Tumbleweed & Wild Hare Country Festivals Won’t Happen in 2020
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Two important independent festivals that are working hard to support and expand Texas, Red Dirt, Americana, and independent country music beyond its traditional borders will not be happening in 2020. Both the Tumbleweed Festival near Kansas City, and the Wild Hare Country Festival in Oregon have cancelled for 2020.
On Critter Fuqua Leaving Old Crow Medicine Show
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Christopher “Critter” Fuqua played his final show as a member of the iconic string band Old Crow Medicine Show at the band’s annual New Year’s Eve performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tuesday night. The show was partly a celebration of Critter’s contributions to the band over the last 21-plus years as a founding member.
In Memoriam: Country & Roots Music’s Fallen Greats of 2019
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As 2019 comes to a close and we look forward to an new year, let us take a moment to remember the country and roots music greats we lost in this past year, from bona fide legends like Earl Thomas Conley, to those who left us too soon like Neal Casal, to Hall of Famers like Harold Bradley, and major influencers like Dick Dale.
The Worst “Country” Albums of 2019
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Alright, so we’ve run down the Saving Country Music Album of the Year nominees, and awarded The Winner. And we’ve also populated the 2019 Essential Albums List. Now it’s time to single out the dogs of the last calendar year and let them hear it. Here ladies and gentlemen are your WORST “Country” Albums for 2019.
Saving Country Music’s 2019 Essential Albums List
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Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Saving Country Music’s most comprehensive list of top-rated albums for your listening consideration. As has happened every year since the site’s inception, more albums were reviewed this year than ever before, meaning this list has become more expansive than ever before.
On Carrie Underwood No Longer Hosting the CMA Awards
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Sorry to barge in on all your Holiday revelry, but the news just came down that Carrie Underwood won’t be returning to host the CMA Awards in 2020, which she’s done for the last dozen years. And yeah, it kind of feels like a thing that’s worth remarking on.
Cody Canada Drops The Departed Name (But There’s No Drama)
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You can’t blame Texas/Red Dirt fans for being a little jumpy these days. After the announcement from the Turnpike Troubadours earlier this year about their indefinite hiatus, some fans are worried what other bands 2019 might claim before the end of the year. But according to Cody Canada, everything is cool.
Saving Country Music’s 2019 Artist(s) of the Year
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Saving Country Music’s Song of the Year is specifically for a composition so moving and impactful, the mere notion of it gives you chills. Album of the Year is about the title that had the most positive impact in the genre, and what was the most enjoyable and fulfilling to listen to. But Artist of the Year goes much deeper.
Alan Jackson Taps Cool Openers for Upcoming 2020 Tour
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If you needed any more confirmation of just how cool Alan Jackson is, for the second year in a row he’s chosen the openers for his upcoming tour not out of the mostly paltry class of up-and-coming major label talent looking for attention. Instead, he’s turned to Lower Broadway in Nashville, and the stage of his own AJ’s Good Time Bar.
Tyler Childers Sets 3-Night Sold Out Record at Kentucky Arena
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Forget that in less than two months from now, Tyler Childers will be taking off on a national arena tour with fellow Kentuckian and producer Sturgill Simpson that is already some 25% sold out, Tyler Childers is selling out arenas on his own right at the moment, at least one near his hometown, and on consecutive nights.
The Shaky Boots Festival is Back, & Symbolizes Something Bigger
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Shaky Boots is returning as a replacement for the EDM/hip-hop festival, Shaky Beats. The rock fest Shaky Knees will still be held in 2020 the week before in Atlanta’s Central Park. Also as part of the return is more of an emphasis on independent country and Americana artists, as can be seen in the lineup.
Country and Rockabilly Legend Sleepy LaBeef Has Passed Away
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The country and rockabilly legend with a large frame and funny name has left us to entertain from that big stage in the sky. Sleepy LaBeef, born Thomas Paul LaBeff, passed away the day after Christmas at 84-years-old after a long decline in health, leaving a 6.5-foot hole to fill in the legacies of both rockabilly and country.
The Black Lillies Announce An Indefinite Hiatus
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Knoxville, Tennessee’s alt-country/Americana outfit The Black Lillies have announced an indefinite hiatus. In a statement released on Thursday, December 26th, the band said, “After eleven years, five albums, approximately 2000 shows, and countless relationships built along the way, the time has come for us to take a step back…”