Catalog of Songwriting Legend Mickey Newbury Finally Being Reissued
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Mickey Newbury is one of the most criminally-overlooked, though critically-important songwriters in American history. Though he’s most often associated with country music, his songs and influence span across multiple genres.
Brothers That Bring The Roots
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Even though T Model is solidly blues, like so many other roots-based independent artists, he has turned to the same underground resources that many independent country acts use to get their music to the people. This has formed the big tent movement that can be seen in things like the Muddy Roots Festival lineup where you have country and blues musicians booked side by side, and nobody bats an eyelash.
This New Shooter Jennings’ “XXX” Genre
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A while back it was brought to my attention that industrial rocker Shooter Jennings, along with No Depression blogger Adam Sheets had crafted the idea of starting a new genre of music, or more specifically, a radio format, called “XXX” after the nomenclature found on the front of moonshine bottles. The idea is to give a home to music that “is too rock for country, and too country for rock.”
Charlie Louvin Home From Hospital – Updated
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Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Louvin is in the hospital, and the prognosis is not good. According to his son Charlie Louvin Jr., who also goes by Sonny, Charlie was admitted to the hospital in Tullahoma, TN for a urinary tract infection and dehydration on Monday. He has been fighting pancreatic cancer.
January 2011 BIG Month For New Releases
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As much as we’ve been ballyhooing what a big year 2010 was for great music from independent and up-and-coming artists we love to champion around here, January 2011 might be a bigger month than any one 2010 can boast about. And it is especially big for the female artists, and artists taking a step up from burning CD’s out of the back of their car to more legitimate and professional releases.
Fowler Sells Out for Colt Ford’s “Hip Hop in a Honky Tonk”
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The latest new low is this “duet” by Colt Ford with the aforementioned Kevin Fowler called “Hip Hop in a Honky Tonk.” You can probably guess the premise. 2011 might be the year that the two 2 supergenres of hip hop and country merge into a monogenre as the lost and creatively bankrupt music industry continues to contract, offering no contrast, no creativity, and no choice. What could be a finer example than this.
Album Review – Ten Foot Polecats – “I Get Blamed …”
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The Ten Foot Polecats on Hillbilly Bluegrass Records are more straight blues than I would normally cover around here. Usually a band needs at least a little something contrified for me to get behind them–a small piece of fried chicken hanging from their beard, or a gravy stain down the front of their shirt–something. But because they are participants in this year’s Muddy Roots Festival, and were there last year, and honestly, because they are just so damn good, I am making an exception.
Willie, Merle, and Kris Plan “Musketeers” Project
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Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson were part of the recent Kennedy Center Honors festivities honoring Merle Haggard in Washington, and during the numerous functions, the three country music legends apparently had some time to discuss the possibility of a supergroup. Previously Merle had discussed plans of doing an album with Willie . . .
2011 Muddy Roots Music Festival Dates, Lineup & Location
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By all accounts, last year’s inaugural Muddy Roots Festival was an overwhelming success. The lineup was amazing, the performances were spectacular, and all the brave people that made the trek to Cookeville in middle Tennessee said the experience measured somewhere between a life changing event and a religious experience. Good times, good people, good food, and of course, good music. The only thing missing was YOU.
Top 10 Country Albums of the Decade (2001-2010)
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About this time last year, every website and periodical that regularly does these type of things put out their “Best of the Decade” lists. Problem is, they were all wrong. All of them. And not just for country music. For ALL of music, and for movies, TV shows, whatever. Why? No, not because I’m a raging culture snob, because officially the decade does not end until tonight.
Merle Haggard Wronged by Kennedy Center Presentation
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Please indulge me for a minute here because I need to blow off some steam. Yes I’m glad that The Kennedy Center honored Merle Haggard and I guess you should be grateful for what you are given and not look a gift horse in the mouth. But in my opinion, the Kennedy Center’s presentation to Merle was horrifically mild and uninspired. Merle Haggard is an American treasure and deserves better.
Merle Haggard On Kennedy Center Honors / Willie’s Arrest
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Tonight the Poet of the Common Man, Merle Haggard will be honored with a Kennedy Center Honors award for his contributions to American music. Well, actually he received the award on December 5th, but the ceremony itself from December 5th in Washington DC will air tonight on CBS (as they say, check local listings for times).
Aaron Lewis of Staind Misses Target w/ “Country Boy”
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I have no doubt that Aaron Lewis is a proud American, and that he is a “country boy” in the sense that he lives in the country. After all, he wouldn’t shut the hell up about it for the 5 minutes of this song. I have no doubt that he likes to dress up in camo and run around his land playing GI Joe, driving around in a boy toy surplus army truck like Sergent Slaughter. But none of this makes a rock song country.