Album Review – Cody Johnson’s “Leather (Deluxe Edition)”
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‘Leather (Deluxe Edition)’ doesn’t just add 13 tracks to his current album. It continues to add to Cody Johnson’s solid legacy as a consistent and trusted traditional-leaning performer, impervious to the temptation to sell out.
Metro-Politan: Country Music’s New Cancer
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The next menace was country rap, symbolized by Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” becoming the biggest country single in all of 2011. Then country rap gave way to Bro-Country—the most dominant torment to country music arguably in the genre’s entire history. Now what looks to depose Bro-Country as the next malevolent hyper-trend? Let’s just call it “Metro-Politan.”
Steve Earle & Brandy Clark Talk Saving Country Music
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Steve Earle says it wasn’t his politics that held him back from greater mainstream country success. It was more the oligarchy who was afraid of artists who call their own shots. Steve Earle is not the only one talking about saving country music lately. Brandy Clark amidst her Grammy Awards success said recently, “My name is said in the same breath as people like Kacey [Musgraves] and Sturgill Simpson, Ashley Monroe…
New Willie Nelson Biography “It’s A Long Story, My Life” Coming
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The 400-page biography is said to be the “unvarnished, complete story of Willie Nelson’s life” that touches on his time in Texas and Nashville to Hawaii, to his legendary bus, his drive to write music, the women in his life, his collaborations, and his biggest lows and highs-from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid. It is also said to include stories from many of Willie Nelson’s friends.
Bob Dylan: “I Wasn’t Dissing Merle, Not the Merle I Know.”
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Bob Dylan is pretty notorious for not speaking publicly very often, either in speeches or to the press. But after being honored at a Grammy Awards’ MusiCares event a week ago, and the impending melee that resulted from the 30-minute speech in which he specifically criticized Merle Haggard and Tom T. Hall among others, Dylan was forced into another public disposition with Rolling Stone on Friday.
Song Review – Jamey Johnson’s “You Can”
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Written by Johnson and Dan Couch somewhere around 2004 or 2005, “You Can” was kept on the sidelines as Jamey’s major releases The Dollar, That Lonesome Song, and The Guitar Song came out, never making the final cut. But now that Johnson is out from under the thumb of the industry, if he wants to randomly release a single on a cold day in February, he can. Whether it suits his best interests or not.
Sturgill Simpson’s “Metamodern Sounds” Reaches 100,000 in Sales
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Tired of seeing Sturgill Simpson news? Well then tell it to stop happening. If you can fathom this, the Kentucky-born singer is currently experiencing a renewed increase in interest, even while in the more long-term perspective he continues a meteoric rise which could have big implications on the country music community at large.
Review – Blackberry Smoke’s “Holding All The Roses”
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Blackberry Smoke comes rip rearing out of Atlanta, GA with their asses on fire, delivering this power packed, rockin’, country-fried brand new offering called ‘Holding All The Roses’ that doesn’t let up, doesn’t give in, and keeps spitting out flavorful hooks, delicious riffs, and infectious grooves one after another, all adding up to one hell of a good time worthy of immediate repeat.
Brandy Clark Sees Biggest Sales Spike of All Grammy Performers
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Why do the Grammy Awards matter? Well even if you don’t win anything, the exposure as a performer is just about priceless for those that get the opportunity. Brandy Clark was up for Best Country Album for her ’12 Stories’ release, and Best New Artist, and walked away with neither. But her performance with Dwight Yoakam on her song “Hold My Hand” landed Brandy the largest single percentage gain in song sales.
2015 Country Music Hall of Fame Picks & Prognostications
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It’s about that time of year again to start considering who the Country Music Hall of Fame will include in their list of 2015 inductees. That said, this announcement seems to inch later, and later (and later) each year. Nonetheless, if you want your opinion to amount to anything, you better get it out there early in the year as the people who make the picks for the final ballots and eventually inductees are doing their homework.
Johnny Cash’s Note to June Voted Greatest Love Letter of All Time
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To get everyone geared up for the impending Valentine’s Day festivities on Saturday the 14th, the Beagle Street Insurance Company out of Great Britain commissioned a poll to see what wordsmith was worthy of being lauded by the distinction of writing the “Greatest Love Letter of All Time.” And forging ahead and beating a field of stiff competition was America’s Man in Black.
Review – Amanda Shires & Jason Isbell’s “Sea Songs”
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The music epicenters of Muscle Shoals, AL and Lubbock, TX find their native son and daughter melding their respective talent offerings into a tempest of love and emotive expressions in this two-song, surprise release called Sea Songs. Maybe as a stop gap from both halves of this super couple as we all endure through the dark moments between proper LP releases, this 2-sided single satiates the belly…
NASH TV Launches, But Is Anyone Paying Attention?
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While nobody was paying attention, the Dickey Brothers of Cumulus Media added yet another tentacle to their increasingly tentacle-rich country music venture known as NASH. NASH TV boasts videos and programs from some of NASH radio’s biggest shows. Then you can get extremely niche-like with shows such as “Picks From The Sticks” and “HickXtreme.” Cue the incidental comedy.