Country Fried Rock

Photojournalist, Crush Rush, shares the power of images in historic events. With frank conversation about the importance of photojournalism, anti-racism, and his experience as a Black man in America, we delve into some of the difficult topics necessary to change our world. If you "don't like talking about this stuff all the time," you need to listen to this podcast.

Read Cowtownchad’s (AKA Chad Cochran) photo essays about mental health, I Didn’t Want to Tell You –IDWTTY, as part of Country Fried Rock podcast miniseries, Rock N Roll Book Club. Chad Cochran, known in the photography world as Cowtownchad, coaxes comfortable photos from uncomfortable subjects — both the people and the topics. As he transitioned...

Read The Muscle Shoals Legacy of FAME by Blake Ells, part of the Country Fried Rock podcast miniseries, Rock N Roll Book Club. Blake Ells loves music and Alabama. Ells ties together his passion for the music made in his home state with his journalistic storytelling. The resulting book brings the history of Aretha Franklin...

Read My Heart Sings the Harmony: Twenty Years of Writing About Music by Jason Warburg, part of the Country Fried Rock podcast miniseries, Rock N Roll Book Club. Jason Warburg’s knack for writing about music engages non-musicians in his analysis. He manages to write about prog rock without boring the reader and review albums thoughtfully...

Read Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge by Mark Yarm, part of the Country Fried Rock podcast miniseries, Rock N Roll Book Club. Mark Yarm combines his love for grunge with his comfortable way of storytelling. While clearly a fan of the music, Yarm delves into the lesser-known behind the scenes jostling...

Read Bandlife: Tips on How to Survive Life in a Band and Other Lives Too… by Matthew Paige, part of the Country Fried Rock podcast miniseries, Rock N Roll Book Club. Matthew Paige realized that he could make life a lot easier for other musicians embarking on a life on tour. Geared towards bands with...

Read The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern: A Complete History by David McPherson, part of the Country Fried Rock podcast miniseries, Rock N Roll Book Club. David McPherson wanted to honor his favorite music venue in Toronto, Ontario to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Despite gentrification in the surrounding area, the legendary Horseshoe Tavern continues to spotlight roots...

Read Cool Town—How Athens, Georgia, Launched Alternative Music and Changed American Culture by Grace Elizabeth Hale, part of the Country Fried Rock podcast miniseries, Rock N Roll Book Club. Grace Elizabeth Hale lived through the second wave of Athens, Georgia’s new music scene in the 1980s. When the art school at the University of Georgia...

Dutch Americana songwriter Judy Blank records in Nashville. Blank tours in Europe because of the prohibitive cost of US work visas for musicians. American audiences will have to live off videos and her album, Morning Sun, to enjoy her take on nuanced songwriting. European Americana Songwriter While hip hop prevails among younger audiences in the...

Sally Jaye runs Cafe Rooster Records. The songwriter, musician, and creative entrepreneur crafts her own art. Through her independent music label, she elevates that of others, too. Jaye’s ear for art pushes boundaries. She refuses to stagnate creatively, nor allow others to wallow in complacency, either. The Minks just released their debut LP on Cafe...

Paisley Fields honed their traditional country tunes in the queer country community they created in Brooklyn. Soon after, the bands took their show on the road, with a honky-tonk road trip of queer country artists. In 2019, AmericanaFest featured these groups in the 2nd annual queer roots party. Taking a creative sabbatical to Nashville for...

Nikki Barber of the Minks fuses arty psychedelic vibes with rock and roll. The Minks debut album, Light and Sweet, just launched on Cafe Rooster Records. Barber’s songs reflect growing up, well after coming of age. Originally from the urban Northeast, Barber landed in Nashville following her other creative endeavor, fashion design. Music quickly took...

Midwestern roots rocker, Beth Bombara, recently released Evergreen. After regular touring, Bombara headed to the Rocky Mountains to clear her head. The mountain air let her reset mentally, and when she returned to St. Louis, Bombara wrote the songs for her new album. Bombara and her band honed their communication through a solid tour schedule....

Chad Cochran, the photographer known as Cowtownchad, created his I Didn’t Want to Tell You, Normalizing the Conversation About Mental Health project nearly 5 years ago. With a fully crafted concept, Cowtownchad refined his approach, and recently debuted the first part of this series via the coincidentally-titled No Depression roots music magazine. (The magazine title...

What could get us out of semi-retirement more than a member of R.E.M. playing our favorite venue? Nothing! Grab your tickets to the Fox Theatre Revival, hosted by Kevn Kinney of Drivin N Cryin. The show happens Friday 9/13/19 at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Drive-By Truckers, Michelle Malone, and Dodd Ferrelle and...