See Episode 2 of New Songwriting Showcase ‘The Hook’
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The second installment of the songwriting showcase The Hook transpired in Austin on Sunday, May 10th at Sagebrush, and it was a doozy. Special guest performer and panelist Susan Gibson started the show off.
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.
Officially Declaring September 30th a Country Music Holiday
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The amount of album releases these days can be dizzying. And it can be even more daunting when you have a release day with some super big titles that suck up all the attention when some of the other releases from smaller and more independent artists are just as important or enjoyable.
Shania Twain Goes 80s Glam Instead of Going 90s Country
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Coinciding with the announcement of Shania Twain’s signing with Republic Nashville was the release of the most terrible single called “Waking Up Dreaming” that dashes any hopes for a resurgence of Shania country, and picks up where her paltry 2017 comeback record Now left off, namely pop music.
Park Memorializing John Prine to be Dedicated
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John Prine was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, but the compass of his musical world was Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, where his parents and grandparents were from, where he visited frequently when growing up, and where some of his fondest memories were made. Prine spelled it all out in “Paradise.”