‘New York Times’ Column Offers Angry, Inaccurate Take on Race and Country Music
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It remains an unfortunate aspect of the modern media landscape that whenever higher institutions broach the subject of country music, it’s commonly done by someone uniquely unqualified to speak on the matter.
The Surprising #1 Albums That Trumped Toby Keith in 2015
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“18,700”: This is the number of albums Toby Keith sold upon the debut of his new record 35 MPH Town, and it got me to thinking, which artists and bands have beat that number in a year of unprecedented ascent in independent country music? 2015 is the year it became common to see one of your favorite independent acts and aging legends compete at the top of the album charts.
The Lesson of Taylor Swift’s Success: “Choose a Lane.”
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A new feature recently posted in GQ goes much farther in describing the conflict between Swift and Big Machine. This wasn’t a simple exchange between Swift and Borchetta. There was an outright intervention going on, with numerous high-level executives doing what they could to assuage Swift into not going pop 100%.
Album Review – The Supersuckers “Holdin’ The Bag”
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Going back to what the Supersuckers do best, which is come out kicking with a shit eating grin, and then hitting you in between the eyes with something meaningful when you least expect it, this raucous group sets you right about what is real and raw about country punk roots. In a rather pedestrian year for music that has included some high-profile letdowns, Holdin’ The Bag holds up to the legacy they started nearly 20 years ago.
Hank Williams “I Saw The Light” Biopic Premiers in Nashville – Complete Report
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On Saturday evening (10-17), the highly-anticipated, yet much-maligned movie covering the life of Hank Williams called ‘I Saw The Light’ made its big star-studded Nashville debut at the Belcourt Theater just south of the city’s Music Row district. After the red carpet ceremony and screening of the film at the Belcourt, festivities moved to Acme Feed & Seed on lower Broadway for an afterparty.
Album Review – Toby Keith’s “35 MPH Town”
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At this point, Toby Keith is a relic. What talent he had was questionable to begin with, and he hasn’t ever really evolved for there. Time has passed Toby Keith by, and he doesn’t have the fluidity or desire to change with the times, or the quality it takes to be considered classic. But this album is far from the problem.
Traditionalist Reality Star Jake Worthington Releases New EP (review)
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Like so many of these contestants, not much has come of Jake Worthington in regards to industry success after his finale appearance in May of 2014, but he has just released a new EP. Settling somewhere between John Anderson and George Strait, this five-song offering is a straight-laced true country testament from start to finish that leaves little to no doubt where the heart of the young Jake Worthington lies.
Album Review – Electric Rag Band’s “My Side”
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How cool is it to have a father and a son in the same band? There’s a beer league factor to the Electric Rag Band, and not in a bad way. They make music when they can, how they can, and for the right reasons. And they’ve been doing it for quite a while now. Formed in 1994, their new record My Side accounts for their sixth release.
Hank Williams “I Saw The Light” Biopic Delays Release
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The movie about the life of Hank Williams is starting to account for as much drama as Hank did. Originally scheduled to be released on November 28th to give the film prime consideration during Oscar season, I Saw The Light starring Tom Hiddleston as Hank has now suddenly been moved back. New stills from the movie have also been made available.
Jason Isbell & Sturgill Simpson Share Stage in Tuscaloosa for “Amarillo Highway”
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Beyond sharing bills, big rocketing career trajectories, and both employing the services of super producer Dave Cobb, the two artists appear to have a greater kinship off the stage. But for whatever reason, we’ve never seen the two men on stage together, until now.
Country Music’s Greatest Prison Albums
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Prison and country music go together like peanut butter and jelly. No wonder a slew of country music albums have been actually recorded within prison walls—some for convicts, some by convicts, and some using convicts. And we’re not just talking about novelty releases either, but some iconic albums that have helped define country music over the years. Here are some of them.
Granger Smith is “On The Verge” of Becoming the Next Bro-Country Sensation
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Granger’s incredibly generic and pandering new single “Backroad Song” has just been sent to mainstream country radio proper. And with a big Nashville label behind it now, the single has become the 2nd most added song to country radio stations in the last two consecutive weeks, and is about to get yet another power boost of infinite proportions.
Sober Chris Janson Releases “Power of Positive Drinking” – Makes the Ghost of Lou Reed Weep
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It’s nauseating enough when horrifically average people are given extraordinary opportunities. It’s even worse when extraordinarily below average people do things that are horrifically opportunistic. This is what you have with much of today’s popular country music, and specifically with Chris Janson and his stupid new single “Power of Positive Drinkin'”.