Album Review – Jesse Lovelock and the Velvet Voices
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Those who take the time to dig for the best in music are handsomely rewarded via the experience of this album, and before the rest of the world and the music business get their opportunity to get their greasy mandibles on it.
Remembering Joe Chambers: Founder, Fighter for Musicians Hall of Fame
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For all of its other flaws as an industry, country music and Nashville have always tried to give songwriters their due, establishing the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, and making sure songwriters share in awards. But until Joe Chambers came along, musicians continued to play a role as second fiddle.
Loretta Lynn – Country Titan and Coal Miner’s Daughter – Has Died
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There are many artists whose life experiences have been interwoven into their music, and resulted in the purest form of what has gone on to be recognized as “country” around the world. But few, if any—especially from the feminine perspective—had the same grace, the same truth, the same impact as songs of Loretta Lynn.
Of Course This is What Billy Strings is Doing for His Next Album
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We knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. Though we all have fallen in love with bluegrass phenom Billy Strings as he’s taken the roots music world by storm to the point where his popularity has spilled out into the greater music landscape, you knew that sooner or later he would jump the bluegrass tracks…
Zach Bryan, Mike & the Moonpies Make Moves on Radio
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Zach Bryan is arguably the 2nd biggest thing going in all of country music at the moment behind Mullett Boy, but of course you couldn’t tell that by piping up your country radio, unless you have one of those cool radio stations in your area that actually play what they want. But all of that might be changing.
Album Review – John Fullbright’s “The Liar”
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At the beginning of his career, John Fullbright was considered one of the fastest-rising names in the Americana scene, validated by a Grammy nomination. Now an album released eight years later into a musical world where there are dozens of rising names, the threat is that it gets overlooked.
George Strait Tributes Billy Joe Shaver (& Willie Nelson)
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Yeah yeah, we get these tribute albums to country legends coming down the pipeline every few weeks or so it seems. But when you can get “King” George Strait to show up and participate in one of them, now you’re making some serious news. This song was really the linchpin to Billy Joe Shaver’s entire career.
Album Review – Tyler Childers – “Take My Hounds to Heaven”
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The album ‘Purgatory’ by Tyler Childers will go down in history as one of the most important and successful releases by any country music artist in the last ten years, and perhaps in history. But now it’s time for Tyler’s ‘Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven?’ to attempt to grip our attention.
Billy Strings, Béla Fleck, Molly Tuttle Win Big at Bluegrass Awards
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With the re-formed Hurricane Ian bearing down on the Carolinas Thursday evening, forcing all of the festivities for the biggest gathering in bluegrass each year indoors, the International Bluegrass Music Association, or IBMA held their 33rd annual awards at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
Album Review – “Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville”
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It’s a remarkable achievement that an album like this was even made under the otherwise repressive jurisdiction of the Music Row system in Nashville. No, you should not consider this like a conventional album release by Ashley McBryde, meaning a succession of potential radio singles and album cuts.
Album Review – Hellbound Glory’s “Nobody Knows You”
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It’s an indelible part of country music mythology. Right beside the stories of the country hayseeds rising out of the rural landscape to become superstars, there are parallel stories of the singers and songwriters that had the stuff to be nationally-recognized names, but are sitting in half empty barrooms somewhere.
Paul Franklin’s Been Nominated for CMAs 30 Times. He’s Never Won.
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Susan Lucci is the name people love to cite when it comes to someone who’s accrued a long string of nominations for a certain award without ever actually winning it. But legendary country music steel guitarist Paul Franklin actually has Susan Lucci beat, and by more than a decade.
Texas Country Legend Charlie Robison is Exploring a Comeback
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When Charlie Robison made his retirement announcement in 2018, it felt a little fatalistic that no solution could eventually be found to fix his vocal woes, but he also left no wiggle room in his declaration. Now there is hope that Charlie Robison could be on the comeback trail, or is at least probing that possibility.