Rhiannon Giddens Has “Complicated Feelings” about Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter”
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Rhiannon Giddens has “complicated feelings” about her involvement in the project that saw Beyoncé use Rhiannon’s banjo and viola in the album’s big single “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
Album Review – Roger Alan Wade’s “Simmering Rage”
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Roger Alan Wade may be one of the best, and most emotionally potent songwriters and storytellers of our generation—a strong bullet point that is bolded and underscored with his latest album of all original songs, and his first after a five year gulf called ‘Simmering Rage.’ There are songwriters, and then there is Roger Alan Wade.
Keith Whitley Benefit Concert and Hall of Fame Exhibit On The Way
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Keith Whitley is gone, but he will not be forgotten. And the legacy he left behind during his short and troubled life still reverberates throughout country music today, and constitutes a legacy that is nothing short of legendary. This is one of the reasons the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville chose to commission an exhibit and tribute concert.
I Don’t Want a Maddie & Tae EP, I Want The Whole Damn Thing
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Announced Monday morning (3-25), country music duo Maddie & Tae will finally have an album of new music to peddle come April 26th when a 5-song EP called ‘One Heart To Another’ is released via Mercury Nashville. But there’s a reason why this release feels inappropriate, and more of a stop gap than a proper album.
Remember The Name “Ian Noe,” Music Fans
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If you’ve been paying any attention to country music over the last few years, you know to be paying attention to just about any performing songwriter hailing from Kentucky. It’s the state that has given us Tyler Childers, Dillon Carmichael, Chris Stapleton, Kelsey Waldon, and Sturgill Simpson just to name a few over the last few years.
Newest Additions to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#38)
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An older name, a younger name, and a name you need to know make the latest additions to the Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist. Let’s start off with venerable songwriter Tom Russell, who surprised us all with the release of his latest record ‘October in the Railroad Earth,’ and just how full of quality songs it is
Blake Shelton Deserves Credit For Success of “Friends & Heroes” Tour
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Yes, Captain Old Farts & Jackasses has given traditional country fans plenty of reasons to give him a hairy eyeball over the years or curse his name under their breath (anyone remember the tractor rapping of “Boys ‘Round Here”?) But I’ll be damned if Blake Shelton hasn’t been on some prolonged traditional country kick lately.
Billboard Must Remove Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” From Country Chart
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The debate about what is country music and what isn’t is an eternal one. But a 1:53-long viral “song” that is really nothing more than an internet meme entitled “Old Town Road” by rapper “Lil Nas X” has rekindled the debate anew, with critical implications behind it.
Jerry Lee Lewis Cancels Shows to Recover from Stroke
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Country music legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Lee Lewis has been forced to cancel some upcoming shows as he continues to recover from a recent stroke. The 83-year-old suffered what was characterized as a minor stroke on February 28th, and initially was not expected to miss any of his performance commitments.
Sturgill Simpson on New Album: “It’s Definitely Not a Country Record”
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It feels like any day now we’ll hear something about a new record coming from Sturgill Simpson. But just in case the country fan in you is hoping it will be a return to Sturgill’s roots, and similar to his earlier records like ‘High Top Mountain’ and ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music’, you best steel yourself for something else.
Album Review – Tom Russell’s “October in the Railroad Earth”
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This album is a story of America, and who better to tell it than Tom Russell. His years have only embellished and refined his wit and craftsmanship, and he never lost his hunger along the way. There are good reasons why Russell is so revered by his musical and literary peers, and those reasons remain evident on “October in the Railroad Earth.”
The 2019 Tumbleweed Festival Announces Daily Lineups
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The Tumbleweed Music Festival set to take place just outside of Kansas City May 30th through June 1st has just announced their daily lineups for 2019, and the festival will have a slightly different complexion from previous years by putting all the performers on one main stage.
Willie vs. The Weaponizing of Music In The War of Identity
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“We are all the same. There is no difference anywhere in the world. People are people. They laugh, cry, feel, and love, and music seems to be the common denominator that brings us all together. Music cuts through all boundaries and goes right to the soul.” — Willie Nelson