Zach Top Brings Resurgent Traditional Country to Telluride
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When Top took the stage, the roar was the loudest all weekend, and perhaps one of the loudest heard in the 52-year history of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. After all, this was an arena-level artists playing a 10,000 capacity fest.
Couple Responsible for Assault on Producer Dave Brainard Surrenders to Police
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The brutal assault against country music producer Dave Brainard that occurred in the early morning hours Sunday, September 27th on Demonbreun Street in Nashville near Music Row, has finally been solved. After over a week of searching for the responsible couple, 30-year-old Dustin Carl Hargrove and Nichole M. Hargrove from Columbia, TN turned themselves into police detectives on Tuesday (10-6).
Joe Nichols Sings From Both Sides of His Mouth in “Freaks Like Me”
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Joe Nichols is fed up with all of the country music that doesn’t sound country and says the same things over and over dammit, and he’s aiming to do something about it. You know . . . like release a song that references the same things all the others songs he’s complaining about do.
Don Henley and George Strait Top the Charts with New Albums
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There was another big battle at the top of the country albums charts last week, and once again the good guys won. Despite the perception by so many in the mainstream country business that radio play and youth is the key to success, two guys in their 60’s with no mainstream radio love topped the charts, and not just from statistical anomalies based on weak numbers, or on an off week for releases.
Man Bites Dog: Hank Williams Jr. to Open the CMA Awards with a Waylon Jennings Song
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Announced today in press release fashion, the 49th Annual, 2015 CMA Awards will be opened by newly-signed NASH Icon recording artist Hank Williams Jr. singing Waylon’s interpretation of Neil Young’s “Are You Ready For the Country?” first released on an album of the same name by Waylon in 1976. Hank Jr. will be joined by Eric Church in the rendition.
Forget The Headliners, The 2015 Stagecoach Lineup is a Great Study in Who to Watch in Country
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Some independent country fans love to harp on whose name is in the biggest font in the headliner positions, but the names Stagecoach invites each year to fill out the roster gives you great hope for the future of country, and tells you who to look out for in the coming months and years, this year especially.
Song Review – “The Driver” by Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum
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The only thing good that could come from Charles Kelley releasing solo material is that it hints that maybe Lady Antebellum is on the rocks. And since the word is that this is not the case and the band is just taking a short hiatus, not even this can be celebrated as a positive development.
Raul Malo of The Mavericks Barks Down Aggressive Security at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
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In San Francisco this weekend, the massive Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival is going on, and The Mavericks took to the Banjo Stage on Friday afternoon for their set. For whatever reason, the security decided to be extra vigilant, and wasn’t allowing folks to dance some ten feet in front of the already apportioned-off area in front of the stage. But frontman Raul Malo was having none of it.
Album Review – Mike and the Moonpies’ “Mockingbird”
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Who knows what goes into deciding what bands and artists launch into the stratosphere. and which ones are destined to slag it out on a slow build spending umpteen hours in a smelly tour van. All I know is I’ve seen Mike and the Moonpies get name checked by Sturgill Simpson and open for the Turnpike Troubadours on numerous occasions, and never did their music strike me as second class.
The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Hands Out 2015 Awards
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The 2015 installment of the International Bluegrass Music Awards transpired Thursday night (10-1) at the Duke Energy Center in Raleigh, NC as part of the organization’s annual conference, and the Jerry Douglas-anchored bluegrass supergroup The Earls of Leicester seized the night, taking six of the 17 major trophies, including Entertainer of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year, and Album of the Year.
Rapper Nelly Pretty Much Just Schooled Mainstream Country in How to Approach Genre
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“I love country music. I respect country music so much that I would never think that I can sit down and just as easy do a country album. That’s not it. That’s just like some country artist saying, ‘Hell, I’m just gonna do a rap album.'”
Truth Is More Important Than Blame in Death Of Eddie Montgomery’s Son Hunter
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On Sunday, September 27th, tragedy struck the family of country music performer Eddie Montgomery—one half of the popular country duo Montgomery Gentry. Eddie Montgomery’s 19-year-old son Hunter was taken off of life support at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital in Lexington Sunday morning after what was described as an “accident” left Hunter clinging to life. At the time, further details were not disclosed.
Randy Rogers Band Promises New Album “Nothing Shines Like Neon” is Traditional Country
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A common criticism of Texas country is that it has become a kissing cousin to Nashville’s Music Row over the last few years, especially with so many of the region’s top acts, including the Randy Rogers Band, signing with Nashville-based outfits. But the band returning to their independent roots is a good sign they will make whatever album they wish, without the influence of Music Row’s commercial interests.