With Alan Jackson behind it, you know the album’s going to be country. For over 30 years, Jackson has been like a bulwark against the incursion of pop, he’s still doing what he can from his perch as a country music elder statesman to keep it on track.
After staring long in the mirror, meditating on the subject, counseling with mentors, and rewatching the introduction to The Muppet Movie from 1979, I have resolved in my heart that yes, this a hill I am willing to die on.
Uncle Lucius played their final show in March of 2018 to a packed room at Gruene Hall in Texas, but the legacy of the band has continued to resonate through their music even here into 2021. On January 21st, “Keep The Wolves Away” was Certified Gold by the RIAA.
In the latest sign of the Tyler Childers permeation in culture—and specifically with the younger audiences that some may be surprised find so much appeal in his music—this week not one, but two contestants on American Idol performed Tyler Childers songs.
With all of the concern over the swell of violence against Asian Americans lately, the question has come up in certain circles, “Are there any Asian Americans making country music?” Well I’m glad you asked, and hell yeah there are. In fact 2020 was actually a banner year for Asian Americans.
Getting into the Texas theme (or at least, a country one), Post Malone threw everyone for a curve ball by borrowing Dwight Yoakam’s band, and busting out a few country songs at Matthew McConaughey’s Texas benefit Sunday night.
Let’s make something patently clear: Kenny Wayne Shepherd is not a “motherf______ racist” as was accused by the daughter of Muddy Waters, Mercy Morganfield, which led to Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s nomination for a Blues Music Award to be rescinded.”
Sorry all you “Flattheads,” Rascal Flatts is done. Do not pass ‘Go.’ Do not collect $200. It’s finito. Curtains. Even their supposed “farewell tour” that they announced in January of 2020 to drive up tickets sales that was delayed due to COVID-19 won’t be happening at all now.
Broken Bow artist Jimmie Allen is continuing to be one of the few artists in mainstream country who is willing to speak out and stick up for Morgan Wallen in the aftermath of Wallen getting caught on camera saying the N-word on February 2nd.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2021 edition of the Saving Country Music Grammy Awards LIVE blog! For the next three hours or so, we’ll be following along with the live broadcast, sharing completely unscripted and off-the-cuff quips, criticisms, praises, and observations.
The majority of the high-profile bellyaching about the Grammys is coming from self-absorbed millionaire entertainers whose livelihoods and legacies are secured. It’s selfish and shortsighted of them to criticize an organization that gives the majority of its awards to deserving artists.
Promoting a festival on a small tropical island at the tip of Florida is tough enough. Trying to do it these trying times makes it even tougher. Co-owner Kyle Carter talks below about some of the challenges they’ve faced to pull off Mile 0 Fest 2021, and the precautions they’re taking.
On Sunday (2-28), Tyler Childers released a video of himself performing his song “Nose On The Grindstone” acoustic and alone, standing at center stage at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The video was posted a year to the day that Childers performed at the Rupp
It’s that time of year again to consider who might be in the running for the precious few spots as the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. A secret committee commissioned by the CMA is going over their final ballots and whittling down the names to the few who will make it.
Didn’t we just endure an installment of the ACM Awards just a few short months ago? Well yes we did. But thanks to COVID-19 the last cycle was protracted, and here it has come back around again. Whoopee. Get ready for (mostly) the same parade of names that get nominated every year.
Alan Jackson: Mustache, jeans, dirty blonde hair, and a cowboy hat. ‘Nuff said. Ain’t nobody who’s had so much success in country music that has kept it as country as Alan Jackson. Part and parcel with all of that is the rarity to ever see Alan Jackson without a cowboy hat on.
“When I was riding up and down the roads in Iraq, I knew there was a chance there were mines or IEDs on either side of the road. But I didn’t anticipate that when you file something as innocuous as placing a statue after a beloved Tennessean, there would be as many mines along this path.”
If you frequent this dark, moldy corner of the internet, you don’t need anyone to clue you into who Colter Wall is, or convince you of his genius. The reigning Saving Country Music Artist of the Year reigns supreme in your musical ethos already. But despite all the high-profile endorsements, Colter is still a relative unknown.
The last decade or so has been a slow and strange awakening to the very unexpected, but also super cool relationship that actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has enjoyed with country music, from shouting out artists, being cast to play Charley Pride.
As the criticism of the country music industry at large continues to pour in following the aftermath of Morgan Wallen’s N-word video, his Dangerous: The Double Album spends its now fifth week firmly atop the Billboard 200 for being far and away the best selling and streaming album in all of music.
Congratulations, woke Twitter. You have officially blocked the effort to erect a statue of Dolly Parton in the Tennessee State House in Nashville, certifying that the current statue of Ku Klux Klan leader and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest remains ensconced.
The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating its 95th Anniversary with a big primetime special on Sunday, February 14th on NBC. Called ‘Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music,’ it comes as the Opry is enjoying arguably one of its biggest resurgences in interest in the institution’s history.
The eliminating the National Anthem could have major implications on the music world that need to be discussed in the debate. Performing the National Anthem is often one of the most important stepping stones in an amateur or professional musician’s career.
Ha! This is great. So at some point during the last installment of Mile 0 Fest in Key West, FL in early 2020, a bunch of independent country artists primarily from the Texas scene took the time to read bad reviews of their music. It’s like a mean Tweets segment featuring some of your favorite artists.