Country Rock
MJ Lenderman Delivers 90 Minutes of Heartbreak and Rock at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg: Review
The singer-songwriter played his heartfelt jams to an extremely packed, laser-focused crowd. MJ Lenderman Delivers 90 Minutes of Heartbreak and Rock at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg: Review Paolo Ragusa
Every Wilco Album Ranked From Worst to Best
This article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated in celebration of Jeff Tweedy’s birthday on August 25th. Welcome to Dissected, where we disassemble a band’s catalog, a director’s filmography, or some other critical pop-culture collection in the abstract. It’s exact science by way of a few beers. This time, we sort through the best and worst of Chicago’s rock ‘n’ roll teddy bears. There’s nothing easy about Wilco. Their songs leave plenty for the listener to unpack and digest, from studiously arranged musical touches to frontman Jeff Tweedy’s sometimes sweet and earnest, other times gonzo lyrics. There’s work that goes into getting your head around Wilco, which probably explains why the Chicago band have become one of the most adored acts of their generation. But dissecti...
Lyle Lovett on 12th of June, Becoming a Father at 60, and Hijinks with Chris Isaak
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Lyle Lovett sits down with Kyle Meredith to go deep into his new album, 12th of June, and his career as a multi-genre artist. Related Video The Texas-born musician talks about covering Nat King Cole, the recent retirement of his long-standing duet partner Francine Reed, and being in a transitional point in his career. Lovett then takes us into how his new album hits on becoming a father for the first time as he hit 60, as well as his summer tour with friend Chris Isaak and their past hijinks. Advertisement Lovett also touches on some Paul Reiser appreciation, acting with Donny Wahlberg on Blue Blood...
Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic to Return with Jason Isbell, Brothers Osborne, Allison Russell
Willie Nelson is set to bring back his (nearly) annual 4th of July Picnic this summer. A Texas tradition since it first launched in 1973, the event took 2020 off and went virtual last year; now, it’s set to take place at Austin’s Q2 Stadium (home of the Austin Football Club) with a heavy-hitting nine-act bill. In addition to Nelson himself performing with his Family Band, the 10-hour concert will see sets from Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, recent Grammy winners Brothers Osborne, Allison Russell, Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett, Micah Nelson’s band Particle Kid, Steve Early & The Dukes, and Asleep at the Wheel. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 15th at 10:00 a.m. CT, with Club Luck Members getting pre-sale access beginning today. Grab your tickets here. Advertisement Related Video At 8...
Watch Chance the Rapper Turn Nelly’s ‘Hot in Herre’ Into a Country-Rock Sensation
Chance The Rapper lends a hand to Nelly‘s hip-hop-country crossover narrative with the rapper’s country-rock cover performance of “Hot in Herre.” During a sneak peek of Jimmy Fallon’s new music and comedy variety game show series That’s My Jam on Thursday (Dec. 30), Chance pulled the lever and landed on the musical genre challenge, where the participant gets a song and completely different genre that they have to sing it in. When the screen selected “Hot in Herre” and “country-rock,” the Chicago MC took the mic and remixed the song with an extra twang (and fake Southern accent) that the Country Grammar star would certainly approve of. Alessia Cara, who was partnered with Josh Groban in the competition series, bopped her head and clapped her hands to Chance’s performance while per...
Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell Perform Pro-Choice Song “The Problem” on Fallon: Watch
Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell have become the premier power couple in country rock, not just by releasing great music, but also by speaking their minds even as it alienated some parts of their fanbase. Now, the dynamic duo have taken their convictions to a national late-night audience, inviting The Tonight Show into their stained-glass studio for a performance of their new abortion-rights single “The Problem”. The song originally dropped in September with intimate lyrics that explored the dizzying headspace of a young woman who sees her life spinning out of control. Then on January 22nd, which also happened to be the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Shires reworked the track with a star-studded crew of women into “Our Problem”. But for her appearance on Fallon, Shires reverted b...
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood Release Cover of “Shallow”: Stream
In an answer to the prayers of classic country music fans everywhere, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood have released a studio version of their “Shallow” cover. The husband-and-wife country duo first performed the A Star Is Born hit during a Facebook livestream early in the pandemic. They reprised their rendition as part of their Garth and Trish Live! special on CBS back in April. Now, they’ve finally taken the track into the studio, recording it for Brooks’ forthcoming new album, FUN. Oddly, the track is officially credited as “‘Shallow’ (the duet with Trisha Yearwood)”, as if the female vocal parts are a “featured” aspect and not the main attraction. Either way, Yearwood knocks Lady Gaga’s high notes out of the stadium in this faithful recreation of the blockbuster 2018 single. “From the ...
The 10 Best Covers of Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush
It’s nearly impossible to overstate the artistic influence and value of Neil Young. Born in Toronto, Ontario, in November 1945, he spent his first 20 years or so digesting as much rock ‘n’ roll, country, and doo-wop as possible in the midst of living a somewhat tumultuous life (including suffering from polio, moving around a lot, and becoming a child of divorce). As with many iconic musicians, he dedicated much of his teenage years to playing in multiple fledgling bands. That is, until fate introduced him to another singer-songwriter, Stephen Stills, with whom he’d form the beloved folk-country rock troupe Buffalo Springfield in 1966. (Of course, the two would also help start the arguably even more significant Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young a few years later.) As wonderful and enduring a...
The Sword’s J.D. Cronise Talks New Compilations, Bootlegging Rare Clutch Tracks, and His Band’s Future
Modern stoner rock owes a major debt to The Sword. Formed in 2003 in Austin, the band’s propensity for Black Sabbath-influenced doom and desert grooves predated the subculture that suddenly emerged from the stoner rock scene in the 2010s. Suddenly, remote fans of bands like Sleep and Electric Wizard were connected by the familiar churning sounds of these bands. The Sword played a vital role in this movement, with their 2006 debut album, Age of Winters, and its lead single, the now legendary “Freya”, cementing their place in doom metal lore. It was a time of resurgence for classic rock, a new era of teenagers were discovering Led Zeppelin and Sabbath, and “Freya” garnered The Sword a cult audience of eager rock fans. Their music even reached Lars Ulrich of Metallica, who would eventually ta...
Rock Concert to Take Place in Arkansas Next Week With “Pod” Seating and Temperature Checks
On Monday, Missouri Governor Mike Parson officially gave the okay for concerts to return to parts of the state — though few venues or artists were ready to make the risky move in the middle of the pandemic. Similarly, beginning on May 18th, the state of Arkansas will allow live events to resume, and already one concert is on the books. Bishop Gunn singer/guitarist Travis McCready has announced a limited-capacity concert taking place at TempleLive in Fort Smith, Arkansas next Friday. Perhaps a preview of what’s to come for future live events across the country, Ticketmaster is listing tickets broken down into “fan pods,” blocks of seats set six feet apart that must be purchased in groups of two to 12. The venue boasts a 1,100-person capacity, but has slashed it by 80%, with only 229 se...
