Saving Country Music’s 2024 Song of the Year Nominees
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A Song of the Year is not just a “song.” It’s a form of artistic expression that can change a life, that can change someone’s perspective, or that can change the world. It’s something that must be able to give you goosebumps.
Jana Kramer’s “Said No One Ever” Couldn’t Be Worse
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There’s pop, and then there’s taking one end of a piece of bubble gum and holding it betwixt your upper and lower bridge while you twirl the other end around your finger and daydream about unicorns and princess weddings. That’s about what you get with “Said No One Ever.”
Larry Joe Taylor Fest Announces Full 2016 Lineup
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Scheduled to take place this year between April 18th to the 23rd, the Larry Joe Taylor Festival will welcome an estimated 50,000 people through the gates over 6 days, and feature music on three stages from over 50 bands at the Melody Mountain Ranch in Stephenville, TX. One of the biggest and oldest music festivals in the country, Larry Joe Taylor Fest has been going on for over a quarter century.
Too Little, Too Late for the Dying Austin Music Scene
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There’s no more hypothesizing what Austin might look like if the music scene is bled out of its system. All you have to do is walk down 7th Street or Red River to see it. So will the solutions be small baby steps that look to support the dwindling artists and infrastructure that’s still left? Or will there be big proposals and bold plans that not only fix Austin music, but fix Austin in general?
This Don Williams Retirement Isn’t His First, And Hopefully It Won’t Be His Last
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It’s perfectly alright to be totally not okay with the news Tuesday (3-1) that Don Williams has decided to go into retirement, again. That hat, that beard, and most importantly that legendary smooth baritone voice that won him 17 #1 hits over his career and an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010 can’t just go softly in the night and not expect there to be some sad faces, and disappointed ears.
Sturgill Simpson Screws With All of Our Heads by Posting Image of Angel / Devil Skeletons
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Sturgill Simpson has never been one to make it easy on us to plot his next move. On the contrary, he appears to love keeping folks on their toes, and communicating to the masses in sometimes cryptic messages and imagery. Such was the case Tuesday afternoon (3-1) when the Kentucky singer and songwriter posted an image of red and while skeletons sparring on his social network properties.
The Band Perry and Big Machine Records Have Parted Ways
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The news leaves what once was one of the most promising new bands in country music in limbo. The Band Perry has won a Grammy Award and done decent on the radio in the past. The big question is whether their new (and ultimately failed) pop direction was the idea of Big Machine, or of their own team, and if they will continue to stay committed to the direction moving forward.
Soon, Joey Feek Will Be Gone. And So Too Will The Clickbait Media Coverage
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“It is difficult for me to write this, partly because it seems like everything I write these days ends up as some tragic news story about my wife and her ‘last days’ and the ‘shocking’ new development that has just been shared,” Rory said in his post. “I want to apologize for any sensational headlines that this or any post has created. That has not been my intention.”
Mary Sarah Could Be One To Make Something of “The Voice” Opportunity
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Mary Sarah is an unusual case when it comes to mainstream country prospects. On the surface, you have this gorgeous young woman with lots of styling, pizzazz, and stage presence, seasoned from performing since a very early age, like a pop country star ready to go out of the box. But what does she decide to do with her debut album? She releases a duets record with country legends.
Video Review – Chris Stapleton’s “Fire Away”
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Fearlessly the “Fire Away” video meets a very real issue head on—an issue that seems to have no governor on who it affects: rich and poor, men and women, and individuals from stable homes with ample love, concern, and attention surrounding them. It also delves into how even the purest love can be a flimsy firewall for the destabilizing, and sometimes catastrophic effects of mental illness.
Song Review – Frankie Ballard’s “It All Started With A Beer”
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We used to complain that most all country songs these days were about beer and trucks. The point was to hopefully expand mainstream country’s thematic subjects. Bo in concession they cut most of the references to trucks out, leaving only one piece of subject matter on the table. There’s only one little Indian left, and it’s amber and comes in a bottle or can.
Jason Isbell’s Long Lost Twin Clyde is Jealous of Brother’s Success
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This is one of many accusations from Clyde Isbell, the rarely talked-about identical twin brother of Americana star Jason Isbell, and co-frontman of a local Allman Brothers cover band in Alabama. Saving Country Music tracked down Clyde in a trailer park outside of Muscle Shoals to ask him about his brother’s recent success, and attempt to determine why the lives of the siblings have forked in separate directions.
10 Years Ago Today, Hank Williams III (Hank3) Releases Magnum Opus “Straight To Hell”
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Time is the ultimate judge and critic of music. 10 year anniversaries don’t always fall favorably for legendary records. They’re still too young to be considered vintage or retro, but are just old enough to be out of style. But unfolding the flaps of “Straight to Hell” today, re-living the music, it’s hard to not feel the same magic you heard when you listened to the record for the first time.