Southern Rock Supergroup Toy Factory Project Debuts at Telluride
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Nobody panic. Try to look cool. But what happened in Telluride, Colorado Saturday night (6-21) on the legendary stage in Telluride might be one of the greatest things to happen in Southern rock in the last 25 years.
Dr. Ralph Stanley Hospitalized After Fall, Requires Surgery
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88-year-old bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley is recovering in the hospital after suffering a serious fall last week, resulting a fractured pelvic bone. He was first admitted to the hospital on September 26, and also underwent minor surgery to install a pacemaker on Saturday. Stanley has canceled some of his upcoming events due to the health issue, but is expected to recover.
Album Review – Alabama’s “Southern Drawl”
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The stereotypical observation about the classic side of the country music divide is that classic fans only like music because it’s old and sounds old, and only hate the new music of today because it sounds new. But the truth of the matter is country music’s past has plenty of bad music, eras marked by disappointment and poor trends, and songs and artists that time has not been very kind to.
Luke Bryan Tops Dubious List of Celebrity Malware Names
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Luke Bryan’s current popularity at the moment makes him a prime candidate for malware makers. Music artists are especially enticing for hackers looking to infect users with malware because of their popularity, and the potential for searchers to be willing to download information from sites. Seven of the top 10 celebrities on the list are musical artists.
Holly Williams Sounds Off on “I Saw The Light” Hank Williams Movie
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We’ve heard Hank Williams III’s thoughts on the biopic about his grandfather I Saw The Light starring the British-born Tom Hiddleston as Hank set to be released on November 27th, and we’ve heard from critics who attended the premier screenings of the film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Now another blood relative of Hank, his granddaughter Holly Williams has sounded off on the film.
A Win For the Good Guys: The Turnpike Troubadours Make Waves on the Country Charts
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Granted, it is a different day in the music business, and independent country bands are appearing on the country album charts more and more often. But still, to behold the steady rise of the Turnpike Troubadours from a bar band from Oklahoma to the top of the country music charts without ever having to reshape their sound or sign their life away to a major label is an incredible feat.
Lew Dickey Is Out as Cumulus Media CEO – Replacement Named – Stock Plummets
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Lew Dickey, the embattled and polarizing CEO of Cumulus is out, and his replacement has been named as Mary G. Berner, a seasoned media business operator who joined the Cumulus board in May. Lew Dickey founded Cumulus Media in 1997, and has served as the company’s CEO for 16 years. Dickey will stay on at the company, but in a downgraded role as a Vice Chairman.
So Apparently All of Garth’s New Music Is On A Phone That He Fried & Can’t Power Back Up
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All of the music Garth has been working on for a new release over the last six months? It’s currently sitting on a phone that’s dead, and nobody can get it to power back up at the moment. That’s right, there’s no backup, no Plan ‘B’, it’s all just gone unless they figure out somehow to salvage the files. Six full months of studio time and effort could be completely flushed down the drain.
Song Review – Jon Pardi’s “Head Over Boots”
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“Head Over Boots” is not a great song, but it’s country, and it’s Jon Pardi, and it suits the ears just fine. The key for Pardi and Laird was to put something together that was positive in nature, but still native to Pardi’s sound, and something still traditional enough to delineate Pardi from radio peers. So they headed to the dance halls of Texas for inspiration.
Album Review – Thomas Rhett’s “Tangled Up”
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The hubris, the insult of calling Tangled Up “country,” the effrontery to the institution and the brazenness of the act are unparalleled, and start country music down a brambled path towards a terrible demise where it can’t define its own borders or distinguish itself from the rest of American music. For the first time, we ask the question, “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?” and cannot give ourselves a reassuring answer.
Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel Calls out Luke Bryan / Modern Country. “There’s No Originality”
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The songwriter, singer, guitar player, and frontman for the legendary Western Swing and classic country band Asleep At The Wheel had some harsh things to say about today’s country music in a recent interview, and specifically about the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year, Luke Bryan.
Cumulus Stock “Decimated.” How Trouble at NASH Could Spell Trouble for Country
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Cumulus Media’s NASH concept wants to become the one stop shop for corporate country consumers, and the country industry is more than willing to play ball as long as the company spreads its capital around to launch grandiose ventures and continues to play its artists on the radio. But there’s a problem. A big one.
Emmylou Harris: Today’s Country Music Isn’t “Washed In The Blood”
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Emmylou Harris and long-time collaborator Rodney Crowell have a new album out with called ‘The Traveling Kind,’ and while speaking in a joint interview with radio.com recently, Emmylou had some interesting words about what she thinks about today’s country music.