Talking “The Hook” on Tony Mantor’s “Almost Live … Nashville” Podcast
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What is The Hook? It’s a songwriting showcase filmed live that features established songwriters, and ANYONE else who wants to perform for a live audience and a panel of experts.
“A Long Way From Your Heart” Should Be The Turnpike Troubadours’ National Moment
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Before the accolades start to feel like platitudes, and the reasons become excuses, the Turnpike Troubadours should find their place in the national narrative. Because country music needs them. The Turnpike Troubadours are the band for right here, right now, delivering everything you want, saddled by nothing you don’t need.
New Billboard Chart Changes Give Another Reason to Pay for Streaming Services
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Now there is an entirely new reason to consider transitioning from ad-based streaming to a paid account, and it’s based off the greater commitment paid subscribers show to the music they listen to as opposed to the free-siders. Announced on Thursday (10-19), Billboard has made it known they are tweaking the way their charts work in 2018.
“Time Don’t Wait” Video Brings Marty Stuart Full Circle with Lakota Tribe
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“The results are absolutely exquisite,” Marty Stuart says. “I invite the viewer to come along with me and the Superlatives to Pine Ridge. By way of Reid Long’s camera, we’ll take you deep inside of a world filled with wonderful people, that most people don’t even know exist.”
Seriously, How Dudebro is This Walker Hayes Guy?
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I don’t care if Walker Hayes is the most upstanding citizen from his affluent suburb, donates to charity, is sweet as pie to his fans, and gives mouth to nose resuscitation to orphaned puppies. This is not the type of incendiarily vapid stuff we need infecting anything being sold as “country.”
LeBron James is a Bad Music Consumer. Don’t Be Like LeBron James
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Pony up you cheapskate. It’s a mere pittance to sign up for a premium account through Spotify, Pandora, or whomever, and you get a commercial-free experience, sometimes with better audio quality, and the creators and industry that served you that music will get a little more money compared to the commercial-supported side.
Brian Setzer Leads List of Initial Ameripolitan Performers for 2018
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The Ameripolitan Awards will be marking their 5th year by moving from Austin to Memphis where so much of the music celebrated by the emerging genre originally emanated from. And now one of the individuals seminal to revitalizing the Memphis sound starting in the late 70’s has been announced as one of the main performers for the event.
Reading Into Luke Bryan’s “What Makes You Country”
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Make no mistake about it, the reason a song like this came about is because of the continued criticism coming at artists like Luke Bryan that question their legitimacy as country performers. This means the spirited dissent being logged by literally millions of country fans at this point is being heard, and making an impact.
Come Lose Yourself in the Close Harmony of Mapache
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With only two people and one mic, Mapache can fill up a room with more soul soaring harmony than most symphonic assemblies, carried to great heights by melodies that are incredibly supple and bursting with delight, timeless in their textures and delivery, yet with subtle new turns that give Mapache the benefit of originality.
Jason Isbell Named Country Music Hall of Fame Artist-In-Residence
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Add another landmark accolade to the growing list of acknowledgements for Americana stalwart Jason Isbell. After just finishing up an incredible 6-night sold out run at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville last week, it was announced Monday (10-16) morning that Jason Isbell will be the next Artist-In-Residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Saving Country Music’s 2017 Dark Country & Roots Halloween Playlist
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From the very beginning, there has always been a Gothic side to country and roots music. From the murder ballads and ghost stories of the Ralph Peer-era pioneers of country, to tales of struggle and lunacy from more modern underground artists attempting to keep those haunting spirits alive, Gothic country never gets its due credit.
Chris Stapleton Sets Release Date for “From ‘A’ Room Vol. 2”
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The second installment from the Chris Stapleton From ‘A’ Room sessions with producer Dave Cobb at Nashville’s historic Studio ‘A’ will be arriving soon. This is the news coming out of Friday night’s (10-13) show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Stapleton addressed the capacity crowd, making the announcement between songs.
Album Review – Hellbound Glory’s “Pinball”
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If tasked to do so, I will unflinchingly and wholeheartedly endorse that Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory is one of the greatest songwriters of our generation—up there with Jason Isbell, Cody Jinks, John Moreland et al, even if it’s of a different breed—puffing my chest out and challenging any man willing to assert otherwise.