When Amazon announced 50 $5 albums for August I thought it was a one off deal, but September has dawned with 50 new ones, and just like last time, there are killer names right beside the mainstream ones.
As you can see, there have been some changes to the site. Yeah, there’s a new look, but really that was not the point of changing things up. The point was to add some new cool features. The main point of this redesign was to add nesting comments. I’ve always said, comments are the most important part of any article. So much great information and interesting opinions come out in the comments…
Hey Ryan, it’s me, Country Music. I’ve been hearing some interesting things lately, about how you’re eager to dispel that your music is country. This puts me in a weird position, because I’m used to people using my name to call things “country” that are not. But I heard your first two albums, and though I wouldn’t say they are solidly country…
First off thanks to the few, but vocal readers that reached out to me in the past few days, wondering if I was passed out in a ditch or something after a week elapsed without any new articles. No, I was not on a vacation. Truth is I’ve been working as hard as ever to […]
Last week an article was posted on No Depression lamenting the glossification of bluegrass. Of course my first thought was to point out bands like Trampled By Turtles, The .357 String Band, Split Lip Rayfield, The Hackensaw Boys, Larry & His Flask, and many others. But aside from that, I think you can make a […]
This week pop country duo Sugarland released a video for their first single off the album The Incredible Machine due out in October. The album is supposedly inspired by “Steampunk,” a brand of science fiction set in an era when steam power is still widely used, but there’s also futuristic and sometimes fantasy elements. The […]
The best way to buy records is directly from artists at the merch table, or directly from their website if possible. This way the biggest chunk goes directly to the artist. The next best thing is to buy from one of the last of the dying local record stores, though this is becoming less of […]
At some point the world is going to have to wake up to just what an amazing talent Lucky Tubb is. This is not just another guy with a famous name doing a hokey neo-traditional bit, this is a singular talent with generations of music history to uphold and move forward. In my review of […]
Usually when actors and artists from other music genres make a move to get some of that sweet, sweet nectar from the voluptuous and lucrative pop country tit, it’s my job to pull down their pants and laugh at their privates for “going country.” I’ve seen probably two dozen websites and “E news” reports saying […]
2010 is turning out to be a bumper crop year for REAL country music, and no, I’m not just saying that to be a cheerleader for the “scene.” I’ll be the first to admit that last year was a terrible year for new releases, save for a few great ones from the Bloodshot Record’s gang […]
When it boils right down to it, what is it going to take to Save Country Music? Hard work, education, and grass roots efforts are one way, but the magic bullet would be an artist that could rise above all the arguments dividing country music, and offer widespread appeal through a new approach while also […]
You’ve asked for it, and now it’s here @ www.savingcountrymusic.com/calendar. The idea behind this calendar is to try and further connect the underground country community. What you can find on the calendar is: Podcast/radio show times and locations Concert dates from core bands Album release dates and other special dates Important dates in country music […]
Warren Zevon at first glance would not strike you as one to have a lot of “influence” in the realm of country music. I always knew him through his bit songs like “Werewolves of London,” which became an immediate punch out after years of being tirelessly run into the ground through Clear Channel’s shallow song […]
When I first heard Old Crow’s self-titled album, I ate it right up. With instant classics like “Tell It To Me” and “Wagon Wheel,” OCMS became a popular band for such a rootsy, raw sound, and a major influence in alt-country/roots music. But as I listened to that album and their subsequent releases, my mood […]
Today is the release date of Hank Williams III’s album Rebel Within. This is his sixth and final album with label Curb Records, meaning that he is now a free man, finally done after a 14 year battle with Curb over creative control and timely release of his music. And Hank III isn’t the only […]
Every once in a while I will get worked up about something or another on here, and it takes someone sending me a message saying, “Dude, it’s just music, and decaf is your friend,” to get me calmed down. This is a good point, we are just talking about music here. Or are we? This […]
When I saw Roger Alan Wade a few weeks back at the musINK Festival in Dallas, afterward we headed over to a burger joint to talk about his cousin Johnny Knoxville, Outlaw music, Roger getting clean and sober among other things. The 9513 published a transcript of parts of that conversation that you can read […]
Nashville was lucky. During the early 20th Century, many cities could have ended up with the “Music City” moniker. Tulsa had a bustling music scene, with Bob Wills playing weekly at Cain’s ballroom. Bakersfield, CA had the best recording studios west of the Mississippi and was a magnet for the Southern talent that had migrated […]
The internet is exercised today over the fact that Taylor Swift did not win any hardware at last night’s ACM Awards. Fans are looking for the fix, and haters are wondering if this is the end of the Taylor fad. Well, you’re both wrong. Back when she blew her performance at the Grammy’s her manager […]
About a year ago a guy named Elvis Proctor started a record label called Pint of Happiness. The idea was simple: a record label for the masses; a way for underground artists to get their music to their fans without going through the hassles of dealing with traditional music labels. The idea was great. Execution […]
As I first reported here, Michigan-based honky tonk band Whitey Morgan & The 78’s have signed with Chicago-based independent label Bloodshot Records. Both times I saw them at South by Southwest, their live show did not disappoint. Whitey might be the closest thing to Waylon you can see these days. There’s a lot of bands […]
We have a few issues facing us in the Outlaw/Underground/Insurgent/True/REAL/Hellbilly/Neo-traditionalist country movement. The first is how many different words are used to describe the music and artists that have created a small, but very strong music scene with a loyal following. Not only are there many terms, but these terms mean different things to different […]
It will probably be easier to name of the bands and artists that WON’T be at South by Southwest in Austin, TX this week than to even begin trying to make a list of the ones I’m hoping to see. In fact I’m learning before I even get there that the most maddening thing about […]
This is going to be a long one, so read what you wish. So forces that are completely out of my control have made necessary to shake up the social networking situation that I use to communicate with you, my sweet and loyal readers. This is not something I want to do, but I must […]