Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani have sparked chatter by spending more time apart — but it may not mean what people think. Here’s what’s really going on. Continue reading…

An unforgettable night turned emotional when Jason and Brittany Aldean stepped forward to honor a woman who refuses to stay silent. Continue reading…

Making it right. Earlier this year, Jamey Johnson and Riley Green made news while having some fun banter on the golf course during the Regions Tradition tournament presented by Coca-Cola. In May, some of country music’s hottest faces gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, and played in the Drummond Company Celebrity Pro-Am. Other stars outside of country music, like Nick Saban, Charles Barkley, John Daly, and more, participated in the charity event. During the tournament, everyone gathered at the 14th hole to take a break and watch the country music participants perform for a quick game break. Riley Green, Jamey Johnson, Taylor Hicks and John Daly put down their clubs for their acoustic guitars for a rocking concert for spectators. @rileyduckman 1) put it on the green 2) sing country music Good day on the course at Regions Tradition. #Rileygreen #golf #countrymusic ♬ original sound – Riley Green However, after the 14th hole, everyone put their game faces back on to finish the final four holes, hoping to beat the competition. Even though this round of golf is all in good fun, serving a bigger cause, given that these country stars don’t always get as much time to play as they’d like due to their busy tour schedules, they were ready to win. And nothing goes better with a low score on the course than a bit of trash talk. Jamey Johnson was caught laying down some friendly trash talk to Riley Green at the tee box. Johnson, who is known for cracking some killer jokes, was letting it rip, taking shots at Green’s love life and golf game. “The only thing that’s gotten bigger on you in the last five years is that mouth. And forearms… all the time alone. We need to get you another hobby.” @lil_goodson “Need to get you another hobby”#rileygreen #jamiejohnson #regionstradition #golf #country ♬ original sound – Lil_goodson HA. Jamey Johnson’s got a dirty mind and good jokes… my kind of humor. While this clip is hilarious, it also shows Green and Johnson’s genuine friendship. If you can’t talk trash with your friends, are you really friends with them? However, after it began to take off on social media, Johnson did not like that it looked like he was picking on Riley Green. Johnson recently revealed that the two are genuinely really good friends, so he knew Green was okay with them joking around, but he didn’t like the look it gave him, as if he was throwing heat toward the “Damn Good Day To Leave” singer rudely. “One of my favorite things about Riley is his sense of humor, and he can take as much as he dishes out, so that’s why we are always hurling comments at each other. Recently, when one of the videos caught some traction, I felt bad about it. You don’t hear him giving me crap. You just hear me messing with him and it’s not a good look, so I had to call and apologize for that!” Eh, it’s all in good fun. I know I didn’t read into the trash talk more than two friends having some fun on the links. And clearly, Green was not offended by the comments as the two recently teamed up for a stellar duet titled “Smoke.” These two Alabama boys created magic on this single alongside fellow songwriter Erik Dylan. Fire it up before you go. The post Jamey Johnson Says He Called Riley Green To Apologize For Giving Him A Hard Time On The Golf Course first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Country music is in great hands these days. And the sheer output of solid country and country-adjacent music is nearly impossible to keep up with. But that’s a great problem to have. On any given week, it feels like there are 3 or 4 albums, a couple of EPs, and dozens of singles hitting streaming platforms that are well worth a listen. In fact, it’s often overwhelming… The only downside to the amount of great music coming out is that it is nearly impossible to give ample credit where credit is due and spotlight all the music deserving of attention upon its release. So, in an effort to shine light on some of the spectacular album releases over the past few months that didn’t get an individual write up here at Whiskey Riff, I’ve compiled a list of 20 “under the radar” albums country music fans need to be listening to. All are deserving of high praise and a listen all the way through. So, without further ado, here are 20 recent album releases that you do not want to miss. Alive & Well – Hayden Baker Song Pick: “I Wasn’t Gonna Drink Tonight” Appalachia Forever – Philip Bowen An extremely underrated songwriter and one of the best fiddle players in the business, Bowen has a special way of conjuring emotion through his music, and Appalachia Forever is loaded with emotion evoking lyricism. Song Pick: “Blue As Water” ft. Charles Wesley Godwin Country Parables – Grayson Jenkins Song Pick: “Country Parables” Every Ghost – Kelsey Waldon Every Ghost, Waldon’s sixth record is an incredibly introspective project in which she grapples with the ghosts of her past, present, and future to addresses heavy topics of addiction, loss, and self worth before coming to terms with the experiences that have shaped her into who she is today. A vulnerable, first-person coming of age story through which she learns to appreciate herself, it sounds as if the process of making this album was therapeutic for Waldon, and with her spectacular songwriting and pure vocals, the album is bound to be therapeutic for many who listen as well. Song Pick: “Ghost of Myself” Flying – Justin Clyde Williams As clever of a lyricist as they come, Williams’ song content often revolves around heavy subject matter like love, loss, and finding beauty in the struggle, but for every track that will have you feeling emotional, he’ll have another that brings you back up with a laugh. A dichotomous feat in artistry that few have seemed to master since John Prine, Williams’ uncanny ability to weave seamlessly between knee-slapper and tear-jerker is unmatched in today’s country music scene. His Nicholas Jamerson produced record Flying is no exception. Song Pick: “Born To Roam” Justin Clyde Williams has been nothing short of prolific this year, so if you liked this record, make sure to check out The Dick and Tammy Show with Tyler Hatley and Live at The Vulcaan with JD Graham, both of which were released this year as well. For You Again – Eli Adams Song Pick: “For You Again” Guy on a Rock – John Baumann At this point in his career, John Baumann may be best known as 1/4 of the Texas country supergroup The Panhandlers, but he has a deep catalog of solo music waiting to be discovered by fans of deft songwriting and thoughtful lyricism. Guy on a Rock marks his fifth album, and it features some of his best work yet. Song Pick: “That’s What Friends Are For” Horizons – Daniel Donato Song Pick: “Blame The Train” Indian Country – Blaine Bailey Song Pick: “Hatchet” Mr. Runaway – Miles Miller Miles Miller has spent a lot of time over his career holding it down on the drums behind Sturgill Simpson. But when he finds the time to put out his own music, the result is pretty amazing, and he’s two for two on spectacular albums with his latest genre-defying sophomore project Mr. Runaway. Song Pick: “Doctor, Doctor” Never Gonna Leave You – Hollerhead Song Pick: “Leftovers” Rebel Rose – Travis Roberts Song Pick: “Bellmarie” Rhinestone Requiem – Sunny Sweeney One of the most underrated honky tonkers in the business, Sunny Sweeney knows a thing or two about how to make a country song. If you like fiddle, steel guitar, clever lyricism, and drowning out a heartache, then you’ll love her latest album. Song Pick: “Half Lit In 3/4 Time” Smokestack Town – Ole 60 Ole 60 quickly amassed a fervent fanbase on the strength of their songwriting, relatability of their lyricism, and the sheer dynamic nature of their unique country rock sound. Well, I guess they realized if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and thankfully so. From their eclectically edgy sound to the thoughful lyricism from frontman Jacob Young, Smokestack Town features everything that fans love about Ole 60, and even includes a Coldplay cover, too. Song Pick: “Really Wanna Know” The Storm – Corey Hunt & the Wise Song Pick: “Come on Out Tonight” ft. Tyler Hatley The Way the West Was Won – Dallas Burrow Song Pick: “Colorado Bound” ft. Kelly Willis The Western Tragedy – Kenny Feidler Hailing from South Dakota, Feidler was a professional bareback riding rodeo cowboy prior to going all in on his music career, so he knows a thing or two about both the beauty and the struggle that comes with life on the road and in the American West. Channeling the grit that it takes to succeed in these two industries, Feidler’s new record juxtaposes these sentiments through deft songwriting and a full blown western rock and roll attack. Song Pick: “The Coyotes” Whiskey Lies & Alibis – William Beckmann The neo-traditional country sound experiencing quite the resurgence right now with artists like Zach Top leading the charge, but William Beckmann is doing his part to keep real country music alive as well. And with his latest album, it’s clear that he’s on the verge of a major breakthrough in his own right. Song Pick: “Borderline Crazy” 8000 Days – West Texas Exiles Song Pick: “Wind’s Gonna Blow” And while all of these albums haven’t been covered in depth here at Whiskey Riff, you absolutely will hear their music on our playlists, especially the New Music Friday playlist. Updated every Friday with the latest country music releases, it’s the perfect place to discover new music every single week Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music The post 20 Under-The-Radar Country Album Releases You Don’t Want To Miss This Year first appeared on Whiskey Riff.