Sarah Shook & The Disarmers to Officially Disband, Play Final Tour
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Since 2015, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers have been one of the preeminent bands in the underground country punk space, putting out albums that consistently feature River Shook’s incisive songwriting matched with infectious melodies.
Song Review – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s “Speak To a Girl”
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Well, this Tim McGraw/Faith Hill collaboration looked good on paper. And it still might result in some favorable and lasting contributions to country music. But “Speak To a Girl” feels a bit like a misfire, at least on the creative side. “Speak To a Girl” is not a bad song, but it does a lot of the little things wrong.
Jerry Jeff Walker Joins Bobby Bare & Wanda Jackson to Headline the Nashville Boogie
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The 2017 Nashville Boogie presented by Muddy Roots is set to go off May 18th to the 21st at Nashville’s Opryland Resort and the nearby Nashville Palace, and they have just announced that Jerry Jeff Walker will headline the event Sunday night (5-21) at the Grand Ole Opry House.
Izzy Cox, The “Steampunk Crooner” Has Died
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At various times called the “Original Steampunk Crooner” the “Vodoobilly Jazz Queen” among other monikers, Izzy Cox was a local underground artist with international name recognition from her ability to put words and music to the innate fears encountered in the human experience.
Turnpike Troubadours To Embark on Extensive Spring / Summer Tour
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From California to Brooklyn, to the deep South and interior West, Oklahoma’s Turnpike Troubadours will be embarking on an extensive U.S. tour starting March 30th in Baton Rouge, and ending in August at the Braun Brothers Reunion in Idaho. 39 dates in all will be encompassed in the tour over the next six months.
New Lindi Ortega, Jason Isbell, Marty Stuart Added to SCM’s Top 25 Current Playlist
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Saving Country Music has just added some fresh horses to its recently-launched Top 25 Current Spotify Playlist meant to be a centralized destination for top recommended songs and artists currently setting the pace in country, Americana, and the greater roots realm.
Date Set For Announcement of 2017 Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
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Three new inductees will be likely named in three distinct categories: Modern Era, Veteran’s Era, and “Non-Performer, Songwriter, and Recording and/or Touring Musician active prior to 1980.” Modern Era candidates are eligible for Hall of Fame induction 20 years after they first achieve national prominence, and Veterans Era candidates after 45 years.
Fate of Dot Records Artists Still Uncertain After Big Machine Officially Shutters the Label
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What we know for sure is that Dot Records is no longer a label, at least for now. What we don’t know about is the fate of some of the artists that called the label home. Maddie & Tae, Drake White, and Staind frontman turned country artist Aaron Lewis have an uncertain future.
Jason Isbell Releases New Song “Hope The High Road”
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One of the things that has made Jason Isbell such an enlightening songwriter over the years is his distinctly worldly view panned to a Southern perspective. As a son of the deep South himself, he is incapable of trivializing the nuances of the culture war, deliberately speaking to both sides, and the flaws and virtues of each.
Song Review – Lauren Alaina’s “Road Less Traveled”
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There are only four females total in the current country radio Top 40, and one of them is former American Idol contestant Lauren Alaina. No matter what opinion one holds on Lauren Alaina’s “Road Less Traveled” song, to see a female not named Ballerini crack the Top 5 is a miracle in itself.
Seriously People, You Should Be Paying More Attention to Marty Stuart
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We love to speak long and loudly about the virtues of younger, upsurging artists such as Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Cody Jinks, Margo Price, and others, and how they’re turning the country industry upside down with their successes. But why is Marty Stuart’s efforts going systematically overlooked?
Rock Review – Sallie Ford’s “Soul Sick”
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Once considered rockabilly by some since most of her music carries an old-school backbeat and 50’s styling, it’s probably more relevant now to call Sallie Ford just plain rock, yet with a decidedly strong bent towards vintage modes which allows it to slither right into the soundscape of all old souls looking for something more their speed than the present day noise.
The Country Side of SXSW 2017 (In Words & Pictures)
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The biggest takeaway from SXSW 2017 will be that for the first time since the very inception of the idea over 30 years ago, the annual music gathering experienced a palpable draw down in attendance and industry participation to a degree that it fundamentally changed many of the dynamics and rigors one must endure to attend.