Newest Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#131)

Before you get bombarded with Christmas music for the rest of 2023, let’s run down some of the best songs from the latest releases in country and roots music you can be guaranteed mainstream radio won’t play.
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats (see below), or you can just use the song, artist, and album recommendations to find something new to listen to. New songs just added.
Newest Additions:
Wyatt Flores – “Orange Bottles” – There’s nobody moving up the ranks in Red Dirt faster than Wyatt Flores at the moment, and it’s because of the incisive and self-aware writing emblematic of a song like “Orange Bottles,” which brings it all home with a propulsive melody. This epic-feeling song is from his new EP Life Lessons.
Jessie Wilson, Caleb Lee Hutchinson – “Airstream Dreams” – Jessie Wilson said she grew up with the idyllic American dream in her head. But as she’s grown older, a new dream filled with life, travel, and music seems more fitting. That’s the theme of “Airstream Dreams” with Caleb Lee Hutchinson.
Daniel Donato – “Sugar Leg Rag” – Donato is one of the greatest Telecaster pickers of this generation, trained on the stage of Robert’s Western World in Nashville where he played no less than 464 shows with the legendary Don Kelly Band. He puts all that experience to good use on this original instrumental off his new album Reflector.
Daniel Donato – “Lose Your Mind” – It’s not entirely unprecedented for an artist to have two selections on the playlist at the same time, but this is the very rare instance where both get added simultaneously. If you want to partake of the Southern Rock portions of Daniel Donato’s repertoire, “Lose Your Mind” is a great place to start.
Terry Klein – “This Too Shall Pass” – Talk to his peers in the Austin songwriter scene, and they will affirm that Terry Klein is one of the preeminent and pure songwriters of our time. The shuffling groove of “This Too Shall Pass” sets your mood right, even if you don’t catch the song’s lesson on luck. From Klein’s new album Leave The Light On.
Billy Strings – “Cabin Song” – The soundtrack for the new film The Hunger Games: Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes has a big cast of independent country and roots greats, and looking at the streaming numbers, it’s delivering them worthy attention. Bluegrass maestro Billy Strings has been showcasing this song live for a while now. Fans should be happy to finally get this studio take.
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The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist primarily lives on Spotify, but is also available for those who use Amazon Music, YouTube, Apple Music, and Tidal. For those who don’t stream music, you can still find the song recommendations in list form below.
CLICK HERE to follow Saving Country Music on Spotify, and/or follow the Spotify Top 25 Playlist.
Please Note: The songs on this playlist are curated for listening pleasure and flow. Otherwise, they are not in any specific order.
Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist:
- “Outlaws and Mustangs” – Cody Jinks – (single)
- “Sugar Leg Rag” – Daniel Donato – Reflector
- “Orange Bottles” – Wyatt Flores – Life Lessons
- “Fox Hunt” – Sierra Ferrell – (single)
- “True Companion” – The Wilder Blue – Super Natural
- “Dance Hall Crush” – Mamma Coal – Dance Hall Crush
- “Honky Tonk Ain’t Noise Pollution” – Ellis Bullard – Honky Tonk Ain’t Noise Pollution (2-9-’24)
- “I Can’t Take Me Anywhere” – Cameron Wrinkle – In My Heaven
- “Airstream Dreams” – Jessie Wilson, Caleb Lee Hutchinson – (single)
- “New American Dream” – Flatland Cavalry – Wandering Star
- “Family Ties” – Charles Wesley Godwin – Family Ties
- “We’re Gone” – Mike and the Moonpies – Live from the Devil’s Backbone
- “National Treasure” – Willy Tea Taylor – The Great Western Hangover
- “Time of the Rambler” – Vincent Neil Emerson – The Golden Crystal Kingdom (11-10)
- “Destroy Me” – Sean Burns – Lost Country
- “Lose Your Mind” – Daniel Donato – Reflector
- “Cabin Song” – Billy Strings – Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songs and Snakes
- “Lowland Trail” – Margo Cilker – Valley Of Heart’s Delight
- “Rustin’ In The Rain” – Tyler Childers – Rustin’ In The Rain
- “Dying Leaves” – Amanda Fields, Megan McCormick – (single)
- “Still Is Still Moving To Me” – Willie Nelson – Bluegrass
- “This Too Shall Pass” – Terry Klein – Leave The Light On
- “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am” – The Steel Woods – On Your Time
- “Tecumseh Valley” – Charley Crockett – Live from the Ryman
- “Diamondhead” – J.R. Carroll – Live From Jean Pump EP
- “Coyote” – Dylan LeBlanc – Coyote
- “Hey Driver” – Zach Bryan feat. The War and Treaty – Self-Titled
November 26, 2023 @ 10:49 am
Ya know, sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks……For years I would only listen to albums or EP’s never thinking about making a little play list of just new songs I like or ones that aren’t on albums released yet…..etc Trigger, and the way music is released, and consumed now has made me do a 180. Now I keep a small playlist for tooling around town that usually always has some of his tracks or artists in it as well.
I absolutely love Orange Bottles and the entire Wyatt Flores EP great stuff!!! The new Alex Miller is getting many spins. I know I’m probably the only one that likes Lainey and Dolly’s Mama He’s Crazy, but I love it. The Castellows have a new song out called Hurricane. Great track, 100% Country. Way too easy on the eyes and ears; they’re here to help not hurt. Gonna be huge unless someone fucks it up?
Let me be a “homer” for a minute. Years ago when I came on here Trigger tacked on Chicago to my username as their already was a well spoken, articulate poster named JB so I embraced it and just try and keep an eye/ear on Midwest artists and their releases. Not a massive list or anything but a few tracks that I think are good and are in my playlist. David Quinn and LoneHollow with Back No More a solid track sounds great cranked in the car!! Dan Lepien’s Single In Nashville is a toe tapper! The Indy Annies showing their vulnerable side releasing Dance by Myself (nice guitar work btw!), and Sophie Coyote’s Coyote Queen sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard, she’s on the right track. Of course Midwest Best is still #1 here at the mansion.
November 26, 2023 @ 12:28 pm
I knew I should have tried to get on here earlier JB so you couldn’t steal my thunder with the Indy Annies single drop. They’ve been playing “Dance by Myself” live for a long time and I gave them hell for not putting on the album. And yes, Krista Hoose is a helluva guitar player. Whether she’s shredding on “Midnight Train to Memphis” or picking on “I’ll think I’ll just Stay Here and Drink” she’s one of the best guitar players in the Midwest.
I’m digging Donato’s record way more than I expected to. Trigger baited the hook with his review and once again spot on. Tanner Usrey’s release has some good stuff on it. But Mr. Flores has beyond impressed me. There’s 4 songs on that EP, including Orange Bottles, that are shaking my previously unwavering commitment to “Dollar General Sign” as my song of the year. I do love what the Castellows did with Hurricane taking a huge hit for Band of Heathens and putting a cool bluegrass vibe on it.
November 26, 2023 @ 2:00 pm
Before anybody says anything, I know Hurricane is an old song recorded a few times. I just think these young gals did a great version and made it their own. Looking forward to the album.
November 26, 2023 @ 11:47 am
Is it safe to come out? Are all the freaks and reactionaries from the Dolly story gone?
Just read through the comments on that one…what a ride????
November 26, 2023 @ 2:12 pm
Trig, do you plan to review Pardi’s new Christmas album ?
November 26, 2023 @ 4:49 pm
I very well might, but I don’t mess with Christmas stuff before December.
November 26, 2023 @ 4:07 pm
Wow, What. A. List.
????
November 26, 2023 @ 6:21 pm
Brennen Leigh’s “Carole With an E” and Sierra Ferrell’s “The Garden” made mine!
November 26, 2023 @ 8:32 pm
“Carole with an E” was one here for a while when it first came out. I might add “The Garden” later, but I wanted “Fox Hunt” to ride for a little longer.
November 26, 2023 @ 8:26 pm
Trigger, you should check out Erik Dylan’s new album he dropped a couple months back. His best work to date in my humble opinion. It’s more stripped down and raw than his first few albums. Would definitely love a review on it. Probably my album of the year. Corner Post and Farmers who can’t farm anymore stick out as a couple really good songs on the album. Thanks for all the work you’re doing to spread real music!
November 26, 2023 @ 8:32 pm
Yes, thanks. It’s on the radar and being considered for review.
November 26, 2023 @ 11:06 pm
Are you going to do a review of IV and the strange band’s new album?
November 26, 2023 @ 11:17 pm
Thanks for the interest. I am going to review as many albums as I possibly can in the next month or so. IV and the Strange Band is definitely on the list, but we’ve gone so far beyond critical mass with the amount of releases, I’m just not going to be able to get to everything.
November 27, 2023 @ 3:34 am
Trigger, I appreciate this might be Grady Smith territory and not necessarily SCM territory, and that’s not a criticism of Grady, I like and enjoy his channel. Have you considered doing a review of the Youtube/Tik Tok country singers, thinking in particular Cooper Alan and Thomas Mac? Both of which showed promise in their early days, but seem a little formulaic now, would be interested to see your take on them both.
November 27, 2023 @ 9:11 am
I cover Tik Tok country singer about as much as I cover singing competitions such as The Voice and American Idol, which is basically not at all. But I am interested how more conventional artists such as Wyatt Flores, The Red Clay Strays, and Flatland Cavalry are leveraging the app to help popularize their music. I just spoke about this in a feature I posted on Flores, and may have something deeper on that soon.
November 27, 2023 @ 10:57 am
“Hold On” from Shannon Leigh Reynolds’ Triple Shot album, released in August. Great voice. Album is a mix of Bluegrass, Country, and Americana.
November 27, 2023 @ 9:45 pm
Great rec
November 27, 2023 @ 2:17 pm
scrolling through the comments section always gives me something extra to sink my musical teeth in, so once again thanks Trig and all you commenters here.
November 28, 2023 @ 4:12 pm
I’m curious, Trig, what you think of Ashley Monroe’s new song (“Over Everything”)? Production-wise it’s kinda reminiscent of Emmylou Harris circa “Wrecking Ball”, but the song is definitely country.
To me, Monroe is a generational talent so I’m definitely biased towards spreading her music any chance I get, regardless of which direction it goes.
November 28, 2023 @ 8:59 pm
‘And The Crowd Goes Wild’ by Dylan LeBlanc is one of the best songs I’ve heard in a while. Nice to see him on here with a song from his latest release. Such a great artist.
November 29, 2023 @ 12:46 pm
Cowboy in the continental suit by Zach Aaron, Paralysed Heart by Casey Prestwood and probably my favorite country song this year Lonely Girl’s Lament by Summer Dean