Open Letter to the Grand Ole Opry About Hank Williams’ 100th Birthday
51 CommentsThere is still a point of contention that comes up regularly whenever the name of the Grand Ole Opry is evoked in certain circles—the strained relationship between the Grand Ole Opry and the Hank Williams legacy.
Should “Texoma” Be The New Term for the Indefinable “Texas Country/Red Dirt” Scene?
35 CommentsThe problem with the whole Texas Music/Texas Country/Red Dirt “scene” is just that—what to call it. Texas Country is not really Red Dirt, even though the two regularly get lazily lumped together. Texas Country and Texas Music are separate things as well, but once again get summarily bundled. Yet all of these things are intertwined.
Chris Stapleton Postpones Multiple Concert Dates and CMA Fest Appearance
28 CommentsChris Stapleton fans were greeted with the unfortunate news Wednesday morning (5-31) that Chris Stapleton will not be making scheduled appearances at eight separate shows, and has also canceled his appearance at the upcoming CMA Fest in Nashville.
Eric Church Says Country’s Becoming Homogenized, & He Can’t Tell New Artists Apart
163 CommentsEric Church has always said the right things. Or, he’s said the right things most of the time at least. The question with Church has always been where the marketing ends, and where the real Eric Church begins. Really, where Eric Church is at his best is when he doesn’t say anything, and lets his music and his actions speak for him.
Chris Janson’s “Fix A Drink” Is Hot Garbage
80 CommentsNow Nashville’s decided to try and make the Geico Caveman a superstar it appears, and it’s only appropriate, because to find anything fetching in this anthem to American devolution, your forehead has to stick out over your eyebrows so far that you don’t need to wear a hat in the rain.
Jayke Orvis & The Broken Band Reunite for One More Show at Westport Roots
4 CommentsThe 4th Annual Westport Roots Festival occurred this Memorial Day weekend in Kansas City’s Westport District, with over 80 bands participating on six separate stages. One of the most anticipated and talked about moments of the festival was the reunification of Jayke Orvis and The Broken Band.
Tumbleweed Festival’s Talent Search Showcases Some Cool Emerging Bands
16 CommentsThe Tumbleweed Festival, which is set to transpire in Sugar Creek, MO, just outside of Kansas City on July 28th and 29th, has just launched the always dicey proposition of an online poll to see what band will fill the festival’s final slot for their 2nd season beside headliners such as Jamey Johnson, Cody Jinks, Whitey Morgan, and Billy Joe Shaver.
Gregg Allman, Legendary Allman Brothers Founding Member, Has Died
42 CommentsGregg Allman, a towering pioneer of Southern rock, roots jazz, and country, has died at the age of 69. Along with his brother Duane who died tragically in a motorcycle accident in 1971, they fronted one of the most pioneering bands in American music history, straddling the lines between rock, improvisational jazz, blues, and country.
Album Review – The Brother Brothers’ “Tugboats”
14 CommentsBased out of Brooklyn, The Brother Brothers is the closest thing you can find to Simon & Garfunkel in this century, yet with a primitive country sound. Incredible singing, some of the sweetest fiddle playing and cello accompaniment I’ve heard, and songs that are amazing in their simplicity, and their ability to put rhyme and reason to complex human emotions.
The Outlaw Country Cruise Announces 3rd Annual Lineup
15 CommentsThe Outlaw Country Cruise has just announced the lineup for their 3rd Annual voyage, and it’s a doozy. As opposed to leaving from Florida this year, the Outlaw Country Cruise’s Norwegian Pearl will set sail from New Orleans on its way to Costa Maya, Mexico and back, leaving on January 22nd, and returning January 28th.
Album Review – Justin Townes Earle’s “Kids in the Street”
20 CommentsFolks who just hopped on the country insurgency train when they heard about Chris Stapleton or Sturgill Simpson may wonder what the deal is with a guy like Justin Townes Earle. Maybe they recognize the name and draw the connection to his famous father, but is he something special, or just another name in “Americana,” whatever that means?
You’ve Gotta See Billy Joe Shaver Recount The Writing of “Ragged Old Truck”
11 CommentsIt’s not just the songs and the music. It’s the men and women who sing them with authenticity and authority that makes country music an exceptional exercise in art form and insight not just any form of music can rival. Billy Joe Shaver would be and exceptionally interesting human being even if he whittled sticks for a living.
AmericanaFest Announces 2017 Initial Lineup
8 CommentsThe Americana Music Association has just announced the initial 100 names of showcasing artists who will be gracing stages all around Nashville September 12th-17th for the 2017 AmericanaFest. Eventually the names of performers will likely swell to over 200, but this first batch already is enough to salivate over.