Saving Country Music
Saving Country Music is an in your face blog that gives zero shits about whether you agree with them or not, because honestly, from what I have read, what they post is true! As a huge fan of older country music, this new crap they put out on country music stations that I call Hick Hop is garbage. That said, this Bro Country sells, so I will give them that for sure. Today’s false country genre fills up arenas. I love to go and read the material on Saving Country Music so that I can read about reality.
-Shannon Ireland
From the Saving Country Music Wesbite:
Saving Country Music’s purpose is spelled out in its name. It offers news, opinion, reviews, artist profiles, music history, and the always-popular off-color pop country bashing. Saving Country Music primarily focuses on country, but also covers roots, rockabilly, bluegrass, blues, and folk music. First and foremost, Saving Country Music is a consumer advocate and an industry watchdog. Saving Country Music consistently receives on average of over 330,000 unique visitors a month.
Even though Saving Country Music is a music-based website, it works from the core principles that the focus should be people first, then music, and that music is just the excuse to explore deeper issues throughout culture.
How Saving Country Music Began
Saving Country Music was founded in April of 2008 as a blog on MySpace called “Free Hank III.” Free Hank III and freehank3.org was formed to put pressure on Hank Williams III’s label Curb Records to release his albums. Hank III had been lip locked by a provision in his contract that stipulated he could not speak out against Curb, so Free Hank III was an organization of Hank III fans, DJ’s, podacsters, and other musicians who spoke out against Curb Records on Hank III’s behalf to release his music in a timely manner. In July of 2008, Free Hank III helped win the release of Hank III’s album Damn Right,Rebel Proud, and on January 1st, 2010, Hank III was finally released from his contractual obligations with Curb Records, marking the end of Free Hank III.
Free Hank III also covered independent country and roots artists during its run, as well as the rest of the country music world from an independent perspective. Free Hank III became Saving Country Music as the focus began to shift to the larger issues facing the country genre and the preservation of its roots.
About ‘Trigger’
Kyle “The Triggerman” Coroneos is the editor, creator, head writer, and benevolent dictator of savingcountrymusic.com. He officially changed his pen name to “Trigger” on 12/18/2012. His writing has inspired a song by Eric Church, and some believe Taylor Swift’s anti-bullying hit “Mean” is about him. He is also the originator of the “Super-genre, mono-genre, & micro-genre” theory on modern music, and was the first journalist to discover Sturgill Simpson.
Trigger is a published author, and has also written for other music sites and periodicals, including American Songwriter, the9153.com, outlawmagazine.com, ninebullets.net, rnzmagazine.com, farcethemusic.com, 3rd Coast Music, the Rambler Magazine, and UK’s Country Music Magazine.
He has been quoted and interviewed by The New York Times (read), (read), and (read), The Boston Globe (read), the BBC (listen), CNN (read), The Washington Post (read) and (read), Fox News (read), (read), and (read), Elle (read), Playboy Magazine(read), Entertainment Weekly (read), The Daily Beast (read), Bloomberg Businessweek (read), Gawker (read), MacLean’s (read) The Hollywood Reporter(read), The Tennessean (read) and (read), Houston Press (read), National Post(read), The Milwaukee Record (read), Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (read), Texas Standard (listen), On The Forcheck (read), 106.7 The Fan (listen) Country 92.5(listen), and many other news outlets.
Trigger was also featured on a podcast from Wide Open Country.
Trigger is also been rumored to have an alter ego, pop country star Michael Jackson Montgomery; a rumor he adamantly denies.
The Triggerman lives in his mom’s basement, and over-glorifies the obscure music that he loves while bashing anything that he doesn’t solely because its popular. He is strictly motivated by jealousy, and has no right to criticize music because he has never played it, never written songs, and never toured as a musician. He is also a virgin, and doesn’t know how to please women in bed. In short, he is a nerdy crybaby who uses a moderately successful online platform make himself feel better about his pathetic life.
(actual photo)
Saving Country Music
- Billy Strings Attempts to Capture Magic in New Album “Renewal” July 31, 2021What's for certain is that we're living in the era of Billy Strings. What this young man and his band are doing right now when they step up to the microphones in municipalities all across the country is other-worldly. Of course capturing that electric magic in the studio is another matter.Trigger
- Texas Country & Cult Icon Chris Wall Has Died July 30, 2021Another guy that paid all the dues and left a crater of an impact, even though he never hit the big time has passed onto that honky tonk in the sky. His name was Chris Wall, and even if you've never heard of him or his music, you've certainly heard his influence in many of […]Trigger
- Album Review – Jesse Daniel’s “Beyond These Walls” July 30, 2021In country music, one way to consider the quality of a song or album is to ask yourself what a country legend might feel about it. In the case of Jesse Daniel's Beyond The Walls, I feel confident Tom T. Hall and Don Williams would approve of the way it helps reset your perspective ...Trigger
- New Hayes Carll Album “You Get It All” Calls Heavily on Country July 29, 2021Carll's coming out and saying with his upcoming record called You Get It All to be released October 29th on Dualtone that his country roots rise to the surface. "“A lot of musical styles found their way onto this record, but my first and most formative influences came from country."Trigger
- Emily Scott Robinson Signs to Oh Boy, to Release ‘American Siren’ July 29, 2021"This is big," she said to her fans. "Now is the time to grow and expand. I'm thrilled to be joining forces with Oh Boy Records to release 'American Siren.' I'm honored that I get to be part of John Prine's legacy. And I am thrilled to tell you that you, my fans, were an […]Trigger
- Dusty Hill and ZZ Top Put Texas Music on the Map July 29, 2021ZZ Top is given credit for a host of influences on American music, and rock & roll in general. But what's often overlooked is how in the mid 70's, ZZ Top was really the first band outside of country to make the State of Texas cool.Trigger
- Zach Bryan: “[Tyler] Childers is Ten Fold the Musician I Am” July 28, 2021At first it made for worthy and interesting discussion points, but as time has dragged on the argument has become quite derivative, and is probably unfair to both artists who to a trained ear, are fundamentally different in style and approach, despite some stylistic surface similarities.Trigger
- Album Review – Ida Red’s “Harmony Grits” July 28, 2021What a great little record to lounge around the house or on the back porch with, or listen to while scuttlebutting around knocking out chores, or when rolling down the highway pretending it's 1940 and you're cruising on Route 66. But it's also a resounding introduction to two titan women.Trigger
- Charley Crockett’s ‘Austin City Limits’ Debut to Stream Live July 27, 2021It would take one mean and ugly son-of-a-bitch to pry my eyeballs away from a computer screen where they will be firmly affixed upon Charley Crockett making his Austin City Limits debut via a live stream from Texas. Charley Crockett and his band the Blue Drifters are on absolute fire at the moment.Trigger
- Randy Travis Stops in to Hear Dustin Lee Martin, Stays All Night July 27, 2021"I’m speechless right now," Dustin Lee said afterwards. "He ended up staying all night until we were finished, tapping his foot and having a good time. I said, 'Sir, I sure hope we did your songs justice,' and he smiled real big and gave us a big thumbs up!"Trigger
- Luke Combs is the Kind of Leader Mainstream Country Needs July 26, 2021It's not that Luke Combs is ideal, because he isn't. Hell, who is? And for many independent fans, he will never compete with the likes of Cody Jinks or Tyler Childers in their hearts. But who would you rather have being the face of mainstream country at the moment?Trigger
- Too Many Pre-Album Singles are Being Released Ahead of Albums July 26, 2021Before the wide proliferation of digital downloads and streaming music, if an independent music artist was looking to release a record, the label or perhaps a publicist would send out a press release via wire services, work the phones, and later utilize email to help alert the press and thus the public of the upcoming […]Trigger
- Paying a Visit, and Paying Respects to Chris LeDoux July 25, 2021And then right there in the center of town, completely taking you off guard is this immaculately cared-for memorial park to Chris LeDoux, bursting with vibrancy and color, and of course, a towering 12 1/2-foot sculpture of LeDoux himself riding bareback affectionately named "Good Ride Cowboy."Trigger
- Newest Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#87) July 25, 2021In the throes of summer is the best time to shake up your musical diet, discover something new, and crank it up loud. Lucky for you, the Top 25 Playlist is here to help facilitate this, and has just been provisioned with a brand new hosts of songs for your listening pleasure.Trigger
- The Significance of Sturgill Simpson’s ‘Dood & Juanita’ Album Title July 24, 2021Though we don't have any songs from Sturgill Simpson's new album at the moment---and don't have any further information on it beyond the track list and album art---we can actually glean quite a bit from the title, including that this album will be a very personal work.Trigger
- Mile 0 Fest Announces Initial 2022 Lineup July 24, 2021Along with the usual suspects from Red Dirt and Texas country such as The Randy Rogers Band, Cody Canada and the Departed, Wade Bowen, and Shane Smith and the Saints, Mile 0 Fest adds now major label artist Parker McCollum to the roster for the first time, as well as The Dead South.Trigger
- Album Review – Drake Milligan’s Self-Titled EP July 23, 2021With a great voice, this 23-year-old injects new vigor and a youthful point of view into timeless country themes while avoiding list-y or whiskey cliches for the most part, backed by flawless and twangy music. The dude's got the disposition of George Strait, with the smoothness of Chris Isaak.Trigger
- Sierra Hull, Doyle Lawson, Billy Strings Land Bluegrass Noms July 22, 2021Sierra Hull leads the 2021 nominations for the International Bluegrass Music Awards with 5, tying her with the retiring Doyle Lawson who picks up 5 himself, while Balsam Range, Justin Moses, and Billy Strings also pick up multiple big nominations, and Molly Tuttle comes in with 2.Trigger
- Recap & Review: Under The Big Sky Fest 2021 July 21, 2021One thing was clearly evident after traveling to Whitefish, Montana to experience the massive Under The Big Sky Festival with its incredible lineup and expansive grounds: the independent country and roots music we all enjoy has officially arrived. This is no longer a boutique subgenre.Trigger
- Sturgill Simpson Announces 5th Album ‘The Ballad of Dood & Juanita’ July 21, 2021Sturgill Simpson has officially announced his 5th album named 'The Ballad of Dood & Juanita,' and according to the hashtag accompanying the announcement, it will be "Yer Pawpaw's country music." Sturgill has always espoused that he would release only five albums.Trigger
