Charlie Kirk, Jesse Welles, and the Freedom of Speech
230 Comments
But whether your Freedom of Speech hero is Charlie Kirk or Jesse Welles, it should be for all of us to protect our neighbor’s right to “say exactly what [they] mean all the time.”
The Taylor Swift Bikini Photo (A rant)
27 Comments
Can we just be thankful that for once there’s a female pop star that actually respects herself, and return that respect back lest our morbid obsession with her celebrity eventually ruins her? Turn TMZ off and find something better to do. Spend time with your kids, paint a picture, write a song, fix that toilet that’s been leaking for weeks. Christ.
Michael Jackson Montgomery ‘Met Her at the Megachurch’
12 Comments
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”
7 Comments
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
30 Comments
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
13 Comments
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
53 Comments
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?”
2 Comments
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
50 Comments
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
27 Comments
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”
17 Comments
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)
95 Comments
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
5 Comments
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.