Rascal Flatts

Country Music Festivals: The good, the bad and the smelly

Ohhh, the weather outside is... not as bad as they said it was gonna be? Okay, it still sucks. But soon -- yes, soon... too soon in fact! -- it will be summer, and it will be really stupidly hot, and we'll be going to music festivals and become reacquainted with the sweet summer smell of a beer-and- ... More >>

The Ten Best Country Albums of 2012

By Alan Scherstuhl This list of the year's best country albums is assembled with two important premises in mind: First: If the people who record and listen to these records consider them country, than they're damn well country. Purists who argue that country should still sound like '68, '76, '84 or ... More >>

Matt Mueller's tremendous passion for life and music remembered by friends

See Also:Matt Mueller, former Pachyderm Studio owner, dies in car accidentMatt Mueller, a businessman, father of two, and music devotee with strong ties throughout the Midwest, was tragically killed in a traffic accident on Monday evening. He was 42, and was best known in the Minnesota community as ... More >>

Minnesota State Fair 2012 country: Blake Shelton, Wanda Jackson and beer in plastic cups

Oooooh-wee, what's that smell? Smells like pigs, corn on the cob, and carny sweat. But then, a gentle waft of pheromones floats through the air -- the aroma of a 4-H gal from Faribault locking eyes with her Future Farmer of America. And the soundtrack to it all? The Minnesota State Fair's country mu ... More >>

Minnesota State Fair

Toby Keith tops Forbes' "Highest-Paid" list

Photo by Nikki MillerGimme fifty mill and I'll sell you a Ford pickup truck!​No, he didn't out-earn Lady Gaga, who topped Forbes' list of highest-paid celebrities, but at his $50 million to her $4.5 billion, Toby Keith was at the top of the list of country artists, thanks in part to his chain ... More >>

Wanda Jackson, Justin Townes Earle, Travis Tritt and more this weekend

Photo courtesy of wandajackson.comWanda Jackson​Ahem. Perty little lo-ove song. Perty little lo-ove so-oh-ong. Perty little lo-ove song... bang bing bong. Take a second to learn the real lyrics to this song* when the Marshall Tucker Band opens for Travis Tritt at the Otsego JamFest Friday ... More >>

Taylor Swift shoots 'em up and Shania Twain falls hard at the CMT Awards

Photo courtesy of Rick Diamond/Getty Images ​Country music fans were abuzz last night about the CMT Music Awards, but not necessarily on account of the winners.

Rascall Flatts, Dale Watson, and the ghost of Gram Parsons

Photo by Nikki MillerGram Parsons Memorial, located outside Room 8 of the Joshua Tree Inn​This morning, I'm drinking coffee outside a motel 28 hours southwest of Minneapolis, and two hours east of the L.A. freeways. The coffee's thin and weak, but I slept well in spite of an evening spent gett ... More >>

Miranda Lambert leads CMA nominations; Carrie Underwood scratches, yawns

Photo by Nikki Miller​This week, The Country Music Association announced the last of its nominations for the 2010 CMA Awards, set to air live on Wednesday, November 10th on ABC with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood returning as hosts for the third consecutive year. The awards, voted on by ind ... More >>

Are You Ready for the Country: How to tune a turd

Ten ways I'd put the hurt on Kanye West.