Country Music

Music Commentary: Nanci Griffith vs. the “New Yorker”

December 19, 2023
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It was the sniping tone that made the article perplexing. I would almost call it perverse. Why treat so cavalierly — even shabbily — a deceased, highly esteemed, Grammy-winning artist?

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Country Album Review: Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Classic Trio Albums” — The Voice Alone

December 20, 2021
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What makes these two albums stand apart? They are content to showcase the elemental power of Tennessee Ernie Ford’s voice.

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Music Commentary: Songs Ken Burns Overlooked in “Country Music”

October 2, 2019
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Country music is as rich and complex as any other genre, but given the inevitable marketing tie-ins, it might be a good time to offer the names of artists and songs that either weren’t included or were briefly touched on at best.

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Music Commentary: Ken Burns’ “Country Music” — Superb Cinematic Storytelling

September 22, 2019
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Country Music digs into the rich, deep dirt of a music with a complicated past, a hybrid genre soaked in soulful suffering, twangy glory, and times both high and tough.

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Country Music Review: Gabe Lee’s “farmland” — The Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot Blues

August 16, 2019
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This Nashvillian has a simple message for America: “You best pull yourself together, or you might never be the same.”

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Music Interview: Country Singer Susan Cattaneo—Making it as a Musician in Boston

December 12, 2015
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“I love analyzing songs and finding out what makes them tick and what makes them wonderful.”

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Fuse Music Interview: Jim Lauderdale joins Della Mae at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival

February 10, 2015
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A country maverick talks about becoming a bluegrass traditionalist.

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Film Review: “We Always Lie to Strangers” — One Part of America, Singing

November 29, 2014
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These are good people who have grown up playing country and pop music and are committed to giving the people what they want.

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Music Interview: Beth Harrington on The Carters, The Cashes, and the Course of Country Music

September 23, 2014
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“The music itself is quite Gothic. It’s about murder, and death, and God, not all toe tapping stuff.”

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Theater Review: “A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline” — An Enjoyable Homage to a Legend of Country Music

September 4, 2014
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A Short Walk with Patsy Cline leaves you wanting more. It will send you — back or for the first time — to Cline’s own recordings.

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