Elizabeth Cook’s Great Television and Tift Merritt’s Bramble Rose come from different moments in country music, but they share a similar approach to songwriting. Both records are rooted in country without being limited by it, and both rely on strong vocal performances, clear arrangements, and songs that carry most of the weight. Merritt’s 2002 debut offers a useful earlier example of the kind of flexibility Cook brings to her 2026 record.
Readers’ Pick: Elizabeth Cook – Great Television
You picked Elizabeth Cook – Great Television as your favorite new release for the week of August 14, 2026.
Darlin’ Brando Song Premiere – How It Is
As anyone in the industry can attest, building a life as a musician is not for the faint of heart. In the case of itinerant drummer and vocalist Darlin’ Brando, nee Brandon Goldstein, he’s moved across the country more times than I’ve moved my furniture. After a repeat stint in LA he’s back in Nashville […]
Ruby Dice – Take Me Back
Like John Muir’s move to Yosemite Valley or E.B. White’s move to a Maine farm, sometimes a simple next step in life’s journey becomes the focus of a writer’s career. Clearly without the hindsight of those two examples, I wonder if a similar pivot is happening with Gunnison, Colorado-borne, but now resident of Austin, bassist […]
Lisa Bouchelle on a Big Tour Mistake and Exercising Her ‘Poetic License’
Singer-songwriter Lisa Bouchelle recalls winning a talent contest at just four years old, dressed as an American flag at a family campground — a moment that showed music could bring people together. She shares how a friendship with Blues Traveler’s John Popper began, when he worried about her driving solo while opening for the band on her first tour. Bouchelle also talks about why it’s good to set a goal that’s just beyond the horizon.
Monday Morning Video – Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons left behind almost no video of his performances so any surviving footage is worth watching on that basis alone. That this clip comes from just seven months before his death only adds to its significance. It’s from a late February 1973 show at Liberty Hall in Houston, with the Fallen Angels — Emmylou […]
Now & Then: Silverada’s Living Proof and the reach of Against the Wind
Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.Silverada’s Living Proof pushes the band farther from straight honky-tonk and closer to heartland rock without dropping its Texas country foundation. With keyboards taking a larger role and pedal steel no longer central to the arrangements, the record has a broader, more reflective sound. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s Against the Wind makes a useful comparison because it also pairs a seasoned road band with songs about work, age, relationships and the consequences of staying in motion for years.
Readers’ Pick: Silverada – Living Proof
You picked Silverada – Living Proof as your favorite new release for the week of August 7, 2026.
Bronwyn – Rattlin’ Bones
It seems like there are two trajectories young bluegrass musicians follow when they break into awareness by the broader Americana audience. One arc is to toil away for years perfecting your entire craft before bursting onto the scene with arena shows. I’m looking at you Billy and Molly. The other, more linear path, is exemplified […]
Ruthie Foster: The Long Road to Saying Yes
Photo Courtesy Big Feat PR For Ruthie Foster, the road to music began with a child’s stubborn curiosity: sitting close to the television, trying to convince her siblings that the Grammy Awards mattered. She watched singers like Janis Ian and Roberta Flack step into the light and sensed something larger than fame. Music was not […]