New Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Playlist (#182)
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Less and less can you rely on algorithms to serve you the stuff that might best fit you as an independent country fan. This playlist is designed to break through all the noise and put the best stuff at the top.
The Ballad of Charley Crockett and Satanic Band Twin Temple
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You can tell it’s a slow news week when it’s a nothing burger with cheese like this that creates the biggest nontroversy in all of music. Charley Crockett ditched one of his openers since they are professed “Satanists.”
Nothing ‘Unheard Of’ or ‘Affordable’ about New Garth Brooks Tour
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Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. And that’s what Garth Brooks will be slinging on his upcoming tour. Announced on July 7th after a countdown clock on his website went to zero, “Blame It All On My Roots” promises to take fans back to 1996.
Album Review – River Shook (Self-Titled)
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It’s the way that River wields an uncanny ability to craft incredibly infectious melodies, and then brings them to bear on music otherwise colored with dark themes. It’s the way the music mixes country and rock…
Beloved Whitewater Amphitheater Files for Chapter 11, Sale Pending
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It’s one of those venues that makes Central Texas and the Hill Country such a special place to take in a show. Along the banks of the Guadalupe River is a little piece of heaven, and a destination spot to take in your favorite band.
Challenging The Stigma That Good Musicians Can’t Have Day Jobs
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It’s been stigmatized over the years for a performer to have a second job, if not an entirely separate career while pursuing music on the side. Whether it’s fair or not, some perceive that working a second job makes you a second-class musician.
Beloved Texas Musician and Songwriter Brian Burns Has Died
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Texas music songwriter, musician, educator, and historian Brian Burns has passed away. Though you might not recall the name, many of your favorite musicians from Texas most certainly do and did, and saw Brian Burns as a peer.
This Bryan Andrews “Country” Album Is Terrible
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Amid the race to the bottom that right-leaning mainstream country performers such as Lee Brice and Brantley Gilbert are currently devolving into, the extremely left-leaning politically-focused Bryan Andrews just bested them all.
Album Review- Jason Eady’s “Tulsa Turnaround”
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Jason Eady isn’t just a master craftsman songwriter whose services are considered invaluable in the Texas scene and beyond. He’s a tireless student on the music as well, soaking up any and all knowledge he can about the various modes.
The Worst New “Country” Songs of 2026 So Far
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Even as country music continues to improve from the lowest of the lows during Bro-Country, there also continues to be some outright terrible “country” songs being released that offer a strong counter-argument.
One of the Unspoken Reasons for “Blue Dot Fever”
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It’s likely a combination of all of these factors that are affecting the prospects of music tours. But among all the other excuses and explanations, there is one factor few if anyone is citing.
Full Recap and Photos of Willie Nelson’s 2026 4th of July Picnic
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Full recap of the 2026 Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic at the Germania Amphitheater in Austin, TX. Other performers included Billy Strings, Lukas Nelson, Rodney Crowell, Wilco, Margo Price, Stephen Wilson Jr., Lily Meola, and Sheryl Crow.
TWO Gold Patch Winners Crown Latest Episode of The Hook
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Two Gold Patch winners on the same show? That’s what transpired on the latest installment of The Hook, now available in full. The Gold Patch is only given out when a songwriter absolutely blows the panel away.