Review: Red Dirt Unplugged by Josh Crutchmer

 Genre: Non-Fiction

Description:

“Red Dirt Unplugged is the view from the wings as the Red Dirt music scene reaches heights never-before thought possible. At the crossroads of country, roots rock, and Americana, artists in the scene are enjoying sustained worldwide attention at a large scale for the first time in history. Wyatt Flores, Kaitlin Butts, Southall, Josh Meloy and more are walking through the doors opened by The Turnpike Troubadours and all the artists before them who first put the cracks in those same doors”

Author:

Currently the print planning editor at the New York Times, Josh Crutchmer has a long history in journalism having worked for several newspapers around the country before landing at the Times. During that time his specialty has often been  music journalism which he still does on the side, reporting at times for various newspapers as well as Rolling Stone magazine. He has Two prior books. For more, visit his website.

Appraisal:

This is Josh Crutchmer’s third book. The first, Red Dirt, explored the history and current state of the Red Dirt music scene, basically the Oklahoma music scene with comparable music from elsewhere, especially Texas, getting mention when it makes sense. His second book was much the same, but covering the music scene of the mountain states, mainly music with its roots in Idaho. This book picks up the red dirt scene, exploring changes that have happened after the period covered by the first book right up to just barely before the book was released. For those who are fans of red dirt music, especially if you read and liked Crutchmer’s prior books, getting this is an easy decision. The structure is much the same as the prior books with each chapter discussing a specific artist, often including an interview with the artist to understand their musical history (if they’re fairly new to the scene) or what’s new with them, if they’re old-timers. You’ll also find a bit of foreshadowing if you’re curious as to what Crutchmer’s fourth book is going to explore.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos and proofreading misses.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words