Every week, The Boot highlights recent favorites from country, Americana, folk and everything in between. In every list, you’ll find picks from our contributing team that we think you’ll love. Keep reading to check out the latest installment of The Boot’s Weekly Picks. Fern Maddie “Hares on the Mountain” Vermont’s Fern Maddie has a knack for powerful storytelling
Music
Miranda Lambert has released another track off her upcoming album Palomino, ahead of its April 29 drop date. “Actin’ Up” is a swaggering slice of woozy country-rock, with Lambert dropping a wealth of pop-culture references in the lyrics. In the first two verses alone, she alludes to Tommy James and the Shondells’ 1968 hit “Mony
Nashville singer-songwriter Caroline Spence will release her fourth career album, True North, on April 29. In the meantime, the album’s lead single “Clean Getaway” prepares us for what’s in store from Spence: nothing short of catharsis. On the new track, Spence’s soprano reigns over introspective lyrics and a soft, windows-down groove. The song — which celebrates the power of self-acceptance — doesn’t
A future folk legend was born in Maywood, Ill., on Oct. 10, 1946: John Prine. Although he didn’t find much chart success, the singer leaves behind a legion of fans and artists influenced by his incredible, unique talents as a songwriter and in love with his quirky and kind personality. The son of Muhlenberg County, Ky.,
Indie folk foursome River Whyless’ love for nature is evident in everything they do, including their latest album Monoflora, out April 8 via Soundly Music. In addition to songs like “Heaven and Light,” which features sounds that emulate birds chirping, the record’s cover illustrates a patch of wildflowers, a person looking across a body of water, staring at
Cody Jinks deviated from his set list of outlaw-country tunes like “I’m Not the Devil” and “Must Be the Whiskey” during his weekend show in Round Rock, Texas, weaving in a Foo Fighters cover to pay tribute to the band’s drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died March 25. Around the halfway point of his concert at
Tammy Wynette, also known as the “First Lady of Country Music” and the “Heroine of Heartbreak,” was an icon, a trailblazer and a hitmaker. Throughout her illustrious career, she scored 20 No. 1 hits and recorded dozens of studio albums. Wynette’s most beloved songs include iconic solo tunes, classic duets with longtime musical partner George Jones (also
John Prine had been married twice before he found his wife Fiona. The pair met in 1988, in Dublin, Ireland — far away from Nashville — and their relationship was a bit of an uphill battle at first, Fiona Prine admits. “There were a lot of things stacked against us,” she told Rolling Stone in 2017. “He
Independent artist Corey Kent is cruising in to the country mainstream with the early March release of his new single “Wild as Her,” which quickly amassed over 5 million streams and shot to the top of Apple Music’s Country Chart. The song beat out multiple Morgan Wallen tracks to get to the No. 1 spot,
Garth Brooks insisted someone bring him two boozy rum drinks — “One for each hand!” — in his 1998 drinking anthem “Two Piña Coladas.” Now he’s building his own Nashville bar for his friends in low places to knock ’em back. On Tuesday, the country singer announced plans for a “new entertainment concept” in the heart
Two country singers went head to head on Monday (April 4) with hopes of making it through to the next round of Season 20’s American Idol. Dan Marshall and Dakota Hayden, who were last to perform on the two-hour Showstoppers episode, found themselves coming face to face vying for the final slot in the Top
Georgia-born country artist Kip Moore grew up being more interested in golf than guitar (which he began playing in high school); he even received a golf scholarship from Valdosta State University. Eventually, though, music moved to the forefront of his mind, and after a brief stint in Hawaii, he decided to take the risk and moved to Nashville to
For their single “Outsmart Love,” Brontë Fall singer-songwriter Teri Bracken teamed up with Isaac Slutsky to explore love and love lost. The track is the fifth track from Winter, Brontë Fall’s latest EP, released earlier this month. “When I wrote this song with Isaac, we were in the middle of the pandemic and both going through
Mimi Webb projects a voice as magnetic, massive, and magical as her personality. As “the girl next door” with a hell of vocal range, she’s quick to laugh, will let you know precisely what’s on her mind, and isn’t afraid to be heard. Originally hailing from the UK town of Canterbury, the pop singer and
Bob Weir and the Wolf Bros played two nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York this weekend, bringing out an all-star list of guest performers that included Tyler Childers, John Mayer, Brittney Spencer, and bassist Ron Carter to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Weir’s album Ace. For one of Childers’ appearances, the Kentucky
Chris Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, were in Las Vegas for the 2022 Grammy Awards over the weekend, where Stapleton picked up three trophies, including the award for Best Country Album. But in between all their Grammy-related duties, the Stapletons found time to go see Billie Eilish’s Friday night arena show in Vegas. “We went
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum first opened its doors on April 1, 1967. Now located in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the country music Mecca has welcomed countless visitors in its five-plus decades of existence. In addition to its revolving exhibits, the 350,000-square-foot Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum boasts nearly 200,000 sound
In 2020, Ray Wylie Hubbard rounded up some of his closest friends for Co-Starring, a collection of duets that featured an eclectic supporting cast, including Ringo Starr, Pam Tillis, Ronnie Dunn and Aaron Lee Tasjan. He liked the result so much that he released a sequel, Co-Starring Too, on March 18. The record’s first single and stand-out track
A belated birthday party is better than no party at all. A few days after Willie Nelson turns 89, a group of friends and disciples will join the Red Headed Stranger at his Luck Ranch outside of Austin for a May 1st tribute concert. “To Willie: A Birthday Celebration,” produced by Luck Presents and the
When Thomas Rhett was putting together his latest album, Where We Started, there were no plans to make the title track a collaboration. It was a member of Rhett’s team who sent the song over to Katy Perry to see if she was interested. “I was like, ‘Yeah, but they’re not gonna respond.’… And literally within
On April 3, 1948 — 74 years ago today — the influential radio program Louisiana Hayride premiered. The weekly Saturday night country music show was recorded live in front of an audience. Louisiana Hayride broadcast from Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium and aired on the 50,000-watt AM radio powerhouse KWKH — meaning it could be heard in faraway places such as
Bryan Martin “Everyone’s An Outlaw” Finessing top 40 country sounds with the gritty distortion of outlaw country, Bryan Martin‘s new song goes down easy amidst its message of defiance. A former “roughneck” oil rig worker turned TikTok sensation, Martin’s upcoming album Self Inflicted Scars is a culmination of his dreams. “Everyone’s An Outlaw” espouses typical country music
Harry Styles has released the lead single from his forthcoming album ‘Harry’s House’, which is due out May 20th. The song entitled “As It Was”, is the first music he’s released since his 2019 blockbuster, Fine Line. It’s one of the most emotionally powerful songs he’s ever done. Check it out below. neillfrazer@hotmail.com
C.W. McCall, an adman who found fame as a country music singer with songs about 18-wheelers, including the 1976 crossover No. 1 “Convoy,” has died at 93. According to his son Bill Fries III, McCall had been battling cancer and was in hospice care in his Colorado home when he died Friday, April 1. “Breaker
The Judds are reuniting to perform on television together for the first time in 20 years. People reports that the mother-daughter duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd are slated to reunite for a live performance during the 2022 CMT Music Awards. The Judds will sing their 1990 hit “Love Can Build a Bridge” in front
Sixty-six years ago today (April 2, 1956) was a career-changing day for Johnny Cash: It was on that date that he recorded “I Walk the Line,” for his freshman album, With His Hot and Blue Guitar. “I Walk the Line,” which became the third single from Cash’s debut record, shot straight to No. 1 when it was
Lyle Lovett is returning with his first new music in 10 years. A new album, 12th of June, is set for release on May 13. Produced by Lovett and Chuck Ainlay, the project features 11 tracks — a combination of originals, standards by Nat King Cole and Dave Frishberg, and an instrumental track by Horace Silver. In preparation
Shawn Mendes finally dropped his new single, “When You’re Gone,” after teasing the track on Instagram earlier this month. Mendes wrote the new single about his break up with Camila Cabello, the pair dated for two years before calling it quits in November 2021. Mendes co-wrote and produced “When You’re Gone” with Scott Harris and
Country Music Hall of Fame inductees the Judds are set to reunite and perform at the 2022 CMT Music Awards. The annual fan-voted event takes place April 11 in Nashville. It’s been more than 20 years since the mother-daughter duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd last played an awards show stage. This time they’ll reprise
Billy Ray Cyrus is once again making a foray into genre-crossing collaboration with “A Hard Working Man, his new duet with rapper Snoop Dogg and the Avila Brothers. The song is called “A Hard Working Man,” and it’s out as of Friday (April 1). The cross-genre pack of artists teased it heavily on social media, with