Cross Canadian Ragweed | Live Music Takes Over in Knoll Parking Lot
Steamboat Pilot & Today 1/3/2009
The northern half of the Steamboat Ski Area’s Knoll Parking Lot will close today and will remain closed through the end of the month. The Knoll Parking Lot will be home to dozens of musical acts in the next four weeks, as the 24th annual MusicFest at Steamboat, the sixth annual Ski Jam and the four... |
Reckless Kelly | Reckless Kelly
Houston Press 1/2/2009
Since the Braun boys moved to Austin a decade ago, their band Reckless Kelly has always been considered a part of the Texas music phenomenon, but they’ve also always managed to stand slightly apart from that whole thing. To its credit, the band has never used the beer-taco-Mexico-tequila-Texas-Texas... |
Merle Haggard | Haggard to Sing Smoke-Free
New York Times 1/1/2009
Merle Haggard plans to give his first concerts since undergoing surgery for lung cancer two months ago, Reuters reported. In a special twist, Mr. Haggard, 71, said that for the first time in his life he would perform without having first smoked tobacco or marijuana. Notwithstanding a jab at pot smok... |
Toni Price | With Keen and Price, music roams and stays home
Dallas/Fort Worth Star-Telegram 12/31/2008
Texas troubadour Robert Earl Keen painted more white lines on the road that goes on forever at Bass Hall on Tuesday night. His predictable, but well-received, set was prefaced by the less-familiar stylings of Toni Price, a sort of roadhouse blues singer who made quite a name for herself in Austin mu... |
Pat Green | Pat Green Celebrates Love
Great American Country 12/30/2008
Pat Green is riding in country music’s Top 20 with his current single, "Let Me," a love song with a big guitar solo that sets up his next album. ... |
Robert Earl Keen | Robert Earl Keen returning to North Texas for end-of-year shows
Fort Worth Star-Telegram 12/29/2008
For Robert Earl Keen, the year would not be complete without a North Texas performance, in particular at Bass Hall. "It’s definitely one of the nicest places we’ve ever played and ever do play on a consistent basis," Keen said. "There’s a certain angle to my show that works so much better if you ha... |
Roy Orbison | Orbison box set is bittersweet for his widow
tennessean.com 12/29/2008
Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll is a four-CD box set containing 107 songs, including demos, live recordings and a dozen unreleased tunes that impressively span the entire career of Roy, who died in 1988 and lived in Hendersonville.... |
Hank Williams Sr. | Hank Williams, Bob Wills Lead Classic Reissue Series
www.GACtv.com 12/29/2008
The calendar has nearly closed on 2008, but the curtain is just now rising on a massive country reissue series being serviced by German label Bear Family Records that kicks off with six CDs celebrating the Post-War music of Texas swing master Bob Wills, singer-songwriter Hank Williams and silver-scr... |
Merle Haggard | Merle Haggard: Legendary Performances On DVD Now!
top40-charts.com 12/27/2008
Shout! Factory and the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum Archive Series are proud to present Merle Haggard: Legendary Performances on DVD now. ... |
Swindles | The Swindles
San Antonio Current 12/27/2008
Mitch Webb keeps pythons in his home, so the notion of playing rootsy rock in front of some beer-addled bar patrons doesn’t faze the leader of the Swindles.... |
George Jones | George Jones Is Collecting His Own Memorabilia
cmt.com 12/26/2008
The word legend is often overused, but not when it applies to country music icon George Jones. With a rich and storied career spanning more than 50 years, he's one of country's greatest singers.... |
Robert Earl Keen | CMA Nod Means A Lot To Keen
Corpus Christi Caller-Times 12/26/2008
Robert Earl Keen has had a relatively quiet year. But while a new album is still a good six months away, the Kerrville-based singer-songwriter managed a milestone or two in 2008. Keen, whose last studio album was the 2005 release, "What I Really Mean," kept busy with a contribution to the soundtrack... |
Jack Ingram | Jack Ingram’s Biggest Commodity is Time With His Kids
Celebrity Baby Blog 12/25/2008
Balancing life on the road with having a family isn’t always the easiest thing for a dad to handle, but country singer Jack Ingram is trying his best at it. The 38-year-old is anxiously awaiting the Christmas holiday so that he can spend some undivided time with his wife Amy and their children Ava A... |
Wayne Hancock | Wayne Hancock: Texas maverick
San Jose Mercury News 12/25/2008
From Willie Nelson and Jimmie Dale Gilmore to Robert Earl Keen and the Dixie Chicks, Texas has a tradition of producing some of the most outspoken and individualistic artists in country music. ... |
Old 97s | Old 97's see the big picture
mysanantonio.com 12/25/2008
The Old 97's weren't merely putting out another record when the alt-country band released "Blame It on Gravity" in May, says bassist/singer Murry Hammond. ... |
Jason Boland & The Stragglers | Best of 2008: The best country of 2008 you probably never heard
Lake Sun Leader 12/24/2008
“Comal County Blue” was Jason Boland’s first release in nearly two years, made unique by a strange twist of fate. Normally, a big release will be preceded and immediately followed by a press blast and concert tour. No so with this album. Boland had emergency throat surgery for a “blood-filled polyp”... |
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash's Reading of the New Testament Now on DVD
cmt.com 12/24/2008
The newest offering in the Johnny Cash legacy is Chapter & Verse, a repackaging of the singer's 1990 reading of the entire New Testament onto a single DVD and an accompanying CD that collects Cash's recordings of 14 gospel songs from the various albums he made for Columbia Records.... |
Robert Earl Keen | Pickin' And Grinnin' Western-Style At Steamboat Jan. 5-10
www.OnTheSnow.com 12/22/2008
Under the banner of "6 Days, 30 Bands, 5 Mountains - One Really Big Tent," the MusicFest will present such acts as Robert Earl Keen, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Charlie Robison, Pure Prarie League, Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans, Stoney LaRue, Th... |
Gene Autry | Gene Autry, Brenda Lee receive Grammy honor
Country Standard Time 12/22/2008
Gene Autry and Brenda Lee will receive The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award along with Blind Boys Of Alabama, the Four Tops, Hank Jones, Dean Martin, Tom Paxton and Leo Fender. ... |
Floyd Tolston | Country Recording Artist Floyd Tolston Spins Up
top40-charts.com 12/22/2008
There's no looking back for country recording artist, Floyd Tolston, as his latest single, 'Lookin' Back At Luckenbach,' soars to No. 76 on 'Music Row's Country Breakout Top 100 Chart.' After 14 weeks on the chart, 'Lookin' Back At Luckenbach,' continues its upward climb at an exceptionally consiste... |
Rhett Miller | Rhett Miller solo for now
Washinton Times 12/19/2008
Since forming the Old 97's in 1993, Rhett Miller has weathered a trainload of changes in the music world. "'The Believer' was made during the last gasp of the old-model record industry," the 38-year-old songwriter says. "We had a big budget, big players, a big producer. It was fun to do it, but I kn... |
Robert Earl Keen | Ringing in a country-flavored holiday season
San Antonio Express 12/19/2008
There's a lot to talk about with Robert Earl Keen. First off, he will have his annual Christmas shows Friday night and Saturday night at John T. Floore Country Store, with Willie's daughter Paula Nelson opening with her Texas-style rocking blues. Both shows are sold out.... |
Gourds | The Gourds deliver a haymaker
Country Standard Time 12/19/2008
The Gourds have smartly covered everything from David Bowie's spacey glam sounds to Snoop Dogg's hip-hop (most notably "Gin and Juice") since they started in Austin in 1994, Not surprisingly, these adventurous behaviors have earned this unique act the label of Dixie flavored novelty act in some quar... |
Jack Ingram | Jack Ingram Home for the Holidays
Great American Country 12/18/2008
Jack Ingram’s concerts have plenty of octane, but as the year winds down, he’s looking for a more low-key way to spend December. ... |
Steve Earle | Earle, Scruggs headline RockyGrass Festival
Country Standard Time 12/18/2008
Steve Earle and Earl Scruggs are among the acts slated to play the 37th annual RockyGrass Festival in Colorado in July. ... |
Leon Russell | Leon Russell plays songs you'll recognize
Tahoe Daily Tribune 12/18/2008
Leon Russell wrote “A Song For You” — and played one for just about everybody else.... |
ZZ Top | ZZ Top returns to Aspen, and that’s not all
Aspen Times 12/18/2008
Fans at the upcoming ZZ Top shows — Dec. 28-29 at Belly Up Aspen — can pretty much count on getting the Texas power trio’s hits: the older, bluesier songs “La Grange” and “Tush,” and the slightly poppier ‘80s fare “Gimme All Your Lovin’” and “Sharp Dressed Man.” But those in attendance might also ca... |
Hayes Carll | Hayes Carll Leads Americana ’08 Acts
Great American Country 12/17/2008
Hayes Carll, whose "She Left Me For Jesus" won Song of the Year during the Americana Honors & Awards, is the most-played Americana artist for 2008, according to data provided by the Americana Music Association. ... |
Rodney Crowell | Rodney Crowell guests on Acoustic Cafe
Country Standard Time 12/16/2008
Rodney Crowell is this week's featured in-studio guest on Acoustic Cafe. Crowell spends time with Acoustic Cafe host Rob Reinhart as he discusses his new, Grammy-nominated album "Sex & Gasoline" and working on the record with producer, singer and songwriter ... |
Ramblin' Jack Elliot | Ramblin' Jack Elliott plans new CD
Country Standard Time 12/15/2008
Ramblin' Jack Elliott will release "A Stranger Here," the follow-up to his 2006 Anti- Record debut "I Stand Alone" on April 7th 2009. Working with producer Joe Henry (Bettye LaVette, Solomon Burke, Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint), Elliott, 77, sings and plays acoustic guitar, and is backed by Van Dy... |
Monte Montgomery | Monte Montgomery Interview
Birmingham Weekly 12/15/2008
Few singer/songwriters fall into the category of “guitarist’s guitarist,” but Monte Montgomery is known as much for his fretboard skills as his lyrics and melodies. Guitar Player magazine placed Montgomery on its “Top 50 All-Time Greatest Guitarists” list and he was named “Best Acoustic Guitar Playe... |
Randy Rogers Band | Randy Rogers amps up the party
The Oklahoman 12/12/2008
When Rolling Stone magazine ranks the Randy Rogers Band alongside U2 and the Stones as a must-see show of the summer, the Eagles tap them as an opening act and they land gigs in places like the House of Blues, one wonders how a group that’s considered a country act can generate such broad appeal bey... |
South Austin Jug Band | SAJB calling it quits
Austin 360 12/9/2008
Singer-songwriter James Hyland has just announced that the South Austin Jug Band is hanging up its imaginary jug. The popular local band’s final Austin performance will be New Year’s Eve at Momo’s. Then they’ll play a few gigs in Colorado then, in an email Hyland sent to fans, “we are turning the pa... |
George Jones | After hard-living past, George Jones gets top honor
The Tennessean 12/7/2008
It doesn't seem fair to George Jones, this circumstance in which people stand and cheer him for who he is and what he's done.... |
Robert Earl Keen | Undone: A Live MusicFest Tribute to Robert Earl Keen
cybergrass.com 12/6/2008
A Who's Who of young Texas/Americana artists and musicians gathered last winter at the annual MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado to honor a man who has blazed an important trail for them: indelible ... |
Asleep At The Wheel | Asleep at the Wheel playing Music City Texas next Saturday
Sulphur Springs News-Telegraph 12/5/2008
If you've been reading the News-Telegram for the past two years, you know I'm a die-hard Asleep at the Wheel fan. Have been in love with their sound since Ray (Big Ray) Benson started playing small clubs in the early 1980s.... |
Jason Boland & The Stragglers | Boland's back on the road
San Antonio Express-News 12/5/2008
With the holiday season upon us, some venues are closing their doors for big-bash private events. Fortunately for the unlucky masses without invitations, they're making up for it with free shows and big names, such as Jason Boland & The Stragglers making their first appearance in the area since the... |
Wade Bowen | Texas tunesmith Wade Bowen has a revved-up sound that's a little bit Petty
Dallas Morning News 12/5/2008
With its revved-up guitar licks and the driving propulsion of the chorus, "You Had Me at My Best," which opens Texan Wade Bowen's new CD, If We Ever Make It Home, sounds like Tom Petty circa 1979. In fact, you can hear the Petty influences on several cuts of this New Braunfels-based singer-songwrite... |
Kevin Fowler | For Singer Kevin Fowler, It's All About the Songs
www.IStockAnalyst.com 12/4/2008
Country musician Kevin Fowler can't stop singing. In the middle of an interview, he's likely to break out into one of his hits just to demonstrate what he's talking about. Fortunately for his fans, he won't stop singing on the road, either. With more than 150 shows this year, Fowler's been touring... |
Jason Boland & The Stragglers | Boland returns to stage Saturday
New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung 12/3/2008
Dale Watson easily is one of the most traditional singers in the music business right now and we’re lucky he calls Texas home. He’ll be performing at Riley’s Tavern on Saturday night and it will be one show you won’t want to miss. ... |
James McMurtry | To the point
Creative Loafing Media 12/2/2008
James McMurtry might not be a name on par with, say, fellow Texans Lyle Lovett or Steve Earle, but the singer/songwriter and bad-ass guitarist is still a revered act in the Americana world. McMurtry's latest album, the outstandingly incendiary, darkly humorous, wonderfully emotive and rustically roc... |
Pat Green | Pat Green enjoys recording success, remembers his roots
Las Vegas Sun 12/2/2008
Rising country star Pat Green is jazzed about playing Las Vegas again. “The NFR is the best time of year for any country band to be coming to town, for sure,” Green says by phone from Dallas. “It’s kind of a built-in crowd. Everybody is rarin’ to go.”... |
Willie Nelson | Willie Nelson makes Miller Auditorium crowd feel like family
Kalamazoo Gazette 12/1/2008
A barn-burning band with a movie star singer, and a national treasure, played to a nearly sold-out Miller Auditorium Sunday night. The Boxmasters, with movie star Billy Bob Thornton as their singer/songwriter, is a dicey choice for an opening act. But then, they were opening for Willie Nelson, who ... |
George Jones | Country singer George Jones to perform in Linden
Dallas Morning News 11/29/2008
East Texas will get a treat this weekend when country music legend George Jones performs Sunday night in the Piney Woods town of Linden, exactly one week before he is to receive one of six prestigious 2008 Kennedy Center Honors.... |
Hayes Carll | Carll, sore noggin and all, playing the Shack
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 11/29/2008
Texas singer-songwriter Hayes Carll acquired his Arkansas credentials when he graduated from Hendrix College in 1998, and it looks like he can’t stop thinking about all his fun times in the Natural State.... |
Willie Nelson | The Family Nelson
Dubuque Telegraph-Herald 11/28/2008
The concert at Five Flags Center is billed as Willie Nelson & Family in Concert, with special guest Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters. Family consists of Willie's sister Bobbie, who's played piano to his vocals and guitar for three decades, and a musical family that has been with him just as long... |
Kyle Park | Rio Grand and Kyle Park to Play at Wild Bill's
Brownsville Herald 11/27/2008
Danny Rivera looks forward to performing tonight at Wild Bill's Saloon and Honky Tonk. "It's going to be great," said the 32-year-old McAllen native and lead singer of Rio Grand, which will perform at the venue along with Kyle Park.... |
Wade Bowen | Laid back acoustic show comes to Abilene
Abilene Reporter-News 11/26/2008
There is just something different for an acoustic show with friends, at least for Wade Bowen. Each winter, close to Christmas, Bowen has hit the road to play a few scaled back, intimate, more relaxed shows where the only sound coming from the stage is a singer's voice and the six-string in their ar... |
Doug Sahm | Doug Sahm tribute coming
Country Standard Time 11/24/2008
A Doug Sahm tribute is coming in late March, featuring Levom Helm, Los Lobos, Delbert McClinton and Alejandro Escovedo. "Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm" will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the singer's death. The disc, out March 24, 2009 on Vanguard, covers songs from throughout Sahm's... |