Album Review – Slackeye Slim’s “Scorched Earth, Black Heart”
18 CommentsTake a trip beneath the seedy underbelly of country music, deep into the underground where artistic expression is paramount over all other concerns, and Gothic and punk influences intertwine with the country and Western ones.
Song / Video Review – Kacey Musgraves & Willie Nelson’s “Are You Sure”
34 CommentsSome of the best cover songs are not the ones that are easily-recognized by the audience, but the ones that didn’t receive their due credit the first time around. This is the case with “Are You Sure,” which can stand right beside other iconic Willie songs from early in his career like “Night Life” and “Hello Walls” to be considered timeless in their message.
See The First Clip from Hank Williams Biopic Movie “I Saw The Light”
99 CommentsNo more waiting, no more hypothesizing what the British-born Tom Hiddleston will look and sound like attempting to evoke the likeness and sound of the great Hank Williams. Ahead of the world premier of the Hank Williams biopic “I Saw The Light” at the Toronto Film Festival this weekend, we now get to see the very first clip of the movie.
Keep It Simple Stupid: The Dumbing Down of Country Music
95 CommentsIt’s not just that depth and intelligence are missing from a lot of mainstream country music these days, it’s that it’s being purposely avoided. It’s uncool to be deep. It’s uncool to challenge listeners to think, to covey ideas through music, or tell truly meaningful stories. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with songs that are just fun-loving moments of visceral escapism. The problem arises when that’s all you’re offering.
Alabama’s New “Southern Drawl” Song Couldn’t Be Worse
185 CommentsFrom the “We Will Rock You” intro, to the obnoxious overdriven arena rock guitar, to the awkwardly and uncharacteristically non-synchronous performances by Alabama founding members Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, and Jeff Cook, “Southern Drawl” isn’t just bad, it’s something that makes you wish you could go back and completely erase it from your country music consciousness.
2015 CMA Awards Nominees, Picks & Prognostications
94 CommentsOn Wednesday morning (9-9), the nominees for the 49th Annual Country Music Association Awards were announced on ABC’s Good Morning America, with decidedly non-country personalities of Steven Tyler and Kelsea Ballerini helping to make the announcements. The 2014 CMA Awards will happen on Wednesday November 4th on ABC, and will be hosted once again by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
Album Review – Barrence Whitfield “Under The Savage Sky”
18 CommentsBarrence Whitfield is not a name you’re going to see praised to the rafters or land on every end-of-year “best of” list, but his influence and the power of his music is unwavering, and Under The Savage Sky is as good of a place to start discovering his genius as any. The way he’s able to sing with a sincerity to his soul tones, and then rear back into a wild scream is the stuff a totally immersive musical experience is made of.
What Country Legend Would Make the Best President?
94 CommentsKanye West and Taylor Swift as a 2020 Presidential ticket? Screw that. If we’re going to go dipping into the pool of musical performers to field Presidential candidates, then my vote would go for a country music legend rising to the forefront. And not just because I’m a country music fan, but because many of our legendary country artists have the history to connect with hard-working American citizens.
Amidst Turmoil and a Short Turnaround, Stoney LaRue Readies the Release of “Us Time”
23 CommentsAs the title implies, this is a record for the core fandom of LaRue. It’s not exactly a covers album, but it’s not exactly a big original, once-every-two-years release. Whether it was meant to come out now at this time, or was expedited because of recent events, Stoney is doing his best to turn the focal point back to the music, not just as a PR move, but for himself and his fans.
Hank Williams Biopic “I Saw The Light” Readies World Premier in Toronto – New Details Revealed
17 CommentsFormer professional baseball player turned actor Casey Bond has been cast as Hank’s legendary fiddle player Jerry Rivers. The rest of Hank’s Drifting Cowboys have also been cast, as well as Ray Price and Faron Young. From both the recent casting revelations, and the synopsis found on the Toronto Film Festival’s website, we’re beginning to get a sense of the scope of the film’s focus.
Tami Neilson’s “Lonely” Comes from Touching Personal Narrative (Review)
26 Comments“Lonely” is no ordinary song. In February of 2015, Tami’s father, Ron Neilson, passed away. Tami grew up performing in a family band with her father and the rest of her family, touring throughout Canada and the United States, even opening for Johnny Cash and other notable country stars along the way. Ron Neilson began writing “Lonely” in 1972, and recorded a demo for it outside a hotel room.
Garth’s “Friends in Low Places” with Florida Georgia Line & Jason Aldean Hits Snag with Publishers
35 CommentsGarth Brooks has been told to hold it just one cotton pickin’ minute when it comes to releasing a new version of his signature super hit “Friends in Low Places.” First announced Thursday, September 3rd, the re-recording to mark the 25th Anniversary of the song includes contributions from Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, and George Strait.
Still More Country Than Sam Hunt . . .
78 CommentsWhen your music is better classified in every single other major American genre of music instead of country, then maybe you should consider to quit lying to your fans and the public and quit calling it country, kind of like Taylor Swift did. It’s not just that Sam Hunt isn’t country, it’s that he is the absolute antithesis of country.