Miranda Lambert Signs Traditionalist Jake Worthington to Her Label
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There’s plenty of room for him in Texas, and with the rising interest in traditional country music, this might be the opportunity both for Jake Worthington and Big Loud Texas to take it to the next level.
CMT Party Down South Cast Member Taylor “Lil Bit” Quits.
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More bad news for CMT’s flagship reality show Party Down South. One of the most popular cast members, Taylor “Lil Bit” Wright, has quit the show due to safety concerns over what transpires in the Party Down South house, and because she feels like the message of the show is in conflict with her religious beliefs.
Bradford Lee Folk Rediscovers The Beauty of Bluegrass
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Somewhere in the pursuit of bluegrass perfection, the simplicity of the subgenre got forgotten: the wood and the wire, and the beauty of universal sentiments conveyed through inviting melody. This re-attention to the beauty side of bluegrass is what is found on Bradford Lee Folk’s new album Somewhere Far Away with The Bluegrass Playboys.
One Hot Pistol: Kacey Musgraves Earns Gold & Platinum Certs
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Kacey Musgraves may not be the typical country music commercial powerhouse or the perennial chart topper, but the hard work on her debut major label album Same Trailer, Different Park, and the resonance and appeal of her breakout single “Merry Go ‘Round” have finally paid off for the country star in RIAA certifications.
Ryan “Daddy” Richards of CMT’s “Party Down South” Accused of Rape
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Yet another cast member of CMT’s Jersey Shore-style reality show Party Down South has found himself in legal trouble, and this time it involves the show directly, and accusations of rape on the set. Ryan “Daddy” Richards, famous for being the beer funnel toter of the eight-person cast, was accused of raping a woman who partied with the cast in their Athens, GA location in April during the taping of the current season.
Ben Folds Being Forced Out Of Historic Studio ‘A’
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The saga to save Nashville’s historic Studio ‘A’ and other Music Row landmarks sees another setback as Ben Folds says he’s being forced out of the space he’s spent over a decade renting and spent over $1 million on in renovations. Because of raised rent of 124% from the new ownership, Ben Folds says he’s planning to vacate Studio ‘A’ by November.
Whiskey Shivers to Release New, Self-Titled Album
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One of the hottest and most entertaining primordial string band outfits on the planet right now is the Austin-based Whiskey Shivers, and patient fans who’ve been waiting for a defining album from a band whose been tearing it up live for years are finally getting their wish. Produced by noteworthy Americana artist Robert Ellis, Whiskey Shivers will be releasing their self-titled LP September 23rd.
From Checklist to Bro-Country: The Subversion of Country Music
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So here we are. It’s the summer of 2014, and the headlines that dominate the country music world have to do with mounds of trash and numerous arrests in Pittsburgh, a man found dead in a dumpster in Cleveland, a “mass casualty” event called by the local fire chief in Mansfield, Mass. at a Keith Urban concert, and then an alleged rape. Where exactly did mainstream country music go so wrong?
Caitlyn Smith, Garth Brooks, & The Song “Tacoma”
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This is where Garth Brooks could shake up the country music industry beyond simply packing sold-out stadiums. There are reams of amazing songs out there going unheard, and Garth is one of the very few people with the star power to take these songs and make them hits. And this rising tide could raise all boats, taking an artist like Caitlyn Smith to the greater notoriety her talents deserve.
Man Accused of Rape at Keith Urban Concert While Others Watch
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According to the Sun Chronicle, 18-year-old concertgoer 18-year-old Sean Murphy raped a 17-year-old girl during the concert, while 15 or more concert attendees stood around and watched, many taking pictures and video of the incident. It ended when a woman attending the concert asked the girl if what was happening was consensual, and she said, “No,”
Bristol’s Birthplace of Country Music Museum Set for Grand Opening
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Nashville will always be the home of country music, but Bristol, TN/VA was where the big bang of country music occurred. In 1927, recording pioneer Ralph Peer from the Victor Talking Machine Company set up his equipment in the Taylor-Christian Hat Company in downtown Bristol and started recording acts that would become the very foundation of what we know as country music today.
Man Who Died at Jason Aldean Concert Was “Extremely Intoxicated”
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22-year-old Cory Barron who disappeared during a Jason Aldean concert at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Friday, July 18th, and was later found dead in a dumpster in New Russia Township just outside of Cleveland, was “extremely intoxicated” at the time of his disappearance according to a preliminary police report.
As It Is With Nashville’s Historic Places, So Should It Be w/ Music
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Of course country music must evolve, just as at times certain buildings must go if they have completely lost their functionality and the cost of preservation is not in accordance with the historic value. But there always has to be that measure, that attention and reverence paid to the past to where we don’t allow unchecked “evolution” to result in remorse of what was lost along the way.