Jason Isbell Delivers Landmark Performance in Return to Telluride
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As he proved headlining the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Thursday, anyone recusing themselves from Jason Isbell’s music—either in album form, but especially in the live arena—are doing a dramatic disservice to their life’s musical experience.
Album Review- Dwight Yoakam’s “Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars”
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Just the idea of Dwight Yoakam making a bluegrass album is like some sort of gift from the country music Gods. Before a lick of music was heard, the news of Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars was its own viral event. The primary issue with this album is that none of these songs were written to be bluegrass songs.
After Big Americana Wins, Jason Isbell Slays Robert’s with Merle Haggard Covers
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After the awards, Jason Isbell did like so many artists of country music’s storied past once did after playing at the Country Music Mother Church. He ambled out of the backstage exit into the famous alley that separates the Ryman and the bars of Lower Broadway, and took the stage with his wife Amanda Shires at Robert’s Western World.
2016 Americana Music Awards LIVE Blog
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Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Saving Country Music’s 2016 Americana Music Awards LIVE blog! As the festivities stream live from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, we’ll tag along to leave our observations, keep up with the winners, discuss the performances, and share what happened for those folks who missed it.
Scenes from Americana Music Awards Rehearsals
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AmericanaFest is one of the biggest annual gathering of the tribes on the roots music calendar, and the crown jewel is the Americana Awards on the Wednesday of the festival week. This year Saving Country Music showed up early to take in the rehearsal for the festivities taking place at the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium.
Blake Shelton’s Run of Consecutive #1’s on Radio is Over
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Though there are still many bad songs on country radio and in country music in general, the snapping of Blake Shelton’s #1 streak is just another sign things are beginning to turn around in the mainstream, and artists of more substance are beginning to find more success at the expense of the Bro-Country era’s old guard.
Courtney Marie Andrews Earns High Praise for “Honest Life”
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Life has a way of selling us on lies that seem so promising and resolute when we embrace them, but ultimately reveal themselves as the antithesis of discovering our true selves. Music in some cases stokes these fanciful ideas and pursuits, nudging us into parts unknown in search of something that in many cases is […]
Devarati Ghosh, A.K.A. “Windmills Country,” Has Died
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Devarati Ghosh, also known to many as Windmills Country, who among many other much more important contributions to the cultural and educational community was a Saving Country Music contributor, regular commenter, and behind-the-scenes counselor and compass for years, died on September 2nd, 2016.
Amanda Shires Has Van Burglarized in Chicago
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Riding high after the release of her recent album My Piece of Land and getting ready to participate in this week’s AmericanaFest festivities in Nashville, Amanda Shires and her band had their van broken into while on the stage at the City Winery in Chicago on Monday (9-19) evening.
Saving Country Music’s Essential Artists to See at AmericanaFest 2016
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With over 200 artists playing AmericanaFest this third week of September, it can be a little bit intimidating for the folks either looking to attend in person, or experience the gathering vicariously through various social channels and video streams. So here is a curated list of artists battle tested and approved by Saving Country Music.
Vintage Review – Alan Jackson’s “3 Minute Positive Not Too Country Up-Tempo Love Song”
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Imagine a scenario where one of the very top artists of today, someone like Jason Aldean or Luke Bryan, wasn’t just actively not trying to be a part of the problem, but was doing things to troll the rest of the industry right under their noses while still holding one of those very top industry spots. That’s what Alan Jackson did throughout his commercial career.
Street to Be Renamed in Honor of Marty Robbins
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Marty lived in Glendale, AZ until he enlisted in the Navy at 17 and served in the Pacific Theater in World War 2. It was there he learned to play guitar, and like so many GI’s, fell in love with the steel guitar of Polynesian music. After Marty’s discharge, he started his career in nearby Phoenix, both as a performer and a DJ, and later with his own television show.
Album Review – “Sinner” by Aaron Lewis
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If you want your musical experience in life to be the most fulfilling and enjoyable, then you have to be without prejudice when approaching music. There are many reasons on paper that one might decide they would never like the country music of the Staind frontman turned occasional country crooner Aaron Lewis.