Album Review – Paul Cauthen’s “Black on Black”
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Paul Cauthen is not a unimportant or insignificant character in country music. His footprint and fan base are impressive. But Paul Cauthen is also the performer who most fundamentally gives into the id and the ego.
Party Down South’s Josh Murray Could Face Jail Time
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Another cast member of CMT’s flagship reality series Party Down South has found himself on the wrong side of the law. Josh Murray, the cast member known for drinking to excess and disrobing at a moments notice, was arrested in Rankin County, Mississippi. Josh Murray’s legal troubles are just one in a long list of incidents that have plagued the CMT show.
Mike Curb’s Presence Sullies Studio ‘A’ Preservation
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Let’s just start this off by drudging the big elephant right out in the middle of the room and shining a big ‘ol spotlight on it. Mike Curb, Herr Führer of Curb Records—the man who has made millions off of the indentured servitude of many of country music’s most famous names, has thrown his money behind the much-ballyhooed preservation of Music Row’s historic Studio ‘A’ in Nashville.
In Memoriam: 2014′s Fallen Country Music Greats
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2014 in country music did not see the passing of titans of the genre like we experienced in 2013 when George Jones, Ray Price, Tompall Glaser, and many more passed away, but was more the story of the vital side players, songwriters, session musicians, and storytellers who are so important to making the country music of others sound great.
The Johnny Cash Christmas Story: From Robbery to Redemption
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It was the week of Christmas, 1981, 7:30 in the evening, and Johnny Cash and his family had just sat down for dinner. Right as the family bowed their head for grace, three armed men burst through the dining room door, brandishing weapons. “What do you want?” said Johnny Cash, coming to his feet. “Everything, or the boy dies,” one of the masked intruders replied.
NASH Icon Signs Martina McBride / Still Mum on Ronnie Dunn
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NASH Icon, the partnership between Cumulus Media and Big Machine Label Group meant to give new life to older country stars, has its second signee. Martina McBride, rumored since the beginning of the new imprint to be a possible artist for the label, made it official on Tuesday (12-23). But there is a curious situation brewing between the label and another older star—Ronnie Dunn.
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?