Live Review – Ward Davis, Lucero and Cody Jinks in Albany, GA

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Nov 122019
 

By Joshua Wallace
All Photography By Joshua Wallace


Ward Davis

This past Thursday on November 7th, 2019 I had the chance to see Cody Jinks live with Lucero and Ward Davis as opening acts.  I arrived at the Albany Civic Center shortly after 6pm.  That was the time printed on the ticket and on everything on social media, so I assumed it meant doors were at 6pm.  Nope, the show started at 6pm and I could hear Ward Davis already going as I got my ticket at Will Call. I walked into the Civic Center as Ward was playing “Old Wore Out Cowboys” from his 15 Years In A Ten Year Town album.  This song normally features Jamey Johnson and Willie Nelson on the record, but this time we had an early guest appearance from Cody Jinks who graced the stage for a verse in the song. The crowd was still filling in at this point as like me, I assume most people thought the show started at 7pm.


Ward Davis feat. Cody Jinks

Ward Davis put on a good set this evening with tracks like “Get To Work Whiskey” and his cover of “Big River”.  He also got around to “Good and Drunk” which is my favorite track off the Asunder EP he released last year. He rounded out the set on the keys playing tracks like “15 Years In A 10 Year Town”, “I Got You” and a rousing rendition of The Eagles hit “Desperado”.


Ward Davis

Lucero was up next and I admit, I’m not the biggest fan of theirs and I was hoping to get a better feel for the band in a live setting, but it didn’t work out that way this evening.  Between Ward and Cody, they were kind of the odd band in the sound mixing department and I don’t think that worked in their favor. I did pick up on a few songs they played like “On My Way Downtown” which is my favorite track from the 2012 Women and Work album. Ben Nichols did a stripped down version of what I think was “The War” from the 2005 release Nobody’s Darlings.  They also did “Texas & Tennessee” from their 2013 EP of the same name. They also played a newer song called “Hello My Name Is Izzy” which has been released as a single. They finished the set with a track from the 2002 release Tennessee titled “The Last Song”. I hope to be able to catch this band live again soon and catch a full set next time.


Lucero


Ben Nichols

You could tell this crowd is ready for Cody Jinks by the time he hit the stage.  Before we get into Cody’s set, I have to commend whoever was playing music before Cody came on.  They mixed classic country hits with songs from current artists like Paul Cauthen, Alex Williams, Whitey Morgan and others who many in this crowd might not have heard of as Albany, GA is a fairly new market for Jinks.


Cody Jinks

Cody Jinks started right away with music from his new records.  He kicked the set off with “Same Kind Of Crazy As Me” from The Wanting.  This set was heavy on new tunes, but he plays a long enough set list that you still get everything you want.  Speaking of the set list, he is doing something interesting with his set lists as of late. He has lines with two songs listed instead of one.  It seems like these are parts in the set where he has two songs in the same key lined up and can select either one. This is a very cool way of doing things.  It gives the band flexibility to read the room and it potentially gives fans a different experience each night instead of just having the same old set.

Jinks then went on with the title track off the Lifers album and followed that up my personal favorite off that record “Big Last Name”.  More new songs followed with “Tell Em What It’s Like” and “The Wanting”. After those tracks we got into “I’m Not The Devil” which had a special appearance from Ward Davis who sang a verse.  Albany, GA was also the site of the very first live version of “Where Even Angels Fear To Fly”. I really dig this one live and it is quickly becoming a favorite of mine off The Wanting album.


Cody Jinks feat. Ward Davis

We also got another favorite track of mine off The Wanting album with “Which One I Feed”.  I was especially looking forward to this one as it was one of my favorite preview tracks leading up to the albums release.  More new music soon followed with “Ain’t A Train”. This song is huge for the fiddle solo that hits you hard every time it drops in the song.  Well, the live band does not have a fiddle player so Austin “Hot Rod” Tripps grabs a dobro instead. While it’s a good track live, it’s just not the same without that hot fiddle solo.  Jinks mentioned that this is one of his most upbeat setlists he’s ever done before going into one of his biggest tear jerker tracks in “David”. It still hits hard in a live setting.


Cody Jinks and The Tone Deaf Hippies

Another new track followed with “Wounded Mind”.  This isn’t one that I had anticipated hearing live, but it’s a good one.  It’s a very good deep cut from The Wanting. Up next we had “Holy Water” from Lifers and “Think Like You Think” from After The Fire.  There is a bit of irony singing a song like “Think Like You Think” in front of a drunk and rowdy crowd on a Thursday night, but it’s a damn good song live.  “Cast No Stones” was one of the highlights of this night for me. It’s one of my favorite Jinks tracks overall, but this is especially good live as he brings the house lights up for an extended sing-a-long with the crowd.  “Must Be The Whiskey” and “Hippies and Cowboys” closed out the regular set. “Must Be The Whiskey” is a huge fan favorite off the album Lifers and it feels like a hit every time I hear it live. Jinks came out for a two song encore which included the acoustic leaning “The Raven and The Dove” and one of his biggest fan favorite songs “Loud and Heavy”.

This was my third time seeing Cody Jinks live and his show never disappoints.  From seeing him at the Ryman a couple of years ago to this show, he keeps getting better.  He’s upped his showmanship a lot recently. He picks out kids in the crowd and gives them guitar picks and acknowledges signs and interacts with the crowd in a meaningful way.  A lot of independent artists don’t do this level of crowd interaction but it is a must for bigger stages and crowds. Cody Jinks is riding high and the sky’s the limit. He’s always on tour and I can’t wait till the next time I get to see him live.  You can find out if he’s coming to a town near you at this link.

The Grand Ole Opry is FINALLY Listening To Us!

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Oct 122019
 

Ashley McBryde

The time is coming folks when the Opry FINALLY “Gets It”. I knew this was going to culminate one day! I’m not sure if it’s the new manager that is a TRUE lover of real music or that they are looking for a more diverse crowd? This article here has been culminating in my brain for the last year now, because our music…our beloved “underground” music is FINALLY taking shape up top with mainstream music.

I’m not really sure if the Opry “watches” what the Ryman does, but if Mr. Cody Jinks, Mr. Tyler Childers and Miss Margo Price are any indicators, then I’d say YES THEY DO. Because all of those three have recently SOLD OUT THE RYMAN, and some of them in record time.

You have had several Country Legends like Vince Gill and Reba McEntire previously state that they wished the bro country shit would come ti a close and that the rap country would follow out the door. Well, it pretty much has and many of the prominent figures of the 1990’s have resurfaced and are making quality NEW music, but the problem is that people over 50 that enjoyed it in the 90’s aren’t buying it.

Let me tell you WHO IS. This new demographic of 20-40 year old music fans that grew up listening to the Outlaw Era music FROM the 50 and up people who won’t spend money on music. Pop Country is specifically targeted to women ages 14-25 and soccer moms up to 35 ( there ARE some exceptions to those that like the music that isn’t Pop Country), but now many of those females are coming over to the other side of the Country fence.

Now, mind you that the Opry WILL ALWAYS pander to ALL GENRES of Country and by all means that is GREAT. Because you get a 4 hour show for a GREAT PRICE, and you get a little bit of everything for everyone. But these younger people that are digging up the real Country are becoming very erudite about it. Whether it be word of mouth on social media, or rabbit hole time on Youtube or Spotify, they ARE finding it.

The Opry is picking up on this, and cashing in on it all by offering us all we want. And I’m hoping that very soon they start functioning as the Grand institution they once were. In the past, as far as members go they made some pretty mundane choices, and many of those fools won’t honor what it means to BE A MEMBER.

But then as of January of 2019, things began to change and now I’m seeing a positive, new echelon of shows and invitations of guests. Is this a result of the new manager? In my opinion I’d say YES IT IS. I think being a woman she is making better choices of some of the artists out there busting their backsides to gain the attention in the mainstream world…and it’s becoming easier every day.

From Cody Jinks Instagram account.

On August 28th Underground Country Music sensation Mr. Cody Jinks made his Opry debut with 3 songs, to where after the first song he paused and said “I’m not going to lie to y’all, I’m pretty scared right now”. He played three songs, and right now along with Whiskey Myers and Mr. Chris Knight they are PISSING ALL OVER CORPORATE NASHVILLE ( hell some of them are based out of New York and California). It’s TRUE that these “DIY” artists are doing it THEIR WAY and mainstream radio is losing, and so are the artists that mainstream radio pushes down our throat on a daily basis. Radio used to be a very viable way of gathering an audience, but it’s not anymore and I couldn’t be happier.

One of the most prominent artists in this formula that has set many standards as an independent female artist is my friend Miss Sunny Sweeney. Her music is just a soulful and beautiful as she is, and she embellishes Country Music with her songs in a fashion only she ever could.

NOBODY deserves to be an Opry member more than her right now, having over 50 appearances under her belt, she has identified as one of the “Grand ladies of the Opry” like Miss Jan Howard and Jeannie Seeley are now. I mean don’t you all agree that ladies like her and Miss Kelsey Waldon would be sufficient additions of a new group of younger ladies that would carry on that tradition left behind by Miss Jean Shepherd BUT STILL allow and even proliferate those still alive like Miss Jan Howard?

I want EVERY ONE OF YOU To contact the Opry in any way you can and tell them that we MUST make Miss Sunny Sweeney a member!  And you can damn sure bet I’ll be there in attendance to cover that news when it does happen!

A few years back Miss Kelsey Waldon made her debut on the Opry and I recently had the opportunity to catch her set at Kickin It on The Creek in Irvine Kentucky, which I’m still writing about now. She recently released a new album on Mr. John Prine’s label Oh Boy Records, and will grace many a TOP 50 lists of 2019.

In my opinion she would equally be a good candidate for future performances on the Opry, along with the Pistol Annies, and SO MANY other younger female artists that are out right now, and outperforming the males in my opinion. I recently started writing my Americanafest articles and BY ALL MEANS I enjoyed the gals more than the guys there, I don’t know maybe it’s just what I LIKE more, and I’m not meaning this in a physical manner, their songs just speak to me MORE as a person.

Childers Opry

Mr. Tyler Childers has played the Opry twice now, since his rise to fame in the underground music realm but it has gotten so large and amassed so much notoriety, one simply cannot argue with his success. The sales and attendance of the Opry when this man takes the stage means that he deserves to play on a regular basis.

I’m not trying to say that all of these artists deserve to walk in the door and become members in ANY fashion people. In now way do I sit here and write this and boast that they should be inducted without a plethora of performances under their belt on the stage…I’m just saying that the Opry has the right idea.

Joe Diffie, Clint Black, John Anderson, Terri Clark, man there are SO MANY great artists out there that play the Opry frequently, and are a hell of a lot better choices than the crap emanating from the FM radio speakers now. There have been a few recent good choices for good members with such names as miss Crystal Gayle and Mr. Luke Combs.

I’ll be completely honest here folks, I don’t like the music that Mr. Luke Combs does at all. It just doesn’t speak to me in any fashion, but I’ll be honest it’s probably some of the best mainstream music out there. In a nutshell, this man’s  music could easily lead others to more underground music.

 

Double Album Feature – Cody Jinks – After The Fire / The Wanting

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Oct 102019
 

By Joshua Wallace

Cody Jinks is back with his follow up to 2018’s Lifers release.  This time around he’s releasing 2 different albums a week a part.  This is a different strategy from the typical double album release most artists would do with this kind of output.  However, I feel like these two albums stand out on their own. Each record has its own loose lyrical theme with After The Fire focusing on the aftermath of events and The Wanting focusing on opposites like light vs dark and good vs evil.  Jinks worked with some of his common co-writers on these albums. Names fans will be familiar with like Josh Morningstar, Ward Davis, Tennessee Jet and Paul Cauthen are all here. There really isn’t a bad track on either of these albums, but here are a few of my favorites.

After The Fire

This album kicks off with the title track “After The Fire”.  It describes the lows of a man who lost it all and the thing that potentially saves him in the end.  It’s a perfect introduction to the theme of this album which appears to be touching on the aftermath of certain events through one’s life.  I love the great pedal steel work on this one. “Yesterday Again” continues the theme with a song taking place after a breakup. Jinks is looking back and wanting to do “yesterday again” and hoping for the best the second time around.  It’s a great piece of songwriting and a track that will resonate with a lot of listeners.

Up next is the song “Think Like You Think”.  This track originally appeared on one of Cody’s early albums called Collector’s Item.  These are no longer in production, so this remake of the song is putting the track back out there.  It’s a great tune that follows a character after a drunken bender and his wife gets onto him because his actions do not follow his beliefs.  I love the message here and the play of light vs dark and good vs evil with this very sobering song.  

Another amazing song on this record is the tearjerker “William and Wanda”.  It follows an elderly couple finally meeting again in the afterlife. I won’t describe this one any further because it truly must be heard to appreciated.  “One Good Decision” picks the pace back up on a track that is sure to be a fan favorite live. It’s about a man who has had his night at the bar and isn’t really struggling with the decision he has to make on whether to go home or cheat because he’s got a good thing at home.  It’s a lyrical take on the end of the night at the bar song you don’t hear very often.

The Wanting

“Same Kind Of Crazy As Me” is going to be the anthem of these two records.  I expect this one to be on Jinks setlists for a while. It’s a great tune right in line with his other most popular songs and it will resonate with a lot of his fans.  “Never Alone Always Lonely” is a song that is about how you can always be lonely even in a crowd. I personally know this feeling very well.  Lyrically Jinks plays off that theme a lot with lines like “Easy to find, seldom seen”. It’s a very well written song that captures that feeling that a lot of people don’t always get.

I really dig the imagery in “Which One I Feed”.  It’s a song that highlights the lyrical theme of light vs dark and opposites in this album.  “It Don’t Rain In California” is another well written song about a breakup where “She said she needed sunshine / She had enough of clouds” and California represents the sunshine and the main character of the song is the clouds.  It continues the play on opposites that you see throughout this album and it’s really clever.

“Ramble” is a cover of the Chris Hennessee song from his 2018 album of the same name. Jinks does a great cover here and I love how he always represents artists who don’t always get their due on a big stage like this.  If you’re not familiar with Chris Hennessee, I highly recommend checking out his work. Finally the album closes out with “The Raven And The Dove”.  It’s another song of opposites about how some days can be good and some can be bad. The acoustic guitar work is the highlight here as it plays off a foot stomping beat and I can imagine this one being a live favorite as well.

Conclusion

These two albums include some of Cody Jink’s best work.  There isn’t a bad track in the bunch and there are some that many fans will call their new favorites.  Personally, I think The Wanting is my favorite disc of the two, but it is very close. I will admit, when he announced that he was releasing two separate albums instead of one double disc, my main concern was that these songs would be thrown on each of the albums with no rhyme or reason for them being there.  You can put that concern to rest as the track listings for each album make sense and carry their own lyrical themes throughout each record. As a final note, I hope to be able to catch Cody Jinks live next month and report back here with some live reviews of these new tracks so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, After The Fire is out October 11th, 2019 and The Wanting is out October 18th, 2019 and you can find them anywhere.

Cody Jinks – After The Fire (2019)

Favorite Tracks (After The Fire) : Ain’t A Train, Yesterday Again, Think Like You Think, William And Wanda, One Good Decision

  1. After The Fire
  2. Ain’t A Train
  3. Yesterday Again
  4. Tell ‘Em What It’s Like
  5. Think Like You Think
  6. William And Wanda
  7. One Good Decision
  8. Dreamed With One
  9. Someone To You
  10. Tonedeaf Boogie

Cody Jinks – The Wanting (2019)

Favorite Tracks (The Wanting) : Same Kind Of Crazy As Me, Never Alone Always Lonely, Which One I Feed, It Don’t Rain In California, Ramble, The Raven And The Dove

  1. The Wanting
  2. Same Kind Of Crazy As Me
  3. Never Alone Always Lonely
  4. Whiskey
  5. Where Angels Fear To Fly
  6. Which One I Feed
  7. A Bite Of Something Sweet
  8. The Plea
  9. It Don’t Rain In California
  10. Wounded Mind
  11. Ramble
  12. The Raven And The Dove

Is Cody Jinks releasing 2 albums next month?

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Sep 062019
 

By Joshua Wallace

1. AFTER THE FIRE

2. AIN’T A TRAIN

3. YESTERDAY AGAIN

4. TELL EM’ WHAT IT’S LIKE

5. THINK LIKE YOU THINK

6. WILLIAM AND WANDA

7. ONE GOOD DECISION

8. DREAMED WITH ONE

9. SOMEONE TO YOU

10. TONEDEAF BOOGIE

We recently received album art work, track listing and pre-order info for the album that Cody Jinks teased as dropping October 11th titled After The Fire.  The suspicious thing with this release is that, there was no pre-release single to hype up the release.  That is until last night.

A new song called “Same Kind Of Crazy As Me” came up on digital music services as a new single.  However, fans were quick to realize that this is not on the track listing for After The Fire and the art work is a bit different as well.

Today, we might have a bit more clarity.  A listing is now up on Amazon for a second album called The Wanting to be released on October 18th, 2019.

You might notice, the art work between the new single and this new album cover for The Wanting match up.  This raises speculation….is Cody Jinks releasing 2 albums in October?

Cody Jinks has always said things would be done a bit differently with this album cycle.  Releasing 2 records in such a short period is certainly different.

This story is developing and we will have more information on this as it breaks.

Update :

Thanks to some very resourceful Flockers, we now have a track listing for The Wanting from Amazon.uk

  1. The Wanting
  2. Same Kind Of Crazy As Me
  3. Never Alone Always Lonely
  4. Whiskey
  5. Where Even Angels Fear To Fly
  6. Which One I Feed
  7. A Bite Of Something Sweet
  8. The Plea
  9. It Don’t Rain In California
  10. Wounded Mind
  11. Ramble
  12. The Raven And The Dove

Update # 2:

You would think that if Cody Jinks made a post on social media, it would be about this….you’d be wrong.

Yet another album on the way?

Update #3 :

It appears as though the Amazon.com listing for The Wanting has been removed.  The UK listing is still up as of this writing.

 

The Steel Woods Album Release Party With Mr. Josh Card.

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Jan 262019
 

As I type this I am sitting in my truck watching cranes work on what is to be the new Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville restaurant. The downtown area is rapidly changing, and not always for the best..no many times it is totally to the detriment of history and tradition. It immensely pains me to see places like Bobby’s Idle Hour going away, to be replaced by condos. According to the statistics, Nashville is growing at an uncanny rate by 100 people PER DAY!

But I’ll tell you what, no matter how much Nashville changes, some of the smaller venues are the same. Now, some of the smaller venues are actually not small..like the mighty 3Rd and lindsley. Here I am again to bring YOU TWO NIGHTS of mayhem and music. I’m going to be here for two nights this weekend folks, and tonight I shall be reporting on the show from the upstairs area. Tomorrow I shall be working downstairs. Both nights are pretty much sold out and jammed packed.

I’m extremely excited for THREE reasons…ONE is NEW music from this powerhouse band of men from Nashville that are growing at an exponential rate. Their hard work and no holds barred attitude has solidified them within our local music community, and maintained a big draw for them on the road as well. Their new album “Old News” is already garnering attention from us and other websites like my buddy over at Country Music Armadillo.

The SECOND reason is the RETURN of Mr. Rowdy Cope, who helped invent this band. He needed to take some time off for personal issues and to rest, however now he IS BACK and they are reportedly ready to play like a well oiled machine.

The THIRD reason is one of my newfound friends whom was formerly with Mr. Whitey Morgan And The 78’s. His album was on my TOP 50 OF 2018, and that man is Mr. Josh Card And The Restless Souls. His debut album ‘With A heavy Heart” wowed me, as did his first live performance I watched on New Years Day 2018, right there I saw HUGE potential as a solo artist. My partner Mr. Joshua Wallace covered his album release party, and you can read that HERE

Mr. Josh Card  is playing first here tonight, as well as tomorrow night and will be on tour with them for some time now. I have a pretty good seat back here upstairs to watch the show from both perspectives this weekend, and I have pretty much everything I need to make a perfect article here tonight.

Friday Night:

Mr. Josh began the show with aggressive energy as he opened with a song called ‘Better Off That Way”, and he had Mr. Brett Robinson playing steel for him tonight. His former band mate when he played for the 78’s, Mr. Brett brought his signature tone to us tonight. Especially on the second song called “Devil’s Blood”, which gave him some truly fine solos before he kicked off the song called “Suffer”.

He explained that when he wrote this one, he drank too much whiskey and listened to too much Ray Price. I love the lyrics to this song, and it’s my favorite song on the album by far. It is a damn fine two stepper, with a shuffle thump. he followed that up with the song called “Won’t Chase Your love Anymore”.

You know guys, this young man is MUCH more comfortable on stage here, I really feel he is becoming more comfortable up front, being the center focus. He played a very good performance of the song “Choice To Make”.  He did play a cover song of Merle Haggard called “Ramblin Fever”, from the 1977 album of the same name.

The steel Woods came to bring the house down! As their new album has brought RAVING reviews to the media world, and as I previously stated Mr. Rowdy coming back, this band is at a pinnacle of growth. The only way for them to go is up, and as they enter to the eerie version of “In the Pines” UP is where the went.

They began with “Axe” tonight and drove this place into a complete frenzy of screaming voices and swinging fists, with their rough harmonies. The first song from their new album called ‘Old News” was called “All Of These Years”.

“Without You” was a song I could have used a few years back when I got my divorce, it is a song of moving on and putting the past behind you. Another new song was called “Blind Lover”, that featured some damn fine guitar slinging riffs. This show included some truly fine songs off the first album like one of my favorites called “Della Jane’s Heart”.

Mr. Wes  explained to us that the new record was a lot of work, and it was a long time coming however they were still going to play songs off the old album, like the self title called “Straw In the Wind”.  Speaking of self titled songs perhaps one of their more well written songs was “Old News”, it is a truly tough song about America. This song has perhaps one of the BEST LINES I have heard in many years “And pray for Miss Liberty and the crack in her bell, there’s a tear in her eye, but her arm hasn’t fell”.

Next up was a song called “Rock That Says My Name” ,basically tonight I am jusy enjoying the music and watching. Tomorrow I will indeed take many more pictures from that show. Right now they are playing the GREAT song “Let The Rain Come Down”.

They are playing some songs in honor of folks that passed away, one of them was the song called “One Of These Days”. That is the concept of the title of “Old News”. But right now they are playing “Are The Good times Still Over” from Merle Haggard’s, and they followed that up with their powerful version of “Whipping Post”. You cannot deny this band ANY CREDIT whatsoever on ANY front, especially for a twenty dollar ticket!

“Southern Accent” was another great pinnacle of tonight’s show. Afterwards they played a few more for an encore here, like “Better In The Fall”. Also included was an instrumental before playing their cover of “Hole In the Sky”, and that was the end of Friday’s show.

Saturday Night:

I have bigger expectations of tonight’s show over last night. One of the main reasons will be to see how the set list difference is for both acts. This place is crazy packed full of people who are ready to hear the new music from both bands. Tonight is the sellout show that toppled last night in sales, I haven’t seen this place this packed since Mr. Cody Jinks played here last. Speaking of Mr. Cody Jinks he actually showed up tonight as my partner Mr. Joshua told me the Flockers were talking about him being there. He came out on night 2 and sang with them.

Everything so far has been absolutely amazing in every way, good food and great friends. New fans and old ones as well came out for two nights of music. I wanted to point out Mr. Jay Tooke one damn fine drummer, who sweats back there behind the kit night after night, and tonight those boys are playing the Opry. Also, Mr. Johnny Stanton is a damn fine bass player. Every time I am watching this band, the never fail to disappoint.

Saturday’s Set List For Mr. Josh Card.
2. Devil’s Blood
3. Suffer
4. Won’t Chase Your Love
5. Choice To Make
6. Ramblin Fever

Saturday’s Set List For The Steel Woods.
1. Axe
2. All Of These Years
3. Without You
4. Blind Lover
5. Anna Lee
6. Della Jane’s Heart
7. Straw in The Wind
8. Compared To A Soul
9. Old News
10. Rock That Says My Name
11. Let The Rain Come Down
12. One Of These Days
13. Are The Good Times Really Over
14. Whipping post
15. Southern Accents

FUTURE TOUR DATES:

JAN
26
Opry at Ryman
Saturday, 7:00PM

Nashville, TN

Tickets
JAN
31
Songbirds North Stage
Thursday, 6:00PM

Chattanooga, TN

Tickets
FEB
01
Songbirds North Stage
Friday, 6:00PM

Chattanooga, TN

FEB
02
The Warehouse at Mt. Victor
Saturday, 7:00PM

Bowling Green, KY

Tickets
FEB
07
The Basement
Thursday, 7:00PM

Columbus, OH

Tickets
FEB
08
Madison Theatre
Friday, 8:00PM

Covington, KY

Tickets
FEB
09
Grey Eagle
Saturday, 7:00PM

Asheville, NC

Tickets
FEB
14
Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
Thursday, 7:00PM

Cleveland, OH

Tickets
FEB
15
Crusens Farmington
Friday, 7:00PM

Peoria, IL

Tickets
FEB
16
Carol’s Pub (w/ Josh Card)
Saturday, 7:00PM

Chicago, IL

Tickets
FEB
21
The Machine Shop Concert Lounge (w/ Josh Card)
Thursday, 7:00PM

Flint, MI

Tickets
FEB
22
Johnny & June’s (w/ Channing Wilson + Josh Card)
Friday, 7:00PM

Flora, IL

Tickets
FEB
23
Hi-Fi (w/ Josh Card)
Saturday, 7:00PM

Indianapolis, IN

Tickets
FEB
28
Terminal West (w/ TN Jet)
Thursday, 7:00PM

Atlanta, GA

Tickets
MAR
01
The Blind Tiger (w/ TN Jet)
Friday, 8:00PM

Greensboro, NC

Tickets
MAR
02
Capone’s (w/ TN Jet)
Saturday, 7:00PM

Johnson City, TN

Tickets
JUN
01
Tumbleweed Festival
Saturday, 7:00PM

La Cygne, KS

Tickets
JUL
20
Tailgate N’ Tallboys
Saturday, 7:00PM

Peoria, IL

Tickets
JUL
27
The Shed Smokehouse & Juke Joint
Saturday, 6:00PM

Maryville, TN

Gary Hayes Country TOP 50 OF 2018.

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Dec 292018
 

Well it’s been one hell of a crazy 2018, with this past summer being one of the first jobs I ever had to cancel when I blew that car up! I had the opportunity to cover many great new events TWO NEW festivals Master Musicians Festival and for Day 1 click HERE. I was also fortunate enough to have been invited to cover Kickin It On The Creek for day 1 click HERE.

I was invited to cover Whitey Morgan At The Ryman on his first ever headlining show there. I had fun watching him grow as a national act, and you WILL SEE his album down there on the list. I covered Muddy Roots for both days of the event HERE is day 2 of the event. I also covered the Nashville Boogie on both days you can click HERE for day 1.

Mr. Joshua Wallace and I stay in constant communication and stay working to bring YOU THE BEST in Country Music, Red Dirt, Americana (which ain’t no part of nothin) Bluegrass, Newgrass, and many other communities of music like the Appalachian community and mid west K.C. and Denver area. Also, people like Mr. Dallas Moore are booming the Ohio community wide open while maintaining a Texas presence.

Now, I let Mr. Joshua RELEASE HIS TOP 50 before I release mine,and I do NOT impose any rules on him as far as what he prints. I allow him full creativity and control. Because I’ll be honest I HAVE NOTICED how mainstream Country radio has been omitting women from it’s forefront, and why not? It’s target market is women! Well folks I want to say there were SO MANY GREAT albums from Women in 2018 I could make a TOP 50 of JUST women, but I think your palate will be well satisfied with my list…

ONE THING AS ALWAYS I want to stress is that my number 50 and number 2 means NOTHING. If you made my TOP list your album spoke to me as a person, and I LOVED IT! I eagerly listened to over 500 albums this year, and I loved them all.

1. Joshua Hedley Mr. Jukebox

Oh yes by ALL MEANS this album was NUMBER ONE of 2018 for me! I mean it really does describe this man and his extensive plethora of songs he can perform live, you CANNOT stump him on classic Country Music. He knows the melodies and lyrics WORD FOR WORD, and will perform them with flawless precision.

It’s very unique to begin an album with a slow song like “Counting All My Tears”, however it’s such a well written tear jerker that it would be remiss to NOT have placed that song first. This man possesses an extensive arsenal of heartaches..get some Kleenex for this album.

This man deserves EVERY accolade he has earned in music, because he put in so many years playing the Honky Tonks of downtown Nashville. I got to cover him during the Nashville Boogie one year, and with his fiddle he entertained us readily. If you would like to read our review of this album click HERE.

He has the look, the attitude and demeanor to become a Country Music Legend like the ones I watched him perform with on Country’s Family Reunion. He has single hand-idly restored my faith in the future of Country Music with songs like “Weird Thought Thinker” which sounds like I took a time machine to the 60’s…and there isn’t a DAMN THING wrong with that.

2. Colter Wall Songs Of The Plains

My friends over at Young Mary Records outdid themselves on this project along with someone I shall mention several times on this article Mr. Dave Cobb ( I call him a modern day Mr. Owen Bradley). This album is easily his most believable album TO ME he has out now, simply because of his gritty baritone voice and his TRUE cowboy authenticity. He LOOKS like he came in off the range, and sounds like he just herded cattle.

He holds dear to his heart the likes of Mr. Wilf Carter and Legend Billy Don Burns which boasts a cut on this album called “Wild Dogs”. It also contains some GREAT story songs like “John Beyers (Camaro Song)” which I first heard on the square in Madisonville Kentucky. You can read about that HERE. Also he recruited the likes of steel guitar Legend Lloyd Green and MORE to play for him on this album.

You can read more about my thoughts on this album HERE. Now PLEASE don’t get me wrong his second album with Kate McCannon helped usher my father into heaven. My father had Dementia, and we used that album to ease him down the path of it. He LOVED the album and played it over and over.

3. Shooter Jennings Shooter

This album here was one of my favorite album Mr. Shooter ever put out! I had an ecstatic hunger for it ever since he played The Nashville Palace and I got to hear many of the new songs live. One thing I love about Mr. Shooter is that he holds dear many of the things I do from my youth like toys and Hee Haw, as he promoted the album with skits akin to the show. You can watch those HERE.

It begins like an 80’s Hank Williams Junior classic song, that reminded me of the old Jimmy Bowen produced albums he did. I thought “Bound Ta Git Down” was a great launch to an even better record, that I loved in every way. If you ask if you should buy this album it’s a NO BRAIN question like “Do You Love Texas”?

This album is a few songs shorter than his previous albums but I didn’t mind because I loved the direction this one went. One thing Mr. shooter isn’t afraid to do is share his creative desires with his fans, no matter who criticizes him. This album proves that very thing! I also love the closing song called “Denim And Diamonds”, the sound of the vocals were smooth and different, you can read our thoughts on the whole album HERE.

4. Whitey Morgan Hard Times And White Lines

Much like a few of these choices, this album is perhaps my favorite album this man has ever released.  His band to me is sort of like The Texas Troubadors back in the day, it has begun to spawn some mighty fine side musicians that have gone their own way with Mr. Whitey’s blessings. In fact one of them is ALSO on this list here!

You cannot take away the fact this outfit tours relentlessly and plays one of the best live acts in local America right now. He just recently (see above) earned some headlining spots at the Ryman, and I’m sure he will make many more.

“Carryin’ On” was a song that related to myself, I never realized how brutal the road was until I myself began following these bands around America, and many have families. Yet, night after night they are miles from home and they do it with seemingly easy power.

This album began with a poignant song called “Honky Tonk Hell” which explores the dark side of Country Music, and continues with “Fiddler’s Inn” which features some truly fine steel guitar work in the back from Mr. Brett Robinson, and tells some awesome stories about a motel that is….quite busy….

5. Craig Gerdes Smokin’ Drinkin’ And Gamblin’

My friends at Sol Records have created many fine albums for us through the years, and as a journalist (actually I’m just a shlub with a website) and as a music patron I myself LOVE old timey Honky Tonk stuff that sounds retro. I love hard sounding steel, and I love Legends, and I LOVE Mr. Jim Vest.  This album is choked full of all of those, along with a finely tuned vocal delivery from Mr. Craig.

HERE is my article from the album release party at the Nashville Palace from earlier this year. For Mr. Joshua’s review click HERE. From the opening song of the same title the fancy twisting steel guitar work dazzled my mind, as I listened to the background.

It’s also got that trademark foot stomping rhythm that you used to hear on those iconic Outlaw Country albums in the 70’s. It has well done covers like “Slide Off Of Your Satin Sheets” , which Vest makes sound just as beautiful as when Paycheck cut it in 1977.  I think Paycheck would be proud of the direction this young man is tasking his music!

6. Kayla Ray Yesterday And Me

Now here begins the point I was trying to illustrate to all of you, that 2018 was a STRONG YEAR for females that mainstream media ignores. They don’t want you to know about all of this fine music that is coming out of the woodwork on local levels, because it’s GOOD STUFF!

This woman’s background bears great evidence of her relevance within the Texas Country Music scene, and she has done more in her twenties than many artists I could name have done on their couch doing live feeds. In her young age, she managed Jason Eady WITH SUCCESS and also played with the Legendary Johnny Gimble Band.

This album is stuffed overflowing with shuffle melodies that ring true to the sawdust floor Honky Tonk of Texas and all across America. Including the fast paced KILLER SONG called “Pills”, it’s hilarious and probably one of the best songs I heard in 2018.

It has twelve songs on it, and all the songs are great length and accompany one another well. The listener is taken on a rocket ride of Honky Tonk bliss, with a twangy and unique vocal delivery that makes her distinguishable from her peers.

7. Brent Cobb Providence Canyon

This album would be a shame to omit off ANYBODY’S TOP lists of 2018, I mean honestly this man is one of the finest songwriters out there today. You can pick his voice out a HUGE GROUP of artists that exist today, and his music fits NO real genre to be honest. You can classify him as whatever you want as long as it’s good music.

The album is named after a nearby gully that he visited often as a young man, and is about life on the run. On the run is exactly what he spent 2017 doing touring with powerhouse Mr. Chris Stapleton and Miss Margo Price.

I think his cousin Mr. Dave Cobb is one of the most iconic producers of our time, and teamed up with Mr. Brent  Cobb’s fine musicianship and songwriting skills this man is unstoppable in every way.

It drops upbeat songs like the title track and sways over to funkier styles like “.30-06” as well nine other fine songs to accompany those two, to read Mr. Joshua’s review click HERE. Whatever you do make sure you go out and catch his live show in 2019, because he is steamrolling forward!

8. Ashley McBryde Girl Going Nowhere

This is a phenomenal album in every way,and I think it’s downright shameful the way that mainstream media overlooks her and a few other females out there doing some damn fine Country Music on a hardcore touring basis. It seems no matter how hard they get out and work, they get NO attention from radio.

The opening song “Girl Going Nowhere” is amazing, and well written. It grabbed me right away, and shared her personal struggles with me. She’s evidently had a LOT of doubters and negative people putting her down.

Another good song was “Livin Next To Leroy” which is pretty much a truthful song about rural drug America and how things are around town. However the greatest song on this album was “Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega” , this was truly a well written masterpiece and one of the best songs of 2018 in my opinion.

9. Loretta Lynn Wouldn’t It Be Great

Another album that could’ve easily been higher up on the list, but to be honest the numbers  on this list mean nothing for importance. In fact I could have easily made a TOP 100 but for GOD’S SAKE I couldn’t build one that big ( you have NO IDEA how long 50 takes).

The title track was the last song she ever wrote for her late husband before he passed away, and to have this album be nominated for a Grammy was heavenly. Followed by the great song called “Ruby’s Stool” which was one of my personal favorite songs of 2018 as well.

The re make of “Coal Miner’s Daughter” was vocally flawless and pure gold,  despite her age Miss Loretta is one of the finest singers around. True she has had some health issues, but she remains quite active and honors her Opry membership with pride.

At thirteen songs this album was one of the finest album she has released since Van Lear Rose, and it contained more new music than anything she has released in a while. “I’m Dying For Someone To Live For” is a beautiful two step song full of mournful craving for a new loved one.

10. Sarah Shook And The Disarmers Years

Another damn fine album released by a damn fine gal, and I enjoy her live show just as much as anybody’s.  Her band the Disarmers is an absolute well oiled machine, and once again we have an artist with a VERY distinct voice. Her style rivals nobody else but her own, and I loved the direction of this album here.

She played ONE HELL of a GREAT set at Muddy Roots this year, and IT WAS HOT, and she was RIGHT IN the sun. Regardless she banged it out and gave us one hundred percent, and one hell of a terrific show. Sometimes when I think of my past marriage I can flip things around and relate to “New Ways To Fail”. That’s a truly well written song of woe is me drama from a shit life. But I built myself back up now!

Another great song here was “Parting Words” even though many may regard her lyrics as negative and sad, I regard them as relatable and REAL. You know Miss Sarah isn’t afraid to speak her mind and support her passionate feelings, and that’s alright with me…it shows in her songs which makes her unique in a good way.

11. The Earls Of Leicester Live At The CMA Theater

I mean how can a Bluegrass super group like the Earls Of Leicester NOT get on the TOP 50? Not only a super group, but a super group modeled after a band like Lester Flatt And Earl Scruggs? See, this band is called The Earls Of Lester, just spelled like that.

From the very intro from the warm voice of Mr. Eddie Stubbs, they barrel right into “Salty Dog” and play many other well known Flatt And Scruggs songs. I just LOVE Mr. Jeff White who plays a few off of his solo album called “I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow”, which features all of their individual talents like the dobro work of Jerry Douglass.

This album boasts a vibrant twenty three song set, well over an hour of music. You get a lot of bang for buck when you buy this album on vinyl, it’s a biggie. It’s also filled with classics like “Rollin In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” and “Black Eyed Suzy”..to read more click HERE.

12. Dallas Moore Mr.Honky Tonk

Although the initial title song here was actually a re make of his own song in a different tempo, many of his newer fans (including myself) didn’t know that at first. I sort of delved into his past to find that out, and then he told me more. To call him a local Ohio Legend would be a correct moniker here, he’s been at this for decades. To call him a road warrior would also be aptly correct, as he plays a whopping 340 shows a year. So when he sings “Home Is Where The Highway Is” he is correct.

This album also boasts songs like “Somewhere Between Bridges”, and my favorite on the album is easily ‘You Know The Rest” because I DO know the rest, he will melt your damn face off. The last time I went to see him, he surprised me with a rare Mr. Hoyt Axton song “Della And The Dealer”.

HERE is our review of this album, and HERE is an article from him opening for Mr Gene Watson.The only drawback was this was a short album, and I wanted a little more of Mr. Moore. Although the GOOD thing was I finally got to buy him on vinyl.  This album is spot on fantastic in every other way possible.

13. John Prine The Tree Of Forgiveness

What can I say about Mr. John Prine that nobody has yet? Well, this year we spoke with our wallets as consumers, because this album was his most commercially successful album in over twenty years for Mr. John.

He told us all a story during his performance at Master Musicians Festival about the song called “Egg And Daughter Night Lincoln Nebraska 1967 ( Crazy Bone)”. I cannot print the entire thing here, but I did within the link article there.

Everybody loves the song “When I Get To Heaven” and it could easily become his anthem song along with “Paradise”. this album was recorded and mastered so beautifully that it captured the very essence of Mr. John with dignity.

Despite this album only having ten songs, they are very lengthy and it makes the album enjoyable. He wrote the songs in a motel room that he rented for the duration of the time he needed to write. He said he ate, and slept when he wanted while writing the songs.

14. Laura Benitez And The Heartache With All It’s Thorns

This album almost flew under even my radar, had it not been for Miss Kim Grant, one of my PR people that enjoy sending me clients albums for my opinions. Well here’s my opinion of this one, FANTASTIC. It starts right out of the gate with a toe tapping song with Cajun influence akin to a Mavericks tune called “Something Better Than A Broken Heart”.

The steel guitar work on songs like “Easier Things To Do” bring out the honesty in her vocals with a very warm and Country tone, and follows right into “Our Remember Whens” that anybody that has entered into a relationship can relate. When a couple can get together and reminisce on the good times…that’s a treat. Everybody can’t wait to have special moments like that.

‘Ghost Ship” is a poignant and darker song with some mighty fine fiddle work, and I thought that song showcased her voice better than any on the album overall. Every song was well over three minutes here, which made this album stellar on every level. To read more about this album click HERE.

15. Mike And The Moonpies Steak Night At The Paradise Rose

I must agree with other websites out there featuring real music about this band, THEY ARE the best Country Music band out there right now. They are a hard working “Road Crew” type band, with mind blowing instrumentals and toe tapping beats that inspire alcohol consumption on copious levels. This is one of those instances that number 50 isn’t ANY WORSE than number 2.

The title track itself is one of the best songs on the album, with a slower two step tempo that tells stories about real life. My father used to take me to bars when I was little also, and it inspired me to chase musicians around and write articles about them like I do now!

This band misses NO notes, and in my opinion is a well oiled machine in every way, and boasts some of the finest written lyrics I could find on the Texas scene from any band. With songs like “Getting High At Home” you cannot find on a mainstream level anymore. I’m older now, and my major partying is done, I enjoy getting drunk at home by myself…with music like this! To read more about this album please go HERE.

16. Josh Card With A Heavy Heart

This former member of Whitey Morgan’s backup band the 78’s reminds me of the Texas Troubadors type deal from long ago. When solo acts emanated from backing bands, and became Legends like Mr. Jack Greene and Mr. Carl Smith. I was first exposed to his music as he opened for Whitey Morgan in 2018 on New Years…read that HERE.

This young man boasts more promise than anyone on this list as far as breakthrough acts as far as I am concerned. I sent my right arm to Florida to cover his release party, and got good reports. It starts out with a fiddle double stop, that right there should make you buy this album! I asked myself many times why do I “Suffer’ over you?

“Won’t Chase Your Your Love” is a classic well written Country song that I brought tears to my eyes from hunger for hearing one like it. Just a touch of late 80’s shuffle and some 70’s feel, one can easily ascertain this young man knows his shit. He is like ME, he eats, sleeps and breaths REAL country from many eras.

The BEST SONG is ‘Unknown Legend” I know a few of them myself, this is a terrific story telling song. VERY descriptive and vivid in the picture it paints into my head, I highly suggest this album and catch this man’s live show. To read more on this album click HERE.

17. The Wooks Glory Bound

This Bluegrass band is one of the Appalachian community staples, and I was introduced to them from my buddy Mr. JJ Waters and his Honky Tonk Hero page on Facebook (please go check them out). I finally got to see them live at Kickin It On the Creek. Now initially I did NOT like them, but I kept listening and found I was WRONG.

This band is TIGHT and very energetic on stage, even though they are Bluegrass, they have their own sound. Quite a different niche like Jamgrass has, I mean you could place them with Greensky or Pert Near Sandstone and pull off a GREAT show. The title track ‘Glory Bound” brings forth a noble sound with obvious traditional harmonies that brought me goosebumps.

The vocals on this album are beyond terrific on songs like “Union Pacific” but the album shifts over to funky shuffles like “Little Sandy Queen” that features terrific banjo picking of older style with a new style of tempo. I myself heavily support the new evolution of the Jamgrass tempo, I know many of the traditional people hate it.  This band truly has a bright and big future ahead of them.

18. John R Miller And The Engine Lights The Trouble You Follow

Here is another West Virginia, East Kentucky based member of that community that plays bass for another of my TOP list here Mr. Pat Reedy And The Longtime Goners, also he is a staple member of the Prison Book Club. The first song on this album is called “Holy Dirt” and is an absolute JAM, very uniquely written song with real meanings.

“Red Eyes” was another song I liked on this album with a good melody, to be honest every song on this album featured some mighty fine songwriting. Also, he delivers his lyrics with his own style of singing that differentiates him from his peers.

“How It Feels In The Light” is another cool toe tapping song with that steel sound I like as a fan, but when I got to “Whale Party” I found my favorite song on this album. That song just spoke to me as a person more than the rest, it was easily relatable to me. To read more on this album click HERE.

19. The Urban Pioneers Hillbilly Swing Music

This brings me to another mind blowing talented band The Urban Pioneers, one of the hardest working road warriors on the market today. This latest offering is by FAR their BEST album out to date, both songwriting wise and musically. Don’t get me wrong “Mary The Elephant” and other songs are good, and ALL their albums were good musically, however this one stood out like a rooster wearing socks.

This pairing of Miss Liz and Mr Jared was a blessing for local music like this, they understand each other and Mr. Martin on bass make this band even better. “Hillbilly Swing Music” launches this album right out of the gate at breakneck speed.

“Can’t Make You Love Me too” is a slow and sorrowful song about just what the title says, you can’t make someone love you. “Run Little Rabbit Run” is such a fast paces song I cannot even explain how they pick that fast! This band has garnered a plethora of success at many of the festivals I cover, it’s no surprise to see their names  on twenty or so. HERE is my review of the album.

20. Cody Jinks Lifers

First off let me stress once again just because this album looks to be low on the list MAKE NO MISTAKE it makes no difference WHERE any of these albums are I enjoyed them all just the same. Now, this album faced huge criticism from fans due to the level of production on it, and I had no real complaint on that. Cody Jinks is growing on an exponential level, but that didn’t come easily. He spent MANY YEARS playing gas stations and small bars for 10 people.

Mr. Josh Morningstar’s song “Must Be The Whiskey” was one of the high points on this album for me, along with Mr. Ward Davis’s song “Colorado”. All of the songs on this album were really good, but they didn’t speak to me personally until the title track “Lifers”. I been banging away on this website for almost ten years, I’m a lifer.

I also liked the song “Big Last Name” it was well written and had some 80s influence to it for sure. Mr. Cody is a prime example of what hard work and proper networking can do for yourself. He didn’t use radio and major media exposure to get to his echelon. He beat and banged the road and endured a lot of pain, and sweat to get here! HERE is Mr. Joshua’s review of the album.

21. Josh Ward More Than I Deserve

This album from a young man in the Texas Music community absolutely enthralled me with so much delight, I heard it ten times before I decided YES that’s on my TOP 50. He isn’t exactly Red Dirt, but I can easily see how he could fit in there. I just liked his tempos and melodies on songs like “Ain’t it Baby”.

The more Red Dirt sound emanates forth on this album when the song “The Devil Don’t Scare Me” This album has many lows and highs of life in the songs, with relatable meanings and three chord truths that define Country Music as a whole.

HERE is another article we made for him, as he recorded the fiftieth Live At Billy Bob’s series (which I collect on vinyl). “Another Heartache” was a good old shuffle that was another song that took me back in time to better days, and past relationships I have had.

22. Pistol Annies Interstate Gospel

I waited for this album at Wal Mart at midnight and I bought it as the guy pulled it from the tote to stock the shelf. It is an absolute SHAME the major media has ignored and lambasted this album, and these three gals. HELL Gals in general!

This album just blazes out with their signature trio harmonies, some of the best harmonies I have heard since the Cactus Brothers and before that Marty Robbins! “Stop Drop And Roll One” is a prime example of their snarky songwriting. Here on their third offering we have some of their best songwriting yet, mainly due to where they were in their personal lives.

“Got My Name Changed Back” was hopefully Miss Miranda’s message to her ex, because I loved it. However, “Sugar Daddy” was the energetic rowdy song I expected this album to contain, and then follow that with a song like “Leavers Lullaby” which was slower and you have a MUST have addition for your collection.  This album was exactly what Country Music needed! HERE is Mr. Joshua’s review of this album.

23. Jason Boland And The Stragglers Hard Times Are Relative

This album boasts what is most defiantly my favorite song of 2018, and it is the title track from the album “Hard Times Are Relative”. I mean, good Lord we NEED more of these story songs like this, ones that make you THINK and use your imagination. We do NOT have those good old time western tunes like that one anymore, and with Country Music it’s not always a happy ending like this one. That song is flawless masterpiece of perfection.

More of his master songwriting skills shine out with songs like “I Don’t Deserve You” featuring Miss Sunny Sweeney, and another good one called “Dee Dee Od’d” which was about the Ramones. Many of his albums have been features on my TOP 50 in the past, however this is by far his best album to date in every way…period.

The last few songs on the album were good, but more stellar songwriting shined out as the song “Grandfather’s Theme” came out of my speakers. As I previously said the writing on this album is exquisite, and this song was nothing short of amazing like the other ten songs. HERE is Mr. Joshua’s review of the album.

24. Jamie Lin Wilson Jumping Over Rocks

2018 was truly a year for the ladies in my opinion, as I stressed on here MANY TIMES. this album was also BY FAR better than her first album. Maaan that first note she sings just punched me right in the guts. Her vocal abilities exceed many of her peers, and reminds me of one of my favorite gal singers Miss Emmylou Harris.

“Oklahoma Stars” features Mr. Evan Felker a man who spent much of 2018 in the limelight, and despite that I truly admire his band and his voice as well.This album was produced VERY WELL and sounds perfect, and I didn’t want this album to end. “Everybody’s Moving Slow” was a good song on the middle portion of the album, and helped this album flow smoothly. If you need a good relaxing album after a shitty workday, spin this one.

The song “Death And Life” was a truly amazing song with realistic hard to swallow lyrics, that make  you stop and think about what it’s all about. Basically it’s about death and life in circles, but it has a few hidden meanings if you think about it. “Run” was a song about running from an abusive relationship, which many can easily relate to I’m sure. HERE is Mr. Joshua’s review of this album.

25. The Tillers The Tillers

I have always admired and liked this band’s music, and if HAD TO name a favorite album by them I could not. Their precise musicianship usually makes many of their songs enjoyable in every way, and it accompanies songs like “The Weald And The Wild” to make it a wonderful song to begin an album.

I related very well personally to the song “Like A Hole In My Head” , which I was hearing during all of my summer festivals I was covering like Muddy Roots. As well as the next song “The Old General Store Is Burning Down” , which features  some great fiddle.

Their signature sound can be heard vibrantly on the song called “Riverboat Dishwashing Song”, that beautiful string band flow paired with a story woven very eloquently within the lyrics of the song. The final song on this album called “Another Postcard” was another simple song that I enjoyed so much, I could sit back and enjoy this band all night. HERE is our full review of this album.

26. Blackberry Smoke Find A Light

There are many genres of music I support on this website, and the whole Southern Rock type movement is one I LOVE. I’ll tell you WHAT if there is one fantastic stage show it is Blackberry Smoke. “Flesh And Bone” is a steady gallop song with rocking beats, with an I don’t care message of being only human.

Thirteen songs make up this behemoth album with only “Let Me Down Easy” with Miss Amanda Shires the only one under three minutes. One of the high points of this one is the five minute toe tapper called “I’ll Keep Ramblin” with steel player Mr. Robert Randolph, and breaks into a choir in the background. It starts to sound like a true southern Gospel revival, complete with guitar licks from all directions. It breaks and makes you think it’s over..and starts again.

When I initially saw the song “Till The Wheels Fall Off” I thought it was a Mr. Bob Wayne song of the same name and album title. But it is their own song with a punishing beat. This album was produced very well, however it wasn’t their BEST album, STILL it was very deserving of being on my list.

27. Missy Raines Royal Traveller

This third record that Bluegrass bass wizard Miss Missy Raines has released was a true gem. The song “Fearless Love” with Mr. Tim O’ Brien was a good song, then it went into the fiddle and mandolin work of her peers Miss Sierra Hull, Miss Molly Tuttle and Miss Becky Buller. Just gorgeous harmonies and string punishing banjo rolling. Oh, the harmonies are just breathtaking and gave me goosebumps. If it’s ONE voice I LOVE it is Miss Missy Raines And The New Hip.

“Allegheny Town” was equally beautiful to me and described a quaint little escape I have up here in Kentucky when I want to go clear my head and relax. This album relaxes me and makes me STOP and take a deep breath and FOCUS, ALL Bluegrass does, however the slower more contemporary Bluegrass eases me more. “To Here From There” was another fine song on here, it makes you look in the mirror and say HEY SHE WROTE THAT SONG ABOUT ME!

Artists like Miss Missy make me answer the age old “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” adage for the Bluegrass community. You cannot retract the authenticity of people like her, or Miss Sierra Hull or ANY of her peers. Their musicianship and passion for tone make albums like this a favorite in my collection. “Goodbye Virginia” With Mr. Trent Wagler was a great throwback song with an Appalachian vibe that stood out apart from the others here, and that was a good thing.

28. Cliff Westfall Baby You Win

Every year I get what I call a “mail champion”on my TOP 50 list…please let me elaborate on this. I get albums mailed to me on a HEAVY BASIS, and I’ll admit sometimes THE COVER grabs my eye. As did THIS MAN, it just said STOP, PICK ME. Funny Story I was on my way to the Country Music Hall Of Fame for the Studio B movie that plays there, and other stories, when I got this in the mail. So I thought to hell with it and stuck it in my truck stereo. RIGHT OFF the first ten notes of the upright bass thump I had to STOP and take notes. This album has a touch of rockabilly influence with that J.P. Harris twang on the lyrics.

Tone wise and lyrically this man is all over the spectrum, and that’s what my palate has been STARVING FOR in 2018. I mean I love being thrown for a loop and Mr. Cliff left me amazed, the title track “Baby You Win” was amazing and had some classic pop and twang, and an amazing fuzzy guitar tone.

BUT the BEST songwriting on this album comes at the middle of the journey with a well written song called “Off The Wagon”. This had a toe tapping pop and twang tempo as well, but the lyrics…WOW. Probably one of my TOP 10 songs I heard all year, from a fellow Kentucky boy who was raised not far from me, but now resides in New York. The line ‘You know rock bottom sure looks good on you” was phenomenal word placement and is a terrific song about sobriety and lack of it. BUY THIS DAMN ALBUM!

29. American Aquarium Things Change

This album is aptly named for one reason, with this band things did change. In my honest opinion this album is BY FAR their best work, and it made NUMBER ONE with my trusty partner Mr. Joshua Wallace.  To read more about that please click HERE. “The World Is On Fire” was kind of political song in it’s own way however I related well with myself, I don’t believe this is the world my grandfather fought for either, and I worried about the world as my child grew also. It’s a VERY positive song about strength and honor.

It’s been a few years since their last offering 2015’s Wolves however it’s been well worth the wait because this album shined like a bright beacon to me. “Crooked Straight” spoke to me like many songs this year, I was not quite sure WHO I WAS in my twenties either. I developed into one hell of a good journalist, and “Work Conquers All” folks. The steel guitar tone accompanied this song SO GOOD, and the Oklahoma music community is awesome.

This band is absolutely tight and right now they are on the pinnacle of their success if they continue in this direction for albums. They have a LOT more to accomplish in their career before ‘Till the Final Curtain Falls” and trust me they WILL, out of anybody on this TOP 50 list, they have the brightest future.

30. Randall King Randall King

This album is another classic three chords and the truth Traditional Country album, and it was top notch in every way. I see him on SO MANY Texas Music scene festivals, and I love that community. Songs like “Mirror, Mirror” are the good old fashioned George Strait type songs WE NEED in today’s mish mash of crap. The opening song “Freightline” was a good Honky Tonk thumping song that raised my expectations of this album, and he did NOT disappoint me.

‘Tuggin On My Heartstrings” was a good song many single men can relate to, accept the truck clean line. Mine is ALWAYS clean, you gotta love them women that tug on the heartstrings. I do NOT like change in my personal life so this song spoke to me.

I thought perhaps “Reason To Quit” was a cover of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson from the Pancho And Lefty album, however it was not. The closing song here was one full of heartbreak and sadness. HERE is our full review of this album.

31. Brandi Carlile By the Way I Forgive You

“Hold Out Your Hand” was a terrific song on this well recorded album.The production on this album captured her passion better than any of her previous albums in my opinion. The Devil don’t take a break indeed, and she hits the nail on the head here. I felt all of the songs accompanied one another quite well on this album, however most people would loose interest in the song length, I did not.

Even though this album only had ten songs on it the overall length of the those ten songs made it a good album, “Fulton County Jane Doe” is a GREAT song that I really liked a lot. You can read the full review of this album HERE.

“Harder To Forgive” was a good one to me I love a lot of the songs I hated as a kid too. I believe we all had wasted time in our youth, all souls are defiantly born kind in every way, innocent and pure. I had to stop and dwell on this song a while, and I loved it. I loved the concept and meaning of it, and I hope to catch her live in 2019.

32. Old Crow Medicine Show Volunteer

It’s not hard for me to dissect anything this band puts out, and it’s even more difficult for me to NOT like ANYTHING they do musically. I’ll be honest I LOVED Remedy the best out of any album BUT this album was absolutely AMAZING. These boys are like a modern day Nitty Gritty Dirt Band…they play EVERYTHING, you get a HUGE bang for your buck at live shows. You get FANTASTIC harmonies and LOVE of Country Music.

It starts out FAST and rowdy with “Flicker And Shine” which celebrates friendship, and showcases their harmonies they have as a band. This band is indeed a well oiled machine flawless in every way. This album has more of their signature harmonica playing on songs like “A World Away”, and goes into another epic song called “Child Of The Mississippi”, which has their signature dobro stomp and clap.

“Elzick’s Farewell” was one of my favorite songs here, with the swift Russian/ gypsy fiddle tempo and no lyrics. This type of musicianship is what I appreciate most from Old Crow than anything, however the song that follows “Whirlwind” was also fun. What a truly great story that paints a lovely picture in your mind, if you listen close enough, and care.

33. Dusty Rust Stolen Horse

This is one of my Kansas City scene friends, and he is a hard working artist, and a damn fine friend. This album starts out with the traditional sounding gallop song called “No One To Blame”, he could easily be placed on a lineup with Mr. Colter Wall or several others on this TOP list here. He has that baritone western voice that spins tales of the old west like many of his peers.

He is a staple presence at the beloved Westport Saloon, which if you love roots music as much as I do it is hallowed ground. YOU MUST watch their LIVE video feeds that take place EVERY NIGHT, you’ll eventually see this young man. “Don’t Wanna Go To Heaven” was another good point on this album, you will love the PARTY IN HELL lyrics.

It behooves me WHY more people in the Roots Music and Outlaw Music community cannot pay more attention to this man with songs like “Misery” it’s a complete NO BRAINER to put him on my TOP 50 list for the year. This album is perhaps one of the most underappreciated albums on my list…I hope this changes that, and it gets what it deserves.

34. Pat Reedy And The Longtime Goners That’s All There is And There Ain’t No More

Another album that I hope to bring more recognition to is this one Mr. Pat Reedy is a construction worker by day and Honky Tonker by night. He put on ONE HELL of a live show at Muddy Roots this year, and another man on this list Mr. John R. Miller plays bass for him.  First off this album has twelve songs, and they are all well written. “Bloodshot Heart” is the album’s opener, and it’s your typical Honky Tonk jam complete with proper push from that steel and hard beat.

This man personifies the working man like many of OUR heroes did, I say OUR because I think we ALL pretty much looked up to Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. I’m also just “Lucky I’m Alive”, the sound and the spin of the steel guitar make this a wonderful song. HELL there isn’t a bad song on this whole album!

HERE is my review of the whole album. “Conversation With Jesus”was one of the BEST songs I have heard this year as well. I feel the same way being a devout Christian myself, I think treating my fellow man with respect is setting a good example. I also had to laugh at the G Damn reference because I SURE THE HECK am guilty of doing it. “Funny Thing About A Hammer” hmmm it has a G Damn in it…I loved the lyrics on this album, and deem it an outstanding piece of music.

35. J P Harris Sometimes Dogs Bark At Nothing

What better to open a Honky Tonk Country album up with than a song about drugs and sweating the high out in a hotel room? “JP’s Florida Blues #1” and also “When I Quit Drinking” were full of good hooks I expect from this man’s songwriting style. I just LOVE his simple Honky Tonk slamming songs. When I quit drinking I start thinking about starting up again….what a DAMN GOOD line!

“Sometimes Dogs Bark At Nothing” is another complete masterpiece in my opinion, hoenstly if I did do a TOP 10 songs of the year, they would all be on here. That song would be on it for sure! “Hard Road” was a good rabble rousing song as well, it IS a hard road before you get back home for sure, I spent many a bloody nights broke to get where I am.

“I Only Drink Alone” was a good slow piano shuffle that I also relate to when I listen to Honky Tonk Country, and he followed that with another good drifter song called “Runaway”. He always gives off the perfect classic whiskey soaked hardcore hurt vibes on every song he sings, and that’s why I LOVE his music.

36. Adam Hood Somewhere In Between

This young man from Alabama was on my radar for quite some time before I finally got the chance to sit down with his album, and I REALLY enjoyed the writing on the opening song called “Heart Of A Queen”. Mr. Brent Cobb is also on this list, who appears on the song “She Don’t Love Me”.

However I stopped in my tracks when I heard the song “Alabama Moon” You know there are so many songs about Alabama now, but this song is such a different approach to his point here. It’s very descriptive and an overall good story about his youth, and if it’s a true story it’s a good one!

“Bayou Girl” was equally a good song about a Cajun gal, and I really enjoyed the dobro work on this song, it was well produced…probably one of the better produced albums on this list. HERE is Mr. Joshua’s review of his album.  The slower closing song called “Confederate Rose” was absolutely stunning and descriptive, and I eagerly await to hear it live.

37. Town Mountain New Freedom Blues

If there was one thing I learned at Kickin It On The Creek this year it was that the band Town Mountain doesn’t play around on stage. This new album was nothing more than eleven songs choked full of Bluegrass greatness with banjo craziness and more. The title track is the first song “New Freedom Blues”, which sets the pace with wonderful fiddle work. The banjo rings true on songs like “Lazy River”, and “Underdog”.

“Underdog” is a terrific song about getting knocked down on the gambling tables, you know you cannot win if you don’t play. “Witch Trials” was a good one about injustice in life. When I finally got to see them live I bought all of their albums, and I would have a huge problem choosing my favorite Town Mountain album.

The songs are very lengthy so you know what that means…the songs are packed full of blazing instrumentals and plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the fiddles. It begins to close with a song called “Pamlico” which is a slow and lazy song with good harmonies. This band is amazing live for one thing, to read the full review of this album click HERE.

38. Jason Eady I Travel On

So now let me re illustrate this, NUMBER 50 AND NUMBER 2 are just as good. Because this album was amazing in it’s own right.  Truthfully I enjoyed FM Country Hell as his best album overall, but this album DID have many high points on it for me. “I Lost My mind In Carolina” is a great song about life on the road, and a road warrior he is playing an amazing amount of road shows.

However one best songs I have ever heard him do was “Calaveras County” the melody and beat just grabbed my attention at first, and after I played it a few times, I loved the lyrics too. That fiddle break was also cool, it paints a really pretty picture for the listener.

A very self explanatory song is called “Always A Woman” I truly don’t have to illustrate any meaning here. “She Had to Run” was lyrically some damn fine trademark Jason Eady.A very dark and poignant song about an abuse victim finally getting free. Mr. Jason is one of those you can easily pick out of a plethora of other voices, and that makes him very unique and special. To read our full review of this album click HERE.

39. Nick Dittmeier And The Sawdusters All Damn Day

This Indiana band wowed me at Master Musician’s Festival this year, and was on my radar for months prior to that. Now, legitimately this really is their self proclaimed debut FULL album, but their previous one was long enough to be an album too. The opening song “Love Me like You Did” has a cool melody and just sounds great, it’s another song about a new girlfriend that just isn’t as good as the old one.

“I Can’t Go Home” was another vital song on this album that stood out to me, and was a good middle portion song. All of the songs here are upbeat and good to dance to, or just jam out on, or in MY case this is a good interstate driving song! The band itself is a strong unit, that has their own Honky Tonk twang, and this band brings that twang to many shows across America.

“O’ Bannon Woods” was a heavy rocking song towards the end, about making drugs. Time sure has a bad way of changing things sometimes, and I related with this one somewhat because the place I grew up is a war zone now. It just a downright shame what has happened to people in my past. You can go right HERE for our full review of this album.

40. Jason Sinkhorn Junction City, Kentucky

Don’t really care if I catch hell from my fellow media peers here about including acoustic albums on here, this album was amazing to me, as was this man’s vocals on this recording. From the very initial song “The Runaway Dorothy Gale” Mr. Jason had me at attention as a music fan. He is a great picture painter on my canvas mind with well woven tales of Wizard Of Oz references to another story..get it? BUY THIS ALBUM AND LISTEN CLOSE!

I first heard of this young man as he played for Mr. Coby Langham And The Citizen Band, and i was introduced to him further there. He is a prominent fixture in the West Virginia community of music, one that I usually keep a pretty close eye on, because you find many good albums there like this one. I had to go forward to “People Watching #42” just because the name intrigued me to delve into it, it made me giggle to hear him mention Milwaukee…I was raised there.

There are many good songwriting hooks and lines in these nine songs, delivered by a very unique voice and an even more unique style. “Flat Rate Heartbreak Blues” had me related as well, as I too work in a factory (ehh it’s a living).. I think all of us are Hank Williams fans. Thumping like a barn dance on Friday night was a VERY COOL line, I thought this song was the best of the album.

41. Hot Rize 40th Anniversary Bash

I LOVE Bluegrass, I LOVE LIVE Bluegrass albums, and I LOVE bluegrass Legends. Well on this album you have them all, I mean WHO DOESN’T love 40 years of Hot Rize? All of y’all who do not are worng. One of the interesting points of the album is the band introduction where they introduce Mr. Jerry Douglass, and they play Colleen Malone from the 1990 album called take It home.

On this album, you will learn some Bluegrass history as they invite Mr. Sam Bush out who previously played with Emmylou Harris to come out and play a Peter Kuykendall song called “Out On The Ocean”. Mr. Peter was the creator of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, I have studied a LOT about him.  “Just Like You” features those well known Hot Rize harmonies, and note for note string discipline.

“Walk The Way The Wind Blows” was another high point on this album, as they played their 1986 hit song, that was also recorded by Miss Kathy Mattea. Toward the end the band appreciated the audiance for supporting live music, and the festivals. I STRESS supporting the festivals, because it’s a good resource to see multiple bands in one place.

42. John Howie Jr. Not Tonight

I love good old fashioned Honky Tonk albums like this one, I like steel guitar infused ballads full of feeling, and this album is bursting full of both of them. “Back When I Cared” is a well written song full of honesty that anyone can relate to. I am so excited to somehow find a way to see him play these songs live.

This man’s vocals are SO distinct and different it makes his album interesting to enjoy, and with songs like “When I’m Not There With You” that add some twang, you have a KILLER ALBUM THAT YOU MUST BUY. If you do not add this album to your collection you are WRONG!

There is so much feeling and soul in the song “Underground” that I had to stop at that track and listen about twenty times. This man poured out his heart to me, and I understood what he was going through as a man, and as a person.

43. Grassfed Moovin’ Down The Road

This Kansas City Bluegrass band was brought to my attention a few years ago, but I didn’t get to see them in full action until Muddy Roots this year. Not only did I enjoy their live set but their lightning fast dobro picking and picking overall just moved this album into my TOP 50. “Dear Lyla” was a good song off this album that I really liked.

“Gas Tank” was an awesome song that reminded me of a Split Lip Rayfield type jam, filled full of acoustic guitar solos and KILLER dobro work, the lyrics are pretty easy to understand and enjoy. You could EASILY dance and jam to these guys, and I can easily ascertain that they JUST HAVE FUN together. They understand one another musically, and they aren’t trying to be anything they are not.

“Little Maggie” is an old traditional cover tune, that they did a good job on, the album closes with a song called “Yard Work” which was nice to end the album with a toe tapper. If you like string bands filled with all kinds of harmonic solos you will LOVE this album.

44. Jesse Daniel Jesse Daniel

This young man is about to embark out on a short run with Country music Legend Mr. billy Don Burns, and by God he deserves it! ‘Big Fish” is a big song about small fish. It’s about paying dues and fake ass people, and it has a TON of good lines and hooks. This young man understands how to pay his dues and beat the road to get what he wants in life.

“Soft Spot (For The Hard Stuff)” was another good song on the album, and a good reassurance to me on the question “who’s gonna fill their shoes”, as this young man brings forth an mature older Honky Tonk sound while maintaining a younger approach to that sound.

“Killing Time Til Time Kills Me” was avery inventive title, and this song itself was filled with some damn fine Honky Tonk twang and shuffle. I liked the way this album was produced and the damaged goods vibe the songs gave off. Trust me, this young man will be garnering more attention form the underground community next year!

45. Dillon Carmichael Hell On An Angel

The song “Natural Disaster” on this album is beyond amazing, and at first I thought it was Mr. Jamey Johnson singing. This young man has been on the Opry, and upholds Traditional Country Music standards with songs like “Country Women” which is a total retro throwback type song.

Now if you have spotify I can tell you some interesting information about this album. There is commentary about each song from Mr. Dillon himself, on a seperate album you can listen to. With songs like “Dancing Away With My Heart” this album is even better with the suppliment commentary, where you can get an even better perspective on the songs and the artist.

” Hard On A Hangover” was another great old timey throwback song with that truly great melody and divorce lyrics, this song sounds like it was released in the late 80’s. Not that it’s a bad thing!  Hey when you listen to a Country song you loose your truck…well…yeah. To read our full review on this album click HERE.

46. Felix Thursday End Time Jubilee

OK Folks you can click up there to buy this one digitally BUT if you want a REAL COPY contact Mr. Aaron “Dogbite” Harris over at Ruckus In the Records label. This man is an old journalist friend of mine from the Myspace era, and he released a DAMN FINE album here. He enlisted the help of some more of my old friends like Miss Lucy B. Cochran on fiddle and my buddy Mr. James Hunnicutt.

“Remington” is an anti politically correct song about a lost time when we went to school with firearms in gun racks in our trucks. We didn’t have nutballs shooting up schools because we had respect for firearms, and knives. Another GREAT song on this album was “It’s Hard Stayin Sober In Heppner”, I love his vocal delivery on that song. He’s got a very convincing voice and you can tell he sings with conviction.

The songs on this album are shorter than most of the others, but by God they were so well done that I couldn’t pass up acknowledging this album for what it was worth. I promise you it will stay in my constant rotation for all times, and I strongly suggest you buy this album.

47. The Travelin McCourys The Travelin McCourys

This huge massive article has a lot of Bluegrass album on it I know, but it has been a really good year for Bluegrass. Bluegrass Legend Mr. Del McCoury and his crew has made this awesome side project going called The Travelin McCourys. Early this year we heard their first album self titled.  It kicks off with the toe tapping song called “Let Her Go” , about lost love.  This album has the song Mr. Waylon cut for Mr. Steve young called “Lonesome Onry And Mean”, it was interesting to hear as a Bluegrass tune.

Mr. Del’s iconic vocals assist the song “I live On A Battlefield” ring out as a focal point song on this album, and I loved the banjo work on “The Shaker”.  Like every one of the Bluegrass albums on this list, I chose this one because of the wonderful instrumental work.

“Days I Wish I Had” is a traditional sounding song with a steady melody, with good lyrics that make it a inspiring Bluegrass song, overall this whole album was a feel good Bluegrass album.

48. Trampled By Turtles Life Is Good On the Open Road

Trampled By Turtles is one of my favorite”Americana” bands…if you will…I just consider them good music and I don’t really fit anybody into genres. Not really Bluegrass but they do have a LOT of Bluegrass influence I found on songs like “Kelly’s Bar” which was a fast paced beginning to one of their best albums out yet.

These twelve songs here were enjoyable each in their own right, and I cannot wait to see them live once again. “Right Back Where We Started” is one of my favorite songs they have right now, as well as the title track ‘Life Is Good On The Open Road”. It’s been good to hear a new album from this band for the first time since 2014.

49. Cody Barnett

This album is one of my “last but not least” type deals, I mean if you want some DAMN FINE songwriting just go listen to ‘Cherokee Blood” it has a bunch of GREAT lines in the song. At first I wasn’t sure if I would have a short album of only seven songs on my list, but after I heard ‘Blood Moon” I found the importance of including this album.

This young man needs to be recognized and could be paired up with so many on this list, the possibilities were endless. His style and his songs are eloquently represented by his vocals on songs like “Back In Birmingham”. This song was fantastic and descriptive as hell…just what I like. He is from the Oklahoma music community, and is a nice local representation of his respected area out there.

This album closed with two fantastic songs one called “Mockingbird” which I was wondering if it was a cover of the James Hand song of the same name, but no it wasn’t. This was it’s own rocking song in his style that shows his more rock roots. The last song was a fast paced song laced with with fine steel called “Evil Woman”.

50. Bri Bagwell In my Defense

I knew this album would be on my TOP 50 list the second I got it in my hands. I LOVE the Red Dirt and Texas community, I love a good Country gallop, and I love female singers. You juxtapose all of those together and you have this album. It was produced terrifically and I love the band she has. “Asphalt And Concrete” was a good song about her being from the West Coast.

A slower song called “Cheat On Me” had a slower flow with tons of feeling, but accompanied the other songs on the album pretty well. “I Can’t Be Lonely ” was another good song with lots of twang, and her sultry and sassy vocals were captured really well on this song.

Another good song on this album was “Feel Like Home”, and it closes with a few other good ones. This album is by all means her best offering yet, and I see great things for her in the future. I have yet to see her play live yet, and I have to drive to Texas to see her play, I will.

Joshua Wallace’s Top 50 Albums of 2018

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Dec 232018
 

By Joshua Wallace

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the time of year where all music journalists put out their best of lists.  Gary Hayes will have his own list coming up soon.  This is my personal Top 50 Country Albums of 2018. I could probably double this list to 100 with all of the awesome releases that have come out in the past year.  It has been that good of a year. However, that being said, I feel like these 50 albums represent the best of what I heard over this year. I reviewed many of these during the year and you can find every one of those reviews on this website.  I will link a few of them here in this article. Every record on this list is worth your time, from number 1 to number 50. Gary Hayes will have his own separate list published later this month, check it out too. Let’s kick things off with the album of the year and Top 10, and then immediately following that will be 11 – 50.

**ALBUM OF THE YEAR** 01.  American Aquarium – Things Change  **ALBUM OF THE YEAR**

This album stuck with me the most throughout the year and thus, it is my number one record of 2018.  From the heartland rock politically inspired tune “The World Is On Fire” all the way to the country balladry of “‘Till The Final Curtain Calls”, this is the best album American Aquarium has ever put together.  I doubt you can find another band that can weave in and out of heartland rock and roll and country with the skill and ease this band does. I look forward to whatever comes next from BJ Barham and company. Check out my full review of Things Change from earlier in the year.

02.  Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere

This album had me last year with the single “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega”.  That song was out well before the album and has stuck with me ever since. The album itself ads more great tracks to Ashley’s repertoire and there isn’t a bad cut on this one.  I predict big things for Ashley McBryde in 2019 and I’m looking forward to seeing her open for George Strait in Atlanta next year. Check out my review of this record here.

03.  Randall King – Randall King

Randall King is a throwback to an era of country we don’t have many throwbacks to.  He takes the best elements of 90’s country music and brings them to modern times. His songs “Mirror, Mirror”, “Tuggin’ On My Heartstrings” and “Cool Under Pressure” have stuck with me and this album is often played front to back when it comes on.  Check out my review of the record here.

04.  Josh Card – With A Heavy Heart

The sound on this record is perfect.  Everything is spot on and these are the best tracks Josh Card has ever put out.  Check out a couple of my favorites in “Suffer” and “Won’t Chase Your Love Anymore”.  Read my full review of the album here.

05.  Whitey Morgan & The 78s – Hard Times & White Lines

This is straight up the best live honky tonk band going right now.  This album is another great chapter of their music adding some killer new originals, some new Dale Watson and even ZZ Top to their live set.  Give this one a spin however you listen to music and read my review here.

06.  Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Years

This album is punk rock outlaw country at its best.  Sarah Shook put out her best record yet with Years. It has been high on this list all year and lands at number six.  Do yourself a favor and read my review of the record here, and then go out and buy a copy and see her live when you get a chance to.

07.  Belle Plaine – Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath

Belle Plaine has released some solid country gold right here.  I’m still digging on “Taxes, Death and You” and “Is It Cheating” featuring Colter Wall.  Do yourself a favor and give this one a spin. My full review of this record is here.

08.  Colter Wall – Songs Of The Plains

Colter Wall does not disappoint on his sophomore full length release.  This album has some great tunes with “Plain To See Plainsmen”, “Thinkin’ On A Woman” and the Billy Don Burns cover “Wild Dogs”.  This album could have been number one if this year wasn’t so stacked with awesome releases. Check out my review of this one here.

09.  Jamie Lin Wilson – Jumping Over Rocks

In her follow-up to 2016’s Holidays and Wedding Rings, Jamie Lin Wilson has put out her best stuff yet with tracks like “The Being Gone”, “Everybody’s Moving Slow” and a cover of Guy Clark’s “Instant Coffee Blues” featuring Jack Ingram sticking with me in heavy rotation.  Do yourself a favor and give this record a spin, you won’t regret it. Check out my full review here.

10.  Dallas Moore – Mr. Honky Tonk

I knew when I first heard Dallas Moore’s track “Mr. Honky Tonk” that this would be a killer record.  This album represents a high mark in Dallas Moore’s career and there isn’t a bad track on it. I’m still digging on “Shoot Out The Lights”, “Killing Me Nice and Slow” and “You Know The Rest”.  Do yourself a favor, check out my review and pick up a copy of this one.

The Best Of The Rest:

11.  Shooter Jennings – Shooter

12.  Caitlyn Smith – Starfire

13.  Cody Jinks – Lifers

14.  Pistol Annies – Interstate Gospel

15.  Joshua Hedley – Mr. Jukebox

16.  Bri Bagwell – In My Defense

17.  Brent Cobb – Providence Canyon

18.  Dillon Carmichael – Hell On An Angel

19.  Kayla Ray – Yesterday And Me

20.  Josh Ward – More Than I Deserve

21.  Josh Grider – Good People

22.  Brandi Carlile – By The Way, I Forgive You

23.  Paul Cauthen – Have Mercy

24.  Blackberry Smoke – Find A Light

25.  Jason Boland & The Stragglers – Hard Times Are Relative

26.  T.J. Hernandez – Who I Am

27.  Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain

28.  Old Crow Medicine Show – Volunteer

29.  The Brother Brothers – Some People I Know

30.  Ward Davis – Asunder

31.  Craig Gerdes – Smokin’, Drinkin’ & Gamblin’

32.  Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

33.  Courtney Patton – What It’s Like To Fly Alone

34.  John Prine – The Tree Of Forgiveness

35.  Ashley Monroe – Sparrow

36.  Pat Reedy & The Longtime Goners – That’s All There Is (And There Ain’t No More)

37.  Kyle Park – Don’t Forget Where You Come From

38.  Lori McKenna – The Tree

39.  James Scott Bullard – Full Tilt Boogie

40.  Adam Hood – Somewhere In Between

41.  Kristina Murray – Southern Ambrosia

42.  Chelsea Nolan – Chelsea.

43.  Abe Partridge – Cotton Fields and Blood For Days

44.  Mike & The Moonpies – Steak Night At The Prairie Rose

45.  Sara Morgan – Average Jane

46.  Jason Sinkhorn – Junction City, Kentucky

47.  Urban Pioneers – Hillbilly Swing Music

48.  Joe’s Truck Stop – American Dreams

49.  JP Harris – Sometimes Dogs Bark At Nothing

50.  Darci Carlson – Darci Carlson

Ameripolitan Awards LIVE BLOG!

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Feb 132018
 

Folks we JUST GOT started here tonight and they introduced tonight’s hosts Mr. Dale Watson and Miss Danielle Colby. They played a gorgeous version of America The Beautiful. They are explaining the program and what is to transpire here.

8:15PM Mr. James Hand is performing “In The Corner By The Table”.

8:18PM Miss Danielle is introducing Miss Nikki Lane and she is performing “Viva Las Vegas’.

8:25PM Miss Rosie Flores is here, Mr. Dale is telling us about her Cowpunk and Bakersfield influences.
Mr. Levi Dexter is here presenting the Honky Tonk Female and the winner is Miss Brennen Leigh.

8:27PM Miss Danielle is with Mr. Dale introducing Asleep At The Wheel, and they are playing “Get You Kicks On Route 66′.

8:34PM Mr. Dale And Mr. Ray are performing ” Feeling Haggard” off their duet album.

8:40PM Mr. Jake Penrod and Miss Nikki Lane just announced Luke Bell as Honky Tonk Male winner!

8:42PM Mr. Dale is loving on Tillford Sellers, who couldn’t make it tonight. He is watching from heaven.

8:43PM Motel Mirrors is performing right now.

8:48 The Reeves Brothers just won Honky Tonk Band of the year.

8:53PM Mr. Unknown Hinson is playing right now.

8:55PM We are announcing the Outlaw Female Winner being presented by Miss Bonnie Montgomerey and the
winner is…….Nikki Lane.

8:58PM Mr. Jesse Dayton and are presenting the Outlaw Male Award and the winner is Cody Jinks.

9:14PM Junior Brown is presenting the Pioneer Of The Sound winner Mr Lloyd Green.

9:22PM Mr. Lloyd Green is playing Jukebox Charlie and Just between You And Me. He played on the
studio albums of both songs and MANY MORE!

9:48PM We are back from intermission, with beer jokes.

9:50PM W.S. Fluke Holland and others are remembering Mr. Sam Phillips and Sun Records.

10:00 The Humna Jukebox Mr. Sleepy Labeef is playing songs now.

10:03 Mr. Jesse Dayton is up right now talking about a story on Crooke And Chase, and how he
got to record with Waylon and Cash. He is playing Big River.

10:16PM Mr. Jason D Williams is tearing the place apart with two drummers!
Mr. Joshua said as Mr. Dallas Moore would say this was a righteous rendering
He broke it. Absolutely AMAZING drum and full band number.

10:21PM The band is STILL JAMMING and tearing the roof off this place!

10:28PM Mr. James Intveld is here. Wonderful man with AWESOME Music.
We are learning about the Elvis Sun Records material.

10:36PM Mr. Dickey Lee is here, who is the last original Sun Records artist alive.
He wrote “She Thinks I Still Care” and others. He is playing right now, some of the
greatest music I have heard in a LONG TIME is here tonight.

10:44PM Mr. Big Sandy is here! I LOVE him in fact he was the first person I ran into when I
arrived in Memphis. Same hotel. He is playing a Carl Perkins song.

10:51PM Mr. Dale declared Memphis as “Ground Zero” for independent music, and before the Outlaw movement
Mr. Sam Phillips created true independence for local music.

10:55PM Mr. Ricky And Mr. Gunner Nelson are playing “milk Cow Blues”. Their father Ricky Nelson wrote the song
and Elvis had a hit with it.

11:00PM Mr. Robert Gordon has called up Sam Phillips family, to tell more stories and accept the 2018
Legend award winner Sam Phillips. His son accepted the award tonight. He is telling stories
about his father, who said the secret to Rock And Roll, is reaching deep down inside of you
and pull it out of your asshole.

11:07PM Mr. Chris Casello and Miss Brennan Leigh are now presenting The Ralph Mooney Award winner
and the winner is…..Chris Scruggs.

11:12PM Mr. Chris is THANKING so many REAL heroes of music. HE IS the real deal.

11:15PM As Mr. Dale is introducing all of the house band they are moving on to
award the venue of the year. There are SO MANY GREAT venues nationwide.
And the winner is….Sportmen’s Tavern.

11:20PM Mr. Jason Galaz is presenting Festival Of the Year Award with Miss Cheryl Desiree
and others. And the winner is……The New England Shake Up.

11:24PM Mr. James Riley is presenting Ameripolitan DJ of the year….and the winner is…
WB Walker!
11:28PM Mr Jim Heath AKA Reverend Horton Heat is now performing.

11:41PM Mr. James Intveld and Mr. Big Sandy are presenting the award for Western Swing Female.
And The Winner is…..Miss Sophia Johnson.

11:44PM Mr. Gunnar Nelson and Miss Katie from Asleep At The Wheel are now presenting the award for
Western Swing Male….And the winner is Mr. Billy Mata.

11:47PM Mr. Big Sandy and Miss Sandy Walker are presenting the Western Swing Group of the year
And the winner is…..The Carolyn Sills Combo.

11:57PM Miss Lara Hope and Mr. Sam Phillips Jr. are announcing the award Rockabilly Female
And the winner is…Miss Bailey Dee.

12:00PM miss Celine Lee and are presenting the Rockabilly Male award…and the winner is Mr. Al Dual.

12:00AM The Rockabilly Group of the year are The Go Getters.

12:10AM It is time for Mr. Dale to present the Master Award to Mr. Brian Setzer.

Tumbleweed Side Article: Interview With FLOCKERS Creator Mr. William Higgans

 News  No Responses »
Jun 172017
 

I have been relentlessly preaching it to the high heavens since June 1st, GO TO Tumbleweed Festival at the end of July in Kansas City. Join me as I begin my next step in my devious plan to implement a full regime of Texas Red Dirt Country into my already huge palate I have for live music.

I am now fully featuring six main genres of local music and I do deviate from them at times when I like the music involved. But this event will certainly feature some really fine Red Dirt that doesn’t get to my neck of the woods all too often, so I’ll have to bring my crew out there.

Well here’s a little something the directors don’t know I have planned up my sleeve, I’ll be interviewing some of the people that are involved in the next few weeks. As I’m allowed to I’ll be featuring some of the performers that want to sit and chat for a moment with me.

So last weekend I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. William Higgins who created the page BLACKSHEEP a flock of Cody Jinks fans. Unless you have been under a rock you have witnessed Cody Jinks And The Tone Deaf Hippies blow up into a literal mega storm of sell outs and career growth in the last two years.

Part of this reason is the unwavering support of some 30,000 plus insane fans called “Flockers” that are a literal street army willing to do Cody Jinks any tasks needed to publicly boost his presence within the confines of the local music scenes.

Let’s be feasible for a moment shall we? Music is music and we do this for the love of the music, BUT it NEEDS our wallets to further it’s growth as well. We HAVE TO invest our time AND our money into this deal, this isn’t a free sharing, free giving freebie cycle ALL the time. True, we swap out staying at each other’s houses and split gas rides and food expenses, I’m NOT saying that’s bad and I’m also NOT telling you to skip the electric bill or let your cat starve.

But the ideology of guest list passes and “Oh I’m a promoter by sharing on social media every day” frame of mind isn’t good enough to be deemed liable to keep music afloat. People work, sound men, road crews, medical staff, and they ALL should be PAID.  Stop being couch warriors and get your butt down to a venue and OCCUPY A BAR               STOOL.

Needless to say these insane people….these “Flockers” THEY SPEND MONEY. They HAVE the RIGHT path to success, and because of these folks Cody Jinks merchandise sales and concert attendances  have skyrocketed  into amounts the bigwigs can NOT ignore. Because let’s face it folks, they don’t REALLY LOVE pop country….they love the REVENUE it brings. If WE TRULY WANT to fight this bastard of a problem we MUST FIGHT with our MONEY.

GHC:

Tell me how you started the Flockers, and what made you start it?

Mr. William:

Well, It was actually at a show in Omaha, Nebraska. I had been to see Cody Jinks a couple other times before that, and I was involved in several other fan pages for some other artists. I started listening to Cody and kind of checking his stuff out there, and I noticed that he really didn’t have a fan group on Facebook. So I thought it would be a good idea and I talked to the guys that night about it, and they were on board.  So I kind of launched it November 15th of 2015 and it just took off from there.

GHC:

And did you start it right from your home, or do you have an office, how do you operate?

Mr. William:

No,I began it from home. It’s basically just a Facebook page and there’s not a whole lot to it but it’s mostly getting it out there. It’s getting other supporters involved and getting his music heard, there’s no a whole lot of operation to it.

GHC:

Do you guys have different chapters?

Mr. William:

Basically right now it’s just the Blacksheep page, we did start messing around with local chapters. We did start one group so we could see how it goes, and kind of see how a local chapter would work. You know, all of this operates under pretty much no funding, so everybody pretty much just puts in their own time. If there are any expenses the members cover that, we do not profit off of anything on the Blacksheep page. Our main thing is obviously is to get Cody’s music out and also support a lot of related artists that he works with, and continues to work with.

GHC:

You guys have a lot of power, trust me, because I recently interviewed Mr. Austin Tripp. He said that when the Merle Haggard Tribute show was announcing they wanted artists, you guys shut their server down hollaring for Cody Jinks. Now, the promoter of that show told me in a text he really didn’t mind, but at the time dammit he was pissed. So you guys are really beating the pavement for Mr. Cody, and you are really doing it well. I think a huge portion of his success can actually be attributed to you guys really.

Mr. William:

Well you know that’s great to hear, I think Cody’s music speaks for itself and regardless of what we have done, it’s great to see it becoming so huge for sure.

GHC:

Well let me tell you from a media standpoint. I’m a media guy that’s into so many genres and scenes, I’m into Rockabilly and Red Dirt, I’m tied in with Muddy Roots and I see and I watch what people do. The power that you guys have and the number that you have, you really make a difference for him…you really do. Now the main reason I’m wanting to talk to you is what will your role in Tumbleweed be, because this is going to be a side article for it that Mr. Doug doesn’t know about. So what exactly is your role in Tumbleweed going to be?

Mr. William:

Tumbleweed actually started off by one of the members of our group Doug Bordegon, and Borda productions is the name of the company that he owns. (GHC Yeah, he hired me).. Ultimately he asked us to become part of a unique situation by getting the fans involved within this festival. This festival is different in the aspect that it tapers around the fans and features the acts that they want to see.  He came to me and said he would really like to promote this around the Blacksheep page, and the Flockers group, and do some special things for you guys. Moreso it’s just a thank you for what we have done, we are going to have our own section for camping and we have the opportunity to introduce Cody and the Tone Deaf Hippies on stage. Now, he’s offering this to the other fan pages as well, the main thing is that we are getting the Blacksheep together and getting the word out there of Tumbleweed.  We are trying to get as many supporters as we can drawn to this thing in Kansas City.

GHC: He told me he was going to invite different people from different fan groups, he also invited several websites and I was one of them. Music festivals is a big portion of what I center on, I been doing this for about five years now and Outlaw Country is something that I have always featured from day 1. I been around Mr. Cody since he was playing gas stations, and I know all of these artists very very well. I been wanting to tie a lot of Red Dirt Country into my what I do. What are your feelings toward Tumbleweed, do you think it’s going to be a success?

Mr. William:

I think that last year was a little more tailored to pop country and people like that. I think that he saw this thing going further, and with that I think he wanted to do it right. He wants to get the Country sound out there with some authentic music, and from what I have heard the initial sales have already beat last year’s sales. So I think it will continue to grow from last year, and I think once people see this year and the authentic sound it will continue to grow in the future. We are really excited about that because he really wants us all to play a part in this going down the road too.

GHC:

I was down there last week, I saw the venue it’s really nice. I was down there for another festival and I hosted a stage with Moe Bandy and Dale Watson. We did a little cross work down there my partner and I did and we thought it was a nice venue.

Mr. William:

Yeah we have seen videos of the area, I think it’s going to be pretty special.

GHC:

I do too, I have pretty positive vibes about it. I like what he’s doing and some of the choices he has made. Are you tied in with Cody officially, or is this an unofficial thing, how does this work?

Mr. William:

No, we are defiantly unofficial we are not tied with Cody at all, however we do work with his management because they really like what we’re doing and they continue to do good things for us. They get us codes for pre sales and there’s going to be some more stuff coming up down the road, that he will have an official club being launched. We hope to play a supporting role in getting that going. It’s going to be most of the same members transferring over, and we will continue to work with his team. Having it as a group setting and not really an official site really gives a family aspect to it. A lot of these members have become friends through the site and one thing that I have really enjoyed seeing is the launching of a lot of other fan groups through this page. There is Whitey Morgan and Paul Cauthen and it just continues to keep growing., and we are really excited about that.

GHC:

Is there merch available that my readers can buy from you guys?

Mr. William:

We do make limited runs of shirts from booster campaigns, and all of the profit from those campaigns go to St Judes Children’s Hospital. That came strictly from Cody that’s what he wanted us to do with the funds, and obviously that’s a great organization for us. St. Jude’s is one of those charities that is doing one hundred percent of what they are trying   to achieve.  We cannot think of a better way for proceeds to go from Flockers shirts, and we have raised over seven thousand dollars for them.

GHC:

Ok, well listen it truly was nice talking with you Sir and I reckon we will finally meet at tumbleweed.

Mr. William:

That sounds wonderful Gary, thanks for everything.

 

 

 

 

2017 Music Festivals: Tumbleweed Festival.

 News  Comments Off on 2017 Music Festivals: Tumbleweed Festival.
Jun 032017
 

This is a very very special edition of my festival article series folks, another mammoth outdoor festival in the Kansas City area so I’ll be researching hotels for this one people. My GOD the absolutely amazing lineup that has become one of the hottest upcoming events of 2017. Once I print you the lineup links you’ll not even need a second opinion before venturing over to the ticket link.

This is going to be a different take on most festivals folks because it’s going to involve more than just the bands and musicians they plan to include many of the fan factions of the artists as well. The festival director plans to include the popular support group of Cody Jinks called The Flockers, tomorrow I’ll be talking with one of their representatives concerning what their role will be in this event. I’ll be adding that conversation on this article as well as updating it many times before my crew and I head down there.

I’m telling you that right there in the middle of America we got Red Dirt meets touring Outlaw acts meets Americana acts all rolled into one big outdoor stage. I’m going to be studying this event thoroughly in the next few weeks, and I’ll be promoting this festival HEAVILY in the next few weeks.

Now folks some of these festivals I do a lot of work for, but this one I’ll be HEAVILY promoting and doing research for this one because this is their second year of operation, and we want to see this festival grow. Additionally I am currently attempting to bring in more Red Dirt Country into my format, so this worked out well on both ends.

Jamey Johnson

Cody Jinks

Roger Creager

Whitey Morgan

William Clark Green

Billy Joe Shaver

Ward Davis

Sunny Sweeney

Colter Wall

Jason Eady

Paul Cauthen

Jamie Wyatt

Courtney Patton

Mikey ML750 Lamantia

Damien Gunn

Best Hotel for Tumbleweed:

Located less than 15 Minutes from Tumbleweed festival grounds:

Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City

ALL IN ONE HOTEL DESTINATION
Located 12 minutes from Tumbleweed festival grounds.
Recognized with the 2015 Certificate of Excellence award by TripAdvisor.
US News Top 6 Hotel in Missouri.

Ameristar Casino and Hotel of Kansas City is your ultimate hotel and closest to Tumbleweed. This award winning hotel has it all; Casino, Restaurants, Views and Room Service and Bars.

Learn More About the Hotel HERE

But Wait, There’s More!

An additional twenty-two hotels are located within 20 minutes from the festival site. They range from budget to four-star accommodations. I was recently out in this area last weekend and I got to see the venue firsthand, there are plenty of hotels and stores nearby.

In time I shall also research area restaurants as well, this article will be constantly added to in the next few weeks.

CLICK HERE for a listing and map of these hotels!

The Tumbleweed Payment Plan enables you to get tickets now and pay nothing for six months. No interest, no payments for six months. You can buy tickets of all types HERE. YES FOLKS for this festival you can purchase tickets on a layaway plan! THIS IS the FIRST festival I have EVER witnessed this happen.

– Camping is a separate ticket (add-on)
– RV Campers must have (1) RV pass for the vehicle and Forest Camping Pass for each individual
– All campers must also have an access pass to enter the festival or camping grounds.
– Thursday night add-on campers must also have a Forest Camping pass

– On Thursday, July 27th, Thursday Night campers have access at 5:00pm. Gates open for early entry and VIP at 4:45pm. Gates close Thursday night at midnight. No access after midnight, so please plan accordingly!
– On Friday, July 28th, campers have access at 1:00pm. Gates open for early-entry and VIP attendees at 12:00pm. Standard entry is at 2pm
– On Saturday, July 29th, gates open at 11:30am
– All attendees must exit by 12:00/noon Sunday

FROM THE WEBSITE, AND FROM MINE:

Welcome to Tumbleweed Country Music Festival. We’re here to answer your questions! Check out the references below and don’t hesitate to reach out via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and however else you can find us!

Receive special offers and be the first to know about special sales, announcements and the lineup! Click here to submit your email!

This is a family-friendly festival along the gorgeous Missouri River bank covered by mature trees with a playground. Kids 10 years and younger are free!

PROHIBITED ITEMS

NO coolers inside Main Stage area (permitted only in camping)
NO Loitering, drinking or grilling in the parking lot (enforced by police)
NO sleeping in cars in the parking lot (enforced by police)
NO outside food or drink (permitted in camping)
NO weapons of any kind (includes pocket knives, pepper spray, fireworks, guns, tasers)
NO drones

Contained fires are permitted until 2:30am and must be in a 36″ metal fire container with a screen on top (standard at all retailers). If you bring a fire pit, you must also have a 10lb fire extinguisher with it. We’re camping in a forest!

Grills are permitted.

MUSTS TO BRING

– Printed off tickets. We will not accept electronic versions off of your cell phone, receipts, etc. Your ticket must be a hard copy printed off on paper. If your ticket does not scan you will not be granted access.

– Credit Card/ATM Card/Cash- some vendors accept cash only, parking is cash only (see parking info below), liquor/beer sales will accept credit cards in some locations. Please CARPOOL! Parking is $30 per vehicle (except for RV’s) to encourage car-pooling and funds go to the city for the facility usage and cleanup.

– Your ID, a SMILE and some killer boots!!!

GENERAL FAQ

WHEN CAN WE ARRIVE? WHEN DO WE HAVE TO LEAVE?

On Thursday, July 27th, Thursday Night campers have access at 5:00pm. Gates open for early entry at 4:00pm.

On Friday, July 28th, campers have access at 1:00pm. Gates open for early-entry attendees at 12:00pm. Standard entry is at 2pm.  On Saturday, July 29th, gates open at 11:30am. All attendees must exit by 12:00/noon Sunday.

I NEVER GOT MY TICKETS AFTER I PURCHASED THEM – I NEED MY TICKETS RESENT TO ME?

Please visit www.Ticketfly.com or call 877.435.9849

Pets: Allowed with Service Animal or Companion Pet documentation

Grills: Allowed

Open Camp Fires: Not Allowed (must be contained in metal fire pit container with mesh cover)

MY CREDIT CARD IS BEING DECLINED.

Please make sure your address is imputed EXACTLY as your address on file with your credit card company. Please contact your CC company or check your statement to verify address on file. Any error no matter how small will decline your attempt. This is put in place to reduce fraud associated with purchases.

IS THIS AN ALL AGES FESTIVAL?

Yes, all ages are welcome. Kids 10 and under are free!

HOW CAN I CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT TICKETS?

For all ticket concerns or questions please call Ticketfly at 877.435.9849. Please note that ALL SALES ARE FINAL. No Refunds for any reason. We will not respond to refund requests. Thank you.

HOW DO I CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR ALL OTHER QUESTIONS?

Please email tumbleweed@bordaproductions.com. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response. Please note that ALL SALES are FINAL. No refunds for any reason. We will not respond to refund requests. Thank you.

ARE THERE ANY CELL PHONE CHARGING STATIONS?

Only in VIP.

CAN I LEAVE THE FESTIVAL AND RETURN?

Yes, you will be able to come and go as you wish. Please note that you will be subject to search each time you enter the festival grounds. This is purely for the safety of our guests. PLEASE, there is ZERO loitering in the parking areas and will be strictly enforced for safety reasons.

IF I AM STAYING OFF SITE, CAN I LEAVE AND COME BACK?

Yes.

WILL YOU BE POSTING SET TIMES IN ADVANCE? WHERE CAN I FIND EXACT SET TIMES?

Set times will be posted closer to the festival dates. Please take the time to explore Tumbleweed, as there are some things happening that will not be posted, and will be exciting to find on your own.

I’M A PHOTOGRAPHER. WHO DO I ARRANGE A PHOTO PASS THROUGH?

Please complete a media form located on the Contact Us page.

WHAT TYPES OF VENDORS WILL BE ON HAND?

There will be a variety of food/beverage/alcohol/arts-crafts/apparel/ and more.

Motorcycle Parking?

Motorcycles will park on the concrete parking lot near the entrance gate. Limited space available: first come, first reserve!

TW Motorcycle

TICKET FAQ’s

ACCESS TO THE MAIN STAGE?

Yes, all ticket levels will have unrestricted access to the front of the stage. No special pit tickets or similar exists.

I NEVER GOT MY TICKETS?

Please visit www.Ticketfly.com or call 877.435.9849

I CAN’T GO ANYMORE +  I WANT A REFUND.

Just like any event ALL SALES ARE FINAL. When purchasing your ticket you agreed to our ticketing terms. We do not offer refunds for any reason. We will unable to respond to refund requests. Thank you.

CAN I BRING MY KIDS? DO THEY HAVE TO PAY?

Yes. Everyone is allowed in the event with a ticket. Kids 10 and younger are free!

DO I NEED TO PRINT OFF MY TICKETS?

Yes, you MUST print off your tickets on to paper. No other form will be accepted. We will be scanning printed off tickets only. If your ticket does not scan you will not be granted access.

WILL TICKETS BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE FESTIVAL GATES?

Yes, at higher ‘gate’ prices.

CAN I GET A SINGLE DAY PASS?

Single Day passes to Tumbleweed are not sold.

GETTING HERE FAQ

PLEASE USE THIS GOOGLE MAP LINK!! IOS MAPS CAN LEAD YOU WRONG!

CLICK HERE FOR GOOGLE MAP

 

CAMPING FAQ

HOW BIG IS MY CAMPING AREA?

It’s open first-come-first reserve camping with a recommended space of 10ft x 15ft per person, but you can camp with friends, family, etc. No true restriction on a reasonable camping area :).

CAN WE LEAVE AND RE-ENTER THE CAMPGROUND AREA?

Yes, as many times as you want.

WHAT ARE THE GENERAL RULES FOR BUYING A CAMPING SPOT?

A camping pass is required to enter the camping grounds. One Camping Pass = One Entrance to Camping.

You cannot camp without a festival pass.

CAN WE BRING IN ALCOHOL?

Only campers can bring in beer and/or liquor to the campgrounds. No outside food/drink in the main stage area.

WHAT WILL YOU BE PROVIDING AT THE CAMPGROUNDS?

There will be 24hr security. There will be water and ice for sale, as well as ATMs and a variety of vendors within the venue.

WHAT EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON SITE? WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I NEED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE (MEDICAL, POLICE, TOWING, LOCKSMITH, ETC.)?

There will be medical assistance available throughout the campgrounds and festival site. You can stop any officer you see, or any staff member you see, for assistance.

WHERE SHOULD I GO IF I LOSE MY KEYS, MY WALLET OR MY FRIENDS?

Go to the Tumbleweed information/ticket booth near the main entrance of the festival.

WILL SMALL CAMPFIRES BE ALLOWED IN THE CAMPING AREAS? WILL YOU ALLOW FIRE BINS?

There will be no campfires of any kind allowed. Burn it down on the dance floor! Grills are permitted.

WILL THERE BE ANY ELECTRICITY IN THE CAMPING AREA?

No.

ARE SERVICE ANIMALS ALLOWED IN THE CAMPSITE?

Yes.

IS THERE CELL PHONE SERVICE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL SITE?

Dependent on crowd size. WiFi connections may be available for a small fee.

ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CAMP NEXT TO OUR CARS?

No. Upon arrival, you will be directed into the main parking area. Camping is located within the park therefore no cars are allowed. Please walk your belongings to the camping area which is very close to the parking lot.

VENUE FAQ

CAN WE BRING WATER INTO THE MAIN CONCERT VENUE FROM THE OUTSIDE?

No. You can purchase water and/or refill at FREE water stations.

WILL WE BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE FESTIVAL AND COME BACK?

Yes. No loitering in the parking lots.

WILL CHAIRS BE ALLOWED IN THE CONCERT VENUE?

Yes.

WILL THERE BE ATM MACHINES INSIDE THE VENUE?

Yes.

Steel Guitarists Along The Road.

 News  1 Response »
Apr 302017
 

Austin Tripp
Travis Egnor
Brett Robinson
David Mills

Country Music has THREE staple pillars of it’s foundation or it’s backbone if you will. Those are in this order the songwriter, the producer, and the steel guitar in my opinion it takes those three to make a classic Country Music album. My point being Willie Nelson “Red Headed Stranger” and “Wanted The Outlaws” as two prime examples that had all three. Shooter will tell you rapidly “Wanted The Outlaws” was the first platinum selling Country Music album EVER and defied the sough it was initially given by Nashville in the 1970’s.

Local music as a whole contains such a plethora of well rounded steel guitarists and pickers waiting for you to discover them if you are willing to wade through the broken beer bottles and travel the worn out back alleys of America to find them. You have to look in the places most normal people wouldn’t, and you have to listen. You have to brave the heat and cold and discomfort of the fields and farms that spew forth these festivals, mostly you have to study and watch for them.

This edition of my steel guitarist series bring me to talking on a rainy Sunday afternoon with one of local music’s finest young steel players the mighty Johnny Up. I sat with him for just a few minutes and he was kind enough to spend some time with me and answered a few questions for us. So sit back and enjoy this interview with another one of Red Dirt Country’s young guns making Country Music sound so good!

I’ll be honest in this interview he peaks of many people that he looks up to and admires doing things for him and today, he truly passed it on to me by taking a few minutes out to become involved with this project. This is MY intention to bring forth the young people playing steel in the honky tonks of today, and educating people on this whole world of unknown REAL Country Music whether it’s Nashville, Texas or Oklahoma. It’s out there waiting for YOU to support and love on it. And the people that play it are vastly talented and have become very good friends, I never met him yet but we truly connected today and appreciated one another. I must say he was really a great guy!

 

GHC:

How did you get started playing the steel guitar?

Mr. Johnny:

I started out playing classical guitar, I was moved to an arts high school where you could major in arts programs and that’s how I started learning how to read music and classical technique. I ended up going to the University Of Oklahoma for that. I dropped out of school and didn’t do anything with music for a while. I was living in Baton Rouge and met some guys that were into the same kind of music I was, everything Parsons, and that was the first time the steel guitar really caught me. I joined a band called the Way Goners out of Hammond Louisiana and started playing pedal steel. It took a couple years before I was any good at it, but pretty much from day one I started performing with it. A lot of four hour bar gigs forced me to learn 40 or 50 licks at a time.

GHC:

Do you play pedal steel or straight steel, or both?

Mr. Johnny:

I play pedal steel, yes

GHC:

Whom did you start playing for after The Way Goners?

Mr. Johnny:

I moved to Oklahoma City and started playing with John Moreland out of Tulsa, and Jeff Hobbs out of Ardmore. I made an album with John Moreland And The Dustbowl Souls. It’s called “In the Throes”.

GHC:

You played For Kaitlin Butts too right?

Mr. Johnny:

Yes, and Cody Jinks and Zane Williams, whole bunch of people really…

GHC:

Who influenced most as a young player?

Mr. Johnny:

The album that I remember studying the most was “High In The Rockies” by Jason Boland. You know it’s got Roger Ray on it, and he’s also an Okie. He’s somebody I really looked up to and I got a chance to open for the Stragglers pretty early on in my career. I was playing with Jeff Hobbs and after the Stragglers set he came offstage with people coming at him, trying to greet him but he made a bee line towards me and asked if I was Johnny. I was kind of star struck and said yeah. He told me how much he enjoyed my stuff with John Moreland, told me to keep it up. That meant a lot to me that someone I looked up to was listening and thought I was on the right track. It truly motivated me early on.

GHC:

If someone new came up to you and asked I’m a kid I’m new and I would like advice, what would you tell them?

Mr. Johnny:

I would say don’t think you have to have certain equipment or sound like other people. Until this past year I had yet to take a real lesson on pedal steel. And it was several years before I ever saw anybody play one in person. It all contributed to my sound. I know I don’t sound like other people and I know i probably have bad techniques, but I have always found my own voice through not knowing how to sound like other people. When people hear my steel guitar they know it’s me. I also have a bunch of instructional videos on my personal Youtube page  GO HERE to see what he has up to offer you free of charge!

GHC:

That answered my next question, you are very unique you don’t sound like anybody else. Wade Bowen came to town and had Miss Kaitlin with him I was hoping I’d get to meet you. I’m enjoying Country Music even more now from these interviews, because I have a better understanding of people like you.

Mr. Johnny

Hopefully Kaitlin reads this! My first steel guitar was, you know everybody goes out and gets a Sho Bud Maverick that had sixty owners, where as I had a Fender steel with three pedals and one knee lever. I didn’t know it even had a knee lever until I was boxing it back up to ship it to the next guy. There’s so much I didn’t know that I had to learn on my own. Making my own repairs on it, the guitar I bought next I bought seen only in pictures. I didn’t know what to look for, so when it wasn’t until the the guitar arrived that I noticed the under carriage was all gunked up and dirty, levers not pulling true. I took the whole guitar apart and cleaned it. I put it all back together as best as I could not knowing exactly how the changer and tension works. Just getting it to work right made me a better player. I know it had nothing to do with music really but it did help me understand a lot.

GHC:

Are you on the road full time, do you have anybody staple that you play with now?

Mr. Johnny:

I been doing a lot of studio work as of lately, but until the albums come out, you can find me with either Jacob Flint or Wink Burcham. I have an album coming out with Cole Porter Band which has the guitar player from Cody Jinks first four records..so that’ll be a cool one coming out soon. I got to play all the steel on Cody Jinks’ new album ‘I’m Not The Devil’ that’s out right now. Jeff Hobbs new album “Upward” will be released soon. There is some stuff I’ve tracked out I don’t know how far along they are but hopefully there will be new releases with Schuyler Prenger And The Dirt Road Junkies, Dylan Stewart, Johnathan White from Sons Of Strangers, Jonnah Liddell. It was great getting to work with producers like Mike McClure and Wes Sharon.

GHC:

I really enjoy including more Red Dirt into my website program and I love the differences and similarity in our local scenes.

Mr. Johnny:

I never paid much attention to the Nashville scene but to say that filling up the Exit Inn wasn’t a highlight of my career would be false.

Steel Guitarists Along The Road.

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Mar 292017
 

PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS:
Travis Egnor

I have so many different series going on within my website that sometimes It’s hard to keep them all well groomed and current, but I do. This endeavor turned out to be a major undertaking in both a positive and negative way for me but I took the negative a turned it into a learning experience to which I could still capitalize on as a man. Attempting to pin some of these hard working steel guitarists down has been a challenge, people THINK the music business is one big party, or a wild drunk fest full of drugs and women…and it’s not. ANYTHING can be turned into that I suppose but most people don’t STOP and understand the time and effort placed into pulling off a profitable show.

I have been wanting to do this project for some time now and I either didn’t have the time or the resources to pull it off in the fashion it deserves to be done in, I don’t do ANYTHING half assed or in hokey fashions. I comb my information but sometimes I make horrible face palm to the forehead mistakes and I retreat with my tail between my legs…but I come back out swinging and more aggressive than I was when I made that mistake. I know THE PEOPLE that once graced the stages of Country Music behind the steel guitar, Pete Drake, Hal Rugg, Ralph Mooney,Little Roy Wiggins and the Legends of the instrument. BUT when it came to tuning and how it works I once knew nothing about it, and I thought well HOW can I write about Country Music in Nashville and NOT KNOW?

Country Music has THREE staple pillars of it’s foundation or it’s backbone if you will. Those are in this order the songwriter, the producer, and the steel guitar in my opinion it takes those three to make a classic Country Music album. My point being Willie Nelson “Red Headed Stranger” and “Wanted The Outlaws” as two prime examples that had all three. Shooter will tell you rapidly “Wanted The Outlaws” was the first platinum selling Country Music album EVER and defied the scorn it was initially given by Nashville in the 1970’s.

Local music as a whole contains such a plethora of well rounded steel guitarists and pickers waiting for you to discover them if you are willing to wade through the broken beer bottles and travel the worn out back alleys of America you will find them. You have to look in the places most normal people wouldn’t, and you have to listen. You have to brave the heat and cold and discomfort of the fields and farms that spew forth these festivals, mostly you have to study and watch for them.

I cover over 9,000 songwriters,bands and artists on here from six different genres and many of them involve steel guitarists in some fashion or another. I know TONS of them but YOU might not so I thought WHY NOT start interviewing THEM and bringing THEM to the forefront so we can better appreciate the artists they play for?  I don’t ask many questions about their “boss” unless it’s a mutual band, BUT many of them are readily willing to divulge information about the man (or woman) up in the front that employs them. In fact I am enjoying these last few years where the WOMEN have been releasing the stronger albums like Sunny Sweeney and Margo Price.

This installment of my series brings me to the telephone with the current steel guitarist for Cody Jinks And The Tone Deaf Hippies and his name is Mr. Austin Tripp he called from south Carolina last night and graciously donated some time with Gary Hayes Country and I thank him SO MUCH for this opportunity to bring you folks this article!

GHC
How did you get started playing the steel guitar?

Mr. Austin
Well, it’s really a long story short but I used to play the fiddle and I began playing it at eleven or twelve. They used to have country music shows out at a little antique shop close to where I lived, and they had a fiddle player there that I befriended around the end of 2004. We went out there to the store, they had a steel player and a fiddle player and banjo there was a bunch of people. I was interested in watching the fiddle player and it was mostly Bluegrass but every once in awhile that steel player would start up and I was like man that sound. The sound of it is what attracted me to it and I got to watching him play a little lick, and I didn’t know nothing about it. I didn’t know what the instrument was called I didn’t know anything.

I finally got the courage to approach him and ask him what it was and he said it’s a pedal steel guitar, I said well I got to learn how to play one. He said well, I’m not a really good teacher but I can show you a few things. The problem was I didn’t have one and I didn’t know where to even find one and it was hard for him to show me on his and have to sit down and play it. So in the summer of 2004 and 2005 I worked all summer for a friend of mine and bailed hay to save up money to buy my first steel.

I couldn’t make it do what I wanted, I couldn’t make it do the crying and all that stuff but he lead me along, and I got to where I wanted and after a month and a half of getting one, I got started playing with him. He also plays the guitar and he would play it and let me play steel behind him, and the rest is history. I love the sound of it and I love the challenge that it put up, I’m one of those types that loves a challenge. I kind of got bored with the fiddle to be honest, and I was looking for a challenge and I found it in the pedal steel guitar.

GHC
How long did you play before you played for Cody Jinks, and how did you start with Mr. Cody?

Mr. Austin
I started playing professionally since 2009 and I was still in high school. I got offered to go on the road with a band called Broken road, we played with many acts. We played all over Georgia, parts of Florida, Alabama and Louisiana. We opened for Jake Owen, Colt ford and few others, and I would get to know their steel players and know the bands. Fortunately right after I graduated high school I got the call to go out on the road with Easton Corbin, I didn’t know much about the road, I was green. I didn’t know anything about life on the road I was just getting exposed to it. Thankfully one thing lead to another and after doing shows with Easton I did shows Jake Owen and up to about 2010 I started doing shows with Blake Shelton and that lead me to my big gig and that was with Luke Bryan. And I was with Luke for a year and a half.

I took some time off from playing to care for my grandmother who passed away in 2013 from breast cancer. I took some time off to care for her and started working a manufacturing job for about three years. When my grandmother passed on I got the itch and I was ready to get back out on the road, and play music full time. One night I messaged Brett Robinson who plays for Whitey Morgan, and asked him questions about his guitar. He had got a brand new one and I was just asking him about it, we got to become friends both on Facebook and talking on the phone.

One day I got the courage and I asked him man, who plays for Cody Jinks? And he said well right now nobody, they are going through some lineup changes and nobody was playing for him. Brett was playing for him but it was wearing him down because he was setting up playing with the 78’s doing sound check and playing shows with both bands. I said ask him if he needs a steel player and about six months later in August of 2016 on my birthday I was on my way to work. Brett called me and sang Happy Birthday to me and he said I got you a present and I said what’s that? He said in two weeks you are going to start with Cody Jinks if you want, I said HELL YES so two weeks later I loaded up my steel and headed for Texas and that’s how I started playing with him, and I been with him ever since.

GHC
Without giving away secrets what makes up your sound, and what do you different from other people?

Mr. Austin
My biggest thing is I don’t follow the mainstream steel players, and I’m not taking anything away form them by no means and I learned a lot from them guys like Paul Franklin and Mike Johnson, those guys. But my biggest thing is what Cowboy Eddie Long told me years ago, he said when you play the steel play the way YOU want to play it and play what you hear and that will set you aside from everybody else. I can hear a song and put my own twist on it because I didn’t want to be like everyone else, and I have a unique sound and a style of playing.

The best way to describe it is when Cowboy Eddie did the first two Jamey Johnson records they just set up in the studio and put a microphone up and just played, they didn’t go back and redo anything. That’s what mad me really pull away from mainstream steel guitarists. My tone is really in my guitar, I’m endorsed by BMI and I have been for a year now. We designed this guitar around MY OWN specifications and I feel VERY comfortable behind my guitar. It’s a mix of Eddie Long’s tuning and my own personal tuning and we put custom pickups in it, and it’s MY weapon. It goes back to every steel player since the 1950’s they say it’s in the hands.

GHC
What’s your plans for the future, I see you are hitting the road again soon?

Mr. Austin
We have a lot of stuff going on, this year I believe is going to be the year for Cody Jinks And The Tone Deaf Hippies. There’s a lot of stuff that is happening right now, you know Cody’s been in it for ten plus years and It’s only March, well we did two tours this year. This last tour we did Conan O Brian and Music City Roots show in Nashville and that wasn’t mainstream TV that’s local in Nashville but Cody said that’s the first time he’s ever done anything like before and of course Conan that was new for all of us.

This year we have shows opening up for Jamey Johnson and we have a few festivals, but we are going into the studio I think sometime in the fall and release a new album. We have already been to the studio a good bit recording a few songs here and there, we did that cover of the Pink Floyd song Wish You Was here, and that actually surprised us all because we had no idea it was even going to be released. We kind of done it as a last minute deal and I think it made it up to number four on the Texas charts and on the national ones I think it made it up to number twenty eight. I couldn’t believe it blew up because there’s not many people who could take a classic rock song and turn it in to a country song and make a hit out of it.

GHC
Well you know Whitey Morgan did that with a Springsteen song. I started incorporating more Red Dirt into my website and even though that crowd isn’t embracing Nashville they do really well out here and I’m enjoying it.

Mr. Austin
Well the Texas music comes back to me and you know people listen to what the radio gives them to listen to and sadly enough they don’t play anything from any of the Texas guys and it’s sad because that to me is music that’s the way I feel. When I get on my motorcycle and take a ride some of the Texas songs like Jason Isbell and Wade Bowen are what get me into my feelings and that’s the kind of stuff that I listen to. It should be played on mainstream radio but they wont because it doesn’t sell to teenagers today I guess unfortunately.

GHC
Now I’m getting three to five thousand hits a day and I can’t get over that five thousand mark but people like what I feature.

Mr. Austin
It’s getting out there and honestly I have been a fan of Cody’s before I even worked with him, just because he has pushed the music out there and he’s trying to get above that Red Dirt scene and sort of branch out and get above and beyond and rise up but he’s staying true to where he came from. That’s what I love about working for him, we do everything our way but our way is the people’s way and that’s what I love about him. They come from all over to the shows and a lot of times we see the same crowd which is awesome, the last show we did in Denver Colorado and there were people there from Tennessee and Arkansas and I had a friend fly in from Georgia to see us. They want that rawness, they don’t want the orchestrated concert that you pay seventy five to a hundred dollars to see and you’re sitting in the nosebleed section. They want to see the rawness of the real deal I guess you could say.

GHC
Your Flockers are a very strong following let me tell you,I have had a lot of dealings with them. Let me tell you I’m involved in many scenes being the type of media that I am. I’m in with Bluegrass people and the Muddy Roots people and Americana folks, and they are a pretty dedicated bunch.

Mr. Austin
They are very dedicated and you know I started right at the end of August and I was number fifteen hundred or sixteen hundred. At that time Cody did not have anything to do with the Flocker group, they started themselves and asked him if they could start a fan group. Cody said go ahead you can run it and do whatever you want to, so it did. Now they are up to twelve or thirteen thousand members and they’re dedicated. They come to every show there’s a least a row of them at every show and it’s awesome I love them, they’re a fun group of people.

At every show there’s always one or two that keep us entertained and they take pictures for us and things like that. They help us like on April the sixth there’s a show in Nashville to honor Merle Haggard, they had posted that they were looking for talent. Man, the Flockers got on there and started blowing it up by posting get Cody Jinks, get Cody Jinks and they had to shut the page down. They were trying so hard to get us on the show.

GHC
As a steel guitarist who influenced you the most?

Mr. Austin
I would probably have to say Cowboy Eddie Long, I don’t know him too good and I have only met him a couple of times but he showed me many things on the steel guitar and I have known him for about a year now. I would have to say the style and the way I play it would have to be Cowboy Eddie. But alongside him would have to be Ralph Mooney, I been listening to Waylon for as long as I can remember. I loved the song Rainy Day Woman and I remember hearing Ralph start it off with that steel, when I first started playing the steel I was venturing more towards Ralph Mooney his tone and his style. He said in an interview one time his style was simple but effective and you know he was with Waylon until the day that he died.

GHC
Yes, and he was the first steel guitarist to ever be put in the front line, Ralph Mooney was. Now I notice you sit to Mr. Cody’s left is that the reason you do that?

Mr. Austin
You know really Cody loves the steel and I watched videos of his past steel players and I wanted also to sit right beside him, and I asked him where do you want me to sit? He said man I need you on the front line so people can hear your leads. That’s another reason I love him he doesn’t care about just him, I don’t care about exposure for me but I love it when people come up and ask hey what is that you’re playing. Cause I’m right up front and everyone sees me and they cannot miss me.

They ask questions and that’s what I love, we were playing a show at the Wescott Theater in Syracuse New York and there was young man that I have pictures of on my Facebook of he was right up front all night. I was watching him study me all night he was probably about ten or eleven and he was just amazed by what I was doing. After the show I was walking out to the bus, and his dad stopped me and just like I asked that guy, he said man what is that you’re playing? I said It’s a pedal steel guitar he said my son was amazed by it and I brought him on the stage and he sat behind it,I let him play it and he said it was so cool.

He was inspired and I’m pretty sure his parents were out a lot of money in those next few days but that’s what I like. I like to be on the front line to inspire as many people I possibly can. I don’t want to say it’s dying but on mainstream country radio, it’s gone. The Texas guys are pulling it out but man I don’t want to see it die.

GHC
That’s why I wanted to start this series because there are so many of you in I want to say underground music per say, and there a lot of bands that have steel guitarists but nobody knows about them.

Mr. Austin
Yeah, probably in the past ten years it’s just dropped out so much and I know everybody rags on Luke Bryan and those guys but you know I worked with him and Luke has a steel player right now but it’s just not headlining like it was back in the day. The one that is promoting it the most right now is Easton Corbin with Jamie Lennon.

GHC
I agree with you and I think Jon Pardi is doing it really well too.

Mr. Austin
Jon’s good his steel player is a good friend of mine Andy Ellison.

GHC
Yes,I’m going to get him on this series soon.

Mr. Austin
And there are several young steel players that I’m friends with on Facebook I haven’t had the opportunity to meet them yet but there is a young kid I think he’s thirteen named Jacob King he’s playing a lot of the Midwest steel guitar shows. They’re great steel players not like when I first started I didn’t even have Youtube to learn by so they got a little advantage on me, I love to see young people playing the steel. I’m still young but I love the younger people sitting down and getting involved with it. And it’s addictive once it starts I want to see them on the Grand Ole Opry.

GHC
I’d like to see you on it too, my main goal when I started this website is I want people like Whitey Morgan and Cody Jinks and my daughter who is twenty, I want her to able to say they are Legends when she’s forty. That’s what I want.

Mr. Austin
Somebody asked me the other day there was some thing that was comparing Cody and Whitey to Waylon and Willie and all that. It comes down to Waylon and Willie and Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard they didn’t get to where they were by following someone else, and that’s what we are doing. We’re doing our own thing and it takes time. Time and exposure is the key and eventually I think everybody is going to get turned on to our music. For Whitey Morgan he’s been at it for a while now and this will be a big year. For all of those guys this year will be the year a lot of people wake up and say hey these guys got something going on.

Another thing with Whitey and Cody and people like Ward Davis, our fans are their fans and vice versa and a lot of time they will go to both shows in one night or two. There’s a circle fans if Whitey’s close they’ll go to his show and if we’re close they’ll go to our show and that’s a great thing. It’s not just we only like this guy or we only like that guy let’s not go to it.

GHC
Well every scene is like that, I was going to go see The Reverend Horton Heat and the G damn Gallows but I covered them many times and I decided on Wade Bowen. I am trying to incorporate more of the Texas music into this and even if I have to take off work I’ll do it to get to see people like Sunny Sweeney. She needs to be an Opry member, hell she plays more than some of the members.

Mr. Austin
Yes, I cannot wait for that day. Brett and I were fortunate enough about three weeks ago to get to see her there. The night before she had her Trophy release at the Basement East. There were several people there Larry Gaitlin and Crystal Gayle and several others were there. When she started it was just Aw Goodness. It made me feel like back in the sixties it was Country Music and that’s what it comes down to. She’s Country Music.

GHC
I think with the new management being a woman she might speak to her musically from a different standpoint than a man and I think she has a really good chance. She will speak to her from a whole different level.

Mr. Austin
I believe so she’s doing a lot of things right. This CD I listened to it before it came out and there’s several songs on there that will go places. When she released that song from a table away it went up the charts and that’s the first song I ever heard her do, and I believe it’s going to be her year as well.

Music City Roots Welcomes Cody Jinks And More.

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Jan 052017
 

Ahh the perils of working second shifts where the quandary of the day of whether to take off or watch shows on my phone at lunch breaks. I try my best to watch Music City Roots from the Factory in Franklin Tennessee every Wednesday night, I know last week they featured Leigh Nash from Sixpence None The Richer. She is releasing a REALLY GOOD Country album that she played a few songs from. This weekly show is hosted by Country Songwriting Legend Jim Lauderdale and broadcasting Legend Keith Bilbrey where they bring out featured Americana and Roots music with every show.

As you may already know Cody Jinks And The Tone Deaf Hippies made my number three spot for my TOP 50 Of 2016 for last year and also I recently covered one of his sold out Nashville shows at 3Rd And Lindsley, you can read about that all HERE. If you already want tickets to this show, it usually sells out and you can go HERE and get them cheap.

Cody Jinks has become an underground sensation in the last few years by selling out venues ALL OVER America. He played a FREE show at Grimey’s here in Nashville where he released “I’m Not The Devil” on LP where it sold thousands of copies in it’s first week, you can read about THAT HERE. He has built a plethora of followers that travel long distances to see his shows and buy his music, and they call themselves “Flockers”. Akin to other bands such as Hank Williams 3, and many others I could name Cody Jinks has amassed a long list of accomplishments that are garnishing the Nashville suits and making them cringe like someone is scratching a chalkboard.

Also I want to spoil a little upcoming series for you that Cody’s steel guitarist Mr. Austin Tripp will be a part of. Right now I want to introduce a NEW “Steel Guitarist Series” where I’ll be visiting with local bands that have steel pickers. I’m going to delve into their sound, and who influenced them. Where did they come from, and how did they get involved with their current band? ALL THIS AND MORE will be soon found out!

Old Salt Union has gone through some recent lineup changes in the past year however they remain a viable must see at festivals and shows alike. Their St. Louis style string band fury has been unleashed upon unsuspecting crowds some 200 shows a year and they are a VERY hardworking band. Their new EP called ‘Cut And Run” made my honorable mention list and I truly enjoyed that album and look anticipate much more music from these boys!

There will also be performances by these artists as well so be sure to tune into this weekly show and support really terrific artists. To be honest I find a LOT of great underground acts from this show and it supports my community with music. THAT is an important factor when people like me write about this type of thing!

Jesse Kramer
Peter Case
Colin Hay