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.
Saving Country Music’s 2015 Artist of the Year
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To be a Saving Country Music Artist of the Year, you can’t just be “good.” It’s not about releasing some great songs or a significant album in a given calendar year. You have to be committed to the cause, both on and off the stage. You have to care about country music, even when you’re not playing it, even when it doesn’t affect you specifically, and even when it’s not politically expedient . . .
More Than Just Miranda Lambert and Anderson East Hooking Up
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Forget all the sappy relationship stuff, and how it happened and where it might lead. Miranda Lambert ditching Blake Shelton and ending up with Anderson East might be the perfect illustration of the drastic role reversal 2015 has ushered in throughout the greater country music realm, and how 2016 could be poised to completely turn everything upside down.
Facts & Rumors: The Albums to Look Forward To In 2016
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Who will be releasing new albums in 2016? What are some of the most-anticipated projects? What are the rumors swirling out there about new albums that may be released in the coming year? Here’s a rundown of upcoming projects from artists recommended by Saving Country Music that you can look forward to in 2016.
In Memoriam: 2015’s Fallen Country Music Greats
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As Christmas festivities come to a close and New Years comes into focus, it’s once again time to reflect back on all of the country music greats we lost in the last year. From huge celebrity stars, to influential songwriters and side musicians who impacted the music out of the spotlight, country music lost many notable names in 2015.
Movie Review – Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors”
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Coat of Many Colors, which aired originally on Thursday, December 10th and will be rebroadcast on NBC Christmas Night, was not some sort of astounding feat of movie magic. What was astounding is how good it was as a television movie, and aside from some isolated moments, avoided much of the schmaltzy, cheeseball, cornpone feel that can completely ruin what otherwise might be a strong premise.
Rock and Roll Review – The Bellfuries’ “Workingman’s Bellfuries”
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Forget what you should call this music, if it fits in Americana, or if a country website should even be talking about it. The songs themselves are excellent, and truthfully, shoving the music and arrangements to the side for a moment, if you would call the songs of “Workingman’s Bellfuries” anything, you might have to call them country.
Americana’s New Board Includes Dave Cobb / Awards Expand to the UK
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The Americana Music Association has announced its newest Board of Directors, and signing on for a seat this upcoming year is fast rising producer Dave Cobb. On top of seating a new board, the Americana Music Association recently announced the inaugural UK Americana Awards will be held in London.
Brantley Gilbert Did NOT Donate $10.5 Million to Toys For Tots
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Yes ladies and gentlemen, over the last 24 hours or so, this “Brantley Gilbert Makes $10.5 Million Donation to Toys For Tots” headline has been circulating like a bad venereal disease passed around after the drunken office Christmas party, spreading all across the complicit landscape of country music media without anyone questioning the accuracy or legitimacy of the claim.
The Top News Stories of 2015
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It was a busy year in country music, with lots of controversy, lots of legal issues, and even death surrounding country music artists. It was a tumultuous 2015 to say the least. Here are the top news stories of the year taking into consideration 1) Their importance to country music overall 2) The interest, or accumulated interest in the story if covered in multiple articles, based on traffic registered at Saving Country Music.
Vintage Album Review – “White Mansions” (Various Artists)
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“White Mansions” couldn’t be made today. That’s one of many reasons it’s so remarkable and such a country music treasure. It’s not that the production costs would be too high or the talent couldn’t be assembled. But you couldn’t put present day top-tier music talent on an album that someone might construe as harboring sympathies for the Civil War South without creating an uproar.
Ticket Sales for Dixie Chicks’ U.S. Tour Already Declared “HUGE!”
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On November 16th when the Dixie Chicks announced their first United States tour dates in nearly a decade, and after the 2003 fiasco that ensued after Natalie Maines’ comments about George Bush, the big question was if there would be enough interest to justify the expenditures and promotion of a full blown Dixie Chicks tour. Or, would the political acrimony still be so thick that it would foil tour plans once again.
On Chris Stapleton Playing The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
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The song Stapleton chose to perform on Fallon was “Sometimes I Cry,” which was a fairly strange selection. The song takes a bit to get off the ground, ends abruptly, and isn’t particularly country whatsoever. But Chris knew his crowd. The Tonight Show demo is full of mainstream humans who need something easy to get into, and that’s what Stapleton gave them.