Jimmie Allen’s Apology is Tone-Deaf and Underhanded
65 CommentsJimmie Allen’s ill-advised, lacking, and underhanded “apology” deserves great scrutiny here.
Mike & The Moonpies Van & Gear Stolen in Dallas
9 CommentsMike and the Moonpies, a staple of the Austin Honky Tonk circuit, had their van , trailer, instruments, and gear all stolen sometime Sunday morning, May 11th in Dallas. Folks are being asked to keep a lookout for the gear (list & pictures below), and a fund has been set up for folks who want to help the band get back on their feet.
What Todd Snider Really Thinks About Garth Brooks
28 CommentsAnyone who considers themselves a good storyteller has to be an admirer of songwriter and performer Todd Snider. Over his career, it can be argued his stories have gone on to bolster his troubadour status just as much as his songs. And anyone who’s seen Todd Snider perform a few times or more knows that Garth Brooks has been a familiar punching bag for Todd.
Review – Willie Watson’s “Folk Singer Vol. 1”
25 CommentsOn paper, nothing about this album should work. You can’t take one guy, and one guy only, no overdubs or band, just acoustic instruments and a cued mic and call it good. Not to mention that this is an album entirely consisting of covers and traditionals. So yeah, this isn’t Billy Bragg or Charlie Parr. I’m sorry, but that’s just not enough to hold the listener’s ear for an entire album. Or is it?
ABC’s “Nashville” Renewed for 3rd Season
23 CommentsTalk at one point had the show moving to Texas or Los Angeles to continue production, if the show continued at all. As the week drew on and the announcements came down for other shows, the fate of Nashville remained in limbo. Finally late Friday night, right after midnight Eastern Time, at tweet from ABC Music Lounge confirmed, “It’s official! @Nashville_ABC renewed for Season 3!!!”
Wayne Mills Murder Case Headed to Trial
15 CommentsThe 2nd Degree Murder case against former Pit & Barrel Bar owner Chris Michael Ferrell who is accused of killing country music artist Wayne Mills, is headed to trial. Chris Ferrell was in the Davidson County District Court today in downtown Nashville as part of a discussion date about the pending charges. A trial date was set for November 17th.
Taylor Swift Diet Coke Ads Pulled For Cocaine Parallels
20 CommentsIn January of 2013, Taylor Swift signed on to be the “Brand Ambassador” of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company’s Diet Coke brand—the type of endorsement you see from many big-level country and pop stars. Shortly thereafter the starlet started appearing in ads for the cola, most notably a recent television commercial tied to the marketing slogan “You’re On”.
Jake Owen Gives Big Boost to Arizona’s Tony Martinez
38 CommentsWell apparently Jake Owen isn’t just a man of talk, he’s a man of action, and one country artist from Arizona is set to be the beneficiary of Owen’s good nature, and desire to see more substance in the format. Tony Martinez is a well-seasoned traditional country artist and touring sideman for multiple projects, and by a strange twist of fate, will be playing on Jake Owen’s Days of Gold arena tour.
Album Review – Nikki Lane’s “All Or Nothin'”
20 CommentsNikki Lane’s sound has always been somewhat hard to define. Her first album, 2011’s Walk of Shame was a rocking little number, just as much B-52’s as Buck Owens, and was country in the same way Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walking” is, with a dollish, throwback saunter to her style.
Music Publisher “Dean of Music” Accused of Death Threats
21 CommentsOn Tuesday, Twitter personality Ann Boobus accused that a Twitter account attributed to a Nashville music publishing company that works with BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC called The Dean of Music Publishing Group, and headed by a man named Rick Dean, made multiple death threats towards multiple people, including threatening to shoot and lynch people while using racial epithets.
Jerrod Niemann’s “Donkey” (Review & Rant)
140 CommentsCountry is the only genre of music on planet Earth where the midlife crises of its artists play out on the airwaves and populate the very top of the charts, effecting the sonic path of the entire format for all the world to unbearably behold. And right now, Jerrod Niemann is doing the country music equivalent of blowing his retirement kitty on a red Lamborghini, and showing an unhealthy…
Willie Nelson’s “The Wall” from the Upcoming “Band of Brothers”
10 CommentsWillie Nelson’s next album Band of Brothers is set to be released June 17th, and his latest original song in a legendary, if not unparalleled songwriting career is simply called “The Wall.” Band of Brothers breaks from Willie’s recent output of albums of mostly covers by including nine Nelson-penned tracks as part of the 14-track album.
Fund Established to Help Stabbed Moonrunners Security Guard
32 CommentsThe stabbing happened at about 9:15 PM, and resulted in Seleb being rushed to Northwestern Hospital in Chicago where he underwent major surgery and required 40 staples to repair his abdomen. As can be seen from the pictures, the vertical slash did serious damage to the 26-year-old, and he is currently unable to work while he recovers from his injuries.