On Conner Smith’s “Citation” for Fatally Striking a Pedestrian
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The punishment certainly doesn’t follow the tenets of Hammurabi’s Code. But in this instance, it might have been the most prudent, and legally sound course of action.
Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay’s “Before The World Was Made”
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Gone are the days of the legendary duet pairings in country music like George and Tammy, Loretta and Conway, but the Austin country scene’s power couple of Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay have revitalized the country duet concept album in a smart, brilliant, hilarious, and sweet offering called Before The World Was Made.
Luke Bryan’s Best Country Songs
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Saving Country Music runs down the best country music songs from the Academy of Country Music’s reigning Entertainer of the Year, Luke Bryan. From Leesburg, GA, Bryan was signed to Capitol Records in 2007, and has released 3 EP’s, and four full-length albums, his latest being “Crash My Party” in August of 2013.
Willie Nelson Dedicates An Album “To All The Girls…”
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To All The Girls is Willie Nelson’s third album to come from his recent partnership with Sony’s Legacy Recordings, and the second to come out this year. The record features an ample 18 tracks, each constituting a duet with a female counterpart drawing from a wide swath of talent that includes both legacy names like Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris, and some new names like The Secret Sisters and Brandi Carlile.
Hellbound Glory “Live From Memphis” Complete Concert Video
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On March 21st, Hellbound Glory descended up on the city of Memphis, Tennessee and the renown FexEx Forum in support of Kid Rock and the Rebel Soul tour. With much respect to the city’s musical heritage (and a visit the day before), the band laid into a blistering 30 minute set, putting into motion a series of events that only time a whiskey will ultimately divulge.
Album Review – Justin Moore’s “Off The Beaten Path”
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Justin Moore’s 2011 album Outlaws Like Me was declared the worst album ever by Saving Country Music up to that moment in time; a diagnosis I still stand behind with puffed chest. Despite a few moments of respite, Off The Beaten Path is like an expeditionary campaign to discover and exploit every single worn out modern lyrical trope of American country music, and to try and make some new ones.
Mainstream Country Independent Fans Should Give A Chance
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It’s so easy to get swept up in stereotyping mainstream country as being completely void of anything worth your time these days, but in truth there’s still a lot of great music in the popular music world, however a small percentage it might be of the total package. Saying the mainstream has nothing good to offer is narrowing your musical experience no different than saying that music is bad because it’s not popular.
Jake Owen: Country Needs More Than “Tailgates & F*ckin’ Cups”
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Yet another big name country star is speaking out about the current state of country music. This time it is RCA Records’ Jake Owen. “We need more of those kinds of songs in [country music]. “We need more songs than just songs about tailgates and fuckin’ cups and Bacardi and stuff like that. We need songs that get ourselves back to the format that made me love it.”
UK’s “Country Music Magazine” is the Mag We’ve Been Waiting For
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Once again the Europeans out class their cross Atlantic counterparts with the newly-launched Country Music Magazine from Team Rock—the same people who’ve brought the UK the long-running and widely-distributed Classic Rock Magazine. Despite the generic name, this magazine is anything but, with 132 extra wide glossy full-color pages, accompanied by a free, 15-track CD with music from Sturgill Simpson and Guy Clark.
Review – The Defibulators “Debt’ll Get ‘Em”
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Somewhat weird, certainly smart-assed, but seriously entertaining, The Defibulators from New York, New York have unleashed their latest album Debt’ll Get ‘Em, ripe for weird looks and rank misunderstanding, but filled with some really good times. The line between where the sarcasm ends and the seriousness begins with The Defibulators is hard to define, and they appear to like it that way.
Why The Stagecoach Festival Lineup is a Good Thing
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A couple of days ago, The Stagecoach Festival out in California announced their 2014 lineup, capped by headliners Eric Church, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan. Since its inception 7 years ago, Stagecoach has been the California contingent to America’s big corporate country music festivals, but what makes Stagecoach different is that they actually include independent and up-and-coming artists as well.
Charlie Robison Sets The Perfect Vibe on “High Life”
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Don’t be spooked too much by the Haight-Ashbury circa 1967 album cover on this record. There’s no acid trips or space jams inside, though in its own way the cover conveys the laid back mood that the music of High Life embodies, and the harkening back to the cowboy hippie vibe of Austin in the mid 70’s that this album evokes. What you do get with High Life is some damn fine Texas country.
Randy Travis to Finally Return Home This Weekend After Health Problems
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Country star Randy Travis, who suffered a series of major health issues beginning in July, will finally be returning home to his ranch this weekend in Tioga, TX, just northwest of Dallas according to the singer’s representative. Travis was initially admitted to the hospital on July 7th, 2013 for viral cardiomyopathy, or a weakening of the heart muscle.