Music

It feels like everyone is itching for a bit of comforting nostalgia these days, but it’s easy to fall short when trying to rekindle the magic of another time. With his new boot scootin’ new track “Neon Blue,” Joshua Hedley masterfully magnifies the sound of early 90s country through a modern lens. “Neon Blue” is the title track and

The Cactus Blossoms‘ colorful, retro-inspired new video for “Is It Over” finds the duo reflecting on when it’s time to take a final bow. Directed by Joshua Shoemaker, whose previous work includes music videos for Margo Price, Erin Rae and Marcus King among others, “Is It Over” uses follows The Cactus Blossoms on a journey to and

In the 1990s, Clint Black was a trendsetter in country music. When he released his freshman album, Killin’ Time, in 1989, Black — along with fellow then-rising stars Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and Travis Tritt, among others – ushered in a new style of music for the new decade. Together, they were known as the Class of ’89.

One day after earning a nomination for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Dolly Parton has been announced as the new host of the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards. The annual event is set to return to its longtime home of Las Vegas on March 7. Parton, who previously co-hosted the

Although Morgane Stapleton has earned widespread admiration and acclaim for her incredible backing vocals on most of her husband’s biggest hits, she’s much more than just Chris Stapleton‘s talented other half. Along with her powerhouse voice, Morgane has proven herself to be one of country music’s most talented and sought-after songwriters. She’s penned tracks that have been

California country soul outfit Wreckless Strangers bring the heat in their brand new track “Sun State,” which is premiering exclusively at The Boot today. The sexy, fiery track was co-written by all six members of the group and features the incomperable Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica. With a mixture of powerhouse vocals, clever lyrical imagery and richly layered

Sixty-three years ago today (Feb. 3, 1959) was an incredibly tragic day for music fans: It was on that date that Buddy Holly was killed in an airplane crash, attributed to poor weather and pilot inexperience, near Mason City, Iowa. The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens were also passengers on the private flight and died

Dolly Parton’s public life for the last 60 years has been like a daily act of performance art. While her interior life may or may not mirror the colorful, quirky exterior, there’s an air of rock & roll spectacle to the way she’s walked in those high-heeled shoes day after day. “Iconic” is a word

Allison Moorer “Wish for You” “Wish for You” is the first single from Allison Moorer‘s upcoming self-titled EP, due out Feb. 11 via Thirty Tigers. The inspiration for the project was her 11-year-old son, John Henry Earle, who is autistic and lives with a severe speech disability. When John Henry began creating his own unique melodies and humming

Singer-songwriter Jeremy Ivey recently announced his third full-length record, Invisible Pictures, due out on March 11. To coincide with the news, he also debuted his autobiographical single “Orphan Child,” an existentialist track that references his own experience being raised by foster parents. In the track, Ivey calls himself a “nomad” and a “transient,” a man without a home. But that,

Forty-eight years ago today (Feb. 2, 1974), Dolly Parton earned her second No. 1 hit with her song “Jolene.” The tune, written by Parton, was the title track of her 13th studio album. With lines such as “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / I’m begging of you, please don’t take my man / Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene

M.C. Taylor was watching footage of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump’s MAGA faction when he saw a rioter flying the U.S. flag upside down, a recognized but rarely used symbol of distress. The North Carolina singer-songwriter’s stomach dropped. Taylor and his band, Hiss Golden Messenger, were just weeks away from

From the moment Jason Isbell first picked up a guitar, the singer-songwriter has been watching and learning from others. Growing up in Green Hill, Ala., a rural community not far from Muscle Shoals, Isbell often spent summers with his grandfather, a Pentecostal preacher who was also a musician. ”He could play fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin,” Isbell recalled.

For those who came of age in the early 2000s, anxiety and sensory overload have become a way of life. From 9/11 to the war in Ukraine, there seems to be a new international incident every week. The economy has been unreliable, climate change has made our summers unlivable and the American populace has grown

On Feb. 1, 1978, Dolly Parton‘s “Here You Come Again” became her first gold single. At the time of the song’s release, Parton was making a big push to break into the pop world. That’s certainly evident from “Here You Come Again”: Written by songwriting legends Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil — who had penned

The bill at this summer’s Windy City Smokeout just got a bit more crowded. Turnpike Troubadours will now join Willie Nelson and Family as co-headliners on Aug. 4, the opening night of the four-day music and barbecue festival held in the parking lot of Chicago’s United Center. An official announcement from the festival, along with

Since 2006, American Aquarium has released eight studio albums and two live albums. In 2021, they also surprised fans with Slappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, two albums filled with covers of the band’s favorite 90s country hits. This spring, the band will release another studio album titled Chicamacomico, a project that was completely

Putting the “alternative” in “alt-country,” Sophie and the Broken Things are kicking off their 2022 with the mischievous “Churches and Bars.” The song feels like it’s been passed through a filter of 1970s grime and inventiveness, with Sophie Gault’s distinctive voice rising above the off-kilter free. “Churches and Bars” is the latest single off the

Think Walker Hayes‘ “Fancy Like” was ubiquitous in 2021? Apparently, it’s just as inescapable in 2022 — at least, it was on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 30), when Hayes performed his biggest hit and a medley of other songs at the Chiefs-Bengals halftime show at Kansas City, Missouri’s Arrowhead Stadium. Before Hayes hit the stage, something

Hargus “Pig” Robbins, a member of Nashville’s A-team of session players who added keyboards and piano to albums by Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Miranda Lambert, Ween, and many more, died Sunday. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, who inducted Robbins into the Hall in 2012, confirmed his death. He was 84.

Twenty-seven years ago today (Jan. 28), Alan Jackson had plenty to celebrate: It was on this day in 1995 that the singer scored his 10th No. 1 hit with the song “Gone Country,” from his multi-platinum-selling Who I Am album. Veteran tunesmith Bob McDill penned “Gone Country,” which tells the stories of three different styles

In the years since Goodnight, Texas released their 2018 record Conductor, the band has released an EP, The Senseless Age, and a live collection titled Live in Seattle, Just Before the Global Pandemic, which largely featured an up-tempo folk and western sound. The first track from their brand new album How Long Will it Take Them to Die, out today

Thirty-four years ago, on Jan. 29, 1988, Randy Travis achieved a new career milestone: It was on that date that the singer-songwriter earned his first double-platinum album, signifying sales in excess of 2 million copies, with his disc Always & Forever. Always & Forever, Travis’ sophomore release, came out in 1987 and spawned four No. 1 singles, including

Miranda Lambert has a habit of taking unexpected departures with her music, whether it’s the sneering attitude and edge of her trio Pistol Annies or something like the ultra-subdued Marfa Tapes collaboration from 2021. Even more unlikely was her 2021 dance remix of “Tequila Does” that cast the boozy country tune in sun-soaked tropical house

Sara Evans and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine might not outwardly seem like a musical match made in Heaven, but they teamed up for a very convincing performance of a classic Stevie Nicks song on Jan. 29, 2008 — 14 years ago today. Evans paired up with Maroon 5 for an episode of CMT Crossroads,

Put down whatever you’re doing, because the first booming notes of celebrated Canadian musician Matt Andersen‘s bourbon-infused voice are sure to stop you in your tracks. Belting in the style of R&B’s most beloved legends, Andersen stuns with his timeless breakup anthem ”Other Side of Goodbye.” In a statement, Andersen notes that “breaking up is sometimes the easiest part, the

Back when variety television shows were all the rage, few came out of central casting quite like Glen Campbell. His musical appeal and down-home personality crossed genre and generation gaps without compromise, pleasing fans of such varied talents as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Andy Williams. Toss in the success of the Grammy-winning album Wichita

Morgan Wade mixes the King of Rock & Roll with a little Electric Light Orchestra on a new cover of the evergreen “Suspicious Minds.” The track appears as one of six new songs on her LP Reckless (Deluxe Edition) that was released Friday. Like many of Wade’s original songs, there’s a less-is-more approach to the

When you hear the name David Lee Murphy, the first thing to pop into your mind might be his 1994 country hit “Dust on the Bottle.” That track was the fourth single from Murphy’s debut album Out With a Bang and became one of the most recognizable country hits from the 1990s. That record’s title

Maddie & Tae and Morgane Stapleton are sending a warning to all heartbreakers with their new song, “Don’t Make Her Look Dumb.” The song appears on M&T’s new collection, Through the Madness Vol. 1, out Friday (Jan. 28). Skirt-chasers have been wrecking hearts, and the singers are done witnessing their sisters go through yet another heartbreak. “Bad boys seem like