Turnpike Troubadours Announce “Wild America Tour” 2025
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After finishing up a big Red Rocks show on May 9th, the Turnpike Troubadours have released a brand new batch of tour dates, titled under the “Wild America Tour” 2025.
Jason James Brings The Voices of the Old Greats Back Alive in Debut Album
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Jason James isn’t afraid to to pen a song in a traditional style and then challenge himself to sing it with the same heart and passion as one of the old greats. Nobody will ever replace George Jones or ‘Ol Hank, but that doesn’t mean others can’t try to reach for that same level of excellence, and pay forward the traditions of country to a new era of listeners who still find value in the classic modes.
Song Review – Carrie Underwood’s “Smoke Break”
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A fairly raucous, country rock song with a sound wide enough to fill an arena, it reveals a different side of Carrie compared to what we’ve heard more recently. The single is an ode to the hard working closet smoker and drinker who despite claiming to avoid bad habits, admits to partaking in a bit of vice every once in a while to take the edge off of a dreary existence.
5 Simple Solutions to Help Save Country Music
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We bitch, we moan, we criticize, we celebrate the symbolic little victories that give us hope that a sea change for country music is imminent, or at least slowly taking hold, even though in many respects things only seem to get worse every year. And we look for ways to implement meaningful solutions to the problems plaguing country music so it can once again become a medium of creativity.
Willie Nelson Replaced by Steven Tyler As Headliner at Tennessee Music Festival
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The inaugural Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival set to transpire in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville on September 26th and 27th, just made a rookie move by replacing headliner Willie Nelson with country music interloper/carpetbagger Steven Tyler—a.k.a. the frontman for the legendary rock band Aerosmith.
Saving Country Music’s 85 Greatest Country Songwriters of All Time
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The only thing I hate more than lists is the reactions to lists. I started this list some 2 1/2 years ago and then shelved it from concerns of the reactions and criticisms that come with posting a list of this type. But inspired by Rolling Stone’s recent list of the “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time” (and disappointed there wasn’t more country music representation), I decided to finish this list and publish it.
Many of Today’s Country Artists Find Actual Country Music “Boring”
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I believe it was the Buddha who once said “life is suffering.” And though you would think mainstream country artists who make their living playing music to massive audiences, they have problems too apparently, and recently the biggest one appears to be having to play music that fits within the confines of the country music genre. Oh, the horror.
Song Review – Mo Pitney “It’s Just A Dog”
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A new song or video from Mo Pitney these days is becoming grounds for an immediate stop down, and the only drawback to be concerned about is if the new car smell on all the songs will be gone once his debut major label album is released. It’s not just the songs, it’s the care with which Mo Pitney delivers them. Each performance feels custom made and ornamented with such purity and heart.
Hank Williams Arrested: The Story Behind the Famous Photo
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It was August of 1952, and the life of Hank Williams was in a downward spiral. The Hillbilly Shakespeare already suffered from chronic back pain which helped lead to his notorious alcoholism, and then earlier in 1952, Hank suffered a fall during a hunting trip in Tennessee, facilitating his use of painkillers such as morphine.
Cam Calls Out Country Weekly’s “Country’s Hottest Bachelorette” Survey
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NASH Country Weekly—recently re-branded to include Cumulus Media’s wide-encompassing “NASH” brand—has posted a survey on their website asking readers “Who Is Country’s Hottest Bachelorette?” Interesting that the authors decided to include multiple women who are known to be in committed relationships in the survey, yet failed to include any women who weren’t signed or affiliated with major labels.
Langhorne Slim Moves The Spirit with New Album
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Langhorne Slim isn’t just looking to entertain you with The Spirit Moves. This isn’t just music in the sense that you listen to it, bob your head and tap your toes, and then go about your business. Langhorne is aiming to stir something up deep inside of you that awakens an inner yearning which in many cases the rest of the world is attempting to suppress, and in turn, maybe inspire to you help aid a similar awakening in others.
Giving The Band Perry’s New Single “Live Forever” Its Deserved Kick to the Nuts
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Goodness, can we just kill off mainstream country music with one final shotgun blast to the noggin instead of watching this long, suffering, painful smothering at the hands of the proprietors of pop who have positively no idea what country music is supposed to be, and are willing to slowly strew its disemboweled innards all across the public sidewalks in victory? Don’t these bastards have any compassion?
How Local Noise Ordinances are Eating Away at the Heart of the American Music Scene
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Though decibel levels might be set-in-stone benchmarks, they can’t measure the historic precedent a music venue like Gruene Hall presents, or the spirit of the live performance, reading a crowd, and seizing the moment to deliver a memorable performance. It was Hank Williams playing six encores in 1949 on the Grand Ole Opry stage that launched his career, and country music itself, to superstardom.