Charlie Hickman Band : What Goes Around

Charlie Hickman Band : What Goes Around

David Overstreet

When you think of Red Dirt music, usually your thoughts drift towards some of the classics: Tom Skinner, Bob Childers, The Red Dirt Rangers, Jason Boland and The Stragglers, and the recently reprised Turnpike Troubadours. Usually, the sound that comes to mind with that is more of a laid-back country/folk with some rock mixed in for emphasis. But as we all well know, bands like The Great Divide and Cross Canadian Ragweed shattered that mold. Now, in that same vein, another rock unit has been coming up through the Red Dirt ranks, The Charlie Hickman Band.

The Wilder Blue: Self-Titled

The Wilder Blue: Self-Titled

Victoria Scott

Just in time for the bluebonnets in Texas to pop, so does The Wilder Blue’s self-titled sophomore album. This sonically crisp ear candy makes the listener wonder if Badfinger and Alabama didn’t have a pandemic love child. The Wilder Blue is refreshingly classic while maintaining the group’s hard-fought originality.

The five-piece band, comprised of solo artist and songwriter Zane Williams, songwriter and talented guitarist Paul Eason, Lyndon Hughes (former drummer and vocalist for Roger Creager), Austin bassist Sean Rodriguez, and multi-instrumentalist Andy Rogers, self-produced the album with engineer Matt Pence (The Lord Baltimores, Shakey Graves) at Echo Lab Studios in Denton, TX.

Ian Noe: River Fools & Mountain Saints

Ian Noe: River Fools & Mountain Saints

Hilaria Coon

Like the creeks that run and tributaries that trickle throughout singer-songwriter Ian Noe’s homelands in Eastern Kentucky, water flows throughout his new LP. Thoughtfully and intentionally named, River Fools and Mountain Saints highlights Noe’s storytelling prowess through 12 country rockers and Appalachian ballads, depicting contemporary and historical life in the region.


Water’s in the name, of course — River Fools and Mountain Saints, which is due out March 25 via Thirty Tigers — but water also informs the tales Noe tells and the metaphors of perseverance, sustenance, and strength within them. The major floods that decimated the southeastern part of the state in February 2020 remained close at heart during his writing process, as well.


The album title came to Noe before any of the songs, serving as a concept and a guiding principle. “That landscape and that geography of growing up in Lee County, Kentucky,” he begins, “I've got so much material of things that I can write about, of stories of all these people and just life in general of growing up there.


“You think about the river? It's down here. It’s low. And then you got the mountains up high. You've got everything in this way! You can go all over the place with that type of landscape, and that's how [the writing] starts.”


Bee Taylor: LIVE! At Master Musicians Festival

Bee Taylor: LIVE! At Master Musicians Festival

Jolene Horihan

The Lake Cumberland Region in Somerset, Kentucky comes alive every summer - for nearly three decades - to host the area’s premiere music festival. The Master Musicians Festival reins in 3,000 – 6,000 attendees each. Their 28th year blew those numbers out of the water with a record breaking 7,500 attendees in 2021. The Master Musicians Festival features some of the most sought-after national acts to headline each year, not to mention its importance on highlighting the talents of regional and local acts.

William Clark Green: Baker Hotel

William Clark Green: Baker Hotel

Derek Scudder

15 years into his music career, William Clark Green found himself turning 35 and suddenly forced off the road by the pandemic. Like so many other artists he took that time to take a hard look at what he was doing and re-evaluate everything. “It’s like, ‘Where am I at in life? Where do I want to be? Where did I think I would be?’ Not being able to work [during the lockdown], I had a lot of time to sit and think about myself, and what’s really locking me down,” Green says. The result of that self-scouting is Baker Hotel, his sixth studio album (out on March 28 and released on his own Bill Grease Records label).

Roxi Copland: Two Shots In

Roxi Copland: Two Shots In

Melissa Payne

We’ve got a fun video for you today. It's the single “Two Shots In” from Austin’s own Roxi Copland. A classically trained musician, Roxi’s previous life included being a singing pianist in a jazz club, but she’s dropped the complex cords for the storytelling that country and Americana music do so well. Recorded during the height of the pandemic, her EP, I Come From Crazy, is out April 8th.

Sean Whiting: Time and Space

Sean Whiting: Time and Space

Jolene Horihan

When it comes to music being made by Kentuckians, most think of bluegrass or country. But even though Sean Whiting was raised along the Country Music Highway (Route 23), he is turning that narrative on its head. With bold vocals backed by a bluesy and hard-driving rock sound, Sean Whiting and the Big Badness are making a name for themselves all over the Appalachian region and beyond. Immense guitar tones and powerful drums compliment Whiting’s strong and smooth vocals. Their sound draws influence from mid-late 20th century classic rock combined with a little swampy soul and blues. The combination makes for an electric stage presence and captivating live show.

The Train to Birmingham: Shout Bamalama! Rising Stars from Alabama

The Train to Birmingham: Shout Bamalama! Rising Stars from Alabama

Derek Scudder

The state of Alabama has a rich history of producing musical talent. Hank Williams is a good place to start since he set the standard for every country star since and his son made quite an impression as well. “Bocephus” had quite a run from the late 70s through 80s with a string of hit albums mixing his version of outlaw country with Southern rock and a bit of the blues. The group “Alabama” was the first to make the concept of a self-contained band in country music popular with the mainstream and rose to unprecedented heights in the 80s.

Premiere | Massing: Daisies

Premiere | Massing: Daisies

Phillip Ring

In the Spring of ‘21 the West Virginia based Massing dropped their Nothing To Fear EP. Since then the West Virginia natives have been steadily increasing their awareness. The EP was a fantastic exploration in songwriting and catchy eye opening, ear grabbing hooks.


This Friday 2/25 the group will release their first music video for the song “Daisies,” a fantastic song that focuses on the familiar “she loves me, she loves me not” concept, with a twist that I won’t ruin for you. Enjoy this slow march of a track that has some captivating melodies and harmonies.


It’s a fun and interesting thing to see bands explore the format of a music video, something that you see less of these days. Take some time and check out “Daisies” by Massing by clicking below. Once you’re done I recommend a dive back through the entire Massing catalog.


Eric Bolander: Can't Get There From Here

Eric Bolander: Can't Get There From Here

Ryan Bush

Soul-driven and home-crafted with master precision, Eric Bolander is quickly becoming a glowing jar of foothill muse. With his latest collection, Can’t Get There From Here, Bolander offers an alluring peek into his beautiful spellbook, behind a 12-track collection of gritty bliss.

“The Wind was an album that, for the first time, I felt it sounded like me and what I wanted a complete album to be,” stated Bolander, referencing his 2019 release. “The new album is about taking chances and pushing boundaries from within myself. I wanted these songs to move the listener through a journey that they, themselves, find on their own; I’m just the tour guide leading them through this space that is inside my mind.”

It’s the smooth, warm blade engrained in Bolander’s voice, along with the expert instrumentation from the band – elements that are paramount throughout each piece – that serve as hardened-proof that Bolander is continuing to grow his sound and prowess at a magical rate.

Premiere | David Quinn: I Just Want to Feel Alright

Premiere | David Quinn: I Just Want to Feel Alright

Melissa Payne

It’s always exciting to be able to premiere a new single from an artist and we’re thrilled to be able to offer readers the first listen of David Quinn’s new single, “I Just Want to Feel Alright.”

“This song is really about wanting to feel better. Sometimes I can get stuck in my head about past mistakes I've made and things in life that are tough to deal with. I have a hard time letting all of it go. I have always been affected by the weather - rainy days and dark nights - that's when I really start thinking about all of it - especially late nights. This song is about trying to move on, find some peace, and hoping I'll wake up in the morning with a clear head.

Premiere | Hannah Bethel: Godspeed, Los Angeles

Premiere | Hannah Bethel: Godspeed, Los Angeles

Melissa Payne

Today we have the privilege of premiering the new single, “Godspeed, Los Angeles,” from singer/songwriter, Hannah Bethel. No stranger to the music scene, Hannah has been making the rounds in Nashville since she moved there at age 18. Since that time, she’s released three albums and her video for the song, “Train,” was featured on CMT. Don’t try to pin Hannah down into any one genre though, as she blurs lines between country, Americana, folk, rock, and pop. Described as a “fiercely independent, wild, free, and untamed spirit,” her music blends elements of the many genres and styles that have influenced her writing and creative expression. Born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, she grew up in Houghton, Michigan, listening to country and Seventies rock and drawing inspiration from Tom Petty, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Willie Nelson, and others.

Sarah Shook and the Disarmers: Nightroamer

Sarah Shook and the Disarmers: Nightroamer

Derek Scudder

Sarah Shook’s voice demands your attention. The first time I heard “Nothin’ Feels Right But Doin’ Wrong,” (from the debut Sidelong record in 2017) it turned my head around. The combination of raw energy and punk attitude, coupled with the Disarmers’ lean approach to drum-forward, guitar-heavy country had me hooked. Now they’re back with their third album and it is going to be a game-changer.

Producer Pete Anderson is best known for his work with launching Dwight Yoakam’s career using a fresh sound of twangy guitars and a rock n’ roll approach. That same sensibility serves this Nightroamer album (released 2/18/22 on Thirty Tigers) quite well. The sound of the new record softens some of the rougher edges of both the band and Shook’s vocals while maintaining the same energy and attitude of the previous releases. The Disarmers’ core lineup stays the same with Eric Peterson on guitar, Aaron Oliva on upright bass, and drummer Jack Foster, but now adds pedal steel ace Adam “Ditch” Kurtz and the results are fantastic. The ten songs are all written by Shook and continues their tradition of solid lyrics with a message that encourages you to see another side without beating you over the head. The band keeps things interesting with appropriate accompaniment; they rock when needed and can serve up some serious country as well, with the tracks being divided equally.

Josh Mitcham: Nobody Asked For This

Josh Mitcham: Nobody Asked For This

David Overstreet

Singer-Songwriter Josh Mitcham, best known for his work with his former band, Jericho Woods, which sadly broke up in 2021, has set about working on his first solo project that seeks to solidify his style and move into the next phase of his career. The new album is titled Nobody Asked For This.

The album was recorded in the 100-year-old barn on his family farm, with help from friends like Josh Rinkel (Po Ramblin Boys), Aaron Biblehauser (Wolfpen Branch), Anna Blanton (Colter Wall, Jericho Woods), Aaryn Martin, Will Johnston (Elvie Shane, Jericho Woods) and cousin Paul Priest.

Unlike the more upbeat and fun style that typified the majority of Jericho Woods songs, Nobody Asked For This has a more serious feel in both tone and subject matter. And this, definitely, isn’t a bad thing as it demonstrates his maturing growth as a songwriter. Another interesting aspect about this album is that, sonically, it’s like a double release. Along the same lines as what Cody Jinks did back in 2019 with “After The Fire” and “The Wanting,” but instead, Josh does it on one album. The new album has 11 tracks that, by the way they are laid out, gives this record nearly two distinct sides. The "A" side has a decidedly country feel while the "B" side is considerably more rock-oriented. But the two sides, while different, are not so disparate, that there is a sharp or distinct cut. The songs on the country “A” side are ordered in a way that the transition is nearly seamless.


Shovels and Rope: Manticore

Shovels and Rope: Manticore

Phillip Ring

Shovels and Rope is a husband and wife duo that skirt the edge of a few musical styles. There’s a tinge of punk rock that weaves its way through the duo’s music and energy. Manticore in some ways evokes an image that’s a description of the work of the duo as a whole. The face of a man, body of a lion, and tail of a scorpion, each piece seemingly not to fit with the next, somehow making something recognizable that evokes an emotional response.
The duo’s soulful shine on the record is pushed against serious topics to make something that has depth and substance, as well as some sonic content, that make the album an interesting listen. It’s also worthwhile to dig into the lyrical content of the album hitting on both personal and social topics, including our fascinations with the cults of personality that permeate our lives in every medium, as well as family, love and strife.

Frank Turner: FTHC

Frank Turner: FTHC

Phillip Ring

If you could pour emotions in a bottle, save them for when you’ve forgotten the events that made them, keep all of that anger, rage, joy, shame, excitement, hope and fear on a shelf to pull down when you need it, would you? FTHC is a great way to start to answer that question and others. FTHC is a deeply introspective, personal album, and in some ways a departure from what many people think of as a Frank Turner record, and in others the only logical step for the self deprecating “skinny half-assed English country singer.”

Throughout the records that make the deep catalog of Frank Turner there’s a tying bond, usually some healthy mix of punk rock, folk, pessimism, optimism, and a tongue in cheek refusal to grow up somehow put together in a package that represents a level of maturing. This album isn’t different in that sense, but the FTHC logo that’s adorned albums and merch throughout the years has now clearly made its way full circle. This is a punk record, the kind your parents probably didn’t want you to hear, and it’s glorious.

Jen Tackett: If I Told You

Jen Tackett: If I Told You

Phillip Ring

It’s easy when someone is on the rise to attach your support to them. It’s like a credibility stock market. If you can get in while the “stock is low” and stay on board as it rises, you can be a tastemaker and a trendsetter. Alternately, you can be a beacon of support for the scene around you. You can choose to be the smiling face clapping in the audience for your friends. You could choose to be like Jen Tackett.

Jen is a champion for everyone around her trying to make it work. Supporting the people around her, shining the light she can on the people who need it, creating avenues for exposure, not as a self-aggrandizement, but as a means to be a part of rising tide that pulls up all ships. It’s admirable she’s admirable. She’s also extremely talented as a writer and performer.

Jade Brodie: Open Roads

Jade Brodie: Open Roads

Jolene Horihan

Southwest of Elko, Nevada, in the northeastern portion of the state, you’ll find an exceptionally picturesque area along the Humboldt River. With sheer rock walls to the east, there is space for railroad tracks cut through the pink and red rocks of the terrain. The nearby settlement called Palisade (formerly Palisades) is considered a ghost town now, but once boasted a lively and abundant mining and railroading economy before the turn of the 19th century. The beauty of this area serves as a muse to singer-songwriter, Jade Brodie, in her latest release, “Open Roads.”

As a former train conductor, Brodie found the time and inspiration to write many of her songs. She described that on this particular day, she could enjoy the scenery even more than usual because the locomotive was underpowered and traveling very slow. The hypnotic rhythm of the train pacing along the tracks gives a steady beat that is easily put to verses. While listening to “Open Roads,” you’ll find it hard to resist the swaying two-step tempo she and the band deliver. On this Valentine’s Day, Jade found it appropriate to release a song that she says is the closest to a love song that she’s ever written. A railroading career is difficult on relationships. Lots of time is spent away from loved ones and friends. It can be isolating for both the railroader and their partner. Expressing the longing to return home to that partner, Jade sings:


Ryan Culwell: Run Like a Bull

Ryan Culwell: Run Like a Bull

Melissa Payne

It’s funny how a place calls to us, even when we think we escape it. It invades our dreams, and sometimes appears within our art. The Texas Panhandle can be an unforgiving and desolate place, but it also leaves a mark on those that weather the storms, the droughts, the oil booms and busts. Some never leave; they raise the next generation of homecoming queens and football teams. Others, like Ryan Culwell, escape their small town, strike out on their own and sample what the big world has to offer. Although not a household name, Ryan’s had his share of success: a critically acclaimed second album, with praise from Rolling Stone and NPR. There seems to be no formula that Culwell follows when making albums, as each of his three albums examine a different aspect of his life or the times he’s living in. “That first record was me setting my gaze on where I come from,” says Culwell, “and the second one was me setting my gaze on the country as a whole. This time around, though, I wanted to take a closer look at myself.”

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