are about that very topic. It’s been a weird, winding road for the legendary songwriter following the winding narratives of often weird songs from open mics in Chicago in the late 60’s, to now being considered one of the current living patron saints of Americana music.
The Country Music Hall of Fame has partnered with Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings to release a 36-song companion double album to coincide with what the public can expect to see and hear as part of the upcoming Outlaws & Armadillos exhibit. The track list of the album reveals just how deep the exhibit will go.
Carrie Underwood and songs like “Cry Pretty” will never be the cup of tea of many of country music’s more traditional fans. But it’s a far cry from the terrible pursuits of the Bro-Country era that now feel far in the past, and are quickly being replaced by a regime of more expressive, heartfelt, and enriching songs closer akin to country’s roots.
After the #1 success Chris Stapleton had with his previous single “Broken Halos,” his camp has called an audible last minute, and decided to switch up the next song they will send to radio. The rocking and heavy “Midnight Train to Memphis” from his latest album From A Room: Vol. 2 was supposed to be the next single.
