Faith Hill Gives Bikini Birthday Gift To Herself
- As a 41st birthday present to herself, Faith Hill posed in a bikini for the cover of Shape magazine.
- Dan Barry explores the myths and facts behind Johnny Cash’s night in a Starkville, Miss. jail cell in 1965 for picking flowers, an event which has given rise to the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival.
- Lee Ann Womack commenting on comparisons to Tammy Wynette:
“There was a wound in it; there was an ache,” says Ms. Womack while sitting in the lobby of the Fort Worth Stockyards Hotel. She was recently in town for a benefit performance at Billy Bob’s Texas. “She’s like me – if she sang something funny or up-tempo, it was still hurting. I can sing the most positive song in the world, and it still sounds kind of sad. I know it does. I think she probably felt that way, too. Life is not up-tempo and happy all the time. Some people might say it is for them, I don’t know. But it’s a struggle for me. A lot of things are.”
- Three recent albums get the Chris Neal three-and-a-half star treatment: Kellie Pickler’s self-titled album, Ralph Stanely II’s This One is Two and Jason Boland & The Stragglers‘ – Comal County Blue.
- Craig Morgan expounds on the freedom that moving from Broken Bow Records to BNA Records has afforded him:
“I was a little nervous at first,” Morgan said. “I met with Joe and told him I had never had this kind of freedom, and that I wanted to make sure I’m pleasing everyone. I said, ‘No one has come to the studio, no one has asked me about anything.’ He said, ‘When we first started talking we agreed that you would go make the record. I walked around for two years telling people we need to be making records the way you are making records because you were very successful at a label you shouldn’t have been successful at. So I trusted you would do the same here.’ That was it.”
- Daily Trivia: October 20, 1913 witnessed he birth of Grandpa Jones, while 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee Wanda Jackson was born this day in 1937, and Clint Black and Lisa Hartman were married in 1991.
- Music Tomes’ C. Eric Banister published an interview with Barry Mazor, a Senior Editor for No Depression with work appearing in numerous publications. Mazor talks about his newest project, a book titled Meeting Jimmie Rodgers: How America’s Original Roots Music Hero Changed the Pop Sounds of a Century that’ll be out next spring, how he got his start in music writing and even recommends a few books by other authors.
- Jacques Steinberg weaves an abridged version of John Hiatt’s biography in with his review of Hiatt’s performance last Thursday with Lyle Lovett.
Mr. Hiatt said backstage that he planned to take much of the next year off the road — his first sustained break from touring in more than a decade — to be with his wife as well as to take some intensive guitar lessons.
“I am very primitive in my guitar style,” he said, though not convincingly. “Frankly, I need some new tricks.”
- The moment you’ve all been waiting for–an announcement of winners from our most recent free music giveaways.
- Autographed Dolly Parton Album: Jordan Stacey
- Eli Young Band Giveaway: Sam G., Rainbow, doranmj, Peter, Mike
- Lee Ann Womack Giveaway: Sam G., LEAD, Dylan, Ron, Stormy
Congrats, we’ll be in touch with you shortly for your contact info.
- Country California’s CM Wilcox (the writer formerly known as John Maglite) makes the argument that “musical taste is based on a complex personal relationship that takes an unpredictable and unique course for each individual,” and backs it up with a moving personal anecdote. Good stuff.
- JR Journey posted a nice rundown of the listening habits of several forum members over the last week based on The 9513 Last.fm group. Lee Ann Womack dominated the charts, but there’s an eclectic mix of rock and pop songs as well.
Popular Stuff
Sponsor
While the voice of country’s future took home this year’s big honor, a legendary voice from country music’s past scored a win for Album Of The Year. Check out the winners in The 9513's 2nd Annual Country Music Awards now!
Josh Turner's fourth album, Haywire, furthers his reputation as one of the leading men in contemporary country, a true, traditional voice in an ever-changing Nashville scene.
Having played on more than 500 albums and toured with artists that range from Hank III to Dolly Parton, Randy Kohrs has become one of the go-to musicians when there’s a need for a resophonic guitar
Sammy Kershaw – “Better Than I Used To Be”
As the title track off his upcoming album, “Better Than I Used to Be” is a straight-up look back on the career of a country music staple.
Emily West Featuring Keith Urban – “Blue Sky” Emily West turns in a gorgeous performance on “Blue Sky,” hitting notes few of her contemporaries can reach.
What does Alan Jackson like on his eggs?
Cheese and corn; he still likes bologna; a load of salsa; hens? Answers to the questions you'd never dream of asking. (
In each and every instance, the best country albums of the past ten years were built on the backs of songs -- stories about you and me from birth to death and stories that paint landscapes rooted in every region of America and beyond. These are the top country albums of the decade.Tagged In This Article
Clint Black // Craig Morgan // Faith Hill // Jason Boland // Jimmie Rodgers // John Hiatt // Johnny Cash // Kellie Pickler // Lee Ann Womack // Lyle Lovett // Tammy Wynette // Wanda Jackson
Current Discussion
- Steve Harvey: I do wish however, that he would choose some of his singles differently. According to some interviews I've read, he doesn't ...
- Alena: K, you've said it. I agree with you 100%. A wise person once told me something that I've always believed ...
- Paul W Dennis: Also I am not sure that comparisons between Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are terribly germane. Other than both being ...
- Phil: Aren't most people who write these reviews just frustrated songwriters who couldn't make it in the music business?? Yea, ...
- JCH: It's not exactly an irregularity to hold Underwood in esteem while thinking very little of the material she is delivering. ...
- K: "I would not take a review that uses that type of language seriously at all. You did a great job ...
- Steve M.: Perhaps the reviewers are simply stating that Carrie Underwood is wasting her talent on material beneath her talents.
- K: "Lady A had a bad review of their live performance at the Houston Livestock Show recently. Can’t believe they won ...
- Jon: Well, Steven M., sometimes criticism of artists is framed in such a way as to constitute a attack on the ...
- Steve M.: That would be personally.
1 Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URI for this postNovember 2, 2008
[...] seeing Crystal Shawanda live: “Crystal Shawanda performed a short acoustic set in Long Beach, CA last Friday afternoon and [...]
18 Comments
RSS for comments on this post | Trackback URI for this post
October 20, 2008 at 11:11 am Permalink
Do I do three and a half too often? I feel like most albums naturally fall in the three-to-three-and-a-half range, but I fear it gets a little samey for readers.
October 20, 2008 at 11:15 am Permalink
Wow, two free CDs and a picture of Faith Hill in a bikini. I’m starting to like Mondays!
Thanks, 9513ers. You guys are awesome.
October 20, 2008 at 11:19 am Permalink
@ Chris: I feel like a lot of albums fall in the three and half territory as well, but in this case I just wanted to link to your latest reviews and needed something in common between several of the albums. Those three just happened to have the same rating. I could have just as easily pointed out the three star Jessica Simpson review. :P
October 20, 2008 at 11:20 am Permalink
Wow I won again…It’d be nice if the lottery was this nice to me. Thanks again.
October 20, 2008 at 11:32 am Permalink
Woo! Second CD I’ve won. Thanks guys!
October 20, 2008 at 11:44 am Permalink
OK. Just something I’ve been thinking about.
I think a lot of albums are purposely made to be in that range, in fact. A four- or even five-star album is typically so distinctive or thoughtful or just plain deep that it could also be polarizing.
October 20, 2008 at 11:48 am Permalink
Ooh, I get to be a “formerly known as.” Thanks, Brody!
October 20, 2008 at 12:13 pm Permalink
TAFKAJM!
October 20, 2008 at 12:20 pm Permalink
Wohoo! I won!
And Faith in a bikini on top of that…
System overload. Immediate shutdown.
October 20, 2008 at 12:20 pm Permalink
And I forgot to say:
Thank you so much!!
October 20, 2008 at 1:02 pm Permalink
Joe Galante’s comment in the Craig Morgan interview: I walked around for two years telling people we need to be making records the way you are making records because you were very successful at a label you shouldn’t have been successful at. So I trusted you would do the same here.’
That’s a pretty blunt, honest assessment from probably the most successful label head in Nashville.
As for 3.5 star reviews, if/whenever Roughstock’s star rating sytem gets implemented, most would fall in that 3-3.5 out of 5 category as well.
October 20, 2008 at 3:29 pm Permalink
chris, brody,
if you put a bell curve (normal distribution) on top of the five star rating system, it’ll confirm your observation. statistically, is has to be that way. the fact that there are too few 2 and 2.5 star verdicts is probably due to a slightly too positive bias among people who like country music in general.
October 20, 2008 at 5:29 pm Permalink
The bikini is clearly a present for US.
Also.. I hope LeeAnn can find time to do a “Live at Billy Bob’s” CD. That would be a blast.
October 20, 2008 at 6:13 pm Permalink
I think Joe Galante’s comment that Craig Morgan shouldn’t have been successful at Broken Bow is perplexing. Does this mean Jason Aldean shouldn’t have been successful on that label either? Randy Owen (formerly of Alabama) recently choose that label and I doubt he was under duress. Megan Mullins has now completed her debut album for Broken Bow and its just a matter of time until its released (I hope).
Chris, When I see a 3.5 star rating at Country Weekly I know it represents an average, okay album that is middle of the road. Its the four star and higher ratings that catch my attention just because I feel the albums must have some special merit to garner something above the norm.
Tidbit: Jamey Johnson’s “That Lonesome Song” CD is sale priced currently at Best Buy for $ 7.99 as well as Heidi Newfield’s new album.
Crystal Shawanda performed a short acoustic set in Long Beach, CA last Friday afternoon and she blew me away with her vocals. It was just Crystal and her husband DeWayne with acoustic guitars and as Taylor Swift might say, it was awesome! Songs included Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me”, Keith Whitley’s “I’m Over You”, and Hank Williams’ “You Win Again” as well as about half the songs off “Dawn of a New Day”. If you get a chance to catch Crystal doing an acoustic set, DON’T miss the opportunity.
October 20, 2008 at 7:24 pm Permalink
Woo! I won.
October 21, 2008 at 9:39 am Permalink
she get’s good gift on her birthday
October 21, 2008 at 1:02 pm Permalink
Thanks for the shout out! I hope the interviews have some interesting stuff in them for people.
October 21, 2008 at 3:04 pm Permalink
Huzzah! I won too…thanks and happy birthday to the Verchers!
Leave a Comment