Union City, Calif. — June 19, 2018 – Ariat, the leader in innovative Western, Work and English footwear and apparel, is proud to announce its partnership with Musician and Country Music artist, Casey Donahew.  

Over the last 15 years, Casey Donahew has risen from a favorite on the local Texas music scene, racking up 16 #1 singles, to a nationally hot touring act who consistently sells out venues all across the country. Donahew has released eight independent albums to critical and commercial acclaim, and is a true lover of the Western lifestyle, raising and riding roping horses himself and often singing about the simplistic beauty, strength, and purity of the cowboy way of life. For Donahew, it’s not just a stage costume, it’s a way of life, making him the perfect match to represent the Ariat brand in all of its lines.  ​

VIEW THE RELEASE TRAILER : HERE
 
Nashville artist Boo Ray will be releasing the third installment in his ‘BooCoo Amigos’ 7inch duet series, with celebrity chef Sean Brock via Soundly Music. The digital release will be arriving July 27th followed by the physical vinyl release on August 24th. The 7inch features featuring two original songs “Saint Misbehavin’” and “Soul Food Cookin.” The vinyl is currently available for pre-order HERE.
 
Prior releases in the ‘BooCoo Amigos’ series include duets with Lilly Winwood (Americana singer and daughter of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Winwood) and Elizabeth Cook. Cowboys & Indians called the Lilly Winwood duet “Hard to Tell,” “a fun, whimsical track that utilizes its steel guitar, organ, and bluesy guitar licks to emphasize Winwood’s unique voice and Ray’s signature eccentric style.” The Holiday duet with Elizabeth Cook “All Strung Out With Christmas Lights” was praised by Rolling Stone County, who called “a boozy bedrock of electric guitar, pedal steel and barroom piano.”  

Danny Brewer, the mastermind behind Besides Daniel, pulls from his own experiences and life lessons to craft the songs on his upcoming release, T E E M I N G.  Due August 24th, the project is a personal reflection on the adventure of putting roots in the ground, committing to love, healing through suffering, and the celebration of new life. This collection of songs humbly puts into perspective the weight of life lessons, true friendship, the risks of marriage, and the triumph of a healed heart. 
 
Focusing on melody, harmony and simple, elegant songwriting, T E E M I N G is a dynamic blend of poetic lyricism, evocative vocals, and refreshingly cathartic honesty. Today, TDC is honored to premiere the delicately flawless "Wonderfully Made", a subtle and beautiful invitation to self-acceptance that stirs the emotional pot in the best way possible. Brewer had this to say about the track,

"Have you ever flawed and defective and weak? Or somehow you felt you were exposed as a fake or a failure? Me too. But I know I’m not a fake. And instead of hiding in shame, I sing about it the realization that I’m enough. I am completely enough and I am wonderfully made. This song helps me to celebrate my vulnerability. I’ve made mistakes, but I’m not a mistake. I’m teeming with life."

Enjoy, and share, the song above. Then read on as Brewer answers his Essential 8 where, like his songs, he speaks openly and honestly about the album, finding balance, touring, and more.

Nashville, TN (June 19, 2018)-OnJuly 27, 2018, Ft. Worth singer/songwriter Dan Johnson will release “Hemingway,” a unique EP/audiobook project that paints a haunting picture of mental health struggles and suicide among military veterans.  The release of the project on State Fair Records is Johnson’s personal testament of a troubled life, molded by the devastating mental collapse and eventual suicide of his father all told through compelling narrative.  “Hemingway” stands as a message of how generations can be impacted by this kind of loss, and how people can intercede on behalf of those who aren’t reaching out on behalf of themselves.  With its five brilliantly crafted songs and five companion short stories, Johnson hopes not only to educate the public on the specific and common warning signs of suicide, but also the variety of resources available in their own communities across America.  ​​

Austin, TX: Hot on the heels of a Southwest tour announcement running July 26 thru August 16, guitar-slinging, singer-songwriter Johnny “Chops’ Richardson has premiered his no-holds-barred video “Ten Cent Talkers,” via Americana tastemaker No Depression. Taking a tongue-in-cheek look at “talking heads” on the set of a fictitious network called "BS News," the action mockingly shows the false fronts of those presenting themselves as credible sources of information and leadership. Chops, himself, only makes a cameo in the clip as a TV producer. He recalls the impetus for writing the pointed track, “I wrote it during the election process of 2016 and got into a bad habit of reading the news during breakfast before writing. It just seemed like a bunch of hot air going on every day. Lots of finger pointing and name calling and gums flapping and no actual DOING."

“Ten Cent Talkers” is the third single from his recently released sophomore album, Johnny Chops & The Razors, which The Rock Father christened, “Powerful, lyrically and musically” while Glide Magazine called it, "Bluesy, southern boogie exuding just the right amount of soul and roots rocker energy.” With inspiration from Tom Petty, Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash, and Social Distortion, the 11-track opus was co-produced by Reckless Kelly guitarist David Abeyta, who helped Chops establish a signature sound, an eclectic mix of bluesy southern boogie, vintage tones, southern soul, and pure rock ’n’ roll. 

"You can hurt and still feel lucky," Ben Danaher sings on the title track of his deeply personal debut album, 'Still Feel Lucky,' out Sept. 7. Coming from any other songwriter, it might sound like a simple platitude, but in Danaher's hands, it's something far more profound, a moment of true enlightenment in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Born in the wake of the murder of his brother and the loss of this father, the album draws from wells of pain and loss, but is anything but self-pitying. It highlights Danaher forging his own path toward peace, growth and even joy.
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"Seven years ago, my brother Kelly was murdered," Danaher explains. "He was having a birthday party for this three-year-old daughter, and their neighbor was upset that the noise was too loud. The neighbor got into an argument with my father-in-law, and when my brother came out to see what was going on, the neighbor pulled a gun." The gunman ended up shooting three people before being arrested by police, and Danaher received a shocking call later that night with the news that his brother had died from his injuries.