Album Review – J.R. Carroll’s “Dark Cloud”
17 Comments
J.R. Carroll is known by many as the guy with the glasses and ponytail up there playing keyboard for Zach Bryan. On “Dark Cloud,” Carroll proves to be worthy of devoted attention all on his own.
AmericanaFest Announces 2nd Round of 2016 Performers
5 Comments
The AmericanaFest keeps piling on names for their annual gathering, causing you to seriously question your September plans if they don’t involve trekking to Nashville to take in this years festivities. After announcing the first 68 names in early May, another batch of performers has just been released, swelling the participants to a solid 121.
Wheeler Walker Jr. Crashes The 2016 CMT Awards
13 Comments
One of the few saving graces for the show beyond a Chris Stapleton performance of “Parachute” and a scant, 1-minute tribute to Merle Haggard via Dierks Bentley, was that foul-mouthed country music comedic country singer Wheeler Walker Jr. crashed the shindig and offered side splitting photos, updates, and commentary throughout the night.
Saving Country Music’s 2016 Anti-CMT Awards LIVE Blog
58 Comments
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2016 ANTI-CMT Awards LIVE blog. After taking a year off due to an open boycott of CMT, Saving Country Music has returned to offer spirited dissent, snarky commentary, and borderline inappropriate sarcasm amount the CMT Awards festivities, as well as hopefully give credit to the few, if any, bright spots during the presentation.
Mikel Knight Street Team Involved In Yet Another Injury Accident
17 Comments
In a strange twist to the incident, and illustrative of the environment surrounding Mikel Knight and his street team workers, the street team worker told local police chief Bobby Floyd that he felt fortunate. “The poor guy actually seemed relieved to have lost his job with them from having the accident,” says Chief Floyd.
The Trojan Horse of Country’s Purely Pop Singles Squirreled Away as Album Cuts
49 Comments
I’m speaking of Thomas Rhett’s “Vacation,” with its diabolically ridiculous baggage of 14 songwriters, and viral video featuring pubescent girls singing about drinking “cold ones.” “Vacation” is nothing more than two previous songs mashed together.
How Kris Kristofferson’s Lyme Disease Diagnosis Turned Out to Be Good News
15 Comments
Though nothing to cheer about itself, according to doctor’s for the songwriter, the misdiagnosis, and all the drugs Kristofferson was taking to stave off his memory loss were actually making his condition worse, creating a downward spiral. It is believed that Kristofferson contracted Lyme Disease in Vermont when he was filming the 2006 movie “Disappearances.”
Florida Georgia Line Calls Out Bobby Bones Over His “ANTI” Bobby Bones Billboards
48 Comments
iHeartMedia über morning show DJ Bobby Bones apparently has a new enemy. Or actually, two of them, in the form of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelly of the Bro-Country super duo Florida Georgia Line. Though on the surface you might surmise that Bobby Bones and Florida Georgia Line would be brothers in arms, that’s apparently not the case.
The Best Country Albums of 2016 So Far
95 Comments
With no disrespect meant to the albums highlighted here, which represent the exception and not the rule, 2016 has begun where the second half of 2015 left off, where it feels like country and roots music across the board is out of ideas, and the search for music that truly enlivens the spirit is becoming harder. Nonetheless, there are still some excellent albums out there worth highlighting.
Dixie Chicks Unnecessarily Enter The Political Fray Again with Donald Trump Image
144 Comments
The Dixie Chicks have personally and purposefully decided to dip their toes once again into the political fray, as opposed to sticking to what people come to their concerts for and what they do best: music. The question for the Dixie Chicks is, why?
Maren Morris Is No “HERO” in Her Debut Album
101 Comments
I guess I got the wrong album, because all I’m hearing is derivative, rehashed pop diva hip-hop crap from a honky chick hailing from white flight suburbia trying to exude too much attitude in songs that mix rap cadences with cultural misappropriations in an attempt to pander to a new demographic of music listeners since mainstream country has abandoned its core audience.
Beloved Outlaw Roadie and Music Elder “Mr. Bandana” Cloninger Has Died
23 Comments
There was nobody else like Mr. Bandana. And now that he’s gone, there will never be anyone like him again. He was a true last of the breed, and one of the few remaining authentic Outlaws who lived his own way, spoke his mind no matter the outcome or insult taken, and you will never find a more dedicated and loyal supporter of the music.
Comedian Bo Burnham Hits The Bulls-Eye In Modern Country Critique
38 Comments
Musician, comedian, actor and writer Bo Burnham is known for mixing comedy with music in his stage shows and popular YouTube channel to deliver a cutting and hilarious perspective on modern life. And in a new special just released to Netflix called Make Happy, Burnham puts the modern state of country music directly in his crosshairs.