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One of our favourite bands Mustered Courage has sent through their list of performance dates for the next few months. Formed in 2010, Mustered Courage was born to bridge a gap between traditional bluegrass music and the Australian alternative music scene. Two long-term friends collaborated with the goal to create a record blending modern song [...]

The Davidson Brothers and Pacific International Music have extended their congratulations to 22-year-old George Jackson who has taken out the inaugural Australian Youth Bluegrass Scholarship. George fell in love with bluegrass when he heard Bela Fleck’s Drive album at the age of 14. His family moved to Queensland from New Zealand when he was 16. [...]

The Blackwood Fiddlers Convention have been moved to Greendale Reserve, Greendale,Victoria on 17th to 19th February 2012. Greendale is between Ballan and Blackwood, less than 10 minutes from both. The reserve is on the main road, opposite the friendly pub. Once again organisers have  had to make a last-minute change to the festival site brought about [...]

Janie Fricke, known to many in the country world for her hits in the ‘80s, is taking a spin at bluegrass with some fresh interpretations of many of her beloved tunes. Her release, Country Side of Bluegrass, is in stores now amid glowing reviews.  In partnership with New Music Deals, the album is available on [...]

The award-winning Grascals’ Tribute to the Music of the Andy Griffith Show is a fitting way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the television show which ran from 1960-68. In the show, The Dillards (Rodney Dillard, Doug Dillard, Mitch Jayne, Dean Webb) played The Darlings, a backwoods clan of musicians in the mountains near Mayberry, [...]

Award-winning Irish songwriter and bluegrass artist, Niall Toner, has announced that his new single, Tomorrow, is now available to radio stations on Airplay Direct.  The song is from his upcoming album, Onwards and Upwards, set for release on Pinecastle Records in the fall of 2012 in conjunction with The Niall Toner Band’s U.S. tour. “I [...]

The Davidson Brothers won the 2012 Australian Country Music Award for ‘Instrumental of the Year‘ on Saturday 28th of January at a ceremony held during the Tamworth Country Music Festival in NSW, Australia. The highly regarded national award ceremony is better known as the ‘Golden Guitar’ awards This is the highest accolade presented to an [...]

What a fitting tribute to Bobby Osborne’s 60th anniversary as a professional entertainer. In 1949, an 18-yr-old mandolinist from Hyden, Kentucky named Bobby Osborne started his pro musical career with banjo player Larry Richardson, Charlie and Ray Cline in a group called The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers. By 1953, Bobby and his banjo-playing brother, Sonny, were [...]

Rural Rhythm Records just released  Lonesome River Band’s new single Close the Door Lightly When You Go from their upcoming album, Chronology, Volume One.  The album is set for release 28th February, 2012 and celebrates Lonesome River Band’s 30th Anniversary. This retrospective collection includes  24 songs to be released in a series of three 8-song [...]

Charlie Sizemore is featured on the cover of the February 2012 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine that includes a rare interview with the acclaimed, singer-songwriter.  Sizemore uncharacteristically opens up about his music, his career as a lawyer, his hit album Heartache Looking For a Home, and single No Lawyers in Heaven. Heartache Looking For a [...]

We have been alerted to a new website – Timber and Steel on which I found this great write-up on New Grass in Australia by Evan Hughes who has unearthed a host of emerging bluegrass bands from across Australia. The article focuses on The Davidson Brothers, The Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, The Seals, Mustered Courage, [...]

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out continue to top the bluegrass radio charts with their hit new album Prime Tyme on Rural Rhythm Records.  The album is #1 on the February 2012 Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s (BU) Top 15 Album chart along with their single, “If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again” also reaching [...]

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Grammy-nominated Rounder Records recording group Dailey & Vincent are celebrating their second week at #1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Album chart for their CD, The Gospel Side of Dailey & Vincent.  The album also reached #7 on the Billboard Contemporary Christian chart and #119 on the Top 200 chart. [...]

Like many places across Australia this past weekend the 2012 Australia Day Awards recognised and honoured many Australians for their outstanding contributions to their communities. The Yinnar based band, Strzelecki Stringbusters, picked up two awards for their services to the community. The group received the Exceptional Citizenship Award – presented the Strzelecki Stringbusters for their [...]

On the 24th of March 2012 the Twilight at Turtle Bend celebration will host Grammy Award winning Peter Rowan and his internationally acclaimed Bluegrass band. Direct from the USA, The Peter Rowan Bluegrass band has been described as the finest and best credentialed bluegrass band ever to tour Australia. Four brilliant musicians will give an [...]

More dates announced. The 2011 Banjo Conference was held in Maleny at the Tranquil Park Resort. The event was completely sold out with more than 50 participants in attendance over the three days. The conference highlights were many and overshadowed only by the amazing views of the Glasshouse Mountains during the day. International visitors, Ross [...]

The Strzelecki Stringbusters have proudly announced that as part of his 2012 Australian tour, Peter Rowan and his Bluegrass Band will be performing in Yinnar on Sunday March 25th. As a house-hold name in US bluegrass circles, Peter Rowan’s legacy to the genre is still being written, but rest assured that after more than 40 [...]

Too Blue is a quartet with members from the states of New York and Connecticut. They have plenty of focus in their personalized music inspired by bluegrass, swing, and country. By focus, I mean they have spirit, rhythm, technique, tone, taste, and discipline. They impart a lot of good balanced feeling by virtue of there [...]

Here’s some news from the Tweed Shire Echo on the Perch Creek Family Jug Band: The Perch Creek Family Jug Band learned to use their voices and multi-instrumental talents to pull a crowd and keep them there. Now they’re (nearly) grown up and have fine tuned their five-part harmonies and unique style for their original [...]

Pinecastle Records has announced that it has signed The Karl Shiflett and Big Country Show. Their upcoming album Take Me Back will be released in mid 2012. I am excited about our recent signing with one of the most legendary record labels in bluegrass music. As I look forward to our first release I consider [...]