It’s no secret Hank William Jr. was raised in the shadow of one of country music’s most influential forefathers. Hank spent most of his childhood imitating his famous father as his mother tightly managed his career. With an identity crisis brewing Hank Williams Jr. was desperate to find his own voice, and once he did […]
The wait is almost over…with only two more days until the release of LOCASH’s new “I Love This Life” EP, out Friday, October 30th. The six track EP features their hit radio single “I Love This Life”, as well as other fan favorites “Shipwrecked” and “I Know Somebody.” I cannot wait for the current and […]
Country rockers, JB and the Moonshine Band, have released their new album, ‘Mixtape’, out today, Tuesday, June 30, 2015. The release marks the follow-up to the band’s previous albums ‘Ain’t Goin’ Back To Jail’ and ‘Beer for Breakfast.’ “Although ‘Mixtape’ is the title of one of the songs on the album, it also describes the varied styles on the album. I […]
I don’t know what I just heard, but I liked it. Jekyll & Hyde, the redeeming new album from award winning Zac Brown Band, is the perfect epitome of country crossover. I have to truly believe that country music now has to return to a more traditional sound based simply on the fact that no […]
Freedom is one of the most enduring themes of country music and related genres. Songs as diverse as Johnny Cash’s “Ragged Old Flag,” Garth Brooks’ “We Shall Be Free,” Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans” and, of course, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” all explore differing aspects of the importance of freedom and […]
I dropped the proverbial needle on the record of Alan Jackson’s re-release of “Let It Be Christmas”, and from the very first word uttered a reassuring sigh of relief permeated my spirit. If that sounds a bit profound, well, we are talking about a true legend in his own time. There is something warm and […]
By Amy Dolkas How can I express how much I love Florida Georgia Line’s new album “Anything Goes”? For one thing, it has been playing non-stop in my car and house since the day it came out. I listen to the full album at least once a day and love it more each time I […]
By: Tony Manfetano What comes to mind when I say Americana. Trains. Guitars. Farms, factories and cotton gins. All that, sure. Maybe you think on more 21st century terms. Government, civil rights and pop culture. These images clicked through my mind’s Viewfinder as a cursory response too. Americana, at least in the spirit imbued on […]
By: Tony Manfetano Do you like Brantley Gilbert? Jason Aldean? Florida Georgia Line? This cocktail of twang, rock, rap and soul we call modern country music. Well, my little volume cranking, dirt road riding, moonshine sipping heartbreakers, guess who started all that over a decade ago. Big & Rich. The duo made up of John […]
By: Tony Manfetano Towards the end of an album, probably right after a song about having a cold one while driving down a back road with someone you just picked up from a bar, that is where you will find most artists redemption song. One cannot say their words lack heart or are without meaning, […]
