Year-in-review Hippies & Cowboys fuckaround episode ahoy! www.patreon.com/posts/hippie...

Here are my top 25 country and Americana albums of 2025. As the first person to ever make a list of the top songs of one genre for a year, I understand this might be jarring, so I included my favorite concerts of 2025 too. It's free at @thebacklounge.bsky.social www.patreon.com/posts/top-25...

Wrote about Miles Miller and his 2025 album Mr. Runaway that should absolutely be on your best-of list this year. Story is up @rollingstone.com now. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Wrote about Sierra Hull, what Grammy nominations mean, and about losing her voice before a national tv taping and pivoting to instrumental bluegrass. It's up @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Today, @rollingstone.com named Never Say Never as one of the top books of 2025 in its Year in Music recap. Honored, elated, all of those things. If you don't have it, you can get it at @thebacklounge.bsky.social. And you can read the list here: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Red Dirt Unplugged was released one year ago last night! It was a life-changing book in thousands of ways, and if you missed out on these roots music tales, you can still remedy that in time for the holidays (cc @thebacklounge.bsky.social) backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/red...

Dropped the chapter list and featured artists in (Almost) Almost Famous today. Check it out and then pre-order now! backloungepublishing.com/almostalmost...

Wait but people online keep telling me that this is a miracle technology that must be embraced immediately and criticizing it is ableist doomerism

Drayton Farley joined us on Hippies & Cowboys this week, a welcome presence after I get all worked up about ai music and Garrett's Spotify Wrapped first. www.patreon.com/posts/authen...

Finish the year strong at crutchmer.com

How Treaty Oak Revival accidentally became the hottest band in country music (even before West Texas Degenerate dropped today) Story up at @rollingstone.com with a full-band interview www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Wrote about Shelby Stone, a blue-haired Texan who has infiltrated Red Dirt's elite. Story is up @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

For Black Friday, we're doing a special run of ALL Back Lounge Artist's Editions dating back to Red Dirt in 2020. Use THANKS2025 at checkout for 25% off. Runs through December 1 backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/bla...

The Turnpike Troubadours released a video accompanying their cover of Todd Snider's "Just Like Old Times" I added a bit of context and insight and it's up @rollingstone.com Watch and read here www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Muscadine Bloodline joined us on Hippies & Cowboys this week to talk about their surprise Longleaf Lo-fi album (and I give a whole ton more Todd Snider tributes. www.patreon.com/posts/muscad...

Last week on Hippies and Cowboys was just Garrett and I, and we went off on the country Grammy nominations. www.patreon.com/posts/delaye...

attn: all the people freaking out over jesse welles you can't trust smug; you can't trust galaxy brain tiktok bait maker joe rogan appearing guys. you *can* trust don't rock the inbox to steer you towards all kinds of great country/roots/folk protest music www.dontrocktheinbox.com/put-a-record...

For Black Friday, we're doing a special run of ALL Back Lounge Artist's Editions dating back to Red Dirt in 2020. Use THANKS2025 at checkout for 25% off. Runs through December 1 backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/bla...

Even though there are more out there than anyone can account for, here is a very incomplete list of Todd Snider tributes I found around the Internet. (Free link) www.patreon.com/posts/extrem...

So far, Never Say Never has raised more than $5,000 for the Okmulgee Family YMCA. You can still get in on the contributions by ordering the book through the end of the month. OKMULGEEYMCA at checkout will get you 20% off, too. backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/nev...

To paraphrase Todd Snider, I didn't know him as well as I tell everyone I did. But I stayed up last night trying to find the words for one of the most important humans and songwriters to ever pick up a guitar. Link is free www.patreon.com/posts/making...

The First-Run Hand-Numbered Hardcover is exactly that: The All-Access Edition and the very first official press run of the book, numbered in the order of printing. Comes with a ton of thank-you gifts, Red Dirt Relief donation, and a surprise. backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/almo...

There will be an All-Access Edition of (Almost) Almost Famous. Bonus chapter includes: Behind the Scenes at Hangover Ball 2026 and another major Red Dirt concert in February, plus more. Includes early e-book access and a Red Dirt Relief donation. backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/almo...

More about (Almost) Almost Famous. It's not about me, don't worry. It's about the music and the artists who make it, and it's for the fans of Red Dirt and roots music who built those genres into timeless scenes It'll retail for $30. Pre-order here backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/almo...

I'm back writing books again. My fifth one is a collection of stories behind the stories — all vibes with this one (Almost) Almost Famous: The Tall Tales Behind the Stories from a Lifetime Spent Chasing Roots Music drops April 1. Pre-order now backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/alm...

Also some breaking news this morning. Cross Canadian Ragweed has been added to the 2026 Mile 0 Festival in Key West. Story @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

I had been after Bri Bagwell to have me on the Only Vans podcast for literally years. Today, the lesson is clear: Begging works. Watch here or listen on your favorite podcast platform! (And there's more big news yet to come from me today) www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TD-...

We had Taylor Hunnicutt on Hippies & Cowboys this week to wax poetic about Alabama music. Oh and also I announced my next book www.patreon.com/posts/taylor...

In April, @vandoliers.bsky.social co-founder, lead singer, and primary songwriter Jenni Rose came out as trans to me in a @rollingstone.com story. Today I learned that story is a finalist for an LA Press Club award for diversity writing in music. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

In my career, I have won every award for design and visual journalism that has ever been given, and I worked very hard for all those and I am incredibly proud of them. But I haven't even been *nominated* for a writing award since college. This is wild lapressclub.org

Have not talked to a single person who thinks Texas is going to beat Mississippi State today. Gonna be very interesting to see if the Horns can pull the upset as 7.5-point favorites

Wrote about The Droptines for @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Blaine Bailey joined us on Hippies & Cowboys this week, and I made a major confession about the old Douchebag Songwriter Twitter account (rip to a real one) www.patreon.com/posts/blaine...

I put my notes app from the night that Bono and The Edge accepted the Woody Guthrie Prize at Cain's Ballroom on behalf of U2 up at The Back Lounge. www.patreon.com/posts/from-n...

Saw Bono and The Edge accept the 2025 Woody Guthrie Prize for U2 on Tuesday at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa. I'd also been in Oklahoma exploring Guthrie's cultural impact for most of this year. Funny how things turn into stories that are up @rollingstone.com now. www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

"I will not be reading that, but ..." still the best and most effective way to begin criticism of something I or any journalist wrote

You have been blessed by Pomp Crutchmer go Pokes

With American Aquarium in between records, entering local politics for real, and celebrating 20 years as a band, it seemed like a moment worth catching up over for @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

I sat in on a songwriting class Rhett Miller taught at NYC’s New School. Thought it would be a good way to understand his headspace ahead of releasing A Lifetime of Riding by Night on Friday. Story is up @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Long catchup post at The Back Lounge today, where I share more about the Ruston Kelly story from today in Rolling Stone and lay out plans for the month that include some signed Josh Meloy books during his Cain's residency in a few weeks. www.patreon.com/posts/ruston...

Made this post free, for the current scourge of "I PAID to come to this CONCERT and I'm gonna TALK THROUGH IT" that we have going on right now

I caught up with Ruston Kelly as he released "Pale, Through the Window" after a full-scale life overhaul. We talked about songwriting and muses, and finding God but not religion. It's up now @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

Had Josh Meloy on Hippies & Cowboys this week. We talked a lot. Lotta Joshes on this one. Listen please. www.patreon.com/posts/josh-m...

Spent the year with Whiskey Myers as they made Whomp Whack Thunder — out Friday — and chased one specific goal. It’s up @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...

No Hippies & Cowboys this week. Listen to my chat with Bella Steiert on The Back Lounge Sessions instead. www.patreon.com/posts/back-l...

The All-Access Edition of @neversayneverbook.bsky.social has printed and will start shipping in roughly 10 days. It's got 16 pages dedicated to Ragweed, Turnpike, Shane Smith, Wade Bowen and American Aquarium in Waco (and 224 more pages) Order: backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/category/nev...

Dress like me! Get your "Shut Up and Read @marissarmoss.bsky.social " shirt through September 30 at The Back Lounge. All proceeds benefit the Committee to Protect Journalists. backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/shut...

Dress like me again! Get your Puff Piece shirt from now through September 30 at The Back Lounge. All proceeds benefit the Committee to Protect Journalists. backloungepublishing.bigcartel.com/product/puff...

My last-day schedule at Americanafest is this: 1 pm — Team Wasserman party at Skinny Dennis 2-7 pm — (not part of the fest) NYC Day Party with Marley Hale, Olivia Ellen Lloyd, and more, by Cafe Wha, Roberta's and me, at Urban Cowboy 9 pm-late — One more for the road somewhere tbd???

The people tossing the word "authentic" around country music right now were never ready for Leon Macjen. He's on Hippies & Cowboys this week and it's a fun one. www.patreon.com/posts/hippie...