George Strait’s Cumulative #1’s Record Wrecked by Florida Georgia Line & Billboard
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“Meant To Be” recently helped Florida Georgia Line shatter what once was thought a bulletproof record—George Strait’s cumulative frames for songs cresting a week at #1. With a whopping 45 total #1’s spanning over a quarter century in the business, there’s a reason Strait earned the nickname “King” George over his Hall of Fame career.
Loretta Lynn Is Back Working After Health Issues
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After a long hiatus from the public spotlight, Loretta Lynn is back working, and putting preparations together to release her latest album, Wouldn’t It Be Great. The country music legend suffered a mild stroke on May 5th, 2017, which required her to cancel her upcoming performances, and delay the release of the album.
Single Review – Jon Pardi’s “Night Shift”
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Nobody’s talking about it, but Jon Pardi is quickly developing into a serious modern country star. It’s for these reasons that Capitol Nashville has decided to release a 5th single from the record, which is a feat and a victory for any album in itself. A 5th single means a label perceives continued strength from a title and an artist.
Album Review – Blue Yonder’s “Rough and Ready Heart”
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Playing original songs directly inspired by the classic recordings of country music with a little Western Swing, jazz, and rockabilly mixed in, Blue Yonder has become a beloved local fixture, with music worthy of consideration from an international audience. Their new album Rough and Ready Heart includes 12 originals….
Restrictions on Language Eroding Women’s Ability to Craft Narrative in Music
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Music journalism has been integrated by acolytes of the gender bias in language school who believe music should be dealt with using the same set of guidelines as the business professional world. But there are multiple dilemmas this creates in the world of creative expression that is fundamentally different from the professional world.
A Note on Album Reviews and Saving Country Music
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When I started Saving Country Music 10 years ago, reviewing records was never part of the intention or the founding principles. In fact the first thing resembling a proper album review didn’t appear on the site until a year after its existence. It was at the request of readers that album reviews became an increasing part of the site’s coverage.
Miranda Lambert Deserves the 2018 Hall of Fame Artist-In-Residence
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It puts Miranda Lambert in an elite class of country music performers, including Cowboy Jack Clement, Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Connie Smith, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Rosanne Cash, and last year’s Artist-In-Residence, Jason Isbell.
Nelly Should Not Perform at Florida Georgia Line Fest Amid Sexual Allegations
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Nelly was originally arrested October 7th, 2017 in Auburn, Washington after he was accused of sexual assault by a local woman. Since then two more accusations have emerged. Yet, the rapper continues to be welcomed at mainstream country music functions unabated, including at the upcoming FGL Fest.
Cody Jinks Slays at The Whitewater with Josh Ward & Colter Wall
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The last time we were talking about Cody Jinks in concert, he was getting carted off stage in an ambulance for what ultimately was determined to be a bad bout of vertigo. This weekend (July 6th & 7th), the only hint of issue for Cody Jinks while performing at the Whitewater Amphitheater was perhaps the dark sunglasses he was sporting.
“Live Forever” Book on Billy Joe Shaver’s Life & Songs On The Way
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An oral history on the life of songwriting legend Billy Joe Shaver is on the way. Called ‘Live Forever: The Songwriting Legacy of Billy Joe Shaver,’ it will be about Shaver’s life and songs told through his peers, friends, and disciples like Ray Wylie Hubbard, Dale Watson, James McMurtry, Scott H. Biram, Dallas Moore, and Jessi Colter.
Colter Wall Releases New Song to Coincide with the “Calgary Round-Up”
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Canadian country folk artist and formidable singer Colter Wall has just released a new song as the first taste from an upcoming album called “Calgary Round-Up.” Colter Wall captivates audiences by evoking the ghosts of folk and country’s past with his haunting voice and primitive style.
Eric Church Is Getting Ready to Debut a New Single
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The last time we heard new music from Eric Church, it was when he unexpectedly dropped ‘Mr. Misunderstood’ now over 2 1/2 years ago. The news comes after it was revealed earlier this week that Eric Church’s younger brother Brandon passed away at the age of 36. Brandon Church was also a songwriter.
Album Review – Chris Hennessee’s “Ramble”
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‘Ramble’ is just how damn enjoyable it is to listen to. So many songwriters these days get too swept up in one-upping the competition with their compositions. This approach has resulted in some great songs, but we sometimes forget that music is there to be heard and enjoyed. A record like ‘Ramble’ reminds you of that.