On The Sara Evans Grand Ole Opry Invitation
58 CommentsBeyond the big headlines and the culture war back-and-forths, the regular rhythms of country music continue on, like the rare but vaunted invitations to join country music’s most storied institution.
Izzy Cox Remembered in Style with Words, Grace, and Music in Austin
7 CommentsIzzy Cox, also known as the “Original Steampunk Crooner” and the “Vodoobilly Jazz Queen” was a local Austin musician via Montreal, New York, and Hollywood, who passed away on March 24th after a battle with Pancreatic Cancer, leaving a void in the underground Austin music scene that will not soon be filled.
New Bobby Bare Album “Things Change” to Feature a Collaboration with Chris Stapleton
22 CommentsThe original country music Outlaw Bobby Bare will release his first record in five years when ‘Things Change’ hits the streets. The 10-track album will feature songs written by Bare, as well as Mary Gauthier (“I Drink”), and legendary songwriter Max T. Barnes who also produced the project.
Justin Townes Earle Waylays Bro-Country & Nashville in Expletive-Fueled Comments
130 CommentsNot since Jimmy Martin was alive and kicking, or the heyday of Hank Williams III have we seen quotes so unabashed, vulgar-ridden, and pointed about modern country music as the comments that Justin Townes Earle delivered. When the interviewer asked Earle about Bro-Country, that is where things really got heated.
EP Review – Lindi Ortega’s “Til The Goin’ Gets Gone”
18 CommentsLindi Ortega is no stranger to the dark regions of the mind, or the mortality that hangs over all of us like an ever-present nightmare, just waiting to swoop down and become our fateful reality. As a student of the folk rituals surrounding Día de Muertos through her half-Mexican heritage, her funeral veil, her ghostly pale skin…
This Feels Big: Carrie Underwood Exits Sony for Universal
49 CommentsThe new deal brings Carrie Underwood full circle. In 1996, when Carrie Underwood was just 14, she had auditioned for Capitol Records. When the company was forging a contract with the fledgling star, the management at the company changed and the deal fell through.
Mickey Raphael Actually Played Iconic Harmonica Solo on Motley Crue’s “Smokin’ In The Boys Room”
29 Comments“Yeah, that was me on ‘Smokin’ in The Boys Room,’” Willie Nelson’s harmonica player Mickey Raphael confirms. “Vince played a harmonica on the last note of the song, so he was credited for harmonica. he funny thing is that Vince even won an award that year for ‘Best Heavy Metal Instrumentalist.’”
Song Review – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s “Speak To a Girl”
67 CommentsWell, this Tim McGraw/Faith Hill collaboration looked good on paper. And it still might result in some favorable and lasting contributions to country music. But “Speak To a Girl” feels a bit like a misfire, at least on the creative side. “Speak To a Girl” is not a bad song, but it does a lot of the little things wrong.
Jerry Jeff Walker Joins Bobby Bare & Wanda Jackson to Headline the Nashville Boogie
7 CommentsThe 2017 Nashville Boogie presented by Muddy Roots is set to go off May 18th to the 21st at Nashville’s Opryland Resort and the nearby Nashville Palace, and they have just announced that Jerry Jeff Walker will headline the event Sunday night (5-21) at the Grand Ole Opry House.
Izzy Cox, The “Steampunk Crooner” Has Died
15 CommentsAt various times called the “Original Steampunk Crooner” the “Vodoobilly Jazz Queen” among other monikers, Izzy Cox was a local underground artist with international name recognition from her ability to put words and music to the innate fears encountered in the human experience.
Turnpike Troubadours To Embark on Extensive Spring / Summer Tour
29 CommentsFrom California to Brooklyn, to the deep South and interior West, Oklahoma’s Turnpike Troubadours will be embarking on an extensive U.S. tour starting March 30th in Baton Rouge, and ending in August at the Braun Brothers Reunion in Idaho. 39 dates in all will be encompassed in the tour over the next six months.
New Lindi Ortega, Jason Isbell, Marty Stuart Added to SCM’s Top 25 Current Playlist
12 CommentsSaving Country Music has just added some fresh horses to its recently-launched Top 25 Current Spotify Playlist meant to be a centralized destination for top recommended songs and artists currently setting the pace in country, Americana, and the greater roots realm.
Date Set For Announcement of 2017 Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
26 CommentsThree new inductees will be likely named in three distinct categories: Modern Era, Veteran’s Era, and “Non-Performer, Songwriter, and Recording and/or Touring Musician active prior to 1980.” Modern Era candidates are eligible for Hall of Fame induction 20 years after they first achieve national prominence, and Veterans Era candidates after 45 years.