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.
Chris Stapleton’s “From A Room: Vol.1” Goes #1 All Genre in Pure Album Sales
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Chris Stapleton’s sophomore album ‘From A Room: Vol. 1’ is the #1 selling record this week in pure album sales across all genres, beating out rapper Logic’s new album ‘Everybody.’ However due to new chart rules that consider streaming data, Stapleton will come in #2 in the major charts.
Call Her Dr. Lucinda Williams After Berklee Bestows Honorary Degree
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Lucinda Williams already has a host of accolades to her name, including hit songwriter for her penning of “Passionate Kisses,” multiple Grammy Award winner, a founding partner in the alt-country and Americana movements in the 80’s and 90’s, and now you can add an honorary doctorate to her resume.
Album Review – Zac Brown Band’s “Welcome Home”
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Give Zac Brown credit. He listened to his fans, as opposed to speaking down to them about how music needs to evolve, or some other line of flawed reasoning where he could justify his actions to himself if nobody else. It’s hard to describe Zac Brown Band’s ‘Welcome Home’ as anything but what it is, which is a complete about-face.
What The New American Idol Needs Is An Asshole
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This dog just won’t die. Last time I remember reading about American Idol, the franchise was an incredible $398 MILLION in debt. The show lost all of its original judges like rats fleeing the ship. It hasn’t launched a bona fide superstar since George W. Bush was President. Is one measly year off enough to recharge the appetite for this show?
Album Review – Robyn Ludwick’s “This Tall To Ride”
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Strap yourself in, buckle up, and mentally prepare yourself as best you can, because there isn’t anywhere Robyn Ludwick won’t go on ‘This Tall To Ride.’ Unabashedly exploring the dark underbelly of life where cocaine and sex are the ruling currency, and creatures of the night cuddle up with each other for comfort…
Turnpike Troubadours Ring In 6th Annual Dia Del Gallo at Floore’s Country Store
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For six years straight, the Turnpike Troubadours have celebrated a self-appointed holidays each Spring called Dia Del Gallo at the historic Floore’s Country Store on the outskirts of San Antonio. The city has always been a crossroads of cultures, and the rooster (“gallo” in Spanish) has always been the band’s official mascot.
Album Review – “Colter Wall” (Self-Titled)
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Styles and dialects and phonetics change, but the eternal themes that stir the soul remain, and it’s the seamless tie to what Colter sings about and how he sings it that makes the experience something beyond music. It is the ability to introduce the element of time into the mix, not just as a texture, but as a vehicle for transporting perspective….
Chris Stapleton Tips Hat to Legends, Performs “Either Way” on Charlie Rose
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Though publicity has been somewhat light for the record, Stapleton did sit down with Charlie Rose on Thursday (5/12) for a lengthy discussion, and to perform the acoustic “Either Way.” In the interview, Charlie Rose tried to portray Chris Stapleton as “Country’s Reigning Outlaw.”
Turnpike Troubadours & Jason Boland Reveal 2017 Medicine Stone Red Dirt Festival Lineup
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The 5th Annual Medicine Stone Music Festival focusing on the best of Red Dirt music and sponsored by the Turnpike Troubadours, and Jason Boland & The Stragglers will once again commence at the Diamondhead Resort in Talequah, Oklahoma. This year the event will be held on September 21st-23rd, and they have just revealed the fest’s initial lineup.
The Deslondes to Release New Album “Hurry Home”
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There’s just something about the 5-piece collective of New Orleans country and roots songwriters traveling under the combined name The Deslondes that fills the heart with a renewed spirit when they take the stage and perform. It’s the feeling that you’ve been invited into someone’s living room to watch and intimate and heartfelt gathering.
Important Developments From This Week’s Country Radio Charts
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As we continue to ponder what country radio might look like after the impending implosion of iHeartMedia and corporate radio as we know it, some very interesting developments emerged on the country radio charts this week.
The Midland Authenticity Dilemma
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As time has gone on, I find myself disliking these dudes more and more because I can’t beat back the obvious reality that we’re being misled about these guys. Midland is a machination of the big Music Row industrial complex, no different than most major label artists.