Album Review – The Castellows – “Homecoming”
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Their music feels like it springs from a sepia photograph capturing a moment of the past in the era of homesteads, lace, and corduroy, with sister harmonies awaking something both archaic and timeless in listeners.
Album Review – “Cold Ground” by E.B. Anderson & The Resolutes
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From the rural regions of Nova Scotia and centered around the port town of Halifax, E. B. Anderson and the Resolutes are following in the footsteps of fellow Nova Scotia native Hank Snow and trying to preserve the classic sound of country music with their own style and approach. That means hitting on a lot of lonesome feelings, adding in a little bit of the blues, and . . .
On The Band Perry’s “Put Me in the Game Coach” & Continued Wrong Direction
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The Band Perry situation is no longer one of simply being “bad” or in “poor taste,” or about making career decisions that are easy to second guess. I’m trying to think of another time that a country act tried to cross over, and it went so colossally bad. And I keep coming up empty.
Unexpected Grammy Nomination May Have Salvaged Charles Kelley’s Solo Career
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It wasn’t looking good for Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and his bid to launch a solo career amid a hiatus the trio took beginning in late 2015. Despite some additional star power with Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay, much critical praise, and a big promotional push, his first single “The Driver” stalled big time on the charts. Then the completely unexpected happened.
Man Jailed 4 Months for Playing Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton Records Too Loud
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56-year-old Michael O’Rourke from Peterhead, Scotland has been sentenced to four months in jail after repeatedly violating noise ordinances and pissing off his neighbors by playing his music too loud. You see, Mr. O’Rourke is partially deaf, but he also happens to be Peterhead’s biggest audiophile, fessing up to a vast collection of vinyl and a propensity to listen to it at top volume at any time in the day or night.
Hey Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Your 2016 Lineup Blows
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On Monday, the official lineup for the 2016 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was “announced” by astronaut Scott Kelly from the International Space Station. Perhaps the aeronautical histrionics were a bid to distract everyone back on Earth from the fact that this year’s lineup is the most mundane, most mainstream-centric and generic pop tart Kellogg’s cereal assemblage of plastic talent ever accrued on this beautiful blue planet.
Grand Ole Opry’s New Movie Features Artists Who Don’t Pay Their Dues, & Excludes the Ones Who Do
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The feature film American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry has just announced that after a limited run of shows at select theaters in December, it is expanding to various Carmike Cinemas and North American theaters across the United States on February 12th. However the film’s top three stars are Opry members who regularly don’t pay their proper dues.
How Joey Feek’s Solo Career was Killed by Sony
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Joey Feek admits she was naive about the business, and didn’t know what she was getting into. But like so many young artists, she was excited about starting her career, and willing to do whatever she could to land a major label deal and keep it. She put herself in the hands of the Sony staff, and hoped for the best.
Album Review – Anderson East’s “Delilah”
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The reason an artist like Anderson East works, similarly to Leon Bridges and many others, is because he’s got a evocative, old-school coolness about him that reminds folks of a time when music and life wasn’t so superficial. So there may be some borrowing of ideas here, but it’s innocent, and better than most of what is influenced by more modern textures.
CMT’s “Party Down South” to be Canceled After Upcoming Season
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Many prayers, criticisms, concerns, and even a petition or two will be answered after the upcoming season of the filthy and culturally-bereft reality series Party Down South. CMT, who airs the program, has announced that after the fifth season of the show scheduled to start on January 28th, they’re putting the series on on ice.
Bakersfield / Country Trucking Legend Red Simpson Passes Away
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Devastating news out of Bakersfield, California Friday night that country legend Red Simpson has passed away. According to the performer’s family, Red died today, January 8th. Simpson was just getting ready to release his first official record since 1973 in February with his best friend Mario Carboni. He was 81-years-old.
Josh Turner Speaks Out Over Delays in New Music
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The music for Josh Turner’s new album is done. However his label, MCA Nashville, appears to be doing everything the can to either drag their feet, or ignore Turner, until either he decides to record more commercially-acceptable music, or some other resolution can be found that will assure MCA’s bottom line is protected.
2016 Shore Leave Showdown Boasts Impressive Lineup & One Triumphant Return
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A bunch of lucky bastards will be congregating in southern Florida on Saturday, February 6th at the Magic City Casino in Miami for the Shore Leave Showdown, which dubs itself as a one-day “Southern Outlaw” festival, and includes one beefy lineup, not limited to The Mavericks, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Dale Watson, Robbie Fulks, Sarah Gayle Meech, The Kentucky Headhunters, and many more.