Favorite Albums of 2025: First Half Report

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1. Turnpike Troubadours - The Price of Admission

2. Justin Wells - Cynthiana

3. James McMurtry - The Black Dog & The Wandering Boy

4. Tobacco City - Horses

5. Jason Isbell - Foxes in the Snow

6. Ken Pomeroy - Cruel Joke

7. Jason Scott & The High Heat - American Grin

8. Valerie June - Owls, Omens, And Oracles

9. The Wilder Blue - Still in the Runnin'

10. Kat Hasty - The Time of Your Life

11. Jason Boland & The Stragglers - The Last Kings of Babylon

12. Patterson Hood - Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams

13. Chaparelle - Western Pleasure

14. Charley Crockett - Lonesome Drifter

15. SG Goodman - Planting By the Signs

16. Will Stewart - Moon Winx

17. Jesse Daniel - Son of the San Lorenzo

18. Olivia Wolfe - Silver Rounds

19. JD Clayton - Blue Sky Sundays

20. Matt Daniel - The Poet

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Favorite EPs: 

1. Presley Haile - Off to Find a Sunny Day

2. Bleu Edmondson - To the End

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Other Albums I Like, In No Particular Order:

Them Coulee Boys - No Fun in the Chrysalis

Leon Majcen - Better Days

Juliet McConkey - Southern Front

Joshua Ray Walker - Tropicana

Annie DiRusso - Super Pedestrian

Nolan Taylor - s/t

Lola Kirke - Trailblazer

Sierra Hull - A Tip Toe Highwire

Tony Logue - Dark Horse

Joe Ely - Love and Freedom

My Politic - Signs of Life

Pug Johnson - El Cabron

Bonnie Prince Billy - The Purple Bird

Horsebath - Another Farewell

Kassi Valazza - From Newman Street

Ryan Sambol - Friend of the Show

Caylee Hammack - Bed of Roses

Ty Myers - The Select

Jesse Welles - Middle

Courtney Patton - Carry You With Me

Alison Krauss & Union Station - Arcadia

Kathryn Legendre - Here's Your Honky Tonk

Vandoliers - Life Behind Bars

The Statesboro Revue - s/t

Willie Nelson - Oh What a Beautiful World

Micky & the Motorcars - s/t

Caitlin Cannon - Love Addict

Hailey Whitters - Corn Queen

Willi Carlisle - Winged Victory

Parker McCollum - s/t

The Shootouts - Switchback

What Your 2025 Country Song of the Summer Says About You

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Zach Top

“Good Times & Tan Lines”

This one’s a little hard to nail down. You’re either a Boomer who thinks this is Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee,” a Gen-Xer who thinks this is a cover of that song, a Millennial who pines for their 90s childhood, or a Gen-Zer who calls it classic country. Whichever way, if you like it, that’s cool with me.

Morgan Wallen & Tate McRae

“What I Want”

You are too young to have fully a developed sense of hearing, have been failed by your music education in school, only listen to what is popular, and think that music is only good if it’s popular because that many idiots can’t possibly be wrong.

Tucker Wetmore

“Brunette”

You thought he was Morgan Wallen when you first heard him, and just ran with it. You bullied at least 3 girls into therapy while in high school. Your boyfriend’s “promposal” poster was misspelled and neither of you noticed. You’ll be the only pregnant member of the Baptist Student Union at Auburn this fall.

Josh Ross

“Single Again”

You recently developed a southern accent despite living in Hinsdale, IL. You listen to this because they say bad words in pop music, but you really want to hear pop music. You want to go to the Windy City Smokeout but are scared of Koe Wetzel’s fans. Dan + Shay are who got you into country music.

Whiskey Myers

“Tailspin”

You tried vaping for a while but it just didn’t sting like the Marlboro Reds. You’re not a team player nor a leader at work, but the place would go out of business without you. You drive an obnoxiously large pickup truck, but actually do work in it. You recently covered up a ‘bad idea Spring break of ’02 tribal tattoo’ with your kids’ names. You’re a conservative but really don’t give a shit how anybody else wants to live.

BigXthaPlug (ft. Bailey Zimmerman)

“All the Way”

You think listening to this in your unblemished Warlock gives you street cred. Your entire closet is white tee shirts and henley collars. You get all your music recommendations from TikTok. You live in Vestavia Hills and consider yourself a small town boy. Your stepdad keeps trying to get you to listen to a band called “Turnstile Herbivores” or whatever.

Turnpike Troubadours

“On the Red River”

You need a hug.

Morgan Wallen

“Miami”

You spent more money on a lift kit than your education. The last book you read involved an inquisitive primate and his friend with a yellow hat. This song is the closest you’ve ever come to hearing Keith Whitley. The car wash has asked you and your friends nicely to stop drinking in the parking lot and the next time they’re calling the cops. You aren’t worried because your dad is a cop.

Wrasslin' Country Reaction Gifs #93

Still better than listening to a Dan + Shay song

Pop-country songwriter to his publisher: "You'll never believe what I wrote about this time. It's gonna change country music!"

When you go to an Americana festival and there are no broccoli haired dudes saying bruh while killing High Noons

"Kane Brown, could you please stop trying to unsave country music?"

The 3 times a year John Moreland logs onto Instagram

New Vandoliers album tomorrow!

Me listening to Turnpike while doomscrolling the apocalypse

Steve: "Hey Rock, you heard of this Cody Jinks fella?"

Rock: "The Rock knew about him way before you"

Steve:

Me: Posts pretty tame meme joking about Morgan Wallen

His fans:

Spotify board meeting

He did not know he could not fly

So he did

When I tell you trap beats don't belong in country songs

When a b*tch won't stop talking during the Jesse Daniel concert, even though you asked her politely

Classic Template Memes: Zach Bryan, Florida-Georgia Line, Turnpike Troubadours

Still More Tuesday Memes: Summer Country Music, Kid Rock, Billy Strings

Country Propaganda