Eyes and Hands Declared Most Prominent Body Parts In Country Music
- Based on a compilation of more than 10,000 songs, artists Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg put together a data visualization chart that lists the most common body parts (pictures included) referenced in music by genre. Eyes and hands are the most referenced parts in country music. They even compiled a rebus glossary of all the terms used “with racier terms represented by racier images.” (via Listening Post)
- Josh Grider released a five-song digital EP today exclusively through Lone Star Music. Physical copies and iTunes downloads will be made available in October, but for now you can visit his MySpace where he’s uploaded three of the five songs: “Rock and Roll Tonight,” “Maps” and “Deadman Walkin’.”
- The influential ’70s group Little Feat released an album today titled Join the Band where they rerecorded their classics with specials guests like Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, Emmylou Harris and Sam Bush.
- Craig Shelburne says he loves traditional country music, but claims Lee Ann Womack’s upcoming Call Me Crazy album doesn’t adhere to such strict guidelines.
Yet, you can’t mistake it for anything but country music, and she’s still plucking the highest caliber of songs from the piles of demos floating around Nashville. One particular treat is hearing her rendition of “The King of Broken Hearts,” which George Strait sang on the Pure Country soundtrack. I’ve always had an appreciation for the lyric that goes, “The King of Broken Hearts doesn’t know he’s a king.” Indeed. Strait himself shows up for a duet on the album as well, on “Everything But Quits.”
- Melodic Sunburst introduces the Mo Robson Band (MySpace), who have two albums to their name: their self-titled, hard chargin’ country debut and the follow-up, Even Angles Fall, in which they introduce more of their rock sensibilities while retaining a sense of tradition.
- Ashley Monroe uploaded a new song to her MySpace titled “Slow Down.”
- Michael McCall says The Lost Trailers charm on their new CD, and even recommends checking out “Blacktop Road,” so he doesn’t have anything explicitly bad to say, but based on his review there doesn’t seem like very many redeeming qualities to their album, Holler Back.
- The American Idol machine added a new judge to sit in with Simon, Paula and Randy. Her name is Kara DioGuardi and among her numerous industry accomplishments are writing credits on Carrie Underwood’s “Sometimes You Leave” and Faith Hill’s “Lost.”
- For Mike Severson’s frequent “Industry Pro” feature he interviewed Frank Edwards, the PD at Clear Channel KRYS/Corpus Christi. He seems like a pretty sharp dude, and I may or may not just be saying that because he listed The 9513 as one of his favorite blogs.
- Tonight at 8PM Central time, Radio Free Texas will be playing the newest album from Hazzard, Choices, in its entirety and the band will be in the chat room to answer any questions you have.
- One of our faithful readers sent in a link that he describes as funny, irreverant and almost-racy from Men.Style.com. The website features closeups of people’s faces and you have to decide whether the person is a country star singing on stage, or a porn star showing their “O” face.
- Listen to The Derailers‘ new album, Guaranteed to Satisfy, in its entirety on Last.fm. It’s pulling to wrong album cover for me, but it’s definitely the sweet, satisfying sound of The Derailers. (via Palo Duro Records)
- Via a press release, the phoenix-esque reemergence of No Depression in bookazine form will debut on October 15th, and on top of that, a new, enhanced website will debut in late September.
- This Is Texas Music has several songs samples from Jason Allen’s new album, The Twighlight Zone.
Allen uses his smooth, silky voice and seemingly limitless range to pay tribute to a variety of inspirations. There are traces of Buddy Holly in opener “I Can’t Let You Go,” echoes of Roy Orbison in “Lost,” even a nod to the big band era on “Dance With Me Baby.” But the best of the bunch is “He’s Still Dancin’ With Her,” a straight-up sad country song about a widower dancing by himself, oblivious to all but memories of his lost love (and written in memory of Allen’s late mother).
- Vote for the most beautiful woman in country music, then let us know in the comments who you chose.
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August 26, 2008 at 11:43 am Permalink
Craig Shelburne says he loves traditional country music, but claims Lee Ann Womack’s upcoming Call Me Crazy album doesn’t adhere to such strict guidelines.
Here is where the whole “Anything that not popped up on bubblegum must be traditional” thing that pervades so much of country today is problematic. LeeAnn Womack has never been traditional, merely country.
Also, I will be soon starting a new fund raiser to cover my expenses so I can fly around the world and slap the living er..WITS out of anyone attempting to bring back “Holla” or “Holler.” Please let me know if you would like to donate.
August 26, 2008 at 12:06 pm Permalink
Stormy: I would actually say that Womack’s last album is traditional, regardless of who what compare it to. She may not sing about trains or coal mines like Jimmie Rodgers, and the produciton on her last album may be more slick than anything the Carter family ever produced, but compare it to what is called “neo-traditional” these days and it easily fits into a traditional mold.
August 26, 2008 at 12:10 pm Permalink
BTW, good news day :-)
August 26, 2008 at 12:30 pm Permalink
As for the last news item….I had to write-in my choice…Patty Loveless.
August 26, 2008 at 12:32 pm Permalink
Me too…Phil Stacey
August 26, 2008 at 12:41 pm Permalink
Please let me know if you would like to donate.
Stormy, I would like to go with you. I am going to start practicing slapping people right now!
:-)
August 26, 2008 at 1:08 pm Permalink
For the last one Taylor Swift
August 26, 2008 at 2:11 pm Permalink
PAULA: We can form a club. If we get enough people maybe we can even take on Ginormous.
August 26, 2008 at 2:16 pm Permalink
Stormy, I’m ready. I’ve slapped three people already this afternoon just for the heck of it! (Ok, not really, but I wanted to!)
;-)
August 26, 2008 at 2:19 pm Permalink
If we get enough people maybe we can even take on Ginormous.
That’ll be a gigundo undertaking.
August 26, 2008 at 2:34 pm Permalink
John: Yeah, well, I got Paula on my side!
August 26, 2008 at 2:36 pm Permalink
And John, Stormy and I can do it because we have ginormously gigundo attitudes.
August 26, 2008 at 3:49 pm Permalink
Kara DioGuardi, the new Idol judge, has also written for Paris Hilton, the Pussycat Dolls, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. Basically, every pop-crap confection in the last few years has used her songs, so don’t expect Idol to have any more country winners. They’re aiming directly for the Disney High School Musical crowd now.
Prettiest woman in country music? Kelly Willis, though Emmylou Harris should win some sort of lifetime achievement award.
August 26, 2008 at 4:24 pm Permalink
prettiest woman in country music? question and timing smells like a conspiracy of the management-teams of jessica simpson, carrie underwood and taylornation swift. exo-mundo marketing!
August 26, 2008 at 4:49 pm Permalink
Stormy: I would be very interested in donating. lol.
Kara DioGuardi sounds like the perfect judge for Idol, doesn’t she?
August 26, 2008 at 5:03 pm Permalink
The “most beautiful” link was dead for me but I’ll add my vote for Patty Loveless. Used to think Sara Evans was the sh#@ but not so much anymore :)
and Stormy, I will donate whatever I can to not only stop the “holla” thing but anyone who speaks Ebonics without actually being from Ebonia
August 26, 2008 at 5:19 pm Permalink
Gretchen Wilson’s fan club must really be promoting this poll… no offence to her or anything, but she should not be 2nd in the poll.
August 26, 2008 at 5:52 pm Permalink
I think Emily West is gorgeous inside and out.
August 26, 2008 at 6:06 pm Permalink
Peter, you and I have similar taste ;)
As for Emily West.. I’m just waiting for the stitching to fall apart.. she looks like a rag doll… with a bad celine dion lookalike face :(
Too gangly for me :) Still.. a million times better looking than Gretchen, mostly a man, Wilson. blech. Couldn’t buy me enough crappy backwoods beer to think that looks good.
August 26, 2008 at 7:00 pm Permalink
The King of Broken Hearts is one of my favourite Jim Lauderdale songs – can’t wait to hear Womack’s version.
August 26, 2008 at 8:10 pm Permalink
I voted for Sarah Buxton just because I like her the best of all of the gals listed. I actually think “plastic Barbie” Julianne Hough is the most physically attractive and I’m surprised how far down the list she is. Poor Jennifer Hanson has zero votes so far so having her on the list was probably not a good idea.
Thanks for the Ashley Monroe link. I hope someone from the 9513 or one of you other blogwriter regulars here will catch her Bluebird Cafe songwriters round on September 2nd so we can get a report and maybe an interview!
So, if PD Frank Edwards reads The 9513 has he adopted the “AirHead Country” terminology yet? I challenge all Top 40 country programmers to rise above the fluffy pop-rock crap and get back to some real country music…
August 26, 2008 at 11:17 pm Permalink
I think Hough is the most attractive as well, which is who I voted for. Clearly this poll isn’t being viewed in the light it should be, which is as superficial as possible for their looks, not their personality or music (sounds bad, I know… but that’s what it needs to be to get the right results)
August 27, 2008 at 1:46 am Permalink
Tonight’s “Rick’s Random Tidbits” will focus on this weeks adds to the Americana Charts: (from AllAboutCoubtry.com, oer usual)
“Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson Top Americana Adds List! “Rattlin’ Bones” Gets 28 First Week Adds!
Americana stations and outlets love those artist collaborations! This week, 28-Americana outlets sent Kasey Chambers’ and Shane Nicholson’s Rattlin’ Bones to the top of the Add Board.
Rodney Crowell’s Sex And Gasoline picked up an initial 25 stations and someone we haven’t heard from in a long time picks up the third most-added spot: Loudon Wainwright III’s Recovery finds 13 stations.
The Americana Chart is sanctioned by the Americana Music Association.
Here are the Top 5 Adds At Americana”
1. Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson/Rattlin’ Bones (28)
2. Rodney Crowell/Sex And Gasoline (25)
3. Loudon Wainwright III/Recovery (13)
4. Todd Snider/Peace Queer (12)
5. Joan Baez/Day After Tomorrow (11)”
I must say that is a far more interesting list than the stuff getting added to Top 40 mainstream fluff country radio……….
August 27, 2008 at 8:34 am Permalink
Rick: Rattlin’ Bones wasn’t an easy listen at first, especially as a big fan of Kasey’s regular stuff, but sticking with it produced some gems and a very enjoyable album.
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