Country Music

Latest Articles

Review: Country Strong

Too-soon-out-of-rehab country star Kelly Canter (a bronzed Gwyneth Paltrow) attempts to twang her way back from a drunken stage dive in Dallas that resulted in a miscarriage.
Pretty weak
By BRETT MICHEL | January 14, 2011

Coming back to life

The season at Maine State Music Theatre opens with the beautiful music of Always...Patsy Cline , Ted Swindley's feel-good celebration of the remarkable singer (Jenny Lee Stern) and her charms both on and off the stage.
MSMT rolls out a wonderful Patsy Cline
By MEGAN GRUMBLING | June 18, 2010

Voice of the County

How boys who grew up a few miles from each other in the County wound up making a record together in Nashville is one of those vagaries of the music business that will never make sense.
Travis James Humphrey gets local in Nashville
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 14, 2010

The Big Hurt: A big country lesbian pissing match

Reports began to surface recently that a major country star was set to come out of the closet in People magazine. I had high hopes for Chris Gaines, but no such luck.
Music news in brief
By DAVID THORPE | May 14, 2010

Phosphorescent | Here’s To Taking It Easy

What was once an aching, drowsy fireside croon fest (2007’s Pride ) has taken a blatant leap into hoedown territory on singer/guitarist Matthew Houck’s latest effort.
Dead Oceans (2010)
By CARRIE BATTAN | May 14, 2010

Cowboy junkie

England in the mid-’80s, gray and depressed by Thatcherism and the Smiths, wasn’t a place folks typically dressed to the nines in ten-gallon hats, bolo ties, and Nudie shirts. But such were the sartorial choices made those days by the members of the Meko
In his paintings and music, Jon Langford resurrects and pays respect to a vanished American past
By MIKE MILIARD | April 09, 2010

The Big Hurt: Say anything

It’s almost impossible to read a single page of YouTube comments without being confronted by society’s ugliest afflictions: ignorance, pointless fights, horrifying racism, and unfair criticism of Justin Bieber’s haircut.
The week in YouTube comments
By DAVID THORPE | April 09, 2010

Hello, we’re Johnny Cash

The Nave Gallery in Somerville kicks off its month-long salute to the Man in Black next week.
Stacked all-star tribute/benefit at the RISD Auditorium
By CHRIS CONTI | April 02, 2010

Heart keeps beating

Storytelling is largely about character, and writer Thomas Cobb came up with a doozy when he conceived Bad Blake.
Novelist (and RIC professor) Thomas Cobb recalls the origins of Bad Blake
By JIM MACNIE | January 29, 2010

Massachusetts: You might be living in a red state if

Scott Brown’s Senatorial victory is merely the latest sign that red tides are creeping upon our once-progressive Commonwealth. Don’t believe us? Consider that Kenny Chesney sells out Gillette Stadium every summer, and, of course, that wealthy Republican
31 signs that Scott Brown’s victory is changing the face of the commonwealth for the worse
By CHRIS FARAONE | January 22, 2010

Lightning strikes

When Hank Williams sang a song like "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy" he could sell it because he'd been down low: born with spina bifida, father with a paralyzed face thanks to a stroke, brother he never knew because he was already dead.
Weather the storm with Roy Davis's third LP
By SAM PFEIFLE | January 22, 2010

The Relatives | Don't Let Me Fall

Does the Devil really have all the best tunes? Go tell that to Bach, or the Sensational Nightingales, or Johnny Cash!
Heavy Light (2009)
By GUSTAVO TURNER | November 13, 2009

Lowe life

Nick Lowe is a rare creature, a punk rock founding father who has endured and evolved gracefully.
Nick Lowe on growing up and growing old in the music business
By MICHAEL ATCHISON | October 09, 2009

The Bigmouth strikes again

Given all the conflicting emotions, it was tough to form an opinion on Kanye West's VMA bum rush against Taylor Swift.
Kanye acts like himself; nation loses shit
By DAVID THORPE | September 25, 2009

Music Seen: The Record Family

When the economy suddenly found us working Saturdays, Saturday night out became all the more important. Enter the Silver Spur in Mechanic Falls.
At the Silver Spur (Mechanic Falls), September 12
By BRIDGET M. BURNS | September 18, 2009

Review: Castanets | Texas Rose, the Thaw and the Beasts

Although based in a rustic, country-western sound, Ray Raposa's Castanets are irreverent, using familiar elements like pedal-steel guitars and gospel choruses in defiant ways.
Asthmatic Kitty (2009)
By MICHAEL PATRICK BRADY | September 18, 2009

The Big Hurt: Checking the Billboard Hot 100

As usual, I won't be able to make it through the full 100, but seven is just as good, right?
Who charted?
By DAVID THORPE | August 28, 2009

A. A. Bondy | When the Devil's Loose

I just don't get most of alt-country — what is it even alting us out of at this point?
Fat Possum (2009)
By MICHAEL BRODEUR | August 28, 2009

Music Seen: Neko Case + Haru Bangs

First things first: Neko Case is the complete package, an unmitigated bombshell (gorgeous, wry, self-effacing) with a singular artistic vision (country/folk songs so heavy on metaphor and animistic and obscure mythological references that you could — an
Neko Case and Haru Bangs last weekend
By CHRISTOPHER GRAY | August 14, 2009

Music Seen: Neko Case + Haru Bangs

Song of herself

"Listen, I will go on record saying I love Feist, I love Neko Case. I love that music. But that shit's easy listening for the twentysomethings. It fucking is. It's not hard to listen to any of that stuff." Kaki King is right, of course — whatever edge
Kaki King adds her voice to the mix
By RICHARD BECK | August 07, 2009

Jodi Explodi, Meantone, Tony McNaboe and more

JODI EXPLODI 's Shipyard EP is out and available, after a few delays here and there. It's the first disc from the band since the four-song Demo-Arigato from 2006. It appears to have some kind of zombie theme to it, but we haven't caught a listen yet.
Sibilance
By PORTLAND PHOENIX STAFF | July 10, 2009

Elvis Costello | Secret, Profane and Sugarcane

There are few genres into which Elvis Costello hasn't delved over the years, but he's always seemed particularly comfortable within the traditional back-porch country that occupies this latest session.
Hear Music (2009)
By JEFF TAMARKIN | June 12, 2009

Popular