The Tulsa, Oklahoma native is currently in the hospital after discovering he was suffering from a major heart issue. After running numerous tests, it has been determined he needs a new heart valve, and will be undergoing heart surgery. The serious health issue comes right as he is set to release his latest record “Tail Lights in a Boomtown.”
Man has it been a frenetic last few weeks with the amount of marquee album announcements we’ve had for 2018’s most anticipated records, along with some excellent songs unveiled ahead of the releases. There’s also been the actual release of a couple of stellar albums that may go on to be crowned some of the best in all of 2018.
It’s the local flavor, the authenticity, the dedication to themselves, their fans, the music, and the true-to-life dues paid by Mike and the Moonpies that make them darn near the perfect embodiment of the Austin, TX dance hall and dive bar band so many want to emulate, but so few want to put in the sweat or make the sacrifices to actually become.
“Classic country is like a suit. Nothing about a men’s suit has changed in like 100 years. Classic never goes out of style. Something can’t be a throwback if it’s never been out of style. Not everything is Coors Light and tailgates. There are other aspects of life that aren’t so great that people experience.”
I’m sorry, but Luke Bryan’s “Most People Are Good” is a good song. It’s a really good song. And we’re all just going to have to deal with that in whatever way we individually see fit, however painful it might be. The biggest problem with “Most People Are Good” is that Luke Bryan sings it.
Country music supergroup Western Centuries have announced their second album Songs from the Deluge to be released via Free Dirt Records. A follow up to their well-received debut, 2016’s ‘Weight of the World,’ it combines the songwriting and voices of three distinct artist into one sound.
On Wednesday morning (1-31), Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives hand delivered new artist renderings of the planned project to the Mississippi State Capitol, accompanied by a press conference and a performance. Plans are for a museum, event space, and the “Marty Stuart Center” where attendees can learn about the country music business.
Hey mom, look! I made Texas Monthly! …wait, what? Well you know what they say, always attack up. I just wish that if they were going to devote nearly their entire article to reefing little ol’ Saving Country Music in the nuts when I was nothing more than a bit player in a much bigger issue, they could have at least put my name in the headline.
The song is complete trash of course, with paint-by-the-numbers lyrics, and absolutely no acumen evidenced in the composition. But the best (or worst) part is this entire thing—in the immortal words of Ralphie from ‘A Christmas Story’—is nothing more than “a crummy commercial.”
From the lowly and remote outpost for underground country that is Salt Lake City, amid the spires of Latter Day Saints churches and the shimmering mountains cutting into the sky, you will find two old souls by the name of Ryan Eastlyn and Braxton Brandenburg, known collectively as the Ugly Valley Boys.
As much of the country music nervous system was affixed to the 60th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (1-28), another high-profile event was happening down in Tampa, Florida where the NHL was holding their annual All-Star Game. “Country” artist Brett Young is a native of the area and was tapped to sing the National Anthem.
Chris Stapleton’s “All American Road Show” tour has just released an additional 36 dates, taking the Kentucky singer and songwriter all across the United States. Along for the ride will be openers Brent Cobb, and Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives.
Cody Jinks will release a new record in 2018. It will be named Lifers and it will be delivered in “no later than June.” And we also know it will be Cody Jinks, because that is who he is, and what he does. The other thing Cody Jinks has is a plan, and a fan base.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2018 installment of Saving Country Music’s Grammy Awards LIVE blog! As the night goes on I’ll be peppering you with my observations and rolling commentary as we all watch along together, adding some incendiary snark where possible, and showing others with accolades if they deserve it.
The Grammy for ‘The Nashville Sound’ adds to an already-impressive list of accolades for the record, including winning the Americana Music Award for Album of the Year, as well as the very surprising nomination for Album of the Year by the Country Music Association, or CMA. Isbell also wins for “If We Were Vampires”
All of the information to get you prepared for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, including the performances, the presenters, the nominees, and what to watch for in regards to the greater country music realm. It could be a big night for Chris Stapleton and others, and country performers will get some of the marquee performances.
At 12:01 last night (or this morning), after all the hands had been shaken, and all the hugs exchanged on the Saturday Night Live set in New York’s Rockefeller Center, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. Okay, now you’re supposed to just nestle into bed and act like that didn’t just happen?
Chris Stapleton is scheduled to make his second appearance on Saturday Night Live this Saturday evening, January 27th, and it appears he will be bringing fellow Kentucky native Sturgill Simpson along with him. This SNL appearance could be the beginning of a very big run for Stapleton to start off 2018.
Earlier this week numerous outlets, including US Weekly, Fox News, E Online, and scores of country music blogs asserted that Miranda Lambert had newly revamped the lyrics to her song “Little Red Wagon” to take a jab at Blake Shelton. Now they’re saying Blake is firing back. But neither is true.
The Pickathon Festival just outside of Portland, Oregon has just announced the initial lineup for their 20th Anniversary season, and like most every year, numerous important luminaries from the effort to help save country music have made the cut.
Zac Brown just can’t help himself. You can’t fault the guy for wanting to follow his musical passions, if in fact that’s the motivation here and not just padding his pockets. But he’s broken a promise to country fans once again by releasing a song that is admittedly not country to country radio.
What happened to Justin Timberlake making a country record, or at least including some country or “earthy” Americana on it? I can’t tell you. However “Say Something”—the studio track that is—delivers somewhat on Timberlake’s more updated promise of Man of the Woods being “Americana with 808’s.”
Journeywoman songwriter and closet singer/performer Caitlyn Smith just released perhaps the best country pop record to grace the roster of Music Row projects in a half a decade or more, and we should all be embarrassed and inconsolably incredulous it took so damn long for this voice and these songs to get their proper due.
Southern rock Gods Lynyrd Skynyrd—or at least what’s left of them—have announced a massive final farewell tour, planning to leave the stage afterwards for good in the midst of a few of the post-1977 crash member’s declining health, including primary leader Gary Rossington who has suffered from heart issues over the past few years.
