Album Review – Billy Strings – “Highway Prayers” (+ Song Reviews)
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Billy Strings has taken bluegrass to the arena and beyond. And every time you believe he’s going to abandon the discipline or stretch it too far, he doubles down on his bluegrass roots like he does with “Highway Prayers.”
Wayne Mills Murder Case Update: 4 Months After
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Chris Michael Ferrell, the defendant facing 2nd Degree Murder charges in the November 23rd shooting death of country music artist Wayne Mills, was in the Davidson County District Court of Judge Steve Dozier in Nashville Friday (3-28) as part of a discussion date between the Davidson County District Attorneys and the defense. This was the first time the two sides had met in court since January 16th…
Unheard Hank Williams Garden Spot Programs to be Released
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Yes ladies and gentlemen, just when you thought you heard the last note of music from the legendary Hank Williams, yet another collection of recordings has surfaced from the Hillbilly Shakespeare called The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 to be released by Omnivore Records on May 20th. The 24 tracks haven’t been heard by the public in 64 years, and will be made available on CD, LP, and vinyl.
A Fourth Victim Dies From SXSW 2014 Crash
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A fourth victim has died due to the horrific car crash at South By Southwest 2014 in Austin, TX. DeAndre Tatum, known by friends and family as Dre, was an 18-year-old graduate from Ft. Worth’s Trimble Tech High School. Tatum had been hospitalized at University Medical Center Brackenridge in the Intensive Care Unit ever since the March 13th accident.
Why The Best Fan Vote for the ACM’s Is No Vote At All
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Why would any fan vote for the ACM New Artist or Entertainer of the Year this year? Their votes didn’t count for the Entertainer award last year, and this year, the front runner for New Artist of the Year isn’t new, and isn’t qualified to receive votes by the ACM’s rules. The whole fan voted element seems to be more about creating attention for the awards, and generating traffic for ACM’s web properties.
Shakey Graves Secures a Band for a New Approach
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Shakey Graves is quickly becoming an inspiring independent roots music success story and in a big way, despite what seem to be his best efforts to remain as unassuming, humble, and non-commercial as possible, while people gladly shove dollar bills at him. But 2014 promises to see a sea change from this rising roots artist. He’s assembled a band to take his song craft to the next level.
Johnny Cash Still Has 4 or 5 Albums Worth of Music to Release
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Tuesday was the release of Johnny Cash’s “lost” album “Out Among The Stars” that was discovered by Johnny’s son, John Carter Cash while organizing his father’s archived recorded material. Now according to the younger Cash, and legendary producer Rick Rubin who Cash worked with beginning in the mid 90’s during his American Recordings rebirth, there is still “4 or 5 albums” worth of material.
Jerrod Niemann Is No Willie or Waylon (A History Lesson)
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Tuesday was the release of Jerrod Niemann’s dumb new album High Noon, and before we’ve even had a chance to really delve into just how much of a mockery it makes of country music, Niemann’s already out there on the defensive, preaching to us how country “purists” really don’t know what the hell country music is all about, and how he’s just carrying on the traditions of Willie and Waylon.
Album Review – Johnny Cash’s “Out Among The Stars”
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I’m not certain that the impact of Johnny Cash getting dropped from the CBS/Columbia record label that had been his home for nearly 30 years has ever been fully appreciated. It truly was the end of an era, or the beginning of one depending on how you want to look at it. It stimulated a young Marty Stuart (an understudy of Cash) to get int the face of Columbia executive…
Scott Borchetta Commandeers Legacy Label Dot Records
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Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group is now bigger by one, and adds a new branch on the Big Machine tree right beside the labels other imprints of Republic Records and Valory Music Group. Announced today, Scott Borchetta and Universal Music Group have resurrected the “Dot Records” label name—a legacy music brand that was first started in Gallatin, TN.
Calls of Racism Amid Continued Signs Radio Consolidation is Failing
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All the fears, all the warnings sounded by concerned music fans and observers of media by the passing of the Telecommunications Act in 1996 and the revisions in 2003 that heavily laxed the laws regulating radio station ownership in America, and when Billboard changed their chart rules in 2012 to boost crossover songs, have now come to fruition.
The Lingering Influence of Emmylou’s “Wrecking Ball”
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In February it was announced that the the era-defining album “Wrecking Ball” released in 1995 by Emmylou Harris was getting the reissue treatment, with a remastering of the original album, a new disc of demos and outtakes, and a DVD delving into the making of the album, all set to be released on April 8th. You may wonder why this was the album picked out of the choir for a reissue, and why now.
New Merle Haggard Tribute is a Head Scratcher
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Not since the second installment of the Waylon – The Music Inside series was released with the names of Colt Ford and Justin Moore making their way on the track list have we had such a quizzical collection of artists for a tribute album. As cool as it is to see any attention paid to Merle these days from the mainstream establishment, it is not what’s going to get your average Merle fan’s motor running.