Jack Mills, Son Of Wayne Mills, Carrying On the Family Legacy
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When beloved country artist Wayne Mills was murdered on November 23rd, 2013, it didn’t just leave a gaping hole in the country music scene. It also meant a wife lost a husband, and a son lost a father.
Joey Allcorn’s Got “Nothing Left To Prove”
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If you find yourself uttering, “Man, I wish Hank3 would release something new like those first three records,” trust me, you’re not alone. A lot of the neo-traditionalist artists of the late 90’s to mid 2000’s stayed around just long enough to wet our appetites for that by-gone sound only to leave us in the lurch and looking for our next fix of that old, potent stuff.
Single Review – Miranda Lambert’s “Little Red Wagon”
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If you’re looking for the female equivalent to Bro-Country songs, i.e. something featuring lower brow formulaic songwriting, however less frequently they may find their way onto your radio, the proper comparison would be the “attitude song.” That’s what Miranda Lambert calls it. Miranda Lambert’s latest attitude song is called “Little Red Wagon,” and it has been announced as her latest single.
SOLD OUT: Live Nation Acquires C3 Presents
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Just about the worst thing that could happen to the independent live music consumer has just transpired, and the entire landscape of live music, and specifically the environment for live music in Austin, TX, will forever be changed for the worse. A deal first rumored in October for Live Nation to acquire a majority 51% controlling stake in C3 Presents has gone through for an estimated $125 million.
Craig Wayne Boyd’s New Challenge: Abject Obscurity
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Forget that The Voice is one of the highest-rated shows on NBC, and one of the most popular shows in all of television. The legacy of the competition is for the winners to sink right back down into obscurity after the season finale. If Craig Wayne Boyd becomes a successful music star as a champion of ‘The Voice,’ he’d arguably the the first in the show’s history.
The Numbers Are In for Texas Country in 2014
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A couple of the mainstays of Texas music in retailer Lone Star Music and the radio resource Texas Music Chart have just released their 2014 tabulations, and they give a good glimpse into what Texas music fans in Texas and beyond are listening to. Check out the top selling albums, and the most played songs on Texas radio.
American Aquarium Named “Most Active” Act of 2014 by Bandsintown
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Raleigh, NC’s American Aquarium was the hardest working, hardest touring band in 2014 from any genre according to the concert-finding app Bandsintown which presides over the largest database of music touring data. The announcement was made Thursday after Bandintown was able to aggregate 206 tour dates for the band in 2014—more than any other band or artist registered in their database.
Saving Country Music’s Best Videos of 2014
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From crude videos taken on somebody’s phone, to full production videos with scripts and actors and sets, to animated shorts and everything in between, you never know what’s going to capture the imagination and become the perfect compliment to a song in the visual form. what breaks through the crush of visual material to be called the best in 2014?
Equal Time – The Best in Mainstream Country Music in 2014
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Independent music fans love to say “90% of what they play on the radio is crap!” Well then it would stand to reason that 10% actually has some value. And in the interest of pragmatism and inclusiveness that is vital to the charge of Saving Country Music, it is important to not ignore when Music Row and mainstream artists get it right, but to celebrate these moments.
Mo Pitney Reveals Great Promise with “Country” Single
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If you’re looking for names to populate your most anticipated projects to be released in 2015, putting Mo Pitney at or near the top would be a savvy choice. With a one in a million country voice conveyed in a smoothness we haven’t heard since Don Williams, Mo Pitney is a chill-inducing traditional country artist with a succulent pentameter and delivery, and a songwriter’s pen engorged with stories.
The Big Lessons of Sturgill Simpson’s Success
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The hope of fans of any independent music artist is that they will be able to achieve a sustainable career, and that their music will find wider appeal amongst the listening public. When an independent artist succeeds, it’s important that we pay attention to what lent to that success so hopefully more worthy artists can achieve similar results, and to ask what that success might mean.
Hank Williams Jr. Could Be Next NASH Icon Artist
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It looks like Hank Williams Jr. might be the next signee to the Cumulus Media / Big Machine Label Group joint venture known as NASH Icon meant to give new life to aging artists who’ve been passed over by mainstream country radio. In the midst of Hank’s ACCA performance, he switched over from a cowboy hat to a black hat with gold lettering that simply read “ICON” across the front.
Abysmal Ratings for the American Country Countdown Awards
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Monday night (12-15) was the inaugural airing of what is attempting to be country music’s 4th awards show called the American Country Countdown Awards, or ACCA’s, and the ratings couldn’t have been worse. A big media push prior to the awards couldn’t account for an overcrowded awards show space and a lackluster presentation, and the overnight ratings for the show were abysmal.