Album Review – Sunny Sweeney’s “Rhinestone Requiem”
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Listening through Rhinestone Requiem, the boldness of its audio flavors, and the passion brought to the songwriting, it gives you a sense that Sunny Sweeney is just now hitting her peak.
Taylor Swift Can’t Save Us From Ticketmaster. Zach Bryan Can.
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It is a new day in country music, and in live music in general. Tired of the Ticketmaster monopoly? You can continue to shake your little balled up fist in their general direction, or you can get busy building your own networks and infrastructure to circumvent them, and eventually (and hopefully), undermine them.
Album Review – Wylie & The Wild West’s “Bunchgrass”
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Sometimes you stumble upon a great song, album, or artist, and boom, you have some tasty musical morsel to enjoy henceforth. Or sometimes you fall so far down a musical rabbit hole, an entire new world of music unfolds right there in front of you, with decades of material to go back and listen through.
The Saving Country Music 2022 Artist of the Year
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The Saving Country Music Artist of the Year is not about who sold the most tickets or left the biggest footprint, or who shattered the expectations and possibilities of independent artists that are not played on mainstream country radio. It’s about the artist who most embodied the spirit of of the idea…
George Strait Is Prepping for a New Album
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‘Tis the season to get titillated about all the potential new albums we may receive in 2023. Strait’s last installment Honky Tonk Time Machine came out in March of 2019, so he’s about due for a new one. Of course radio and awards mostly ignore Strait these days, but the last album still debuted at #1.
Cody Jinks Signs Erin Viancourt to Late August Records
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Cody Jinks has some big things cooking for 2023, and not all of them will have his name on the front. Jinks formed his own record label called Late August Records back in 2021. Now it’s been announced that Cody Jinks has partnered with distribution company The Orchard, and signed Erin Viancourt.
Album Review – Memphis Kee’s “Wimberley”
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Memphis Kee out of Austin is looking to revitalize that approach of taking the robust songwriting of guys like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, and applying it to music that’s just as much akin to grunge as country. Memphis Kee calls it “Shred Dirt” in tribute to the Red Dirt sound of the Texoma region.
Saving Country Music’s 2022 Single of the Year
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It was in the hills and hollers of Appalachia where country music originally came into being, and it’s those same hills and hollers of Appalachia that are birthing old souls with young bodies that are rising up to save country music. They’re fulfilling the hunger for honesty and authenticity that is lacking.
This Zach Bryan vs. Rich O’Toole Thing
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On December 18th after Zach Bryan had three of his songs featured on Season 5, Episode 7 of the Paramount series Yellowstone, singer and songwriter Rich O’Toole took to social media to say that Zach’s song “Motorcycle Drive By” had borrowed/stolen the guitar/melody part from his song “Take My Heart” released in 2014.
Big George Jones “Still Playin’ Possum” Concert Announced
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April 26th, 2023 will be the 10th Anniversary of the death of George Jones, and on the day before—Tuesday April 25th—artists and fans will be congregating in Huntsville, Alabama at the Propst Arena to remember George Jones in a one night only event billed as “Still Playin’ Possum.”
Country Music’s Best Live Performers of 2022
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Let’s highlight some of the bands on the brink, that probably should be headlining festivals and big events themselves, and very well may be in the coming years. These are the artists and bands you better get out to see before like many of your favorite headliners, they end up only playing arenas.
Rockabilly Pioneer Charlie Gracie Passes Away
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One of the founding pioneers of rockabilly, and the performer given credit for importing American rockabilly music to the UK has passed away at the age of 86. Charles Anthony Graci, known by the stage name Charlie Gracie, died in Philadelphia where he was known and beloved on December 16th.
Album Review- Zachariah Malachi’s “Local Bar Opry Star”
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Full of original classic country songs that sound like they’re recorded 60 years too late (in the best of ways), it is a breath of fresh air compared to many of today’s modern country monstrosities, and a worthy introduction to an artist we hope to hear much more from in years to come.