A Tennessee Bureau of Investigations case is open into Howard’s death at the hands of the bounty hunters—a father/son duo working for A Plus Bail Bonding in Dunlap, TN. But the main question many friends and fans of the slain artist are asking is why did Howard have to die over a simple bench warrant, and did he believe he was acting in self-defense against an intruder?
Batten down the hatches, and brushen up on your freedom of expression barbs because the most controversial and successful female band in American music history is dusting off the cobwebs and getting ready for a European tour stint that could be the precursor to a re-invasion of the United States and a relauncing of their […]
It isn’t often that a musician achieves an illustrious 15-year career that includes five number one hits, Grammy Award nominations, feature film contributions, producer credits and the respect of his peers before he ever releases his first solo album. But Chris Stapleton isn’t your average musician. The near-universal critical acclaim that has been heaped upon his debut album “Traveller” has been nothing short of amazing.
Fresh off of his sold-out theater tour this late winter and spring, and a host of festival appearances at Coachella, Stagecoach, Bonnaroo, and others, insurgent country artist Sturgill Simpson has just announced a slew of new tour dates as part of his “Living The Dream Tour.” Focusing on theater-sized venues, a few choice opening spots, some more summer festivals….
Artist manager Jon Hensley was unexpectedly found dead in his home in Bowling Green, KY on June 1st, and nearly two weeks later, questions still remain on how the 31-year-old manager for Wanda Jackson and Shooter Jennings passed away. The investigation into his death remains an open matter according to the Bowling Green Police detective assigned to the case, Jared Merriss.
The Deslondes is not a songwriters project per se. This is not a superpicking troupe or a project that’s all about exuding a bunch of punk energy through unplugged instruments. On paper, this band doesn’t work at all. It’s too busy, there’s no discernible frontman, and there’s nothing fashionable or cutting edge about their approach or style. But The Deslones have something that every band wants but few have…
As Nashville filled up this week with music fans from around the country for the annual CMA Fest, the inaugural Country FanJam was planned for the Tennessee State Fairgrounds just south of downtown. Featuring two stages, food and craft vendors, and four days of entertainment beginning on Thursday, over 40 separate acts were booked on the two stages.
Luke Bryan isn’t just the current king of the country music charts, he’s been the reigning MVP for epic stage fails over the last few years as well. Country music’s Gomer Pyle has taken not one, not two, but three major stage dives over the last couple of years during his arena concerts, but his latest stage fail might be the biggest “gas” yet.
In the continued bastardization and exploitation of the term “country music,” the second-largest media conglomerate in the world, The Disney Corporation, has announced they’re getting into the country radio business to brainwash your children and tweens into believing Kelsea Ballerini has anything remotely to do with “country.”
Don Henley, the singer and drummer for the Eagles, will be releasing a country album called Cass County via Capitol Record—his first solo album in 15 years. This was the news coming out of an exclusive listening party held at the Ruby event space as part of this week’s CMA Fan Fest in Nashville. And don’t expect this to be an aging rocker looking for a second wind in country by chasing the current trends.
Kacey Musgraves has found her niche, and she’s not wavering. When she released “Biscuits,” which was so eerily similar to “Follow Your Arrow” (partly because the two songs were dreamed up in the same writing session), we assured ourselves that it was just one song, and once we hear the full breath of Musgraves’ upcoming album Pageant Material it would exhibit much more variety.
Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Jim Ed Brown has died. He passed away Thursday, June 11th at the Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, TN after a long battle with lung Cancer. Though Jim Ed’s Cancer originally diagnosed in September of 2014 had gone into remission earlier this year, the country star recently announced it had returned.
If you’re going to release a country music song that is likely to completely alienate the core of your fan base and cut against the grain of all of the long-standing principles of your career, it better be commercially successful. Otherwise you’ve angered the constituency that helped create your success in the first place, and you haven’t even added any new members to your fandom.
Outlaw Country Artist Randy Howard, a major label recording artist best known for his humorous and explicit anthem “All American Redneck,” was shot and killed by a bounty hunter in his home in Lynchburg, Tennessee on Tuesday night (6-9), and some are wondering why the songwriter had to die over a bench warrant.
A massive Waylon Jennings tribute show in Austin, TX has just been announced, and the lineup is something to salivate over. Set to transpire on July 6th and Austin’s Moody Theater (where Austin City Limits is taped), organizers Blackbird Music Group made use of the fact that many of the big names would already be […]
Sam Outlaw is not his real name. Well, not really. His real name is Sam Morgan. But his mother’s maiden name is Outlaw, so it’s close. But he’s not a real Outlaw. Nor is he a real cowboy, even though he apparently owns a fine collection of over half a dozen Stetsons. The 32-year-old Sam Outlaw was an advertising salesman up to a few months ago.
Thoughts and prayers continue to pour in for Randy Rogers, his wife Chelsea Rogers, and the entire Rogers family after the Texas country star revealed that his recently-born daughter Rumer passed away Tuesday night (6-9) after battling a rare brain condition. A memorial for the newborn is being planned. “She died in our arms and in no pain. She was absolutely beautiful in every way,” Randy said in a statement.
Well that’s it folks. If we weren’t starring at the moment when any and all vestiges of the roots of country music had been completely eradicated from the mainstream before, then we are certainly doing so right now. It’s no longer a narrative about trying to hold onto the last little pieces of what made country music different from other genres.
Fans of the hard-charging sound and weighty songwriting of the Oklahoma-based Texas country band The Turnpike Troubadours will have their wishes answered when the band releases their latest, self-titled album. The release follows their highly-acclaimed 2012 offering Goodbye Normal Street, and will surely be one of the most welcomed releases of 2015 in Texas country and beyond.
But like a diamond, true talent has a tendency to shine through the darkness and Patton’s skill as a singer-songwriter has done just that. She is quickly becoming a driving force within the Red Dirt and Texas music scenes. Patton married fellow musician Jason Eady in March of last year and released So This Is Life today (6-9).
The Ft. Worth Zoo is considered one of the Top 5 zoos in the United States, and the best zoo in Texas. And to show off a little bit of their Texas spirit, the zoo has decided to name two new arrivals after a couple of Texas musicians known for standing tall over the competition. After some careful consideration the Ft. Worth Zoo decided to name the brothers “Willie” and “Waylon” respectively.
I know the sense is that music is always getting worse and there will never be any improvement, but the end of 2014 had some promising signs with the decline of Bro-Country. Unfortunately though, where Bro-Country ended, Metro-Politan began, and now we have a new generation of artists and songs to contend with in the effort to saving country music.
The summer concert season in country music has only just begun, and already were beginning to see concerning stories about how this year could be just as bad or worse than last year for concert behavior. The 91 arrests beg the question if we are truly seeing worse behavior than previous years at country concerts, or if it is a symptom of better reporting, and more aggressive enforcement at concerts.
Written solely by Carlson, the 5-song Release Me EP is a throwback, honky-tonkin, foot-stompin’ true country affair that lays full throttle on the twang and layers in the steel guitar hard and heavy. But this isn’t just all about styling and posturing to prove how country it is. Darci crafts some really smart songs and has an understanding of chords and arrangement and songwriting that separates her from the crowd.
