The rise of the independent country megafestival with support from ’90s country stars has been one of the biggest illustrations for how significant, sustainable, and broad-based the resurgence of roots in country music has been.
Country music legend Keith Whitley is gone, but he’s a long way from being forgotten. If anything, the strength and influence of his legacy has only increased over time, and that was illustrated at the Two Step Inn fest.
Drake Milligan was one of the most anticipated artists to play the massive Two Step Inn Festival last weekend in Georgetown, TX. But when it was time for him to take the stage, there was no Drake Milligan to be found, with a last minute announcement that the singer was forced to cancel. Now we know why.
What Two Step Inn got right was that you can mix today’s independent country with country legends from the 80s and 90s, and even some of the cool up-and-comers in the mainstream, and have an event that breaks down barriers and cross-pollinates fans bases because it’s all great country music.
Vince Gill really is the closest thing that country music has to the five-tool baseball player. He can do it all. As a solo artist, he’s a Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry stalwart. He can throw a high harmony on any song and make it shine, or turn in a guitar solo that is good or better than any session player.
In 2022, something happened at the Grand Ole Opry that is only fair to label as historic. More so than any other year in its nearly 100-year existence, the coveted Grand Ole Opry debut was doled out to deserving artists from across the panorama, checking off bucket list items, populating glowing resume points…
Every year to make sure the best titles in mainstream country don’t get overlooked, and to encourage the quality in the mainstream to rise to the top, we run down the best mainstream country albums to compliment the Album of the Year nominees. Some years there is overlap.
2022 is a very unique year when it comes to albums to consider, since there are no clear front runners as we’re used to. No specific album or albums feel like undeniable masterpieces, but the albums at or near the top of the heap are so numerous, it’s painstakingly hard to delineate them from each other.
One of the best things CMT did in the last decade was to air the limited series Sun Records back in 2017. Consisting of eight episodes written by Hank Williams biographer Colin Escott, and based off the Million Dollar Quartet musical, it captured the important moments that most all of popular music sprang from.
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats, or you can just use the song, artist, and album recommendations.
During its first week of “adds” as they say in the radio business, Drake Milligan’s “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” came in at an impressive #2 in country this week, with 26 official adds according to Mediabase, and 33 total stations showing commitment to the song. This is an extremely positive sign.
Well damn. Drake Milligan did not win America’s Got Talent. The consolation prize for Drake Milligan fans is a good one. It’s an excellent new 14 song album that dropped the day after the AGT finale called Dallas/Fort Worth, and it’s way better and more meaningful then any silly trophy.
Drake Milligan has got the “it” factor that so many otherwise excellent singers are missing. What is “it”? It’s a combination of things that go well beyond talent: originality, intrigue, unique appeal, and very often, fortuitous timing.
It’s as if a hole was ripped open in the space-time continuum, and out walked some bygone baby-faced character from an era 60 years earlier than the present, serenading our famished ears with classic country songs so fetching in tones…
There is just something that makes the elements of country music exceptionally complimentary to Christmas carols and Holiday music. The sense of comfort and home that is conferred by country music is similar to the one many feel listening to Christmas songs.
In the throes of summer is the best time to shake up your musical diet, discover something new, and crank it up loud. Lucky for you, the Top 25 Playlist is here to help facilitate this, and has just been provisioned with a brand new hosts of songs for your listening pleasure.
With a great voice, this 23-year-old injects new vigor and a youthful point of view into timeless country themes while avoiding list-y or whiskey cliches for the most part, backed by flawless and twangy music. The dude’s got the disposition of George Strait, with the smoothness of Chris Isaak.