Rachel Brooke has never been more country, her voice has never been showcased so exquisitely, her songwriting has never been so sharp and clever, and the music has never been so complimentary as it is on her new album.
Every once in a while, the releases on a given Friday get so hectic, it becomes imperative to offer an addendum to the regular Release Radar. Friday, April 24th is one of those days.
Love or hate Struggle Jennings or this album specifically, he is part of the extended family of Waylon Jennings and country music through his real grandfather Duane Eddy. He’s definitely also wrestled with demons.
Zach Top’s rhythm guitarist and harmony singer Cheyenne Dalton Meyer has been let go from his backing band. It also appears that Zach Top’s bass player and Cheyenne’s husband Jimmy Meyer is also no longer with Zach.
That is what “Vengeance and Grace” is about—attacking those parts of yourself that present self-defeating weaknesses, but also not being so hard on yourself (or others) that you veer into self-destruction.
Located in a house that was built in the 1930’s, The Redbird listening room has become one of the most beloved performance spaces for patrons to see their favorite artists in, and for performers themselves.
When you can sit back and boast about how you played on the signature songs from both Dolly Parton and Roy Orbison, you can very well claim you left your mark on American culture.
The 2026 Two Step Inn festival in Georgetown, TX could have gone down as a big disappointment for patrons. But in truth, the rain made for some really memorable moments.
Now with women and a more traditional country sound surging in popularity in country, perhaps this will be the perfect time for Miranda Lambert to catch that second wind.
One country music relationship of Gram Parsons that has rarely been explored or publicly broadcast is his interactions with country legend and California native Merle Haggard. On the surface the two came from different worlds.
It’s often when adversity hits that some of the most memorable moments in music happen. Wyatt Flores got rained out at the Two Step Inn, so decided to play a pop up show at Sagebrush with Evan Honer.
The worry was that weather would become a factor Saturday (4-18) for the first day of the massive Two Step Inn in Georgetown, TX, just north of Austin. It turned out to be a big one.
Discussions involving Vincent’s new album “Blue Stars” should commence upon whether it’s to be considered a career effort. Emerson made sure to really keep the passion up for twelve consistent tracks.
They gave Don Schlitz all the accolades they could, because Don Schlitz gave us so many of the songs that contributed so much to our lives. Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” might have been where it started.
Some will read the headline and say, “Come on. This is ridiculous and alarmist.” Others will say, “Well of course it is. You’ve been reporting on this stuff for going on two decades. Aren’t you being a master of the obvious?”
Is the ruling a victory? Sure it is, and a big one. But we are far away from Live Nation and Ticketmaster being split up, scalpers and bots being brought to heel, and something nearing an equitable ticketing ecosystem.
When it comes to live shows, Jamey Johnson is the true keeper of the flame in traditional country. There are many other performers out there tearing down the road. But a Jamey Johnson concert isn’t just a “show.”
It’s Alex Miller’s use of devastating heartbreak and strong sentimentality chased by silly humor that scratches multiple country itches during More Country Than You’s ten tracks.
Something that many fans of Gram Parsons and his legacy have been strongly advocating for is finally unfolding. Gram Parson will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But no, it’s not the country one.
This is the kind of weird Spacey Kacey stuff we’ve been waiting and hungering for. When she was off trying to be a pop star, signing modeling deals, and hanging out at the Met Gala, it was a total bore.
2026 will mark 30 years of the Texas Music Revolution Fest in McKinney, TX, hosted by radio station 95.3 KHYI in Dallas that shirks the same tired pop country format that has infected the airwaves coast to coast.
The continued frustration with how the media and journalists decidedly outside of the country music fold decide to commentate on the genre irresponsibly was sent into the stratosphere recently by an article in NY Mag.
Big Hat has dovetailed their mission with helping to spread the word about independent music native to Texas, doing what they can to support songwriters and performers through their growing platform.
Songwriting showcase “The Hook” has a series of new shows scheduled for Sunday afternoons in May at Austin’s favorite honky tonk and music venue, Sagebrush on South Congress.
