Vince Gill & Paul Franklin Reunite to Toast an Old Friend
Vince Gill and Paul Franklin are reuniting once again, and this time to pay tribute to Ray Price and his legendary backing band The Cherokee Cowboys.
Hank Cochran
Three Classic George Strait Songs Earn New Platinum Status
You may not hear “King” George Strait on the radio anymore, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t listening. On the contrary, with the way much of today’s mainstream country music leaves listeners flat, they’re turning to the back catalogs of country greats like George Strait to relive the music.
Randy Travis “First Impressions” Live Album Unearthed
Taken from a Westwood One radio broadcast with announcer and all, what makes this recording unique is it includes all kinds of stage banter, stories, and jokes from Randy, and it comes from a legendary spot in Gilley’s during a really important time in Randy’s career.
Jamey Johnson Finally Has a New Album On The Way
It’s been since 2010’s The Guitar Song since we’ve had a new album of original material from traditional country star and songwriter Jamey Johnson, and it’s been since 2012’s Living for a Song, which was a tribute to Hank Cochran since we’ve had an album from Jamey Johnson at all. Not that it’s unusual for […]
Album Review – T.J. Hernandez’s “Destination Unknown”
You can’t get 30 seconds into this new record from T.J. Hernandez without being convinced you’ve landed in the right place. The voice is somewhere between Cody Jinks and Jamey Johnson. The music is pure uncut country. The production is just about perfect. And the songs hit the spot. It’s a traditional country oasis.
Album Review – The Mavericks “Play The Hits”
Any frustration you might have experienced with The Mavericks for not releasing an original album this year is chased pretty quickly when they light into their version of “Swingin'” made popular by John Anderson, and then “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” written and recorded by Waylon Waymore Watasha Jennings.
Willie Nelson’s Earliest Recordings Released in “Things to Remember – The Pamper Demos”
For the first time—at least in physical form—Willie Nelson’s earliest recordings have been compiled together and released as a proper album. Called ‘Things To Remember–The Pamper Demos,’ it contains the very first recordings of what would go on become some of Willie Nelson’s most iconic songs.
Willie Nelson Covers Hank, Hank, Hank & Hank on New Album With “The Boys”
We’re plenty well satiated on new music from Willie Nelson after the release of his latest album God’s Problem Child in May. In fact it might be one of Willie’s best recordings in many years, and certainly one of the better selections since signing with Sony’s Legacy imprint some years back. But there’s no rest for the wicked.
Courtney Granger Extols The Virtues Of Classic Country in “Beneath Still Waters”
Courtney Granger delivers a surprising, touching, well-rounded, and frankly stunning performance of classic country tunes made anew by the power and passion behind his voice. Courtney Granger is Cajun music royalty. The grandnephew of the formidable Balfa Brothers, Courtney grew up surrounded by the music of Southern Louisiana, and currently performs in the Pine Leaf Boys.
Album Review – Rhiannon Giddens’ “Tomorrow Is My Turn”
We just didn’t have this kind of verification of the strength of Rhiannon Giddens’ vocal abilities until this project. Sometimes it takes someone else’s songs to really challenge a singer to where their limits are tested, and their utmost talents are expended trying to do a classic composition justice. That’s what makes Tomorrow Is My Turn such a worthy effort.
Down But Not Out: The Incarceration of Billy Don Burns
“Billy Don Burns.” To those country fans that know the name, it looms large. But the truth of the matter is, not many know the name. They know the names of Merle Haggard and Johnny Paycheck—two men who Billy Don Burns has produced albums for. They know Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash—two acquaintances of Burns who on separate occasions, wrote touching letters for him.
New Music from Jamey Johnson “Coming Soon”
This news comes after a protracted wait for new original music from Jamey that goes back to September of 2010 when he released his last original album of music, The Guitar Song. In 2012 Jamey also released Living For A Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran, but it did not contain any new Jamey Johnson-penned songs. Jamey has been in a contract dispute with his publisher.
Jamey Johnson Problems Are With Publisher, Not Label
The Jamey Johnson contract dispute that has kept the songwriter from releasing any new original material since his double album The Guitar Song in 2010 is not with his label as some have surmised, but with his publisher according to a new interview posted Wednesday (7-9) in The Nashville Scene. Jamey Johnson’s publisher is EMI Music Publishing in Nashville.
Jamey Johnson: “When I Get Ready to Write, I’ll Write”
For those waiting for either new music from Jamey Johnson, or some sort of resolution to the convoluted contractual situation in which he finds himself entwined in, you might want to get comfy. Ahead of a benefit in Nashville that Johnson played Wednesday night, the songwriter let it be known that he’s still not writing, and there’s no resolution to his label issues in sight.
Lee Ann Womack’s “The Way I’m Livin'” Album Coming
Fans of Lee Ann Womack have been waiting not-so-patiently since 2008’s Call Me Crazy for new music from the multi-Grammy and multi-CMA Award winner, and on September 23rd they’ll finally get their wish. After years on major labels, Womack has teamed up with renown label Sugar Hill Records to release The Way I’m Livin’ this fall.
Country Music Writes A Letter to Jamey Johnson
Jamey. Jamey Johnson. Yeah, hey man, it’s your old pal country music here. Sorry to bother you like this out of the blue and everything, but it looks like I’ve kind of gotten myself into a mighty big pickle. Generally speaking I’m one of those proud people that doesn’t like to ask for anything from anybody. But honestly man, I need your help. Now I understand that you’re in some contract dispute…
Country Music Hall of Fame Announces 2014 Inductees
On Tuesday (4-22) the Country Music Hall of Fame announced their 2014 inductees in a press conference held in the Country Music Hall of Fame rotunda. Kix Brooks hosted the event. The Country Music Hall of Fame inductees are selected through a committee process appointed by the Country Music Association, or CMA. Since 2010, the selection process has been split up into three categories.
2014 Country Music Hall of Fame Picks & Prognostications
It’s that time of year again when we’re on the verge of hearing who the next class of inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame will be. Though the date seems to be getting later and later each year (last year it stretched all the way to April 10th—2012 was announced on March 6th), as soon as spring starts to break, you can be assured an announcement is coming soon.
We love Hank! All of them. (The OTHER Hanks of Classic Country)
Radio station 93.5 KOOK and 1230 KERV in Kerrville, TX, managed by legendary DJ Big ‘G’ Gordon Ames has a radio promo done by Kinky Friedman that simply says, “We play Hank. All of them.” Yes, we all know about country music’s most famous family, but here are the other 5 Hank’s that helped establish the sound of country music (and didn’t actually have “Hank” as their legal first names either).
Jamey Johnson in Contract Dispute– “I Don’t Get Paid.”
“Financially speaking, they treat me worse than they ever did the Dixie Chicks,” Johnson explained to Rolling Stone. “I feel pretty used by the music industry, in that my contracts are written in such a way that I don’t get paid.” Johnson is signed with Mercury Records Nashville. The label picked up his album That Lonesome Song in 2008 and signed him to a multi-record deal.
Jamey Johnson’s “Living for a Song / Tribute to Hank Cochran”
Jamey Johnson’s Living For a Song is a tribute to his musical hero; a man he met in 2008 when Cochran was already suffering from pancreatic cancer. I’ve always had great respect for Jamey Johnson the man, and his dedication and desire to see this project through elevates him yet another notch. But shoot me that I like my pulse raised when I put on an album.
The 6 “Other” Country Music Archetypes
Alright, so we all had a good chuckle poking fun at the 6 Pop Country Archetypes, now let’s see what happens when I turn the poison pen towards the folks much more likely to frequent Saving Country Music; those folks that live on the fringes of the greater country music world.
Hear Whitey Morgan & The 78’s First on SCM LIVE!
Whitey Morgan & The 78’s self-entitled album through Bloodshot Records will not be out until October 12th, but you can get a first listen to the album next Tuesday, Oct. 5th on SCM LIVE at 8 PM Eastern!
This first listen isn’t gonna be some uber-compressed Mp3 type stuff. Oh no. This bad boy is gonna be done by the magic of needle on VINYL for that true, warm, analog sound!