Sturgill made his first 2017 post-Grammy appearance at the Okeechobee, and many fans noticed there was no Laur Joamets, and no horns on stage with him. After the rumor mill got stirring in earnest, Sturgill addressed the issue directly on Sunday (3-5) afternoon.
Fans are so furious over the move, they have hammered The Ranch’s social media accounts with complaints, filled the station’s message board with missives of discontent, someone has set up a Facebook page boycotting the station, and program director/DJ Shayne Hollinger has even received threats of violence.
Joseph Huber now readies his fourth release overall ‘The Suffering Stage’ being self-released on April 21st, and has shared a new song “You Showed Me” that already has folks buzzing. Featuring steel guitar, which is a new sound for Huber, the new song and new album promise to expand the songwriter’s already devout following.
SXSW is an irresponsible mess that puts artists, media, industry, and local citizens in inhumane, and sometimes dangerous positions, even without activating any immigration rules. And hopefully this issue will expose the culture of control that ironically has allowed the event to get completely out of control, and will hopefully encourage SXSW to reform.
Justin Townes Earle is the newest signee to New West Records, and will be releasing his debut album on the label Kids In The Street on May 26th. The release will find Earle coming back into the Americana fold after releasing his last two records Single Mothers and Absent Fathers on Vagrant Records out of California.
Shinyribs is total ridiculousness, and only “country” in fleeting moments and by accident. This goes without saying, so save your comments about what Saving Country Music should and should not be discussing. It’s madness that Shinyribs has been taken in so lovingly and held close to the bosom by the Texas music scene as it has.
Ortega recently decided that her five-year stint in Nashville was no longer worth the struggle. She moved back to Canada, and almost decided to leave country music behind as well. But out of her struggles, losing her label, and looking for a way forward she has recorded a four-song EP called ‘Til The Goin’ Gets Gone.’
Announced Tuesday (2-28), Jamey Johnson has signed a new deal with music rights organization SESAC. Though these rights organization deals happen all the time on Music Row, with artists moving back and forth from ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC for various reasons, this one feels significant if for no other reason than the rhetoric that accompanies it.
Ben Dorcy is the nearly 92-year-old original roadie who started in 1950 and worked with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and June Carter, Jerry Jeff Walker, and even more modern artists like Randy Rogers and Jack Ingram. Though he may not be as well known as the artists themselves, Ben Dorcy is one of the most beloved individuals in all of Texas music.
On Tuesday (2-28), Sturgill Simpson addressed ticketing issues with his fans who are seeing these immediate sellouts and tickets getting posted for $400 and up on secondary sites, especially after his popularity has taken a sharp rise due to his Grammy awards and nominations, and a viral Saturday Night Live performance.
Windy City from Alison Krauss comes in at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart for the week ending February 23rd, and also comes in at #1 on the Bluegrass Album Chart, #2 on the Americana chart right behind Ryan Adams’ Prisoner, and #5 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
For 40 years, Don Markham was the horn player in Merle Haggard’s backing band, The Strangers. In fact he outlasted every other permanent member in the band, and aside from a few hiatuses throughout the years, was the only constant member. He also played on every single Merle Haggard release since 1974, though you may have not noticed him.
A tribute is finally planned for The Hag, and it promises to be a star-studded event. ‘Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard’ will take place at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Thursday, April 6th to honor what would have been Merle Haggard’s 80th birthday, and to mark the one year anniversary of his passing.
O’Toole had flown earlier on Saturday from Houston’s Hobby Airport to Amarillo, TX in preparation for a show at the GoldenLight Cafe and Cantina with the Corey Hunt Band. After arriving at the airport, he contacted an Uber ride to take him to his hotel.
‘Big Bad Luv’ promises to be a shift in John Moreland’s focus. Where before you could expect some of the most tear-soaked material you could hear in all of roots music, the new album is said to be more sentimental. This should not come as a shock to Moreland fans since he was recently married, and has seen a shift in his personal life.
After Sturgill Simpson and his recent album A Sailor’s Guide to Earth took home the trophy for Best Country Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards and was in contention for Album of the Year, some wondered if the ACM Awards would finally wise up and offer Sturgill Simpson a nomination.
If you’re going to make a movie based in West Texas about the destruction of the agrarian economy and the way the banks rape the poor and why so much of the American heartland has turned into a ghost town husk of what it once was, what better way to embellish the moments than to include the songs of artists like Ray Wylie Hubbard, Scott H. Biram, & Colter Wall?
If you want to appreciate just how far independent Texas country artist Aaron Watson has come with his career, take a moment to reflect that in 2017, he was asked to play the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo—the same big stage that Willie Nelson, and even big pop country names like Rascal Flatts and Dierks Bentley played this year.
Aaron Watson is an optimist, and a pragmatist. And though a swath of independent and traditional country fans tend to find themselves generally turned off by these things—only identifying with country music that breaks the heart—Aaron Watson is adhering to the very first rule of independent and traditional country: be authentic to yourself.
When you have a good song, most everything else tends to get in the way. That’s the case with “Barabbas.” Wise songwriters know that when you can put the weight of historical moments and important figures behind your song, you’re getting a vastly superior head start on your average, sappy love song.
There are those moments in music that will be forever immortalized for one reason or another, whether it’s the writing of a legendary song, a once-in-a-lifetime performance or collaboration, or the birth of a new genre or era. One such moment transpired in College Station, TX in 1976 not far from the corners of Church and Boyett streets.
Editor’s Note: This is a contribution to Saving Country Music by Zac McDaniel who is a freelance writer. Zac is also a rancher and small business owner from Oklahoma. Along with immersing himself in the music of others he is also an aspiring songwriter. He enjoys spending time with his wife, children and Gibson guitar. […]
As we near the end of February and look forward to spring every year, it becomes time for the annual exercise to pontificate on who perhaps the CMA will deem worthy for induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. About this time the secret CMA-approved committee is going over their final ballots and whittling down the precious names to the few who will make it.
Foul-mouthed country music star Wheeler Walker Jr. is furious after crowdfunding and merch fulfillment site PledgeMusic pulled pre-orders for his new album Ol’ Wheeler on Wednesday (2-22) due to concerns over the content, Saving Country Music has confirmed.
