It comes up so often in the realm of music criticism: “If you don’t like something, just don’t listen.” But they’re missing the point. The point is not just about what music you like or you don’t like. And in some respects, the point is not about music at all.
Prine has completely shattered all sales expectations, and has put together the best debut sales week by an independent artist in the country space in the modern era. This is also by far the best chart performance for John Prine in his career. He just had his best sales week since Nielsen Music began tracking and verifying sales starting in 1991.
Being an independent music artist is not easy. Adversity lurks everywhere, and the cards are stacked against you. But it’s nice to have auspicious enclaves of support to help you upon your journey. For many years, a small nonprofit radio station based in Seattle called KEXP has been that very thing for bands.
The coverage of Kacey Musgraves’ ‘Golden Hour’ has displayed such an aberration of truths, perspective, knowledge of the country and roots realm, and in some instances even common sense, it illustrates a widespread embarrassment for the entire music media pool, and the journalism industry in general.
Want to see Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Colter Wall, and Jason Isbell all on the same bill? Perhaps add Charlie Parr, Courtney Barnett, and JD McPherson on top of that? Well you’ll get your chance this summer at one of America’s longest-running live institutions, The Newport Folk Festival this summer.
Sturgill Simpson is now officially a Kentucky Colonel after being honored on Tuesday (3-20) in the Kentucky capital of Frankfort by both the House and Senate of the Kentucky legislature for being a “Man of the people,” and for his accomplishments in music and beyond.
The Outlaw Fest Tour curated by Blackbird Presents has announced its 2018 dates, locations, and participants. The nine separate dates this summer will include stops in Dallas, Detroit, Bristow, Cincinnati, Noblesville in Indiana, the Woodlands, TX just outside of Houston, and two shows in North Carolina.
Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, and Jason Isbell comprise the current Mt. Rushmore of independent country and roots music, and that is unquestionable, regardless of how you may feel about any one of them specifically, or even as a group. But what is the fourth mug we can put on top of that mountain?
The always elusive and enigmatic Sturgill Simpson stopped by the studio of Joe Rogan in Los Angeles to record a long-form podcast recently, and revealed some interesting tidbits about his musical plans in the coming future both recorded and live during the nearly three-hour discussion.
The country music genre used to be full of people who were passionate about the art form. They found purpose behind bringing the music to people, and that is why they decided to become performers, songwriters, side players, DJs, managers, publicists, roadies, journalists, or whatever it took to push the music forward.
Sturgill Simpson will make his acting debut as a recurring character in a new CBS television drama series called “$1.” The new series is characterized as a mystery set in a small rust belt town in post-recession America, where a one-dollar bill changing hands connects a group of characters involved in a multiple murder.
A traditional like few others will transpire once again this summer when Willie Nelson celebrates the 4th of July by gathering together friends and family for his annual 4th of July Picnic. For the fourth year in a row, the event will be held at the Circuit of the Americas speedway just south of Austin, TX, and will include many long-standing invitees.
Cody Jinks will release a new record in 2018. It will be named Lifers and it will be delivered in “no later than June.” And we also know it will be Cody Jinks, because that is who he is, and what he does. The other thing Cody Jinks has is a plan, and a fan base.
At 12:01 last night (or this morning), after all the hands had been shaken, and all the hugs exchanged on the Saturday Night Live set in New York’s Rockefeller Center, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. Okay, now you’re supposed to just nestle into bed and act like that didn’t just happen?
Chris Stapleton is scheduled to make his second appearance on Saturday Night Live this Saturday evening, January 27th, and it appears he will be bringing fellow Kentucky native Sturgill Simpson along with him. This SNL appearance could be the beginning of a very big run for Stapleton to start off 2018.
In the last few days Sturgill’s festival schedule has come more into focus as many of music’s major gatherings announce their lineups now that the Holidays are in the rear view and folks are mapping out their 2018. These may be your only opportunities to see Sturgill in 2018 if you’re so inclined, so start planning now.
Kentucky has always been the fertile crescent of country music. It just happens to be that lately it has kicked its output into overdrive, and more than any other state at the moment, it’s Kentucky’s sons and daughters fueling the country music insurgency turning the mainstream on its head.
Country music will not be saved by just one soul, even though this is a thought process many fans and much of the media tend to buy into, often putting an unfair burden on the careers and purpose of certain artists, and placing them at odds with what they should be focused on, which is the creative process.
Netflix released the latest season of its comedy drama ‘The Ranch’ on December 15th, and just like the first three seasons, country music plays a big role in both the dialog and the soundtrack. Apparently the creators want to make discovering the songs part of the fun of the series, because they keep their soundtrack close to the vest.
Sturgill Simpson, who has regularly criticized print media for coming to him with preconceived notions for interviews, has clarified his statement about Luke Bryan to the New York Times, and revealed via screenshots that his quote about Luke Bryan was cut off mid sentence, and never meant for public consumption.
Bro-Country godfather Luke Bryan is getting ready to give birth to his latest recorded monstrosity called What Makes You Country in a day or two, and in a recent feature in New York Times Magazine aiming to prove to us all what a good ol’ average Joe country boy he is, some pretty mirthful revelations emerged.
As Sturgill Simpson was making his meteoric rise over the last few years, so was his Estonian-born guitar player Laur Joamets, also known as Little Joe, appearing on Sturgill’s breakout album ‘Metamodern Sounds in Country Music’ and in the live band. After leaving the band in March of 2017, where did he end up?
Sturgill Simpson and his busking set outside of the CMA Awards will be forever etched into not just the memory of the 51st Annual CMA Awards, it will be ensconced into the annals of country music history as one of the greatest moments of protest against the country music command and control structure of all time.
The 2017 CMA Awards could have been a disaster, and for a host of reasons. It was obvious heading into the presentation that forces from outside the genre, fueled by political fervor and fanned by bias media, were hellbent on attempting to make the presentation a political spectacle. But the upper lip stiffened.