Tony Logue and his band have the uncanny ability to cut through all the pretentiousness that seems to permeate most all contemporary music to serve real and raw human emotions free from embellishment.
Even before Jesse Welles wrote, recorded, and released this fully formed 10-song studio album amid sometimes daily song releases on social media, his musical output hovered somewhere near the impossible.
There is no easy or succinct way to regard The War and Treaty’s new album Plus One. It starts off terribly, but goes on to include perhaps some of the best songs of their entire catalog. It’s not really country at all, until it is…
Already opening shows for Zach Top, he’s got a similar sound to Zach, is a good guitar player as well, but it’s Cole Goodwin’s songwriting that is garnering attention, and distinguishing him from other neotraditionalist.
Even those well versed in the wide expanses of the Western music canon will be strongly intrigued and delighted to hear the decidedly singer/songwriter-style of Western music that Cam Pierce crafts.
Similar to many recent Super Bowl halftime performances, the Grammy Awards were primarily dominated by lip-synced performances and choreographic dancing without a live instrument to be seen on stage.
Even among the wave of new country performers, Ty Myers is still unique. At only 17, he’s just a pup with ruddy cheeks. But he stands confidently on stage, writes his own songs, and sings them with a strong and soulful delivery.
Inspired by Lafayette and the greater Acadiana region, expect Cajun, expect country, expect some swamp pop and vintage R&B. But most importantly, expect the distinct, the savory, and the unexpected from Miss Tess’s Cher Rêve.
The name will probably be familiar to independent country fans. Whether you’ve seen it ascribed as TJ McFarland, or his stage name Tennessee Jet, he’s a primary member of the Cody Jinks songwriting collective.
Some folks forget that comedy in some ways is just as integral to the classic versions of country music as fiddle and steel guitar. It’s just that all of these elements have been forsaken by certain modern versions of commercial country.
What happens at Mile 0 Fest in Key West doesn’t stay in Key West. It resonates throughout the Texas/ Red Dirt world, into Americana, and throughout independent country for the rest of the year.
Promising to deliver a unifying moment, Carrie Underwood accomplished that very thing, despite the incredibly polarizing circumstances, and technical difficulties. And she did it through her talent, poise, and grace.
For the people who live along and around 30A—and those willing to travel to it and Airbnb a condo—it’s an incredible opportunity to experience some of the premiere songwriters in the world who travel to attend.
It’s fiddle. It’s steel guitar. It’s songs about raising hell. It’s sentimental songs about the most important things in life. Everybody’s all behind Zach Top, but Josh’s been doing 90s traditional country since the ’90s.
On found vintage cowboy and country clothing, and classic country songs specializing in capturing the sincere emotions ever-present in the pursuit of companionship, Paige Plaisance is a worthy proprietor.
Look Up is not a bad album at all. There’s not a single song or moment on it that will feel offensive to a country fan’s ears. But when you prop Sir Ringo Starr in front of a camera, perch a cowboy hat on top of his head…
Now what the hell is this? What’s the fun or challenge of getting to the top if you sell out to get there? Koe Wetzel is supposed to be one of country music’s bad boys blowing in from Texas, doing things his own way.
Take yourself a trip back in time in an avocado green Chevelle to the moment when Jesus freaks, acid testers, and neo folkies all discovered the virtues of American country music, and set to contributing to that legacy.
Saving Country Music doesn’t always bestow a “Songwriter of the Year” award. In fact, no such award has ever been bestowed before. What do we owe such an occasion to, and who is the beneficiary?
They called it the “Beyoncé Bowl,” and it was promoted as Beyoncé’s first live performance from her supposed “country” album, Cowboy Carter. But Cowboy Carter is not a country album, and the performance wasn’t live.
All the nominees for the 2024 Saving Country Music Album of the Year deserve nothing but praise for being catalysts for the country music revolution we’re currently enjoying. But only one can take the prize.
Welcome to Saving Country Music’s most comprehensive guide to music in a given year, The Essential Albums List. It includes the “Most Essential” Albums, and then other albums reviewed and deemed worthy.
There are few if any other musical outfits who have so consistently shown a gift for unlocking the sheer unmitigated joy in music through a combination of talent and toil.
Singer and songwriter Kiely Connell first burst into the music consciousness in 2021 with her excellent debut album “Calumet Queen.” Her voice was so striking, and her songs so emotive and cutting, she made a lasting impression.