Beloved Country Drummer Mark Laws Murdered in Home Shooting
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Tragic news out of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee as it’s been confirmed that beloved country music drummer, bandleader, producer, and studio owner Mark Laws was murdered in a domestic dispute on May 25th.
Americana Music Association Releases the Top 100 Albums of 2015
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The Americana Music Association has compiled their year-end list of the Top 100 albums of 2015. Unlike many of the other lists you’re bludgeoned with this time of year, this one isn’t based off on anyone’s opinion. It’s based on the reporting to the Americana Airplay Chart during the period of December 2, 2014 through November 30, 2015. The list also a good tool to see what you may have missed in 2015.
Album Review – Cam’s “Untamed”
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I see Cam, and I see a blank page. There’s nothing here. What’s her sound? What’s her style? What is she trying to say? What role is she fulfilling in country music? Is she a one-of-a-kind singer? Is she a critically-acclaimed songwriter? What is her contributions to the music at large? She’s got frizzy blonde hair, and likes the color yellow. And that’s about all the character information I’ve been able squeeze out of her.
Song Review – Cole Swindell’s “You Should Be Here”
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As we transition into 2016, you can anticipate the masters of Bro-Country filing into line to prove they have gravitas in the face of dwindling support for their party hardy dreck falling so quickly out of favor from the sheer frequency such narrow themes have cast over the last couple of years. Prove you can be an artist of substance, or you may not be long for this world.
American Masters to Air “The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End” Special
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Friends Till the End will tell the story of The Highwaymen through vintage performances and new interviews about life on the road and in the studio with the supergroup consisting of Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. Originally formed in 1985, The Highwaymen released three albums over a decade span, including their Platinum-selling debut.
Saving Country Music’s 50 Essential Albums for 2015
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In no particular order, aside from the first dozen or so records being considered the “Most Essential,” here are the 50 albums Saving Country Music deems it necessary you at least give a sniff if you want to get the full musical experience in 2015. That doesn’t mean these are the only worthy country music albums. They are presented in the spirit of filling in the holes between what you may already know about.
Album Review – Rhiannon Giddens’ “Tomorrow Is My Turn”
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We just didn’t have this kind of verification of the strength of Rhiannon Giddens’ vocal abilities until this project. Sometimes it takes someone else’s songs to really challenge a singer to where their limits are tested, and their utmost talents are expended trying to do a classic composition justice. That’s what makes Tomorrow Is My Turn such a worthy effort.
Stump Tail Dolly Combines Country and Heavy Metal in “Americanoclasm”
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Comprised of two very astute and formally educated musicians, Stump Tail Dolly is not necessarily the screaming bloody mess some might expect when scrunching the terms “country” and “metal” together, especially considering the lineage of the discipline. There’s plenty of blood and guts mind you, but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface than just Cookie Monster vocals and braying power riffs.
Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” Becomes Highest-Rated TV Movie in Last 3 Years
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Bolstering the theory that when the narratives of traditional country music are actually given a chance in popular culture, they shine from the way they unite people and speak to individuals universally, Dolly Parton’s made for TV Coat of Many Colors blew the doors off of ratings Thursday night (12-10) on its way to becoming the most watched TV movie or miniseries in the last three years.
Mikel Knight Street Team Member Found Dead in Nashville
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32-year-old Dustin K. Finley, a street team member for country rapper Mikel Knight, was found dead in a hotel room in Nashville on Sunday, December 6th. According to Nashville police, they were not notified of the death, but the Medical Examiners Office did conduct an autopsy on Finley. Mikel Knight and his Maverick Dirt Road Street Team have been embroiled in controversy in the past for deaths of street team members.
Jason Isbell Signs Worldwide Publishing Deal
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The current King of Americana and now Grammy-nominated singer songwriter Jason Isbell has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Downtown Music Publishing. The news comes near the end of a marquee run for Isbell, who along with his Grammy nominations for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song, has also landed at #16 on Billboard’s year-end Independent Album’s chart.
Joe Nichols is Releasing a Version of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”
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Joe Nichols continues to be one of the most confounding country stars in mainstream country music today, many times saying one thing, but doing something much different. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Nichols has tried to stay true to himself and the roots of country music, yet he’s not above straying away at times and trying to tantalize radio with a catchy single.
Songwriters Don Chapel, Don Pfrimmer, and Performer Bonnie Lou Pass Away
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Over the last few days, three major contributors to country music have passed away—performer and television/radio personality Bonnie Lou, songwriter and former husband to Tammy Wynette Don Chapel, and prolific hit songwriter Don Pfrimmer. Let’s take a minute to remember all three.