Ding Dong, The CMT Awards Are Dead!
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Oh thank God. The CMT Awards are no longer, at least for now, and likely forever. And it couldn’t have come sooner, or to a more deserving presentation. It was country music’s ugly stepchild of an awards show.
Album Review – “Hierarchy of Crows” by Moot Davis
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Part rockabilly maven, part honky tonk shit kicker, part heroin-era Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers revivalist, for going on 16 years now the moniker ‘Moot Davis’ has been synonymous with the top shelf of cool in the underground country and roots scene with those smart enough to know where to look to find the best stuff.
Jamey Johnson Show Cancelled After He Refused to Go Through Metal Detector
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This story has been updated. Jamey Johnson’s show on Sunday, July 23rd at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was abruptly cancelled after Johnson reportedly refused to either disarm, or to go through metal detectors to enter the venue. Though accounts of the incident vary, what is undisputed is that the show […]
Endless Russia: The Emergence of the Permanent Political Media State
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The incessant march of political revelations in a purposeful trickle that won’t allow the public or the media to regain a sense of the normal news cycle is causing long-term, damning affects on how Americans fundamentally live their lives, and how they interface with each other, their communities, and engage in entertainment and leisure.
Song/Video Review – Blake Shelton’s “Doing It To Country Songs”
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What sucks about “Doing It To Country Songs” is that there’s actually a lot of positives going on here, and it could have turned out to be something decent. But the innuendo here is worn out in the first 30 seconds, and the double entendres just don’t have the potency or levity to land a punch or crack a smile.
Album Review – Justin Dean Payne’s “Coal Camp”
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Not caring whether his music earns him any notoriety or financial gain is what gives an artist like Justin Dean Payne the power and latitude to explore the inner depths of his own soul like the deepest regions of a coal vein until a mother lode of the purest, most lucrative strains of human expression are discovered, and unearthed for the world’s benefit.
Marty Stuart on The Marty Stuart Show: “Mission Accomplished. Let’s Move On.”
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Just this week Saving Country Music inquired if there would ever be any new episodes of The Marty Stuart Show—the long-running RFD-TV staple that saw Marty share the stage with his backup band The Fabulous Superlatives, as well as a host of special guests, including many great country music oldtimers.
Scotty McCreery Cited After Carrying Loaded 9mm Handgun Into Airport
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Country music artist and American Idol winner Scotty McCreery is in legal hot water after being caught carrying a loaded gun through airport security. The incident happened on Thursday, July 13th, but was made public on Friday (7-21). It occurred at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina.
What A Stupid Idea to Name the Brickyard 400 After Brantley Gilbert
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Calling this year’s race the “Big Machine Brickyard 400” is probably not the most savory development for true country music fans in itself. But Big Machine has announced they’re going the extra mile with their 2017 Brickyard sponsorship, at least for one of their artists: Brantley Gilbert.
Legendary Shack Shakers Ready New Record “After You’ve Gone”
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The crazy and wild-eyed Col. JD Wilkes and his backup band of wily misfits known as the Legendary Shack Shakers will be returning with their 9th studio album called ‘After You’ve Gone.’ Their decidedly lo-fi sound mixes the influences of the deep and derelict blues with the fearful prayers of primitive Appalachian country.
The Curious Curation of Country Music’s Recent Tribute Concerts
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To put it bluntly, the ability of Blackbird Presents to curate talent for events is pretty terrible, and appears to be done without any true understanding of the layout of the current country music landscape. Some of the invites for these Blackbird Presents events seem so incredibly blind to the realities present in country music fandom, it’s remarkable.
Will There Ever Be Any New Episodes of “The Marty Stuart Show”?
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‘The Marty Stuart Show’ has logged a total of 174 episodes, but not a single new episode has aired since 2014. It’s been three years now, and fans of the RFD-TV program are getting restless for some fresh shows. So has the show been cancelled, put on indefinite hiatus? When can fans expect new episodes?
Kayton Roberts – Keeper of the Pedal-Less Steel Guitar
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It’s hard enough for side players in any genre to receive the recognition their contributions to the music deserve, let alone ones who choose a discipline that is a dying art. Kayton Roberts had it hard enough as a steel guitar player. But Kayton’s instrument of choice—the pedal-less steel—was in even less demand throughout his career.