The 9513 - Country Music Blog

By Bruce Robison’s estimation, roots music in this digital day and age needs to be a lot rootsier than its current status affords it. It’s getting a little too slick and his latest album, The New World–a departure of sorts from his previous efforts–attempts to set a precedent by taking cues from an earlier time [...]

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The barometer by which Darius Rucker’s stint as a country artist will be measured isn’t critical acclaim, but rather commercial success. Therefore, it shouldn’t be any surprise that Live To Learn doesn’t break new ground but treads familiar water, despite overtures to the contrary in pre-release press. Throughout twelve songs, Rucker demonstrates that he [...]

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You won’t find soaring vocals, full-bodied production, loud arrangements, or a hint of pop on The World Left Is Mine. In fact, you’re unlikely to even hear Lucas Hudgins’ name mentioned anywhere else, but what you will find is classic country music that’s simple, but effective, from an artist whose covers of Webb Pierce [...]

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A traditional country album laced with bluegrass sensibilities, This One Is Two is neither glamorous nor expected–among names like Randy Travis and Patty Loveless, both of whom released outstanding new entries this year, I daresay few people would have thought the best country album of the 2008 to-date would emerge from southwest Virginia at the [...]

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Too many cover albums fall into the comfortable paradigms of reserved, standard interpretations of oft-covered standards (Martina McBride, Timeless and recent Shanachie Records projects by Gene Watson and David Ball) and irreverent statements of artistic independence (Various Artists, Johnny Cash Remixed). Despite the proliferation of projects in these categories, most of the artistry of the [...]

Continue reading "Album Review: Patty Loveless - Sleepless Nights"

Holler Back, the recently released album from The Lost Trailers, is a ten-song amalgamation of uninspired lyrics, crass commercialism, recycled songs, and exaggerated stereotypes that fail to offer anything of substance. It’s the kind of album you’d expect from an up-and-coming copycat act rather than a band that scored a deal on BNA based [...]

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Mix together a batch of material written by the songwriting community’s most successful writers, add in a dash of slick, radio-friendly production, and stir until the sound is smooth; this is the recipe for the typical mainstream album, one which generally yields a heaping helping of bland and indistinct music that tastes (and sounds) the [...]

Continue reading "Album Review: Crystal Shawanda - Dawn of a New Day"

The problem with a personal record is that it can easily become esoteric–a pitfall Jason Boland & The Stragglers aren’t able to completely avoid on Comal County Blue. Boland wrote seven songs on his own and co-wrote four more. The final song not brandishing Boland’s name is the obligatory tune from the father of [...]

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Every Night, the latest release from Brandon Rhyder, aspires to a greatness that it isn’t able to achieve. The Texas-based artist headed to Nashville to record the album and hopes to gain national recognition somewhere along the way, though he plans to continue running his operation from the Lone Star State. It’s a novel [...]

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Glen Campbell has accomplished something unique and extraordinary: he’s recorded a cover album that doesn’t pay homage to anyone except Glen Campbell.
There’s a very important difference between Meet Glen Campbell, Campbell’s album of famous pop songs, and the recent forays into pop music by contemporary country stars: Campbell doesn’t sing like someone [...]

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