Pug Johnson Tells Tales of Booze, Women, and Redemption
Texas country artist Pug Johnson mixes the styles of the Gulf Coast region (Tex-Mex, Cajun, swamp rock) with a surreal sensibility and a dash of pathos.
country
Caylee Hammack’s Country Comeback Is Captivating
Releasing her first album since 2020, country crooner Caylee Hammack drew on plenty of experiences with heartache. So much that she decided to write a novel.
How One Innovative LP Carved a Dusty Trail to Alternative Country
Don’t Shoot collected country tracks by Los Angeles rockers in the mid-1980s. Cutting edge then, it presents a blueprint for today’s alternative country.
Sean McConnell Reflects on Growing Older But Not Wiser
Sean McConnell poeticizes and philosophies from everyday personal experiences. What does it mean to be locked in our own skin?
Willow Avalon Isn’t a Southern Belle But She Does Raise Hell
Country artist Willow Avalon’s bluntness adds to her credibility. She’s funny and entertaining, and her feistiness highlights her honesty.
The Passion of Garth Brooks
Stephen Deusner’s entry in the 33 1/3 series about the wreckage of Garth Brooks’ ‘The Life of Chris Gains project makes for a mightily entertaining read.
30 Years of Alison Krauss’ Country Music Breakthrough
Even if the world only knew Alison Krauss from ‘Now That I’ve Found You: A Collection’, her place in country music history would be assured.
Lilly Hiatt Puts Love in Motion on ‘Forever’
Listening to Lilly Hiatt’s Forever, her first album in four years, one can’t help but get swept along in her romantic bliss and the music’s hypnotic pulse.
Lilly Hiatt Celebrates Joy with “Kwik-E-Mart” (Premiere)
The newest single from her forthcoming album, Forever, finds Lilly Hiatt romanticizing gas station snacks and walking around in the cold.
Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Lists/Music/Music Features/PopMatters Picks/The Best Music of 2024
The 20 Best Americana Albums of 2024
Americana has never been better with the quality of music, diversity of styles, and the artists’ demographics in terms of race, gender, and wealth.
Loose Cattle Scare the Herd with ‘Someone’s Monster’
Country-rockers Loose Cattle’s Someone’s Monster suggests that we may all be somebody else’s demons while the songs imply we might be our own worst enemies.
Christian Lee Hutson Navigates Nostalgia and New Beginnings
Christian Lee Hutson’s Paradise Pop. 10 is one of those subtle and more nuanced albums, likely causing it to slip under the radar, but Hutson has arrived.