Album Review – The Wilder Blue’s “Still In The Runnin'”
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If you’re looking for relief or reparations from the ills of life, you can reach for alcohol or other intoxicants to inoculate you from life‘s fickle and sometimes debilitating moods, or you can reach for the music of The Wilder Blue.
Scott Borchetta Living Up to Promise to “Dig A Little Deeper”
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Behind-the-scenes, Borchetta was spying all the earmarks of a hyper-trend, and saw that “Bro-Country” may be leaving his label vulnerable if they continued to bet their future on it. In Neda Ulaby’s NPR report, Borchetta said some things that stunned the country blogsphere at the time. “So we’ll task our writers and artists to dig a little deeper,” the label owner said.
Garth Brooks Headed to Sony? (A Press Conference Primer)
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The country music world is titillated with anticipation at what Garth Brooks might be announcing at his upcoming press conference on Thursday, July 10th, scheduled to stream live on his website at noon eastern. But the cat may already be out of the bag. Over the last few days there has been industry chatter that Garth may be announcing a deal with Sony Nashville.
Now There Really Is A “Rocky Top, Tennessee”
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One enterprising town in East Tennessee called Lake City just a little north of Knoxville saw where the lack of a true Rocky Top, Tennessee could be an opportunity. Looking to boost tourism to the town of around 2,000, Lake City’s city council voted on November 7th, 2013 to petition the Tennessee State Assembly and have the town’s name officially changed to Rocky Top.
Chris Gaines Named as Garth Brooks Replacement at Ireland Shows
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Looking to salvage whatever they can from the debacle, the local promoters have announced they have found a replacement for Brooks, and it will be another entertainer coming out of retirement to perform for the Croke Park crowd. Dark-edged alternative rocker Chris Gaines has been named as the Garth Brooks replacement.
Song Review – Florida Georgia Line’s “Dirt”
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Because this song is from Florida Georgia Line is not the reason to hate it. It’s the exact reason to love it. Today, the 8th of July, 2014, is a victory for country music, and for the individuals and entities who wish to see a measure of balance restored back to the format—not based on taste, but on the theory of finding less divisive music that we can all enjoy together as country music fans.
Dale Watson’s “The Truckin’ Sessions Vol. 3”
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This isn’t an album of truckin’ songs that you sit back and listen to nostalgically, this thing takes a big arm cocked at a 90-degree angle like it’s about to give a hearty yank of the air horn, and instead grabs you by the gruff of your neck and pulls you right up into the cab of a serious diesel machine for one sensational ride. It might be one of the best Dale Watson albums to date.
Taylor Swift’s Op-Ed in the Wall St. Journal (A Rebuttal)
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On Monday (7-7), Taylor Swift did something somewhat unusual from the music space—she posted an op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal. what is going on here is marketing. It beings with marketing, and ends with marketing. It doesn’t mean that Taylor Swift doesn’t make some salient points, or mean what she says, and that those points aren’t important. But the bottom dollar is what is driving this.
UPDATE: Garth Brooks, & 18 Semi Trucks On a Ship in the Atlantic
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Today, 7/7, was supposed to be the day that “the 7’s aligned” and Garth officially announced his upcoming world tour after a nearly 15-year retirement. But the 7’s did not align. Garth’s master plan originally hatched in 2013 and assembled around his favorite number of ‘7’ was foiled, or for the least, delayed until Thursday, thanks to turmoil over upcoming concert dates in Ireland.
Country Is Now Pop: Sam Hunt’s “Leave The Night On”
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This is not a review, this is a warning. Sam Hunt’s “Leave The Night On” is a potential swan song for what we define as country music today, more than any song that has come before. I know, you’re saying, “Can you tell me this song is somehow more pop than Taylor Swift, or pushes the limit more than Jerrod Neimann’s EDM monster ‘I Can Drink To That All Night’?” That is exactly what I’m telling you.
Independent Labels Back Down YouTube in Rights Fight
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Amid the blow back YouTube was experiencing from fans, artists, and labels, they are now second guessing their strategy. In this high stakes game of music streaming chicken, the independents won, at least for now, as YouTube and Google executives head back to the drawing board and negotiating table to hammer out how to include everyone in the new service.
The Loudermilks Live Up To Their Name w/ Debut Album
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This initial offering from The Loudermilks finds the band ranging from the bluegrass-inspired and steel guitar-drenched opening number “Watch ‘Em Fall”, to the the nearly straightforward rock styling of “The Plan”, accomplishing all with equal ability to enrapture the audience and appeal to whichever musical leanings the listener happens to carry.
Justin Moore Covers Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home”
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This Nashville Outlaws tribute is the country music equivalent to the 1982 flick The Toy, with Mötley Crüe as Richard Pryor, and Scott Borchetta as Jackie Gleason. Still left wanting after his own hair metal band Burning Hearts went down in a blaze of glory, Borchetta has wrangled his Big Machine roster into living out his spandex and aqua-net dream for him…