Cortney Tidwell is a true Nashville treasure, but as it always seems to go, the rest of the world is catching up to her faster than her own hometown. Her stunning voice and genre-defying style have garnered glowing reviews in Europe, but she remains the Queen of the Underground here in Music City. We predict that will change soon. Her latest record, Boys, finally gets a US release this month courtesy of Removador Records, and she makes a rare live appearance at the Exit/In on February 5th.

WOTT: What’s the story, Cortney? How’d you get into this whole music thing, and how did you end up where you are now?

Well, music has always been at the heart of my family. My mother and grandfather were both country singers, and my father and his father started a record label. I was immersed from the beginning. Grew up in studios and although I started to move away from it, I got back into it after some heartbreak.

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It’s probably in poor taste to write up a post that links directly to an article about yourself but that’s what I’m doing anyway. The Scene has taken it upon themselves to write a lengthy feature on me and the little project I’ve undertaken called yk records. It covers my thinking on the whole digital distribution vs physical versions of records and says some nice things about the records I’ve put out. Obviously, I suggest you read it and then go download all of the following records:

• Uncle Skeleton – Pancho Chumley
• Codaphonic – Edison’s Rival
• Uncle Skeleton – REMIX
• Shaboi – Curse Walk
• Slowmotions – Quick Potions

Remember, they’re all completely free and if you’re interested in a physical copy them just head over here and snag one as they are all quite limited edition.

Seems like Nashville bands are getting on the Bandcamp bandwagon! While the potential death of the physical format is a tragedy waiting to happen I see more pro’s than con’s in the embracing of digital distribution; particularly in this format. Everyone needs more local music – always – so please partake in the following:

• And Selby Jase – Hi Not You – included in the top ten list of Nashville Mixtapes of the best of 2009; so it’s gotta be worth a listen or two.
• Millionaire Magicians – Millionaire Magicians – Okay, so you can’t actually download this one but if you’ve not heard the entire record, it would behoove you to partake in it now.
• Spider Virus – S.V. Action – one from the Nashville archives (and the rest of the officially released material). It may not do it for you anymore but it’s always good to see the creative juices of former bands archived properly in this Internet realm.