Taking a dive into the macabre. It’s no secret that country music and murder ballads go hand-in-hand. From Johnny Cash’s tales of crime to Colter Wall’s stories of cheating, you don’t have to look very far to find songs depicting dark, violent subject matter to fulfill an appetite for murder. Throughout the decades, the genre has been gifted with some of the best tracks from a plethora of legends — both old and new — ranging from the likes of Willie Nelson and Marty Robbins to alternative country heroes such as Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell. In this list of 15 of the best murder ballads across the genre in the last sixty or so years, we’ll cover a lot of ground between subject matter, subgenres and eras, so without further ado, let’s dive in. “Kate McCannon” – Colter Wall Starting off strong with the gold standard for modern murder ballads, Colter Wall’s “Kate McCannon” is one of the best tracks of the 21st century so far, in my opinion. From his haunting, raspy vocals to the sparse production, the track lets the listener bask in the darkness of the lyrics of the song as Wall kills the titular woman after catching her cheating with another man. “Cocaine Blues” – Johnny Cash Simply put, “Cocaine Blues” is the Man in Black in his wheelhouse. Cash comes out of the gates swinging, “Early one morning while making the rounds, took a shot of cocaine and shot my woman down.” There’s a certain shockingness to the blunt nature in which he recounts the murder. He’s not trying to be poetic while recounting the murder or trying to justify it; he’s simply stating how he did it. Cash’s vocal charisma while recounting the murder and the trial serves as a brilliant juxtaposition compared to his actions. “Knives of New Orleans” – Eric Church Though many point to “Lightning” as Church’s best murder ballad, “Knives of New Orleans” arguably does it better. What sets it apart from many other murder ballads is that Church never details what he did. He never explicitly states who he killed or how he did it; he simply leaves it up to the listeners’ imagination, making it even more terrifying as he wails, “I did what I did,” in the outro. “Down the River” – Chris Knight Closing out the set of four river-based murder ballads is none other than Chris Knight’s sprawling, 7-minute epic, which tells the harrowing journey of a man taking revenge for his brother’s murder. Easily one of the best and most detailed narrative songs in the genre, “Down the River” is a must-listen. “Red Headed Stranger” – Willie Nelson It would simply be criminal (no pun intended) to leave off one of the most iconic country songs from one of the most iconic country albums of all time. “Red Headed Stranger” proves why Willie Nelson has remained a country legend for well over fifty years, and it’s such a pleasant song to listen to. Sonically, the track is incredibly soothing and waltz-esque, serving as a juxtaposition to the eventual actions the titular character commits later in the song. It’s no surprise that this song has stood the test of time the way it has; it’s country gold. “Cranes of Potter” – Charles Wesley Godwin One of the greatest songs of the decade, Charles Wesley Godwin’s 2021 deep cut creates a post-Civil War world in which a promiscuous mayor’s daughter, Claire, finds herself caught up in a love triangle. Claire is preyed upon by the town’s lunatic, Jeremiah, who eventually kills Claire in a jealous rage and is hanged as punishment. However, her remains would not be found until over a century later, something that was actually inspired by real-world events as noted by Godwin. “Banded Clovis” – Tyler Childers One of Tyler Childers’ most narrative-driven songs to date comes in the form of “Banded Clovis,” a murder ballad centered around two men going out to mine for valuables on a hillside. The track quickly dives into darkness as the narrator kills the man over the titular banded clovis after a night filled with moonshine (and presumably other, harder substances). “Martha Divine” – Ashley McBryde In the severely underrated murder ballad from Ashley McBryde, the “Girl Going Nowhere” singer finds herself at odds with her father’s mistress. Taking revenge for her mother, McBryde kills her with a shovel. It’s the tangible anger in McBryde’s performance here on “Martha Divine” that really sets it apart from the pack. “Crooked Teeth” – Zach Bryan Love or hate everything Zach Bryan has gotten himself into the past year or so, there’s no denying that “Crooked Teeth” is a stellar track from the Oklahoman singer/songwriter. Instead of implying the violence like Church on “Knives of New Orleans,” here, Bryan goes into detail describing the brutality inflicted upon the man he caught his lover with, noting he blew his knees off with a presumed shotgun blast and even removed one of his eyes in the process. “River” – Jason Isbell Love or hate Jason Isbell’s politics and personality in general, there is no doubt that he’s one of the finest songwriters working in any genre over the past two decades. What immediately stands out while listening to “River” is how it is less about the murders the narrator committed and more about the consequences they have had on him, detailing how he regrets orphaning others’ children and stealing others’ fortunes. The way that Isbell refers to the river as his savior before eventually drowning himself in it in the final verse is nothing short of haunting. “If It Hadn’t Been For Love” – The SteelDrivers Before Chris Stapleton was the god-like figure in country music like he is today, he was creating some incredible music with the likes of The Steeldrivers. This beautifully haunting, bluegrass-inspired track follows the story of a man killing his lover for cheating on him with another man. Reflecting upon his action, Stapleton sits in a jail cell before blaming it all on being in love. “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” – Reba McEntire “The Nights the Lights Went Out in Georgia” is everything a murder ballad should be. The verses have a sultry sound, immediately setting the mood for murder. The verses then crescendo into the iconic chorus. Sonically, it is a delight. Lyrically, it is equally exciting. The narrator details how her brother was hanged for killing the man with whom his wife cheated. Throughout the verses, it is revealed that the narrator not only killed the man but also her brother’s wife for cheating on him. The reveal is an excellent plot twist and further proves how expertly Bobby Russell wrote this track. “Psycho” – Eddie Noack Like Nelson’s “Red Headed Stranger,” Noack’s 1968 “Psycho” sounds like your standard country fair for the time. Framed as a conversation between Noack and his mother, the song quickly takes a turn to the macabre when he matter-of-factly states that he killed his ex and her lover at a dance hall. It only gets worse from there when he recounts murdering another man named Johnny and his dog with his bare hands, a little girl with a wrench and finally his own mother as the song ends. Nothing short of shocking, especially during its time of release in 1968. “Big Iron” – Marty Robbins Whether it’s the Marty Robbins original or Colter Wall’s popular 2020 cover, you can’t go wrong with either version of “Big Iron.” Immediately taking you back to the days of the wild west, the track is the perfect gunslinging murder ballad. “White River” – Kaitlin Butts A severely underrated track from Kaitlin Butts, “White River,” tells the story of a daughter finally taking revenge on her father for years of abuse to both her and her mother, making the titular White River turn red with his blood. Simple yet incredibly, Butts makes the most of using effective imagery here. The post 15 Of The Greatest Murder Ballads In Country Music History first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The lawsuit claims that Bryan and Aldean's E3 Chophouse owed two months of back rent before it closed. Continue reading…

Elizabeth Nichols is doing what she can to bring back funny country music. The country singer and songwriter recently sat down with us on Whiskey Riff Raff, and she’s one of the many young artists who have rose to fame in the social media age of music discovery. She initially went viral thanks to her clever country song “I Got A New One,” and she’s rode that wave all the way to her first ever headlining tour. Much of our conversation with Elizabeth Nichols revolved around her love for country music, and more specifically, Toby Keith. She’s doing what she can to bring funny, storytelling songs back to the genre, and Nichols credits the Big Dog Daddy for inspiring her to focus in on the kind of songwriting that’s helped make her a breakout star. We asked which country star she was the biggest fan of, and Nichols didn’t even let us finish the question before she excitedly answered with the “Red Solo Cup” singer: “Toby Keith… I’m obsessed with Toby Keith. I mean, it’s so funny. Bring back funny country music. There is a lack. I love Brad Paisley, Keith Whitley, I’m a huge fan. It’s just such good stuff. It’s quality (music).” @whiskeyriff @Elizabeth Nichols #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff Hey, I’m here for bringing funny country music back. Nichols is right in pointing out that modern, comical country songs have been few and far between. The likes of Toby Keith and Brad Paisley held it up for a while, and now, it’s up to modern artists to carry on the fun. Granted, there’s been songs like Ashley McBryde’s “Brenda Put Your Bra On” that have come out more recently… but it’s still a bit of a lost art. Elizabeth Nichols might be one of the young artists that appreciates it enough to keep it going. She developed a love for the sub genre just through listening to all of the music that she could, and having the likes of Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her” or Toby Keith’s “As Good As I Once Was” stick out. Nichols still listens to a variety of genres, and explained that when it comes to her taste in music… she just likes what she likes: “I love music. I listen to everything. So it’s like, who cares (what it is). If I like it, I listen to it. I like lots of country music. I like lots of country crossover music. I like lots of pop music. I don’t like lots of country music. I don’t like lots of country crossover music. I don’t like lots of pop music. I like what I like. I’m not like, ‘I love every country song.’ Everybody has different tastes.” You can hear about all of that and more (like a Talladega Nights star being in her band, or Dog The Bounty Hunter coming to her house for Easter) by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post Elizabeth Nichols Loves Toby Keith & Calls For Funny Country Music To Come Back: “There Is A Lack” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Showing dad some love on Father’s Day. Back in April, reigning Billboard Artist of the Year, Morgan Wallen, launched his very own radio station on SiriusXM, aptly titled “Morgan Wallen Radio.” With this, he joined the likes of Chris Stapleton, Willie Nelson, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Chesney, all of whom have their own stations on the broadcasting corporation. In a statement, the 19x Billboard Music Award winner would let fans know what they can expect from the channel, noting how it’s personally curated by him and how it will contain a lot of the music he listens to on a day-to-day basis. Additionally, Wallen would let fans know that they can expect a lot of curveballs from song-to-song, explaining how it’s different than what most people will expect. “Listeners can expect to hear a lot of things that I listen to on a day-to-day basis, which is probably a lot different than what most people expect. I will be personally curating the music so they will get a glimpse into my world. I’m excited for everyone to hear it.” Since debuting on April 7th, Morgan Wallen Radio has aired a plethora of different segments. These include the likes of “Still The Problem Tour Segments,” which sees Wallen taking listeners behind the scenes of the upcoming tour, setlists and more, “808 to 865,” which sees him spinning his favorite hip-hop tracks and influences every Saturday night and “One Track At A Time,” which sees him highlighting his favorite new music. Recently, his father, Tommy, spearheaded “Family Tradition With Tommy Wallen,” where he shares memories from the Wallen family, stories from Morgan’s childhood, his proudest moments from Morgan’s life and career and more. Announced today, Tommy is adding another segment to his son’s radio station, “Tommy’s Sunday Seven,” which will serve as a seven-minute devotional each and every Sunday morning. View this post on Instagram As for what to expect from “Tommy’s Sunday Seven,” the Wallen patriarch would describe it as a journey for those who don’t have any knowledge of the Bible. Additionally, he’d be incredibly transparent and note that he wanted to share the Scripture that brought him out of the “hopelessness” of his alcoholism and drug addiction. “Each week, our time will be spent looking into the Bible. I’m not going to try to force what determines how I live on you. I just want to share with you what brought me out of a life of hopelessness because of alcoholism and drug addiction. We will approach this as if none of us have any knowledge of the Bible, so we can begin this journey together.” You can listen to “Tommy’s Sunday Service” on Morgan Wallen Radio starting this Sunday, June 21st. The seven-minute program will run every Sunday at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. ET. “Thought You Should Know” Still The Problem Tour Dates June 19 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 20 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 26 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat June 27 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 17 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 18 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 24 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 25 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ HARDY, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 31 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ ​​Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten August 1 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ Ella Langley, Hudson Westbrook, Blake WhitenThe post Morgan Wallen’s Father Launches Christian Bible Study Show On The Singer’s SiriusXM Station first appeared on Whiskey Riff.