There are a couple of really important film projects coming up that are readying their debut, and another that hopes to get off the ground that country and roots fans might find interest in.
Hole in the Wall in Austin, TX near the University of Texas campus comes with a songwriting history few other venues can rival. Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley not only held court on Hole in the Wall’s stage…
The world has lost a light, and of the most unique, interesting, compelling, challenging, mercurial, iconoclastic, and influential songwriters to ever ply the craft. Todd Snider wasn’t just a singer of songs…
It’s likely no surprise that there have been so many country musicians who are either veterans themselves, or who’ve answered the call of duty to go above and beyond to honor and assist our active duty military.
Singer, songwriter, and storyteller Todd Snider is the great American anti-star. That’s how he started his career, that’s how he rose to prominence, and that’s how he falls from grace.
Mickey Newbury is one of the most criminally-overlooked, though critically-important songwriters in American history. Though he’s most often associated with country music, his songs and influence span across multiple genres.
Yes, Luke Combs is one of the largest names in popular country music. But from the very beginning, Combs has always proven to go deeper than the surface with his music.
Before there was Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, and before there was George Jones and Tammy Wynette, there was George Jones and Melba Montgomery, who helped set the standard for duets in country music.
It sets a bad precedent that when a titan of country music passes, we don’t take anything more than 20 seconds and a box of plastic cups to pay tribute. This is country music, and we honor our past legends.
We all know what the perfect country & western song is, because David Allan Coe told us what it is. He also told us why it was the perfect country & western song, and who wrote it. There’s no reason to debate…
What started as a very exclusive gathering has become a world-class event with international interest due to the names that play and attend the event during Austin’s greater SXSW festivities. This was especially true in 2024.
A couple of the top flight performers in independent country are teaming up for a rare run of select shows in locations they don’t always play. This will be a unique opportunity for fans to get their taste.
The Newport Folk Festival has birthed some iconic moments in its long, storied history. This moment may not end up as iconic as those previous ones, but who knows what the future holds.
John Prine’s son Tommy first tested out the hypothesis of pedigree in music with the song “Ships in the Harbor,” which fared so spectacularly well from a songwriting standpoint, it was named SCM’s 2022 Song of the Year.
This will be the last time it is relevant to refer to Tommy Prine as the son of John as anything but an interesting footnote, if that time hasn’t already passed. After winning Saving Country Music’s 2022 Song for the Year for his debut single “Ships in the Harbor,” it’s time for him to step out of the shadow of his famous father.
While on the Red Carper at the 2023 Grammy Awards if February, someone from CBS shoved a microphone into the face of Luke Combs, and asked him “What song can you not stop listening to?” Luke’s answer? “John Prine’s son, Tommy Prine, wrote a song when his dad passed called ‘Ships in the Harbor.'”
Picking the Saving Country Music Song of the Year winner has been especially excruciating here in 2022. Not only was there a strong field of initial nominees, no less than four songs emerged as front runners in the voting and discussion, with all of them basically receiving similar counts in the comments.
Infinite apologies if you came here looking for your next favorite boot scooter, because that’s not what Song of the Year is all about. There will be a Single of the Year category coming up too. But what we’re looking for here is the most unabashedly slow and sentimental sad bastard songs possible.
Here is the 2022 Saving Country Music Christmas Playlist. It is country. It is good. It is all new recordings of both classics and original songs released in 2022, delicately curated to remove anything that is too syrupy, too pop, or not cool. All the songs have been expertly arranged to be listened to consecutively.
The Grammy Awards officially open the initial round of voting for nominees today, and due to the propensity for the Grammys to often overlook key contributors in the country music and roots space, here are some simple suggestions of what Grammy voters should make sure they don’t ignore for the 2023 awards.
John Prine was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, but the compass of his musical world was Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, where his parents and grandparents were from, where he visited frequently when growing up, and where some of his fondest memories were made. Prine spelled it all out in “Paradise.”
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats, or you can just use the song, artist, and album recommendations.
At 26-years-old, Tommy Prine is the youngest son of John Prine. He learned how to fingerpick from his father, first picking up a guitar at the age of 10. But interestingly, it wasn’t his father’s music that first inspired Tommy to get into singer/songwriter material at the ago of 17. It was Jason Isbell’s opus ‘Southeastern.’
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced their 2022 class last week, with Shania Twain, Steve Wariner, Hillary Lindsey, Gary Nicholson, and David Malloy all being named 2022 inductees. With Shania leading the way, this is the first time since 2009 that the Nashville institution has picked two women.