“Meant To Be” recently helped Florida Georgia Line shatter what once was thought a bulletproof record—George Strait’s cumulative frames for songs cresting a week at #1. With a whopping 45 total #1’s spanning over a quarter century in the business, there’s a reason Strait earned the nickname “King” George over his Hall of Fame career.
Once again Brandi Carlile has proven why she is a gem of independent roots music, and an asset to the planet. While other people have talked, planned, promised, and threatened to throw an all-girl festival or tour in the roots realm, Carlile has hauled off and actually done it.
For the first time—at least in physical form—Willie Nelson’s earliest recordings have been compiled together and released as a proper album. Called ‘Things To Remember–The Pamper Demos,’ it contains the very first recordings of what would go on become some of Willie Nelson’s most iconic songs.
“I’ve been wanting to do a tour like this for years and years, so I’m thrilled that it is finally happening,” says Corb Lund. “We’re playing a bunch of places we’ve never been before and it’s long overdue. I grew up in a rodeo and ranching family and I write songs about western life, so it makes sense for me to do a tour focused on this part of America.”
Freshly provisioned for your summer road trip, the Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist has been reinforced with some doozies of modern country greatness. Leading the charge is the staunchly traditional singer and songwriter Shane Owens, with the lead track off of his recently-released EP “It’s a Southern Thing.”
Eric Church promised big news, and delivered by announcing the release of his latest record, as well as a new single, both of which will be called “Desperate Man.” Most had anticipated the announcement of a new album and a new single. But what none of us foresaw was the tie-in with Texas music legend Ray Wylie Hubbard.
After a long hiatus from the public spotlight, Loretta Lynn is back working, and putting preparations together to release her latest album, Wouldn’t It Be Great. The country music legend suffered a mild stroke on May 5th, 2017, which required her to cancel her upcoming performances, and delay the release of the album.
It puts Miranda Lambert in an elite class of country music performers, including Cowboy Jack Clement, Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Connie Smith, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Rosanne Cash, and last year’s Artist-In-Residence, Jason Isbell.
An oral history on the life of songwriting legend Billy Joe Shaver is on the way. Called ‘Live Forever: The Songwriting Legacy of Billy Joe Shaver,’ it will be about Shaver’s life and songs told through his peers, friends, and disciples like Ray Wylie Hubbard, Dale Watson, James McMurtry, Scott H. Biram, Dallas Moore, and Jessi Colter.
Canadian country folk artist and formidable singer Colter Wall has just released a new song as the first taste from an upcoming album called “Calgary Round-Up.” Colter Wall captivates audiences by evoking the ghosts of folk and country’s past with his haunting voice and primitive style.
The last time we heard new music from Eric Church, it was when he unexpectedly dropped ‘Mr. Misunderstood’ now over 2 1/2 years ago. The news comes after it was revealed earlier this week that Eric Church’s younger brother Brandon passed away at the age of 36. Brandon Church was also a songwriter.
In the last 73 weeks of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, there have only been five total songs to crest the chart. That means that over the past 1 1/2 years, two songs have occupied the chart’s top spot 89% of the time. And those two artists very specifically benefit from pop attention.
Willie Nelson’s 2018 4th of July Picnic in Austin, TX was disrupted by heavy thunderstorms that moved through the area on Wednesday, resulting in cancellations in numerous performances. Being held at the Circuit of the Americas just south of Austin proper, fans were told to take shelter at roughly 2:30 p.m.
Now that so many fans made the trek last year and were happy to report it was no Fyre Fest—it was perhaps one of the best festivals they’ve ever attended—they’ll be lining up for tickets this year too, especially with such an impressive 2nd year lineup.
If you’re looking for the next generation’s version of Emmylou Harris, Kristina Murray is not a bad place to start your quest. A hidden gem of east Nashville and a regular at the Honky Tonk Tuesday Night events at the local American Legion Post 82, she’s been seen as a duet partner with J.P. Harris and other cohorts occasionally.
Willie Nelson calls Frank Sinatra a “close friend,” and the two played shows together in Las Vegas, and even once recorded a PSA for NASA together. “I learned a lot about phrasing listening to Frank,” Willie says. “He didn’t worry about behind the beat or in front of the beat, or whatever – he could sing it either way…”
Co-produced by Lucas and Will Johnson of Centro-matic, and engineered and recorded by Steve Albini, it captures Austin returning to his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, both spiritually and physically after years hacking away at the business in Nashville and elsewhere.
Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt have all received individual distinctions aplenty over the years, with both Dolly and Emmylou being members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Ronstadt a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But now all three of these important and iconic country music women will be honored together.
Joining artists such as Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, Margo Price, and Cody Jinks, now Michigan native, California convert, and hard-charging traditional country artist Whitey Morgan and his backing band The 78’s have been bestowed the opportunity to play the Mother Church this summer.
The Willie Nelson camp has released the particulars for the 33rd Annual Farm Aid benefit concert, this year taking place September 22nd in Connecticut at the Xfinity Arena in Hartford. This will be the first time the longest-running concert for a cause in America will be held in Connecticut, which is home to 6,000 farms.
Here in 2018 and before, country music insurgents and songwriters Sunny Sweeney and Ward Davis have been teaming up on what they’ve been calling the “High On Honky Tonk Tour,” and they have recently released a whole bunch of new dates for the tour’s latest installment. Sharing the same management, they make a favorable touring pair.
Originally appearing on John Baumann’s 2014 record ‘High Plains Alchemy,’ the song has the nautical references common to a Kenny Chesney tune, but is much more poetic and deep than a beach bum ditty—more indicative of a song you may have heard from Guy Clark back in the day, or perhaps James McMurtry.
Cody Jinks has been taken to the hospital after attempting to play a show on Friday night (6-22) at the SumTur Amphitheater in Papillion, Nebraska near Omaha, and was unable to perform after complaining of dizziness. He was taken away from the venue in an ambulance according to concertgoers.
Downright giddiness accompanies getting to add new songs to the Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist this round due to the quality of the new selections. Of course the new single from Cody Jinks called “Must Be The Whiskey” was going to make the list, but it’s the new discoveries from under-the-radar artists that are the most exciting.