Alan Jackson Helps Jon Pardi Make History as New Grand Ole Opry Pick
28 CommentsBecoming the first California-born artist to become a Grand Ole Opry member makes the invitation historic, and speaks to how the Opry continues to try and expand its membership beyond the institution’s conventional borders.
Music Feuds Aside, Good on Blake for Squaring Off with Westboro
17 CommentsLook, I like Blake Shelton like I like a trip to the proctologist. But qualifying points aside, in the end it is just music. These Westboro Baptist Church turds beat all, and so good on Blake Shelton for taking the game to them and telling them what for. Westboro has been targeting the singer and reality show judge through Twitter, calling him a “vulgar adulterer”….
Hank3 Talks New Album “Brothers of the 4X4” & More
48 CommentsHank3 is poised to release two new albums next week, and embark on an extended tour of Texas, the West Coast, and upper Midwest. Brothers of the 4X4 and A Fiendish Threat come on the heels of an extended touring hiatus after Hank3’s drummer Shawn McWilliams required shoulder surgery. Hank3 was gracious enough to sit down with us ahead of the tour and releases to talk about what fans can expect…
Vince Gill & Alan Jackson Show How To Grow Old Gracefully in Country
49 CommentsWith 34 CMA Awards, over 20 Grammys, and and some 80 million records sold between the two, they both have seen their share of overwhelming commercial success, public notoriety, and peer recognition. But over the last few years the writing has been on the wall that their time has come, and their days of widespread radio play and big awards are over. And so what did these two men do?
Willie Nelson’s Stolen Armadillo – UPDATE: Returned
4 CommentsAt Willie’s show on Thursday, September 19th at the Capital Theater in Port Chester, NY (a northern suburb of NYC), the small stuffed armadillo was stolen off the sound desk backstage by a woman who can be seen in low grade surveillance footage from the show. The armadillo is affectionately known as O’ Dillo, and it is the property of Aaron Foye, Willie’s monitor engineer.
5 Antidotes to Country Rap / Checklist Songs
20 CommentsThere’s nothing worse than inadvertently coming within ear shot of one of those songs—the idiotic country music laundry list / checklist ditty, or even worse when the performer is inclined to get all hip-hop on your ass and start rapping the lyrics over a drum machine beat. If you find yourself bent over and fighting back a gag reflex from Class A country checklist exposure, these songs will help cure what ails you.
Sarah Jarosz’s “Build Me Up From Bones”
11 CommentsThe 22-year-old Texas native Sarah Jarosz symbolizes a victory by so many measures, even before you delve into the substance of her new album Build Me Up From Bones. Build Me Up From Bones is a bold work of progressive bluegrass that showcases young Jarosz’s developed songwriting and adeptness at composition, while not sacrificing the whimsy and fun an album from a 22-year-old must have to be genuine.
The Greatest Feuds in Country Music History
51 CommentsThe last few weeks might go down in history as one of country music’s most feud-laden moments. Though country music feuding may be on a sharp rise here recently, it is not an uncommon or recent occurrence in country music by any stretch. Nothing gets folks talking like a good old artist on artist donnybrook. Here are some of the most infamous over the years.
Dallas Davidson & Country’s Narrowing Songwriting Consortium
36 CommentsIn Zac Brown’s recent disparaging comments about Luke Bryan’s hit “That’s My Kind Of Night,” Zac went out of his way to lay as little blame as possible on Luke Bryan. Instead it was the song itself, and its songwriters that drew the brunt of Zac Brown’s ire. Though Zac didn’t name any names, the likely target of Zac’s criticism was country songwriter Dallas Davidson.
They’ll Never Play Jonathan Parker & The Bel-Airs in Nashville
14 CommentsNope. And that’s how you know it’s good. If you like country, and I mean country, then Jonathan Parker’s They’ll Never Play My Songs In Nashville has you covered. This guy has a country growl that’s like Waylon Jennings mixed with the DNA of a hard-nosed bulldog. This is hard country, honky tonk music in its purest incantation. No frills, just lean forward and belt it out.
New Book “Merle Haggard: The Running Kind” Released (Giveaway)
143 CommentsFrom author David Cantwell and the American Music Series of the University of Texas Press comes a brand new book about the iconic country music Hall of Famer and Kennedy Center Honoree Merle Haggard. Covering his entire career, but focusing mostly on his most prolific decades, Merle Haggard: The Running Kind delves into this complex, often contradictory icon of country music.
I Give A Shit, Jason Aldean. I do. (A Rant)
111 CommentsWho gives a shit what Zac Brown has to say? I do. We do. Are we the minority? Maybe, but the statistics show that our numbers are growing every day while mainstream music continues to circle the toilet hole of financial insolvency, trying to shore up their golden parachutes by instilling this sugar rush of completely vapid and talent-less hack acts that amount to nothing more than a harey carey maneuver.
2013 Americana Music Awards Winners & Recap
14 CommentsThe 2013 Americana Music Awards once again transpired in Nashville at the historic Ryman Auditorium as part of the week-long Americana Music Conference. Delbert McClinton lead off with Hank Williams’ “Hey, Good Lookin,'” leading into MC Jim Lauderdale giving a poignant introduction that included the line, “The past matters, traditions matter, even when we explore ways to have those traditions extended and expanded.”