40 Years Ago: Marty Stuart Helps Name The Highwaymen
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Did you know that there was a very distinct possibility that The Highwaymen might have never been called “The Highwaymen,” and that they might have never recorded the iconic song that gave them their name?
Album Review – Nick Dittmeier “Midwest Heart / Southern Blues”
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Songwriter and frontman Nick Dittmeier has seen the struggles from all sides. Living on the Indiana side of the Ohio River in the greater Louisville, KY area, he can pull inspiration from the evisceration of the coal economy, the dilapidation of the Southern small town, and the abandonment of the Midwest as the traditional American agrarian culture is replaced by the rise of urbanization and corporate farming.
“Dreamer” Kent Finlay to be Honored with New Book / Tribute Album
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We’ve all heard of the “Class of ’89” in country music, right? That was the year that Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, and others came to power. Well have you ever heard of the “Class of ’87”? That was the year Todd Snider, James McMurtry, Bruce Robison, Hal Ketchum, and Terri Hendrix all played regularly at an old wooden music venue in San Marcos, Texas called the Cheatham Street Warehouse.
Drummer’s Epic Finish Ends in Crashing Through a Window on Nashville’s Lower Broadway
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Alright, so normally I wouldn’t post some silly, viral video such as this. But it’s Robert’s Western World—one of the last bastions of true country music on Lower Broadway in Nashville. And it’s the Don Kelley Band, which is one of Robert’s and Lower Broadway’s most legendary bands.
Soundtrack to be Released for Hank Williams Biopic “I Saw The Light”
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The release has been delayed and the early reviews have been lackluster, but that won’t stop the creators of the Hank Williams biopic I Saw The Light starring Tom Hiddleston from releasing a soundtrack album for the upcoming movie. Set to arrive on March 25th—the same date the long-anticipated film will finally arrive in theaters—I Saw The Light…
Album Review – Aubrie Sellers’ “New City Blues”
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Watch out ladies and gentlemen because the female revolution overtaking country in the aftermath of tomato-gate is about to get some fresh and young reinforcements in the coming months with major debuts from some promising young artists, and first up to bat is the ravenesque and hungry Aubrie Sellers. Aubrie starts off with a proven musical pedigree that’s nothing to smirk at. She’s the daughter of Lee Ann Womack…
Merle Haggard Still Recovering from Double Pneumonia – Prayers Asked for Mel Tillis
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Once again the 78-year-old Merle Haggard is suffering from serious heath issues that have resulted in him canceling upcoming shows. Scheduled to perform in New Mexico at the Inn of the Mountain Gods and the Farmington Civic Center on January 30th and 31st, Haggard has canceled both dates due to a double pneumonia. The news was confirmed on Thursday (1-28) by Haggard’s son and guitar player Ben Haggard.
Kane Brown – The “Justin Bieber of Country Music” – Is Now a Major Label Artist
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Purported country music “viral star” Kane Brown is now a major label artist. And if you thought your acid reflux got a workout when you watched Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt up on stage claiming to be country singers, Kane Brown is guaranteed to kick it up yet another notch. The lesson of Kane Brown is that you can cheat to get ahead, and you don’t have to pay any dues or prove yourself in the marketplace.
Katie Arminger Accuses Label of Wanting Her to “Sex It Up” for Radio Program Directors
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The saga of country artist Katie Arminger continues, and the accusations against her record label Cold River just reached a new level. The issue began in June of last year when the 23-year-old Houston native found herself locked out of her social media accounts, right after her label announced to the world that she had decided to take a “breather” from country music.
Steven Tyler’s “Red, White & You” Should Have Died in the “Yum Yum”
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While “Red, White & You” makes an ironclad case for itself as the worst “country” song in the history of recorded music, it indisputably takes the top prize for the worst lyrical line the world has ever been forced to behold. What the hell does “yum yum” mean you ask?
Bobby Bones Commands Love & Theft’s “Whiskey On My Breath” to the Top of the Charts
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Now Bobby Bones, over a year after its initial release, has gone crazy over “Whiskey On My Breath,” and spent Tuesday (1-26) chronicling its rise to #2 on the iTunes charts as he commanded his many listeners to purchase it. Remember, it was a similar effort that propelled Chris Janson’s song “Buy Me a Boat” to the top of the iTunes charts, and eventually landed him a major label deal with Columbia Nashville.
It Happened in Houston: How The City Is Becoming the Stolen Music Gear Capital of the World
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Along with the frequency of incidents involving bands being burglarized, it’s been the brazenness of the thieves, and the high-profile nature of the incidents that has put Houston in people’s crosshairs for not being hospitable to touring musicians.
Wynonna Judd Joined by Jason Isbell on “Things That I Lean On”
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“Things That I Lean On” begins by acquiescing to the frailties of being human, and then singing the praises of the gifts life bestows to overcome them. Written by Travis Meadows and Daniel Sanders, it is a perfect song for the conditions Cactus Moser created to record in. Though it’s not her own song, the love and honesty Wynonna sings with let’s you know it is still very personal and true to her experience.