Going Inside a Prison to Witness a Concert of Inmate Songwriters
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Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of the important role music plays in our lives. At other times, it’s patently inescapable. Going behind the walls of a maximum security prison to witness a concert of inmates singing songs they all wrote themselves.
Yes That’s Blood: Sturgill Simpson & Band Fight Through Physical Ailments on Gn’R Tour
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After a recent trip to Japan to play a festival in Niigata, Sturgill contracted a good ol’ fashioned case of “bubble guts.” Then his keyboard player Bobby Emmett sprung a leak when he broke some keys on the very first song of the Little Rock set and then cut his hand on them. But the show must go on, and the result was a bloody mess.
Porter Union Resurrects The True Country Duo in Self-Titled Debut
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Like so many institutions of country music, the duo has been run asunder, bastardized, co-opted for corrupt corporate purposes, and the true nature of the art form virtually forgotten. But Porter Union is doing their best to resurrect the approach, in a sector of country music often overlooked, and arguably in the most need for rehabilitation.
How Should a Country Music Purist Regard the Musical Legacy of Glen Campbell?
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How should a country purist regard the legacy of Glen Campbell? That should be a really easy question to answer: with class, respect, and appreciation for a man that was an incredible ambassador for the genre through multiple avenues, and a timeless contributor to the country music canon.
It’s a Shame to See Broadway and the Electric Barnyard Go
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for years, Broadway was one of the very few personalities in mainstream country radio willing to ask tough questions of artists, willing to broach subjects otherwise thought of as taboo in the mainstream, and overall just show guts and independent thinking in an otherwise stuffy, closed-off world. And he did it all with class and respect.
Country Legend Glen Campbell Has Passed Away
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After a protracted battle with Alzheimer’s, and a remarkable career that minted one of the most recognized voices in country music and made him an ambassador for the genre to millions as many of his songs crossed over into contemporary spheres, Glen Campbell has passed away at the age of 81. He died on Tuesday, […]
Quit Releasing Music Via The Short-Form EP
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The only greater disservice an artist or a label can do to the music they’ve worked so hard on and put so much love into than releasing it on an EP, is to release it on a four-song EP. You want to bury music and relegate it to the also-ran of your discography and have Wikipedia page editors and everyday fans give you quizzical looks? Release an EP.
The Country Side of the 2017 Pickathon Music Festival
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The small yet mighty, meticulously-curated, and expertly-planned festival just outside of Portland, OR known as Pickathon continues to be the local festival with international implications in how talent presented at the festival is given the possibility to break out onto the national stage.
Chase Rice Is Leaving the “Truth” Out of His New Three Chords Approach
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Two ruinous singles in a row with “Whisper” and “Everybody We Know Does” that couldn’t crack the Top 40 on radio put Chase Rice on the outs with his label Columbia Nashville, and unlikely to see an album release anytime soon. Now he’s back with a new single from a new label that is being sold as Rice’s return to the roots.
Miranda Lambert Dedicates Song To “All The Girls Not Being Played on Country Radio”
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“I’m gonna do one by myself, because I can,” Miranda told the crowd. “I want to do this on behalf of all the girls that are not being played on country radio right now. If you really love us, you will call and request any female that has a song out and something to say. This is one of those called ‘Tin Man.'”
Turnpike Troubadours Cancel Shows After Undisclosed Personal Issue
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The Turnpike Troubadours have cut short their current tour, with lead guitar player Ryan Engleman citing an undisclosed personal issue as the need for the cancellations. The shows cancelled affect dates primarily on the West Coast and in the interior West for the next week.
Album Review – “Purgatory” by Tyler Childers
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Just like Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers was playing and writing music for many years before he was ready to become a part of the national country music conversation. It was only after years of failure, perseverance, tempering in the fires of everyday life and dues paid on small stages that Tyler was ready.
Song Review – Mickey Guyton’s “Nice Things”
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“Nice Things” delves into the possessive nature of love in a bold effort that accentuates Guyton’s vocal strengths, and is stirred with Jerry Douglas-sounding rootsy dobro. Mickey Guyton resists the temptation to inflect her voice with urban annunciations and R&B styling that is all the rage in the mainstream country today.