The Biggest Takeaways of AmericanaFest 2024
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The 2024 installment of AmericanaFest transpired in Nashville last week, giving fans, members of the industry, and fellow artists an opportunity to check out much of the talent in the independent side of country and roots.
Austin Lets Out a Hipster Gaffaw at Your Country Festival, iHeartRadio
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Today it was announced that Austin, TX would be the site for iHeartRadio’s first ever country music festival, transpiring at Austin’s Frank Erwin Center on March 29th, with a list of top tier headliner talent. There is so much that is ill-conceived about this, I’m not sure where to start. Throwing a corporate country event in Austin, especially at that time of the year will be about as popular in Austin as running over a bicyclist in your Hummer.
Albums To Look Forward To In 2014
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2014 promises to be another great year for music, and the first part of the year might just be one of the busiest seasons for anticipated releases we have seen in quite a while. From a lost Johnny Cash album, to a new one from his daughter Rosanne, to Jason Eady, a big re-issue from Lucina Williams, and releases from Scott H. Biram and Robert Ellis, there’s enough here to get your music taste buds salivating.
Grand Ole Opry’s Newest Members Not Paying Their Dues
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Membership to the Grand Ole Opry is seen a one of the most prestigious accolades a country music artist can be bestowed, and the recognition is sought after by performers both big and small, mainstream and traditional because it is one of the hardest gets in music. But the cavalcade of mainstream pop country music stars recently added as members are not fulfilling the Opry obligations.
The Death of Wayne Mills 6 Weeks After (Update & Analysis)
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It has now been six weeks since the shooting death of country music artist Wayne Mills on November 23rd, 2013 at the Pit & Barrel bar in Nashville by Chris Ferrell—the owner of the Pit & Barrel, and the defendant in the case that claims self-defense, and is currently facing 2nd Degree Murder charges brought down by a Grand Jury on December 6th. Ferrel was released on bail on December 16th.
Ray Price Widow Pens Touching Letter To Fans
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Nearly three weeks after the passing of country music titan Ray Price on December 16th, and his wife Janie Price has published a very touching letter to Ray’s fans about her husband, and the days proceeding his death. Ray was remembered in public memorials both in his home of Mount Pleasant in east Texas on Saturday, December 21st, and in the Dallas suburb of Richardson on December 28th.
Saving Country Music’s 2013 Album of the Year
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In Time is not simply the best album in country music in 2013, it is arguably one of the best, if not the best album in all of American music, and for it not to win the day in it’s home genre of country music would be a silly oversight, and tough to justify as In Time only becomes fortified by the test of time, divested from trend or taste as it is, and embedded with such universal appeal.
Justin Townes Earle Gets Hitched
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Apparently while none of us were looking, Justin Townes Earle, son of alt-country hero Steve Earle, went off and got hitched. Mr. Mysterio divulged his new relationship status in some recent tweets, and according to a recent article in the Boston Globe’s Lifestyle section, the nuptials happened in mid October in Tahoe. “It was kind of an immediate thing,” Earle explained.
Bobby Joe Owens Entertains with “Liquor, Love & Laughter”
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Bobby Joe Owens is a guy who didn’t even start doing anything in music until 2006 when he started writing songs under the name “Robert J. Thompson.” He doesn’t play an instrument, is probably not going to win any singing competitions, but his songs will jerk tears from you, whether you’re laughing out loud, or relenting to a truly heartfelt ballad.
How Music Row & Acuff-Rose Killed The Everly Brothers
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Unlike Elvis, The Beatles, and other such acts that withstood the test of time to become commercial success stories in multiple decades, The Everly Brothers seemed to hit a wall in the early 60′s, and never really rekindled their popular magic later in life. Why did this happen? How could an act that was so popular, and seemed to resonate so deeply with the American public get lost in the shuffle?
Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers Passes Away
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Phil Everly, one-half of the highly influential Everly Brothers, passed away earlier today (1-3-14) in Burbank, CA from complications due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “We are absolutely heartbroken,” his wife Patti Everly told The Los Angeles Times. “He fought long and hard.” Phil Everly was 74. The duo was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Review – Eric Church’s “Give Me Back My Hometown”
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So here it is January 3rd, the day that we were promised that everything would be revealed of why a month ago today, Eric Church’s marketing arm decided to post a psychotic and irresponsible “teaser” video for his upcoming The Outsiders album that depicted a shadowy figure in gloves obsessively watching a video of Taylor Swift explaining on the CMA Awards how it was Eric Church’s….
Clay Walker Declares Traditional Country Music Dead
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Not since Blake Shelton called traditional country fans Old Farts and Jackasses has a sitting country music star painted such a grim and disparaging picture for traditional country music as Clay Walker, The 44-year-old Curb-Asylum artist says that “Traditional country music died,” and that George Strait’s win for Entertainer of the Year was a “closing of the door” for traditional music in the country format.