Earl Scruggs Music Festival Keeps Spirit of Earl Scruggs Alive
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Despite all of his achievements, Earl Scruggs never had a dedicated music festival in his lifetime. That has been rectified with the annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival, now in its fourth year.
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.
Saving Country Music Helps w/ “Party Down South” Ads
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Thursday night is the finale for season one of CMT’s flagship reality show series Party Down South. The show has stirred up quite a bit of controversy for its sexualized and graphic content, especially in its ads. With a servant’s heart, and wanting to pitch in and make sure Party Down South sticks around, Saving Country Music thought we would make some ads for CMT pro bono.
Johnny Cash’s Great Niece Stabbed & Murdered
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Courtney Cash, the great niece of country legend Johnny Cash, and the granddaughter of Johnny Cash’s brother Tommy Cash, was brutally stabbed and murdered early Wednesday morning in Putnam County, TN, and stuffed inside a wooden box in her home. Her boyfriend, William Austin Johnson who shared the house with Cash and their young daughter, was also stabbed multiple times.
Tony Bennett Slams Modern Music & Corporations Controlling It
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Tony Bennett, the 87-year-old singer who’s still going strong and is considered worldwide even at his advanced age as one of the greatest living singers, had some pretty spicy words about the state of modern music when the BBC spoke to him in an interview released Thursday. “The songs that are written today, most of them are terrible. “It’s a very bad period musically.”
Don Williams’ “Reflections” Reminds Us of What’s Important
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“Reflections” is much more than just the easy listening country it may appear to be on the surface. It’s an album with a message, and leads by example. Instead of whining about the state of country music, it does something about it. “Reflections” is the album we needed right here, right now. Not just from the perspective of saving country music, but the perspective of saving ourselves.