Hillbilly Hippie Music Review

08/28/2026

Talk about a Flashback Friday from this night six years ago! Those were the days. Go listen to my old pals Blane Rudd, Ella Langley, Trey Lewis / Thomason.music, & Matt McKinney. Every single one of them has at least ten damn good songs, if not 100! I’ll list some of my faves below:

Blane Rudd:
“We Lived It”
“Workin’ on Me, Waitin’ on You”
“These Parts”
“That’s Just Jessie” ft. Kevin Denney

Ella Langley:
“better be tough”
“nicotine”
“Paint the Town Blue”
“Buzzes Like Neon” w/ Adam Hood

Trey Lewis/Thomason:
“Little Tired”
“Believer”
“Like You Did Before”
“Scars to Prove It”

Matt McKinney (songwriter):
“Lucky” by Elle King
“Out of the Blue” by Hannah McFarland
“One of the Guys” by Ella Langley
“All Over You Again” by Nate Frederick
“In Your Eyes Again” by Matt McKinney

08/26/2026

I just saw a video Adam Hood posted of he and Ella Langley recently singing his hit “Way Too Long” to a lit-up stadium, and she sheer magic of it took me back to the old days when said song was one of the first I ever heard Ella cover when she began her music journey. This clip was from July 2019 at Range 231 N where she opened up for Muscadine Bloodline! Ironically, it was Gary and Charlie of MB who introduced me to Adam’s catalogue all those years ago through their own covers, and it’s been absolutely wild to see where the years of dedication and hard work have taken all of them!

I share this because in that time, I’ve watched Ella grow and discover who she was as an artist from tiny dives to now some of the biggest stages in the world. She’s cut her teeth, and cut them well, but what I admire most is how she always brings her fellow Bama brothers and sisters along for the ride. There’s a camaraderie down here in Sweet Home that can’t really be beat. Case in point? Back in the early days of Hillbilly Hippie Music Review, when we were not quite even a year old, Ella and some other phenomenal Alabama artists did a live song swap for us during COVID quarantine—and what a show it was! So many of yall missed out, hate that for ya! 🙃 Since then, her trajectory has absolutely soared.

While her results may not be typical of how things go in the business, it does serve to show that a dream is a worthy thing, and if you set your mind to it you can accomplish things you never even thought of. I know one thing—this gal from middle of nowhere Rock Mills, AL (aka me) has achieved things I couldn’t have imagined, much like Hope Hull, AL’s resident Queen, Ella Langley. So if anything, I want to inspire those of you out there reading this to just keep your nose to the grindstone, keep dreaming, and most of all: keep creating. You never know what can happen in five years! Serve those artistic integrities of yours well; the world needs YOUR voice. As for all you musicians? A little more music never hurt anybody. 🎶

Aladamnbama forever.

08/23/2026

Every once in a while, I’m super late to the game. Regrettably, that was my experience finally discovering my new favorite band, Ci******es @ Sunset. They are one of the kinds of bands I would have loved to be front row with, headbanging my heart out in the early days of dives and small crowds, but alas...I missed my chance. Big sad, I know, but what hasn’t been sad has been the opportunity to dive into their catalogue and find something that speaks to every single part of my music-loving soul, from folk to punk and everywhere in between. While I wish I could turn back time and discover them back around 2022 or so and have watched their trajectory soar in the years since, I’m beyond STOKED to be on the Possum Rock Train now and getting to catch my first show in November! I haven’t been able to get their latest releases out of my head, so I had to write up a little piece on ‘em and share the possum rock love with all ya’ll who might not be familiar just yet. Give ‘er a read below and let me know what you think about one of Appalachia’s fastest rising bands!

https://hillbillyhippiemusicreview.substack.com/p/cigarettes-sunset-keep-pouring-gasoline?r=4lhlip&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

08/21/2026

When I say I’m extremely stoked to see all this come to life, that’s not even scratching the surface of my excitement! HHMR’s piece with filmmaker Michael Holstein will be out in the coming month or so, when I have the chance to take a breath and give the story the care and attention it deserves, but until then, go check out this phenomenal interview with some of the heavy hitters that helped bring the Where the Mountains Sing documentary to fruition.

A conversation with Michael Holstein, the documentarian behind the upcoming film "Where The Mountains Sing" about the Laurel Cove Music Festival in Pineville, Kentucky.

08/18/2026

This new tune from The Damn Shames has been replaying in my mind over and over since I heard it at their scorcher of a show at The Grove last weekend—I even played this video a few times on my late night, windows down, 75 MPH boogie down the motorway back to Sweet Home, it’s THAT good. Give it a listen and lemme know what ya’ll think! If there’s one thing them boys are damn good at; it’s an anthemic chorus. 🙌🔥

08/03/2026

Hungry for good food and good tunes?! Head over to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum for the 2026 Kentucky Food Truck Championship!

08/03/2026

The Grove-KY is DEFINITELY “Worth the Drive!” Take it from me, I drive six hours for it! 🌳✨

The Grove in Glasgow offers a unique outdoor concert experience featuring a treehouse deck and event rental options.