It’s not necessarily the music of Gavin Adcock that has become so predictable that it veers into the realm of cliché. It’s his behavioral pattern that we have seen play out in music ad nauseum.
Gordy’s HWY 30 Music Festival in Filer, Idaho is moving forward in 2025, despite thousands of ticket holders, some music artists, and numerous investors, vendors, and advertisers from the festival’s Texas shows still seeking refunds.
Now what the hell is this? What’s the fun or challenge of getting to the top if you sell out to get there? Koe Wetzel is supposed to be one of country music’s bad boys blowing in from Texas, doing things his own way.
If you’re looking for that perfect Christmas playlist that specializes in country music, and is dedicated to new songs or new version of old classics released this year, you’ve come to the right place.
Viral star Oliver Anthony unleashed a firestorm recently when he made multiple accusations against performers at country festivals as part of a greater 15-minute video rant addressing some of the ills of the country industry.
On Wednesday, March 27th, massive Texas music superstar Koe Wetzel took to X/Twitter to announce a surprise show at the tiny Sam’s Town Point in Austin. But it ultimately didn’t happen.
Eric Church is a fan of country music’s “Outsiders” if you will. That is why for his “Outsiders Revival” tour, Church will be reviving the practice of featuring some of the cooler folks in country music as opposed to whatever boilerplate star the industry is trying to shove down the public’s throats at the moment.
If you’re looking for the band that veritably defines what Texas country music is today at its zenith of appeal and popularity, it is the Randy Rogers Band, period. And if you’re looking for a record that veritably defines the Randy Rogers Band, Homecoming might not be a bad choice.
So now here comes Blake Shelton with a photoshopped mullet, releasing what he’s marketing as a 90s-style country single called “No Body.” But unlike some of these other artists professing their proficiency with 90s country, ol’ Blake Shelton was actually around and playing music at the tail end of the era.
Country music is country music, and the best definition of what country music is, is that you know it when you hear it. It’s self-evident. But the genre has birthed many subgenres, many stylistic movements over the years, and at times has seen a splintering and Balkanization.
If you’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to catch the Turnpike Troubadours on their reunion tour and got locked out of the first round of shows due to the crazy run on tickets, the opportunities to see them live just got a lot more lucrative.
Congratulations are due to Texas born and raised performer and songwriter Parker McCollum, who just put the first #1 on his resume with his debut major label single “Pretty Heart.” Parker is the first of the latest crop of Texas artists recently signed to major labels to reach #1.
If you’re worried about the future of country music, just take a spin through the gaggle of singles and EPs the stunning 22-year-old Triston Marez has assembled, and be assured the genre is in good hands moving forward. It’s the kind of shot of youth traditional country needs, while for once, not compromising on the country side of the equation.
You can’t blame Texas/Red Dirt fans for being a little jumpy these days. After the announcement from the Turnpike Troubadours earlier this year about their indefinite hiatus, some fans are worried what other bands 2019 might claim before the end of the year. But according to Cody Canada, everything is cool.
The commonality of criticizing country radio within the ranks of country music’s classic and independent fans is pretty severe, and for good reason. Generally speaking, country radio is a blob of nationalized playlists and unimaginative music, and no curation by the DJs on the ground in local markets. But this doesn’t mean all radio is bad.
It’s a Texas invasion at the very top of the country music albums charts this week as an oldtimer, an independent maverick, and an upstart troublemaker all from the Lone Star State have pushed the powers that be in pop country down the ladder, and come in at #1, #2, and #3 respectively in album sales.
Everyone has a strong opinion about Koe, at least those that have heard about him, which few outside of Texas and Oklahoma have. He’s definitely not a country act. But as a principle headliner in the Texas music scene who sells out huge venues and is handling up on radio like a uninhibited coed, he can’t be avoided.
If you’re one who finds yourself enamored with the Texoma music scene, then you most certainly have an opinion on Koe Wetzel, one way or the other. And that opinion is also probably pretty fiery, no matter how it falls. And if you don’t have an opinion or don’t even know who he is yet, then you soon will, because he’s not going anywhere.
Koe Wetzel from Stephenville, TX has certainly been stirring up the chatter of both the positive and negative persuasion over the last few months after the release of the record Noise Complaint. A veritable young pup of the Texas music scene, he’s been vilified by some for immature lyrics, while being celebrated by the younger set.
In many sectors, the future of country music is rife with uncertainty as you’re forced to squint hard at the current tiers of top stars and up-and-comers and wonder where this all will lead us years down the road. But when it comes to the Texas country scene, there is no cause for concern for who’s gonna fill the shoes.