I want to thank y'all for your continued support of the site, including the #OnTheBrink Podcast, and weekly radio show.
When I embarked on this journey three years ago, I had no idea
if anyone cared about traditional honky tonk country music.
The idea was to share the great music that I liked across the internet, and beyond, if possible.
One of the motivating factors for me was that I kept hearing about the same handful of artists over, and over again, boring!. The artists I liked were not on the mainstream country radar or even Alt Country/Americana radar for the most part. In my heart, I felt it was a horrible injustice not only to the artists, but to the fans of traditional country music.
Loretta Lynn on country music:
“I think it’s dead,” “I think it’s a shame. I think it’s a shame to let a type of music die. I don’t care what any kind of music it is. Rock, country, whatever. I think it’s a shame to let it die, and I’m here to start feeding it.”
Often the die hard country music purists resort to wearing out the standard classics like George Jones "I Am What I Am" or Joe Diffie's "Long and Winding Road". Or worse shun everything after Waylon's "The Outlaws". I totally get it as I was one of "those", lol.. But a visit to Texas changed all that for me as some of the lone star state's radio stations were playing my kind of country. Yet none of the artists were familiar to me.
And thank goodness for the DJs that back sell or else, I would not have known who any of the artists were. It was mind boggling to me that so many great artists could be contained in one geographic area. More unfathomable was that most of America had no idea who many of these artists were though some were already stars in Texas.
Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma have consistently delighted my ears, and brought a smile to my face. Through the #StoneColdCountry show I continue to bring good ole fashion traditional country music to our listeners. The #OnTheBrink Podcast is an extension of the show.
We bring you up, and close honest chats about the musical heroes, early influences, and the state of country music of some of the artists we play on the show.
I can't say I've agreed 100% with everything an artist states during an interview. But I do respect their right to share their thoughts safely As we've moved forward our listening panels have listened to new music, rated the artist, and songs, and have helped us hone in, and shape the types of country we play.
Additionally, the kind of artists we feature has been adjusted naturally with the feedback from our members, and listeners across the globe. The latter is one of the most exciting revelations I've experienced. The realization that traditional country music is loved, and cherished by a tsunami of people from all walks of life. Some as faraway as Australia, as diverse as Africa, and as culturally disparate as Asia.
As we move forward, I want to encourage y'all to follow, fan, steam, and buy directly from the artists you enjoy so much in our show, and podcast. The artists are mostly independent recording artists or new emerging major label entertainers on the brink of mass discovery.
And then there are those features of artists that helped shape my passion for honky tonk music. We should never forget those that kept the torch high, and lit for the rest of us to find our way into the fold. If you love the music help support it no matter where you are. Spread your love for this amazing gift that has the power to soothe, heal, and unite. We are living in an unprecedented time in the history of civilization. Don't look outside of yourself for the future. The future of traditional country music is you!
Spread good country music around, and share with the social media links below. Also, don't forget to follow the blogger on Twitter: Listen to more good country music here.
Check out our interviews on Pandora