Amid Polarization and Adversity, Carrie Underwood Crafts a Unifying Moment
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Promising to deliver a unifying moment, Carrie Underwood accomplished that very thing, despite the incredibly polarizing circumstances, and technical difficulties. And she did it through her talent, poise, and grace.
Rosie Flores w/ Chris Scruggs at SXSW
13 CommentsDuring and after South by Southwest this last week, people kept asking me what my favorite show was. It’s probably a toss up between Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, and Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers. (Reviews coming, and also of the pre-SXSW Hank III show). But one of the cool things about SXSW is the random collaborations […]
Miley Cyrus Trashes Pop Country ?
19 CommentsI love that pop country has become so contrived and transparent, that even other pop stars and people like Kid Rock can see right through the sham. Some people have been waiting for Billy Ray’s daughter to join the ranks of pop country, surmising that it’s not if, but when. But instead Miley Cyrus joined […]
Review of Kyle Turley’s Bass Player’s Hair
21 CommentsPerfect hair is an unattainable goal for many Americans. Forget about genetics for a moment, and just think about the wide varying humidity and barometric pressure that we can experience here in the United States. It can wreak havoc on even the most ideal head of God given locks. And then all those hair products, […]
Heading to South by Southwest
12 CommentsIt will probably be easier to name of the bands and artists that WON’T be at South by Southwest in Austin, TX this week than to even begin trying to make a list of the ones I’m hoping to see. In fact I’m learning before I even get there that the most maddening thing about […]
Whitey Morgan & The 78’s Sign w/ Bloodshot
8 CommentsFlint, Michigan’s Whitey Morgan and the 78’s have just signed with the the label that is the home of Insurgent Country, Bloodshot Records. Whitey and the boys join the ranks of people like Wayne “The Train” Hancock, Justin Townes Earle, and Scott H. Biram, all signed to the Chicago-based label. The announcement comes just days […]
Rose Maddox – Grandmother of Rockabilly & More
25 CommentsIf you’re anything like me, if I want to hear some new music, you sure aren’t going to find me sniffing around CMT or burying your nose in the latest Rolling Stone. No, I’m likely going to be looking to the past, not the future. And man, what a thrill it is when you find […]
Bob Wayne & .357 to Extend Tour
12 CommentsOn the latest episode of the It Burns When I Pee podcast, Joe Huber of the .357 String Band let it be known that the high octane bluegrass band plans to continue touring and backing up Bob Wayne once the platoon gets back from a stint in Europe this month. “Bob is one hilarious dude […]
Album Review – Shelli Coe “A Girl Like Me”
7 CommentsI’ll be honest with you: Even though some of my favorite country artists right now are offspring of other famous country artists, whenever I see a new one coming up, I always roll my eyes. I’m not sure why, but in my head I think, “How good could they really be?” But time and time […]
An Asterisk for Auto Tune
29 CommentsThey say war makes strange bedfellows. I guess this is a good example. In a recent Edmonton Journal article, country music legend Merle Haggard held little back when sharing his thoughts on “Auto Tune”: “They fix a person’s voice when it’s out of tune, and then they have to do it live when they can’t […]
Wayne Hancock Recording w/ Lucky Tubb
13 CommentsAs we speak, Lucky Tubb is in the studio recording his new album, and when I spoke to him at The Cash Bash, he gave me some hints of what he’s working on, including a duet with the legendary Wayne “The Train” Hancock. “Me and Wayne Hancock are going into the studio next week and […]
Lucky Tubb, Kyle Turley, & Hank III Opening Spot
33 CommentsThis is going to be a long one, so faint of heart turn back now. A small controversy has been brewing lately that involves the oh so coveted opening slot for Hank Williams III’s upcoming West Coast Tour. It started when Lucky Tubb was interviewed by Outlaw Radio Chicago, in Episode 74 back before Xmas, […]
Review – Lucky Tubb @ Cash Bash
12 CommentsWe’d all like to think that our country heroes live out the words to their songs. Some do, some don’t, and some it’s somewhere in the middle. The truth is getting sloshed at the bar every night till you have to fight your way to the exit and then end up in jail is probably […]