Follow in their footsteps, or be like them?

Posted on by bmroyer

I have seen many posts on Facebook recently wanting Merle Haggard’s son, Ben Haggard, to release an original album. At first I thought it was great..actually I still would like to see this happen, but it got me thinking about superstars and their kids following in their footsteps.

Why do fans of Merle Haggard want Ben to release an album? Are they expecting a reincarnation of the legend? Even if he plays his own stuff, his fans will still be leftovers from Merle with a few new fans. Trolls will follow him and bash him on social media for living off his daddy’s fame. I’ve seen this with Hank Jr., Hank 3, Shooter and Whey Jennings, Rosanne Cash and many others. Shooter even stopped playing his daddy’s guitar for that reason maybe. It sounds easy enough to do, but does he really want to stand in the shadow of Merle?

On another view I can see this as the prime time for Ben to break into the scene because of the changing trends in country music. With the rise of Chris Stapleton, Cody Jinks, and Tyler Childers, a new sound is emerging from Nashville that is going to take country music back to its roots. For those skeptical of the the “going back to its roots” statement, take a look at country music history with Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, George Strait who helped bring the feel back in the 90s. In the 2000s we had Josh Turner, early Zac Brown Band, and Jamey Johnson. It always goes back to its roots until it trends away and goes back to pop country.

What do you all think? Should Ben Haggard release an album? Why?

Why Internet Radio Will Dominate The Future Of Advertising

Posted on by bmroyer

With the power to carry the internet with you everywhere and the ability to listen to music privately via ear buds, is one of the biggest factors to why internet radio will dominate the future. According to Forbes, internet radio is listened to by more 18 to 24 year-olds than FM radio stations; most commonly Pandora or YouTube. In fact, they listen to internet radio more than they watch TV, which was unheard of in the 90s.

In the early days of radio, listeners tuned in for more than just music. The radio was their form on entertainment. This is how they received their news, weather, and activities going on around the area. This slowly faded with televisions because watching was more entertaining than listening, and color TV added more hype to the TV generation. Similar experiences can be found with the internet. It started with dial-up connections and then slowly became more efficient with cable and satellite options. With the speed upgrades, users became more dependent on their fast connections for downloads and streaming.

The time is now for internet radio because all of the technology is in place, and streaming servers are becoming more affordable for small radio stations to open shop. YouTube and Pandora are algorithms and do not represent the spirit and personalities of a live DJ. Internet radio is also easier for listeners to communicate with through apps and social media. Lastly, that old time experience of community and local news and events will always be needed in towns around the world. Local people and local music can once again thrive and keep communities connected.

Who is Justin Wells?

Posted on by bmroyer

Sometimes names are thrown around and songs are heard that you cannot get out of your head. The song stays with you for a time, and then will slowly fade away. The song is not gone forever. When you least expect it…it will return and you will immediately be moved by it.

Songs are supposed to be felt, but with country music nowadays, songs rarely are. Justin Wells, however, is part of a movement that does not exist in the mainstream radio..sound familiar? Below you will find Justin Wells’s video of “The Dogs.”

Justin Wells is from Kentucky and traveled with his band, Fifth on the Floor, playing music that way that it should be played. His album, “Ashes and Angels” earned a placement on the Billboard charts.

Justin separated from his band in 2015 and is now a solo artist, releasing “Dawn in the Distance” as his debut album.

Short and sweet!

The information above was from Justin’s official website. We generally do our research from the artist’s websites/social media because they are the most credible source of information.

http://justinwellsmusic.com/bio/

New Year, New Look.

Posted on by bmroyer

We have been having problems with the website for months and because of some modifications to WordPress, fixing it was harder than it was worth. So we have reinstalled WordPress and will stay away from any modifications.

The current theme is not the one that we are keeping. We have a better theme in mind that will come later in the new year, but the website works again and content will be added regularly now! Be sure to check back often for local news, country artist news, and of course good music that cannot be heard anywhere else.

Some of the new things coming for the new year:

  • Regular morning show hosted by Brandon Royer.
  • New theme.
  • More shows and content.
  • Sponsors.
  • Events and interviews.
  • Weather forecast (radio)

Stick with us through 2019 and help bring back great country music to the radio waves!