Reviewed by Harry Kaplan

For those of you that need a refresher, Ameripolitan is the moniker given to “real” country music. It encompasses such categories as honky tonk, outlaw, rockabilly, and western swing. All of the four food groups are represented. These awards are very important because this is the ONLY forum to recognize the men and women that have, and are, dedicating their lives to preserving these forms of music. This isn’t a revivalist movement at all because that would mean that these musical genres went somewhere. Not true. They have been here all along, it just needs to be returned back to the people. 

Here are the nominees for Honky Tonk Group 2018: 

The Country Side Of Harmonica Sam The Country Side of Harmonica Sam is inspired by the honky tonk sound of the late 50’s and early 60’s. The band delivers steady 4/4 shuffles with whining steel guitar and tic-tac bass. They mix that up with a dash of 50’s rock attitude.

The Rhyolite Sound  Formed in Las Vegas, NV in 2013, The Rhyolite Sound bring their own desert honky tonk to the stage blending elements of Outlaw, Rockabilly, Honky Tonk, Blues, and Rock N Roll. Delicately weaving their melodies and harmonies alongside madness and mayhem, The Rhyolite Sound are purveyors of pure honky tonk in an impure world.

The Lawrence Peters Outfit Lawrence Peters is a country singer, songwriter, drummer, bandleader, DJ, and America’s preeminent electric washboard player, with a music career spanning thirty-plus years. He is best known for his involvement in the watershed Songs: Ohia/ Magnolia Electric Company album, singing lead on the track “The Old Black Hen”.

Green Line Travelers These honky tonk purists from Stockholm, Sweden, know a few things about honky tonk music and they pull out all the stops on their 2015 release, High Valley Hoedown EP. They blend old time rock and roll and traditional country that rocks your socks off.

The Reeves Brothers The Reeves Brothers got their start early on, in life. Their father, Jack Reeves, an Academy of Country Music nominee, had them onstage by the time they were walking. Rooted in 1970’s Honky-Tonk style, The Reeves Brothers are bringing back authentic Country Music! When the bars were filled with smoke, and the jukeboxes would play a song for a nickel, a spin!

Ameripolitan Award Honky Tonk Group Playlist