Album Review – Parker McCollum (Self-Titled)
55 Comments
It’s never been easy to pigeon-hole Parker McCollum, or summarize his music career or sound in a concise sentence. He’s a Texas artist with mainstream impact. He’s an independent-minded performer with commercial impact.
The Tillers Take You Back with “Hand On The Plow” (Album Stream)
23 Comments
The Tiller’s latest album and 5th overall entitled Hand On The Plow is the inaugural issuance from the newly-formed Muddy Roots Records, and features 11 tantalizing tracks and an appearance by Legendary Shack Shaker and Dirt Dauber Col. JD Wilkes on harmonica. And lookie here, you can listen to the whole dern thing below. So put down your iPhones and log out of Facebook, and let’s get real.
Eddie Spaghetti Is Trying To Leave A Legacy Of Good Songs
7 Comments
You may have been a little shocked to read the above title in reference to the wild-assed, ribald-laced, gonzo front man of the legendary West Coast punk rock band The Supersuckers, but die hard fans of Eddie Spaghetti don’t need to be sold on the idea that when Eddie wants to wipe the smirk off of his face, he can pen (or sing) a pretty heartfelt composition.
10 Alternatives to Tsarnaev’s Rolling Stone Cover
24 Comments
Much ado has been made about Rolling Stone giving accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev rock star treatment by putting his mug on their latest issue. Though it’s a free country with free press and I would fight for the right of Rolling Stone to put whatever they want on their cover, here are some simple, friendly, alternative ideas of what could have graced the front of Rolling Stone’s July 2013 issue.
Turnpike Troubadours Get Big Pub at MLB All-Star Game
18 Comments
Signs that good, independent country music is beginning to poke through to the public consciousness are all over the place, and during tonight’s MLB All-Star Game, we got yet another big one when St. Louis Cardinals All-Star second baseman Matt Carpenter chose the Turnpike Troubadours’ song “Long Hot Summer Day” for the walk-up music during his plate appearance in the 6th inning.
Montgomery Gentry’s “Titty’s Beer” (A Rant)
118 Comments
If a truly good country song is represented by a delicate pair of supple female breasts, then Montgomery Gentry’s “Titty’s Beer” would be a rack of cellulose-addled man boobs replete with coarse and graying disheveled chest hair, pock marked with skin Cancer and bisected by a grizzly double bypass scar. This isn’t a cry for relevancy folks, this is a blood-curdling scream.
Mississippi Blues Legend T Model Ford Dies
10 Comments
Legendary North Mississippi Blues great “T Model Ford” has passed away, according to his booking agent the Bucket City Agency. One of the original Mississippi blues greats that made up the Fat Possum Records roster, T-Model passed away after a long illness at home in Greenville, Mississippi, this morning surrounding by his loving wife and family.
The Most Notorious “Gone Country” Moments
75 Comments
In 2013, stories of entertainers that “go country” are routine occurrences instead of reasons for surprise, intrigue, or outrage, because country music has officially become the default repository for talent fleeing the collapse of mainstream rock or the place to find strength in the twilight of a dying entertainment career. Here are some of the most notorious “gone country” moments over the years.
Rodney Crowell: Mainstream “Pigging Out at Trough of Poor Taste”
21 Comments
Grammy Award winning Country/Americana artist Rodney Crowell took to his social network feeds late last week to voice his displeasure at the current state of mainstream country music. “Pop culture is a disposable culture, therefore it stands to reason that those who want the big bucks and the power are inclined to produce slick and disposable music.”
Mickey Newbury’s “An American Trilogy” is an Indelible Musical Work
24 Comments
The American Trilogy era from Mickey Newbury’s body of work has become an absolute wellspring of musical material for other artists, and one that helped lay the groundwork for country music’s Outlaw era. A somewhat reclusive character, the case could be made that Mickey Newbury was one of the very first, if not the first true American country music “Outlaw.”
Jackson Taylor’s “Crazy Again” Is A Damn Good Time
21 Comments
“Crazy Again” is a complete effort. Sensible, but not stylized, sincere but not sappy, it simply fills you with an appreciation of life, even when it delves into sad subjects. There’s something unexplainable about Jackson Taylor & The Sinner’s music that makes you want to meet these dudes in person and try to tear off some of their infectious and everlasting good time attitude and incorporate it into your own little world.
How Wal-Mart Is Helping The Spread Of Hick-Hop
53 Comments
One of the principle purveyors of this underground hick hop is the record label Average Joe’s. What The Wall Street Journal piece explains is how Average Joe’s has been working very intimately with Wal-Mart to market country rap to certain areas seen as favorable to the emerging sub-genre. While physical CD sales are falling overall, Average Joe’s has been able to keep the CD alive with the help of Wal-Mart, and country rap.
Want to Meet Shooter Jennings? That Will Be $85.
187 Comments
Announced a few days ago, “VIP meet & greet packages” are being offered at many of Shooter’s upcoming appearances, including at the Muddy Roots Festival this late August. What do you get for your $85? A T-shirt, a tote bag, 5 guitar picks (that all grand total will cost Shooter less than $12-$15 wholesale), and this is my favorite one, an “Invitation to pre-show private shopping experience.”