For me, Jackson Dean. Lee Brice came to town and he was the opener so I listening through some of his stuff. I've been obsessed. Magnolia Sage might be my favorite album ever, I highly recommend giving it and the rest of his stuff a listen.

Who else is as excited for new Tucker music as I am?? Loving this whole new era he feels headed into, definitely feels bigger and more curated than some of his past songs

For me, it's gotta be Country Again by Thomas Rhett

Recently a friend mentioned that the Beatles cover of Act Naturally was originally made famous by Buck Owens. He played it for me and I was very impressed. I had certainly heard of Buck was not familiar with any of his music. My friend is a country music die hard and specifically a big fan of something called The Bakersfield Sound. I have a rock background but I would like to broaden my horizons a bit.

He gave me a list of artists to check out:

Merle Haggard
Buck Owens
Don Rich
Brad Paisley
Rodney Crowell
Rickey Skaggs
Roy Buchanan
Jimmy Bryant
James Burton
Clarence White
Marty Stewart
Waylon and Willie of course
Brooks and Dunn
Guy Clark
Marty Robbins
Patsy Cline
Randy Travis
Roy Nichols for Merle Haggard
George Strait
Tammy Wynette and George Jones
Johnny Cash
Kris Kristofferson
Dolly Parton
Glen Campbell
Hank Snow
Eddy Arnold
Jim Reeves
Don Gibson
Skeeter Davis
Chet Atkins
Roy Clark
Alan Jackson
Loretta Lynn
Earnest Tubb
Flat and Scruggs
Charley Pride
Kenny Rogers
Reba McEntire
Emmylou Harris
Shania Twain
Hank Williams Sr./Jr.
Lefty Frizzell
Jimmie Rodgers
Roger Miller

Now I have certainly heard of a lot of these artists but I was looking to put together a pretty comprehensive list and make a deep dive. Been watching Ken Burns "Country" and it's pretty interesting but clearly leaves a lot out. With apologies to Bob's Country Bunker, where is the line between country and western?

Would Western be more restricted to say Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys or Gene Autry and Tex Ritter etc?

Anyway if I missed any significant artists in that list I would love to add to it. Thanks so much!

Waylon Payne - Wayward

Release Date: July 17th, 2026

Label: Big Loud Texas

Producers: Frank Liddell & Eric Masse

(songwriters in parenthesis)

1. Looking For A Feeling - (Pam Tillis; Waylon Payne)
2. Postcards - (Matraca Berg; Waylon Payne)
3. The Delta - (Austin Hoke; Eleonore Denig; Waylon Payne)
4. Darla - (Waylon Payne)
5. Holding On To Lonely - (Charlie Worsham; Waylon Payne)
6. Haunting - (Brennan Leigh Hulbertl; Dean Pearson; Waylon Payne)
7. Caramello - (Dean Pearson; Waylon Payne)
8. Hell Is Empty - (Matraca Berg; Waylon Payne)
9. Watch Him Die - (Waylon Payne)
10. The Roses - (Waylon Payne)
11. Together - (Ashley Monroe; Miranda Lambert; Waylon Payne)
12. Find A Way - (Waylon Payne)
13. Weed By The Wall - (Waylon Payne)

Leave your thoughts below. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Favorite songs? Least favorite songs? All thoughts welcome

Aaron Lee Tasjan - Get Over It, Underdog

Release Date: July 17th, 2026

Label: Blue Elan Records

Producers: Aaron Lee Tasjan & Mark Miller

(songwriters in parenthesis)

1. Science Friction - (Aaron Lee Tasjan; Dennis Lloyd)
2. Clown Show - (Aaron Lee Tasjan; Bobby Bare Jr.)
3. Lost & Alone - (Aaron Lee Tasjan)
4. Lydia's Boots - (Aaron Lee Tasjan; Bobby Bare Jr.)
5. Twilight Zone Blues - (Aaron Lee Tasjan; Bryan Wright)
6. Ballad of an East Canon Lowlife - (Aaron Lee Tasjan)
7. No One's Gonna Know - (Aaron Lee Tasjan; Bryan Wright; Paul McDonald)
8. Shiver - (Aaron Lee Tasjan; Jeff Ratner)
9. Can She Get an Amen - (Aaron Lee Tasjan)
10. The Real - (Aaron Lee Tasjan; Todd Snider)
11. The Dream Comes True - (Aaron Lee Tasjan)

Leave your thoughts below. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Favorite songs? Least favorite songs? All thoughts welcome

Is it just me or is it strange when an artist doesn’t play the song that their tour is named after? For example so far this year, i’ve been to Luke Bryan’s “Word on The Street” and Jason Aldean’s “Songs About Us” tours. Neither had those songs on their setlist.

Not that anyone knows personally what their relationship is like in real life, I just get a “weird vibe” about them. He’s made a lot of changes for sure, hopefully all for the best, idk though….something about their relationship seems off. I see a lot of posts now about them gearing up for the wedding… I wish them both the best. Hopefully it works out

seems like a new approach for him. Have to admit I love the sound (classic Paisley) but doesn’t seem to getting as much pickup.

What do people think?

Waylon Wyatt - Dustpiles

Release Date: July 17th, 2026

Label: Music Soup/Darkroom Records

Producers:

• Anderson East - Tracks: 3, 4, 9, 10 & 11
• Brett Truitt - Tracks: 7, 13, 14, 15 & 16
• Ian Fitchuk - Tracks: 6 & 12
• Joe Becker - Tracks: 1, 5 & 8
• JR Atkins - Tracks: 7, 13, 14, 15 & 16
• Tofer Brown - Track: 2
• Waylon Wyatt - Track: 4

(songwriters in parenthesis)

1. But There Was a Time - (Brett Truit; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
2. Leave It Alone - (Waylon Wyatt Potter)
3. Otherside - (Anderson East; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
4. Wishful Thinking - (Anderson East; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
5. 7 Minutes - (Joe Becker; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
6. In Loving Melody - (Waylon Wyatt Potter)
7. Dead Man Walkin' - (Brett Truitt; JR Atkins; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
8. Box of Bones - (Joe Becker; Steph Jones; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
9. No One Else - (Anderson East; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
10. The Dress - (Anderson East; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
11. Body Heat - (Anderson East; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
12. What We Were Fighting For - (Waylon Wyatt Potter)
13. Out of Place - (Brett Truitt; JR Atkins; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
14. Everything Under The Sun - Band Version - (Waylon Wyatt Potter)
15. Call It a Night - (Brett Truitt; Waylon Wyatt Potter)
16. Dustpiles - (Brett Truitt; JR Atkins; Waylon Wyatt Potter)

Leave your thoughts below. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Favorite songs? Least favorite songs? All thoughts welcome

Niko Moon - ROOTS

Release Date: July 17th, 2026

Label: Happy Cowboy Records / EMPIRE

Producers:

• Andrew Capra - Tracks: 8, 12 & 15
• Danny Majic - Tracks: 3, 4, 7, 11, 13 & 14
• Fraser Churchill - Track: 7
• Gio FM - Tracks: 1, 2, 6 & 10
• Jake Scott - Tracks: 5 & 9

(songwriters in parenthesis)

1. GEORGIA (ROOTS) - (Frasure Churchill; Giovanny Manzur; Hoagy Carmichael; Niko Moon; Stuart Gorrell)
2. AMERICAN DREAMIN' - (Giovanny Manzur; Niko Moon)
3. RICH MAN - (Danny Majic; Frasure Churchill; Niko Moon)
4. TAKE IT SLOW - (Danny Majic; Frasure Churchill; Niko Moon)
5. GET COUNTRY - (David J; Jake Scott; Niko Moon)
6. LAKESIDE SUMMER - (David J; Giovanny Manzur; Niko Moon)
7. SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW, SOME WAY - (Danny Majic; Frasure Churchill; Niko Moon)
8. COUNTRY SONG - (Andrew Capra; Niko Moon; Willie Morrison)
9. DRIFT AWAY - (David J; Jake Scott; Niko Moon)
10. WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - (David J; Giovanny Manzur; Niko Moon)
11. LAY IT ON ME - (Danny Majic; David J; Frasure Churchill; Niko Moon)
12. ONE WAY TO FIND OUT - (Andrew Capra; David J; Niko Moon)
13. RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW - (David J; Nate Miles; Niko Moon)
14. EASY - (David J; Nate Miles; Niko Moon)
15. CHANGE THE WORLD - (Andrew Capra; Niko Moon; Thomas Massad; Willie Morrison)

Leave your thoughts below. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Favorite songs? Least favorite songs? All thoughts welcome

John R. Miller - The Great Unknowing

Release Date: July 17th, 2026

Label: Rounder Records

Producer: John R. Miller and Adam Meisterhans

(songwriters in parenthesis)

1. Don't Bet On Me - (John R. Miller)
2. Far From The Station - (John R. Miller)
3. Tollbooth - (John R. Miller)
4. Think I'll Start Over - (John R. Miller)
5. Looking For a Place to Die - (John R. Miller)
6. Steering Wheel Drums - (John R. Miller)
7. Daughter of Night - (John R. Miller)
8. A World Away - (Darrin Hacquard)
9. Day Drinking - (John R. Miller)
10. Golden Light - (Dan Baird)
11. Two Days Clean - (John R. Miller)
12. If You Could Only See Me Now - (William Matheny)
13. Double Lives - (John R. Miller)
14. Static and White Noise - (John R. Miller)
15. Cornbread and Pinto Beans - (John R. Miller)
16. Walk of Life - (Mark Knopfler)

Leave your thoughts below. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Favorite songs? Least favorite songs? All thoughts welcome

What did you listen to this week? Find any new albums, or rediscover an old one? Did one of your faves drop a new single today? Tell us about it!

If you use last.fm, you can create a collage here or here to display what you've listened to this week! If your collages have black boxes instead of album art, you can upload the art to last.fm so that you and future listeners can see it.

Make sure you upload your collage to imgur, or it will change over time.

Can confirm there’s an auto parts and a mall in that town.

Another divorce announced today - Raelyn and Josh Davis after 10 years.

I think about Willie Nelson often when I'm writing songs. That guy could craft a great choral melody...Whiskey river take mind...Crazy...On the road again...

I swear the guy was everywhere and it seemed like he was going to be huge. Had a nice headlining arena tour, but it seems like he is completely stagnant with no signs of rising back up again. His social media is also very cringey.

Has anyone ever had something like this?

We were in Nasville for our Anniversary this weekend and decided to visit the Grand Ole Opry again. It’s always a fantastic show. Beautiful facility and really enjoyed it.

When I hear his music it always seems a bit hokey with the forced southern accent coming from a dude from the PNW.