I know *way* too many locals who still talk about finding Barr sympathetic in the wake of his wife's (sudden and, yes, tragic) death who have not actually paid attention to the things he's said and done in the years since then.

Choose Your Fighter (1) www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TAP...

Peter and I definitely diverge on our fondness for this week's flashback album and artist: www.countryuniverse.net/2026/02/14/f...

A. Pointier, ... Texas (****): The kind of record that's an antidote to the stuffy greige of the previous decade-plus of Americana, and hallelujah for that. Unapologetically queer, subversive, and *funny*-- and a great singer, too-- Ponthier makes an auspicious and distinctive debut here.

L. Fleet, ... Older (**): Of note, his album from just last year was significant for how he avoided the belligerent jagoff trappings of other fellow conservatives in the mainstream country space. Now, he leans far harder into "can't we all get along" false equivalences that lack real world nuance.

D. Huckfelt, I Was... (***1/2): His allyship for Indigenous causes remains as much a distinguishing feature of his work as his raspy, world-weary voice. The writing here isn't quite as sharp song-for-song as on his previous album, but his POV is an important one in the contemporary folk space.

She was a classmate of mine during my one misguided semester of law school, and I cannot overstate what an absolute miserable nightmare of a far-right evangelical homeschool stereotype she was and still is.

Casey Wasserman is selling Wasserman talent agency after he was damningly exposed in the Epstein files. Musicians have been speaking out against Wasserman since the story broke, including artists like Chappell Roan leaving the agency. Image via @rollingstone.com

Kid Rock Sells Entire Music Catalog For Extra-Large Bucket Of Cheese Balls

Oh. Oh, nooooooooooo.

As ever, our pal Hunter is a real one. And it's not the first time Hunter's called an artist on something like this.

I know there are a lot of affectations in what they do as individuals and as a couple, but good on Tyler and Senora here for talking about the impact of the closure of the E. McDowell birthing center will have on the community: people.com/tyler-childe...

The tragedy of Bud Court's career was that by the time Wes Anderson started making movies he was already in his 50s. Jason Schwartzman owes his entire career to this. Luckily, Wes still had One Perfect Part for him: the Bond Company Stooge www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPiI...

Goddammit. I was not ever a Dawson's Creek fan, but The Rules Of Attraction is such a legitimately great film-- the specificity it has to my own undergrad XP at Kenyon is just ^uncanny^-- and JVDB's performance in that remains one of my favorites of that era. And 48? God almighty, that's not okay.

R. Palmer, Perspectives (EP)(****): Two ace covers and two even better originals might not be enough to capture everything that makes Palmer such a treasure, but it sure makes for a welcome return. Her singing here is so effortlessly great, and she packs so much wisdom, genre know-how into this set.

Ratboys, ... Empty Chair (****): The sound is mid-00s alt-country-- I hear the short-lived Only Children, and ^Amen^ to that-- while the songwriting POV is a precise, generation-specific brand of mid-20s neurotic and self-doubt. If they're this year's breakout from this space, it'll be well earned.

J. Craigie, I Swam Here (***1/2): The writing isn't as subversive as his very best work, but the aesthetic pivot here into an "early My Morning Jacket" sound is a very easy sale, and one that suits both his narrative and singing voices quite well. "Edna Strange" is one of 26's best singles, too.

Jana Horn, s/t (*1/2): A nadir for Gen Z indie folk, this set takes minimalism far beyond its utility as a medium for compelling narratives. The monotony of the arrangements make the brief album feel interminable, and Horn's mumbled, often off-pitch vocals don't scan as intimate so much as bored.

E. Bailey, ... Away (***): As ever, the selling points for Bailey are her fantastic, raspy voice-- a natural fit for contemporary blues-- and her unapologetic feminist POV in a boy's club genre. Still, there's a formal conservatism to her sound that, while technically accomplished, is limiting.

From my own XP in the country space... Carrie Underwood's fans have always been the most abusive and toxic. And my God, are Jesse Welles' fans flying up the chart with a bullet.

Some terrific and surprising country picks-- and *unsurprisingly* great writing-- here from our pal Josh!

Omg as a trans person in country / Americana I just have to thank Jon Stewart for giving us this inherently memeable moment whilst reviewing the alt halftime show (It’s me, I’m the trans cartel) @countryuniverse.net @nashvillescene.com @rainbowrodeo.bsky.social

Chappell Roan, Best Coast, Wednesday, Orville Peck now Weyes Blood....should I be surprised that with the exception of Dropkick Murphys it's mostly women & queer folks/fronted bands leading the way against Wasserman?

A ***word*** here. 👇👇

Orville Peck Joins Wasserman Exodus

A tremendous piece, even by Marissa's / DRtI's lofty standards. A couple of things I want to highlight for further discussion: The nod to "Texas Hold 'Em" here is important, as it's the last country single by a solo woman to top the Hot 100, and there are still plenty of folks mad about it. 1/x

Country Singer, songwriter Charley Crockett well said......

Me: "What'd you think of the Super Bowl?" Mom: "Oh, Belinda Carlisle did a beautiful job on 'America the Beautiful'."

I saw Eric Church this weekend but I had other things on my mind.

Trying to stay afloat. Any help is appreciated! You can read my story at the link. I've been freelancing pretty consistently, but I just hope I can find a steady part/full-time job soon... 🙃 gofund.me/5014600f9

Brandi Carlile's accompaniment for "America the Beautiful" before the game last night was SistaStrings. The duo, Chauntee and Monique Ross, played another American anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," on the Library's Stradivarius instruments in 2024. Here's a clip of that impromptu performance. ⬇️

Not going to post a screenshot from Xitter (sourced from elsewhere; deleted our account almost 3y ago) for obvious reasons, but Kacey Musgraves had this to say: "Well. That made me feel more proudly American than anything Kid Rock has ever done."

Missed Bad Bunny’s halftime show? Want to rewatch? (4x and counting for me). The NFL posted the whole performance on YouTube: on pace for 500k views in the first 30 minutes.

Oh, apparently both-sides equivocating Bad Bunny's actual halftime show and the Hoods Off Lip-Sync Revue is how one saves country music. What a surprise that is.

Jelly Roll’s trash can

The incomparable Brandi Carlile performing America The Beautiful at the Super Bowl.

Doesn't even matter what she said, this is correct.

i bet brian was the one who said they should license their song to a crypto ad

SistaStrings at the Super Bowl!

Laughing about that Taylor Swift lyric about how Charlie Puth should be a much bigger artist. Dude needed to be carried by Grover: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGlA...

Hi, I'm Ricky Bobby. If you don't enjoy Brandi Carlile, then fuck you.

While we're all having our Green Day moment, will say this has always deserved far more attention: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5qP...

This photo of Robert is giving "We both love soup."

From the deranged, irredeemably poisoned minds of Men On The Internet who brought you "I could 100% win a game off peak era Serena Williams" comes "Lindsay Vonn got what she deserved because of hubris."

Ahead of tonight’s dueling halftime shows, a reminder that the cost of diggy is out of reach for many Americans

A reminder that friends don't let friends hatewatch the Kid Rock & Klan All (But Definitely Not *All* All) 'Merican Hootenanny because access to attention, undifferentiated between "good" or "bad" attention, is one of the primary functions of behavior.

My old college pal Liz is always an essential read, but this connects so many important dots. 👇

AllMusic Staff Pick Tori Amos Boys for Pele Thirty years ago, Tori Amos went three-for-three (in terms of classic albums) with the release of the raw and visceral Boys for Pele. Haunting in its beauty and harsh in its rage, it was a divisive change upon release.

E. Bibb, One MS (****1/2): As ever, what makes Bibb a genre titan is how he pairs the wisdom and POV of a forward-thinking folkie with a generational mastery of traditional blues conventions. This collection of narratives is among the most empathetic, deeply human of his storied career. Essential.