Put a Record On: Blues for socialites, blues for America and everything in between

And plenty of other blues to get tangled up in

Welcome back to Don’t Rock the Inbox! Here’s this week’s music recommendation post and playlist, which are for paying subscribers only. Subscribe to get access to all our new (and old) music picks and pans, and so much more — including new playlists weekly, which are always at the bottom of this email (paying subscribers — make sure you don’t miss them!). If you’re interested in paid content but not able to afford it, shoot us an email.

In the past few weeks, we’ve talked Beyoncé, curated a guide to Reba, wrote about being a female Bob Dylan fan, reflected back on 50 issues of this newsletter and tried to unlock the mystery of a “Need You Now” cover at Coachella. Country music is a weird and wild place these days, but here are some songs we love…and another handful of terrible ones that we need to warn you about.

P.S. Tulsa friends! Marissa will be in your town Wednesday night at the Switchyards Festival, talking women in county music with No Depression’s Hilary Saunders. See you there?

Maggie Antone

The Good

“Johnny Moonshine,” Maggie Antone: Kind of obsessed with every new song that rolls out from Maggie Antone, and this one, co-writen with Natalie Hemby, has a little bit of nineties rocker edge on the guitar to accompany the heavy twang – which is fun because I can’t help think of “Johnny Feelgood” by Liz Phair with a song title like this. - MM [I like this one toooooo — NW]

"America," Charley Crockett: I'm not as immediately gobsmacked by $10 Cowboy as I was by The Man From Waco (which I wrote about way back when!), but I like that Charley is reintegrating some of the soul and funk by way of New Orleans elements back into his music — and lyrically, I think he's getting at a really important perspective here that is political while still being open to interpretation. I can imagine a lot of people hearing themselves in it, I guess is what I'm saying. — NW

"Socialite Blues," Adeem The Artist: Speaking of being New Orleans-pilled! Man, I think I've loved every Adeem single so far. Smart and fun, smart and fun, smart and fun (my mantra for speaking more songs like this into existence). — NW [Adeem’s new album, Anniversary, is out today, and we will be spinning and I am sure getting back to you with feedback once we spend time with it. In the meantime, have a listen here! - MM]