Biggest Takeaways from Record-Breaking Bourbon & Beyond Fest
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Now that it’s all in the books—and after four long days of humpin’ around from stage to stage in the middle of a late season Ohio River Valley heat wave—here are some of the things that were seen and heard.
High Marks for Red Eye Gravy’s “Dust Bowl Hangover”
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Destitution and heartbreak are the theme of Dust Bowl Hangover, however the music itself is a very enjoyable experience, with great melodies, catchy hooks, smart and engaging arrangements, and a remarkable amount of spice and variety in the instrumentation to really elevate this album to something much higher than the band’s humble, unknown status.
Bobby Bones Takes Over DC, Now Has Over 60 Stations
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The reach of Clear Channel radio’s country music flagship personality was extended again this week when it was announced Bobby Bones will make his entrance into yet another major American market, shoving more local morning talent aside in favor of syndicated national radio. Clear Channel station WMZQ in Washington D.C. will now feature Bobby Bones in the mornings.
Open Letter to ACM’s Bob Romeo On Justin Moore Eligibility
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Dear Bob Romero, It is in the spirit of wanting to keep the viability and the storied nature of the ACM’s in tact that I write you to address a concern that I, as well as other country music writers and fans have voiced over the eligibility of Big Machine Records artist Justin Moore for the New Artist of the Year award at the 49th Annual awards set to transpire in a month from now.
2nd Verse, Sweet As The 1st For “Country Music Magazine”
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The first issue of “Country Music Magazine” did not disappoint, and made good on their promise to deliver high quality content to the scores of country music fans who want to read about past greats and future hopefuls while not completely ignoring the mainstream names worth a listen. Now they have released their second issue, and the 2nd verse is as sweet as the 1st.
10 Badass Billy Joe Shaver Moments
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You can’t go long talking about badasses in country music without bringing up the one, the only Billy Joe Shaver. Though he may have never received the recognition of Willie, Waylon, or even Coe or Paycheck, his influence is arguably just important. When you have Elvis cutting one of your songs, Willie Nelson calling you his favorite songwriter, have Bob Dylan name dropping you…
Darius Rucker Compares Luke Bryan & Eric Church to Willie & Waylon
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Former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman turned country artist Darius Rucker was on sports personality Dan Patrick’s radio show Tuesday (3-4), and had some interesting things to say about who the new torch bearers are for country music’s Outlaw legacy. According to Darius Rucker and Dan Patrick, the new Willie and Waylon is Luke Bryan and Eric Church.
Don Williams Covers Townes Van Zandt’s “I’ll Be Here In The Morning”
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After releasing “And So It Goes” in 2012, Don Williams has all of a sudden become downright prolific in the new decade, and his latest release “Reflections” is due out March 11th. Ahead of the release Don teases us with a new song, an adaptation of Texas songwriting legend Townes Van Zandt’s beautiful, disarming tune of love triumphing over freedom, “I’ll Be Here In The Morning.”
Bobby Bones Plays Cancer Card in Kacey Musgraves Feud
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As a continuation of the feud Clear Channel flagship DJ Bobby Bones got into with Kacey Musgraves in January, the radio personality has posted a new video purportedly pouring his heart out to the Grammy winner and wanting to patch things up, going as far as evoking the name of Cancer to try and find some sort of conclusion to the feud.
Writer Travis Kitchens Talks Censored Jason Aldean Review
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After posting a scathing review of a February 1st Jason Aldean concert at the Baltimore Arena in the local Baltimore City Paper alternative newsweekly, all hell broke loose. Since not much was known about Kitchens, and since his censored review has raised numerous questions itself, SCM reached out to the freelance writer to clear up some open questions, and get his perspective on the censoring.
6th Annual Lone Star Music Awards Nominees Announced
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Lone Star Music, the Texas music cornerstone that has such good taste and cool vibes that appreciation for it’s unique approach of putting the music first spreads well past the Texas border, has just announced the nominees for their 6th Annual Lone Star Music Awards, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t hit the sweet spot in showcasing many of the artists that are helping to save country music.
Study: Radio Consolidation Not Working
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This year at the Country Radio Seminar, Larry Rosin of Edison Research was once again sounding the warning bells about the viability of country music on the radio moving forward in the face of rapid consolidation, the evaporation of local and live programming, and the emergence of new technologies and services competing with radio like Spotify and smart phones.
Lake Street Dive’s “Bad Self Portraits”
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Lake Street Dive is a neotraditional, throwback group that blends elements of jazz, roots, Motown, and other smoke-filled, bluesy and soulful influences that both awaken the spirit in classic American music while still cleverly residing within its own little niche of the current zeitgeist. Aside from the style of Lake Street Dive which is so immediately inviting to culture thirsty ears….