Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dale Watson has been railing against mainstream country music for decades. In a 1995 number called “Nashville Rash,” for example, he complained that “I’m too country now for country, just like Johnny Cash.” Added Watson: “[It] breaks my heart to see my heroes fadin’ away / Shoulda known it when they […]
Willie Nelson – Country Music This Grammy-nominated set comes as a single CD & double vinyl LP. It’s an acclaimed 2010 title that finds Mr. Nelson interpreting 15 country classics as produced & recorded by T. Bone Burnett in Nashville. Burnett aimed for a rustic sound, stripped-down arrangements, traditional instrumentation & probably aimed for the […]
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Bentley’s Bandstand: Favorite Albums of 2025: (second half) Rodney Crowell, AIRLINE HIGHWAY. There is something about artists like Rodney Crowell that shares such a powerful sound from note one that there is never any question they’ve hit it out of the park. Again. It’s been that way forever with the best music. The song starts […]
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Music Reviews: An Anthology of Beatles Covers, Ward Hayden Interprets Springsteen, and a Record about Records Another Box of Beatles Covers Particularly during the years when the Fab Four dominated the charts, countless artists from a wide variety of genres couldn’t resist jumping on the band’s wagon. The new With a Little Help from My […]
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The Rich-R-Tone Folk Star Story, plus Willie Nelson, Jeb Loy Nichols, and Jonathan Richman Germany’s Bear Family Records deserves plaudits for compiling and releasing exhaustive box sets from some of the best-known figures in early country and rock music. But the reissue label warrants at least as much praise for unearthing and taking a chance […]
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Bentley’s Bandstand: Favorite Albums of 2025 (First Half) Shane Alexander, FOREVER SONGS. Not everyone has a name known across the country, but then again very few can write songs as strong and soulful as Shane Alexander. He calls Southern California home, but his heart belongs to the cosmos. There is a way Alexander builds […]
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Bentley’s Bandstand: May 2025By Bill Bentley All Things Swamp, DRESSED. When it comes to New Orleans music, it is such a wondrous gift to the world that when players get together to jump into the bayou spirit there is no way to go wrong. And when the nine-piece All Things Swamp band gets rolling, it […]
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Music Reviews: Willie Nelson’s Oh What a Beautiful World, plus Quote the Raven and Mason Via Fans and critics have spoken admiringly about how Leonard Cohen produced memorable music until shortly before his death at 83, and how Bob Dylan manages to maintain a busy touring schedule at that age. But Cohen and Dylan represent […]
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10 of the Best Albums and Box Sets of 2024 Picking the 10 best albums and box sets of the year would involve too much arbitrariness, so here are 10 of the best rather than the 10 best. They’re listed alphabetically by artist. Click on the performers’ names for information about them or the recording […]
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Playlist: Downstate For the Holidays (on Apple Music) Here it is, your holiday playlist on Apple Music, full of quality Americana musical style and holiday cheer and occasional longing and regrets. Curated by Rodney Metoyer with love to you. Follow and take it with you everywhere over the next fortnight! Enjoy our other holiday playlist […]
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