Nashville has long been more than country music. The Nashville artists on these five albums are untied to genre or legacy, moving forward with completely new sounds.
Justin Barney
Hi, I’m Justin. I was born in Milwaukee, WI. I started as an intern at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and worked my way up to Music Director. There I started a segment called “From the Music Desk” where I interviewed over 500 artists including Thom York, Lizzo, Steve Martin, and Phoebe Bridgers. At 88nine I also got to speak passionately about the music I love on the radio, which is a true gift and I still get to do every day. There I also made a podcast called “Backspin: The Search for Milwaukee’s First Hip-Hop Song” which I enjoyed doing more than anything else I’ve ever done and was acclaimed in The New York Times. Highlight of my life. I love music, I love people and I love a good yarn. At the end of the day my goal is to tell stories that are as good as the ones my dad tells me. I’ll tell em on the radio, in print, or next to you at the corner bar.
Tom Waits tribute Get Behind the Mule raises $20,000 for Second Harvest
One night, legendary doorman Dave Knoll was sitting on the back steps of the OG basement complaining about all the musical tribute shows in Nashville. You know, the ones where multiple musicians play the music of one artist. Dave’s buddy asked him, “What tribute show you would actually pay to see?” Knoll said, “Tom Waits.”
Bonnaroo lineup arrives for June 2026 festival
Rain forced Bonnaroo to cancel almost all of its shows last year, but the festival is back with a new lineup for 2026.
Curious Nashville: Why do we have Chicago-style gyro restaurants?
How a simple question about gyros in Nashville led to epic revelations about how regional food styles come into existence — and the role of one entrepreneur in changing gyros forever.
Live Nation announces new venue in Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood called The Truth
The new venue will hold 4,400 people and enters into an increasingly competitive segment of the music booking industry in Nashville.
Nashville musician Blood Root processes grief through guitar pedals in new album
Nashville is full of music gear heads. But in Taylor Wafford’s hometown of Havelock, North Carolina musicians didn’t come through town. They definitely didn’t hang out, analyzing pedal boards. When she moved here, she found a community — and a sound — by tapping a guitar pedal.
Nashville’s Eric Slick reimagines Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” like no AI ever could
For Halloween, Nashville indie rock musician Eric Slick released a five song, orchestral suite, covering Rob Zombie’s very un-orchestral hit, “Dragula.” The project started as a joke. But Slick took the piece so seriously that it transcended to a work of art.
A community grieves
As multiple resources have come in from all levels of government to investigate what happened, neighbors and community members have come together to support one another.
Harken Hall venue shows promise with new bookings — including the return of Music City Roots
After setbacks, the Harken Hall venue in Madison is set to host the Music City Roots series, highlighting Americana artists.
Theaters are showing more movies with captions on the screen. Will the trend grow?
Nashville movies have become more accessible in recent months. Regal and the Belcourt Theatre have recently started to offer films with captions on the screen — called “open captioning” — of all their films.
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