Acclaimed Songwriter Emily Scott Robinson Readies New Album “Appalachia”
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You’re forced to search far and wide, and to fall feeling feeble-minded when trying to find a singer and a songwriter who can equal or even rival the works of Emily Scott Robinson.
Song Review – “My Church” by Maren Morris
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If you’re wondering what the Dave Cobb-influenced mainstream country world might sound like after the success of Chris Stapleton, take a good sniff at “My Church.” The arrangement and grainy production quality could very well be that of Lindi Ortega or Nikki Lane, but this is a major label artist looking to gain the attention of the fickle mainstream country music fan.
Album Review – Randy Rogers Band “Nothing Shines Like Neon”
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Nothing Shines Like Neon has all the liquor, beer, bar scenes, and sultry interactions with lovers you might hear on some mainstream country record, except it tells the story from the opposite perspective—the more realistic perspective. It’s where libations aren’t just flowing to party hearty, but to help douse heartbreak.
Chris Stapleton on Saturday Night Live
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Chris Stapleton took the Saturday Night Live stage on January 16th in front of an All-Star band, furthering the off-the-charts momentum the songwriter has been riding since sweeping the three awards he was nominated for at the 2015 CMA Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year. Since early November, Stapleton has been dominating Billboard’s Country Albums charts.
It’s About More Than Just Dave Cobb Taking Over Nashville’s Studio ‘A’
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Producer Dave Cobb—known for his work with Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and so many more—has signed on to be the new caretaker of the historic Studio ‘A’ on Music Row starting April 1st. Performer and pianist Ben Folds has been in charge of the space for the last 14 years, including helping to shepherd Studio ‘A’ through a stretch in 2014 where investors wanted to bulldoze it.
Sturgill Simpson to Perform the Theme Song to New HBO Series “Vinyl”
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To bring the music of Vinyl to life, the production team has partnered with Atlantic Records and sister label Warner Bros., and each episode will coincide with a soundtrack release. Though the series won’t only feature music from these labels, the Atlantic/Warner catalog will be the focus. The theme song for the series will be performed by recent Atlantic Records signee Sturgill Simpson.
Album Review – Hank Williams Jr.’s “It’s About Time”
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There’s a ton of great records from Hank starting the the late 70’s all the way up to the early 90’s that country fans will be pulling off of shelves for years to come when they’re looking for some good country music with a rock and roll kick, and if I had a vote I would induct Hank Williams Jr. into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the Modern Era category yesterday. But It’s About Time adds nothing to Hank Jr.’s legacy.
2016 Could Be 1975 All Over Again in Country Music
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The country music Outlaw movement didn’t happen overnight either. It took years and years of gnawing away at the obtrusive oligarchy that had set up shop on Music Row to get to the point where many of the genre’s most prominent stars could call their own shots, and the music could finally open up to new ideas and fresh faces.
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.