Southern Rock Supergroup Toy Factory Project Debuts at Telluride
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Nobody panic. Try to look cool. But what happened in Telluride, Colorado Saturday night (6-21) on the legendary stage in Telluride might be one of the greatest things to happen in Southern rock in the last 25 years.
Sturgill Simpson Makes the Case for the Turning Tide in Country on Charlie Rose
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“I think I was ahead of the curve honestly. Now if I tried to release that first record I would probably find a lot of homes for it. This was 2012-2013. It’s been a very progressive three years in terms of people searching harder to find sounds that maybe they’ve realized they’re missing.”
Blackberry Smoke Hits The Target with “Like An Arrow” (review)
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Blackberry Smoke isn’t just saving country music, they’re rehabilitating the status of all American music by baptizing it in the muddy waters of the all-immersive guitar riff delivered unencumbered and fully amplified, flying in the face of all notions of present-day style or trend that acquiesce to eepish tones and textures.
Song Review – Garth Brooks’ “Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance”
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If Garth’s comeback is going to be broad based and lasting, he’s got to impact beyond being a vessel for nostalgia. He needs a “Kokomo,” or at least something that impacts radio even slightly so he’s not just re-singing “Friends In Low Places” forever. And that’s what you get with “Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance.”
Ray Price Artifacts and Masters Could Be In Jeopardy in Estate Dispute
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The estate of Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Price is currently locked in a contentious legal battle, and the outcome could have ramifications upon the ownership of his music masters, and many of the artifacts that help tell the story of his legendary career.
Album Review – Bill Kirchen & Austin De Lone’s “Transatlantica”
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Just as Bill Kirchen was the country twang compass for country rock’s Commander Cody, Austin De Lone was the keyboard-playing rock maestro for the country rock outfit Eggs Over Easy. Both their sensibilities and respective expertise make them a complimentary pairing that just downright works, and that is evidenced in their new album together.
Luke Bryan’s “Love Me In A Field” Is The Worst Song Ever
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“Love Me In A Field” makes the American farm sound like Walt Disney’s model for a sexual theme park, while the reality of things facing the American farmer is either selling out to Monsanto, or having 200 years of your family’s legacy parceled out in a bank liquidation due to falling water tables and intrusive estate taxes until all you have left to show…
John Prine’s “For Better, Or Worse” Is His Best-Charting Album Ever
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The ripe age of 70 is one hell of a time to experience a resurgence of interest in your music career, and that’s exactly what’s happening for country songwriting legend John Prine. Celebrating his seventh decade on planet Earth on Monday (8-10), Tuesday found confirmation that his most recent album ‘For Better, Or Worse’ has come in at #2…
Album Review – Brent Cobb’s “Shine On Rainy Day”
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Produced by his cousin Dave Cobb, ‘Shine On Rainy Day’ is more country than it is anything else, but the soul and folk rock influences are palpable on the tracks that roll out so smoothly, they envelop the consciousness not just in enjoyment, but in the presence of nostalgia like a thick memory that feels so present in the here and now, it’s haunting.
University Study Says Women Objectified in Country Music More Than Ever
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Those who’ve been closely following the trends in country music over the last few years have had a sense that songs that objectify and denigrate women have been on the rise, but it was only anecdotal evidence that we could call upon to corroborate this claim. Now a study out of Texas Tech University in Lubbock has put detailed research behind the subject.
Song Review – Jon Pardi’s “Dirt On My Boots”
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Jon Pardi might be one of the performers we love to point at as being a party to repatriating mainstream country music with more palatable material as part of a new wave of traditional-leaning young talent, but as his new single proves, the effort to save country music is sometimes an imperfect one.
Album Review – Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms’ “Innocent Road”
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As a long-standing member of The Foghorn Stringband, Caleb Klauder has studied classic melodies and can call upon an incredible repertoire of songs ranging from Appalachian old time, Celtic folk, classic Cajun, and all of the variations in between that went on to form many of the major roots genres of today.
Thoughts & Prayers For Randy Travis After His Father Passes Away
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Harold Traywick was a big fan of classic country, including Hank Williams, George Jones, and Lefty Frizzell, encouraging his children to pursue their musical talents from a young age. At the age of eight, Randy Travis began playing guitar and singing at the local Church of Christ.