Streaming is everywhere; it’s the simple fact of reality. Whether it’s Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music for music, Netflix, Max and Disney+ for movies and TV or any other streaming service that is out there, chances are that you are consuming nearly all of your media content via streaming. While I can’t argue with the convenience and benefits of streaming — I frequently use them myself — there’s something to be said about the importance of buying physical media despite the push towards phasing them out. There are still plenty of reasons why you should be purchasing physical copies of your favorite movies, shows and albums despite what major corporations such as Netflix and Spotify might say. The first and most important one would simply be that purchasing physical media, especially while discussing music, is the best way to support your favorite artists/creators. It’s a poorly kept secret that Spotify and Apple Music pay artists next to nothing per stream. It’s theorized that artists get approximately $0.003-0.005 per stream on Spotify, while Apple pays slightly better at $.01 per stream. I don’t think that I have to explain how that’s not sustainable to make a living, especially for independent artists. Of course, the Morgan Wallens, Zach Bryans and Luke Combs of the world do not have to worry about this due to their international popularity, brand deals, concert sales and more. Any independent artist or smaller artist in general, such as Colby Acuff, Southall and many more, simply cannot make a living on streaming alone. As an avid vinyl collector with nearly 200 records in my collection, ranging from the likes of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Patsy Cline to Turnpike Troubadours, Tyler Childers and Eric Church, I have found that this is one of the best ways to support them. Not only is vinyl an extremely fun hobby to dive into, but it directly supports them while you still get to enjoy their music. Another key aspect to collecting physical media, especially vinyl, is the simple fact that the record you purchased cannot be edited, removed or made unavailable in any way, shape or form. Though this typically happens more on the film/television side of streaming, with movies and shows frequently suffering the most from this, there are still instances of songs being removed from platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify. One of the highest-profile ones in recent memory in country music would be Zach Bryan removing his collaboration with John Mooreland, “Memphis; the Blues,” off of streaming services following a viral spat. As of today, there is no way to stream the song on verified streaming services. The physical copy, however, will contain the song for the remainder of time. While diving into the world of record collecting might seem like a daunting task, given the fact that you have to find a good record player, deal with some elitists that occupy the hobby and actively seek out the best spots to buy them, but have no fear, Vinyl.com has you covered. View this post on Instagram One of the most exciting parts of record collecting, at least for me, is being able to begin to stack up some of my favorite records of all time, be able to see the album artwork up close and read the liner notes, credits, lyrics and any other insights included in said record packaging (I’m a nerd, I know). Part of the beauty of records as a whole is the simple fact that there’s truly no limit to the albums you can collect throughout the entire history of the genre, and of course, Vinyl.com has it all. If you’re a big fan of pop country, the site has multiple albums ranging from the likes of Billboard’s #1 Artist of 2025, Morgan Wallen, to Megan Moroney. You like alternative country? Vinyl.com has a wide range of the best in the business right now, including Sturgill Simpson, Colter Wall, Turnpike Troubadours, Zach Bryan and more. Is old-school country more your style? Don’t worry, they have plenty of classics ranging from Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, George Strait, Willie Nelson and other legends. With over 50,000 titles available for purchase today, many of them being some of the greatest country albums of yesterday and today, Vinyl.com is truly a must-use website for those either starting their record collection or trying to add some iconic titles to it. Even more excitingly, for those who are trying to boost their collections immediately, Vinyl.com is offering bundles including the likes of Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers and more with three-album packs at a discounted price. Of course, this isn’t even mentioning the countless other artists and genres carried by the site. Ultimately, Vinyl.com is undoubtedly one of the best record sites on the internet today. If you want to get in on the action and pick up some of your all-time favorite albums, visit their website HERE and use promo code, WHISKEYRIFF10, for 10% off at checkout. The post If You Really Want To Support Your Favorite Artists — Buy Their Records first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The Sagebrush Trilogy, Saga 3: Age Of The Ram begins. Charley Crockett is an album-making machine. The Texas native has released an astonishing 17 albums (including his live record from the Ryman) over the past 11 years. The “Man From Waco” does what no other artist does, releasing multiple LPs a year, and today the third chapter of his latest trilogy begins. Charley Crockett kicked off The Sagebrush Trilogy. Rounding out the summer last year, Crockett released the second installment of the trilogy, giving Dollar A Day just five months after his previous record, Lonesome Drifter. With tall tales of cowboys on horseback, solitary drifters, and traveling barroom musicians, Dollar A Day is laden with larger-than-life stories of characters who persevered with their backs against the wall, laughed in the face of adversity, and went all in with the cards they were dealt because they didn’t have much of a choice. The stories featured on this record truly embrace the troubadour lifestyle and the need to survive. It’s been five months and some change since Crockett gifted us with Dollar A Day, and today, the story continues as we officially open the next chapter of this trilogy, the Age Of The Ram. View this post on Instagram The first single from The Sagebrush Trilogy, Saga 3: Age Of The Ram, “Kentucky Too Long,” tells the story of a man on the run and builds on the survival themes from his last LP. The bass-heavy melody, soaked in steel guitar, transports the listener to a small blues bar with the sonic feel. As Crockett begins to croon, he tells the story of an outlaw or drifter on the run. What he’s running from could be a multitude of things: a woman who claims she’s carrying his child, the law (although he promises he “ain’t runnin’ from no Johnny Law”), or is on the run as he lives a nomadic lifestyle, or it could be a combination of all the above. Whatever this character is running from, the lyrics suggest it was a dangerous situation, as evidenced by the line “shootin’ out without warnin’.” While he’s on the run, he knows that Kentucky is not his final destination, and although he feels like his situation is closing in around him, he has to find a way to keep moving to get out of the Bluegrass State. “Back in Texas last week That’s a-when a-things got bleak Be careful of what you speak Might come find you A Choctaw just this mornin’ They started shootin’ out without warnin’ If it hadn’t been for my woman that had me sleepin’ Man, I really feel it comin’ on I’ve been in Kentucky too long Been in Kentucky makin’ somethin’ out of nothin’ too long” The song builds perfectly on the “$10 Cowboy” singer’s consistent message about survival and never letting a place hold you down. Crockett himself has lived quite the nomadic lifestyle, and just like many of his other songs, you can’t help but imagine that the lyrics are inspired by his own life experiences. We’ve officially embarked on the final part of The Sagebrush Trilogy, and “Kentucky Too Long” is a strong start, showcasing Crockett’s masterful storytelling. Turn it up: The post Charley Crockett Kicks Off The Final Part Of ‘The Sagebrush Trilogy With “Kentucky Too Long” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

His artistry is way beyond his years. Continue reading…

I mean, #5 something else… but it’s Kacey Musgraves, so I guess I can’t say I’m all that shocked. The country star is getting in the Valentine’s Day spirit with an interview with Dream Baby Press, where Kacey shared her favorite places to kiss. A lot of them are pretty basic, but she gave an explanation for most of them, and I think they’re something many would agree on, starting out pretty mundane with the middle of the grocery store, which calls “romantic”: “In the middle of a grocery store. There’s something so romantic about having a locked-in moment holding each other in the middle of a grocery store where people are busily and mundanely moving around you, grabbing the items they need. It feels borderline rebellious. Like you’ve outsmarted the doldrums of domesticity. Like time stops and you’re in your own special bubble with your person.” Alright… The next one is probably slightly less relatable, but still, it’s pretty understandable, and Kacey explained what she loves abut a moody bar in Tokyo, Japan: “In Tokyo, public displays of affection are not allowed. So, sitting at a moody vinyl bar, sipping good whiskey, listening to good music, having connected convo, and NOT being able to touch actually makes you want to touch even more. So, the kiss after leaving that is extra nice.” Next, she listed one that is straight out of The Notebook, saying she loves to kiss in the ocean because of how comfortable and at peace: “In the ocean. You feel a sense of comfort and safety as you hold onto each other while the waves push you around a little. The other person’s face and hair are glistening. The kiss is slightly salty.” She also says she enjoys kissing in the airport, telling Dream Baby Press that there’s something so sweet about the fact that someone is either saying hello or goodbye: “In an airport – either saying goodbye or hello again.” But the last one.. that one got me, and she didn’t leave any sort of explanation, and I honestly don’t think she needs to: “ANYWHERE ON MOLLY : )” There you have it, folks… Kacey’s favorite places to kiss which was much tamer than I had anticipated until we got to the last one: View this post on Instagram I’m not sure if Kacey has someone special in her life now, but she’s written plenty of great love songs over the years, and her Grammy-winning album Golden Hour was basically one giant love letter to her ex-husband, Ruston Kelly. If you don’t have any of her music on your Valentine’s Day playlist, you’re very much missing out, and I will leave a few of my favorites below… “Golden Hour” “Oh, What A World” “Late to the Party” “Butterflies” “Can’t Help Falling in Love” The post Kacey Musgraves Shares Her Favorite Places To Kiss… And It’s An Interesting List first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The duo I never knew I needed. It’s safe to say it’s been a pretty big week for both Eric Church and Ella Langley. It should go without saying that Langley has arguably been the hottest country artist on the planet since the start of the year. Riding the waves of “Choosin’ Texas,” on Monday, she went #1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 with the monster track. In turn, she became just the seventh female artist IN HISTORY to go #1 on the Hot 100 with a country song. Additionally, she became the first woman to ever to triple up and score #1s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay and Hot 100 chart simultaneously. As for Church, he also had a pretty monster week. Given the success of his Grammy-nominated 2025 album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, the “Springsteen” singer released his first-ever concert film, Evangeline vs. The Machine Comes Alive, into theaters across the U.S. and Canada on Wednesday (and again tonight, Feb. 14). Simply put, it was nothing short of a masterpiece from the Chief, being one of the most unique and immersive concert movies released in recent memories. Ironically, both Church and Langley have been out on the road together for quite a few weeks at this point, as the “Dandelion” singer has been opening up for Church on his Free The Machine Tour. Despite this and the fact that Langley has been the hottest artist in the genre lately, the pair had yet to team up for a performance on the tour. That changed last night in Buffalo, New York. After Langley fired up the New York crowd, Church opened up the show, per usual, with the entirety of Evangeline vs. The Machine before diving into past hits like “Desperate Man,” “Smoke a Little Smoke” and the severely underrated “Stick That In Your Country Song.” It’s become pretty standard practice for the North Carolina native to pull out iconic covers from various artists depending on what city/state he’s performing in, with “Sweet Home Chicago” being played in the Windy City, “What Made Milwaukee Famous” getting covered in Wisconsin and John Anderson’s “Seminole Wind” appearing on Florida setlists in the past. This time around, in New York, Church called upon Langley to deliver a stellar duet of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.” Though Joel never released “New York State of Mind” as a single upon its inclusion on his 1976 album, Turnstile, it has not only remained one of his signature songs but also one of the most iconic tracks featuring New York in general. Admittedly, it’s not the song I would have expected the pair to pull out for their first-ever live performance. With that being said, they absolutely nailed it. In particular, Langley sounds incredible, taking control of the majority of the song while Church provides some great harmonies here and there. Watch here: @rachelmcap New York State of mind #ericchurch #ellalangleylive ♬ [Raw recording] Record playback noise 01 (3 minutes) – Icy Light 2026 Free the Machine Tour  Feb. 14 || Albany, N.Y. || MVP Arena || Ella Langley Feb. 19 || North Little Rock, Ark. || Simmons Bank Arena || 49 Winchester Feb. 20 || Kansas City, Mo. || T-Mobile Center || 49 Winchester Feb. 21 || St. Louis, Mo. || Enterprise Center || 49 Winchester Feb. 26 || Tulsa, Okla. || BOK Center || Stephen Wilson Jr. Feb. 27 || Fort Worth, Texas || Dickies Arena || Stephen Wilson Jr. Feb. 28 || Austin, Texas || Moody Center || Stephen Wilson Jr. Mar. 5 || Knoxville, Tenn. || Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center || 49 Winchester Mar. 6 || Greensboro, N.C. || First Horizon Coliseum || 49 Winchester Mar. 7 || North Charleston, S.C. || North Charleston Coliseum || 49 Winchester Mar. 19 || Birmingham, Ala. || Legacy Arena at the BJCC || 49 Winchester Mar. 20 || Atlanta, Ga. || State Farm Arena || 49 Winchester Mar. 27 || Hollywood, Fla. || Hard Rock Live || Kashus Culpepper Apr. 3 || Greenville, S.C. || Bon Secours Wellness Arena || Ashley McBryde Apr. 4 || Charlotte, N.C. || Spectrum Center || Ashley McBryde Apr. 10 || Jacksonville, Fla. || VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena || Ashley McBryde Apr. 11 || Tampa, Fla. || Benchmark International Arena || Ashley McBrydeThe post WATCH: Eric Church Brings Out Ella Langley For Stellar Cover Of Billy Joel’s “New York State Of Mind” In Buffalo first appeared on Whiskey Riff.