The Grand Ole Opry Punts on Reinstating Hank Williams. Again
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January 10th would have been the perfect time to put to bed a long-running controversy with the Grand Ole Opry about how Hank Williams was kicked out for drunkenness and missing rehearsals in 1952.
Remembering Eddy and Billy Joe Shaver’s Super Duo “Shaver”
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Billy Joe Shaver was one of the greatest, most influential, and most colorful songwriter/performers in the history of country music. There may have never been a more important performer in country music who never had a Top 40 hit. Billy Joe’s son Eddy Shaver was no slouch either.
John Prine’s Son Tommy Prine to Release Debut Album
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This will be the last time it is relevant to refer to Tommy Prine as the son of John as anything but an interesting footnote, if that time hasn’t already passed. After winning Saving Country Music’s 2022 Song for the Year for his debut single “Ships in the Harbor,” it’s time for him to step out of the shadow of his famous father.
Big Release Day In Country Music (3-3). Here’s What Not to Miss
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In the embarrassment of riches that is the current country/Americana landscape, it’s an increasingly common issue where there are more new album releases on a given Friday than time to review or even listen to them in a timely manner. So to make sure you don’t miss anything…
Telluride Bluegrass Fest Bestows Big Opportunities in 50th Annual Lineup
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There are bigger festivals, and maybe in someone’s opinion, better festivals. But few festivals in the roots space are as prestigious as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in beautiful Telluride, Colorado. Celebrating its 50th year in 2023 of hosting bluegrass and bluegrass-adjacent music in the beautiful mountains…
Dirty Grass Soul Releases New Song, Takes SCM To Task
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Since 2011, Dirty Grass Soul out of Shelby, North Carolina has been regaling people in the Piedmont and beyond with their stirring blend of country music that takes inspiration from the string-based roots of the region and instills it with a kick of Southern rock soul.
Album Review – Dierks Bentley’s “Gravel & Gold”
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Dierks plays both sides of the country music cultural divide, and in the past he’s put out albums that very much appeal to folks who wouldn’t be caught dead listening to corporate radio. But that’s not exactly what “Gravel & Gold” is. It’s definitely not like his 2016 album “Black” either.
Luke Combs Agrees on Saving Country Music’s 2022 Song of the Year
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While on the Red Carper at the 2023 Grammy Awards if February, someone from CBS shoved a microphone into the face of Luke Combs, and asked him “What song can you not stop listening to?” Luke’s answer? “John Prine’s son, Tommy Prine, wrote a song when his dad passed called ‘Ships in the Harbor.'”
Album Review – Amanda Fields – “What, When and Without”
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Every once in a while, an album or artist comes along, and it only takes a song or two, or maybe even a minute or two of the first song before you to start asking, “Where have you been all my life?” Amanda Fields is one of those artists, and “What, When and Without” is one of those albums.
Country Rapper Katie Noel Goes Viral with “Southern” (A Rant)
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Will this be the next trend to overtake mainstream country? Of course not. That’s part of what is hilarious about this. As disturbing as Katie Noel’s take on “country” is, it’s also horrifically outdated. This stuff peaked in 2011 with Jason Aldean and “Dirt Road Anthem.” Heard from Colt Ford lately?
Billy Strings Goes Full Blown Traditional for Final Nashville Show
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Billy Strings commonly includes traditional bluegrass songs in his live shows, but there is ample improvisation showcased too, which despite the bluegrass instrumentation, can take Billy beyond the bluegrass genre. That’s not what Sunday night was about though. “This is hallowed ground.”
CONFIRMED: ‘Cocaine Bear’ at KY for KY & Origin Story Fictionalized
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Unless you’ve been living on a different planet, you’re probably aware of the movie released on Friday, February 24th called Cocaine Bear about a booger sugar-loving bear that terrorizes people in the woods. The movie is extremely fictionalized, but the “Cocaine Bear” actually did exist.
The Ballad of the Laid Back Country Picker and “Go West”
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Welcome to the world of the country music underground and general audio oddities, eastern Kentucky edition. Making your way to Louisa, Kentucky and Lawrence County on the West Virginia border, you enter the habitat of the one and only Laid Back Country Picker.