Album Review – Daniel Donato’s “A Young Man’s Country”
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A strong case can be made without any hyperbole that Daniel Donato is the best young guitarist in country music, and maybe one of the best young guitarists, period. With twang taking such a strong position in his repertoire, country music community should be proud and Donato’s chosen to make his home in country’s confines. But there is no confining Daniel Donato.
Reba McEntire, Vince Gill to Appear on the Grand Ole Opry
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COVID-19 has caused a second wave of closures and cancellations throughout the country music heartland and sunbelt south, but the storied institution of the Grand Ole Opry endures on Saturday night as it has done since the very start of the pandemic, and for over 95 years. Vince Gill and Reba McEntire will take the stage Saturday night.
Charlie Daniels Music Sees Big Boost After Passing
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Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Daniels died unexpectedly at the age of 83 on Monday, July 6th after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke. A titan of American music, after the passing of Charlie Daniels, he music experienced a spike in interest.
Zephaniah OHora Delivers Again with “Black & Blue”
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Man does this Brooklyn-based throwback country crooner and songwriter just continue to deliver. He pulls off the feat of sounding more like Merle Haggard than Merle Haggard on the second track released from his upcoming record, “Black & Blue.”
Album Review – S.G. Goodman’s “Old Time Feeling”
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Finding new ways to present old themes, submitting timeless modes with fresh perspectives, and offering it all up in a way that is compelling, original, and sonorous enough to rise through the grey din of modern music noise and strike a unique chord is what S.G. Goodman labored to put forth and rightly accomplishes.
Country’s Real Black Voices Should Be Raised, Not Stifled by Hip-Hop
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Re-integrating important black voices into that living tapestry should be a priority for the genre moving forward. But performing this important re-integration as either a commercial enterprise, or via hip-hop appropriations will only be effective at eroding what makes country music so vital.
Mason Ramsey, Farts, Burger King, & Gaming the American Mind
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Who knows, perhaps Burger King feeding its livestock lemongrass to reduce methane emissions will actually result in some sort of measurable positive for Mother Earth. But how about when you’re a big corporation and you do a good deed, you just do it. Don’t make a whole dumb marketing campaign around it.
Brent Cobb Reveals New Song & Album ‘Keep ‘Em On They Toes’
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Just about nothing will be able to salvage the train wreck that is 2020, but a new record from Brent Cobb will surely make it a bit more bearable. The Georgia-bred singer and songwriter announced late Tuesday night (7-14) that he has a new album called ‘Keep ‘Em On They Toes’ on the way.
On Margo Price Leaving Country Music Behind
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Margo Price’s new album That’s How Rumors Get Started was described by American Songwriter as “very un-country.” Talking with The Nashville Scene, Price herself foretells how people will still try to sell her new album as country by trying to use “fancy words.” But she states decisively, “Nope, I made a rock ’n’ roll record.”
Album Review – Brett Eldredge’s “Sunday Drive”
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Lo and behold, Brett Eldredge delivers a record in Sunday Drive worthy of all the promises in the run up. It’s is more adult. It does feel fairly Americana. He doesn’t fall back on drum loops or snap tracks, and many of the songs are really well-written. In short, Sunday Drive feels decidedly non mainstream.
Willie Nelson Turned Down Kenny Rogers Offer to Cut ‘The Gambler’
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In a recent interview, Willie Nelson said he has a Roger Miller tribute album on the way. He also told the story of how he once turned down recording “The Gambler.” Written by Don Schlitz, it became the signature song for Kenny Rogers when Kenny released it in 1978.
Alan Jackson Updates 2020 Tour, Moves Some Dates to 2021
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Alan Jackson remains one of the few major acts in country music who continues to try and navigate COVID-19 concerns to keep 2020 dates on the calendar, but there hasn’t been a lot of updates from his camp, or much clarity in rescheduled dates. So here’s a run down of what we know at this point.
Album Review – Joshua Ray Walker’s “Glad You Made It”
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Eschewing the hipness of east Nashville and Austin to instead walk the culture hungry streets of Dallas, Texas, Joshua Ray Walker is a big man with a high lonesome voice and heartfelt songs who is quickly rising up the independent country music depth charts. A songwriter and honky-tonker with a head full of words and […]