Petty tribute, Watkins, Block, Ducas dish out new music

Friday, June 21, 2024 – "Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty," the country tribute album, is out now via Big Machine Records in partnership with the Tom Petty Estate. Many music heavyweights populate the disc including Christ Stapleton ("I Should Have Known It")," Luke Combs ("Runnin' Down a Dream"), Dolly Party ("Southern Accents") and George Strait ("You Wreck Me" live). George Drakoulias, Randall Poster and and Scott Borchetta executive produced the 20-song release.

Nashville native Lauren Watkins makes her label debut with the 17-song disc, "The Heartbroken Record," on Big Loud/Songs & Daughters. Watkins helped write every song on the release. Sheryl Crow helps out on "Setting My Heart on Fire" for a roots-rocking tribute to the self-destructive nature of falling in love. Watkins also gets help from Carter Faith, Ashley Monroe and Jake Worthington.

The second collaboration from Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Dave Alvin, "TexiCali," is out on YepRoc. "We're Still Here" is the first single from the music veterans.

Priscilla Block returns with a five-song EP, "PB2." The disc features her current single "Good On You." This is her third release for Mercury Nashville.

George Ducas of "Lipstick Promises" fame and writer of songs cut by George Jones, Garth Brooks, The Chicks and Trisha Yearwood, is out with "Long Way From Home." Produced by Pete Anderson, this is Ducas' fifth CD since 1994 and first since 2019's "Yellow Rose Motel." Ducas said he wanted the songs "to be what would happen if '67 Merle Haggard met up maybe with the '74 Eagles in L.A., and they hit it off and decide to play a show at Gilley's in Pasadena, Texas, in 1981."