Newest Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#125)
It’s such good times in independent country music at the moment, the Top 25 Playlist is busting at the seams and been extended to 29 temporarily just to take in all the great songs and artists demanding to be heard.
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 (see below), or you can just use the song, artist, and album recommendations to find something new to listen to. New songs just added.
Newest Additions:
Turnpike Troubadours – “Brought Me” – It might not be possible for the Turnpike Troubadours to turn in a bad song. This tribute to the Turnpike fans that stuck with the band through the thick and thin of their hiatus and other issues isn’t just touching, the Celtic/Cajun inflections make it a great listen. August 25th and their new album A Cat In The Rain can’t get here soon enough.
McBride & The Ride – “Cool To Be Country” – Yes, the old ’90s band led by Terry McBride is back, and so is the sound of actual country music that McBride & The Ride embrace on the opening song of their new EP Marlboros & Avon.
Royce Johns – “Wish I Was” – Royce Johns rightly sends chills up your spine with the way he immediately evokes memories of all those poetic and playful master songwriters of country music in the ’60s. “Wish I Was” comes from Royce’s new album Thank Ya Kindly that is worth checking out.
Kimmi Bitter – “Aquamarine” – Our brothers and sisters out in Hawaii are dealing with an unspeakable tragedy with the recent wildfires. Folks who know their country history know that country owes its legacy of the steel guitar to the island state. Kimmi Bitter is one of the best throwback country gals out there at the moment, and she brings the Polynesian influence in country music right to the forefront in this single.
Brian Setzer – “Girl On The Billboard” – There’s just about nobody more cool living or dead than the Stray Cat Brian Setzer, and when he covers a country song, it’s cause for celebration. Made famous by Del Reeves in the mid ’60s, Setzer revitalizes “Girl On The Billboard” for his new album The Devil Always Collects out September 15th.
Erin Viancourt – “Straight Down The Barrel” – Produced by Cody Jinks, Erin Viancourt’s new album Won’t Die This Way is creating all kinds of buzz. “Straight Down The Barrel” shows off Erin’s true country sound, and like all great country music, is actually written for adults.
Charles Wesley Godwin – “All Again” – Now signed to Big Loud Records, Charles Wesley Godwin is about to blow up big time with the big release of his 19-song new album Family Ties. “All Again” is one of four new CWG songs fans can preview before the album release date on September 22nd.
Oliver Anthony – “Rich Men North of Richmond” – Unless you’ve been on Mars, you’ve probably heard about this song. Over this weekend, it’s been the most popular song in the world, and it comes from an authentic, previously-amateur, and soon-to-be big star from Virginia who is the latest viral songwriter to resonate so deeply with the public, he’s being sent into the stratosphere. The story is just beginning for Oliver Anthony.
William Beckmann – “She Can’t Be Found” – This young man originally from South Texas has an excellent country voice and is a master of so many country sounds. He shows how good he is with the Outlaw sound in this excellent track from his recently released album Here’s To You. Here’s To Me.
– – – – – – – – – –
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist primarily lives on Spotify, but is also available for those who use Amazon Music, YouTube, Apple Music, and Tidal. For those who don’t stream music, you can still find the song recommendations in list form below.
CLICK HERE to follow Saving Country Music on Spotify, and/or follow the Spotify Top 25 Playlist.
Please Note: The songs on this playlist are curated for listening pleasure and flow. Otherwise, they are not in any specific order.
Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist:
- “She Can’t Be Found” – William Beckmann – Here’s To You. Here’s To Me
- “Brought Me” – Turnpike Troubadours – A Cat in the Rain (8-25)
- “Rich Men North of Richmond” – Oliver Anthony – (single)
- “Straight Down The Barrel – Erin Viancourt – Won’t Die This Way
- “Wish I Was” – Royce Johns – Thank Ya Kindly
- “Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy” – Ross Cooper – Lightning Heart (9-29)
- “The Wild” – Gabe Lee – Drink The River
- “I Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet” – Brennen Leigh – Ain’t Through Honky Tonkin’ Yet
- “Cool To Be Country” – McBride & The Ride – Marlboros & Avon EP
- “Get On Board” – Mickey Lamantia – The Cannon File (TBD)
- “Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)” – Vince Gill, Paul Franklin – Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price
- “All Again” – Charles Wesley Godwin – Family Ties (9-22)
- “Clean up Your Act If You Want to Talk Dirty to Me” – Summer Dean – The Biggest Life
- “White Horse” – Chris Stapleton – Higher (11-10)
- “Aquamarine” – Kimmi Bitter – (single)
- “Whatever Happened To The Cadillac” – Dale Watson – Starvation Box
- “Holes” – Wyatt Flores – (single)
- “Hey Fool” – Ray Scott – (single)
- “Close The Bets” – Kyle Nix and the 38s – After The Flood (7-28)
- “Where Daniel Stood” – Miles Miller – Solid Gold
- “The Palace” – The Watson Twins – Holler
- “Corralling the Blues” – Colter Wall – Little Songs
- “The Town In Your Heart” – Lori McKenna – 1988
- “Girl On The Billboard” – Brian Setzer – The Devil Always Collects (9-15)
- “King of Oklahoma” – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Weathervanes
- “Smokin’ Belladonna and Drinkin’ Gasoline” – Dallas Moore – No God in Juarez
- “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” – Christian Parker with Earl Poole Ball – Sweethearts (8-18)
- “Mean Old Sun” – Turnpike Troubadours – A Cat in the Rain (8-25)
- “Shooting Hand” – Randy Rogers and Wade Bowen – Hold My Beer Vol. 3
August 13, 2023 @ 8:38 am
Jamie Reid, the “Non-Statler” Brother has died.
My condolences to Don and others who were touched by his work.
August 13, 2023 @ 11:47 am
Very happy to see Erin on here. Indeed, these are good times for independent country music. Last night I walked into a nondescript tap room and see a guitar and mic stand on an empty stage. I then hear music coming from the speakers – first Stephen Wilson Jr, then Wyatt Flores, then Kylie Frey. I check my phone to see if it connected to some Bluetooth on the system. Nope. Kid grabs the guitar and plays Hippies and Cowboys, Revival, 7&7, and then an original right down Red Dirt Lane. Pretty sure he’s a unicorn. This is in the suburban Midwest where there is nothing but pop country radio, not some dive bar in TX or OK. I chatted with the kid and he says SCM is his beacon for the music he plays. I truly don’t think you comprehend the span of your reach, Tigger. Keep the throttle down but just know there’s a ton of folks out here rowing in the same direction.
August 13, 2023 @ 4:20 pm
Well dammit, did I really call you Tigger? Geez. Sorry Trigger Man.
August 13, 2023 @ 11:54 am
Re. “Girl On The Billboard”–it would certainly be one to listen to in Brian Setzer’s version, especially seeing as how Del Reeves’ 1965 original was one of the great truck-driving songs of its day, with lyrics like “The sleepy-headed painter said the girl wasn’t real, and that I’d better get the **** on my way.”
August 13, 2023 @ 8:45 pm
Great song and a big hit for Reeves–his only #1. Nice to hear Setzer revive it, and with a pretty cool video.
August 13, 2023 @ 2:33 pm
So.. it turns out that Appalachian/Piedmont working man Anthony Oliver, supposedly of Farmville VA, is actually a landowner of 90 acres, half an hour from downtown Richmond, not exactly coal country or poor. There’s no record of living in any Farmville. He did try to scrub his internet presence before this project. You can still find his old abandoned Facebook profile from 10 years ago which has photos of the 90 acre property and it matches the scene in the video. It’s probably land from daddy’s money and he inherited it, but it ain’t no Hickman Holler. His old profile lists his hometown as Richmond and he seems to be from the suburbs, from the past addresses.
The person who orchestrated his mega viral fame turned out to be alt-right marketer Jason Howerton, who is a creepy search engine optimization and content farm guy (he’s bragging on Twitter about how he ‘made millions and felt nothing’- while trying to get you to sign up for a new social media scheme he just stated).
They probably bought downloads on itunes. Downloads/purchases on iTunes is a very small market so it’s not too expensive to ‘make it big’ with this strategy, get an artist trending, and then let social media astroturfing take over to push it viral. Jason Howerton’s SEO company probably used a bot network to make this thing go viral. People described some of his youtube comments as ‘sounds like when a new business opens on Yelp’. There was already a huge network trying to do this to Jason Aldean’s Small Town song so this was probably orchestrated, along with the weird clunky lyrics about fat people on welfare, to capitalize on that controversy a few weeks ago.
A bunch of people on twitter found all the relevant details. you can get there by starting with the very tactful American Aquarium thread about the song and it’s marketing campaign, and go from there.
August 13, 2023 @ 3:13 pm
Was waiting for the inevitable “hes not real country” comment. A true fan you must be of the oppression olympics. People like you did the same thing to Colter Wall.
“But his dad was a politician and he didn’t grow up dirt poor so he’s not a real cowboy!!!”
As to the other claims, no idea if this is true but definitely interesting and will have to see if Trigger does some sleuthing
August 13, 2023 @ 3:19 pm
Not a single thing about his possible background that you describe bothers me. If indeed there is some other force pushing the song forward, and it’s not as grassroots as it first appeared, that’s kinda too bad but not completely surprising. What is completely unsurprising, is the effort to discredit him. Guy criticizes the welfare state, the Epstein coverup, high taxes, and government overreach. The freakout about that says at least as much about his critics than about him.
One line sticks out at after reading Barham’s whining critique often the song: “As a songwriter, I don’t think you get to….”
I know some people round here really like him, but come on, nobody should be policing or dictating who “gets to” write what. That’s partly what the song is about. Big shock that Barham doesn’t get it.
August 13, 2023 @ 4:20 pm
I mean, I think it is a fair criticism to say the line about “fudge rounds” that seems to stick in people craw the most, is a fair criticism from purely a song content standpoint. You can try and twist it (from both sides) as having an issue with “punching down” or “canceling the song”, but just as a music fan I thought that part of the song was the most…unnecessary…part of the song.
You have a song where the main concept is rich politicians are screwing over the working man and then you force in a song about fat people on welfare getting chocolate. It stood out to me as the most “amateurish” aspect of the song, one where if Anthony has more experience song-writing or even has a co-writer, likely would have been cut just because it is sort of tangential from the main crux of the song.
Again, people are going to try and tie Barham’s well-known politics and who is most fervently backing this song. Nothing I can do about that, but as a listener I do think it is fair to critique that component of the song as being sort of out of place when compared to the rest of the song and it’s content.
I’m sure plenty of people will disagree with me, but I just felt like that part of the song was the weakest. Not because Oliver Anthony is “punching down” on anyone, just that it seems like a weird aside to jam into a song mostly aimed at DC being out of touch and modern capitalism leaving swaths of the population stuck in the mud of behind.
August 13, 2023 @ 4:34 pm
You didn’t really address anything I said, but enough on this thread. As Trigger said, not the right place. Good luck with your censorship pitch though. Maybe you or BJ can apply for the position yourselves.
August 13, 2023 @ 6:02 pm
Censorship pitch. Nice.
Keep on making this place a worse place to be. Nice to be reminded why I visit this website less and less as the years go on.
August 13, 2023 @ 3:53 pm
First off, it really sucks that we can’t even talk about music anymore. Everything is now culture war. This is not an article about Oliver Anthony and his viral song. I already wrote that article, and that is where you needed to post this comment, and where this specific topic is already being discussed. God damn me for trying to put together a collection of new songs for people to check out. Does anyone care about that, or are we all on Twitter whipping ourselves up into conspiracy theories, and claiming I’m either derelict or complicit because I’m over here trying to turn people onto cool songs instead of raging on Twitter about what a piece of shit Oliver Anthony is, or how his song is going to save the world.
Second, I have been monitoring all of the Twitter cybersleuthing while doing some cybersleuthing myself. Specific details aside, I’m not seeing any reason to out this guy as an “industry plant” as some are calling him, or seeing anything that rises to being concerning or conspiratorial about how his song went viral. I already spoke at length on the original article about how right-wing influencers were the way this song was sent to the stratosphere. That is and has been a known quantity to this story from the very beginning. This includes Jason Howerton, who has been up front about what he’s been trying to do. Just because you take a bunch of screenshots and try to tie him to this or that doesn’t make it a conspiracy. These folks loved this song and thought its message fit their cause and so they promoted it. That’s how this works. He touched a nerve.
As for the specifics that you’re trying to lay out here to somehow impugn this guy as a fraud, I’m sorry but they don’t hold water. It says in the description of the video itself, “Oliver resides in Farmville, VA with his 3 dogs and a plot of land he plans on turning into a small farm to raise livestock.”
Ask any farmer: 90 acres is a small farm. Most 90-acre farms cannot cashflow. It’s too small.
I appreciate everyone being cynical and skeptical of this guy, because that’s my job is to try and get the full story and rigorously test the assertions being made about him. But there seems to be a lot of conspiracy, and a lot of cope behind this guy.
People like this song. It is resonating with people. That is what is sending it viral. Everyone releasing every song is trying to get it to trend viral these days, and major labels spend millions of dollars trying to do that. But even with the greatest effort, a song won’t trend unless it resonates with people. “Rich Men North of Richmond” is resonating.
I will have more on this in a new article soon. In the meantime, I would appreciate keeping the discussion here on the music.
August 13, 2023 @ 4:10 pm
One follow-up/piggyback comment. Have you considered asking for volunteer moderators to assist you in trying to cut down on the number of derailing posts? I know you have expressed concerns around content moderation in the past – and for good reason from the standpoint you are one person – but I don’t really see the “please try and keep the comments civil and on-point” working.
August 13, 2023 @ 5:21 pm
I have considered using outside moderators and I may implement that in the future. But the time it takes to moderate the comments is not the problem. And ultimately, even with outside moderators, I am the one who will have to answer for their decisions, just like I have to answer for every single comment posted on the website as if I authored it myself because I didn’t delete it.
My problem at the moment is that I cannot talk about music like I want to. And even if I did, nobody would pay attention to it. Because all anyone wants to talk about is Oliver Anthony and culture war. I didn’t start a political website. I started a music website. If I wanted to write about politics, I would have gone and worked for The Blaze of The Daily Beast. I’m literally trying to work on reviews and screen submissions, and I can’t because I’m getting bombarded with comments, emails and tweets about Oliver Anthony. I’m fucking sick of it. And the only way I can get back to talking about music is to talk about Oliver Anthony first. It’s bullshit.
August 13, 2023 @ 6:05 pm
Fair. I was just curious. I sympathize with your situation. Sadly, every website seems to be inundated with the problem you mentioned. I frequent a number of sports sites and the same garbage happens there.
August 13, 2023 @ 7:47 pm
Then lose the dead weight. They literally add nothing to the conversation. We all know who they are. Let them scream into the Twitter void and realize how insignificant they are.and save this great page for talking about music.
August 13, 2023 @ 10:49 pm
It must be exhausting spending so much time trying to dig up dirt on someone you don’t like.
August 13, 2023 @ 3:01 pm
Trig, can we expect a Bald Morgan Wallen post soon?
August 13, 2023 @ 3:09 pm
No.
August 13, 2023 @ 5:42 pm
New Jonathan Peyton video recorded live at Red Rocks just released a couple of hours ago. It’s wonderful. Go check it out and give him and Abigail some love.
https://youtu.be/dkhemtExCZg?si=rrbbH_fzCeFrMgLf
August 13, 2023 @ 6:35 pm
Haven’t really listened to the troubadours much but I like brought me. But the song, wish I was, is the cherry on top to me. I love simple type songs cause I have always felt less is more far as song writing goes. That song really hits it. Sounds like something Roger Miller might have sung though he probably would have added a little more flair.
August 13, 2023 @ 7:50 pm
Never heard of Royce Johns before. Listened through twice now. Maybe it just caught me at the right moment, but it sounds like an album of the year candidate to me. Brent Cobb talks about “music for grown folks.” This is that. Really fine and interesting lyricist. Musically, it’s fantastic. He’s mining some veins that haven’t been completely exhausted in the last few years and, in the process, came up with something that’s his own. The production – evidently this was recorded at Sun Drop in Muscle Shoals – is just right. Funky and interesting without making a show of trying to be “different”. Anywho, if you happen to be tuned in here, congratulations on a great record, Royce Johns.
August 13, 2023 @ 8:30 pm
Thanks for bringing Royce Johns to my attention. His whole album is a winner.
Iowa boy which makes me like him even more. Great voice and excellent songwriter, plus the players on the album are excellent.
August 13, 2023 @ 8:44 pm
This isn’t rap where one has to actually grow up in a ghetto to have credibity. Country honors good songs about things people can relate to. That’s it.
August 14, 2023 @ 3:44 pm
Aquamarine is a beautiful song.
August 19, 2023 @ 11:29 am
Lori’s Killing Me needs to go here next time. Like that best on the album and has gotten some airplay on WSM Americana channel also.