Willie Nelson Readies a Toast to Merle Haggard
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No rest for the Willie. Along with still constantly touring at 92, he’s also good for about a two-per-year clip of new albums. This year, both of those albums will be tributes. Next up is Merle Haggard.
Michael Jackson Montgomery ‘Met Her at the Megachurch’
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After reading a comment I made in an article about how certain American “megachurches” are putting just as much of a strain on local rural communities as megastores like Wal-Mart, how they are vanquishing the small, rural churches and the rich communities surrounding them, Michael Jackson Montgomery decided to send me another demo that directly touches on this issue.
Vinyl Review – Possessed by Paul James “Live at Antone’s”
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Live At Antone’s is an essential for any serious Possessed by Paul James fan, if only for the coolness factor of seeing the man’s face on vinyl. It serves the purpose of what both a live album and a vinyl experience should: capturing those magical musical moments that when you experience them personally, it seems like such a shame that you can’t share them with the rest of the world.
XSXSW 5 Official Lineup Announcement
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Hillgrass Bluebilly Records, Muddy Roots Music, and savingcountrymusic.com, along with KVRX 91.7, The Real Deal KOOK 93.5, and Cracker Swamp Productions are excited to announce the complete lineup for XSXSW 5, or “Saving Muddy Hillgrass”, a two day event happening parallel with South by Southwest, the annual mid-March music festival in Austin, TX.
JD Wilkes Will Always Be A Blues Player
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The leader of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers recently extruded a new musical tentacle into the creative world in the form of The Dirt Daubers, an old-time mountain string band of sorts that he fronts with his lovely wife Jessica. But with a series of slight disturbances in what for lack of a better term we’ll call the “underground country” movement recently, I asked JD Wilkes for his counsel.
The 6 Cookie Cutter Pop Country Song Formulas
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A while back we showcased the 6 Pop Country Archetypes, now it’s time to showcase the song formulas that Music Row employs to appeal to them. these are the other templates that professional songwriters in BMI’s and ASCAP’s cubicle farms slave away at fleshing out in various forms. when you crack the cellophane on a Music Row CD, you can almost be guaranteed you will see most of the formulas used.
Review – Punch Brothers “Who’s Feeling Young Now?”
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If your looking for that one bluegrass ensemble that is defining our generation’s take on the discipline, it’s hard to argue against the Punch Brothers. Though Punch Brothers talk usually trends toward the talent of mandolin maestro Chris Thile, the troupe boasts overarching, rabidly accomplished skill across the front line, and a far superior instrumental adeptness that is undeniable.
Hank3 To Release Music w/ David Allan Coe, Tour Europe
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Yesterday Hank Williams III whose preparing for an East Coast tour in March participated in a live chat on Yowie.com where he dropped some interesting tidbits about some upcoming plans and projects, including that he’s planning to tour Europe again June 15th through July 15th, and will be releasing an unspecified collaboration with David Allan Coe in a couple of months.
Study: Listeners Want More Classic Country On Radio
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One of the causes of the declining country radio trend according to the president of Edison Research Larry Rosin is that country radio is under-serving it’s classic country fans. 1 in 6 country music fans say that classic country from the 60’s and 70’s is their “favorite” of all the country music types, yet this music is very rarely played on today’s country radio.
Album Review – Stevie Tombstone “Slow Drunken Waltz”
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This short and simple 9-song album is an absolute gem. Some albums employ simplicity because of restrictions put on the artist. But Slow Drunken Waltz’s simplicity is purposeful, and with songs this powerful, there’s no need for fleshing them out; this might endanger the suppleness of the songwriting that is emphasized by the space and the sincerity highlighted by the void of excessive instrumentation.
The Moonshine Bandits “My Kinda Country” (A rant)
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All the stupid name-calling and sarcasm aside, these opinions and fun poking are based on my specific musical tastes, but I always believe artists should be measured against themselves first, and what The Moonshine Bandits do in “My Kinda Country” is sell themselves out by seeking mainstream acceptance in such an overt attempt that flies in the face of their self-constructed image as country rap “Outlawz”.
Left Arm Tan Video – Ghost of Lila Pearl
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I understand my obsession with the Ft. Worth-based band Left Arm Tan is a bit of a weird one, but they just bring such tremendous heart to everything they do, and they do everything for the right reasons, endowing their music with this unique warmth that just makes you feel better about life after listening to them.
Why I’m “Comin’ Around” on Josh Thompson
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I don’t love this song, I’m still nowhere close to a Josh Thompson supporter, and I’m not exactly sure what that weird thing is behind him in the video. But even if this is the effect of a marketing move, this song is a much better direction for Josh, and the ears of real music fans will bleed a little bit less when this comes on compared to some of his previous work.