The 97 Dedicated Articles SCM Published in 2020 Featuring Women
In the continued and ongoing effort to slander, cancel, and deplatform Saving Country Music based on Jussie Smollett-style fake accusations by rival journalists tied to coverage of the death of Charley Pride, performer Margo Price made some defaming comments about me, Kyle “Trigger” Coroneos, on Saturday evening (12-19).
“it’s encouraging to see lots of people speaking out against the hack blogger Kyle Coroneos,” she said in a tweet. “he’s an uneducated, misogynistic, racist, homophobic bully who has harrassed me and many others for years. anyone still sharing/supporting this small minded man is lost.”
But along with no evidence of this supposed misogyny and “harassment,” what Margo Price and others making these unfounded accusations are overlooking is the reams of positive coverage Saving Country Music publishes every year in a dedicated focus of elevating women’s voices in country music. It’s something even Margo Price has highlighted in the past.
So as a simple illustration of the support Saving Country Music shows to the women of country, here is a list of the 97 dedicated features covering women in country music posted in 2020 so far. A few of them also include mention of men as dual features, but each of the articles covers a woman with at least half of the emphasis of the article.
Please appreciate that this is in no way encapsulates all the coverage that women have received on Saving Country Music in 2020. For example, this doesn’t include the dozens of playlist updates where featured artists get a write up when they’re added. It also doesn’t include the quarterly “Most Anticipated” posts where upcoming releases from artists are featured. It doesn’t include bands that may have a woman in the lineup, like The Bloody Jug Band, or The SteelDrivers. It also doesn’t include recap festival coverage or social media and Instagram posts, or articles that advocate for women, like the article that was critical of the Born & Raised Festival that didn’t have many women on the lineup (except Margo Price), or the Sweeping Song Theft Investigation from earlier this year that disproportionately affected female performers.
It also doesn’t include Saving Country Music’s annual award winners. For example, Ashley McBride had the #1 Mainstream Country Album in 2020 (the other major awards have yet to be given out). In 2019, Emily Scott Robinson’s “The Dress” won Song of the Year. In 2018, Sarah Shook won Album of the Year, and in 2018, Song of the Year was shared between Lori McKenna and Jamie Lin Wilson.
And though there is a separate list for minority features and features of LGBT artists, there are numerous examples of these artists being featured on Saving Country Music in this list as well. From the LGBT community, both Jaime Wyatt and Brandy Clark have been featured twice on Saving Country Music in 2020, as well as Sarah Shook and Mary Gautier. From the minority community there are three features on Eva Noblezada in connection to the film Yellow Rose alone, as well as multiple articles on Mickey Guyton’s still-unexplained exclusion from The Highwomen’s video shoot for “Redesigning Women.”
This list also includes three features for Margo Price.
Granted, some of the articles are just quick news items about upcoming albums or other information. But the majority of them are feature-length articles, including many album reviews, including for women that if Saving Country Music had not featured them, nobody would have. And yes, there were more features for men in 2020 than there were for women. But this is more due to the disproportionate amount of male performers in country music as opposed to misogyny.
That said, and even with the incredible amount of coverage women received from a one-man operation, I wish there were more features for women in 2020. There are so many worthy women making country music, and it’s beyond frustrating there isn’t more time in each day to feature them all. Yet I will put this output up against any other individual writer, including many that are at the heart of the current defamation campaign against Saving Country Music. For some, 97 articles is a career’s worth of output. And again, these are just the dedicated features from 2020. In total over the 12 years and counting of Saving Country Music, the full amount is likely somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200.
Thanks for reading.
1. It’s Finally Here: Brennen Leigh’s “Merry Christmas, Asshole.”
2. Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno Ready New Self-Titled Record
3. Amber Digby Sings with Legends on “Heroes, Mentors and Friends”
4. Return of The Wreckers a Reminder of Michelle Branch’s Wrecked Country Career
5. Amid End-of-Year Praise, Lauren Mascitti is on COVID Front Lines
6. Album Review – Brit Taylor’s “Real Me”
7. Miranda Lambert Makes Adversities & Heartbreak Her “Champion”
8. Songwriter Stefanie Joyce Wants To Save the Murder Ballad
9. Album Review – Becky Warren’s “The Sick Season”
10. Miranda Lambert Says CMA Entertainer for Garth Brooks was “Bull$hit”
11. Album Review – Alecia Nugent’s “The Old Side of Town”
12. Kalie Shorr Voices Music Row’s Guilty Conscience in “My Voice”
13. Album Review – Rachel Brooke’s “The Loneliness in Me”
14. Sierra Ferrell Offers First Taste of New Music
15. Album Review – “Yellow Rose (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”
16. ‘Yellow Rose’ Film Is Not To Be Overlooked
17. Album Review – The Onlies (Self-Titled)
18. Album Review – Brennen Leigh’s “Prairie Love Letter”
19. Reba McEntire Joins Cody Johnson for Remake of “Dear Rodeo”
20. Review – Victoria Bailey’s “Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline”
21. Valerie June’s Surprise ACM Performance w/ Eric Church Overlooked
22. We Need a Carrie Underwood Classic Country Album. And Now.
23. Album Review – Juliet McConkey’s “Disappearing Girl”
24. George Jones & Tammy Wynette Series Coming w/ Jessica Chastain
25. “Yellow Rose” Film Sets Theatrical Debut
26. Carly Pearce Goes in More Country Direction with “Next Girl”
27. Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley Won’t Host CMAs, But Hit the Opry
28. Album Review – Karen Jonas “The Southwest Sky & Other Dreams”
29. Ashley McBryde’s “One Night Standards” Goes Gold
30. The Petersens – The Enduring Bluegrass Family Band Gone Viral
31. Pam Tillis, Jon Pardi, Runaway June on Grand Ole Opry
32. Maddie & Tae Earn 1st Woman-Led True Country #1 in 8 Years
33. Dissecting Dolly Parton’s Reported Support of ‘Black Lives Matter’
34. Album Review – Arna Georgia’s “Yes Girl”
35. Reba McEntire to Reissue Deluxe Edition of Landmark Album
36. On Taylor Swift’s “Betty” Coming to Country Radio
37. Album Review – Lori McKenna’s “The Balladeer”
38. Alan Jackson Emerges w/ Caylee Hammack to Toast Don Williams
39. Album Review – Courtney Marie Andrews – “Old Flowers”
40. Album Review – The (Dixie) Chicks – “Gaslighter”
41. Reba McEntire, Vince Gill to Appear on the Grand Ole Opry
42. Album Review – S.G. Goodman’s “Old Time Feeling”
43. Ashley Ray Ready to Make Waves with New Record “Pauline”
44. Album Review – Lilly Hiatt’s “Walking Proof”
45. The Americana Music Awards Announce 2020 Nominees
46. Highwomen Admit Mickey Guyton Left Out of Video Shoot
47. Explanation Owed on Why Highwomen Disinvited Mickey Guyton
48. Margo Price Resets Album Release Date, Issues New Song
49. Album Review – Jaime Wyatt’s “Neon Cross”
50. Vintage Album Review – Sarah Shook & The Devil’s “Seven”
51. Album Review – Tessy Lou Williams (Self-Titled)
52. Album Review – Caitlin Cannon’s “The TrashCannon Album”
53. Rita Wilson Is Latest to Ask, “Where’s My Country Song?”
54. Carrie Underwood Turned Down Florida Georgia Line Collaboration
55. On Gwen Stefani Playing the Grand Ole Opry
56. Lori McKenna Prepares New Album “The Balladeer”
57. Album Review – Whitney Rose’s “We Still Go To Rodeos”
58. Album Review – Pam Tillis – “Looking For A Feeling”
59. Album Review – Maddie & Tae’s “The Way It Feels”
60. Album Review – Lauren Mascitti’s “God Made A Woman”
61. Loretta Lynn Covers Patsy Cline Ahead Of New Book
62. Ashley McBryde, Terri Clark, Lauren Alaina on Grand Ole Opry
63. Album Review – Ashley McBryde’s “Never Will”
64. Album Review – Jessi Alexander’s “Decatur County Red”
65. Jan Howard’s Quiet Support of Servicemembers Remembered After Passing
66. Country Music Legend Jan Howard Has Passed Away
67. Amy Grant, Vince Gill & Family to Appear on Grand Ole Opry
68. Courtney Marie Andrews Readies New Album “Old Flowers”
69. Album Review – Anna Lynch’s “Apples in the Fall”
70. On Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw Switching Labels
71. Album Review – Brandy Clark’s “Your Life is a Record”
72. Miranda Lambert Honors First Responders on Wildcard Tour
73. Song Review – Margo Price’s “Twinkle Twinkle”
74. Album Review – Porter Union’s “Loved & Lost”
75. Pam Tillis Shares Details of 1st Solo Album in 12 Years
76. Blake Shelton = Deadbeat, Carrie Underwood = Hero at 2019 Opry
77. Rhonda Vincent is a Great Pick for Next Grand Ole Opry Member
78. Jaime Wyatt Reveals New Song & Album, “Neon Cross”
79. Tanya Tucker Makes Surprise Appearance At Ameripolitan Party
80. Album Review – Nora Jane Struthers “Bright Lights, Long Drives…”
81. Maddie & Tae’s “Die From a Broken Heart” Goes Gold Despite Radio
82. Album Review – Tami Neilson’s “CHICKABOOM!”
83. Whitney Rose Announces New Album “We Still Go To Rodeos”
84. Tanya Tucker Is Ticked That Country Grammys Were Not Televised
85. Maddie & Tae Finally Get to Release Their Conceptualized Record
86. Loretta Lynn Is Fighting Mad About Country Music Dying
87. Jamie Lin Wilson = Killer Start to Mile 0 Fest
88. Kelsey Waldon Recognized by Hometown of Monkey’s Eyebrow
89. 47 Years In, Tanya Tucker Wins First Grammy Award(s) at 61
90. Mary Gauthier & Folk Alliance Remember David Olney
91. No, Don’t Put Dolly Parton in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Yet)
92. Ashley McBryde Announces New Album, “Never Will”
93. Margo Price Exits Third Man Records, Releases New Song
94. Album Review – Tenille Arts “Love, Heartbreak & Everything…”
95. Dolly Parton’s Plan To Keep Her Music Alive Well Into The Future
96. Brandy Clark Announces New Album “Your Life Is A Record”
97. Album Review – McKay & Leigh – Self-Titled
RD
December 20, 2020 @ 8:25 am
Sue her
Bill Goodman
December 20, 2020 @ 10:27 am
It won’t get anywhere
RWWP
December 20, 2020 @ 3:51 pm
Would probably make some of them stfu though
Jimmy
December 20, 2020 @ 7:06 pm
Bill, are you an attorney? Slander is serious. I would be calling a lawyer, Trig.
DA
December 20, 2020 @ 8:36 am
Margo Price is insufferable who couldn’t wait to leave country music behind so she could shit on everything that she thinks is wrong with it. Country music is better off without her and her false accusations
Bear
December 20, 2020 @ 12:42 pm
If it weren’t for the fact you put Margo’s name there I would’ve thought you were talking about Marren Morris. LOL!
Matt F.
December 20, 2020 @ 8:36 pm
Since when is being uneducated something to be criticized for? She equates it to misogyny, racism, and homophobia. That kind of thinking isn’t liberal or conservative–it’s just high-handed, offensive, and revealing.
Greg Guess
December 26, 2020 @ 5:28 pm
Margo left country music? I’m glad that I stumbled upon this tid bit of information. Who ever considered her a country music artist anyway?😂
Daniel Cooper
December 20, 2020 @ 8:36 am
And I could be wrong Trig, but I’m pretty sure you have Margo Price’s album All American Made a good review. And I do know last year alone Emily Scott Robinson’s debut received a stellar review. You support women of country more than country radio
Jack W
December 20, 2020 @ 9:22 am
No, I wouldn’t call it a good review. Mixed is more like it and I thought he went a little overboard with some of his criticisms that seemed a bit personal. But It’s my least favorite of her albums. And I really like the new one.
But since you brought it up that album, I’ll offer something a little off with her line in Pay Gap about women “get treated like slaves since 1776.” I know it’s probably not meant literally, but the people getting treated like slaves in the USA from 1776 through 1865 were actually slaves.
Michael Roy
December 20, 2020 @ 8:37 am
It doesn’t matter what anyone says. I will always visit your website for any stories or updates dedicated to true country music, Trigger. I think that you do it very well and I look forward to checking out your website for a long time.
Curly
December 20, 2020 @ 8:40 am
Still listen to Margo. Still read from Trig.
Trigger
December 20, 2020 @ 8:42 am
Don’t want anyone to be discouraged from listening to Margo Price from any of this. Listen to what you want.
LM
December 20, 2020 @ 8:48 am
Seems to me like her comments about you being a “bully” are unfounded. However, I think getting on twitter and making rude and false comments definitely qualifies her as a bully. Not cool.
Tom Smith
December 20, 2020 @ 8:53 am
It’s so off base and out of nowhere that it seems like she’s got you confused with someone else. Her Twitter feed is unbearable BTW.
Jake Cutter
December 20, 2020 @ 8:54 am
Not to belittle the seriousness of this, but damn, it’s just getting so dumb it’s funny. I honestly can’t help crack a smile.
There’s an inadvertent irony in those that participate in constant grandstanding, that have to try harder and harder to find their demons. If fair and honest critique is the new “harassment” and Kyle is such a horrible monster, I guess the world has actually “progressed” more than they’d like to admit. But shhhh…..don’t tell them that, they’re heroes in their own minds.
Heyday
December 20, 2020 @ 9:01 am
What the hell? I’m as defiantly and proudly liberal as they come, and I’ve been a regular reader for some years. Nothing about Trigger’s writing strikes me as “uneducated.” If he’d written something blatantly misogynistic, racist or homophobic, I sure as hell would’ve dropped him a line telling him so. I never have.
As someone who knows something about journalism, I know “bully” is a charge thrown around by those who just don’t like the message or the messenger. To those types, a journalist merely doing his or her job is an act of “bullying.”
Jeez.
Mike
December 20, 2020 @ 9:47 am
The problem with liberalism today is that it has been hijacked by a cabal of immature, whining man/woman-children. At least liberalism up to 9/11 had some type of legitimate platform and endgame. As a conservative, I may have not agreed with that platform or endgame, but at least the Left had one. Even though I didn’t agree with it, I would at least make an educated decision in saying, “Okay, they mean well, but maybe this isn’t the way to go.”
But over the last fifteen or so years, it’s gotten in to a mud-slinging contest. And when you ask the radical left about what their true platform or end state is, they simply shout you down like a four year old who didn’t get what he or she wanted at the toy store. That is the real problem I have with the Left today. Although back in the days I didn’t agree with the platform, at least they had one and presented it in a civilized manner.
Ben Parks
December 20, 2020 @ 2:17 pm
I agree I take Willie nelson as a perfect example as someone who loves the liberal platform, but isn’t out there calling conservatives names and being a part of the cancel culture. He gives his opinion but I’ve never heard him belittle others because of theirs.
Heyday
December 21, 2020 @ 12:56 am
Aside from everything you wrote being wrong, yeah…. Happy holidays anyway.
hoptowntiger94
December 20, 2020 @ 9:01 am
This has that hack Marrisa Moss’ fingerprints all over it. Moss reads the SCM comments. I know this because she tweeted at me about my comment Friday night and included “earned that SCM t-shirt.”
I replied to her tweet and tagged/ @‘ed a few female country artists Trig introduced me to in hopes of getting some support. Then she blocked me and I can’t see her replies. However, I can see Emily Scott Robinson’s reply “Protect Your Mental Health. Amen.”
Moss is unstable and pulled her Price card.
We all stand by you Kyle. Let the truth speak for itself. You have a decade of outstanding work and incredible contributions to country music that everyone can read.
Jack W
December 20, 2020 @ 9:57 am
Yep, I think this has been a campaign of hers (and others) for a while. At one point, it seemed her relationship with SCM was adversarial and she would comment here, but at some point that seemed to change and Trigger became her full on culture war enemy.
JF
December 20, 2020 @ 9:01 am
Ridiculous. You go out of your way to support female artists. Sometimes I think you do it too much.
Chris
December 20, 2020 @ 9:01 am
Never seen you write anything racist, sexist or whatever or harass anyone.
Stellar
December 20, 2020 @ 9:21 am
Dude I don’t at all agree with your politics when they leak into this blog but you do great on your coverage of women in country music.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how many fantastic women artists there are in indie and Ameripolitan type country. I think it’s a reflection of how hostile the mainstream country industry and mainstream country radio has been to women artists in the past 15 years.
Your blog has done a good job bringing attention to these artists.
Greg
December 20, 2020 @ 9:44 am
Attacking this site seems counterproductive. I know of no other that reveals new to me artists/albums so regularly and relentlessly. As pointed out, a huge % women. Anyone who randomly read, say, 10 posts on this site would know the accusations were false. I know nothing about Price, but hammering this site simply has to harm smaller artists.
Bear
December 20, 2020 @ 12:47 pm
I have to wonder if Price’s comments were made because somebody told her something and to avoid not being “cancelled” herself she just went all in.
Ian
December 20, 2020 @ 9:46 am
If there was any other site close to this good for teaching me about new artists I would definitely check it out. Add to that the depth of music history (the Mickey Newbury American Trilogy article is a favorite) that is covered here make it a must read. I honestly appreciate when Trigger shares opinions I vehemently disagree with. It makes the whole thing seem like it was written by a human. Most of the time I am not going to weigh in (I don’t have time to argue about how the clear divide between rural and urban citizens is not nearly as clear and linear as lazy anylists tend to describe it), but sometimes I just go away and write some songs and when I have finished Trigger has changed his mind (see coverage of covid from March to now). Anyway, I don’t know Trigger, he could be a mass murderer, and so could I. Perhaps Margo Price as well. Criticism and disagreement are what help you grow strong. Personally I appreciate this site not being cookie cutter corporate. I read it everyday to learn. That said I have no idea what dumb shit is being said on twitter, nor do I give a fuck or will I ever waste my time looking. My phone only has enough memory for a guitar tuning app and construction calculator. You guys can tweet as much as you want, I will be in the shop writing and building. Get off the intertoobz kids, it will make you go blind!
wayne
December 20, 2020 @ 9:50 am
I hate woke hypocritical liberals. Absolutely hate em.
Happy Dan
December 20, 2020 @ 10:02 am
I think her “success” may have gone to her head. She needs to be reminded success can also be fleeting, and she could be back in the poor house sooner than later.
I don’t think she and her hubby are sitting on a terribly solid foundation in terms of their careers, either. What a dumb, hateful thing to say Margo. Of course you could apologize and everything would be back to normal but I doubt that’ll happen.
Justin
December 20, 2020 @ 10:03 am
And Jason Isbell is just as bad.
Jason Isbell
@JasonIsbell
Kyle strikes me as an incel Trump guy who is too much of a coward to just lay it all out there. He looks for ways to go after the people who most effectively publicly disagree with his bullshit, and those are usually smart women.
People like them is why I cannot stand liberals.
JF
December 20, 2020 @ 10:20 am
Why do you have to make it political? I am a liberal and think that Jason Isbell tweet is as shitty as his last record. And think the shit Margo said is ridiculous. I don’t tarnish all conservatives with the cuckoo coup we’re all watching happen. Shitty people all over the place. Good ones too (my best friend is a Republican).
mouths of babes
December 20, 2020 @ 10:53 am
A week before Reunions came out, Isbell did a ton of interviews about the ‘struggle’ of recording it and NPR, rolling stone, stereogum, NY times, etc all gave it best-of-career, perfect reviews.
I thought to myself, ‘oh shit. If all the reviews are dickridin’, this means the album is gonna suck.”
And it did suck.
Bob Isbell
December 20, 2020 @ 5:29 pm
Kyle strikes me as a liberal. Let them eat their own.
Paddy
December 20, 2020 @ 1:21 pm
Yeah. And Hitlers best friend was Jesse Owens.
Chris
December 20, 2020 @ 10:39 am
Depressing. Price is really not anyone particularly noteworthy, but Isbell is a genuinely great talent. It’s a pity he sees fit to come out with nonsense like this.
Cool Lester Smooth
December 20, 2020 @ 11:45 am
Yikes.
Love Jason, but that’s indefensibly rude.
Jack W
December 21, 2020 @ 7:51 am
I have to say, I thought it was vicious. I’ve been an Isbell fan since his DBT days and even saw him on stage in 2002 when they were touring on Southern Rock Opera at the 200 person capacity Iota in Arlington, VA. Before I knew he was a world class songwriter. And I’ve grown so sick at the vitriol directed at him in the comment sections lately. The crap directed at him because he didn’t sufficiently stand by Ryan Adams (who for starters, has pissed on country music time and time again) just took the cake, I think. But calling Trigger a Trump incel? I mean, Trigger’s not my fellow leftie, but come on, man. Way out of bounds and I’m disappointed in Isbell.
Jake Cutter
December 21, 2020 @ 8:35 am
I was a huge fan, have seen him many times throughout the years, and followed him pretty closely. And I’d have to say, that if you’re at all surprised by his comments, you either haven’t been paying attention or you have been willfully ignorant about it. Considering he’s branded himself into quite the hard partisan preacher, it’s not surprising at all that he’s joined the crusade to take down Trigger, aka expel the heretic, aka burn the witch.
I’m curious if you’re going to react to this any more significantly than being “disappointed.”
Cool Lester Smooth
December 23, 2020 @ 1:01 pm
I’ve followed Isbell on Twitter for years – he’s definitely a dick (hilariously so, most of the time), but this is surprisingly personal, coming from him.
Maybe the Reunions review consisting of 70% whining about Isbell’s politics (and another 15% whining about people telling him to get over Isbell’s politics), rubbed him the wrong way?
Jake Cutter
December 23, 2020 @ 1:51 pm
You’re right, this is more personal and specific for him. Usually he generalizes and stereotypes whole groups of people when he’s being a dick.
WokeFolk
December 20, 2020 @ 1:07 pm
Morgan Wallen did Jason Isbell better than Jason Isbell ever could.
Justin
December 20, 2020 @ 9:13 pm
And Morgan is actually a conservative so bonus points for that.
CountryKnight
December 21, 2020 @ 4:52 pm
He has been throwing out nonsense like that for years.
No one hates the South more than the Southerners trying to kiss up to Yankees.
the pistolero
December 20, 2020 @ 11:23 am
I think I may have been blocked from commenting on his Facebook page (which he has connected to his Twitter) so I didn’t see this before you mentioned it, but that’s a real shame.
Maybe it’s just as well. I tired of his political rantings some time ago.
Jimmy
December 20, 2020 @ 7:16 pm
Isbell may be a talented songwriter, but he’s an insufferable prick with the political IQ of a potato. Love some of his records, but he’s another ill-informed leftist who thinks sucking the dicks of the socialist clowns he worships will make him a hero.
Hey, Jason, if you lurk here, which I’m sure you probably do. Go fuck yourself.
Bryan
December 20, 2020 @ 7:32 pm
I’ve seen this sentiment quite a bit over the past couple of years. Many who have bought almost everything he’s released, back to the DBT days, have written him off mainly due to his politics both in his songs and on social media.
Justin
December 20, 2020 @ 9:15 pm
Same with Sturgill Simpson (who seems to be a hero around here).
LB
December 20, 2020 @ 10:14 am
Although I don’t always agree 100% with some of the stuff you post, Margo, Marissa, Lorie Liebig (spelling?), etc all act out of line on Twitter for being supposedly reputable people. They take their personal opinions and twist them as facts. Their “wokeness” isn’t cute.
Di Harris
December 20, 2020 @ 10:17 am
““it’s encouraging to see lots of people speaking out against the hack blogger Kyle Coroneos,” “he’s an uneducated, misogynistic, racist, homophobic bully who has harrassed me and many others for years. anyone still sharing/supporting this small minded man is lost.”
Margo,
Trig supports many talented women.
A lot of whom, are ladies. Being a lady is not synonymous with weakness.
Being a verbal bully is often synonymous with knee jerk statements, that are being fed to you, either by your handlers, or associates, and that you turn around and verbalize, in the hopes that you yourself will not be cancelled.
Real strength comes from discussion, not from misguided, non factual insults.
Rest assured, Kyle is quite educated
Kevin Smith
December 20, 2020 @ 11:03 am
Your best comment yet Di.
Andrew J Persac
December 22, 2020 @ 5:20 pm
Why did you feel the need to do this article? Focus on the music & related matters, NOT gender, race, or any other left-wing social constructs. But for pointing out something so obvious & makes perfect sense, I suppose I’ll be branded a sexist, racist, homophobic, etc., right-winger. The last part of that, I plead guilty to & eagerly accept. But the former adjectives I reject. But frankly, I don’t care what 99.9999999999999999% of the world thinks about me – my attitudes, beliefs, ideas, etc.; whether religious, political, musical, or whatever the topic. Anyway, I’ve said my peace. Let the debate rage on….
Nicolas
December 20, 2020 @ 10:18 am
Reading what Margo Price wrote is completely unreal. I read Saving Country Music since various years now, and I never read what she talked about. On the contrary, I wrote a lot of reviews about country female artists, that helped her to gain visibility… including Margo Price! If you want to find misogyny, just listen to mainstream country radios, but please don’t talk about Trigger, who writes a lot about female artists and always defends them.
RWP
December 20, 2020 @ 4:24 pm
I think he said “hubba hubba” about Kacey Musgraves legs once. CANCEL HIM!
Bear
December 21, 2020 @ 10:25 am
Good point going after this website instead of the system issues on music row… Like how about attacking FGL for making the shittiest brown turds of “music” and calling it country.
But like Marren Morris I guess Margo “doesn’t need country”. Though I actually like Price’s music a bit, Morris’ less so.
Tracy
December 20, 2020 @ 10:28 am
I never got into Margo Price. I just don’t care for her voice. Her attitude sucks, too.
Brandon E
December 20, 2020 @ 10:31 am
Any publicity is good publicity, right?
RWP
December 20, 2020 @ 4:22 pm
In the woke world, yep!
mouths of babes
December 20, 2020 @ 10:35 am
Any publicity is good publicity when you suck at your day job.
I saw Margo open up for Pokey Lafarge 5-6 years ago. Lame.
Jack W
December 20, 2020 @ 11:14 am
I’ve seen her twice here in the DC area. She headlined the Birchmere in 2016 and opened for John Prine at Wolf Trap in 2018. She killed both times. I’ve talked to people at subsequent shows at The Birchmere where that Birchmere show came up in conversation because they were there, too. The reaction was almost a surprising “man, that was a really great show”, probably because they were merely expecting a good show from such a new artist. One guy who seemed to be a DC area concertgoer back to the “60s called it one of the best shows he’s ever been to. Trigger has written that Margo is great live but hasn’t found a way to capture that energy on record.
Grant
December 20, 2020 @ 10:46 am
She’s had it out for you for a while. On Rick Rubins podcast she mentions writing “Stone Me” about you as well. It’s pretty ridiculous.
Guess that’s what you get for being the only one to stand up and say her music isn’t as great as everyone wishes it was. I don’t envy your position in this industry one bit. Seems like if you don’t go along with the pre-chosen consensus on things you are just setting yourself up to be crucified.
Trigger
December 20, 2020 @ 10:59 am
When you offer constructive criticism to an artist’s music, you don’t do it because you hate them or you’re trying to tear them down. You do it from love of music, and belief in the artist. Otherwise you just lampoon them like Florida Georgia Line. I believe in Margo Price, or at least I did. I’ve seen her perform live and still think she’s a generational talent. But her attitude has gotten in her own way as the rest of the press tells her its a virtue, and the recorded projects just do not capture her magic. But even then, I hope she finds it in the future. I want Margo Price to succeed. If I get a bunch of shit for being honest about my opinions on her music, so be it. I don’t run a popularity contest. Someone has to be honest with artists. It’s a sign of respect.
Grant
December 20, 2020 @ 11:07 am
Couldn’t agree with you more. Thank you for being that voice in the industry. We all support you, her comments reflect more on her character than they do on yours.
I’m thinking she’s had a tough year (just like the rest of us) and is taking it out on you at this moment. Not making excuses for anyone, just trying to make some sense of why this would be coming out of the blue.
Hank Charles
December 20, 2020 @ 12:43 pm
That’s wild. I hadn’t heard that story.
Gven the circumstances, I hate to acknowledge that I love that song. But props to Trig for both reporting on and inspiring good music.
Wobblyhorse
December 20, 2020 @ 11:02 am
Being an outspoken liberal is kind of Margo’s shtick. I wouldn’t be too offended Trig, she on to the next person who slightly offended her
Trigger
December 20, 2020 @ 11:19 am
This isn’t just about Margo. There is a dedicated effort that has now extended into multiple days to cancel and deplatform Saving Country Music. I had been turning my cheek for days, trying to be the bigger person, focusing on the music (it’s the end of the year, one of the busiest times for me), but Margo Price crossed a big line.
Bear
December 21, 2020 @ 10:19 am
Yes sometimes you have to ignore it and sometimes you have to stand up for yourself. If you somehow get cancelled and this website goes away I’m going to be livid and pissed.
And frankly I’ve seen many comments by artists you’ve supported on here thank you. So yeah I’m kind of in a fuck these people mood and want to cancel them right back sometimes.
the pistolero
December 20, 2020 @ 11:26 am
Wow, Margo Price is the one that comes off as the bully here, to be honest.
Mike2
December 20, 2020 @ 12:08 pm
Accusing someone else of being a bully is a pretty common tactic used by internet bullies.
Mike2
December 20, 2020 @ 11:45 am
1) Calling Trigger sexist and homophobic would be one thing – although it would be incorrect, that accusation is not new. What bothers me more is the statement “anyone still sharing/supporting this small minded man is lost.” So any under-the-radar artists who share articles Trigger has written about them or are verbally appreciative of his coverage are racist homophobes? Sorry, but includes many artists who I respect on both a personal and professional level, who are anything but those things. What a shameful accusation to make!
2) She also said “the only way to “save country music” is to write a great country song. I have yet to see it, Kyle.” – That’s a narrow-minded statement. Any time a country/roots artist is promoted on a platform such as this, and they gain fans and therefore income to continue to write/record songs, then country music is being saved, albeit indirectly. There are artists I have paid money to see specifically because of their coverage here, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who can say that.
Keep up the good work, Trigger.
Trigger
December 20, 2020 @ 11:54 am
Two of the constants in this headlong effort to deplatform me and cancel me off the internet is 90% of the charges are coming from rival journalists with periodicals that are in direct competition with Saving Country Music, and almost EVERYONE is commanding folks to not read my website very specifically in their comments. I don’t want to come across as self-absorbed, and I don’t like talking numbers, but I will just say that Saving Country Music does very, very well. And it’s because I work harder than anyone. I think there a lot of folks that are very frustrated at the success of Saving Country Music. Make no mistake about it, this is a headlong effort to eliminate a competitor in the marketplace. But who else is going to write these 97 features if I go away? They’re too busy tearing their competitors down on Twitter. That’s why the don’t produce nearly as much content as I do.
Many of the women I featured above received NO coverage from any other periodical. I was the only one.
Euro South
December 20, 2020 @ 2:00 pm
I don’t have a Twitter account and I never read the thing. And even from that far off, this whole thing just reeks of jealousy. And they have every reason to be jealous – you’ve been giving them reasons day in, day out for years. Keep it up. All of country-music-loving Southern Europe is behind you! (to the best of my knowledge)
Hank Charles
December 20, 2020 @ 12:37 pm
That is absolutely absurd, and really disappointing to see.
I love Margo’s music, but she’s a personality that uses a persecution complex as a creative driver, and that’s fine. But when it targets and threatens someone’s livelihood, just for being a genuine music critic, it ceases to be fine.
I hope you get the apology you deserve, Trig. I won’t hold my breath though.
Bear
December 20, 2020 @ 12:50 pm
Not to distract from the issue at hand but in the area where live country music is a dirty word to many people. Probably because of all the puff pieces and hit jobs… LOL!
Working Hard At Maintaining An Open Mind
December 20, 2020 @ 1:02 pm
Really, because of all of the previously referenced problems that blog formats have created in this, the early stages of the social media learning-curve, I have to question what the long term viability these blog-types of media will actually be – or for that matter, all social media – after the learning curve has crested and we grow weary of the constant rivalry and sniping. Which is a shame, because I really have been introduced to a lot of wonderful music and artists on this and other sites. But the reactionary hatred-inducing responses induced by these formats is not, in my opinion, sustainable.
Blackh4t
December 20, 2020 @ 1:02 pm
The saddest part of all this is that no female artists can risk publicly thanking Trigger for what he has done for them.
I mean, there has to be many talented female artists who respect this website and would like to point out how ludicrous Margo and Jason’s comments are (seriously ‘incel’? I never thought Id see that word used by anyone i once respected), but you can imagine the career suicide it would seem to be.
Mind you, as a straight wite male who pays for music, I will buy an album from any female artist who has the integrity to come out in support of trig in these comments. Or a tshirt etc if i have the album or its not my type of music.
Talking of that, trig, is there a ‘buy trigger a beer’ link anywhere? I owe you a 6-pack for at least.
Di Harris
December 20, 2020 @ 1:04 pm
: D
Sit back and crack a cold one Trig.
Margo definitely lost this round.
All of we lost people (friends) out here, have your back.
Margo, ease up honey, might want to “friend” check those people in your ear.
Peace, everybody
King Honky Of Crackershire (Mask free and loving life)
December 20, 2020 @ 1:08 pm
Trigger,
This has to be the most hilarious attack I’ve heard yet about you, considering that you’ve always been a fence-sitter at best, and a full-blown white knight at worst.
The fact that you felt a need to write this article to prove how down-for-the-cause you are, is probably the cuckiest thing you’ve ever done on this site. You’d better make sure your balls are still attached to your body.
What you should’ve done, is replied to Margo’s tweet with a GIF of a pulsating middle finger.
Chris
December 20, 2020 @ 1:31 pm
Why don’t you wear a mask? I hate it, but I do it because I don’t want to give other people a disease that could kill them and also because you can’t go inside any business without one. Everyone’s just got to man up and do it.
bob
December 20, 2020 @ 1:51 pm
If he’s not sick, there’s no need to wear a mask.
AdamAmericana
December 20, 2020 @ 2:09 pm
Ok Bob…
Mike2
December 20, 2020 @ 3:33 pm
Not true. I had covid and was asymptomatic for the first four days. During that time I went to Walmart. I would have probably spread the virus all over if not for wearing a mask.
bob
December 20, 2020 @ 9:42 pm
If you were asymptomatic and spread it to someone, the overwhelming likelihood is that that person will be asymptomatic as well, and I do think there is an argument to be made for asymptomatic spreading as a good thing and a way of inoculating large portions of the population.
hoptowntiger94
December 20, 2020 @ 2:59 pm
I don’t know why I say “God Bless You” after someone sneezes, but I do it because it’s polite. It’s also polite to wear a mask. Polite to the overwhelmed health care workers spending their holidays in the hospitals and the vulnerable. It’s the smallest of sacrifices.
Mike2
December 21, 2020 @ 5:29 am
Maybe I should have clarified- I wasn’t asymptomatic for the duration of the disease, but I know when the initial exposure occurred, and symptoms began four days later, after which I tested positive. Either way, this thing needs to be taken seriously. I’m young-ish and healthy, so the chances of having a severe case were pretty low. I could have given it to someone else who wouldn’t have been so lucky, though.
Acca Dacca
December 20, 2020 @ 3:32 pm
It occurs to me that the reason Kyle gets these types of accusations is probably because there’s a subset of venomous old curmudgeons that like to haunt his comments sections. They never have anything constructive or even useful to say, just vitriol about how the world has passed them by.
AdamAmericana
December 20, 2020 @ 1:18 pm
Do a Ryan Adams review and she may explode along with Jason.
Euro South
December 20, 2020 @ 1:33 pm
Hehe, you’re just trying to get him to review Ryan’s new album. Good try!
Terry
December 20, 2020 @ 1:19 pm
Trigger, my Dad ‘s favorite saying was “ illigetimi non carborundum”.
Loosely translated, “ don’t let the #@$&* get you down!”
Keep doing the great work you are doing!
Mike W.
December 20, 2020 @ 1:37 pm
I abhor cancel culture, but I also suspect that Kyle is getting dragged on by some on Twitter due to the comments of posters reflecting on the site as a whole. I’m a long-time reader of SCM, but over the past couple years I rarely even bother reading the comments section. Morons on both the right and left have decided to stake many articles as a place where they can spew their B.S. and it has made this site (for me personally) less engaging.
I know Trigger has taken a very Libertarian approach of not wanting to moderate comments and obviously moderation itself is extremely time intensive, but I also don’t know if the current path is the right approach. Just my 2 cents, there probably more on the opposite side of my opinion, but any popular post on this website seems to get filled up pretty quickly with comments clearly designed to contribute nothing but exhibit a response from other readers. Essentially; trolling.
Trigger
December 20, 2020 @ 1:44 pm
Yes, I do regularly have to answer for the comments that I don’t leave, and I try to tell that to folks who thinks this should be their forum to vent all frustrations at the world. I do heavily vet the comments. But at the same time, I do believe it is important to have an open form, or this website becomes an autocracy. But with that open forum, we all have a responsibility.
Mike W.
December 20, 2020 @ 1:57 pm
That’s fair, as I said I can appreciate the line you have to walk (plus making any drastic change runs the risk of losing readers which impacts your living). I just worry that the actions of a few run the risk of impacting the experience of many. Not laying blame for that at your feet, but the downside of this site becoming as popular as it is, is that it has attracted posters who apparently feel like this is the place for them to scream into the void.
Acca Dacca
December 20, 2020 @ 3:36 pm
Agreed. I feel like the comments section took a turn for the worse a few years ago. And this site and its proprietor do not deserve it.
Coat
December 20, 2020 @ 2:20 pm
Not sure if it is wise for anyone who went to University to “study” Dance and Theatre, and subsequently dropped out, to publicly accuse anyone else of being “uneducated”…
Kevin Davis
December 20, 2020 @ 2:41 pm
Margo’s attack is, unfortunately, not surprising. It’s false, absurd, and hypocritical, but not surprising. I can hardly imagine a journalistic outfit like SCM that is more studiously fair and judicious in terms of artistic quality, about which opinions will inevitably vary, taking precedent over cultural woke-ism’s obsession with power dynamics. And all the while, you have gone out of your way to acknowledge the injustice of such power dynamics wherever truly evident. That’s not an easy balance to maintain, yet you’ve done it admirably.
That doesn’t matter to the woke. It’s never good enough. Margo has long communicated that woke-laden power dynamics is what takes precedence in her mind, self-styling herself as the virtuous heroine along the way. It’s sad. I saw her at the Opry a couple years ago, and she was amazing.
Acca Dacca
December 20, 2020 @ 3:40 pm
Kyle,
Thank you for the years of great coverage and write-ups of artists and music that I would not have been exposed to otherwise. Saving Country Music is a valuable resource for me and many others, and I look forward to many more years of reading. It must suck to be the only one in your lane at times, and I don’t envy you. But you have my most sincere respect and admiration.
NPC
December 20, 2020 @ 3:47 pm
Trigger, as you probably realize, Twitter is the world’s smallest echo chamber. While it probably feels like overwhelming outrage, I would hedge a strong bet that very few Twitter users actually engage with SCM and and that most of your readership visits SCM directly or finds it via your SEO. In reality, if you had never written an article about this debacle, most of us would have never realized what was going on in the Twitterverse. It doesn’t make the outrage mob’s accusations any less baseless or any less stinging, but please know that the vast majority of your readership and the general public do not hold these views about you or SCM.
NPC
December 20, 2020 @ 3:58 pm
Also, those that say that they’d have no idea who Margo Price or Jason Isbell were without SCM…
…they are absolutely correct. The country music industry as a whole never cared to cover them, but you did. That’s not to say SCM was the entire catalyst for their careers, but it sure didn’t hurt.
Trigger
December 20, 2020 @ 5:09 pm
No doubt, and make no mistake, there are many declaring victory, and truly believe that Saving Country Music has been buried and cancelled forever, but Twitter makes up such a tiny portion of my ecosystem, it really just doesn’t much matter. However, to the people making the unfounded accusations toward me, Twitter is their entire life. It is the Internet to them. It is their work, it is their play, it is their social circle. They know no different. It’s hilarious how this thing is raging on Twitter (still), yet folks on Facebook and Instagram have absolutely no clue. Even if I got banned from Twitter, it would just mean a very tiny portion of my daily traffic going away.
PossumFan73
December 20, 2020 @ 3:52 pm
Ok, first off, “Jesse Smollett-style fake accusations” is not an accurate description of this situation (and is itself racially loaded AF). Second, as great as this site is, the comments section is teeming with boorish racist misogynists. (If you don’t agree with that statement, then I maybe turns out you’re working from very different definitions than some of us.) It’s gotten a lot worse over the past 18 months and it’s going to affect the way people interpret your writing, right or wrong. Third, I don’t doubt that some of these commenters engage is some pretty lousy online behavior, which is exactly what’s driving the Twitter backlash. We all get judged by the company we keep.
Kevin Davis
December 20, 2020 @ 4:08 pm
“teeming with boorish racist misogynists”
More accurately, it’s the boorish virtue crusader, like yourself, who are far more insufferable and numerous than any supposed racist and woman-hater, evidence of which is always severely lacking.
Trigger
December 20, 2020 @ 5:04 pm
Lorie Liebig and Marissa R. Moss have said that because of my coverage, they have been Doxxed—now multiple times—sent death threats, had their families threatened, sent Swastigas, etc. NONE of this has been corroborated whatsoever, even though myself and others have asked the ad nauseum to produce any shred of evidence whatsoever about these behaviors occurring. Instead what we continue to receive is the same reposting of innocuous articles that refuted verifably false claims they have made in the past, and an out-of-context tweet sent in may of 2018. After Margo Price attacked me, now dozens more people have demanded any sort of evidence of this “violence” and “threats” being sent their way, with absolutely nothing being delivered. Undestand, THIS is the entire reason for this episode. I’ve lost hundreds of Twitter followers, I’ve been called a racist, mysogynist, and homophobe by Margo Price, and an “incel” and a “coward” by Jason Isbell because of these unfounded accusations. So yes, this is most definitely Jesse Smollet-style fabricated victimhood with the express purpose of these two accusers benefiting themselves.
This comments section has been basically the same for 13 years. What has changed is the capacity for some people to interact with others that have differing opinions from them, on both sides. Since most live in echo chambers, they see someone’s opinion that is not lock step with theirs, it seems shocking and extreme.
PossumFan73
December 20, 2020 @ 6:45 pm
You can be defensive about it, or you can take is as actual feedback, but this site ain’t as much fun as it used to be (and note: I don’t even like Margo Price). I generally don’t read comments on the internet, but I do here because it’s the only place where people might be talking about the music I like. Sad that it’s increasingly just a bunch of butthurt conservative snowflakes with nothing interesting to say about music. These quotes are from this article, but could be from any random article:
“The problem with liberalism today is that it has been hijacked by a cabal of immature, whining man/woman-children.”
“I hate woke hypocritical liberals. Absolutely hate em.”
“People like them is why I cannot stand liberals.”
“The fact that you felt a need to write this article to prove how down-for-the-cause you are, is probably the cuckiest thing you’ve ever done on this site. You’d better make sure your balls are still attached to your body.”
You can call that “differing opinions” but it’s just asshole behavior. You can find it on any website, but I used to imagine SCM was better than that. Anyway, I’ll still swing by for the fantastic album reviews, but your site is not welcoming to a lot of people and isn’t even trying to be. But hey, it’s your site.
Trigger
December 20, 2020 @ 7:07 pm
Nothing is as much fun as it used to be. The polarization of this site’s comments section directly parallels the polarization of society. This is not some sort of issue specific to Saving Country Music. It would be a miracle if we could insulate the site from outside polarization.
I appreciate your feedback and I completely understand what you’re saying. But the simple fact is this article never gets posted if Margo Price doesn’t decide to tee off on me with wild accusations. And lets not forget Jason Isbell calling me an “incel” and a “coward.”
But this isn’t just name calling. Make no mistake about it, there is a headlong effort that has now reached over five days to absolutely destroy my career, and use patently false accusations to do so. This is not a tempest in a teapot. This is my livelihood. This is my life’s purpose. And these people are trying to destroy it because they’re so steeped in political ideology, they have to attempt to destroy the lives of anyone who doesn’t think like them. This is what the commenters are reacting to.
These comment sections are moderated. But I’m not just going to start stifling speech, and shutting down the comments section would cause a severe lack of traffic and engagement to the site. So all I can hope to is a general end to the polarization of society that will also benefit these comments sections.
Jimmy
December 20, 2020 @ 7:28 pm
Sounds like someone hit a nerve. You sound like one of the woke hypocritical, whining Liberals this person speaks of.
What people like you want is for others to either agree with your position or not speak. That isn’t going to happen, no matter how hard you wail and gnash with your teeth.
People that come here, from both sides, are passionate about music and their beliefs. Both sides have their say and sometimes people get a little heated. Both sides are often wrong. That’s life.
If you don’t like it, there are tons of safe spaces and sites where you can howl at the sky and virtue signal all day long.
PossumFan73
December 20, 2020 @ 7:40 pm
Yeah, Jimmy is the kind of butthurt snowflake I’m talking about. These kinds of dudes are why country music needs saving.
Jimmy
December 22, 2020 @ 11:44 pm
PossumDildo73
The term ‘snowflake’ was coined for you leftists dildos.
Glad my comment went over you low-IQ brain, but still made you reply.
Now back to your virtual signalling and safe space.
Cool Lester Smooth
December 23, 2020 @ 1:12 pm
Gonna be real, man…you should listen to them, rather than assuming they’re lying or crazy or trying to destroy you.
Being a woman on the internet is fundamentally different from being a guy. It’s truly crazy how much less shit we have to deal with.
You can’t control the crazies in this comments section, or stop them from viewing themselves as righteous crusaders defending your honor/the honor of poor, oppressed white dudes everywhere…but you CAN avoid giving them red meat, by calling folks with whom you disagree out by name.
Particularly when they tell you that it’s causing nutters to harass them.
Trigger
December 23, 2020 @ 1:43 pm
The issues here were not “disagreements” as falsely claimed by Jason Isbell.
This issue was with facts, and falsehoods.
It’s a fact that the 2020 CMA Awards did not in any way stifle the speech of participants. It’s a falsehood that they did.
It’s a fact that we do not know if Charley Pride contracted COVID-19 at the 2020 CMA Awards. It’s a falsehood that we do.
It’s a fact that the CMA Awards honored Charley Pride during numerous phases of his career. It’s a falsehood that he should have been honored “decades ago,” since he was.
It’s a fact that Mickey Guyton in 2020 was not the first black female to ever perform on the ACM Awards stage (EVER!). It’s a falsehood that she was.
These are just three examples from the recent months, two of which resulted in public furors that required the CMA Awards and representatives for Charley Pride to have to come out and make public statements. It is the requirement of the media to put why those statements needed to be made into context, and to name names. If those individuals feel like they’re being “harassed” for being named, perhaps they should stop spreading falsehoods on the internet.
I have reached out to the women who claim to have received harassment to offer my sincere help in putting a stop to it and tracking down anyone responsible. They mocked me for it on Twitter. They have also failed to present any bit of evidence whatsoever in any way corroborating this harassment. I’m not saying it didn’t happen. But since such claims were actively used to cancel myself and discredit this site, it seems like that is information that is important.
Cool Lester Smooth
December 23, 2020 @ 2:21 pm
Did you reach out to them privately about those factual corrections, before putting them on blast, by name, to your very large (and earned!) readership?
Like, you have 10k more Twitter followers than Moss and Liebig *combined*…and your followers, frankly, include a whole lot more nutters.
I’ve repeatedly backed you up in that thread (including to clowns like CU, who haven’t done shit to support up-and-coming female and minority artists), saying that you may not know how to talk the talk, but you do walk the walk…but it’s important to recognize that:
A) As a white dude with an army of crazies who worship you, you’re in a position of power over folks like Moss and Liebig.
And
B) The people who have been harassed by that army of crazies aren’t going to feel particularly generous, regarding your motives, afterwards…and asking them to “Prove it,” or siccing your army of crazies on them again, via posts like this, doesnt actually help.
I genuinely don’t think ANYTHING you do comes from a place of malice – you’re not Dave Portnoy.
…but there’s a lot of stuff you just don’t get (including that you have an army of crazies ready to wage war on your behalf), and the consequences to these women are real, regardless of your intent.
Trigger
December 23, 2020 @ 2:47 pm
Yes, I reached out to both of them, and have the emails to back that up. Marissa has even mentioned that, though in a mocking way. Look, if someone was harassing them and I in any way had anything to do with that, I will take full responsibility. I told them to send me any and all harassment they had received, call the police, have the police call me, and I will deal with it as best I can. They basically used my offer to help to mock me, while supplying nothing corroborating their claims they were receiving death threats and being doxxed.
Jake Cutter
December 23, 2020 @ 3:50 pm
There’s no way Lester or John R Baker (above) would speak so confidently and authoritatively about this without evidence themselves, right? Just ask THEM for it.
Jack W
December 24, 2020 @ 10:42 am
I don’t know, Lester. Not calling people out by name is one thing that Trigger has criticized in others. And really, if his motivation was to go after MM and her colleagues, he could write articles dedicated to documenting all the times over the last few years where she and others have gone on Twitter and attempted to paint him as a rank misogynist (i.e., the genuine article incel Trump guy). Sometimes it was because he didn’t, as you say, “talk the talk” to their liking. Other times, it just seemed like they were targeting him and their tactics were not unlike what you would see from a hack partisan political operative.
Like you say, there are some crazies in the comment sections and so it’s certainly possible that they are getting harassed by one or more of them. But given how pro-active some of these journalists have been in trying to cancel Trigger and SCM before this recent attempt, some proof of that would be helpful.
hoptowntiger94
December 21, 2020 @ 7:19 am
The comment section issue isn’t isolated to Saving Country Music. I took a break from all comment sections late summer until post election. While I believe the comments on SCM have gotten a lot better since the election, I still can’t go into The Athletics comment section (even if I do, 1/2 are flagged for violations). ESPN and SI did away with comment sections years ago because of this reason. Like Trig stated, it’s a reflection of society today.
On a whole I am very proud of most of y’all’s comments on Margo’s Twitter account. 50-12 (I counted in favor of Trig!). And most were level headed, appropriate responses. We didn’t take the bait and feed into their false allegations. Trig was very well represented.
Cool Lester Smooth
December 23, 2020 @ 1:05 pm
Love The Athletic…but the comments get real racist, real fast.
North Woods Country
December 20, 2020 @ 4:13 pm
What on earth does Margo Price have to complain about in regard to Kyle? This makes literally zero sense.
I initially read Maren Morris in that first paragraph. At least that would make some sense, even if her assaults on his character have been egregious.
In 2020 America, you either pretend that every woke narrative is 100% fact, or you get labeled by slander and those that do so face no consequences. What a joke.
Also, Margo Price’s music is underwhelming, and her voice is severely overrated. While I know some folks love her output and voice, I think I am aligned with the general consensus. I don’t think her words carry much weight with this site’s reader base
RWP
December 20, 2020 @ 4:15 pm
Herd mentality. One sheep says something the rest fall in line. Isbell and Margo has to join in so the angry part time Rolling Stone writer keeps writing articles on how great they are. These people can all go fuck themselves
Anthony
December 20, 2020 @ 4:17 pm
Trigger’s published output speaks for itself in exposing these allegations as unfounded. I can also say that even just this year, SCM has introduced me to the work of a number of female acts of whom I’m now a fan, including Lauren Mascitti, The Petersens and Brit Taylor.
If, as Trigger suspects, part of the motivation behind attempts to cancel-culture SCM is that rival music sites are wanting to snuff out a rising competitor, maybe those other sites would do well to consider the reasons for SCM’s popularity. These include 1) the nature, variety, quantity and quality of SCM’s content, 2) the fact that SCM doesn’t unquestioningly regurgitate press releases for pop artists masquerading as country artists, and 3) the appeal of SCM for a large number of country fans — perhaps even a majority of country fans — who aren’t willing to pretend that non-country music is country, who want that discussed, and who want to be introduced to the best actual country music from the mainstream and independent worlds.
Di Harris
December 20, 2020 @ 6:50 pm
Is it ironic that the first 4 letters of Twitter, spell Twit?
Blackh4t
December 22, 2020 @ 2:46 pm
Did you hear they were thinking of rolling Youtube, Twitter and Facebook into one thing and calling it You Twit Face?
Di Harris
December 22, 2020 @ 3:56 pm
Laughing …
Kind of like Youtube, though.
In fact, honest Injun, took a moment while out & about earlier to look up a Boomswaggler’s song, that someone mentioned in one of the other article’s today.
Was good.
I liked.
(Certainly hope Trigger isn’t in a mood.)
I’ll get yelled at again for kissin’ up. As if …
Still laughing.
Good one Blackh4t
Kenny Penman
December 21, 2020 @ 4:59 am
It should be enough for you to say, it simply isn’t true – read the content. I’m an all music fan – with a lot of love for country – including much of what heads in the pop country direction – especially female country output. Not, perhaps SCM’s main audience. Having said that I ONLY read SCM for my Country info, as whilst Trig may step to the right of my politics at times he also steps to the left of many other readers views, that doesn’t really matter that much to me – we can all have our own views. What is unavoidable though, is not to find the articles well written, from the heart and truly about promoting country music. All best wishes for the year coming – you will remain my voice of country music.
Dennixx
December 21, 2020 @ 5:52 am
Just keep doing what you do Trig.
The petty stuff will take care of itself.
Best wishes for the holiday and continued success in 2021.
BTW, as others have stated, yours is the only country site I visit.
Daniele
December 21, 2020 @ 5:55 am
Just my little 2 cents about this ridicolous situation. First off i would have never discovered Margo’s or Jason’s music if not for this site. Second i read it everyday and i’ve never ever read a single racist , homophobic or mysoginistic word written by Kyle. These people don’t know what they’re talking about.
DJ
December 21, 2020 @ 6:29 am
She (and others who criticize you) are just jealous twits- they hate (which itself is destructive to the hater) that someone (basically an unknown) can be as influential as they feel they are.
This is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the absolute best Country Music web site IN THE WORLD- with the most objective author in ANY journalistic endeavor. They can’t stand you you represent being honest in your assessments- and I don’t agree with all those, so you ass clowns just STFU – get over yourselves, IF you can do a better job, get off your asses and do it, including the *artist* who feel they’re all that and a bag of chips and are merely the residue in the bag.
Just think, Kyle, if you sold T shirts how many would turn up at these ass clowns events- that would be hilarious.
Bear
December 21, 2020 @ 10:39 am
You know I think I may have to make my own shirt. I normally never advertise I my body but this website is something I unconditionally support.
ddymac
December 21, 2020 @ 8:19 am
You are missing the point Trigger. In today’s world disagreeing with a female celebrity or politician is misogyny. We have strayed a long way from the fight for equal rights. You have done a great job presenting country music from both genders and actually championing better access for female artist. Anyone that has spent more than 5 minutes on SCM would know that. Which proves the agenda of these people, by these people I mean the Woke elite.
Colter
December 21, 2020 @ 9:33 am
He doesn’t give me great reviews like everyone else so he must be racist and sexist.
Bear
December 21, 2020 @ 10:36 am
Thinking further on this are we really surprised (maybe the messenger is slightly surprising to some) but Stans attacked a journalist for a largely positive review of Folklore, sending death threats and giving out her phone number. This is the current world of criticism and Trigger must be doing something right because he is no longer a tiny blip on the radar.
If cancel culture has you in their sights you’ve made the big time.
But keep on truckin’ Just keep wiritng reviews and bringing to light the state of women on country radio. The pendulum is swig back to center. CAncel culture is on it’s way outside of mainstream people are done with it and looking for answers elsewhere.
Bear
December 21, 2020 @ 10:42 am
One other thought do you (or anyone here) think this is just part of the larger attack on country music as a whole. As I said elsewhere saying you are a country music fan openly where I live isn’t the brightest idea these day (let alone walking around with a cowboy hat).
We had the Lady Antebellum issue and The Dixie Chicks changing their name… It just seems to be an overall trend to shit all over country music even if you dabble in it.
CountryKnight
December 21, 2020 @ 4:57 pm
Trigger,
Writing these response articles just gives credence to their slander. Ignore these cultural jihadists.
The real country fans know the good you have done.
Mike Honcho
December 21, 2020 @ 6:22 pm
Hope you learned your lesson Trig. If their name isnt Dolly, or Tammy they make shitty music.
Doug
December 22, 2020 @ 8:07 am
As usual, I’m late on commenting on this, but I just have to say how confusing I find this whole thing. One of the main reasons I’ve followed SCM for years is the fairness and generosity of Trigger’s stewardship of the site. From everything I’ve seen, he bends over backwards to NOT be a bully, and he tries (not always successfully) to keep comments similarly civil. Also confusing to me is what it means to be “deplatformed.” I didn’t know such a thing was possible. Finally I was stunned to read Jason Isbell’s attack on Trigger. Hard to believe he said that, but I guess he did. I share many of Isbell’s political views, but that’s fucking nuts.
Jake
December 24, 2020 @ 6:23 pm
Sounds like a load of bull shit to me . I discovered Margo price through this website. I very much enjoyed Midwest farmers daughter before being turned off by her politics. keep doing your thing Trigger, allot of us out here depend on this site to find new music and artists.
Justin C
May 29, 2021 @ 12:24 am
I would never have heard of Margo Price if I didn’t read about her at savingcountrymusic.com