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Scheduled Spontaneity
A few weeks ago I had the enormous pleasure of sharing the stage with two fantastic songwriters inside of a little bar in the downtown area of Bandera. This hill country hamlet in Texas is not much more than tiny speck on the map, as far as population goes. If map locations were demarcated by [...]
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Garth Brooks Sells Out Nine Shows; CMA Entertainer Category Causes Confusion; Stream New Bruce Robison/Kelly Willis Song
When tickets for Garth Brooks flood benefit concert went on sale Saturday, they went quick. So quick, in fact, that show after show was added until virtually nine shows were sold out in three hours, raising more than $3.5 million. The presence of Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, and Zac Brown Band in the CMA Awards [...]
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Bruce Robison – “Heartache to Houston”
Bruce Robison’s new single “Heartache to Houston” from upcoming album From the Top is currently available as a free download on his website—it might just be the best non-purchase you make all week. “Heartache to Houston” begins like a slow burning fuse, with Robison coming to the harsh realization that “there’s nothing left worth saving” [...]
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Hank Cochran’s Hits; Merle Haggard Documentary; Joe Pug’s Arrival; Donna Beasley Reviewed
Three years ago, Hank Cochran was chosen as the inaugural guest for the Country Music Hall of Fame’s “Poets and Prophets” series, a program designed to highlight the careers of the genre’s best writers. Leading up to that guest spot, Cochran appeared on WSM with Eddie Stubbs to tell the stories behind some of his [...]
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Americana Awards Nominees Announced; Shelby Lynne Free At Last; Blake Shelton Celebrates “Hillbilly Bone”
Nominees for the 9th annual Americana Honors & Awards show were announced a couple of days ago. Blake Shelton talked about his latest hit at the No. 1 party for “Hillbilly Bone” on Wednesday: “To be honest with y’all, it’s tough enough to go do interviews with people like Chelsea [Handler] and talk about a [...]
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Sarah Jarosz, Bruce Robison Honored at Austin Music Awards; Shelby Lynne, Julie Roberts Working On New Albums
I’m still playing catch up after last week’s hiatus, so big thanks to Ken for shooting over the majority of the bullets below. The Austin Chronicle‘s Jim Caligiuri reviewed solid sets from Sara Jarosz and The Trishas, a buzzworthy group that he compares to the Dixie Chicks. Jarosz is not undeserving of her own buzz [...]
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Friday Five: Songs About Answering Machines
The answering machine turns 75 this year. Though many of us have upgraded to cell phones and voicemail, let’s pay tribute to our old pal. References to answering machines abound in country music (Bruce Robison’s “Every Once in a While” is one of my favorites, but there are several others), and today we’ll be looking [...]
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Jessica Harp Reconsiders Career Choice; WSM Enlists New DJs: Dierks Bentley, Pam Tillis, & Jim Lauderdale
Jessica Harp announced on her website that she’s leaving her career as a recording artist to become a full-time songwriter. Chris Price and Joe Harland, producers for BBC and MTV, went on a cross-country search for the spirit of Gram Parsons for a project they call Missing Parsons. Along the way, they received a lesson [...]
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Vince Gill’s ‘Love Songs’ Due In Time For Valentine’s; The Infamous Stringdusters w/Sarah Siskind; Bonnie Bishop at Steamboat
Vince Gill is scheduled to release an album of love songs on Jan. 26, just in time for Valentine’s. I get the feeling Bob Lesetz isn’t a Carrie Underwood fan: Carrie Underwood’s not a star, she’s commerce. [...] Too much of what passes for country music today is fodder made for a market. Carrie Underwood [...]
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Most Played Single of the Decade Belongs to Tim McGraw; Johnny Cash’s ‘American VI’ Rumored For February
I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break and didn’t miss us too much. Although Christmas is over, lists are not (as you’ll notice in the news), and neither is our Big Christmas Giveaway, so be sure to enter before the new year if you’d like to be one of the 25 lucky winners. The most [...]
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- Jack Hanford: For those who are interested, there is a new 90-minute documentary video about Tompall & the Glaser Brothers on DVD ...
- joe morris: how come nobody mentions his fan club which started 1950 and was called the " the penny pushers " which ...
- jane: I'm reading this article in 2013 and I've yet to hear anything from the album played on the radio.....
- Catwandy: I guess Matt C. is eating his well-deserved crow 'bout now. Critics....gotta love 'em , bless their little hearts.
- Ed McClendon: Saw the brothers in Greeley CO on the occasion of Tompall's 50th birthday. The show wasn't well promoted and there ...
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