Album Review- Paul Cauthen’s “Book Of Paul”
Paul Cauthen’s ninth studio effort, *Book of Paul*, drops to an 8/10 rating, marking what reviewers call his most mature and introspective work yet. The album arrives after a turbulent period that included a 2023 drug bust, a 2025 papillary thyroid cancer diagnosis, and the announcement of his first child. Cauthen leans into honest storytelling, collaborating with multiple co‑writers to craft 13 tracks that blend classic country motifs with contemporary lyricism. While the polarizing “Texas Swagger” draws criticism, songs like “Tossing Back Time” and “Dark Horse” showcase his renewed depth and vocal power.
10 Years After Merle Haggard’s Death, His Legacy Looms Large … Yet Elusive
Ten years after Merle Haggard’s 2016 death, his music still dominates country playlists and inspires tributes from artists like Cody Johnson and Jamey Johnson. Haggard reportedly left 300‑400 unreleased songs in a personal archive, yet none have surfaced despite growing...
Album Review – Charley Crockett’s “Age of the Ram”
Charley Crockett’s latest release, *Age of the Ram*, caps his ambitious Sagebrush Trilogy with a 20‑track concept album that follows the fictional outlaw Billy McLane. The record fuses Western storytelling with country, blues, and R&B, delivering standout songs like “Kentucky Too...
Palomino Club, Otis Gibbs & Todd Snider, Leroy Virgil Ready Film Projects
Three new film projects are set to spotlight country and roots music history. "The Palomino," a documentary on the iconic North Hollywood club, will debut on April 25 at the Country Music Hall of Fame, featuring interviews with Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams...
Album Review – The Droptines – “Drought Flower”
The Droptines released their sophomore album “Drought Flower” on April 3, 2026, earning an 8.2 out of 10 from critics. The record fuses Texas‑rooted alt‑country textures with propulsive indie‑rock arrangements, highlighted by frontman Conner Arthur’s unflinching lyricism. Guest appearances from Zandi Holdup and Sarah Jarosz...
Ne-Yo Wants to Be Country with New Song. But He’s No Alan Jackson
R&B star Ne‑Yo released the country‑crossover single “Up, Out, & Gone,” debuting it at the Grand Ole Opry in November 2025. While the track features a faint steel‑guitar line, critics argue it sounds more like his usual R&B style than...
Ella Langley Chooses Texas Artists for New “Choosin’ Texas” Video
Ella Langley released an extended seven‑minute "Choosin’ Texas" video on April 1, featuring a cast of Texas‑based musicians and rodeo legends. The production was shot at Fort Worth’s historic Stagecoach Ballroom and highlights regional talent instead of Nashville’s typical star power....
Braxton Keith Announces New, Debut Album “Real Damn Deal”
Braxton Keith’s debut album “Real Damn Deal” arrives on May 15 under Warner Records Nashville, cementing his status as a leading neotraditional country act. The Texas‑born singer already commands 2.2 million monthly Spotify listeners, filling venues with fans who crave classic‑styled...
Album Review – Leah Blevins – “All Dressed Up”
Leah Blevins’ new album *All Dressed Up* arrives with Dan Auerbach at the production helm, delivering a lush, 1970s‑inspired soundscape that leans heavily on vintage instrumentation. The record features country stalwarts such as Paul Franklin, Russ Pahl and David Rawlings,...
Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic Art Criticized for AI
Willie Nelson’s 2026 Fourth of July Picnic poster was revealed to be AI‑generated, prompting immediate criticism from fans and visual artists. The AI image contained obvious errors, such as a six‑fingered hand and eight tuning pegs on Nelson’s guitar Trigger....
New Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#175)
Saving Country Music released its Top 25 Current Playlist, highlighting the newest releases in country and roots music. The latest additions feature Ashley McBryde’s “Bottle Tells Me So,” Mo Pitney & Jake Worthington’s “Wake Up And Smell The Country,” and emerging neotraditionalists like Spencer Hatcher...
Austin and Alt-Country Songwriter and Guitarist Jon Dee Graham Dies
Austin‑born guitarist and songwriter Jon Dee Graham died on March 27 at 67, ending a career that helped forge the cowpunk sound and later the alt‑country movement. He rose from The Skunks, one of Texas’s first punk bands, to co‑found...
Album Review – Flatland Cavalry’s “Work of Heart”
Flatland Cavalry’s fifth studio album, Work of Heart, delivers a polished blend of Texas‑rooted country‑rock and fiddle‑driven melodies across twelve tracks. Produced by longtime collaborator Dwight Baker, the record refines the band’s signature sound while adding richer textures and varied...
Ashley McBryde Reveals Details for New “Wild” Album
Country singer‑songwriter Ashley McBryde announced her next studio album, Wild, slated for release on May 8, 2026. The record features a 11‑track list that blends newly written material with songs she’s performed live for years. McBryde returned to producer John Osborne and...
Turnpike Troubadours Offer New Dates for 2026 Tour
The Turnpike Troubadours have unveiled an expanded 2026 North American tour, adding more than 30 dates across the United States and Canada. The itinerary supports their award‑winning album *The Price of Admission* and includes high‑profile shows with the reunited Cross...
New, Never-Before-Heard Don Williams Songs On The Way
Don Williams’ estate will issue *Epilogue: The Cellar Tapes* on May 29, 2026, featuring a dozen never‑heard songs recorded between 1979 and 1984. The tracks were found in the family’s Tennessee cellar and restored by longtime producer Garth Fundis with...
Colter Wall Bass Player, Revered Musician Jason Simpson Has Died
Jason Simpson, the longtime bassist for Colter Wall’s backing band the Scary Prairie Boys, died on March 23 at age 51. A Kentucky native, Simpson was a founding member of The Mertons and contributed to Wall’s key releases from 2018’s Songs of...
Nearing 93, Willie Nelson Is Still Chasing His Dreams
Willie Nelson, soon to turn 93, announced his 79th studio album, *Dream Chaser*, slated for release on May 29, 2026. The record features six original tracks, a co‑write with Bob Dylan, and production by longtime partner Buddy Cannon. Nelson also...
Album Review – Colton Bowlin’s “Grandpa’s Mill”
Colton Bowlin’s debut album "Grandpa’s Mill" delivers homespun Appalachian storytelling backed by producer David “Fergie” Ferguson, echoing the raw authenticity of Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers. The record leans heavily on personal and regional narratives, from murder ballads like “Dirty...
Hit Songwriter, Bluegrass Great Ronnie Bowman Dies in Motorcycle Crash
Renowned bluegrass vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Ronnie Bowman died at age 64 following a motorcycle crash in Ashland City, Tennessee, on March 22, 2026. Bowman’s career spanned more than three decades, highlighted by a 11‑year tenure with the Lonesome River...
Paul Overstreet Named New Songwriter Inductee to the Country Hall of Fame
Paul Overstreet was announced as the 2026 Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter inductee, joining veterans Ralph Stanley and modern star Tim McGraw. Overstreet’s catalog includes 27 Top‑Ten hits, two Grammy Awards and a record‑setting five consecutive BMI Songwriter of...
Ralph Stanley / The Stanley Brothers Named New Hall of Fame Inductees
The Stanley Brothers have been announced as the 2025 Veteran’s Era inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame, joining Paul Overstreet and Tim McGraw in the 2026 class. The ceremony, held in Nashville’s Hall of Fame rotunda, featured Marty Stuart’s...
50 Years Ago: Kris Kristofferson Famously Rides Motorcycle On Stage
In March 1976, Kris Kristofferson’s character John Norman Howard rode a motorcycle on stage during the filming of *A Star Is Born* at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium. The stunt, captured amid a live concert featuring Santana and Peter Frampton, became an iconic...
Album Review – “Country Never Dies” (Gavin Adcock? Various Artists)
"Country Never Dies" is marketed as a Gavin Adcock tribute but functions as a various‑artists compilation, with Adcock contributing only two cover tracks and serving as a nominal executive producer. The album attempts to blend classic country standards with emerging...
Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves End Long Feud Via New Song
Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves, once rumored to be feuding over the 2013 hit "Mama’s Broken Heart," have officially reconciled with a new duet, "Horses and Divorces," on Musgraves' upcoming album. Lambert’s 2013 recording of the song, written by Musgraves,...
Shakey Graves Plays Free Show at Sagebrush Ahead of New Album
Austin‑based singer‑songwriter Shakey Graves headlined a free concert at the Sagebrush honky‑tonk on March 13, drawing crowds that wrapped around the venue. The performance was part of SXSW’s programming and featured opening sets by Tenille Townes, Travis Bolt, Tyler Halverson...
Album Review – Brit Taylor’s “Land Of The Forgotten”
Brit Taylor’s new album *Land Of The Forgotten* channels the rugged spirit of Western Kentucky and Appalachian tradition through unapologetically raw country songwriting. Produced and co‑written with her husband Adam Chaffins, the record arrives as the couple welcomes a newborn,...
Country Music Cruise Sets Lineup, New Ship for 2027
Country Music Cruise announced its 13th annual voyage, sailing Feb 7‑14 2027 from Fort Lauderdale to San Juan and Philipsburg. The cruise will move to the larger Celebrity Silhouette, reflecting growing demand as past sailings have sold out quickly. Headliners such as Clint Black,...
Clint Black Gets New Hall of Fame Exhibit. Will He Finally Be Inducted Too?
The Country Music Hall of Fame announced a dedicated exhibit, “Clint Black: The Hard Way On Purpose,” opening April 22, 2026 and running through August 2027. The showcase will display Black’s instruments, stage outfits, song manuscripts, photos and video footage, highlighting his...
Bob Dylan Shouts Out Hank Williams III in New Post
Bob Dylan recently posted an Instagram video featuring Hank Williams III performing his grandfather’s 1948 song “My Sweet Love Ain’t Around” on The Marty Stuart Show. The post follows a series of Dylan’s country‑oriented shares, including videos of Ray Benson and Ray...
Justin Townes Earle’s Tragic Life Story Told in New Book
Jonathan Bernstein’s newly released authorized biography, "What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome," chronicles the turbulent life of singer‑songwriter Justin Townes Earle. The book uncovers his early immersion in Nashville’s underground Swindlers scene, chronic addiction battles, and fraught relationship with...
Texas Tornados Member, Tex-Mex Music Legend Augie Meyers Dies
Augie Meyers, the 85‑year‑old Tex‑Mex music icon and key member of the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Grammy‑winning Texas Tornados, died in his sleep on March 7, 2026. Renowned for his Vox organ and accordion work, he helped define the psychedelic‑rock‑country fusion...
Album Review – Trey Hensley’s “Can’t Outrun The Blues”
Trey Hensley’s new solo album *Can’t Outrun The Blues* marks his first full-length release since 2009, following a split from longtime partner Rob Ickes. The record showcases Hensley’s double‑IBMA Guitar Player of the Year virtuosity while weaving soulful blues into...
New Additions to Alan Jackson’s Final Concert Are Family
Alan Jackson’s announced final show will take place on June 27 at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, a 55,000‑seat venue that sold out within hours after tickets launched. The event, billed as “Last Call: One More for the Road – The Finale,”...
New Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#174)
Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist, now followed by over 11,000 Spotify users, has added eight fresh tracks from emerging country and roots artists. The curation remains strictly merit‑based—no paid placements—so each song must prove its quality on its own....
Separating the Signal From the Noise of Sturgill Simpson’s “Mutiny” Leak
Sturgill Simpson’s album *Mutiny After Midnight* was slated for a physical‑only launch on March 13, 2026, but a YouTube leak on March 1 made the record widely available. The leak stemmed from a “treasure hunt” that unintentionally flooded record stores with dozens,...
Album Review – JD Graham’s “Uppers & Downers”
JD Graham’s new album “Uppers & Downers” arrives after he survived a devastating car accident that forced him to cancel his US and European tour. The record, co‑produced by Jason Weinheimer and featuring Tulsa’s top session players, delves into themes...