What “Authenticity” Is in Country Music, and Why It Matters
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What is “authenticity” in country music, and why is it so important? And should it be? This is a question many love to ask, but the answer isn’t simple. The authenticity question is intertwined with the history of country music.
How Are Performers Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame?
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Being elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame is the highest honor any country music performer, musician, songwriter, or professional in the country music industry can receive. Unlike other Hall of Fame institutions, the Country Music Hall of Fame is one of the most exclusive, most selective, and also one of the most secretive […]
Vintage Album Review – Lucinda Williams’ “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road”
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Perfection is certainly not at the heart of the appeal or staying power for Car Wheel on a Gravel Road. Instead it’s the sloppy, sticky, loose feel of it all, carried upon the words of Lucinda’s candid and real character recitations that make the record feel like the ultimate insight into the disheveled mind of the broken hearted.
Maren Morris Is Not The Leader the Media Loves to Portray
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It remains stupefying why pop star Maren Morris continues to be portrayed as a leader, feminist, and groundbreaker, etc. in country music by fawning media members who’ve been rendered starry-eyed simply because they’re find guilty pleasure in some of her tunes.
Austin Lucas Announces New Album “Immortal Americans”
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Co-produced by Lucas and Will Johnson of Centro-matic, and engineered and recorded by Steve Albini, it captures Austin returning to his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, both spiritually and physically after years hacking away at the business in Nashville and elsewhere.
Massive Start for Garth Brooks’ “All Day Long” Is Another Sign of Honky Tonk Resurgence
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Are you tired of reading about Garth Brooks? Well tough, because all of a sudden he’s making major moves that could have a big impact on country music, and in a positive manner. Garth’s most country-sounding song in 2 decades was the most added song on country radio in the last 3 years.
Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt Trio to Receive Distinction in Hollywood
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Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt have all received individual distinctions aplenty over the years, with both Dolly and Emmylou being members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Ronstadt a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But now all three of these important and iconic country music women will be honored together.
Whitey Morgan to Play The Mother Church of Country Music
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Joining artists such as Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, Margo Price, and Cody Jinks, now Michigan native, California convert, and hard-charging traditional country artist Whitey Morgan and his backing band The 78’s have been bestowed the opportunity to play the Mother Church this summer.
Album Review – Paul Cauthen’s “Have Mercy EP”
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Like some time-shifting hybrid between a hillbilly preacher and the human vessel for a Johnny Cash voodoo seance, Paul Cauthen and his barrel-chested voice come bounding out of a reality warp with seven new songs packaged together in an EP titled ‘Have Mercy.’
Willie Nelson Announces Location & Lineup for 2018 Farm Aid
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The Willie Nelson camp has released the particulars for the 33rd Annual Farm Aid benefit concert, this year taking place September 22nd in Connecticut at the Xfinity Arena in Hartford. This will be the first time the longest-running concert for a cause in America will be held in Connecticut, which is home to 6,000 farms.
Sunny Sweeney & Ward Davis Team Up for “High On Honky Tonk” Tour
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Here in 2018 and before, country music insurgents and songwriters Sunny Sweeney and Ward Davis have been teaming up on what they’ve been calling the “High On Honky Tonk Tour,” and they have recently released a whole bunch of new dates for the tour’s latest installment. Sharing the same management, they make a favorable touring pair.
Garth Brooks Hearkens Back to Honky Tonk Past in “All Day Long” (review)
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The promise and hope ahead of Garth’s return from retirement was one of revitalizing country music by hearkening back to the early 90’s, which compared to today’s sounds, were super twangy and most certainly country. For the first time since his un-retirement, Garth has shown a little bit of country music backbone.
Kenny Chesney Bestows Big Opportunity to John Baumann and “Gulf Moon”
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Originally appearing on John Baumann’s 2014 record ‘High Plains Alchemy,’ the song has the nautical references common to a Kenny Chesney tune, but is much more poetic and deep than a beach bum ditty—more indicative of a song you may have heard from Guy Clark back in the day, or perhaps James McMurtry.