LA-based songwriter Sir Canyon (Noah Lamberth), who previously played pedal steel with Katy Perry and shared stages with Willie, Dierks, Brad Paisley, and more, is gearing up for the release of his new project, Ventura Skies, on March 2nd.

Ventura Skies is an unexpected return from a songwriter who just a few years ago thought he might never make another album again, but a romantic breakup and the death of his father to cancer coaxed music out of Lamberth as he dealt with loss & hurt. “The best way to deal with the pain is to verbalize it. But for me that comes out in song. It’s kind of like therapy. The songs started pouring out of me.”
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A cinematic album, Ventura Skies, transports the listener to the spacious landscapes of Southern California, inspired both by the location where the album was recorded as well as artists such as Glen Campbell, The Beach Boys, Gram Parsons, and Buck Owens.

Today, Sir Canyon shares one of the album’s tracks, “Golden Days,” which Lamberth says he began thirteen years ago with the intro/riff and some of the chords, and never finished until right before it was recorded last year, noting, “It’s funny how those old ideas can still work if you’re willing to give them another chance.”​

(Partial Press Release) Five time GRAMMY-winner Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives announces thirty-six dates on Chris Stapleton's “All-American Road Show” tour throughout 2018. Stuart and his band will serve as direct support for Stapleton’s arena dates including St. Louis, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, & New York City, and tickets for these shows will be available for presale on Wednesday, February 7th at 10am local time with code “WAYOUTWEST.” Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 9th and at 10am local time, and will be available here.

This Wednesday, January 31st, a press conference and musical performance will be held at the Mississippi State Capitol to announce Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music. The new facility, which incorporates the historic Ellis Theater, is equal parts concert venue, museum, and educational center. With over 20,000 invaluable items, Stuart’s collection of country music artifacts is the largest private collection of its kind in the world. Included in the new development is the Marty Stuart Center, an inviting setting where students can learn about the spectrum of careers available within the music industry. Endorsed by the GRAMMY Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the Library of Congress, the Center will focus on using music to inspire learning, critical thinking, and self-expression.
 

Rawson gives us a whimsical and upbeat a cappella track to snap along to as it slowly builds. She sings the story of a soup with eyes she ate in China that not only turned her stomach, but reminded her of a relationship that in the end, looked just as mangled and unappealing as the soup. “The song was my way of celebrating my discernment that the love wasn't right." Rawson’s quirky and energetic anti-folk style adds to itself throughout this track as if it were a choral jazz arrangement.

Born into a Mormon community in Hitchin, Roxanna Rawson was introduced to music through Church hymns, but first found her feet in Paris where she studied violin and piano at University of Paris VIII. Surrounding herself with local jazz performers, she joined several orchestras and spent much of her time studying classical and baroque styles of music. Rawson found her own voice however, developing a unique vocal style through singing ‘jumping jazz intervals’ on the streets of the French capital. She also joined an African Choir, adding yet another multi-cultural layer to her sound.

Rawson left Paris for London in 2004, and joined an anti-folk collective by the name of AsYet, working alongside alternative original talents such as William Nein, David Goo, Miss Jo Williams, Fiona Bevan and Left with Pictures. She soon attracted the attention of producer and label owner Al Mobbs (Damon Albarn). A development deal with Sony led to her debut EP Changing Things, released on Ambiguous Records (2009) and the coinciding single "Fingers". Quenching the Kill is Roxy's debut full-length album.

Take a sip of “Black Eyed Soup” this week and come back for the main course success Quenching the Kill is sure to be.

Roxanna Rawson Online:
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The Nashville Scene published the 18th Annual Country Music Critics’ Poll, the genre’s most respected measure of critical consensus. The 94 voting journalists from all over North America and beyond handed Jason Isbell victories for Best Album (The Nashville Sound), Best Songwriter, Best Live Act, and Artist of the Year. 

With this year's triumphs, Isbell spearheads a movement of outsiders that includes Chris Stapleton (Best Male Vocalist, Artist of the Year runner-up) and Sturgill Simpson (Best Male Vocalist and Best Live Act in the 17th annual poll). All three men have backed up their critical acclaim with No. 1 albums on Billboard's country chart in recent years. This movement has inspired such newcomers as Midland (Best New Artist and Best Single) and Tyler Childers (Best New Artist runner-up), whose album was produced by Simpson. 

The women who have dominated the poll for most of its existence also made a strong showing. Lee Ann Womack was voted Best Female Vocalist and No. 3 best album (The Lonely, the Lonesome and the Gone). Margo Price was voted the No. 3 Artist of the Year, No 2 best female vocalist and the No. 2 best album (All American Made). Also receiving strong support were Rhiannon Giddens, Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Sunny Sweeney. Little Big Town was named Best Group.

The Nashville Scene’s coverage of the poll includes all the results, an exclusive interview with Womack, an essay on the results by poll editor Geoffrey Himes, an analysis of the numbers, and comments from many of the voters. 

The voters wrote for big coastal newspapers such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post as well as smaller heartland dailies such as the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Green Bay Press-Gazette and Lincoln Journal Star. They wrote for big magazines like Rolling Stone, Billboard and The New Yorker and for specialty magazines such as The Bluegrass Situation, Texas Music and The Bitter Southerner.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Press Release) - Get your cowboy boots ready - "The World's largest Outdoor Rodeo," Cheyenne Frontier Days officially announces the complete lineup for the 2018 Frontier Nights with the addition of Nickelback on July 26 and Toby Keith on July 27. Held at Frontier Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming, July 20-29 “The Daddy of 'Em All,” will feature some of the biggest names in country music.  

Also announced today is the complete list of opening artists. Kicking off the first night of Cheyenne Frontier Nights, breakout artist Michael Ray will join superstar duo Florida Georgia Line on Friday, July 20. Platinum-certified for his single, "Ready Set Roll," Chase Rice will join record-breaking seven-time No. 1 hit-maker Cole Swindell as he headlines on Saturday, July 21. Following two back-to-back nights of Championship Bull Riding, Grammy-nominated singer and co-writer of the most downloaded song by a female country artist since 2015, Cam will take the stage to open for Eric Church on Wednesday, July 25. Dubbed as "one of the most versatile [acts]" Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots with second generation cowboy Ned LeDoux will both open for newly announced headliner Toby Keith on Friday, July 27. Closing the final Frontier Nights performance alongside Dierks Bentley on Saturday, July 28 will be ACM, CMT and CMA nominee Kip Moore. 
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Tickets will be available for purchase on Friday, February, 2 at 9 a.m. MT on www.cfdrodeo.com, the Cheyenne Frontier Days ticket office or by phone at 307-778-7222. 

​July 20: Florida Georgia Line with Michael Ray 
July 21: Cole Swindell with Chase Rice
July 22: Charlie Daniels Band with Tracey Lawrence
July 25: Eric Church with Cam 
July 26: Nickelback 
July 27: Toby Keith with Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots, and Ned Ledoux
July 28: Dierks Bentley with Kip Moore

Nashville, TN - Jan. 26, 2018 (Press Release)- Heralded a “Michigan tradition” by Detroit Free Press in just five short years, Faster Horses Festival revealed that country superstars Brooks & Dunn, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Brantley Gilbert and more will take to the stage for the 3-day camping festival’s sixth year in Brooklyn, MI taking place from July 20-22.  Known for its unrivaled lineup, additional artists also announced today include Cam, Billy Currington, Tyler Farr, Chris Janson, Walker Hayes, LOCASH, Dustin Lynch, Midland, Ashley McBryde, Parmalee, RaeLynn, Morgan Wallen and more. Continuing to collaborate with the festival community, Faster Horses' addition of country music's most successful duo of all time, Brooks & Dunn, marks the group’s debut together at the festival due to huge fan demand. Passes will go on sale Feb. 9 at 10am ESTat fasterhorsesfestival.com. 

Following the festival’s monumental 5th anniversary last year, Billboard praised that “Faster Horses is not just another music festival…it definitely has a personality” and since its establishment in 2013, has earned a reputation for "great stage performances to lots of action in the campgrounds” (MLive.) Fans descend on Michigan International Speedway each year, for a self-declared three-day hillbilly sleepover, embracing the spirit permeating through the festival grounds, as well as the unique fringe activities on offer including the annual “Campsite Contest”, “Faster Humans Fun Run” and first-class vendors. More details on what fans can expect will be available in the coming weeks. 

For more information on Faster Horses, visit fasterhorsesfestival.com, twitter @faster_horses and join the conversation on Twitter, #FasterHorses. 

​Florida-based quartet Whiskey in the Pines' moniker is a perfect fit for the band's heartfelt Americana which shines bright on their upcoming EP, Sunshine From The Blue Cactus. Principal songwriter David Lareau filled the collection with songs as varied as the driving "Roses" to the somber, "Drunk With My Friends," and the love paean “Do You Believe in Hell,” which connect with the listener on levels personal, and universal. Today, TDC is incredibly honored to premiere another of the album's cuts, "Sad Songs." A reflective and melancholy, yet romantic track, "Sad Songs," anchored by a gentle acoustic guitar and Lareau's warm vocals, will easily center your thoughts on the one in your heart.

"And I write songs for you
All the sad songs I sing
It's the only way I know that you're listening"

Lareau had this to say of the track, "It would be easy to say that this is your typical love and loss sort of song and in some ways it is. But there’s a line in there that says “All these bars I play I think I see your face, but I know inside my heart you're in some other place.” I’ve always been interested in how your mind plays tricks on you. Maybe it’s just me but when people have left my life I always end up thinking I see them in the most random of places and I have to talk myself out of it. It’s a little scary what the mind can do when you’re least expecting it. Essentially this song is myself having a conversation with that person who I think is in the room."

When writing, Lareau draws from varied places including his home state, past decisions, and tailgates. As for "Sad Songs," he elaborates noting, "This song is pretty near and dear to me. I have no recollection of actually writing the melody, nor writing the lyrics. I’ve tried not to question that nor think too much about it. I don’t want to mess with whatever mojo was in play when this song came to life. I do know that I was on a writing streak that week. I was listening pretty heavily to a Wilco Pandora station during those days, so lord knows what would come through the headphones on the daily run during, but I’m sure that had some influence in one way or another.

As Whiskey in the Pines, which also includes Kelly Chavers (Guitar), Aaron Halford (Bass) Guitar, and Miles Bozeman (Drums), prepares to tour around the EP, Lareau adds, "I will say this - it is my absolute favorite song to play live. As soon as we hit this song in the playlist I know it’s going to be a great show and shifts whatever mood I might be in. Even in rehearsal it just captures me. I love that I have a song like this in the arsenal and that it has this weird energy over me. I’m just thankful that it’s on the record."

Listen, and share, "Sad Songs" above. For all the information visit:
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