On Luke Combs Playing the Newport Folk Festival
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Yes, Luke Combs is one of the largest names in popular country music. But from the very beginning, Combs has always proven to go deeper than the surface with his music.
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.
Evolved Country: New Country Rehab’s “Ghost Of Your Charms”
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Dubbing themselves “Outlaw” country, New Country Rehab very much defines the space that refers heavily to country music’s storied past, while instilling it with a new set of sonic parameters and progressive values. The lilting love songs are certainly present here, but so is a heavy handed douse of social commentary that struggles to hide its anger.
Brad Paisley Rebelling Against Sony Music? My Ass.
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Brad Paisley has been making quite the spectacle on Twitter over the last two days, claiming to be leaking bits and pieces of his upcoming album Moonshine In The Trunk against the will of his label Sony Music. Or so he says. This Brad Paisley leaking episode is not him acting out against his label, it is pure marketing. Whether Sony was in on the ruse really is inconsequential.
10 Pickathon Artists To Check Out Even If You’re Not Going
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Pickathon is the roots music experience like no other. It offers one of the most forward-thinking lineups in the independent festival circuit, is two steps ahead in featuring artists that are on the verge of becoming the next big thing, and presents the artist in some of the most unique settings to be found. Even if you can’t make it to the Northwest extremity of the country next weekend….
55 People Arrested, 22 Hospitalized at Keith Urban Concert
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A total of 55 arrests and 46 medical incidents, including 22 people transported to hospitals, marred a Keith Urban concert event in Mansfield, Massachusetts Saturday (7-26) night at the Xfinity Center as part of his “Raise ‘Em Up” tour. Jerrod Niemann and Brett Eldredge also performed at the concert. The incidents resulted in the Mansfield Fire Department having to declare a “Mass Casualty” event.
Tim McGraw Fan Wants Apology, Hires Lawyer in Slapping Incident
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The Tim McGraw fan who has caused quite the stir over the last couple of weeks after video surfaced of her ripping Tim McGraw’s jeans and then Tim rearing back and slapping her across the face or head is now saying she might sue. Jesslyn Taylor and her lawyer, Georgia personal injury attorney Eric Hertz, say that Tim McGraw acted too aggressively, and that at the least Jesslyn deserves a public apology.