50 Year Ago: George Strait Plays First Professional Gig
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From humble beginnings and low expectations to the very pinnacle of the country genre, George Strait is an inspiration for all those country performers getting up on stage to play their first professional gig.
Jon Pardi’s “Heartache Medication” Marks Return of the Fiddle to #1
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It has been a long, slow, steady climb for mainstream country traditionalist Jon Pardi’s current single “Heartache Medication,” but it finally hit #1 this week on country radio according to MediaBase. Released to the country format all the way back on May 20th, 2019 as the title track to Pardi’s most recent record, it reached […]
Get Jesse Daniel’s New Album “Rollin’ On” On Your Radar
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If you’ve been a good little Saving Country Music reader over the last couple of years, then you’ve known that Jesse Daniel has been touted here as one of the most exciting country music artists coming up to keep a keen eye on. Excellent live, and already an Ameripolitan winner in 2019 in the Honky Tonk Male category.
Chris Stapleton Announces Extensive 2020 Tour & Openers
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Chris Stapleton has just dumped a bunch of new tour dates for his 2020 All-American Roadshow Tour to go along with some previously-announced appearances and events, and they include an extensive list of openers for the respective dates. After a few years of struggling to write new songs, Chris Stapleton is coming out of his writers block.
Loretta Lynn Is Fighting Mad About Country Music Dying
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“I think that they’re completely losing it. And I think that’s a sad situation because we should never let country music die. I think that every type of music should be saved, and country is one of the greatest. It’s been around, as far as I’m concerned, longer than any of it,” says Loretta Lynn.
Mile 0 Fest Hit with Major Storm During Randy Rogers Band Set
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Mile 0 Fest in Key West, Florida had been very lucky this week dodging intermittent showers, but took a direct hit right as Friday night headliner The Randy Rogers Band took the stage. The Randy Rogers performed in a deluge before they finally called the show, and patrons scattered in the heavy downpour.
Album Review – Possessed by Paul James “As We Go Wandering”
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Steal yourself for the roller coaster of emotional moments and life-altering epiphanies that often accompany any foray into a recorded effort or live performance by the one man musical marvel known by the name Possessed by Paul James. You leave the company of the expressions of Possessed by Paul James a changed person.
Reckless Kelly Announces Two New Albums for 2020
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Reckless Kelly won’t be releasing a new record in 2020, they’ll be releasing two of them. American Girls and American Jackpot will both see the light of day via Thirty Tigers as a double album concept. “I’ve always wanted to write an America-themed record, but not in some super-political or ‘rah rah rah’ sort of way,” says Willy Braun.
Mile 0 Fest & Outlaw Country Cruise Collide in Rare Collaboration
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It’s very rare that you see separate production companies and promoters in music collaborating with each other in the event and festival space. But that was not the case when music cruise company Sixthman who operates multiple cruises in independent country and Americana realm collaborated with Mile 0 Fest in Key West to put on a party.
Evan Felker Helps Push Bruce Robison’s ‘The Next Waltz’ to #1
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If you want to know just how much pent up appeal there is for the music of Evan Felker and his band the Turnpike Troubadours, here’s a pretty good sign. This week on the Americana Music Association’s Radio Albums Chart, the recently-released The Next Waltz – Volume 2 compilation produced by Bruce Robison has landed at #1.
Mike & The Moonpies, Jamie Lin Wilson = Killer Start to Mile 0 Fest
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Reprising their highly-regarded tour pairing in early 2019 that saw Jamie Lin play for 45 minutes, Mike and the Moonpies play for 45 minutes, and then both take the stage to rip through classic country cover songs, the collaborations and moments were pretty incredible. Members of American Aquarium also helped.
Travis Tritt Charts 1st Radio Single in 13 Years via Dierks Bentley
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You’ve already been warned that Dierks Bentley’s side project “Hot Country Nights” is getting real in its effort to return actual country music to country music, and after one week it has already had an impact in a tangible way. Travis Tritt has returned to the country radio charts for the first time in 13 years.
Tyler Childers On His Music: “I’m Calling It Country”
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Hanging out at the Grammys was not the only high-profile appearance Tyler Childers made recently. The Kentucky native was featured on NPR’s World Cafe on Monday during a 30-minute segment, and once again voiced his concerns for the state of country music, and how he feels Americana is more of a distraction than a solution.